《Section Nine (Worm Fanfiction)》 Chapter 1 Awareness returned slowly, lights blinding even through shut eyes and an incessant beeping was like knives being driven into her ears. She tried to roll over, but her body was stiff and heavy, more so as she became aware of something attached to her nose. She opened her bleary eyes, wincing at the assault of sterile white the ceiling brought with it. Turning her head, she saw a swath of wires and tubes connected to her, running over to a standing machine, which had just begun to beep ever louder. A hospital, she decided. She couldn¡¯t remember what might have caused her to end up in one, but it had to be something serious. Pity she couldn¡¯t remember, her thoughts were a jumble, and she couldn¡¯t piece anything together. The last thing she recalled was the bus, some Empire asshole mocking the driver right before getting off at school. Everything beyond that was blank. Frowning, she turned to the door just as someone in pale blue scrubs came in. She was young¡ªwell, relatively so¡ªcompared to what most thought of when they thought of a doctor. The woman smiled at her, something bright and genuine that caused the machine beside her to spike. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°That¡¯s good. Panacea wasn¡¯t sure you would pull through after everything you¡¯ve endured.¡± Her brows furrowed at the information, Panacea was a familiar name, a cape if she recalled correctly. Wasn¡¯t she a healer? Trying to remember just made her head hurt, so she pushed those thoughts away. ¡°We¡¯ll inform your father that you¡¯re awake, he should be by shortly,¡± the woman in scrubs said. ¡°Is there anything I can get you? Maybe some water?¡± She nodded, her mouth did feel rather dry after all. ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± she said, stepping back out of the hospital room leaving her alone once again. She stared at the door for an unknown amount of time. Things were still quite fuzzy. She jerked in surprise when the door opened again, that same woman from before had returned carrying a plastic cup with a straw. She came over, bringing a rolling table with her and pressed a button that began to lift the bed, or rather, the headrest and allowed her to sit up. The woman then held the cup and put the straw in her mouth. ¡°Drink slowly. You probably want to gulp it all down, but we don¡¯t want to risk an upset stomach.¡± She nodded, sipping slowly. The water was ice-cold and felt like nirvana on her parched throat. She sighed in relief when the straw was withdrawn, yet she still wanted more. The woman set the cup on the table and moved it back and away. When the woman turned back, her cheerful expression had fallen way to something more melancholic. ¡°We have a specialist coming to check on you shortly, you¡¯ve been through a lot and might not have all your mobility just yet. Please don¡¯t panic if some part of you isn¡¯t as responsive as you would hope. You¡¯ve been asleep for over a week, such things are to be expected.¡± A week? That was certainly concerning, as was the warning delivered. Experimentally, she tried to move her hands. Both fists clenched, albeit weakly. That was a good start, so she tried to move her feet. Only the left one wiggled this time and she frowned. Trying again, she couldn¡¯t even get her other leg to twitch. A gentle hand fell on her shoulder, and she looked up to see saddened eyes looking back. They were a pale blue, almost gray and filled with a pity that made her want to recoil away from them. Her leg wasn¡¯t working, so of course she was worried, more so, she was angry and wanted to know how she ended up in that situation, but her memories were still muddled. Just as she was about to voice those frustrations, someone else entered the room, wearing a set of sleek midnight blue armor that covered them from head to toe, leaving only a chiseled jaw exposed with a perfectly trimmed beard. Following behind the imposing man was a young boy in red armor. For each similarity between them there were obvious differences in the design choices that went into them. She frowned, struggling to remember who they might be, her mind still infuriatingly sluggish. ¡°You can¡¯t be in here,¡± the woman said, standing. ¡°She woke up less than an hour ago, she¡¯s not ready for visitors, let alone whatever interrogation this is.¡± ¡°I assure you, this was cleared with the proper people,¡± the man in blue said. ¡°You can verify that for yourself, of course.¡± ¡°You can be certain I will, but I refuse to leave a minor behind to deal with a pair of vultures,¡± the woman said through gritted teeth. ¡°I am well aware of post crisis point interviews, Armsmaster, but have some fucking tact and let the girl begin to recover before trying to grab another member for your toy soldier program.¡± The boy in red flinched, but the blue man, Armsmaster apparently, remained stoic. ¡°These interviews must be completed at the earliest potential time. I¡¯m afraid I must ask you to step out or to sign the appropriate NDA.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Counteroffer,¡± the woman spat. ¡°I do neither and we stand here until her father arrives and gets to see her awake for the first time in a fucking week.¡± The boy fidgeted as the woman stood toe to toe with Armsmaster, neither side backing down from their position. ¡°Sir, maybe we should just come back later,¡± the boy in red said softly. The tension was almost a physical thing, and she wanted nothing more than for everyone to leave and allow her to ruminate on the fact that her leg wasn¡¯t working right. Whatever was about to happen was interrupted as a tall, gangly man barreled in through the door and straight into the growing standoff. ¡°Taylor!¡± She was tackled in a crushing embrace while the man sobbed into her shoulder. ¡°I was so afraid, I thought I was going to lose you too.¡± Her head twinged with pain at the name, her name. Taylor. She was Taylor Hebert, right. She hadn¡¯t even realized she had forgotten until just then. It was a sobering thought that her mind wasn¡¯t entirely her own anymore. She could tell that the man hugging her was her father. That much she could recall, but not his name. She wanted to cry and rage at how broken she was, and so she did. She wasn¡¯t sure how long that lasted, but she knew she wanted more water by the time the man pulled away, his glasses askew. Wait, she had worn glasses, yet she could see clearly enough without them. If that was the case, then why didn¡¯t her leg work? The rumble of a throat being cleared cut through the moment, drawing all eyes back to Armsmaster and his distractingly blue armor. ¡°Now that her father has seen her, I trust all objections are withdrawn?¡± Silence filled the room as the boy in red tried, and failed, to pinch his nose through his visor. Taylor couldn¡¯t help it, she giggled at the sight, which only caused the boy¡¯s shoulders to drop as he took a step back. ¡°No objections?¡± the woman exclaimed. ¡°Are the rumors that you¡¯re actually a robot true? Do you not have a single ounce of tact in your body?¡± ¡°I have already contacted the hospital director, he is sending someone to remove you,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Please don¡¯t escalate this further than it already has.¡± As if on cue, two men in scrubs stepped inside, looking uncomfortable but determined. ¡°Tina,¡± one said. ¡°It¡¯s not worth your job.¡± Taylor could hear the woman, Tina¡¯s, teeth grinding in frustration as she gestured first to her father then herself. ¡°It¡¯s worth it to them.¡± ¡°Go,¡± Taylor said, though the words came out scratchy and broken. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay.¡± Tina¡¯s expression softened, and she let out a tired sigh before stepping away, the two men followed her out, shutting the door behind them. Absently, she reached for the water, but it was too far. Her father seemed to pick up on that, and helped her drink. ¡°This is Armsmaster, conducting an interview with potential trigger Taylor Hebert on January eleventh at seventeen hundred hours and eight minutes. Subject is awake and alert as well as accompanied by her father, Danny Hebert.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± she asked as her dad¡¯s name slotted into place. ¡°I didn¡¯t even remember my name until my father spoke it. I didn¡¯t remember his name until you said it.¡± ¡°Oh Taylor,¡± her father said softly, before turning to Armsmaster. ¡°What is the meaning of this anyway? Why are two heroes harassing my daughter when she¡¯s barely out of a week-long coma? A coma that even Panacea wasn¡¯t sure she would recover from, I should remind you.¡± ¡°Regardless of that, we have an investigation to complete and time is of the essence,¡± Armsmaster said tersely. ¡°To the best of your recollection, Ms. Hebert, what happened on the day of January third?¡± ¡°I got off the bus to go to school,¡± Taylor said. ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s all I can remember on my own.¡± ¡°You recall nothing about a locker?¡± he asked. Flashes of someone screaming, bugs crawling, burning pain as she sobbed in the dark and insects scratched and bit at her flesh. The machine beside her bed began to sound a trilling alarm and it was only her father, with hands on her shoulders, that kept her from thrashing. ¡°Selective recall, a trauma response,¡± Armsmaster¡¯s monotone voice said. ¡°Ms. Hebert, it is possible you experienced a trigger event when you were in that locker and now have powers. If you can confirm for us that you do, a position in the Wards would be made available for you.¡± ¡°Hold on now,¡± her father spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s all you care about? If my daughter has powers? What about the people that did this to her? Have they even been identified? Last I heard, the school was unable to locate witnesses and the police were no longer investigating because the PRT took over.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Due to the possibility of a trigger event, we took over the investigation to protect your daughter¡¯s identity as well as prevent potential retaliation by the gangs against those who targeted you.¡± Three laughing faces came to mind, familiar and reviled. Mocking words blended together, Madison, Sophia, and¡­ Emma. The girl who had once been like a sister to her, and had betrayed her in some of the deepest of ways. ¡°You¡¯re protecting those who crippled my daughter?¡± her father said, jaw slack and his voice barely a whisper. ¡°Get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°Mr. Hebert,¡± Armsmaster tried, but Danny barreled ahead, jumping to his feet. ¡°I said get the fuck out!¡± he thundered. ¡°Mr. Hebert, the Protectorate has resources that could help your daughter.¡± ¡°Only if I have powers,¡± Taylor said with a conviction that surprised herself, along with a touch of desperation. ¡°Which I don¡¯t. What now? Will these resources still be made available? I can¡¯t move my leg, my arm is all but useless and apparently Panacea has already done all she could. What now, Armsmaster?¡± She was panting by the end, her heart thundering in her chest as once again the machine by her bed cried out in alarm. Taylor didn¡¯t care, she knew that they wouldn¡¯t help her, nobody ever did. She was vaguely aware of the heroes¡¯ departure, of the nurses returning to check on her, but Taylor wasn¡¯t there, she was trapped once again with no hope of escape. Even her father had left, she wasn¡¯t sure when. She just knew how it would play out, her leg would never work again, she would be dependent on others for the rest of her life. She would be abandoned, just as she had always been. Hopeless. Discarded. Helpless. She felt consciousness slip away as distant voices cried out, but she welcomed the darkness like an old friend. Destination. Agreement. Chapter 2 Taylor grimaced as she flexed her left arm, barely able to grasp the fork that had come with her meal. A full week in the hospital and her arm wasn¡¯t getting any better, never mind her leg. She had to walk with crutches, and what passed for physical therapy in Brockton General was doing her little good. Panacea, or rather, Amy, had come by on two other occasions in an official capacity, confirming that she was unlikely to regain full control of her limbs without a healer capable of working on brains. She mentioned a cape by the name of Surgeon, but her wait list was almost a year long. Taylor passed on that option. She could do it herself, she just needed the right materials. The blueprints and ideas came freely, and it took all her willpower to not just rip into the machinery she found hooked up to her to monitor her health. She knew she could fix her brain, from her mobility to the gaps in her memory, the idea was there just waiting for her to grasp it. It would be difficult with her disability, and more than likely she would have to tell her father about her powers. Or, she could take the offer that she was getting daily from the ¡®visiting Ward¡¯ that totally wasn¡¯t a blatant disregard of her identity that they spent more than half their time at the hospital in her room. Amy had run Gallant off that second night, prompting a sincere thank you from Taylor that had taken the healer off guard. Amy had taken to spending a few minutes each visit at the hospital stopping by her room, off the books since she was supposed to log each patient visited. It gave Taylor someone to talk to, since that nurse from her first night awake hadn¡¯t returned. Amy had promised to check into it on her last impromptu visit. Taylor had a sneaking suspicion of why she wasn¡¯t around, but wanted to think better of the heroes than to see a woman fired without a good reason. Her father had been by each morning before work, and each evening after, which Taylor had appreciated. She knew the rest of his time was being spent fighting with the school over the investigation, and trying to squeeze answers from the PRT. Answers that wouldn¡¯t come unless she joined. Oh, they never said it outright, but it had become quite clear to her after a few days of back and forth with the various Wards. So far, she had met all of them except for Shadow Stalker and Clockblocker. Vista had come by twice. Each of them had talked up the virtues of the Wards, a sales pitch in all but name. If Armsmaster hadn¡¯t already soured her to the idea with his veiled threats, she might have considered it. She was a Tinker, having put that much together from the one-sided conversations with the Wards, and her chats with Amy. The door to her room swung open and Taylor found herself smiling as said healer entered, and promptly dropped the grin when she saw the grim expression on her face. Amy took a few steps over to her usual chair, and dropped into it with a labored sigh. ¡°Rough day?¡± Taylor asked after a moment. ¡°Tina was put on administrative leave following what happened,¡± Amy said. ¡°They fired her yesterday.¡± Taylor sucked in a breath, even though she had expected the answer. Every other nurse she had spoken with had been tight-lipped about what was happening, likely fearing for their own jobs after she was made an example to the rest about what happened when the Protectorate didn¡¯t get their way. It disgusted her to hear those suspicions confirmed, but it also served to strengthen her resolve. Such an abuse of power wouldn¡¯t go unanswered. ¡°They¡¯re sending me home tomorrow,¡± Taylor said instead. ¡°They¡¯ve given up on any treatment working.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also been told that Surgeon won¡¯t be able to see you until next year at the earliest,¡± Amy added. ¡°Or it could be within a week if the person in question was a Ward.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t even trying to be subtle, are they?¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amy said. ¡°I¡¯d understand if you want to blame me for not fixing you.¡± Taylor began to speak, then shut her mouth. It would have been a lie to say that she didn¡¯t blame Amy at least a bit. Panacea was a name well known in Brockton Bay, the miracle healer, and there she was, admitting that she couldn¡¯t do anything to help. Taylor was angry, but it was better to direct that anger to those who deserved it. She would be getting out of the hospital, then she could start building something that could fix her mind. Once she had her mobility back, that would be when things changed. Taylor had ideas and a vision, a brand-new body, fully cybernetic, with a mental interface that directly connected to the internet. Able to leap over buildings, laugh off bullets, and lift cars. She could do so much with such tech at her fingertips, the only thing holding her back would be building it. She could forgive Amy for not being able to help, because for once, she could help herself. She just needed to find the right tools and materials.
Taylor wanted nothing more than to pull her hair out. Nothing in her house had been suitable for building even the most rudimentary of tools she would need for her eventual workshop. It wasn¡¯t fair. No other classification of cape needed tools or supplies. Why couldn¡¯t she have been gifted flight and lasers, or even something like the ability to command birds. Anything would have been easier to work with than a Tinker power. Worse, she knew what her specialty was and it was even more of an insult. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Cybernetics. She had figured that out once she realized that her power wanted her to remove her own brain and install it into a machine interface. Steel and aluminum just wouldn¡¯t cut it for such endeavors which meant sourcing rarer metals. Even worse, she was what was classified as a Wet Tinker, and those weren¡¯t looked upon kindly. Surgeon fell under the same classification, but her abilities were closely guarded and she admitted to being under heavy restrictions aside. On the plus side, Taylor¡¯s ability to program had grown by leaps and bounds, to the point that she had replaced the operating system on her old PC. It wasn¡¯t a substitute for proper new hardware, but there was only so much she had to work with. Loading up her search engine, she was once again frowning at the prices of the metals she would need in bulk. Titanium, tantalum, and various ceramics were all beyond her, and monitored aside. It was only thanks to her custom search engine that she avoided gaining the attention of the various groups that tracked search patterns for new Tinkers. Oddly enough, PHO ended up being the best source of information. A helpful F.A.Q. was listed for new Tinkers, and Taylor had read it over several times. Of the most concern wasn¡¯t what was said, but what was left unspoken. Sure, the listing of the unspoken rules that capes lived by was nice, but it was clear that nobody respected them when it came to Tinkers based on the advice offered for scavenging. Taylor had thought to take a bus to the boat graveyard, but it was obvious that the gangs would be watching such an obvious location. Yes, she was including the Protectorate in the grouping after the recruitment tactics they had demonstrated. That left her back at square one for finding a source for parts. That led her to checking the account that had written the F.A.Q. One would have expected it to be written by Hero, or Dragon, but it was written instead by someone going by the name Dodge. Trying to find information on him was almost impossible, but what she did find was a name. Toybox. Who or what they were was a mystery, but she had a lead. It didn¡¯t feel like a coincidence that she had found that much, it felt intentional. So, she decided to do the straightforward thing and sent Dodge a message. He responded less than five minutes later with a single word. Damascian. Taylor frowned, because she had no idea what that was supposed to mean. It had to be some sort of code, or a test as part of the mystery. Adding Damascian to her search terms did yield a new result however, a website that was nothing but broken code. Taylor was about to dismiss it when she noticed something about the code. What she was beginning to recognize as her Tinker sense filled the gaps and in minutes the broken website gave way to a new page. It was a storefront, no different than any other big box store, but the merchandise stood out. A singular device, about the size of a flashlight was spinning on the top banner, listed at twenty-five percent off, and carried a price of two hundred thousand with the discount. It was a beam saber, an honest to god Tinkertech lightsaber. Taylor almost squealed when she put that much together. It didn¡¯t take long before she was lost in the store, browsing materials and tech alike. Everything she needed was there, but it would be a cold day in hell before she could afford even the cheapest of items. What elation she had felt all but vanished, she had found what she needed, but it was still beyond her. Despair gripped her heart like a vice, but she wasn¡¯t done yet, as there was a contact form for specialty requests. It might be a mistake to reveal herself like that, but her options were dwindling and she did NOT want to go crawling to the heroes. Content that she had made herself clear enough to be interesting, but not so much as to give everything away, she sent the message explaining how she had found the site and what she could do. All she asked was for help in getting established. She sat there for five minutes, then ten and it soon became clear she wasn¡¯t getting a rapid response. A door opened below and Taylor quickly shut off her monitor and got up. She could walk on her own, technically, but it was incredibly dangerous for anything more than short trips between her desk and bed, so she grabbed her crutches and made her way to the stairs. It was hell getting down them with a leg that barely twitched, but she managed. ¡°Hey Dad,¡± she said once her feet were on the ground again. ¡°How was work?¡± ¡°Same old,¡± he said. ¡°A group of scabs beat us out on another bid for work downtown.¡± Taylor frowned, as that was becoming an increasingly common thing with the Dockworkers. Far too often for it to be a coincidence. She would look into it, if she wasn¡¯t dealing with her own problems. It was then that she noticed the bag of Chinese takeout and felt her stomach rumble. Her father laughed and gestured towards the kitchen. They ate in silence, not wanting the already soured mood to be dragged even lower. Taylor cracked her fortune cookie and frowned. QUESTION THE GIFT THAT SEEMS TOO GOOD. It wasn¡¯t bad advice, but didn¡¯t seem all too relevant to her own life. ¡°A dead end only seems as such, it merely means you should seek a different door.¡± She looked up at her father¡¯s frowning face and saw pinpricks of unshed tears in his eyes. Taylor knew he was still attempting to get answers out of Winslow, to get the investigation opened properly once more, but it seemed like nobody was willing to play ball. It burned her to know that justice was being held for ransom. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn in early,¡± Taylor said. She would rather lie in bed than see her father so helpless. Knowing that his ineffectiveness wasn¡¯t his fault didn¡¯t stop it from ripping into her heart. She grabbed her crutches and began the slow and often painful ascent of the stairs and made it back into her room. Thankfully this trip didn¡¯t involve a fall. She almost collapsed into bed, but she turned her monitor back on one last time to check and almost stumbled. She had a reply. Opening the message, she began to read and for the first time in what felt like years, she smiled. It was a link to another broken site, this one in far greater disarray. Taylor cracked her knuckles and got to work and in less than ten minutes, she was looking at a singular chat box on a black screen. Hello young Tinker, well done in locating us. Chapter 3 Taylor stayed up far too late messaging with the person on the other end. It explained why Dodge had given her the name Damascian. She was one of their oldest members, from what Taylor could tell. They discussed a great many topics, from sourcing materials, to what she wanted to build in the short and long term. There was a concern that Taylor was giving too much away to what amounted to a stranger, but Damascian had never once attempted to pressure her into joining under threat, and had only brought up recruitment practices after Taylor asked the same. Taylor gave her name as Cyber, which seemed fitting given her specialty. Around two in the morning, Damascian had cut the conversation short, citing her lack of a need for sleep that Taylor unfortunately did not share. What she did get, however, was an agreement to meet that afternoon to feel things out, maybe meet some other Tinkers within the collective they had formed. Taylor slept fitfully that night, waking up almost every hour to check the time. Her father left for work like normal, though she was happy to see the plate of food he brought her way, simple as it was. She woke up for the last time a bit past ten and got ready. For all the time she still had, her disability would slow her down. That was something she had only gone into cursory detail about with Damascian, that she needed to Tinker for a solution to a mobility problem that she possessed. The other Tinker didn¡¯t see much of a problem there, but she also didn¡¯t think Damascian quite grasped what she would require. Well, there was nothing to it in the end, either Toybox would work out, or she would be forced to crawl to the Protectorate. Taylor made her preparations, packed a notebook she had gathered many of her ideas in, and set out for the bus stop, slow and steady as she could on crutches. The bus driver gave her a look as she showed her ID, but didn¡¯t move to help. Less than a week out of the hospital and she was already fed up with the looks of pity. Forty-five minutes later, she was departing near the Boardwalk and making her way to the indicated restaurant. It was a tiny Italian place that was overpriced to hell and back but it was meant for tourists, not the locals. Besides, it was the off season, which meant the prices would be more reasonable. Showing a local ID at such restaurants was usually good for a discount too. Taylor didn¡¯t have to look long for the woman she was set to meet, her blonde hair cut to shoulder-length with a red scarf would have been distinctive enough, but the woman was staring at her with an intensity that was hard to ignore. She couldn¡¯t figure out what was going through her mind, but it probably had something to do with her crutches. Just as Taylor made it to the table, the woman snapped out of whatever trance she had fallen into and hurried to pull a chair out for her. Taylor blinked in surprise for a moment, then was utterly baffled when she helped her into the damn chair. Even her father hadn¡¯t made that sort of effort when she came home. Even the hospital staff hadn¡¯t been that caring of her, not since Tina¡­ ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Cyber,¡± the woman said. ¡°You know me as Damascian but given we¡¯re in civilian attire, call me Melissa.¡± She blinked, not having expected to learn her real name so quickly, or being asked if she would provide her own. Taylor knew she didn¡¯t have to return the favor, but the level of trust being offered, she felt it would be rude to not do the same. ¡°Taylor,¡± she said, offering her hand. ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡± Dama¡ª Melissa smiled, and Taylor thought it was almost wistful. Almost as though she were caught in a memory, especially with the way her lip twitched at one point. Hands shaken, Taylor sat back in her chair and a waiter came over to take her drink order. ¡°Order whatever you like, my treat,¡± Melissa said. Taylor reluctantly did as requested, picking a five cheese lasagna and some garlic knots. Once the waiter departed, Melissa turned her attention back to Taylor, placing a small device down before activating it. ¡°Tinkertech anti-listening device. Nobody will be able to understand our conversation unless they¡¯re inside the field.¡± ¡°That¡¯s handy,¡± Taylor said, eyeing the device and feeling her power pulling at various ideas in her mind. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that things aren¡¯t the greatest for new Tinkers. The gangs keep their ears to the ground, the Protectorate strong-arms, and there just aren¡¯t many options otherwise. Leet is active in the city, but is considered such a liability that everyone leaves him alone.¡± ¡°No kidding about the strong-arming,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Ah, I figured you already experienced that if you weren¡¯t running to their arms,¡± Melissa said softly. ¡°Sorry you had to deal with that, you know what they say about meeting one¡¯s heroes.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I didn¡¯t have a secret identity at this point,¡± Taylor begrudgingly admitted. ¡°The heroes were certainly visiting my hospital room often enough.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Melissa froze for an instant when Taylor mentioned the hospital, and for that same instant she had felt fear at what she saw behind the eyes of the Tinker across from her. Taylor knew then and there that Melissa might be a Tinker, but she had seen combat. Her grandfather had that same look in his eyes at times; she remembered it clearly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain,¡± Melissa said, having composed herself. ¡°Believe me when I say that Trigger events are an immensely private thing. I, nor anyone else with Toybox will ever ask for details.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Taylor said, not realizing how reassuring those words were until they had been spoken. She really had been expecting to need to go into detail about how she had been crippled, only to have justice dangled in front of her like a cat toy if she just played along. ¡°Let¡¯s just say there¡¯s a reason why I refuse to work with those bastards.¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± Melissa said as their food was delivered. The pair ate and conversed, discussing some of her ideas as they did. Melissa was quite interested in her ability to make prosthetic limbs that were near seamless and lifelike. A demonstration of quality would be needed, but it would fill a niche that their catalog lacked. The meal wound down and Taylor was surprised at how easy it was to talk shop with someone who not only understood, but accepted her without expectation. Sure, Toybox would need proof of her abilities, but that was a given. There were no demands, and Melissa assured her that she was free to leave at any point in time if she felt uncomfortable. That alone was an immense weight off of her shoulders and for once, Taylor allowed herself to relax. The check was delivered and Melissa left five twenties behind, a rather considerable tip given the price of their meals and helped Taylor back to her feet. After a brief walk, Melissa directed her to an out of sight alley that gave Taylor pause. ¡°It has been a pleasure to meet you, Taylor, and if you would like, you may follow me to Toybox proper, or we can part ways here and do that another time. The choice, as always, is yours.¡± A choice. It was always a choice, and they held weight, but the first step was being left up to her time and again. Was she being guided along a path? Most likely, but it felt welcoming rather than suffocating, and there was something about Melissa that reminded her of her mother in a way. Subtle gestures here and there that she hadn¡¯t seen since the crash. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure if it was just wishful projection, or a genuine connection and frankly, she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that,¡± she answered. Melissa grinned, pulling a small device from her pocket that reminded her of something from Star Trek. She aimed it at the nearby wall and a ripple formed on the brick surface. Taylor couldn¡¯t see anything on the other side, but she felt warm air billowing out. ¡°Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to Toybox,¡± Melissa said, gesturing to the wrinkle in space. ¡°Mind the step, it¡¯s a bit rough even without crutches.¡± Taylor frowned as Melissa stepped though then steeled her nerve and followed behind. Sure enough, there was a significant drop on the other side and she stumbled, only to be caught in a pair of strong arms. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding,¡± Taylor huffed as Melissa helped her back upright. They had exited into what looked like a generic reception room that one might see at a doctor¡¯s office, only there wasn¡¯t a counter for someone to actually manage the intake. Instead, there was a single door without a knob or visible lock. Melissa stepped over to it and with a wave of something in her hand, the door slid aside. ¡°As you can see, we do take security seriously,¡± Melissa said, allowing Taylor to catch up. ¡°Toybox exists in a pocket dimension that is only accessible to someone keyed in with the proper coordinates and all exit points have to be programmed in advance.¡± ¡°I would think a quick exit to a semi-random location would be safe in the event of an emergency breach,¡± Taylor said, looking at the myriad of doors along the hall that were being skipped. ¡°Such a system exists, don¡¯t worry,¡± Melissa said quickly. ¡°We just don¡¯t want someone to abuse what we have here. Imagine if a villain group secured this site and was able to move cross-country at will.¡± Taylor shivered at the thought. Groups like the Fallen or the Nine were the stuff of nightmares, and if they could abuse something like that, they would be unstoppable. After what felt like ages, Damascian stopped at one of the random doors and swiped her hand again. Inside was a cozy little breakroom with several couches and a counter lined with snacks. Seated at a stool was another person in a lab coat wearing goggles that clearly had some tech built in. Taylor blinked as an idea for a heads-up display came to mind and once again she wished she had the ability to make it a reality. Hopefully things would go well and she could alleviate that itch, but that remained to be seen. The cape turned, frowning as she did. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Cyber,¡± Melissa said. ¡°She¡¯s a potential recruit.¡± ¡°Is she now?¡± the woman said, hopping from the stool. She moved to circle Taylor and she felt ill at ease. Worse, she wasn¡¯t sure about her earlier assessment of their gender. ¡°Is this?¡± ¡°She is,¡± Melissa said quickly. ¡°Interesting,¡± they said with a growing smile. ¡°Nice to meet you Cyber, you can call me Cranial. No civilian name, they/them pronouns please.¡± Taylor swallowed, wanting to shrink back under such close scrutiny. Whatever had been communicated between the two was lost on her, but she could tell it was important. Rather, she almost felt like a piece of beef on display. Would she too be evaluating someone for Toybox in such a manner one day? ¡°Oi, give the poor girl some space,¡± a man called out. Taylor turned, the sight of a fitted suit seeming out of place in what was supposed to be a Tinker paradise. The man inside the suit leaned against the doorframe, a playful smile on his clean-shaven face. Before she could even process that statement, Melissa groaned. ¡°Way to spoil the fun, Jacob.¡± Chapter 4 Taylor looked between Melissa and Jacob, wondering exactly who he was. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of a cape costume on the man, never mind that Melissa had just tossed out his name casually like that. As if sensing her confusion, Jacob pushed off of the door frame and stepped closer, offering his hand. ¡°Jacob, no cape name to speak of,¡± he said as she hesitantly shook the offered hand. ¡°My primary claim to fame around here is that I¡¯m married to our accountant.¡± Melissa snorted but didn¡¯t refute him. ¡°So, we¡¯re giving little Cyber here a trial run, or is she already hired on?¡± Cranial asked. ¡°Trial,¡± Melissa said. ¡°She knows tech, but she doesn¡¯t have the tools or materials her specialty demands.¡± ¡°Hence seeking out Toybox,¡± Jacob said with a smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can find someone willing to lend you their lab for a basic rundown.¡± ¡°She can use mine,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Come on grasshopper, let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± Taylor frowned at the nickname, but followed them regardless. Jacob stepped aside, then fell in behind her, walking in step with Melissa. There were some whispers between the two, but Taylor was struggling to hear it over the clicking of her crutches on the tile and Cranial¡¯s rather quick pace. As they walked, Taylor noticed some of the doors had signs or stickers on them. One was an exit sign, another had a name on it, then there was one that had a smiley face. ¡°The exit doors are traps,¡± Melissa said. ¡°The smiley faces are some of Dodge¡¯s early fuck-ups. Don¡¯t open those unless you don¡¯t mind getting hurled to a random dimension.¡± ¡°Or getting violated by the great horror from beyond,¡± Cranial added. ¡°We¡¯ve seen some weird shit pop out of those rifts over the years.¡± Taylor swallowed, her pace quickening even as Melissa snickered. Just what sort of hell dimension had she stepped into if they were casually joking about such things? Like, who even puts a smiley face on a door that was obviously a death sentence to open? Taylor tried to not dwell on it, she really did¡­ Eventually Cranial came to stop in front of an unlabeled door and pushed it open without missing a beat. Taylor hobbled inside and froze in place. A dozen screen readouts showed what she knew to be brainwaves of humans and in one case, a raccoon? Whatever. She was focused on the workbench across the way, with dozens of tools arranged within easy reach and some half assembled project that her power could only whisper ideas about what it might end up being. ¡°I¡¯ll grab some extra materials,¡± Melissa said, but Taylor was already moving to the table. Hundreds of ideas flooded her mind, from precision tools to diagnostic systems to straight-up prosthetics. She took a seat, her hands moving as she worked to make one of those visions a reality. She could build something to help herself along, a temporary solution, but she could regain her arm enough to use it for more than steadying whatever her other hand was tinkering with. Time passed, pieces came together and after what felt like minutes, she had the structure of an exoskeleton that would fit over her arm. A control unit would attach to the base of her skull, reading the signals where they faltered in her damaged mind, then the exoskeleton would translate those into reinforcing her own movements with the strength she once possessed. She had to program the control software from scratch, but that wasn¡¯t an issue with how fast the computer was, though the operating system was far less efficient than the one she had made for her home device. She would correct that later, it wouldn¡¯t be efficient to write the same code twice after all. Before she realized it, she had snapped the frame to her arm and began the startup sequence. Her movements started off sluggish, with the skeleton taking half a second to respond, but that was all part of the machine learning. Within a minute, the reaction was seamless and Taylor found herself smiling even as wet streaks trailed down her cheeks. She had her arm back, even in a limited capacity. She could eliminate the problem completely if she could complete a brain case and get her brain cyberized completely. The tools and materials she would need weren¡¯t available which meant she would have to make them. Frowning, she looked over the desk and saw she didn¡¯t have enough to make even the most basics of those tools. She needed more materials. Turning around, Taylor almost fell out of her chair when she saw that a crowd had gathered to watch her work. A few had even begun to clap. She hadn¡¯t even noticed them entering the room, let alone the numbers. Was it too late to slink into a corner and die of embarrassment? ¡°Back with us?¡± Melissa asked. Taylor nodded numbly, because aside from some equipment, not one of the people in the room with her were wearing anything resembling a mask or costume. ¡°It¡¯s been a fair bit since I got to observe a Tinker fugue from the outside, what fun,¡± a man with blonde hair said. ¡°It was certainly interesting to watch you work, young lady, very informative.¡± Taylor felt her cheeks warm as she looked away from the rather dashing older gentleman only for her eyes to fall on an Asian woman. She seemed disinterested in the discussion, opting to tap away on a tablet instead, but she seemed like she might be close to her own age, enough so that her eyes lingered long enough for her to look up. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I got something on my face?¡± she demanded. Taylor looked away once more, not sure quite where she should be looking or what she should be saying. ¡°Oh don¡¯t scare the girl, Vivian. She¡¯s our newest member and we¡¯re trying to make a good impression here,¡± another man said. This one looked closer to his twenties, with black hair buzzed in a military style. ¡°You¡¯ll need to excuse her, she¡¯s not one for manners, our little Bakuda. You may know me as Uppercrust, I specialize in force fields and serve as our contact with outside groups like the Protectorate and Elite. Feel free to call me Jim, however.¡± Cranial reintroduced themselves as did Jacob, but Melissa eyed her with something that sent a spike of concern down her spine. ¡°Damascian, but you already know me as Melissa,¡± the woman said with a teasing lilt. ¡°Harry, is the one you were making googly eyes at.¡± Taylor wanted nothing more than to wilt away as everyone laughed, but at the same time, there was a level of comradery there that felt warm. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯m gay,¡± Harry said, which didn¡¯t help her at all. ¡°Dodge is my Cape name, I specialize in pocket dimensions like the one we¡¯re currently in.¡± Taylor felt her stomach drop, but at least she didn¡¯t have to dwell on that momentary slip and the man was taking it in stride. ¡°Ask him why the Protectorate thinks he¡¯s a twelve-year-old boy,¡± Vivian snarked. Taylor¡¯s eyes widened as she considered that, but Harry was quick to wave her off. ¡°Nothing nefarious, just my son messing around on one of my accounts.¡± Everyone laughed, and Taylor found herself laughing with them. It was nice, and she was finding she didn¡¯t mind their company. Well, that about settled it then. She took in the assembled capes, how open and welcoming they seemed to be, as they stood waiting. She sat up straighter, looking across each of them and gathered her courage. ¡°Hi, you know me as Cyber, not that the name is set in stone, but you can call me Taylor.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Now obviously this isn¡¯t everyone, but those that happened to be in were curious to meet the potential new member.¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely a Tinker,¡± Cranial said with a nod. ¡°Most of that equipment is impossible to use like she did.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Jacob said, then the levity dropped away, and the man was all business. ¡°Now, Toybox is more than just a business. We¡¯re a family here. Most of the members are outcasts that didn¡¯t fit in anywhere else and sought refuge. You certainly fit that mold, but there is more to it than that. Tell me Taylor, why do you feel you belong in Toybox?¡± She blinked, not having given it much thought. Her main concern was NOT wanting to join the Protectorate or the gangs, but she also knew that Toybox wasn¡¯t above selling their wares to villains. She hadn¡¯t considered the implications, but she too would likely be expected to sell to villains. Moreover, did she actually belong with a group that seemed so open and welcoming? It felt like too much, and too good for her besides. She didn¡¯t deserve to be treated so well by the people around her. ¡°I don¡¯t belong,¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve not belonged anywhere for some time. I¡¯ll just¡­ Go home.¡± She stood on a wobbly leg and grabbed her crutches before she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the sudden contact, she was surprised to see Melissa at her side. ¡°I¡¯ll vouch for her if necessary,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I second that,¡± Cranial added almost immediately. Taylor blinked at the sudden, and rather firm support that had just been offered. She had no idea what she had done to those two, but for some reason they were standing up for her in a way that nobody ever had, not since her mom had¡­ Tears fell down her cheeks, because what else was she supposed to do but cry? Melissa pulled her in close, making sure her crutches were safely set aside as she was held close and allowed the time to work through the new feelings roiling within her. Wiping the snot on the sleeve of her hoodie, which had been set aside so she could attach the exoskeleton to her arm, she looked back at the assembled members of Toybox. ¡°Shit, how are we supposed to say no to that?¡± Vivian grumbled. ¡°You got my answer, I¡¯m going back to my lab.¡± Melissa chuckled at the acerbic response, but it had been in her favor for all the indifference in Vivian¡¯s delivery. Jacob shook his head as she left, then looked at the other capes in the room. ¡°Any objections or concerns?¡± he asked. ¡°None from me,¡± Harry said. ¡°She¡¯s obviously been through a lot, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have powers, but this seems right in line with how we usually recruit people. She¡¯s got my vote.¡± ¡°Mine as well,¡± Jim added. ¡°Not that I¡¯m around much, but I can¡¯t see her throwing us under the bus. Pass that up to the big guy and see what he says.¡± Jacob gave Harry a pointed look, but all he did was grin, prompting Jacob to sigh. ¡°You¡¯re the Tinkers. Melissa, Cranial, I hope you both are willing to take responsibility for her.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Just keep her out of the shady side unless she wants in, that good enough for you?¡± Jacob paused, his hand halfway up to rubbing his hair when she had said that. Whatever was being referenced went over Taylor¡¯s head but it was clear that the other occupants in the room understood the subtext just fine. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°I doubt the big guy will veto the decision and everyone else seems to consider it a done deal, so let me be the first to welcome you to Toybox.¡± Taylor looked at the extended hand, so much like the previous introductions, and yet there was a weight of decision to it. She accepted it, and shook, an agreement made. ¡°We¡¯ll start getting a lab space set up, so be sure to send Melissa a list of materials you might need as well as any tools that look useful from the storefront. We¡¯ll come up with an agreement once we know what your startup looks like, but that brace you made is already promising. I have little doubt it won¡¯t take long to see a return on our investment in you, which will make it an easier sell for Kurt when he gets an eight figure bill for your starting gear.¡± Taylor paled, the implications of Toybox being willing to drop so much money on her was simply boggling. Obviously they expected to make money off of tech she developed and sold, but to willingly invest so much off of a singular demonstration? It raised more questions than answers. Just what was she signing up for? Chapter 5 Taylor hobbled back into her home, cursing that she still needed the crutches. Her brace was working out great for her arm and hand, and she already had ideas for covering it in artificial skin to help hide it better. Tomorrow she would return to Toybox and build another brace for her leg as a stop gap, that should be enough until she managed to get everything she needed to build her brain case. That was the creation she needed to work towards, as all of her tech stemmed from it. Fixing her brain in the process would just be a bonus. Until then, she needed to come up with some easy to make, but still desirable products to fill out her portion of the Toybox catalog. Melissa said she would be by around no later than eight thirty to pick her up, which felt like it was so far away. As weird as things were in the Tinker commune, it was paradise to her. Booting her computer, Taylor navigated back to their website and began to look over the available tools that were on offer. She ended up filling her cart with well over a million dollars worth of stuff before she realized, her gut roiling at just how much it all cost, but she didn¡¯t remove anything. She heard the rumble of her father¡¯s truck, and quickly turned her monitor off. Among those supplies had been a laptop that would serve her programming needs far better than her current aging rig. She made it down the stairs just as he made it to the door and let himself in. ¡°Taylor,¡± he said with a weak smile. ¡°I got Fugly¡¯s.¡± Her stomach sank, because Fugly¡¯s rarely accompanied good news, especially when he got shakes to go along with it. She knew better than to ask; he would tell her after they got done eating. She made her way into the kitchen, pulling her own chair out and took a seat while he set everything out. Taylor reached for her burger and was halfway to unwrapping it when she noticed. She was still wearing her brace. Taylor quickly pulled her hand back, and covered it with her sleeve. Naturally, her father was too despondent to notice. He had been spiraling since the hospital, and Taylor couldn¡¯t blame him. Things were going wrong at every turn, and nothing was getting better. Maybe she should tell him. He had to suspect she had powers, given how interested the Protectorate was, but Taylor had kept it to herself so far and he hadn¡¯t pried. She wanted something she could show him, to demonstrate that she could create things and didn¡¯t need to join the heroes and she had it, right there on her arm. Taylor tried to speak, to admit that Armsmaster was right about her, but she couldn¡¯t find the words. Gritting her teeth, she realized that she wasn¡¯t ready to give up that part of herself, because he would ultimately push for the Wards. If he asked, she would tell him, otherwise she would wait until she had the most invasive of her tech finished. The restrictions on the Wards were clear, Taylor would never be allowed to Tinker on her own body. She couldn¡¯t operate under such restrictions and would go stir-crazy on a good day. She needed Toybox. Taylor ate in silence, relishing the greasy burger and thick milkshake that had melted just enough to drink easily through the oversized straw. Packing the last of her meal away, Taylor settled in with the last dregs of her shake and waited for the unpleasant news. ¡°The PRT has dropped the investigation,¡± he said without preamble. Taylor wished she could say that she was surprised, but she really wasn¡¯t. The only hero she had met that wasn¡¯t trying to recruit her had been Panacea. Amy hadn¡¯t kept in touch, because Taylor lacked a cell phone and all, so it wasn¡¯t even her fault, but it still bothered her. She sat in silence, processing that news, but she had a sneaking suspicion that there was another blow hidden within that bit of news, so she waited. Her father sighed, slumping in his seat as he did. ¡°Winslow expects you back no later than the thirtieth.¡± There it was, she would be sent back to the very same wolves that had seen her hospitalized, that had taken her mobility. The bitches had won, that was the message being sent. Taylor¡¯s fists clenched, and she knew she was on a timer. She needed to get back to Toybox, get the work started on her cyber brain. The recording capabilities alone would be a lifesaver, as would the hacking that would be seamless with the mental interfaces available. She couldn¡¯t afford to sit around and wait, she had so much work to do. Standing, her father looked on, all the light having left his eyes. He had given up, but she hadn¡¯t. Not yet. There was still fight left in Taylor Hebert and she was determined to go out kicking if necessary.
¡°What is this?¡± Melissa asked, looking over Taylor¡¯s shoulder. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Her lab was still very much an in-progress task, but there were enough tools and supplies that she could get started with the preliminary work on her most important projects. She had made her leg brace that next morning in Cranial¡¯s lab while they set up the supply order she had put in. That afternoon, her work shifted to what was now her lab space. It had started as a nondescript sixty by sixty foot square, but had since been built up into a high-tech workspace that she could only have dreamed of. ¡°It¡¯s the core of my tech,¡± Taylor said, moving around the 3D hologram hovering above the table. ¡°A brain case, which will enable me to interface with anything electronic in real time.¡± Melissa¡¯s head snapped up, her jaw falling slack and her eyes wide. ¡°A brain¡ª Taylor, will you have to remove your brain to install this!?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal?¡± Taylor said, moving back to the computer terminal. ¡°The entire process will be automated and I¡¯ll be unconscious for the worst of it.¡± Melissa blinked for a moment then shook her head. ¡°Okay, no. I¡¯m bringing Cranial in on this.¡± Taylor spun, a protest dying on her lips as Melissa cut her off with a firm finger. ¡°Taylor, we have experts you can call on. We aren¡¯t lone Tinkers, we¡¯re a collective. Make use of that. Cranial¡¯s specialty is the mind. We have others you can reach out to. You aren¡¯t alone, so stop acting like you are.¡± Every protest she had died an ignoble death, because Melissa was right. Taylor was so used to always being on her own that she hadn¡¯t even thought of asking for help. Melissa had both hands on her shoulders, and Taylor couldn¡¯t look into those shimmering brown eyes of hers without feeling immense guilt welling up. Taylor pulled her into a hug, whispering thank yous and apologies while the woman gently rubbed her back. Why Melissa had taken such an interest in her was still a mystery, but one she didn¡¯t feel rushed to solve. It could be related to her trigger after all, and she had learned rather quickly how sore of a subject that could be among capes. ¡°Alright, no self surgery?¡± Melissa asked after a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for assistance and do nothing without supervision,¡± Taylor confirmed. Melissa nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll let Cranial know to come check on your work and make some calls. I know a few associates of ours that might be interested.¡± Taylor nodded, feeling oddly light about the entire thing, but also happy. She wasn¡¯t alone anymore, and that by itself was a huge weight off of her shoulders. She wasn¡¯t ready to talk about how she had ended up in the hospital, or how everyone had failed her so spectacularly, but she would accept help with her Tinkering. It was a small step, but an important one all the same.
¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t try this on your own,¡± Cranial said, looking over the model Taylor had created. ¡°This is functional, but there is so much that can be improved upon at almost every step on the interface level.¡± They moved to the controls, bringing up a custom display that Taylor recognized from her time in the other Tinker¡¯s lab and several portions of her project file were highlighted. Notations sprung up, filling in at a breakneck speed. Taylor read them as quickly as she could, but things were going so fast. Brain Tinker. That was Cranial¡¯s specialty, and it shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise that they had augmented their own mental capabilities or worked in a man/machine interface already. Taylor watched as the entire system was streamlined and overhauled. So much of it made sense to her once it was spelled out, like it had been obvious now that she saw the new approach. Excitement filled her as she moved to her own terminal and began to add her own notations to the files, and then began to tweak her interface programs to match the improved ideas. There was a lot of work to be done, but each new discovery sent a small thrill through her. Working with others, she decided, was something she could certainly get used to.
Taylor looked over the programs she had created, from a custom operating system, to a high-end cybersecurity suite. All of them were set to go live on Toybox¡¯s website later that day and finally begin the arduous process of paying back the absolutely absurd amounts of money that the organization was fronting her. Not one request she had made for materials or tools had been turned down so far, and it was more than a little concerning. She had met a few other Tinkers over the past week, but most were just passing through. The core group that made up Toybox was tight-knit, Taylor knew it would take time for them to trust her fully, even if Melissa and Cranial had already done so, for whatever reasons they had. She had replaced her glasses with a custom OLED model from Toybox¡¯s extensive catalog, matching her prescription as well as allowing her to program a HUD into them for assisting with her work. It was a pale imitation of what she would have with her cyber brain, but it did allow her to work out some of the kinks with the interface. Her cyber brain was just the first step after all, and she had begun the preliminary work on her next major project. A full cybernetic body to replace her current one. At first, she had considered a perfect copy of her existing form, but that would be too obvious. No, making it into a second identity would keep her safer, especially once she began to poke into the corruption that had seen her plight ignored. The Protectorate was corrupt, the gangs were allowed to operate with few restrictions and Emma was going to get away with crippling her permanently. None of that could be allowed to stand. The body would take months to finish, as the entire assembly process had to be created from scratch, but follow-up work would only take a fraction of the time and materials. Until then, she had a working plan, and while her cyber brain wouldn¡¯t be necessary to success, it would make things a great deal easier. She just had to hope that everyone played along with the script she was drafting up, and if they did, that she could pull off her little coup. Taylor was confident, but she wanted to be as prepared as possible. ¡°How goes the progress?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°Better than I expected,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°Thanks to Cranial, the brain case is pretty well complete, we¡¯re just running tests on the interface software while preparing for the surgery I¡¯ll need. It is rather invasive and risky after all.¡± Melissa smiled. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I came by today. I¡¯ve got some good news for you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Taylor asked, her attention now fully on Melissa. ¡°How would you like to meet Surgeon?¡± Chapter 6 Surgeon? That was the name of the healer that Amy had suggested could help her, the one that had a year-long wait for non-Protectorate members. How had Toybox secured the cooperation of one of the biggest names in the national Wards roster? As if sensing her question, Melissa smirked. ¡°Never underestimate the connections of a well funded Tinker collective.¡± Taylor felt relief flood her, because the recovery from such a surgery was going to be complete hell, but if they could bring in a cape that specializes in surgery, it would make her Winslow plans so much smoother if she wasn¡¯t in immense pain on top of dealing with whatever bullshit Emma would inevitably try to pull. Not one to stand on ceremony, Taylor pulled Melissa into a hug, something that was happening fairly frequently of late. She hadn¡¯t realized just how much she had missed having someone like Melissa in her life until she had stepped into that void. She wasn¡¯t a replacement for her mom, but Taylor wasn¡¯t trying to make her into one. She was just someone who genuinely seemed to care about her, and happened to be a woman. Nothing more. Wiping at her itchy eyes, Taylor took a step back. ¡°Thank you, for everything. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you hadn¡¯t vouched for me with Toybox¡­¡± ¡°Think nothing of it, Taylor,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Now, are you still on schedule or do you need to delay things?¡± ¡°Everything is on track, even if I did have to delay getting the brace designs submitted for the shop. Software is one thing, mostly a one and done bit of work and the occasional update for security, but hardware is something I have to build per order.¡± Melissa nodded. ¡°True, but it¡¯s also where you make the most money. You get to charge for your time in addition to materials. Even my cheapest knife design is almost thirty thousand dollars, and that takes just five minutes for me to run a three hundred dollar store bought through a sharpener.¡± ¡°Do they know you don¡¯t forge the blade yourself?¡± Taylor had to ask, though she already knew the answer. ¡°Trade secret,¡± Melissa said with a wink. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t.¡± Taylor snorted, moving back to her work bench. ¡°Work on my next project will certainly speed up once I have my mental interface properly integrated.¡± ¡°A fully cybernetic body, right?¡± Melissa asked, looking over her shoulder at the display. ¡°Yeah,¡± Taylor confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m also developing a control platform for remote controlling a body without a brain. I don¡¯t want to have to hot swap things constantly, and this way, my cape identity can be active at the same time that I¡¯m going about things in my civilian life.¡± ¡°Clever, but can you really pull it off?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°I think so, and I¡¯m going to make a proper attempt at it,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a fun challenge, seeing what can be automated with software and what I will need to consciously control.¡± ¡°Just keep us in the loop,¡± Melissa said, patting Taylor on her shoulder. ¡°Now, it¡¯s getting late so you should probably get home and get to bed early. Tomorrow is going to be rather exhausting for you after all.¡± Taylor chuckled, making sure all her project files were in order before putting her workstation into sleep mode. ¡°Alright. You¡¯ll be there?¡± ¡°I have to make sure the blades I¡¯ve provided work properly, don¡¯t I?¡± she asked with a teasing lilt. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be there for you, Taylor. I¡¯ve basically taken you under my wing and I¡¯ll be damned if you had to go into something like this without some support.¡± Taylor felt her eyes burn and gave Melissa another quick hug. ¡°Thank you. I know I say it a lot, but it never feels like it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°And I appreciate it, each and every time you say it,¡± Melissa said softly. ¡°Now off you go.¡± ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± Taylor said in a mocking tone before she hurried off. She didn¡¯t want to think about how much saying those words had affected her, nor let Melissa see her tears falling freely.
Taylor ate breakfast in a hurry, her father looking on strangely as she did. He¡¯d obviously realized that Taylor was excited for something, but she didn¡¯t care if he suspected something. He would be heading to work soon, and she would pop over to Toybox for the installation of her cyber brain. She would then have the weekend to recover, just in time for her return to Winslow. That was certainly something she dreaded, but plans were in motion, and should they fail, she could always take the test for a GED and get out that way. She didn¡¯t want to, as it felt like admitting defeat, but as a last resort it would work. ¡°Will you be alright on your own?¡± her father asked as he got up from the table to put his plate in the dishwasher. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Taylor looked up from her mostly finished plate of scrambled eggs and toast, a slight smile on her face. ¡°You always ask that.¡± ¡°I always mean it,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve got your mother¡¯s stubbornness, and I do worry. Sort of comes with the whole fatherhood thing.¡± Taylor¡¯s smile grew, because for as beaten down as he had been of late, he still tried to show that he cared about her. There wasn¡¯t much more he could do, she understood that much. He still tried, and that counted for something. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, go do what you do best, I¡¯ll be here when you get back.¡± Her father smiled, patting her on the head. ¡°See you for dinner, little owl.¡± She nodded, not daring to say a word. She hadn¡¯t heard that nickname since her mother had passed on, and it twisted her stomach into a knot. Melissa came to mind, and the guilt piled on. She wasn¡¯t her mother, Taylor kept repeating that to herself over and over. That didn¡¯t stop her from seeing her as a sort of mentor, and Melissa had made no attempt at correcting her when she did treat the woman like she was an aunt, or more. The reminder hurt, but she had to accept that her mom wasn¡¯t coming back. As the door closed, Taylor finished the last of her meal and stood to rinse the plate. She had forgone her crutches without her father there to witness, leaving them propped up by the table as she had taken to doing when he wasn¡¯t around. She wouldn¡¯t need the braces once the day¡¯s events were done, though she expected to struggle thanks to the atrophy her muscles had no doubt suffered. That would be a challenge when it came to Winslow if things went sideways, but she had the excuse of needing crutches to fall back on. Taylor hurried back up the stairs once everything was put away and grabbed her things before she triggered her personal transponder and opened a portal to Toybox. She stepped through and emerged into her lab. Immediately the lights came on and all her systems began their boot up processes. The transition was always a little funky, between the differences in air pressure, humidity and temperature. Her lab was set to Dodge¡¯s standards for safe operation of tech, which her room was far from matching thanks to how drafty the old home could be. She smiled, feeling more at home in her personal lab than she did in her own bedroom. The legs that would be a part of her future body were coming along fairly well, and all her other projects were in good order. Taylor still had almost an hour before things were set to begin, and she took the opportunity to head over to the break room and grab a cup of tea. ¡°Good morning, Taylor,¡± Melissa said from her place at one of the tables. Taylor smiled, waving as she moved to the hot water machine. It was one of many items that could be ordered from the catalog, a purely recreational device that produced the perfect cup of hot water for tea or coffee. It had a place for coffee grounds to be added, or tea leaves as she was more inclined. Once she had her cup in hand, she moved over to the table and took a seat across from her mentor. That first smell of her cup was always a bright spot to her Toybox visits, as was the sip that followed. Melissa kept a blend on hand that was intimately familiar to her, as it had been her mother¡¯s favorite. She had no idea where it came from, and had never questioned Melissa on that. She was just happy to have found it again. ¡°Nervous?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°A bit,¡± Taylor admitted. Her mentor smiled. ¡°Jacob will be bringing Surgeon, before long. She wanted to get a look at the setup and go over things before it was time to begin.¡± ¡°Sensible,¡± Taylor said. No matter how much she checked and cross-checked things, there was always a chance she had missed something. The more eyes looking things over, the better. Once their cups were drained, the pair made their way to the same lobby Taylor had entered through on her first visit to the Tinker collective. Vivian was already in the lobby, and Taylor hadn¡¯t expected her to be there. Looking up, the woman smirked. ¡°Still going through with it?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Taylor admitted, unsure of the woman¡¯s angle. ¡°Good,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Some of us were sure you would chicken out, so good on you for sticking with it. Trusting your tech to that level, I¡¯d be nervous as fuck no matter how sure of myself I was.¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking every precaution we can,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Hence bringing in Surgeon.¡± ¡°Be nice to see the kid again,¡± Harry said. ¡°Jacob doesn¡¯t bring her by very often.¡± Taylor almost jumped, not having seen the man seated off in the corner. Even after a few weeks, she still hadn¡¯t gotten over the embarrassment she felt anytime they were in the same room together. ¡°Cranial going to meet us in the lab?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°Yeah, they had some things to take care of on their own first,¡± Harry said. ¡°They mentioned they might provide remote support depending on how crowded the room is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Taylor admitted. Her lab wasn¡¯t the biggest within Toybox by any means, she just didn¡¯t have a reason to request an expansion just yet. ¡°If Surgeon is as good as her reputation, that is probably the best place for them.¡± Nobody disagreed with her assessment, which surprised Taylor. She wasn¡¯t used to people respecting her opinions on things, especially adults. She couldn¡¯t help but lament that if Winslow had even half that much trust in her word, she would have never ended up in the locker in the first place. She would have also never met those in Toybox. She would have never met Melissa. That thought made her throat itch, but she was distracted by the portal device whirling to life as reality warped. Jacob was the first to step through before he offered his hand to a young blonde girl. Her hair was halfway down her back and slightly wavy as if it had been recently curled. She wore a belt filled with tools along with a pristine white apron that she doubted would remain as such before the day was done. Taylor¡¯s power struggled to make sense of some of the tools, but others gave her a few ideas that she planned to expand upon in the near future. Jacob stepped forward as the portal closed and smiled fondly. ¡°Always nice to have a warm reception,¡± he said. ¡°Most of you have met her, but for our newer members, allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Surgeon.¡± Taylor blinked, looking back at the enthusiastic girl whose smile had only grown. She took a step forward and curtsied. ¡°Hi everyone! You can call me Riley. I¡¯m looking forward to assisting with this project!¡± Chapter 7 ¡°This stuff is so cool,¡± Riley said, holding up one of the in progress legs that Taylor was working on in her spare time. ¡°The artificial muscles are amazing, never mind this skeletal system. This is way more advanced than what my tech comes up with.¡± Riley had brought some examples of her tech, and the odds were good that the girl could have restored her ability to walk, but she couldn¡¯t do half of what Taylor managed. Riley¡¯s tech was much more generalized, and she could do some truly scary things if the documentation she had was accurate, but she focused on helping people instead. It was something Taylor wanted to do with her power, to help those that healers like Panacea couldn¡¯t help. Riley was a chatterbox, throwing out technical details of what she could see from Taylor¡¯s tech and together they were bouncing ideas left and right. Cranial hadn¡¯t gotten directly involved, but they had already vastly improved elements of the mind interface that would allow her cyber brain to interact with the outside world. Working with them was stimulating, that was the best way Taylor could think to describe it. Together they had managed more progress in two hours than Taylor had done in the last three days. In hindsight, many of their contributions were glaringly obvious, but that was the whole point of bringing in experts to assist. Taylor was in her element, and she was almost sad that it was time to lay down and begin the procedure. Riley happily checked over the systems as Taylor took her place on the operating table. Nervous didn¡¯t even begin to describe things, but she had two of the foremost experts on the human brain there to watch over the procedure. Cranial was prodding the shell of her eventual cyber brain with what she recognized as a diagnostic tool, before they finally slotted it into the machine. Pretty much everything had been checked, rechecked and there was nothing left to stall the procedure. ¡°Alright,¡± Taylor said with a sigh. ¡°Hook me up.¡± Riley nodded, bringing over an arm that then clamped itself over her, various connection points securing her to the table and Taylor knew that once she was unconscious, they would take over the complicated task of keeping her body alive without her brain for the thirty or so minutes it would take to complete the transplant. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to inject you with a sedative now,¡± Riley said, biting her lip. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to worry about, I¡¯ve kept brains alive through worse, so relax.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Taylor said as she was injected. A creeping cold began to spread up her arm, and the moment it hit her heart, she felt it spread rapidly, her consciousness slipping almost immediately.
It was almost like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, waking up to a bright ceiling, but this time she wasn¡¯t struggling to remember who she was. No, this time Taylor was aware of that and so much more. Across her eyes, information was overlaid, fed directly into the visual cortex of her brain. Diagnostic feedbacks were compiling, errors were being reported, all within expected parameters. The errors were within spec and easy enough to calibrate now that she had direct access to her brain. More so, she began flexing her hands, which seemed as responsive as ever. Then came the true test, she wiggled her feet. Both of them. A smile pulled at her lips as she began to sit up, her feet moving just as smoothly as her hands. Even her left arm, which had been slightly numb, was back to full strength. She would need to exercise to improve them, but that was something she could start once her new body was complete and she could automate the process in the background for her current one. Then again, maybe she could just manufacture a new body for her civilian life and be done with it. Thoughts for later, as she had a very enthusiastic blonde bouncing on her heels to contend with. ¡°Everything seems in order.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Riley said enthusiastically. ¡°That was some of the most fun I¡¯ve had in years, watching your gray matter get all kinds of fun additions. It was a work of art!¡± Given the information still pouring in from the additional processors that were now boosting her natural mental capabilities, she had to agree. She was so much more now, and she couldn¡¯t wait to experience a full cybernetic body. That was still at least a month off, but she would have plenty of time to work on it once her Winslow plans were complete. Absently, she connected to the wireless network that existed in Toybox¡¯s dimension, and the information flood ratcheted itself up by several levels. She looked over the data from the transfer, watched bits of the footage itself and even began correcting some of the errors, all while she spoke with Riley about the procedure. She could now multitask far beyond that of a normal person, and with the non-standard system at her disposal, it felt entirely natural. The processors would be a bit quirky for the first few days, but she would soon get them dialed in to the point that they felt indistinguishable from her own thought processes. ¡°Still can¡¯t believe Cranial left already,¡± Riley said with a huff. ¡°I mean, this stuff is right up their alley and all. They should be here gushing over everything, coming up with clever ideas and new tech. I¡¯ve got so many new ideas and I want to run them by you. Your brain alone would be amazing for improving my last ditch survival method.¡± Taylor knew the words would be a mistake, but she was morbidly curious all the same.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Do I want to ask?¡± Riley nodded enthusiastically. ¡°My head and spine can detach from my body and scurry off if I suffer a fatal blow.¡± And Taylor already regretted asking. ¡°Completely self-contained systems would keep me alive for weeks. I picked up the tricks from another Tinker, it¡¯s really cool when you break it down but you take it a step farther.¡± ¡°I suppose I do,¡± Taylor said. Her cyber brain could be detached and left hooked up to a support system if needed for extended periods. Sure, she would need a body to maintain things, two bodies really, to keep up maintenance on everything, but being plugged directly in removed the minor lag that came with wireless control. Even her best system she could envision for remote piloting got dubious once a dozen miles were between her and the target. In theory, she could control a body remotely across the planet, but it would be a lag-filled mess that would make it obvious to even the most casual observer that something was off. She didn¡¯t even want to imagine trying to fight in such a thing, which raised the question of how Dragon managed to do so. Well, there was a reason she signed on with the world¡¯s largest Tinker collective, they had to have a solution available that could work. Hell, maybe Hero would be the one to provide it, assuming he wasn¡¯t sourcing it from Toybox already. Just the thought sent her giggling. Taylor had never imagined there would be a day where she could just casually ask the greatest Tinkers alive for tips on how to make her own tech better, but there she was, settling in with Toybox and making waves with some of the other greatest Tinkers alive. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I feel as good as I do,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I expected some discomfort or itchiness minimum.¡± ¡°You can thank me for that,¡± Riley said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of regenerative solutions, you were healed up within minutes of your brain being reinstalled.¡± ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Taylor said with a smile before looking around. ¡°Is it just the two of us?¡± ¡°Melissa is taking a nap and Jim is negotiating something in the other room,¡± Riley said. Taylor was surprised at how quickly she stopped using cape names, only noticing now that she was talking casually with Surgeon. Riley was just an excitable little girl, and not the hope that the Protectorate hung on a string to bring her into their fold. A quick thought pulled up a mental clock and Taylor almost cursed when she saw it was almost seven in the evening. Her father would be home soon, assuming he didn¡¯t stay late. That brought an idea to mind however, and she tapped into the internet signal that somehow bypassed the dimensional barrier. It was a matter of seconds for her to locate the DWU on the network and tap into it. From there, she located her father¡¯s PC and found it had last been used twenty minutes prior. He didn¡¯t have a cell phone, so there was no point in attempting to track him further. ¡°Shit,¡± she said aloud. ¡°I need to get home before Dad notices I¡¯m gone. He¡¯ll be home soon.¡± ¡°Aww, but I had so much more I wanted to discuss,¡± Riley said with an adorable pout. Taylor laughed, patting the smaller girl on the head. ¡°Tell you what, let me crack into a cell company and liberate a number for you to reach me at and we can text all you want. It will be encrypted so no need to worry about someone hacking into it.¡± ¡°That sounds great!¡± Riley said and a moment later Taylor spoke out a number for her which she hastily put into her phone and sent a confirmation text. ¡°Now we can talk about all sorts of ideas, like how to make your new body even better with all kinds of hidden features!¡± ¡°That we can,¡± Taylor said when a thought occurred. ¡°How often can you actually make it here?¡± ¡°I need Dad¡¯s permission,¡± Riley said with a scrunched nose. ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind, but only when it¡¯s important and I¡¯m up-to-date on my schooling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Taylor said, then tapped the side of her head. ¡°Well, at least we can text and share ideas whenever. I¡¯m always connected now, so feel free to poke me at any time.¡± ¡°You bet I will,¡± Riley said before wrapping her in a quick hug. Taylor stiffened, not quite used to being hugged, not since her mom died. Hesitantly, she returned it, a gentle thing full of warmth and it reminded her of when Emma would hug her in a way. The gentle embrace of someone who was as good as family. In a way, that wasn¡¯t far off, Toybox was quickly starting to feel like a part of her life that she didn¡¯t want to get rid of. She enjoyed just hanging out with them, eating junk food and talking about mundane things every bit as much as she enjoyed Tinkering alongside any of them. That thought hit her hard as she left the dimension and stepped back into her empty living room with crutches in hand. She was quickly becoming closer to any of them than she was to her own father. That was such a sobering thought and one she really didn¡¯t want to become a reality. He would be home soon, and much as she just wanted to go home and pretend things were okay until she could return to the base, it would only make things worse. She needed to be the one to reach out. There was something she could do to help bridge that gap, and the first hurdle had already been cleared. She had her cyber brain, and with that, he couldn¡¯t prevent her from following through on the procedure. It would hopefully be enough to convince him to not enroll her in the Wards, which would squash so much of what she could do. Even Riley had done most of her augments in secret for fear of what the Protectorate would say or do about it. Taylor didn¡¯t want to have to deal with such regulations and restrictions, or fight for approval just because she wanted to upgrade her arms to be five percent stronger. She heard a vehicle pull into the driveway, the rumble of the engine long familiar to her ears. She stored the sound file away, just because she could now, it would allow her to identify the truck even in the middle of a crowded city if need be. She moved over to the door, her crutches left aside. The decision was an easy one in retrospect, one she embraced. So, when she opened the door, surprising her father who stood there with Chinese takeout, he blinked, then frowned. ¡°Taylor, where are¡ª How are you standing without your crutches?¡± She smiled, stepping back and letting him walk inside. ¡°Well, long story short, I have powers and used them to fix myself.¡± She watched as a myriad of emotions ran across her father¡¯s face before she decided to move things along, gently taking the food from him and gesturing for him to follow to the kitchen where she began to set everything out. It took a moment, but she settled on where best to start. ¡°Tell me, what do you know about Toybox?¡± Chapter 8 ¡°Let me see if I got all of this. You¡¯re a Tinker.¡± Taylor nodded, picking at her fried rice. ¡°You¡¯ve been one since you woke up in the hospital.¡± ¡°Not quite, but close enough,¡± she said softly. ¡°And you signed up with a villain adjacent organization rather than work with the heroes.¡± Taylor scoffed. ¡°Given the heroes pushed me over the edge and proved they were no better than the school? There¡¯s no way I could ever work with them. I didn¡¯t want to join a gang, so Toybox seemed my best option.¡± Her father glared for a moment, but she didn¡¯t flinch. It helped that she was currently running dozens of background connections into the local cellular networks and getting to work on tracking the information she would need for the coming days. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Taylor said half-heartedly. ¡°Unfortunately, my choices were limited due to my Tinker specialty. The PRT doesn¡¯t look kindly on wet Tinkers, which I certainly qualify as.¡± ¡°You removed your brain,¡± he said, voice flat. ¡°Yes, I would say that qualifies.¡± ¡°Technically I had the help of Surgeon and Cranial,¡± Taylor started. ¡°Not the point,¡± her father said, slamming a fist on the table, causing Taylor to freeze up. Danny Hebert had a temper, everyone that knew the man was well aware of it. Taylor had witnessed it on more than one occasion, especially following the botched investigation into the locker, but never had he directed it in her direction. Taylor was taken aback, so taken that even her background processes halted for a moment. Her father caught himself in that same instant, visibly deflating as he did. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± The softness of his voice was almost as startling as his earlier explosion of anger. Taylor wanted to lie, to preserve something between them, but she needed to be honest. No more secrets or deceptions, not if she was going to earn his trust back, to repair what they had lost. ¡°Because I knew you would try to stop me,¡± she said honestly. ¡°I needed to get this part done, otherwise none of my other tech would have worked worth a damn. If you signed me up for the Wards, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed it.¡± ¡°If you knew all that, then why tell me now?¡± he demanded, though the fire had gone out. Well, it was time to reignite it. ¡°I¡¯m telling you because I don¡¯t want us to keep drifting apart like we have been. I don¡¯t want this to be another step towards us never speaking again. I¡¯m telling you because I¡¯m returning to Winslow, with a fully functional cyber warfare suite built into my head. Recording systems, hacking, you name it I can do it, and you can bet that my bullies won¡¯t stop just because I¡¯m on crutches.¡± Taylor knew it deep within herself, Emma wouldn¡¯t give up just because she was crippled. Whatever her goal, she would keep pushing for it no matter how unattainable it seemed, no matter how it looked to others. She was stubborn like that. The unknowns were Madison and Sophia. Picking on a cripple seemed beneath Sophia, as her entire goal seemed to be to get physical reactions out of Taylor. She had never given in, not once wanting to sink to her level, so she wasn¡¯t sure how Sophia would react to her target being hobbled on crutches. Madison would follow one of the other¡¯s example, she just wasn¡¯t sure who it would be. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to be there for more than a day or two at most,¡± Taylor said, drumming her fingers on the wooden table. ¡°Once I have this proof, I¡¯m using it to force a transfer to Arcadia, and to hell with Winslow. Then, when I¡¯m gone, I¡¯ll dump some dark secrets of Blackwell¡¯s into a reporter¡¯s inbox and leave it at that. No way she ignores all that gang violence without having some skeleton or other in her closet.¡± ¡°Taylor, I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how illegal that is,¡± her father said. She laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not a hero, I don¡¯t have to play by their rules.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something to be proud of,¡± he said with a groan. ¡°You¡¯re risking jail time if you do this.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Better than letting everyone get away with what they¡¯ve done,¡± Taylor said with finality. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being the victim, I refuse to sit back and do nothing while they continue to do as they please to me. And so, I will fight back in a way that only I can.¡± With that, Taylor retrieved her tablet, wirelessly linked to her mind, she replayed a moment of their conversation on the screen. Her father finally seemed to understand what she was doing, she then took off her glasses, the catalog purchased device was no longer needed for their display, and tapped them. ¡°They won¡¯t have a clue that it wasn¡¯t my glasses doing the recording, and with my pending upgrades, I won¡¯t need them much longer either way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re broadcasting that you¡¯re a villain if you go through with this,¡± he said. Taylor shrugged. ¡°I will certainly imply, if needed, that they were a gift from some important people. I¡¯m already dabbling in blackmail, implying more isn¡¯t much of a further sin.¡± They sat in silence for some time, the food having long since grown cold. Taylor passed the time by working on her software, integrating it further with her mental interfaces and preparing for her eventual new body. It helped fill the silence while her father worked through whatever issues he had. She had laid a lot at his feet, Taylor knew and understood that, but his acceptance wasn¡¯t a requirement for her plans. She wanted his approval, she wanted to have her father back. There was no doing that with secrets between them, but it also ran the risk of alienating them forever. She had taken the risk, and now it was up to him to decide what to do with the knowledge. ¡°Okay,¡± he finally said. ¡°What do you need from me?¡±
The weekend passed in a flurry, much of Taylor¡¯s time was spent at Toybox working on her future body, something that had been coming along faster thanks to Riley¡¯s help, even if it was all done over the net. Taylor had linked into her tablet, giving Riley real time access to Taylor¡¯s own files and visual feed. The body wasn¡¯t ready, not by a long shot, but it helped her feel like she was getting things done. It also helped that Riley was sharp as hell and a lot of fun to work with. They talked about all kinds of things idly as they worked, and Taylor knew Riley had been through hell. She was adopted, having triggered when villains attacked her parents. She didn¡¯t go into who had saved her, or when. Taylor wasn¡¯t an idiot, and knew her adoptive father was likely involved. Jacob never denied having powers, just insisted he wasn¡¯t a Tinker. Not that it really mattered, but it was something that had interested her in their conversations. Riley had expressed similar curiosity into what Emma had done, and Taylor had seen a different side to the small girl when she put together how Taylor had wound up crippled. She was certain that if she didn¡¯t have plans in motion to deal with Emma, that Riley would have called in some favors or something to deal with Emma herself. That thought was oddly warming, in that someone actually cared enough to do something to help. Indeed, most of Toybox had offered contributions to the plan to get Emma to suffer some consequences for her actions. Vivian¡¯s offer was probably the most disturbing, as even Emma didn¡¯t deserve to live the rest of her existence in a gray boy bubble. Bakuda¡¯s creations could be terrifying, and Taylor didn¡¯t want to dabble with them too much. Vivian had just grumbled, letting her know the offer remained open. It was touching in its own way, and it made her feel warm that even the most acerbic member had accepted her as a part of Toybox. All of that had been great in its own way, but the weekend was now behind her and Taylor had to return to school despite all of their last minute protests. Taylor had called the Protectorate at the number Armsmaster had left, one last plea to release their findings only to be met with another recruitment speech. That plea had fallen on deaf ears. The police said it was out of their hands, and the school refused to do anything without the authorities getting involved. So be it. They wanted to play things that way, Taylor would fight fire with napalm. She disabled her left leg, it fell limp once more. A reminder of what they had taken from her, and what she had reclaimed. Sure, Taylor could use her cyber brain to cheat, pass a GED with little effort, but she wasn¡¯t going to let her bullies win by running her out of school completely. Winslow was a shithole, getting into Arcadia and succeeding would be the best revenge she could get. So, she hobbled her way to the bus, and began the journey to the school. Even as she rode along, she ignored all the eyes on her. Many were students who would be getting off the bus with her, who knew exactly how she had wound up in the locker. The reactions ranged from pity to surprise, but she wasn¡¯t concerned with that. No, she was busy messaging her companions at Toybox while also keeping her dad up to date with a text feed on his computer at the DWU. All the while, she was digging into Winslow¡¯s servers, making sure that backups of all her reports were kept where Blackwell couldn¡¯t just delete them again. It had been a bitch and a half to recover, but she had managed it, and when the vultures came, they would find those deleted files, fully intact and recoverable. A smile crept to her lips as Winslow came into sight. Taylor had to report to the office first thing, and then she would be expected to attend her classes as if nothing had happened. It was time to upend those expectations. She waited for everyone to file off ahead of her, then she got her crutches out and under her. It was awkward and clumsy, and she nearly fell down the steps of the bus, not that anyone moved to help her, nor did she expect them to. She took a breath, winded from the exertion and steeled her nerves as she began the slow and methodical approach to the school itself. She had a plan, she knew what she was doing, and she didn¡¯t even care if she got injured further. As long as she survived the day, it would all come together in the end. Her body was expendable now, so long as her head wasn¡¯t damaged she could bounce back. And so, Taylor held her head high in defiance and entered Winslow High for hopefully the last time. Interlude - Sophia Emma was positively giddy, not that Sophia cared all that much. Hebert had been fun sport for a time, but it had become clear that she would never fight back. It wasn¡¯t in her nature, which took all the fun out of it. Sophia had expected Emma¡¯s interest in the girl to wane, but it had turned into an obsession, one that would only paint a bigger target on her own back. Sophia was already on probation, and she didn¡¯t need an investigation to dig up what she had done in her off hours. When Emma devised the locker, Sophia had played along in the loosest sense. She didn¡¯t encourage it, she didn¡¯t help plan it, and she didn¡¯t even need to help stuff the rotting mess in there. Somehow, Emma had found a key. She still stood by and did nothing as Emma shoved Hebert into the locker, and left her there, pleading and begging in filth. It had been vicious, and was beyond anything Sophia would have imagined doing to all but the worst of her prey. Hebert didn¡¯t qualify, she was weak, she just didn¡¯t know her place, and she was tired of trying to put her there. Somehow, nothing had happened after Hebert was found in the locker, even though she knew Armsmaster and Kid Win had visited her in the hospital after she woke up. Prime trigger event material, Kid had called it. Sophia herself had never been trusted on any of those visits, since she was still on probation and not the best sort to bring along. Kid had also mentioned suffering a trigger blackout shortly after that meeting, but they never conclusively proved one way or another if Hebert was a parahuman. Armsmaster had instructed her to observe Hebert and report back, and so she would. Hebert was prey, and prey didn¡¯t just become predators, but what Emma had done¡­ Well, everyone had a breaking point. A murmur broke out down the hall and Sophia turned, it didn¡¯t take her long to spot what was stirring up such a fuss. Hebert was coming down the hall, dragging a limp leg behind her as she used crutches to keep moving. Shit, she had heard that Hebert had been injured, but Kid had mentioned Panacea so she thought that it was all good. The only thing the resident bitch of New Wave couldn¡¯t heal was brains. Hebert had a brain injury. Yet she had still come back to the place that had forever taken a part of her. Well, that was certainly interesting. Maybe, Sophia pondered, Hebert could be strong after all. Emma, however, darted forward before Sophia could voice those thoughts. Sophia wanted to curse the fool, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it without drawing attention to a power struggle between them which would be as good as blood in the water, especially with the Empire jackasses. Sophia missed the first part of the exchange as she moved at an unhurried pace, but she didn¡¯t miss the scowl that quickly overtook Hebert¡¯s features. If Hebert did have powers, being confronted by the people that led to her trigger wouldn¡¯t do anyone any favors. There was a reason Steven avoided her after all. ¡°The crutches are an improvement,¡± Emma said as Sophia finally got close enough to hear over the murmurs of the crowd. ¡°They even match your glasses.¡± Mocking disabilities wasn¡¯t something Sophia was keen on, so she kept her silence for the moment, curious as to what Hebert would do. The girl didn¡¯t look defeated, far from it, actually. There was a defiance in her eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before and Sophia was curious to see where that would lead her. ¡°Emma, isn¡¯t this beneath you?¡± Hebert asked. ¡°You¡¯ve taunted me for almost two years, you¡¯ve had your attack dog beat me down, and your cutting remarks ensured I was alone and unapproachable. Yet you weren¡¯t satisfied. You had my locker filled with pus covered and maggot infested pads, you shoved me in there and left me to die. Do you know what toxic shock syndrome is? I do. It¡¯s why I have these crutches. Not even Panacea could fix the damage you did to me.¡± That confirmed one rumor, but it didn¡¯t answer her questions. Why was Hebert making such a show of things? She was baiting Emma, that much was clear, but what was her goal? Glancing about, Sophia saw some phones were out, but nobody would be stupid enough to upload anything, they never were. ¡°Oh boo hoo. So what if I did? You gonna cry about it for a week like last time?¡± As soon as Emma spoke those words, Sophia felt the air still. Hebert¡¯s entire expression shifted, rolling from shock, to sadness then settled into raw fury. Sophia saw the crutch lift up, but she didn¡¯t move to stop Hebert¡¯s swing as she hit Emma upside the head with it. Emma went down hard, and all Sophia could do was stare, but not in surprise. No, Emma had taken things too far, and Hebert was done playing her games. Emma rolled over, looking up with the strangest expression she had ever seen on her friend¡¯s face. Her eyes had teared up, and her jaw was likely broken, but she seemed almost pleased. It was disturbing to witness, and Emma tried to speak but it became apparent that she couldn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t take long for a teacher to push their way through the crowd after that. Gladly stopped, looking between Emma on the ground and Hebert standing over her. He then looked to the crowd, no doubt wanting a prompt on how they expected him to act because the man didn¡¯t have a single ounce of volition in his body. ¡°Hebert hit Emma with her crutch,¡± Madison supplied. Gladly focused on those words, nodding to himself. ¡°Yes, that does seem to be the case. Taylor, with me, Madison, please see Emma to the nurse, if you would?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Of course, Mr. G,¡± Madison said with that overly sweet pep she always had. Sophia didn¡¯t miss how Hebert didn¡¯t speak up in her own favor, how she just accepted that this was how things would go. It was the way she had been before, but there was something there, in her eyes that told her it wasn¡¯t the same. There wasn¡¯t a trace of resignation or acceptance to be found, only defiance. There was fight in her eyes for the first time in the two years that Sophia had known her. Needless to say, she was more than curious. So, Sophia fell in step behind them, it didn¡¯t take long for Hebert to notice, but she said nothing. When they reached the office itself, Gladly finally saw that she had tagged along and frowned. Rather than let him fill the blanks, Sophia spoke first. ¡°I saw the whole thing, figured a witness would help,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Good thinking, Sophia,¡± Gladly said with an affirming nod. ¡°I¡¯ll go speak with Blackwell if you both would just wait out here.¡± Sophia shrugged again, flopping down into one of the uncomfortable chairs. Hebert watched Gladly walk off, heaving out a sigh as she gingerly took her own seat, which looked to be quite the chore without a working leg. Once settled, Hebert shot her a withering glare that only ratcheted her opinion of the former victim up another notch. ¡°Why are you really here? Looking to get in another shot before Blackwell throws it all out and suspends me?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Sophia said, leaning forward. ¡°There¡¯s no point in messing with you. For one, and no offense, but you¡¯re crippled. Even I have standards. Emma¡¯s a bitch, I¡¯ll admit that upfront, and she jumped in before I could warn her off.¡± Hebert frowned, but gestured for her to continue. ¡°See, coming back here after what she did? That takes a measure of guts I didn¡¯t think you had in you. More so, when she started up her shit again, and I won¡¯t pretend to know the context of that statement but I could tell it hurt and you put her down for it. You¡¯ve proven yourself in my eyes, Hebert.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Taylor said, now visibly confused. ¡°You wanted me to prove myself in some asinine way, and now that I have, you think everything between us is cool?¡± Sophia waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°Nah, you hate me, and I deserve it. I ain¡¯t asking us to be friends or anything of the sort. I¡¯m just saying, you won¡¯t need to watch yourself around me. Not anymore.¡± Hebert sat in silence for a moment, and Sophia almost thought that might be the end of it. By the time Gladly finished telling whatever bullshit story he would spin, then Sophia would be asked to confirm it, and finally, Hebert would be sent on her way when it didn¡¯t match up. That was how it always seemed to go with them. All because of Sophia, because she was Shadow Stalker. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out, Emma¡¯s dad might have been a lawyer, but even he didn¡¯t have that kind of teeth. He wasn¡¯t Carol Dallon. ¡°Forgive me if I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Taylor eventually said. ¡°Fortunately, I doubt we will have to deal with one another for much longer.¡± That statement was ominous, and Hebert didn¡¯t sound like she was bullshitting either. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± she asked. ¡°Sophia?¡± Gladly said. ¡°Blackwell would like to see you.¡± As she stood, she noticed that Hebert was quietly chuckling to herself. When she raised an eyebrow, Hebert waved her off. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± Yeah, there was no way she didn¡¯t have a plan for everything, which was suspicious in and of itself. Sophia recalled the phones that were out during the confrontation, had she hired someone to record things as insurance? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she did finally wise up, but who would have done it? Hebert wasn¡¯t the type to go to the gangs, if she was, the Empire would have lynched Sophia a year ago. She was missing something, but it was best if she played this coming talk a bit differently than normal. Lying was too much of a risk if Hebert suddenly had a phone and produced a video someone took for her. She entered the office and took a seat, glaring as she always did at the stern-faced principal. She didn¡¯t like the woman, but she had to pretend to respect her since her fate as a Ward was linked to her opinion of Sophia. She hated being on probation, but it beat Juvie. Not that she deserved either, because nailing a rapist to the wall, especially when she caught them in the act, shouldn¡¯t have been something she got punished for. There were plenty of other crimes they could have chosen, like the four skinheads they didn¡¯t know she offed, or the Merchant that tried to sell Sophia¡¯s kid sister meth. That one had absolutely been justified. But no, they picked that crime to make a big deal of, because she chose to call it in and sit with the victim instead of ditching. Fucking useless ass justice system, but she liked being able to stop being a cape and just go home. Terry was a decent enough older brother, and dammit if she didn¡¯t adore Kylee. ¡°Mr. Gladly said you witnessed the altercation that is sending Emma to the ER for a possible broken jaw.¡± Sophia nodded, adding an affirmative grunt to sell the point. ¡°Tell me what happened then.¡± ¡°Hebert was back, she and Emma had some words, they weren¡¯t nice words and something Emma said about crying set her off, and she clubbed Emma across the jaw with one of her crutches.¡± All true, but keeping the details sparse enough to avoid incriminating her or really making things look bad. ¡°Any more details or is that all you¡¯re willing to share?¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t want to bore you with teen drama. I¡¯m sure Hebert will give you an essay¡¯s worth of details when she gets in here, she seems pretty confident.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± Blackwell said. ¡°Very well, you¡¯re free to return to class. Send Ms. Hebert in on your way out.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Sophia said before stepping outside. ¡°Your turn slugger, try to not knock this one on her ass.¡± Sophia was quite aware that Blackwell could still hear her, she just didn¡¯t care. Her wide grin and Hebert¡¯s obvious confusion were well worth it. Just because she wasn¡¯t going to be a bitch anymore didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t have fun in other ways. Hebert stood, a bit smoother than Sophia had expected. She could have sworn her bad leg took some of the weight there, but she could have just imagined it. Regardless, Hebert hobbled along, and as she passed, Sophia heard her mutter a single word under her breath. ¡°Showtime.¡± Chapter 10 Taylor stepped into Blackwell¡¯s office more than a little unnerved. She had expected Sophia to belittle her, to continue what Emma had started, and yet, she hadn¡¯t. Whatever weird logic dictated Sophia¡¯s life had apparently deemed her suffering to have been enough. She didn¡¯t buy it for an instant. Something else was at play, but that wasn¡¯t important at the moment, and likely wouldn¡¯t be for the near future. Sophia was a hitch in the plan, as Taylor expected her to continue the bullying which she could use as further proof. Emma¡¯s little song and dance would have to be enough, and she could cry later. Shutting off all emotional responses had been necessary to not break down into tears. Emma¡¯s words had been the most hurtful yet, using her mom¡¯s death as a cudgel like that, there was no hope of getting her sister back, she had understood that in abstract, but this was the hammer blow that sealed it. Her Emma was gone. What an absolutely perfect sendoff for the shithole of a school. Now Taylor just needed to stick the landing. Blackwell wasn¡¯t really watching her, she had her eyes on the crutches that were keeping Taylor upright. Sure, she had cheated to avoid showing weakness in front of Sophia, but right then, she wanted that weakness to shine. ¡°Have a seat, Ms. Hebert. This shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Principal Blackwell said. She watched as Taylor struggled to take the seat, nearly falling at one point in an unplanned slip that had Blackwell cursing under her breath. ¡°I had no idea your injuries were this severe. I had heard Panacea visited you so I assumed¡ª¡± ¡°Cut the shit,¡± Taylor interjected. ¡°We told you exactly how bad I was. Does the term brain injury ring a bell? Panacea can¡¯t do anything about that. I suffered permanent injury due to a long reported bullying campaign, one that your administration has ignored.¡± ¡°Without proof¡ª¡± Taylor slammed her fist on the desk, and immediately dialed back the pain receptors because that hurt like hell. ¡°The locker was fucking proof you imbecile! You¡¯ve always just looked the other way, and when the girl responsible comes to gloat about what she did, is it any surprise that I fought back?¡± ¡°Again, do you have proof?¡± Principal Blackwell said, her voice flat. ¡°I already have two statements and will likely acquire more before the day is done. Tell me your version of events please. I have a student being sent to the ER over this, so I need to ensure the correct version ends up on the reports.¡± ¡°Check your email,¡± Taylor said. She continued to upload the files to the school¡¯s servers and transfer them to Blackwell¡¯s computer for easier viewing. ¡°You¡¯ll find all the proof you need.¡± A skeptical eyebrow was her only response as Blackwell did just that. After another thirty seconds, her second eyebrow joined the first. Taylor followed along as she watched the first video, then the second, and a third, all showing the same events but from multiple angles and with varying volume of the dialog between them. It would have to be enough, because the final option was to use the footage she captured with her glasses. Finally, after the last clip played, Principal Blackwell leaned back with a heavy sigh. ¡°It would seem I owe you an apology.¡± She raised an immediate finger. ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse what you did, but it does explain it.¡± ¡°Only took eighteen months,¡± Taylor said sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, I want out of this school. I want you to file a request to have me expedited to the top of Arcadia¡¯s transfer list due to extraordinary circumstances.¡± ¡°You assaulted a student,¡± Blackwell said in disbelief. ¡°We should be talking about suspensions or expulsion, not a reward.¡± ¡°Oh, then I suppose you wouldn¡¯t mind if this particular email winds up in the inbox of every reporter in Brockton.¡± A ding sounded as the new message appeared, and Taylor could see the color drain from Blackwell¡¯s face as she realized the implications of the timing. She opened the email and began to read. Not even thirty seconds in, Blackwell jumped to her feet and slammed her hands down on the desk. ¡°The hell is this?¡± she demanded. ¡°Blackmail,¡± Taylor said simply. ¡°I wanted all the leverage I could get, so I hacked into the Winslow servers and found all of that. Before you ask, yes, I have off site backups if needed. My terms are simple, Arcadia, immediately. Any delays, and I start drip feeding this to the media. What do you want to bet that they¡¯ll uncover more once they start poking?¡± ¡°Armsmaster contacted me about you,¡± Blackwell said. ¡°You¡¯re a suspected cape.¡± A counter threat, not unexpected but still one that she had to take seriously. The Protectorate had been relentless and now they were breaking the supposed unwritten rules rather liberally. She¡¯d have to thank Riley for giving her that primer on them, given it seemed everyone just assumed she already knew. If Blackwell knew she was a suspected cape, it was good odds half the gangs did as well. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Just for that, Taylor sent the first seed of a message to a single reporter. It would take them a week or two to trace the missing funds, but it would be enough to get someone poking at Blackwell regardless. ¡°Tread lightly,¡± Taylor growled, leaning forward as a dark expression blossomed on her face. ¡°Capes tend to get violent when outed. For all you know, I already joined a gang, and you¡¯re painting a target on one of their own. Always keep that in mind when you think about threatening a cape with exposure. They have nothing left to lose once their mask can¡¯t protect them.¡± Blackwell shrunk back at the raw venom in Taylor¡¯s voice and she knew she had won. Armsmaster might be able to threaten Blackwell, but he wasn¡¯t in the room with her. Taylor might have arrived with crutches, but there was never a sure way to tell with capes. One of the most feared capes currently active was the cute and tiny but oh so terrifying Bonesaw after all. ¡°Arcadia,¡± Blackwell said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll draw up the papers.¡± ¡°Now,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You will complete them and hand them to me right now, no delays. I¡¯ll ensure they¡¯re filed today and the process will be complete within the week.¡± Blackwell didn¡¯t protest, she simply pulled a file from her desk, retrieved a few forms and began to write. Knowing that wasn¡¯t sufficient, Taylor skimmed her documents folder, found a few missing forms and had them begin to print. Blackwell startled for a moment, but didn¡¯t talk back for once. She simply stood and gathered the papers and added them to the pile. An hour later Taylor was hobbling away with her ticket out of the school. It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise that Armsmaster was there waiting for her. Taylor glared at the armored figure, her grip on her crutches tightened as she hobbled forward. She was going to take the bus, which was still ten minutes off from its next stop, which meant she would have to deal with the self-righteous prick for the duration of her wait. ¡°Coming to check on the violent cripple?¡± Taylor asked, taking her steps carefully across the uneven ground, her crutches crunching in the half melted snow. ¡°A report was made,¡± Armsmaster said simply. ¡°Good for you,¡± she said, moving past him and to the bus stop bench. At least it was actually covered and dry, not all of them could boast that across the city. ¡°Is this going to be a trend, you following me around? I might need to hire a lawyer and file for a restraining order if it is.¡± ¡°You are a suspected trigger that just assaulted a student,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°I could arrest you for that.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Taylor said, struggling to sit. She couldn¡¯t wait until she could let that particular charade drop. ¡°Arrest a crippled girl for defending herself from the verbal assault of the person that crippled her. It¡¯s all on video if you¡¯re curious. Someone already posted it to Youtube.¡± Armsmaster paused, she didn¡¯t dare try to access his systems to see what he might be looking up, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was already watching the video in question. Two minutes later, he would have finished it, no doubt setting it aside for further analysis. It¡¯s what she would have done after all. ¡°That is still assault,¡± he finally said. ¡°Then arrest me, see how fast I can get a lawyer suing you for harassment and extortion,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The only reason I had to return to Winslow was because you refused to hand over the results of the investigation unless I admitted to being a parahuman. I¡¯m no law expert, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s illegal.¡± It was. Dodge had consulted a lawyer named Calle and confirmed it. The man was just itching to be cleared to pursue legal action, but agreed that letting them hang themselves just a bit more would make it all the sweeter. She had never thought her faith in the heroes would be shattered so quickly, but Armsmaster seemed particularly adept at shoving his armored foot into his mouth. ¡°I am allowed certain liberties when a suspected parahuman is involved,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°Of course you are,¡± she said as the bus finally arrived. She got to her foot with some effort, crutches tucked under her arms, and turned to the hero. ¡°Well, this is your chance, arrest me. I¡¯m fairly certain those recording on the bus would love to share that to PHO. Then I get to deal with the gangs coming to ask the same questions you are, and they might just do so with more lethal consequences.¡± ¡°All the more reason to join us,¡± he said. ¡°You seem so dead set that I have powers,¡± Taylor said. ¡°What if you¡¯re wrong? You¡¯re putting my life at risk on a damn hunch, drawing attention just to satisfy your own urge to be right. I¡¯ll say this one last time. Fuck. Off.¡± With that, she hobbled to the bus, struggling to climb aboard the less than accommodating public transport. Armsmaster didn¡¯t move to pursue, and for that she was grateful. It was one of the few that had bench seating along both rows of windows and standing room. That was odd, because such buses were rare in the city having been phased out decades ago. What concerned her however, were the two people eyeing her from the rear seats. A quick reference with her body analysis software seemed to confirm it. There were a few capes that matched their general build, and she was glad to have taken the time to build the software in her free time. Still, the pair of them together did cement their identity to her software, especially once the software picked up that the woman¡¯s eye was a prosthetic. Victor and Othala, members of the Empire Eighty Eight. It was all Armsmaster¡¯s fault, there was no doubt in her mind of that. Well, she would just have to deal with whatever play they were going to make, and the otherwise empty bus would be the perfect place to do so. She made her way to the back, and took her seat directly across from them, her crutches set aside as she subtly reactivated her leg but left it slack. The bus lurched into motion and Taylor took a deep breath. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to hide your affiliation, I would suggest long sleeves,¡± she said, gesturing to the eighty eight tattoo on the man¡¯s arm. He chuckled even as the woman grew slightly nervous. ¡°You have a good eye, Miss Hebert.¡± Taylor groaned. It seemed she wouldn¡¯t be putting this off any longer. ¡°Make your pitch already so I can tell you exactly what I told Armsmaster.¡± Chapter 11 ¡°Not even going to play coy?¡± Victor asked. ¡°Why should I?¡± Taylor said with a shrug. ¡°Armsmaster is convinced I have powers, yet here I am, limping along on crutches instead. I¡¯ve been approached by several parahumans already, all looking to recruit me, at least you had the decency to be low-key about it, which is just sad.¡± There was no need to mention that she had joined Toybox already, but the option was there if they didn¡¯t take no as an answer. Victor¡¯s eyes were rather observant, and the longer he looked her over, the more his face seemed to lose the fa?ade of composure. ¡°You. Are quite interesting,¡± he said after several long moments. ¡°Just what is your power, exactly?¡± ¡°What makes you think I have one?¡± she asked, stalling a bit for time. His own power affected the mind, and her cyber brain might have interfered with that. Did Armsmaster have some equipment that could detect it too? No, he would have been more confrontational if that was the case. ¡°Your mind is shielded,¡± he said. ¡°Normally I can pull on the threads of skills and talent that a person possesses, but you have none.¡± ¡°Rude,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Even my bullies had more tact than that.¡± He laughed, a perfectly practiced thing. No doubt yet another skill he had stolen from someone undeserving of his attention. There was a reason he was one of the most feared capes in the Empire despite Hookwolf being among their ranks. ¡°I meant no offense, only that I cannot affect you at all. Quite curious and betrays your unique nature.¡± ¡°You want to recruit me,¡± she said instead of acknowledging that statement. ¡°What if I decline? Will an Empire hit squad come after me or my family? You¡¯ve targeted outed capes before, what guarantees would I have?¡± ¡°You speak of Fleur of New Wave,¡± Victor said. ¡°That was an extraordinary situation and retaliation for attacking Marquis in his own home. She wasn¡¯t the intended target, but the agent we sent wasn¡¯t the brightest. Carol Dallon was supposed to die that night.¡± As interesting as that was, it wasn¡¯t that relevant to her interests. She didn¡¯t trust a word of what he had said, but calling him on it would do Taylor little good. Of more import, he had dodged her original question. The Empire would absolutely try to press her if they thought they could get away with it. The question was, would they accept that she had already joined another group, one that is neutral in the struggle between heroes and villains? Well, there was only one way to find out, because there was no way she was winning a fight with Victor when he had Othalla on hand for support. Not without her new body. ¡°You want my services?¡± she asked. When he inclined his head, a smirk in place, she promptly removed it from his face with her follow up. ¡°Then tell Kaiser he can contact Toybox with a request for Cyber. Oh wait, you can¡¯t. Toybox has the Empire blacklisted.¡± The bus pulled to a stop and Taylor got to her feet, not bothering to hide that her leg was perfectly functional. She still grabbed her crutches and moved them into place. The pair made no effort to stop her so she quickly departed the bus and made her way over a block where another bus was waiting. She hopped on board and took a seat, a shuddering breath escaping her as she let the tension uncoil from her form. She was sick and tired of capes coming after her for recruitment, she had chosen a group and that was that. Out of the corner of her eye, Taylor noticed a blonde girl searching for a seat suddenly decide to disembark from the bus. Odd, but Taylor was too busy composing a message to Harry to care. She sent that off, along with a copy of the recordings of her encounters with Armsmaster and the Empire. She needed to get ahead of all the fallout that would accompany such a public encounter. She was almost to Arcadia when the reply came from Dodge, he had passed the information on to her lawyer and he would be taking action, which was all well and good as that would be funding she could easily use in her civilian life. She also had a request waiting for her from Riley for a neural interface along with a six figure offer if she could have it ready by Friday. That was something she could easily do and would knock a chunk off the debt she owed Toybox for the startup funds and supplies, so she began to spin up a design. She kept working even as she departed the bus and made her way into Arcadia¡¯s grounds. She was a bit taken aback by how much nicer the school was than Winslow, especially with how Arcadia and Winslow¡¯s districts had a minor overlap with her home. It did overlap a good portion of downtown, which explained where the funding likely came from, but it still felt like a slap in the face. Stepping inside, she was struck by a wave of nausea as she lost contact with her outside cell signals all at once. It had to be a Tinkertech signal blocker of some sort. There were still signals inside the school however, and it was the work of a moment to commandeer one of them to restore her network access. That would be a problem she needed to resolve by the time she was in regular attendance, having grown accustomed to her connections already and she didn¡¯t like being without them. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that as she pulled up a public floor plan of the school. There were signs on the walls directing her to the office, not that she needed them with the floor plan loaded into her map program and an overlay directing her. It made life feel a bit like a video game, and she had taken some inspiration from first person games in designing her interface. No point coming up with everything from scratch when others had done much of the groundwork for her already. It was a work in progress, which made her ability to edit the code on the fly so handy. Tweaking the interface to give her a series of markers to follow made navigating even simpler and soon enough she was stepping into a school office for the second time that day. The secretary looked up at the sound of the door opening and immediately hopped to her feet to help her. Taylor smiled, grateful to the first person outside of Toybox that had taken an effort to assist the clearly disabled girl with something as simple as a door. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Oh honey, you should have asked for a hand,¡± she said, helping Taylor inside. ¡°We¡¯ve been pushing to get automatic doors, but you know how things can be.¡± Taylor didn¡¯t resist the assistance even if it felt so foreign to her. She was from the bad side of town, and went to the worst school in the city. That was why she was at Arcadia, to change her lot in life. Taylor took the offered seat, and the assistance in sitting down. She pulled her bag out as the secretary took her place behind the desk once more. The paperwork Blackwell had completed was handed over before the secretary could ask what she needed, the woman frowning slightly as she saw what they were. The further she read however, the deeper her scowl became. ¡°This is horrible,¡± she said. ¡°How did Winslow allow all of this?¡± ¡°I have no clue,¡± Taylor lied. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly care either. I just want to go to school without always watching over my shoulder out of fear.¡± ¡°No student should feel afraid at school,¡± the secretary said. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it personally that this is completed as quickly as we legally can. Do you need any accommodations for your disability? Panacea attends this school and she has been known to help if asked.¡± Taylor frowned at how they had just offered the services of a student like that, which suggested it happened regularly. She wasn¡¯t sure how to take that. Sure, Amy was an open cape, but to just suggest that she would use her power like that? It didn¡¯t sit well with Taylor and she needed to nip that right away before they tried to guilt the healer. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t bother her,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Panacea already tried. She can¡¯t heal brain damage.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the secretary said, deflating a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Taylor smiled, figuring there was something she could say that was a severe bending of the truth, but close enough. She sent a quick message, along with her completed schematic since she was messaging Riley anyway and waited only seconds for Riley to confirm that she could use her idea. ¡°I do have an appointment with Surgeon however, she has a history with treating brain injuries and seemed hopeful from the brief exchange we had after Panacea wasn¡¯t able to help.¡± ¡°So, this is temporary?¡± she asked. Taylor nodded. ¡°I should be back on my feet within the week unless there¡¯s some unknown complications.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± the secretary said with an earnest smile. ¡°Do you have a number so we can reach you once we have a start date set?¡± Taylor nodded and gave her one of the numbers that she had assigned for her communications suite, and labeled that one strictly for civilian use. Nothing worse than being outed through a simple slip in op-sec. ¡°Is that everything?¡± Taylor asked after a moment. ¡°Yes,¡± the secretary said, but when Taylor moved to get back up, the secretary raised a hand. ¡°Let me call you an escort to help you get to the bus. That¡¯s the least I can offer.¡± Taylor smiled, but didn¡¯t argue. It wouldn¡¯t do to make too much of a scene and she wanted to start off at Arcadia on a good note. Meeting whoever this escort would be, and getting to know them would give her a leg up, so to speak. The secretary made a call, asking for a student, not specifying anyone in particular, just that she needed someone to help a girl to the bus. Taylor half expected Glory Girl, given she was in attendance, but the odds of a hero being called in were absurdly low, even after the offer to get Panacea to check her over. A few minutes passed, and the door opened again. Taylor shifted to get a good look at the new arrival and blinked for a moment, then promptly cut off the signals to her tongue before she blurted something egregious. Standing in the doorway was Dodge, in civvies. Harry, his name was Harry, she needed to remember that. She did not need to make that slip, even if Toybox was largely on a first name basis, cape names were still said often enough there was a risk. Reactivating her tongue, she smiled and got to her feet. ¡°You must be the prospective student,¡± he said easily. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss?¡± ¡°Taylor,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d offer to shake your hand, but mine are a bit full.¡± He snorted and shook his head. ¡°She can never meet Dennis.¡± ¡°On that, we agree,¡± the secretary said. He gestured for her to follow and she did so, stepping out into the empty hall with him. Once they were alone, he turned to her with a discerning eye. ¡°Do you have anywhere else to be today?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± she agreed. ¡°Was planning to drop by to work on a project of mine.¡± ¡°Ah right, Riley mentioned that,¡± he said. ¡°Well, you could do that or you could sit in on a class or two, get to see what a proper school is like.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you are a teacher,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Especially in this city.¡± He smiled, but it was a bit pained. ¡°Brockton has its issues, but I¡¯d love to see her in a better place for what actions I take, no matter how small. I¡¯m just a substitute teacher in my civilian life, and knowing you were aiming for Arcadia, I took the opportunity when presented, even if it is a bit of a commute.¡± Taylor could certainly respect that decision, it was foolish, but Brockton was her home, flaws and all. She didn¡¯t have any illusions that even with her powers, she could make a dent in the cesspit her city had become, but her new body would certainly be able to do things most normal humans couldn¡¯t. Still, traditional heroics didn¡¯t sit well with her anymore, not after meeting Armsmaster. People weren¡¯t pawns to be cast aside just because they weren¡¯t useful. ¡°Well, one class won¡¯t kill me,¡± she said. ¡°What do you teach, anyway?¡± ¡°Science, funny enough,¡± he said. ¡°Tinkers tend to be good at that subject, who would have guessed.¡± Taylor snorted, but didn¡¯t disagree. ¡°I¡¯ll try to not upstage you in your own class then,¡± she said with a grin. He laughed. ¡°If this was computer science, I might have been worried, but we¡¯re currently discussing the state of the universe itself and how the discovery of Aleph and other dimensions affected our understanding of physics. This one is all me.¡± Stepping inside the classroom, all eyes immediately fell on Taylor. She wilted slightly under the attention, hating that without a plan she fell back on old habits. It would at least sell the impression that she hadn¡¯t been well off at Winslow at least. ¡°Hello everyone, sorry about that,¡± Harry said easily. ¡°This is Taylor, who will be joining us in the near future.¡± Taylor propped herself on her crutches and freed a hand for a simple wave. ¡°She¡¯s just here to get a feel for classes, so be sure to give her a proper Arcadia welcome once we wrap up.¡± ¡°So, ask her if she¡¯s a new Ward?¡± a blonde girl asked from near the back. Several people chuckled at that, and Taylor focused on the girl in question. She seemed familiar in a vague way, and a quick check with her analysis software confirmed the suspicion. Harry shook his head, but there was a fond smile on his face. ¡°No, Victoria, nothing of the sort. Now, who can tell me about multiverse theory?¡± Chapter 12 Taylor squinted, wishing she had her new eyes so she could just use the optical zoom. Sure, she was nearsighted, which was working in her favor at the moment, but nothing beat proper prosthetics. She was working diligently on her body, pushing ever closer to the day she could swap into it and install a remote operator suite in her current shell. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, because thinking about the body she was born in as a shell to discard was just humorous in some weird way. Not that she planned to discard it just yet, her identity as Taylor Hebert still had its uses, like the now filed lawsuit against the Protectorate. Mr. Calle had been more than eager after showing him the footage of Winslow and the aftermath. Most of it would be inadmissible, but it still showed that it happened even if it was acquired illegally. Just the threat of leaking it should be enough to get them to settle for a hefty amount. That was what Mr. Calle was banking on at least and she could see the logic in it. Avoid the PR bomb and leave her alone. Simple enough. Not that she had any faith in Armsmaster to employ such simple logic. As she was building a combat model, she was avoiding putting too many luxury features into it. She wouldn¡¯t need to eat or drink or even breathe like a normal person in that form, so she could use the space for more interesting features. Like a ballistic grade armored mesh, redundancies for damage and so much more. Parahumans could pull out all kinds of tricks, so she wanted to be ready for them in the event she wound up in a life or death struggle. More like when, she had done the reading after all. Having permanent internet access in one¡¯s head led to a lot of leisure reading when she wasn¡¯t working. It also meant she could listen to music whenever she pleased without disturbing anyone. Her mother was raised on classical arrangements, and had made sure to do the same with her, but that wasn¡¯t her true passion. Lustrum¡¯s group had all been metalheads, and that too had been passed on from mother to daughter. Taylor¡¯s foot tapped in time with the beat, her head bobbing as she welded an armor plate over the shell¡¯s heart. There was nothing critical there, but she still wanted it protected for when someone tried to exploit the supposed weakness. She was still waiting on requisitioned metals to arrive so she could properly armor her skull. It wasn¡¯t suited for much, but she was going to protect her brain with everything she could pack into that small space. ¡°Taylor!¡± She pulled her attention from the chest cavity of her future body, a smile pulling at her lips as she saw the bouncing bundle of energy stepping through the entry portal. There was someone with her, but Taylor was more concerned with the blonde missile that had just jumped towards her and wrapped herself around her torso. Only a quick recalibration of her balance saved her from being bowled over. ¡°Riley, good to see you,¡± she said as she held up her grease covered hands in surrender. ¡°Let me get cleaned up then I can hug you back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Riley said, hopping back down, though she hadn¡¯t stopped vibrating with excitement. ¡°Oh wow, you¡¯ve gotten a lot done since I was last here.¡± ¡°I sure have,¡± she said, running her hands under a Tinkertech cleaning station. ¡°I also finished that project you gave me, it¡¯s over at my workstation with your name on it.¡± The girl squealed as she ran over and found the box, pulling the lid open and taking the device in hand reverently. ¡°This is perfect!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I am going to put this to such good use!¡± ¡°I have been curious as to what you have planned,¡± Taylor said, ruffling the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯d almost think you were planning to build a bunch of drones and control them remotely.¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Riley said. ¡°It¡¯s a secret though, so don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to tell?¡± Taylor said with a shrug. ¡°All I did was make something nice for a friend.¡± ¡°This is why you¡¯re my favorite,¡± Riley said, putting the gift away in her tool bag. ¡°Oh, forgive my manners, this is my other dad, Kurt.¡± Taylor turned to the sandy blonde haired man. He was tall, with a well trimmed goatee and short-cut hair. He was wearing a well pressed suit that spoke of someone important. His brown eyes framed by glasses in the academic style that reminded her of what her mom used to wear. Taylor offered her hand which he quickly grasped and shook firmly. ¡°A pleasure, sir. Your daughter is a delight to work with.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± he said easily. ¡°Raising Riley has been one of the greatest pleasures in life and I continue to grow more proud of her each and every day.¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯re embarrassing me,¡± Riley said, hiding her face. ¡°Part of the job,¡± he answered with a smile. ¡°We can¡¯t stay long, but Riley insisted on coming by personally. That, and she wanted to see your progress and I had to admit to being curious myself.¡± He stepped aside and regarded the half completed shell on the table, Riley bouncing around to the other side as she took out some gadget that Taylor recognized as an analytical tool. She waved it over the muscle fibers and her eyebrows shot up. ¡°The improvements you made are even better than we expected!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°Benching a car should be possible, but not sustainable. Good for if someone throws one at me and I can¡¯t dodge. I won¡¯t be a proper Brute, but I could fake it with the best of them.¡± ¡°Way better results than that serum I came up with,¡± Riley said. ¡°You are seeing results, right? I didn¡¯t knock you over so it seems to be working.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she confirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t feel weak anymore and I can actually jog without falling over. Could do without the ravenous appetite though.¡± ¡°The appetite¡¯s a part of it, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Riley said, poking at the exposed artificial muscle. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the finished product. I have so many ideas for how you could help me with a project of my own.¡± With a smirk, Taylor flicked a mental switch and a few screens lit up, showing her project files as well as a composite of what she expected the finished design to look like. Riley and her father both turned to examine them, but Riley was more interested in the technical readouts. ¡°Smart, not using your actual face,¡± the man said, looking at the computer attached to the tanks where the artificial skin was currently growing. ¡°You could effectively assume any identity you wish, so you would warrant a Stranger rating too.¡± ¡°It gets better,¡± Taylor said, pulling up another document on that same screen. ¡°Optical camo can be built into a skin suit worn over the body. Light on armor, but it would allow my entire form to blend in with the environment.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m really impressed now,¡± he said. ¡°Getting in with Toybox was probably the best option you could have chosen. The Wards program would have been indignant if you tried to make any of this with them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I had considered that,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°I assume that¡¯s why Riley works with us on occasion? The Wards don¡¯t approve of her full abilities?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Riley said with a huff. ¡°I have so many fun ideas, but the Director won¡¯t let me use them as a Ward. At least I can¡ª¡± Taylor noticed that Kurt squeezed Riley¡¯s shoulder, cutting off whatever she might have said next. The implication was there, however; Riley did have a way to use those ideas, it just wasn¡¯t something she showed the public. Taylor filed that away for later, rather literally, in her case. Perks of having a mind machine interface. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to help you put those ideas into practice,¡± Taylor said to a beaming Riley. ¡°I should probably get home soon myself, dad is bringing home Italian.¡± ¡°Oh, we haven¡¯t had spaghetti in a while!¡± Riley said, turning to her father. ¡°Antonio¡¯s should be open, can we go?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to get it to go,¡± Kurt said. ¡°You know we have a busy weekend planned and have to leave by sunset.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she answered, with that same smile on her face. ¡°Which is why we should go soon!¡± Taylor chuckled, shutting the active systems down and switching them to their automated modes. Some parts of her work could continue without her hands on attention, and she would maintain a connection to them to make sure nothing went wrong, but the rest was just an unnecessary drain on the power systems. It was almost funny, she had only known Riley for a week at that point, but she was far sharper than her age suggested and Taylor counted her as a friend and colleague. Working with Toybox had been the best decision she could have made. ¡°Sometime, I¡¯ll have to invite the three of you to dinner,¡± Taylor said, flipping the last switch. ¡°We just might take you up on that,¡± Kurt said. ¡°Just make sure to give us some lead time, Riley does have several responsibilities that are scheduled in advance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I¡¯ll be a bit busier next week myself, what with starting up at Arcadia.¡± ¡°Harry currently teaches there, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Kurt asked. ¡°He does, but I won¡¯t be in his classes this year,¡± Taylor confirmed. She had been a bit upset with that revelation. ¡°Next year for sure, though, if he stays on.¡± Kurt hummed, but didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he activated the portal and gestured for Riley to step through. He paused for a moment, then turned back to Taylor. ¡°You¡¯re definitely an interesting girl, I expect great things from you once you get on your new feet.¡± He nodded towards the half-finished body on the table, then he stepped through, and the portal winked closed. Taylor stood there for a moment, frowning. She felt like she had just been tested in some way, and she wasn¡¯t sure she had passed. Regardless, she needed to get home. She grabbed her bag, and hurried back to the portal generator entering the coordinates for her home and soon enough she was back in her living room just in time for her father to pull in. She hurried to the door, letting her father in and caught him in a hug. ¡°Missed you, Dad,¡± she said. He wrapped his free arm around her, returning the embrace. ¡°Hey kiddo, how was your day?¡± And so she told him, not that he could really follow along with all the technical stuff, but she refused to keep him out of the loop. Her life was certainly interesting, and it was only going to grow more so, but she wouldn¡¯t forget where she came from, because family was important. Chapter 13 Taylor looked over the clothes on display, grimacing at the prices. She had taken about a grand out of her account with the Number Man, looking to update her wardrobe for her Arcadia debut. Riley¡¯s drug had filled her out with well-toned muscle and she didn¡¯t want to hide away under baggy clothes. It would also get her used to wearing the much tighter clothing that her eventual combat form would favor. The problem was, she had little idea of where to start. She and Emma hadn¡¯t been friends for years and she barely paid attention to fashion before their falling out. She had stuck to cheap and baggy clothes that wouldn¡¯t break the bank if juice was spilled on them, but Arcadia was a new start, one she intended to embrace. The leather jacket in the window was form fitting, but she didn¡¯t think it would work with her current body. It would look amazing on her combat model, however. It was amusing that she was already thinking about playing dress up with it, and if anything, she was much more excited about it than she was about shopping for her Taylor model. ¡°That jacket would certainly be eye-catching,¡± someone said. Taylor spun around, eyeing the unfamiliar girl carefully. She had long, blonde hair done up in a complicated braid that was draped over her shoulder. Her face was dusted with freckles over her nose and around her bottle green eyes. Her lips had a thin coating of a neutral lipstick that just barely stood out. She wore a tasteful pale yellow sundress with white stockings that came just shy of the hem of the skirt. To clinch it, her boots were brown leather, laced up with a slight heel and sat just below her knee. To say Taylor was impressed was an understatement. The girl certainly pulled off the look in a way that Taylor herself never could. Hell, Taylor wagered she could pull off any look she damn well pleased. It made her yearn for her new shell, to be able to carry herself with that sort of confidence. ¡°It would,¡± she agreed after a moment, killing the blush response before it became too obvious. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would suit me, but I do have someone in mind.¡± ¡°A gift for a girlfriend, perhaps?¡± the unfairly cute girl asked with too much cheer in her voice. ¡°She must be someone important if you¡¯re thinking of dropping that much on her.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Unfortunately, my abilities with fashion are somewhat limited.¡± Taylor gestured at her plain t-shirt and jeans and the zip up hoodie over them. She had considered shopping on the boardwalk, but it was snowing and she didn¡¯t want to deal with the cold in a still flesh and blood body. The mall was more affordable, which made it the obvious choice, but she was starting to regret it. ¡°Yes, your specialty is something else, I imagine,¡± she said, tapping her chin. Taylor¡¯s eyes narrowed at the phrasing, but the girl grabbed her by the hand and began to pull her towards the store before she could voice her protest. ¡°Fortunately for you, fashion is one of mine!¡± Very briefly, Taylor considered pulling free and getting away from the strange girl, but that risked outing her in a very public place, and the cameras were frustratingly all on a closed circuit. She needed to work out the optical camo system, or some sort of electronic jammer to avoid that problem in the future. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not letting you run off,¡± the girl said with a grin. ¡°One outfit. Let me work my magic and if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll fuck off and you won¡¯t see me again.¡± ¡°Awfully confident,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Fine, one outfit, then an explanation of this hobby of buying clothes for random girls you seem to have.¡± The blonde giggled, and Taylor fought to keep her face stern. Even with a cyber brain she didn¡¯t have perfect control of her responses without shutting them off. ¡°I¡¯m Lisa, by the by,¡± she said. ¡°Taylor.¡± Lisa smiled wider and turned back towards the store. ¡°Alright, so for you, I¡¯m thinking that jacket could work, but everything else needs to match first.¡± Taylor followed along as she browsed the racks, picking the occasional thing out and holding it up to glance between it and Taylor. Sometimes she put it back, other times she nodded and folded it over an arm. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that she was picking out more than one outfit, but Taylor went along with it. It wasn¡¯t like she had any better ideas on how to put together a decent look.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After half an hour of browsing and minor conversation, Lisa picked out a single white shirt with a deep neckline, a pair of black pants and the black leather jacket that had caught her eye in the first place. Rolling her eyes, Taylor took them into the changing room and began to strip down. She eyed her body and what the serum Riley had given her had induced. The fine lines of muscle just visible beneath the skin, flexing with a power she hadn¡¯t had before. She felt good, but it wasn¡¯t her future body. As good as the outfit looked on her, and she had to admit, Lisa had done an amazing job, it wasn¡¯t the same as imagining it on her new shell. Still, she looked good. That meant she had to pay up so to speak with Lisa. Looking down at her shoes, she added a pair of high quality combat boots to the shopping list, because she wasn¡¯t going to even attempt anything strenuous in her current shoes. Stepping out, Lisa turned around and her jaw sort of dropped for a moment before it turned into a full grin. ¡°Damn, am I good or what?¡± ¡°Yes, I reluctantly admit defeat,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Now, explain where this little hobby of yours comes from. Do you just go around picking random girls to help come up with new looks for them? No siblings to dress up?¡± Lisa winced at that comment and Taylor filed it away that siblings were a sore subject best avoided. ¡°As thankful as I am, you are quite the conundrum.¡± ¡°Alright, you caught me,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I actually recognized you from the bus the other day and was going to strike up a conversation then, but you seemed hella pissed and I chickened out.¡± It was Taylor¡¯s turn to wince, because she had been livid after the Empire tried to recruit her in broad daylight, not that she could admit as much. Still, Lisa had more to say. ¡°Now imagine my surprise to see you not only up and about, without crutches, but you suddenly look like you could bench press said bus?¡± ¡°Ah, about that,¡± Taylor said, trailing off. ¡°I sort of got treated by Surgeon, they¡¯re a Ward. I got really sick and had a brain infection. Panacea did what she could, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Surgeon was brought in to help, and that did the trick.¡± There, not a lie, but not the full truth. The last thing she needed was for the cute girl to figure out she had powers then run off. This had somehow turned into her first real social interaction outside of Toybox¡¯s members and she didn¡¯t want to fuck it up. She was fairly certain she was fucking it up. ¡°Oh wow, did you get their autographs?¡± Lisa asked after a moment. ¡°Surgeon¡¯s really famous, and she never gives them out except on medical forms.¡± That. Was not how Taylor expected her to react. ¡°Still, that¡¯s awesome that she helped you like that,¡± Lisa said with a nod. ¡°So, all of this is for you, it should be pretty close to your size.¡± She patted the pile of clothes. ¡°Now, would you like to pick something out for that friend? Maybe a matching jacket in that style for her? If you know her general measurements, or close enough we should be good.¡± Taylor blinked, already pulling up the relevant data from her project files before she realized it. She paused, letting herself catch back up for a moment. She had almost rattled the numbers off without even realizing it, which would have been rather creepy. Instead, she thought about it for a moment, then took off her own jacket and checked the tag. ¡°Funny enough, this should be her size too,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We¡¯re about the same height, though she got blessed with more curves than I did.¡± Not much more, as Taylor didn¡¯t want to have to relearn to do everything, but it was just enough to cast a different silhouette. She loved the jacket, and planned to use it as part of her casual cape outfit over the suit and armor she would build. Funny enough, it would be the cheapest part of the outfit, even at three hundred dollars. Thinking of the price as it was rung up, she suddenly realized that even with a thousand dollars in cash, she probably didn¡¯t have enough to afford literally everything Lisa had picked out. That meant putting some of it back, her current outfit excluded. She was going to wear that out of the store even if having it all scanned with it on her was awkward. Idly, she considered how good it would be to hide a shoulder holster. Her cyber body would be able to track targets really well, and she could probably talk Bakuda into making exotic rounds that were non-lethal in exchange for some tech or another favor. Thoughts for later, she was getting distracted. She needed to explain to Lisa how she didn¡¯t have enough money for everything. Or she would have if Lisa didn¡¯t just swipe a credit card and pay for all of it. Taylor sputtered, her words failing as she saw a twelve hundred dollar tab disappear, taken care of by this mysterious girl she had by all accounts met twice. Something was very wrong, because nobody just did something like that, no matter how rich they were. Scrambling for a reason, she had a sneaking suspicion and pulled up her recognition software and was prepared to run Lisa through it. Rules be damned, she was tired of being caught unaware. Just as it loaded, she heard a voice that sent ice down her spine. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t little Taylor,¡± Emma said. Chapter 14 Taylor knew she shouldn¡¯t be surprised, she was actually having a good day, weirdness aside. She shut down the recognition program and left a note to run Lisa through it after whatever this ended up being. If only she had her new shell, Emma wouldn¡¯t have even recognized her. ¡°Oh, is this your ex?¡± Taylor hadn¡¯t been sure what she expected, but Lisa opening the conversation with that line wasn¡¯t even on the list. Emma sputtered and Sophia actually snorted, which turned Emma¡¯s baleful gaze upon her supposed ally instead. Sophia¡¯s little speech was still fresh in Taylor¡¯s mind, and recorded for perfect recall, but that didn¡¯t mean anything, they were just words after all. ¡°Honestly Taylor,¡± Emma said, clearly trying to ignore Lisa. ¡°I thought I had seen everything, but faking a disability just so you could get away with attacking me? That¡¯s low even for you.¡± Technically that was the truth, but Emma didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Someone¡¯s out of the loop,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I got a visit from Surgeon that Friday. She patched up the damage that Panacea couldn¡¯t fix.¡± Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lisa turn an appraising gaze upon her, eyes moving ever so minutely that without her software she would have missed it. There was definitely more to Lisa than she let on. ¡°Convenient timing,¡± Emma said with a sneer. Taylor shrugged. ¡°With how shitty my luck has been lately, something had to go right for once. You certainly did a number on me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous,¡± Lisa said, a grin growing as she tapped her chin. ¡°You¡¯ve got so much makeup on to hide the bruise that Panacea left after she patched your jaw. Don¡¯t want anyone to see that pretty face made as ugly as you are on the inside?¡± ¡°Someone likes to run their mouth,¡± Sophia interjected with narrowed eyes. Lisa turned her attention onto Sophia and her grin turned positively vulpine. ¡°The shadow speaks. Getting tired of your girlfriend being all jealous over her ex? I mean, no offense, I can see why red here went after you, but just look at what she missed out on.¡± Taylor¡¯s systems reported the blush response before she felt it, but she did nothing to suppress it. She was already acting rather different from how she did before her trigger and didn¡¯t need to give her tormentors further clues. Lisa¡¯s ¡®shadow¡¯ comment gave her pause as she considered if Lisa was a more subtle attempt by the Empire to recruit her after the more blatant attempt had failed. She had admitted to being on the bus immediately following that confrontation after all. The theory seemed unlikely given there were other slurs she could have used and the girl hadn¡¯t disparaged a possible lesbian relationship. So, probably not Empire, but could be with a different organization. ¡°Lisa, I can handle myself,¡± Taylor said, eyeing her tormentors. ¡°Fun as it is to watch her squirm, Emma and I never dated. She was, however, like a sister to me growing up. I don¡¯t know what happened to make you turn into a hateful bitch, and at this point I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m out of Winslow, you¡¯re out of my life and frankly? I don¡¯t give two fucks about you anymore.¡± A lie, and a rather blatant one, but she just wanted this confrontation over with. Already Taylor was commandeering the phone cameras of some onlookers to record their little verbal joust. Her fists were clenched beside her, software overriding her desire to either fold back or lash out. She refused to give in, to let them win. She would be contacting Calle as soon as she had the footage to use it to swing a restraining order against them, not that they were worth the paper they were printed on for physical protection but they did wonders for when you had to defend yourself. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that to me,¡± Emma seethed. ¡°You¡¯re weak. Nothing but trash and should know your place.¡± ¡°Pretty sure the stuff Surgeon used to regrow my muscles made me stronger than Sophia,¡± Taylor said. ¡°But that¡¯s being pedantic. Here I am, standing up to you, and you don¡¯t really know how to react, do you?¡± Absently, Taylor spun up her recognition software and ran Emma through it. The results came quickly. No cape identity unless she was very new, and there was her modeling career. Nothing else of note. Emma was a nobody as far as her software was concerned. Then she turned it on Lisa on a whim. It took a moment, but a missing person¡¯s report for one Sarah Livsey was the first thing to appear. She filed that away for further digging as a blurry image of a spandex clad woman was pulled. It wasn¡¯t a perfect match, but the biometrics were close enough to be flagged. Tattletale. Thinker Six in the PRT database. She turned slightly, to regard the woman that had stepped in to help her with clothes shopping of all things. Lisa had definitely noticed something if her dilating pupils were any indication. That confrontation could wait, and she left the program running to gather more information. She had a former sister to deal with first. ¡°You¡¯re nobody. Just another pretty face that will peak in high school, become some guy¡¯s trophy wife out of college, and pop out a few kids for him. That will be your life, empty of any true achievements. Left to slowly decay as you use his money to shore up fading looks until one day he leaves you for his twenty-something secretary.¡± Emma¡¯s face had darkened through her rant, and she had to give credit to her mom for that one. She had overheard many of those insults yelled into a phone receiver almost a decade prior, but they had stuck with her. She had adapted them slightly, but it seemed effective if Lisa¡¯s slow clap and low whistle was any indication. Taylor might not have a true Thinker ability, but she could certainly fake one with enough prep time and knowledge of her target. Emma was one of the few people, hell, she WAS the only person that Taylor knew well enough to get under her skin. She just hadn¡¯t used that knowledge before, had told herself she wouldn¡¯t sink to their levels. Then they almost murdered her. ¡°If I¡¯m nobody,¡± Emma snarled. ¡°Then what the fuck does that make you?¡± ¡°Better.¡± She didn¡¯t wait to see Emma¡¯s reaction, instead grabbing Lisa¡¯s hand and pulling her away. Sophia looked her in the eye as they departed and Taylor could have sworn she saw something akin to respect looking back, but it was gone in an instant as Taylor put distance between them. She was already pulling the footage from the camera that had been aimed in their direction, Calle knew she was a Tinker so it was safe to just send it to him and let him explain the rest. Melding into the growing crowd, Lisa pulled up beside her, voice low. ¡°That might have been the hottest thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I don¡¯t think I could have done much better myself.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Taylor mused. ¡°I¡¯m sure you could Think of something.¡± ¡°Damn, busted that fast?¡± Lisa asked with a nervous chuckle. Taylor shrugged. Lisa¡¯s shoulders dropped with a heavy sigh. ¡°Tinkertech is bullshit.¡± ¡°It really is,¡± Taylor agreed, pulling up everything that her deeper scan had found but not looking it over just yet. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could both dredge up all kinds of secrets about one another, but you were nice to me so I¡¯ll give you a chance to explain why you followed me here.¡± Lisa stopped and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°If we¡¯re doing this, we¡¯re doing it over shoes.¡± Taylor had to blink as she processed that. Lisa rolled her eyes and clarified. ¡°You need new shoes, several pairs, right? Both for you and your¡­ Oh wow, a whole new body? Just what do you have planned?¡± ¡°That is rather annoying, Lisa,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°Do me a favor and don¡¯t test my patience, I¡¯m rather thin on it right now.¡± ¡°Okay fine, I was just trying to save time,¡± she said with her arms up in surrender. ¡°Shoes, then a late lunch? All my treat.¡± ¡°I can agree to that,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Is there a place that sells good combat boots here?¡± Lisa smiled, but it wasn¡¯t hard for Taylor to see the tension in her face. ¡°There¡¯s a military surplus store just past the Penny¡¯s, follow me.¡± Taylor was surprised when Lisa reached out and reclaimed her hand. Before it had been out of necessity to get them away from Emma quickly, this time Lisa had initiated and it didn¡¯t feel urgent, it felt welcoming. Lisa could very well have been trying to recruit her for the Undersiders, but her methodology was certainly different from what other groups had tried. Lisa pointed out a few shops on their way, and promised a visit in the future, the implication that it would be after she had finished her new shell being clear. Taylor didn¡¯t like being around someone that could fish out secrets better than her, but it was happening and she would just have to roll with it. ¡°Anything in particular you want while we¡¯re here?¡± Lisa asked as they arrived at the surplus shop. Mick¡¯s Military Miscellany was exactly what Taylor had expected it to be, with far more than just boots available. She couldn¡¯t hide the grin without shutting down her face muscles so she just let it happen. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the various holsters, harnesses and clothing. Much of it wasn¡¯t true military gear, but something one would think of when playing soldier. Realization dawned on her that the place probably supplied a lot of street level gang members trying to look more menacing or something. ¡°Given I haven¡¯t heard of you,¡± Lisa began, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t active on the streets?¡± ¡°Got a phone?¡± Taylor asked. Raising an eyebrow Lisa retrieved a simple smartphone, likely a burner based on the limited data she could see on it. Taylor sent a text to the phone, because she didn¡¯t trust anyone in the store to not be listening in for juicy information. ¡°I won¡¯t be active until my new shell is complete. I am, of course, working with Toybox for funding and support.¡± ¡°Of course you are,¡± Lisa muttered as she typed her own reply. ¡°Is your brain actually hooked up to the internet?¡± Taylor grinned. ¡°Sure is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all kinds of unfair,¡± Lisa whined. ¡°Though, I¡¯d be so damn overwhelmed and have a permanent migraine if I had to deal with that.¡± Thinking about it, a few ideas came to mind about how she could solve that problem. Her ideas folder got a few new entries, from synthetic compounds to active cyberware that could combat pain. She wondered if Riley would be interested in figuring out a way to block Thinker headaches, but unless she actually did end up working with Lisa, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it to explore. She still sent her fellow Tinker a message asking about it, but no reply was forthcoming. It was Saturday, so it wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise that she was probably busy with Wards duties or something since she wasn¡¯t at school for the day. ¡°I was thinking that I would carry a gun,¡± Taylor said aloud. ¡°Sell myself as a Combat Thinker to throw people off.¡± ¡°I carry myself, so I can¡¯t blame you there,¡± Lisa said. ¡°You never know when some asshole will try to put a gun to your head.¡± That was oddly specific and had carried more than a few emotions with it. Her file on Lisa was growing by the moment, and though she had added all the data from her recognition program to the file, she wasn¡¯t digging through it unless necessary. Lisa moved over to a set of shoulder holsters, looking them over for a moment before she grabbed a fairly basic model. ¡°This one seems to be the best made, the others are just overpriced.¡± Taylor nodded, and grabbed two. It was always good to have a backup just to be safe, especially if she was going to actually go out as a cape. Plus, it would be smart to have one in her civilian life as well. Boots were easier, Lisa immediately grabbed two pairs, and Taylor knew they would fit just based on Lisa¡¯s smug grin when she asked if Taylor wanted to try them on. Rolling her eyes, Taylor also grabbed a thigh holster, a utility belt with ammo pouches and a thigh bag for carrying other things. She took it all to the counter, getting a raised eyebrow but nothing more and once again Lisa paid like it was nothing. That she was willing to drop almost two grand on her was concerning, but she wasn¡¯t going to question it. It wasn¡¯t like two grand was all that much to a Tinker working with Toybox. ¡°I can source you a gun if you want one,¡± Lisa said casually as they walked towards a coffee shop near the food court. ¡°No way for it to be traced to your civilian identity and all.¡± ¡°Yeah, that might be useful, but let me ask my colleagues first,¡± Taylor said, eyeing the TV in the corner. The Nine seemed to be attacking some town in Texas, and someone had gotten footage of the Butcher carving their way through a couple of villains while Bonesaw¡¯s spiders swarmed the unpowered support. There was also a glimpse of what looked to be several capes fused together into some abomination that turned her stomach. It was gruesome, and mostly censored thankfully, but the little spiders did give her some ideas for something bigger. Maybe an armored mobile platform for personal use¡­ ¡°Bet to Tay,¡± Lisa said with a chuckle, snapping her from the near fugue. ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°Ham and Swiss over rye,¡± Taylor said. ¡°English breakfast for the drink.¡± ¡°Fancy,¡± Lisa said and relayed the order. Taking a seat, Taylor kept the news broadcast playing in her mind as she gathered news reports on the attack. Apparently several heroes had been injured while fighting the Nine, but Surgeon would be paying a visit to make sure they were able to recover. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that, and it did explain why Riley couldn¡¯t be reached. ¡°Thanks,¡± Lisa said absently as their drinks arrived. Her eyes were on the same broadcast, watching with a frown. ¡°You actually met Surgeon? I thought that was just a cover.¡± ¡°A bit of a cover,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°Surgeon and Cranial helped install my braincase. That was a perk of working with Toybox, besides not having to scrounge for parts or use subpar tools.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Lisa said, sipping on her drink. ¡°Must be nice, working for a group that actually works well together.¡± ¡°Are the Undersiders that bad?¡± Taylor asked. What little she had found on them showed they were great with hit-and-run robberies, never sticking around long enough to get bogged down and captured. Then again, people didn¡¯t know much about their group dynamic otherwise. Lisa snorted and raised her middle finger. ¡°Regent¡¯s a prick,¡± a second finger popped up. ¡°Bitch lives up to her name and Grue isn¡¯t very flexible.¡± With that, she lowered her three fingers and sighed as their sandwiches arrived. ¡°And I¡¯m a know-it-all who likes to prove I¡¯m the smartest in the room.¡± A GPS ping came from Lisa¡¯s phone, immediately drawing Taylor¡¯s attention. Taylor checked the signal, following it through the network until it hit a Tinkertech router and was scrambled. Someone was checking up on her location and it didn¡¯t look like it was entirely on the up and up. Checking the program that initiated it, she found it had been discreetly installed via a SMS message that never displayed. Picking up her ham and swiss, Taylor took a bite and chewed over what she had just learned before deciding to just tell her. ¡°Are you aware that there¡¯s a tracker installed on your phone?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Lisa exclaimed. ¡°How the hell? This was a clean burner I bought yesterday!¡± Well, that was certainly concerning, it seemed someone had a rather strong interest in tracking her new friend. Chapter 15 Looking up at the entrance to Arcadia, Taylor was still uncertain if going to school again had been the right decision or not, but she was going through with it regardless. It had taken two weeks for the paperwork to go through and get her schedule finalized after her prior visit, now February had arrived and school with it. Students were beginning to filter in, though she had arrived a bit early just to ensure she was well situated. A quick visit to the secretary saw to her schedule, and a hug to congratulate her on being mobile again. That had been all well and good, and she used the given map of the school and her classes to update her own digital map and add markers and routes to her HUD. Her first class was in the east wing and she had well over thirty minutes to get there. She took her time, making her way to her locker first, grimacing at the memories that came unbidden, but this locker was only half-size compared to Winslow. Nobody would be cramming her inside. From there, she made her way to the classroom. ¡°Bullshit!¡± someone exclaimed when she was almost to the door. Turning, she saw Amy Dallon, Panacea, marching over to her. ¡°There¡¯s no way you could be walking.¡± ¡°Just broadcast that for everyone to hear,¡± Taylor said as she got close. ¡°I think a few people missed your pronouncement.¡± Huffing, Amy grabbed her hand without permission, eyes turning glassy for a moment before they snapped up, looking her right in the eyes. ¡°The fuck? You don¡¯t have a brain.¡± ¡°Rude,¡± Taylor said. ¡°What is it with capes insulting my intelligence like this?¡± Amy stared blankly for a moment. ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Taylor said, glancing at the students that were pointedly ignoring the conversation they were obviously not listening in on. ¡°Surgeon visited me, she helped get me back on my feet.¡± ¡°Surgeon?¡± Amy asked, her face scrunching up in confusion. ¡°She is notoriously difficult to get assistance from, hell, even my request went unanswered.¡± ¡°I got lucky,¡± Taylor said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to go into more detail once we don¡¯t have a dozen people eavesdropping.¡± Amy jerked back and let go of her hand before quickly glancing around and seeing the crowds quickly start to move on. Amy grumbled out an apology, but she only half listened to it as she scrambled the recordings of the few students that had tried to record the conversation. Taylor sighed and started back off towards her class, but Amy kept pace with her. ¡°Given my late transfer, they¡¯ll probably start to assume I¡¯m a new Ward or something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Amy whispered. ¡°I assumed you were after hearing about the trigger blackout from Vicky. Given Surgeon visited you, I figured you signed up.¡± ¡°Glad to hear that gossip spreads even when it shouldn¡¯t among the heroes,¡± Taylor said. ¡°No, I¡¯m not joining the Wards.¡± ¡°Are you even a cape?¡± Amy asked and Taylor wanted nothing more than to slam her own head into a wall. Being an open cape seemed to have removed her sense of tact on the matter. ¡°I do not put on a costume and run around in the dead of night beating up gang idiots.¡± ¡°Oddly specific,¡± Amy muttered, then glanced at her watch. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m late for class!¡± ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Taylor said with a bit more glee than she should have. As Amy took off at a run, she stepped into her own classroom, feeling oddly smug about the encounter. Idly, she pulled up her messenger app and fired off a message to Lisa, and replied to Riley¡¯s update on the people who were hurt during the Nine¡¯s weekend assault. She had included a request for a digital interface as well as suggestions for tweaks to the design of the controller module she¡¯d built for her previously. The Faraday cage limited her ability to access the net, but didn¡¯t impede it entirely. She needed to find a workaround that allowed her full bandwidth again. Using a spoofed repeater exception and the connections of all the teachers would likely raise red flags in the system if she overdid it, even with the rewriting of the records. Actually, she could just completely black out all her connections and see if anyone noticed the surge in the data stream. Trying just that, Taylor connected to her lab back at Toybox, uploading the schematics and began working in earnest. Making arms she could control remotely suddenly jumped up her priority list when she realized that she could be working on her shell remotely. How that had slipped her mind, well, Taylor could slap herself later. With a smirk, Taylor created a new project file and began to run simulations on the updated module as the teacher came in and began their lecture. Taylor grinned and began to take notes for the class, enjoying that her cyberbrain allowed such a level of multitasking. *** Lunch rolled around and Taylor felt trepidation working its way into her stomach. Memories of Winslow were coming unbidden as she forced herself to walk through the doors and get into the food line. She could feel eyes on her, hear the whispers about the new girl, about how Panacea had confronted her in the halls. It was a saving grace that she wasn¡¯t a Ward, because she would have been outed in an instant otherwise. Thankfully, the only new addition to the Wards so far was Shadow Stalker back in October, so she should be in the clear. Of course, knowing her luck, a new female Ward would be introduced soon enough and everyone would assume it was her. She did her best to put that idea out of mind as she grabbed some pizza, then quickly surveyed the room and saw a grinning blonde waving at her from across the hall.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Taylor scowled, recognizing Glory Girl was easy enough, and worse, she could see Amy at the table with her and that was just something she didn¡¯t want to deal with on her first day. Glancing around, she saw a table with only a few people that was far enough away so as to not draw the blonde¡¯s attention without making a scene. She took a seat and began to eat her pizza. The pair across from her were eying her warily, but made no effort to talk to her, which was just fine. A ping in her mind showed Lisa was finally awake and they began exchanging pictures of cute cats to pass the time. It was almost funny that she seemed to be getting along with villains more than any of the heroes she had met. She finished the pizza too fast for her to realize her mistake. She didn''t have a physical phone, which meant she couldn¡¯t fake being preoccupied and the redhead across from her seemed to take that as an open invitation. ¡°You¡¯re the new girl?¡± he asked. Taylor snorted. ¡°What gave it away?¡± The brown haired boy next to him rolled his eyes. ¡°You mean besides everyone assuming you¡¯re a Ward like they do with every new student we get?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Taylor said as dryly as she could. ¡°People will believe whatever they want, and besides, I¡¯m used to people talking about me.¡± The redhead winced and Taylor wished she had an excuse to just leave, but there was still over half an hour left of their lunch break. ¡°Any hobbies?¡± the brown haired boy asked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Chris by the way, I think we kinda skipped introductions.¡± ¡°Taylor,¡± she said. ¡°Dennis,¡± the redhead tossed in. Taylor considered the question, they were obviously trying to make small talk, and while she had been an unwilling recluse at Winslow, she didn¡¯t want that reputation to follow her to Arcadia. ¡°I was fairly good at programming at Winslow, it was the only class I enjoyed.¡± She still enjoyed it, even if her power did give her a leg up on what she could now pull off, the base knowledge certainly helped. Relying purely on her power was usually good enough, but sometimes it helped to consult actual science journals to get the best results. The more one¡¯s power had to fill in the blanks, the more maintenance has to be done to keep it working. ¡°Never was very good at that myself,¡± Chris said with a wince. ¡°Numbers and I aren¡¯t friends.¡± That was an interesting tidbit, and there were any number (heh) of explanations for that, but prying wouldn¡¯t be productive to building a friendship. ¡°Programming can be pretty cool,¡± Dennis said. ¡°Most of what I''ve done is just copy code from Aleph onto compatible hardware.¡± Chris perked up, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Oh, you finally got the Game Boy Advance dump working?¡± Dennis nodded, pulling a small device from his pocket. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a lot of games that never made it over from Aleph since Nintendo went out of business shortly after Kyushu.¡± Taylor winced at the mention of the Endbringer attack, and it dawned on her that one day she might end up fighting one of the monsters currently tearing her world apart. Even with the most dangerous tech her powers could conceive, she couldn''t think of anything that might make a difference in the fight itself, but teams of disposable shells working search and rescue were certainly doable, nevermind some of the tank designs. Until those were an option, she would only join the fight if it was local. There was no point throwing her life away if she wouldn¡¯t be able to make a difference. Dennis seemed to realize that he had sunk the mood as well as the conversation and turned back to his own tray instead. Deciding that she was done, Taylor stood, but turned to the two boys. ¡°Last note aside, the conversation was pleasant, mind if I sit with you two going forward?¡± Chris¡¯ eyes widened a bit before he nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure, we don¡¯t mind, do we?¡± Dennis shook his head. ¡°Not at all, you¡¯re always welcome Taylor, so feel free.¡± She smiled, but left it at that, taking her tray with and dropping it off at the collection station. She had fifteen minutes still until the warning bell, but she thought she might be able to squeeze in a call with Lisa before her next class when movement caught her eye. Amy was coming right for her. Just perfect. Rather than deal with that, Taylor turned and made her exit, but the healer stayed right on her heel. She considered putting some of Riley''s enhancements to use to lose her, but that would only serve to delay the coming conversation. Checking her map, Taylor located one of the few empty classrooms and made her way there, ignoring Amy''s indignant protests about slowing down. Once inside, she waited for the heroine to come inside and then shut the door behind them and locked it. The healer jumped, spinning in place at the sudden noise, a look of alarm quickly replaced by wariness. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. Yes I¡¯m a cape, no I¡¯m not active in Brockton Bay, yes I¡¯ve joined a group, Toybox specifically, which is how I met Surgeon.¡± Amy¡¯s mouth snapped shut, whatever question on her lips dying with Taylor¡¯s rapid fire explanation. Amy leaned back against the closest desk, a frown now on her face. ¡°Okay, that explains some of it, but why can¡¯t I see your brain? There is a massive dead zone in your head to my power.¡± ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t do anything with brains.¡± ¡°Do no, see yes,¡± she answered with a bit of a snarl. ¡°It¡¯s like you have a foreign object there instead.¡± ¡°Because I do,¡± Taylor said, tapping the side of her head. ¡°I¡¯m a cybernetics Tinker. With the help of Cranial and Surgeon, I put my brain into a computerized case and reinstalled it into my head.¡± Amy blinked, leaning forward a bit on her perch. ¡°That¡¯s insane, how would you even start a process like that?¡± Taylor rolled her eyes. ¡°With the help of fellow experts in your field. I was going to do it on my own, but the others insisted they call in some favors and do it right.¡± ¡°Still insane,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Toybox isn¡¯t exactly known to be heroic in nature, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware, but you want to know something funny?¡± Taylor asked. When all Amy did was glare at her, Taylor let out a weary sigh. ¡°Every hero I have met has harassed and hounded me relentlessly, you included. The villains have been better. Toybox has treated me like family, the Empire took no for an answer, and the other villain I met was polite as shit and we¡¯re sharing cute pictures of cats in our spare time.¡± ¡°Cats?¡± Amy said with a monotone voice. Taylor knew she needed to get a phone just for appearance¡¯s sake. Once school let out she would see if Lisa could help her pick one out. Singling out the signal from Amy¡¯s phone, she forwarded a few of the pictures to her number, resulting in several pings sounding. Amy pulled out her phone, alarmed at what she saw. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Tinker bullshit,¡± Taylor answered. ¡°If you want to be friends, I¡¯m okay with that, but please stop running me down or trying to out me as a cape in the halls. I had enough harassment at Winslow, thank you. I just want to go to school in peace, and I really hope that isn¡¯t too much to ask.¡± Taylor let the statement hang in the air and exited the classroom, slamming the door behind her as she did. Just in time too as the warning bell sounded. With a sigh, Taylor activated her navigation suite and followed the overlay to her next class. She was silently hopeful that the rest of her day would be free of bullshit. Chapter 16 She did not in fact escape the bullshit. Taylor was halfway through math when she got an alert on her systems that sent ice down her spine. It was a generic message directed at each of her connections to the repeater, and a single word from the same sender. Dragon. ¡°Hello.¡± It was such a simple message, but one that carried more meaning than anything she had ever seen. Dragon had noticed her. Part of her was excited at the prospect of the arguably greatest Tinker in the world having taken the time to message her, but the realist side of Taylor knew that it wasn¡¯t a social call. Well, ignoring Dragon wasn¡¯t an option, and the best case scenario would be more heroes bothering her. Worst case scenario she might inform Hero himself. She immediately pushed aside any thoughts of trying to hide or cover things up and decided to send a return message. ¡°Greetings.¡± The reply took a few moments to come, and Taylor felt her anxiety rise with each passing second. ¡°My attention was drawn by an unusual amount of traffic from Arcadia, am I safe to assume you are the source of this traffic?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Taylor answered. ¡°I am a student and a Tinker that grows deeply uncomfortable without network access. Cutting me off from the network would be akin to removing one of my senses.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± came the reply. ¡°I was unaware that sharing cat pictures was so important.¡± Deciding to have some fun, Taylor smirked as she sent her next message. ¡°Nothing is more important.¡± Taylor accepted a question sheet while waiting for the next reply, which took a few moments longer. ¡°Can you accept audio communications without being conspicuous?¡± ¡°I can. One of the perks of my abilities allows me to split my focus rather effectively.¡± Barely a beat after the message had been sent, an audio call came along her primary connection, the one she shared with Lisa and Amy. Well, that certainly told her something of Dragon¡¯s abilities in of itself. ¡°Hello again, young Tinker,¡± Dragon, the Dragon, said. ¡°Are you aware of how illegal your method of internet connection is?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Taylor asked, though outwardly no sound was heard. Projecting her voice mentally through her cyberbrain was one of the most useful features of her inbuilt phone function. ¡°I am simply taking advantage of unused bandwidth. No users are affected, and the carriers lose nothing either.¡± ¡°You have almost five thousand independent connections to the local cellular network,¡± Dragon said incredulously. ¡°Don¡¯t try to give me such flimsy justification.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even notice until I routed them through Arcadia¡¯s repeater,¡± Taylor said, sending a chuckle along with it. ¡°I¡¯m not hurting anyone, Dragon. I¡¯m just a Tinker that opted to not join the Protectorate given they caused my Trigger.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± Dragon said sharply. ¡°I was crippled by an attack,¡± Taylor said, making sure none of her anger seeped into her digital words. ¡°Then the heroes come along, take over the investigation, then use that and my health as weapons to force me into the Wards. I refused and the absurdity of it all, how even the vaunted heroes had abandoned me, that was too much. I triggered because the last vestige of goodness in my mind was crushed.¡± Silence reigned in Taylor¡¯s mind, but the signal remained open. Her hand was clenched around her pencil, which she was surprised hadn¡¯t snapped under the strain. What was Dragon doing with the silence? Taylor could easily answer that question by backtracking their connection, hacking into Dragon¡¯s systems. She was reasonably certain her own ability to launch multiple measures simultaneously was a bit ahead of Dragon¡¯s own capacity. The woman hadn¡¯t made any efforts to shut her down, or attack in any way, so Taylor would respect that, but that didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t throw the hypocrisy of the heroes back at her. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°The investigation remains unsolved,¡± Dragon said after a moment. ¡°The PRT has it filed as pending an interview with the victim.¡± ¡°An interview they won¡¯t offer unless I come to them as a Parahuman,¡± Taylor said, her anger flaring. ¡°Extortion, plain and simple.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°It is.¡± The pencil snapped as the bell rang and Taylor stood up, not bothering to collect the broken pieces. ¡°If this is what the heroes are, then I want nothing to do with them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame you,¡± Dragon said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse your phone scheme, and I encourage you to find a better tech solution, but I won¡¯t pursue matters for now. It seems a PRT investigation requires my more immediate attention.¡± ¡°Forgive me if I find those words hollow,¡± Taylor said, ignoring Amy¡¯s concerned looks as she made her way out of the school. She fired off a message to Lisa to meet up and added a note to her files to ask Toybox about a communications Tinker to compare notes with and see if she could come up with something more advanced. She had taken a seat on the bus heading for the mall by the time Dragon responded. ¡°Words are meaningless if actions fail to follow,¡± Dragon said and the connection dropped. Well, it wasn¡¯t like she expected anything to come from that, if Armsmaster had failed her, why should she expect better of Dragon?
Lisa greeted her with a much needed hug. Taylor clung to her desperately, not a word needed between them for which she was incredibly grateful for. Lisa was good like that, sure, it was a power thing that let her know when something needed to be said versus not said, and she wasn¡¯t about to complain. Pulling apart, Lisa gave her a kind smile and led her over to a pastry shop where a half dozen donuts were acquired and promptly torn into. By the third donut Taylor was starting to feel better. She sipped her tea and let her mind drift off a bit, enjoying the pleasantness of just being with a friend who is there for her. ¡°Better?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you that upset since the bus, which told me it likely involved cape stuff in your civilian life again.¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°Dragon contacted me.¡± Lisa sat up a bit straighter. ¡°Oh shit. That¡¯s either good news or extremely bad news.¡± ¡°She noticed my breach of Arcadia¡¯s Faraday system to maintain my network connections,¡± Taylor said, tearing a donut in half as she did. ¡°Speaking of, I need a phone I can spoof with my civilian line, just so people don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡± ¡°Oh good, at least that¡¯s an easy problem that can be solved with retail therapy,¡± Lisa said with a roll of her eyes and a fond smile. ¡°Dragon however, is far from easy, just ask her Beard.¡± ¡°Armsbastard has a crush on her, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Taylor asked, biting into the torn pastry. Lisa shot coffee from her nose. Taylor quickly isolated that footage and filed it away for later embarrassment of her friend. Good-natured, of course. Even as Lisa coughed, she shot Taylor a betrayed expression, likely having figured out exactly what was going on in her head. It took a few moments, and a few sips from Taylor¡¯s own tea, to calm her enough that Lisa could speak. ¡°I¡¯ve only gotten to listen to two of their conversations using the software you sold my boss,¡± Lisa said, wiping her face and cursing her smeared lip gloss. Taylor was just going to give her the software, but Lisa told her that selling it to Coil was the better option, and Taylor¡¯s own back end into the systems meant that she could access any device running it and get into even a secure network. The downside, Coil actually had bought it just for Tattletale, never running it on any of his own hardware that had any network connectivity. That alone was suspicious, as he would have needed to be an experienced coder as well as a top tier Tinker just to notice such a thing. She had asked the Toybox Tinkers to look it over and only Harry caught the hidden code. ¡°He either knows I bugged it, or actually has good op-sec,¡± Taylor said after taking a moment to get her own laughter under control. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain Coil is former special forces himself, or at least has experienced some field work,¡± Lisa acknowledged. ¡°He likes his mercs too much to be anything else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an idea,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I could present my new shell as a mercenary passing through Brockton. He might even hire me for some work.¡± Taylor would have to create a record to be tracked and link her identity to several past actions in doing so. All fictitious but would only be flagged if someone tried to find paper records of the events. She would likely need Number Man¡¯s services to do it correctly. ¡°That would be a way to get on his good side,¡± Lisa said. ¡°We will have to make sure nobody knows the connection between your identities.¡± ¡°Should be easy enough,¡± Taylor said, sitting back with tea in hand. ¡°It will suck not being able to hang out in my new shell though.¡± ¡°He is absolutely aware of you, and who you are,¡± Lisa said after a moment. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be afraid of using you as leverage against me either.¡± Taylor nodded, finishing off the scrap of a donut. ¡°So keep playing his game, keep each other in the loop and bide time.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t stop us from being able to hang out now though,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Nope,¡± she agreed. A quick check of show times told her they still had an hour to kill before the next movie started. ¡°Phone first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best option,¡± Lisa said, standing as she put a twenty under the donut basket. ¡°If we went to the bookstore first it would be a fight to get you out before showtime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that bad,¡± Taylor said indignantly. Lisa paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. ¡°Actually, why do you still buy physical books given your ability to view anything digital?¡± ¡°Physical feedback,¡± Taylor said. ¡°It helps ground me. It can be easy to get lost in the digital stream, to just lose myself in the net. I like holding a book in my hands for that reason, not that I don¡¯t read digital copies, but I have my preference.¡± Lisa smiled softly and took Taylor by the hand. ¡°Fair enough, Tay. Now, let¡¯s find a good decoy phone for you.¡± ¡°Lead the way, Lise.¡± Chapter 17 ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the laser output is fine,¡± Chris said, making several notes on the graph paper they had been going over for the past twenty minutes. Taylor had continued to sit at their table for the past few weeks, because Dennis was often humorous in a way that reminded Taylor of the Dockworkers, crass and offensive as hell, but owned it. Chris on the other hand was in an AP science course and could actually talk shop with her at a level that wasn¡¯t boring. ¡°Is this how nerds flirt?¡± Dennis asked. ¡°You would know,¡± Amy said, taking a seat beside Taylor. She wanted to frown but she was too caught up in the current conversation to complain. Taylor grunted but turned her focus back to Chris¡¯s notebook. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but you¡¯re going to have energy issues at multiple stages,¡± she said, taking a red pen to several points in the plans. ¡°Better to reduce power output, make the parts likely to fail modular for easy replacement, or reinforce the failure points.¡± Chris frowned, pulling his notebook back as he stared at her notations. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°You have a good grasp on the theory, but you¡ª¡± Taylor paused as something in her mind clicked. She immediately booted her recognition software and entered him into it. Seconds passed and she had her answer. Chris was Kid Win. Well, that explained how he could hold a decent conversation at least. Tinkers tended to be pleasant interactions if her time with Toybox was any indication. There was something truly satisfying about a proper collaboration, and their talks had been scratching that itch surprisingly well. Having a sneaking suspicion, she turned the software upon Dennis and the results were far less conclusive. There was a chance he was Clockblocker, but it was sub-sixty percent versus the usual eighty plus. She needed more samples but it did explain why Dennis hung out with him if that was the case. She hadn¡¯t run her recognition software on anyone at Arcadia out of caution for outing people, but clearly being proactive would be better, at least with those making friends with her. Maybe she should rectify the situation regardless and figure out which Wards actually attended the school. ¡°Amy,¡± Taylor said sharply. The girl in question shrunk back in her seat, hand jerking away from where she had touched Taylor¡¯s arm, while Dennis and Chris looked on in bewilderment. It was an unfortunately common occurrence, and she was having to get onto Amy at least once a day and often in public. ¡°Did we miss something?¡± Dennis asked. Aside from the fact that Taylor had somehow sat down at a table with two Wards at random and become friends with them? Chris no doubt recognized her from when he had visited at the hospital, but he had never once tried to use it to his advantage that she could recall. Armsmaster hadn¡¯t made another attempt to approach her since Winslow, and Chris wasn¡¯t trying anything. Yet. What wasn¡¯t fine, however, was that Amy had joined the table each day since their talk, much to her annoyance. Worse, the girl kept trying to touch her at every turn. She knew it had something to do with her lack of a normal brain, because Amy was obsessing over it. She had tried to keep quiet, to tolerate the annoyances, but she was tired and annoyed. Riley had been stopping by Toybox almost daily to help with her shell, which should be ready for a test run within the next two weeks. Even better, once it was complete, she could start manufacturing a replacement for her current body posthaste. Maybe then Amy wouldn¡¯t be interested in touching her at all. ¡°I feel like we are,¡± Chris said with a shrug. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to pry. Feels like a violation of privacy to me.¡± Taylor sighed, unsure of how much should be said. Finally deciding on a near truth, she gathered her thoughts and put them to words. ¡°I was injured in a way that Amy couldn¡¯t heal completely. I was also fortunate that Surgeon was willing to help fix it. Amy can see what she did with her power and apparently she likes looking at it.¡± Amy looked away, not wanting to make eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s not what I see, rather what I can¡¯t.¡± Chris and Dennis glanced towards one another but didn¡¯t say a word to that. Taylor sighed, because it was already turning into an annoyance she didn¡¯t want to deal with going forward. ¡°Can you two keep a secret?¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± Dennis said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°We¡¯ve kept a few secrets before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Taylor said, getting at first surprise, then narrowed eyes. ¡°Chris, when talking shop, be careful with your notes. It was obviously Tinkertech after a point and I¡¯m a bit upset with myself for taking so long to notice.¡± His eyes widened and scanned his notes before he began to curse under his breath and dropped his head to the table. ¡°Are you going to out him?¡± Dennis asked. ¡°No more than I¡¯m going to clock you,¡± she answered. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m outing myself in return.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Heads whipped fast enough that she was glad Amy was on hand for once, if only to help them with potential whiplash. She pulled out her phone and set it on the table in front of them and began to type text onto the screen. ¡°Hello, I go by Cyber and work with Toybox.¡± The text vanished after a moment and she retrieved her phone. Her identity was already about as flimsy as it could be, and it was better to be proactive than reactive to problems. Chris could have been asked to observe her, but he had taken no efforts and never seemed to pry. Whatever Armsmaster¡¯s dysfunction happened to be, it didn¡¯t seem to extend to the Wards across from her. If Taylor was going to attend Arcadia, it was better to go about things in a way that cast her in a better light. It was a bit manipulative, but if someone tried to out her in public, again, it would be better to have friends in her corner than enemies all about. Given her recent history, she had little doubt others would approach her in civvies and Taylor was determined to keep ahead of them. ¡°The so-called rules are complete bullshit, if you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± Taylor continued. ¡°I¡¯ve now met seven capes in civvies, and of those, five were involved in incidents that could have outed me.¡± ¡°That counting Toybox?¡± Amy asked. Taylor shook her head. ¡°No, as those were planned meetings with future members of my team and so on after I joined. I¡¯m only counting unplanned meetings while I was just going about my day.¡± ¡°Who were the two that didn¡¯t out you?¡± Dennis asked. ¡°You for one,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Don¡¯t let me down on that. Chris is only on the list because he was with Armsbastard in the hospital, and before you ask, yes, that was me.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Chris hissed. ¡°You triggered because of him, didn¡¯t you?¡± Taylor squeezed her eyes closed, taking deep and steady breaths as she did. She wouldn¡¯t lash out at Chris for the role he played. He wasn¡¯t there to be malicious unlike the Protectorate leader. She would control herself, show that she was a better person. She nodded, her motion stilted and jerky. ¡°No wonder you looked elsewhere,¡± Chris said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have joined up either.¡± ¡°Toybox is always recruiting,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Most of the work is on contract, we have active heroes working with us too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you met Surgeon?¡± Amy asked, blinking slowly. ¡°How does that even work? Do her fathers know?¡± ¡°Wait, plural?¡± Dennis asked. ¡°Amy¡­¡± Taylor said in a warning tone. ¡°Things like this are how people get outed. Her fathers are fully aware of what she was doing and often accompany her on her visits.¡± Amy was frowning as she crossed her arms and seemed to fall deep in thought. Taylor turned her attention back to her lunch, letting everyone mull over her answers. She sent a message to Lisa asking if she could keep an eye on Protectorate communications, explaining that two Wards were now aware of her identity. There was no reason she had for making Lisa use her power to fill in the gaps, she didn¡¯t want to give her friend a headache after all. She was just about done with her chicken salad when Amy spoke again. ¡°Do you need parental consent to work for Toybox?¡± Taylor paused, surprised by the question. ¡°Nope. My dad is aware of the work I do for them, but I only told him after I got my brain fixed and upgraded.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t actually considering this, are you?¡± Dennis asked. Amy chewed on her lip, eyes looking to and fro. It wasn¡¯t hard to notice that she kept settling on her sister across the room. That went on long enough that Taylor managed to finish her sandwich with no resolution. Lisa sent a message, promising to keep an eye out for any alerts mentioning her name, or Arcadia in general just to be safe. A warm feeling filled her, knowing that Lisa had her back. She missed that feeling, of having someone she could trust and rely on. Riding that warmth, Taylor decided to be a bit bold and sent Lisa an invitation to meet up after school.
The last bell finally sounded and Taylor made her way to her locker. Putting her books away, she grabbed her homework folder and put it in her backpack. Amy still hadn¡¯t given her a definitive answer about being introduced to Toybox, but she had Taylor¡¯s number if she did come to a decision. On her way out the door, she saw Chris and Dennis waiting for her. Frowning, she walked over to them. Chris took a hesitant step forward, eyes downcast as he played with his hands. Taylor was in a bit of a hurry, but she was willing to hear him out. There was a chance he could be a friend and she didn¡¯t want to waste it. ¡°Sorry about not saying anything,¡± he began, but Taylor waved him off. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you at all for not outing yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Just don¡¯t report my identity to your superiors and I¡¯ll consider us good. That work for you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, a weak smile returning to his face. ¡°Say, now that the big secret is out, would you like to maybe do some collaborative work sometime?¡± Did¡­ Did he just ask her if she wanted to Tinker with him? That was a new one. The Toybox Tinker sessions tended to be a bit spontaneous or scheduled across half a dozen people. Looking closer, she could see a slight redness to Chris¡¯ cheeks. Her eyes narrowed, trying to fill in the blanks. ¡°Taytay!¡± Taylor spun at the sudden shout, and found herself stunned by the sight. Lisa stood, leaning against a purple motorcycle, leather jacket fluttering alongside her blonde ponytail in the breeze. Her freckles stood out in the afternoon sun, dusting her button nose and framing those emerald eyes that Taylor found so captivating. Taylor couldn¡¯t help the grin that split her face as she hurried over, leaving a gaping Dennis and Chris behind. Lisa caught her in a hug, glancing back at the boys before she grinned wickedly. A wink followed and Lisa planted a quick kiss on Taylor¡¯s cheek, setting it aflame. Before she had a chance to process what had just happened, Lisa mounted her motorcycle. ¡°Don¡¯t blue screen on me now, Tay. You asked me to show you a good time, remember?¡± Snapping out of it, she shook her head in exasperation with a slightly delirious chuckle. ¡°Lise, you¡¯re horrible.¡± ¡°Nah, you love me.¡± Taylor paused again before shaking her head and hopping on the bike behind Lisa. Holding her friend tight, the two sped off from Arcadia and Taylor found she had far too much time stuck within her own head. Interlude - Ethan Ethan wasn¡¯t looking forward to sitting in on the Wards meeting. This would mark Triumph¡¯s last before the torch was officially passed to Aegis, though in practice Aegis has been handling them for the last month in every capacity that mattered. Though he didn¡¯t enjoy listening to teens trying to pretend to be adults, it was still better than one of Colin¡¯s stilted briefings, never mind the Director¡­ Still, he was getting paid for it, and at least Clockblocker could prove to be entertaining at times, Ethan could tutor the boy, but he just never got enough time with the Wards. He blamed Colin for that, always keeping them at arm¡¯s reach, treating them like just another tool to be exploited, and the Director went along with it every time. He¡¯d filed complaints, and all it ever got him was an option to transfer to St. Louis, without his wife. He just had to grit his teeth and soldier on, regardless of how much he might regret swapping to heroics, because winning Samantha¡¯s heart made it all worth it. She was the sole bright spot in his life and if a shitty job was the price to pay for that, he would do so a thousand times over no matter how much he disagreed with certain national practices. Lustrum hadn¡¯t deserved the Cage, after all¡­ He passed by Dauntless and Militia, giving both a nod as they left for a short patrol. It was pointless of course, simply to show the colors to those that tended to donate the most money, which meant passing through downtown then looping through the Boardwalk before coming back to base. He¡¯d done that same patrol route dozens of times, it was always uneventful by design and the gangs never messed with it. Well, Skidmark tried once, but that was more so because he thought Velocity was trying to take Squealer from him because he had a vibrate function, which Ethan had to swear to never mention to Clockblocker on pain of death. He was still holding onto that favor for a rainy day because you never knew when you might need a shift covered. Or just the next time Shawn went on one of his rants about Colin always holding him back from the fights that mattered. Dauntless was the rising star of the ENE, and Colin made it quite clear that he didn¡¯t care one bit about helping him shine brighter. It was no secret that Colin was a glory hound, his last two fights with Lung demonstrated that. Ever since Lung kicked the entire team¡¯s ass some six years past, Colin had made it his mission to take the dragon down. Speaking of Dragons, he needed new teasing material for Colin¡¯s totally not a girlfriend. Dragon might be with the Guild, but she was practically an unofficial member of the ENE with how often she tagged along even as just a voice in the ear. Arriving at the basement meeting room, Ethan shook off those thoughts and braced himself for dealing with hormonal teens that were upset over mundane things. He timed his arrival down to the minute, having spent years around Colin making that trivial enough even without a visor readout telling him each step to take. To be honest, he only did it because he thought the reactions to his arrival were hilarious, because for that fraction of a second they expect blue rather than red to step through the door. Sometimes it was the little things in life that made it worth it, like the way Sam¡¯s lip twitched when he told a particularly clever pun, right before she smacked him. Shaking his head, he opened the door to the meeting room, though it was not the reaction he was expecting, instead, Clockblocker was standing between Triumph and Kid Win, seemingly keeping the two from coming to blows over something. His expressions slipped into professional stoicism as he strode forward, putting on the same persona he did when facing down the Empire. ¡°Stand down, all of you!¡± He ordered, voice booming. The Wards flinched, save for Shadow Stalker who huffed, only taking a single step back but losing none of her iron determination. She was standing right behind Kid Win, her side in the argument clear. Gallant, Aegis, Vista and Triumph opposite them, with Clock in the middle, it was not a division he really expected. ¡°Now, tell me what I just walked in on.¡± ¡°Loudmouth here was suggesting we go after ¡®Cyber¡¯ again,¡± Shadow Stalker said with a huff. ¡°We were telling him why it was a stupid ass idea and we¡¯re going to ignore it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a rogue,¡± Triumph said, his voice echoing in his helmet. ¡°She needs to join the Wards before a gang gets to her.¡± ¡°She made it abundantly clear she isn¡¯t joining,¡± Kid Win added, taking a step forward which saw Clock put a hand on Kid¡¯s armor, ready to stop him in an instant. ¡°Just drop it before she decides to come after us like we¡¯re the villains, because to her, we are.¡± Triumph started to say something, but Ethan could tell there was more to things than Kid had let on. If someone considered the heroes to be villains, there would be a reason behind that. He held up a hand, a single finger raised, cutting Triumph off. ¡°Kid, explain what you meant by that,¡± he said in his no nonsense voice. He hated to break it out on the Wards, but this situation seemed to require it. ¡°That isn¡¯t a claim you throw out on a whim, so explain to us why Cyber sees us as villains.¡± ¡°Armsmaster caused her trigger,¡± Kid Win said.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Vista gasped, but he didn¡¯t miss the different reactions across the room. Gallant and Triumph both flinched a second too late compared to Clockblocker and Aegis. His time as a villain made him aware that powers could be bought, add in both Gallant and Triumph coming from money in their civilian guises and it added up to something damning. They would never admit it, just like his own wife never would, but he was far from the fool he pretended to be. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Shadow Stalker added. ¡°Apparently Armsy is using the investigation into how I bullied the girl against her. He wants a hero for a hero, so as long as she doesn¡¯t join, he won¡¯t let them press charges against me for attempted murder.¡± Ethan blinked. Just what the hell was going on with the Wards if not one person even flinched at that admission? Hell, Vista seemed to just accept it at face value. Strong arm recruitment tactics were nothing new for the Protectorate. Hell, he used them to get him a place with the heroes rather than a Birdcage sentence of his own. ¡°And your side?¡± he asked Triumph. ¡°She¡¯s a Tinker that is no doubt going to be pressed by the gangs into joining.¡± ¡°So we should press her first?¡± Kid yelled. Ethan held up a hand to Kid. ¡°Not your turn. Triumph, explain how that makes us better than the villains if we resort to arguably worse tactics than them? The gangs could simply offer to have Stalker killed in civvies if they wanted her. Withholding justice is a shit tactic if you ask me.¡± ¡°Well, tell that to Armsmaster,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°Thanks for filling me in, Win. I¡¯m gonna go take a week or three off. Give me a heads-up if they do manage to recruit her.¡± Ethan watched Stalker walk away, wondering if they had lost a hero anyway. Despite whatever he felt about the subject, he doubted Shadow Stalker was ever supposed to hear about that deal, which made him wonder how she found out, or more accurately, how Kid Win found out. Ethan turned back to Kid Win. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve talked to Cyber?¡± ¡°She attends Arcadia,¡± Kid Win admitted. ¡°It¡¯s not much of a secret, but she sits at the same table as Clock and I, along with Panacea. She told me she was a cape today, which I already knew, but she also admitted she knew who each Ward was. I think she has some sort of software that can link a cape to their civilian identity.¡± That was¡­ Shit, they had a dumpster fire on their hands at this point. Ethan wasn¡¯t sure what was needed, but he knew what they couldn¡¯t let happen. ¡°Alright, this meeting is done. No attempting to recruit the cape that rightfully has a grudge with the heroes. I¡¯m going to find out what the hell is going on here, because this is just asking for trouble.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t care that the argument resumed behind him, he had questions to ask. Colin seemed to be at the heart of it, which meant he needed to gain support before attempting to get those answers. It would be all too easy to silence him if he were alone, but if he worked with others. First he needed to talk to Sam, get her on board, then maybe get Dauntless in their corner, leverage the feud between him and Colin to his advantage. A short walk later, he stepped into an office. ¡°Puppy, we got a problem.¡± Samantha looked up from her paperwork, they were on a floor that required Parahuman identity clearance to even access, so she wasn¡¯t masked. She was gearing up to yell at him, but his no doubt grim expression seemed to stop her in her tracks. ¡°Why do I have a feeling I¡¯ll need a drink after this?¡± she asked, already reaching down into a drawer for her whiskey stash. ¡°Dunno,¡± he said with a shrug as he flopped into the spare chair. ¡°Is ¡®Armsy caused a teen girl to trigger by holding justice hostage¡¯ a drink worthy offense?¡± Samantha stared at him for a moment, slack jawed before she pulled the bottle from the drawer, took a long pull and passed it to him. He didn¡¯t hit the bottle nearly as hard as she had, but he still drank. ¡°How the hell did that happen?¡± she asked after a moment. Ethan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but Kid Win is apparently friends with her at Arcadia. She¡¯s not shy about telling people about it either.¡± ¡°Who else knows?¡± she asked. ¡°Aside from Colin and the Wards? Not sure. I can¡¯t imagine that the Director isn¡¯t clued in either. I hate to consider that so many are complicit in this, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me. I¡¯m going to talk to Shawn once he¡¯s back from patrol and maybe Hannah as well. Could you pass word to Robin, frame it as idle gossip you overheard the Wards talking about?¡± Sam took another pull from the bottle. ¡°I hate office politics. This new director, I thought we couldn¡¯t do worse than Piggot, but they¡¯ve thoroughly proven there is no bottom to this barrel.¡± ¡°Never thought I would miss Piggy, but here we are,¡± Ethan agreed, taking the bottle. ¡°May she rest in peace, but dammit would I kill for a necromancer cape right about now. She would have never let things get this bad.¡± ¡°Too true,¡± Sam said, groaning as she stood. Ethan pulled some gum from his pocket, offering her a few pieces. ¡°Keep your head down, Puppy, I don¡¯t like the way this feels.¡± ¡°Hey, I trust you,¡± Sam said. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± He pulled his wife into a hug, enjoying the way she practically melted in his embrace. ¡°Be safe, Puppy and remember, patrol in an hour through downtown.¡± ¡°I will, and I know,¡± she whispered. ¡°Well, time to see what we can figure out.¡± The pair split up, each with their own task. They knew better than to check any official sources, not with Dragon being Colin¡¯s all but wife these days. No, anything they learned would have to be done the hard way, ears to the ground and good old office gossip. He just hoped they wouldn¡¯t be too late in getting ahead of the looming disaster, because he really didn¡¯t want to go back to his Madcap days. Chapter 19 ¡°You brought me to a gun range?¡± Lisa had brought her to a nondescript building deep in the heart of downtown. Taylor had been more than concerned after passing the second group of people in Empire colors, but the pair were largely ignored and the skinhead coming out of the range had even held the door for them. She knew that it was only because they fit into their view of the world, and that if she had been just a bit darker skinned, they would have sneered and spit on her at minimum. Taylor knew Lisa was with the Undersiders, and she had already identified the other members as best she could. Grue was black, which made it far less likely that they were an Empire front in of itself. She hadn¡¯t discounted that Coil might just be a middle man, or a false flag for the Empire. They had done the same when they killed Fleur of New Wave, the assailant being disavowed right up until he got an early release and was promptly welcomed back into the Empire. ¡°I did, and yes, it is an Empire front,¡± Lisa confirmed in a hushed whisper. ¡°Almost every range in the city is, unfortunately. That¡¯s how we¡¯re getting you a gun, by playing into their beliefs to circumvent the law a bit.¡± That didn¡¯t sit well with Taylor, and she could probably get a gun through Toybox, but Lisa was taking the time to do this with her, which meant there might be a secondary reason. At the very least, Taylor could get intel on an Empire front for when her shell was finished and she started taking action to make the city a better place. ¡°Alright,¡± Taylor said, taking a breath. ¡°We can¡¯t spend too long on this, however. I¡¯ve got a project to check on and I want to take Dad out for dinner.¡± ¡°We should be out within the hour,¡± Lisa said, then strode confidently up to the counter where a bald man in his forties sat with a gun magazine. Lisa had a wide grin as he looked up and frowned at the obvious teen girls. ¡°Hi, my friend was looking to get something to protect herself and wanted to try a few different models.¡± The man turned back to his magazine. ¡°Go home girlies, you¡¯re too young.¡± ¡°Please, she¡¯s being followed home,¡± Lisa said, her voice turning soft. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re going to¡ª¡± Lisa¡¯s voice hitched, and Taylor was more than a little impressed with her acting skills. The man looked up again just as Lisa wiped a tear away. He sighed and set his magazine aside before grabbing a set of keys and moving towards the wall of guns behind him. Three handguns were selected and placed in a cubby on the side wall along with two magazines of ammo for each, then the door was closed. ¡°Room three,¡± he said as he returned. ¡°One twenty, cash.¡± Lisa produced six twenties easily enough and the man handed the key to her through the window. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± The man grunted, returning to his seat and magazine as Lisa moved towards the back door. Having a suspicion of what had just happened, Taylor pulled Lisa up on her contacts. Just as they got inside, Lisa¡¯s phone dinged with a message which she was quick to check. ¡°Did you use your power to con him into helping?¡± Lisa nodded, pushing the door to the range open. The three guns and ammo were off to the side as expected and down the room was a long concrete hall with a reinforced backdrop. A paper target was hung from a runner next to what looked to be the firing platform. ¡°He had a niece that he believes was snatched by Lung¡¯s people,¡± Lisa explained as she grabbed the tray the guns were set upon and moved it to the table by the shooting range. ¡°Tugged a bit on his sympathy, implied that you might suffer the same. He still charged us extra, but that¡¯s to be expected.¡± Taylor shook her head and looked the guns over. Her HUD popped up information on each model: there was a Glock 19, a Beretta 92fs and a HK USP. All three were in 9mm varieties. Picking up the Glock, Taylor felt the weight in her hand then grabbed the appropriate magazine and loaded the weapon, chambering a round as she did. She pulled up a quick tutorial on how the weapon worked and moved to the firing line. Safety glasses and ear protection followed, with Lisa doing the same. Once ready, Lisa hit a button on the side, sending the target down range and Taylor took aim. Her HUD immediately went to work, giving her a real time feed of where the bullet should impact. A grin came unbidden as she snapped off the first round, surprised at the intensity of the recoil. Her cyber brain ran the calculations, adjustments fed into her memory and she fired the next round. The moment the gun had one bullet left, she dropped the magazine and loaded the next and continued firing. By the end, she had a proper model of the gun filed away for future reference. She set the gun aside and Lisa held up an arm. Taylor high-fived her and recalled the target. The grouping for the first set was within the center two rings, while for the second set she had gotten creative, putting bullets along the outer ring at set points. Lisa whistled. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s impressive for someone that hasn¡¯t shot a gun before.¡± ¡°I cheated,¡± Taylor said, tapping her head. ¡°My HUD tells me exactly where each shot will go.¡± ¡°Might as well be a combat thinker,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Can you do that with martial arts? Like, learn them from videos and books then put it into practice?¡± Taylor paused, hand coming to her chin in thought. ¡°I hadn¡¯t even considered it. Huh. I¡¯ll get back to you once I try.¡± ¡°You are going to be terrifying once you actually hit the streets,¡± Lisa said, shaking her head. ¡°USP next?¡± Taylor nodded and quickly ran through both magazines, getting similar groupings and then did the same with the Beretta. Once finished, Taylor felt each gun again, testing how it felt to draw each one from an imaginary leg and shoulder holster as well as how quick she could get them on target. The Glock was the first she discounted. The trigger safety was neat, but delayed her readiness just a fraction too much for her taste. Ultimately, she decided upon the Beretta just because the gun looked more intimidating at first glance. Returning the weapons to the slot in the wall, Lisa practically strutted to the counter with Taylor following behind. Taylor was once again reminded of how she could wear pants like that once she had her shell, because they looked amazing on Lisa.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Leaning against the counter, Lisa glanced side to side before whispering. ¡°If my friend wanted to purchase a gun that hypothetically couldn¡¯t be traced if she had to pop some asshole in green, where could she do that?¡± The man behind the counter looked up, and Taylor did her best to play the shy girl when he regarded her, she didn¡¯t have to pretend much. Sighing, he took out a bit of paper and wrote something on it before handing it to Lisa. Taylor didn¡¯t miss the cash Lisa had slipped him either. Lisa didn¡¯t say anything as they departed, and only once they were safely around the corner did she check the message. ¡°Huh, the shop is only a block away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I like funneling money to the Empire like this,¡± Taylor said with her arms crossed. ¡°The last thing I need is for them to think I¡¯ve reconsidered their offer.¡± ¡°Or for the Protectorate to see you,¡± Lisa said, looking over Taylor¡¯s shoulder. Taylor wasted little time tapping into a few nearby cameras where she saw two capes making their way down the sidewalk on the other side of the road. She recognized them as Assault and Battery, whom she hadn¡¯t had any interaction with. A few of the Empire people eyed them warily, but nobody made any moves on either side. Shrugging, Taylor started off in the direction of the gun shop because in reality, it just wasn¡¯t her problem. Just for laughs, Taylor tapped into the wireless feeds of the two heroes and listened in to the bored dispatch being provided by Vista. ¡°Just a PR patrol,¡± Taylor said after a moment. ¡°They don¡¯t expect to see any crime and can¡¯t do anything about obvious gang activity unless something illegal happens.¡± ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Lisa said. ¡°At least it isn¡¯t Armsy, he still seems to have a hate boner for you if what I¡¯ve accessed is anything to go off of.¡± ¡°Any indication Dragon has done anything with the information I pointed her at?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°No idea,¡± Lisa admitted. ¡°Dragon is frankly a step above the software you designed. I tried flagging some of the files, but Armsy investigated who had done that, he almost locked me out in the process.¡± ¡°Fucking figures,¡± Taylor spat. ¡°Bastard couldn¡¯t get me so he¡¯s making sure I don¡¯t get any help. Once again I¡¯m stuck doing it myself.¡± ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t alone,¡± Lisa said, taking Taylor¡¯s hand in her own. ¡°Just because the heroes threw their hands up and walked away doesn¡¯t mean everyone has. You have me, you have Toybox. You aren¡¯t alone in this, Tay.¡± Taylor took a deep breath and forced a brittle smile. ¡°Thanks Lise, I needed to hear that.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± she answered. The gun shop was vacant, save for a man with an eighty-eight tattoo on his arm. Taylor really didn¡¯t like that, but she couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment. She definitely bumped the place up on her list of places to hit. Lisa walked straight to the counter and handed the man the note along with another bundle of cash. Some hushed whispers followed and Lisa was handed three boxes and a few other items. She smiled and thanked the man who just grunted and a moment later they were out of the store and hopping onto a bus. Taking the back seat, Lisa started pulling the items out. ¡°I got you the Beretta, as well as two additional magazines and two boxes of ammo,¡± Lisa explained. ¡°That should be enough to get you started, and it was a gun that would have been given to an Empire member otherwise.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t like giving the Empire money,¡± Taylor explained. Even if it wasn¡¯t her own, she didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Lisa said. ¡°The Undersiders are hitting the store tonight, I just needed an excuse to case the joint and that was too good an opportunity to pass up.¡± Taylor paused in her examination of the gun and accessories, an incredulous look on her face as she regarded Lisa¡¯s grinning visage. At that same moment, Taylor burst into laughter and began to single out all footage she had gathered from their trips. By the time she calmed down, she had dug up every scrap of public information on both locations and anyone associated with them and forwarded it to Lisa¡¯s email. If that was true, Taylor was determined to make sure they did it right. ¡°When you do this,¡± Taylor said, trying to regain her breath, ¡°let me know, I¡¯ll trigger false alarms on the other side of Empire territory to keep their capes busy.¡± Pulling out her phone, Lisa looked over the email and her eyes widened the more she read. ¡°Taylor Hebert, where have you been all my life?¡± ¡°Brockton,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a nice enough town but in desperate need of a cleanup.¡± ¡°Which you are perfectly willing to help with,¡± Lisa said, looking back to her phone. ¡°You aren¡¯t even a Thinker, this is all your tech, isn¡¯t it?¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°It is. I intend to see about getting cyber brains set up for other members of Toybox soon. If you¡¯re interested, I can get you on that list too.¡± Lisa seemed to consider that before shaking her head. ¡°As nice as that sounds, I¡¯d have a permanent Thinker headache if I was that plugged in to the net.¡± Taylor was disappointed by that, but could understand where she was coming from. Still, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think that Riley and Cranial might be able to discover a workaround for Thinker headaches if they worked with her on a custom cyber brain built specifically for Lisa. They might even enjoy the challenge and she did still have those notes from the last time it came up. ¡°You mentioned that at the mall,¡± Taylor said as she sent a message to Riley now that it was becoming clear that Lisa was going to be sticking around in her life. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but we might be able to do something about those issues.¡± ¡°You could fix my headaches?¡± Lisa exclaimed. A few people turned, but she ducked down in embarrassment. ¡°Even Tinker drugs don¡¯t help, trust me, I¡¯ve tried everything.¡± ¡°Well, you have three people who have a specialty in dealing with brains,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Look Lise, you¡¯re my friend and this is something I can actually help with so why wouldn¡¯t I offer?¡± Lisa just stared at her and Taylor found herself wanting to shrink back under the complicated look she found directed her way. She was never good with emotions, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had said something wrong when Lisa threw her arms around Taylor, face buried in her shoulder as she cried. ¡°Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t do anything, just, thank you for actually giving a shit about me.¡± Taylor sat there in stunned silence with no idea what to do, so she wrapped her arms around Lisa and began to pat her back. She was at a loss, but she would be there for her friend. They stayed like that until the bus arrived at Taylor¡¯s stop and thinking on it, she came to a decision. ¡°Hey Lise?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lisa asked, her voice still shaky. Lisa might not have a family anymore, and her support network was almost non-existent, but that was something Taylor could at least help with. It wasn¡¯t anything major, but Taylor knew how even a small helping hand could make all the difference in the world. ¡°Want to have dinner with Dad and me?¡± Lisa stared at her, lips quivering as she processed the offer. Moments later she found herself wrapped in another hug. Taylor was glad to be there for her friend, because sometimes it was the smallest gestures that held the most impact. Chapter 20 ¡°Dad, I¡¯m home!¡± Taylor called out. ¡°In the kitchen,¡± was the answer. Taylor grinned and pulled Lisa in by the hand, the blonde reluctantly stepping inside with puffy eyes and running mascara. Taylor gestured down the hall to where the restroom was and Lisa nodded in understanding, making her way in that direction while Taylor diverted to the kitchen. ¡°Hey Dad, are we still on for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Should be,¡± he answered. There were several sheets spread across the table in front of him that he was frowning over, so Taylor moved to see what had him perplexed. ¡°Why is Medhall sending so much work to the DWU all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, and that bothers me,¡± he answered, sitting back and rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Everything seems above board but I can¡¯t help but feel I¡¯m missing something important.¡± ¡°Want me to go over things? I could probably hack their security and poke around a bit and see why they¡¯re so interested.¡± Taylor said. She could probably get Lisa to look over her findings as well just for the added scrutiny but would have to ask first. ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose, but I would appreciate it all the same,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, you need to change before we go?¡± Taylor shook her head, setting her bag down on the table as she pulled out the gun and accessories. ¡°My outfit should be fine, but I do need to secure this first.¡± ¡°Where did you get a gun?¡± ¡°I helped her,¡± Lisa said, stepping into the kitchen. ¡°I needed to case the place for our robbery tonight, so we went in as customers. Taylor did need one after all.¡± Her father looked between herself and Lisa even as she continued to unpack everything, checking to ensure everything was in working order while also performing basic maintenance with the cleaning kit that they had picked up with it. Everything seemed good, so Taylor amended her outfit to include the shoulder holster and the leather jacket Lisa had gotten her on their mall trip. ¡°Lisa, this is my father, Danny,¡± she said, gesturing from one to the other. ¡°Dad, meet Lisa.¡± ¡°Also known as Tattletale of the Undersiders,¡± she said with a practiced flourish. ¡°Your daughter has been an invaluable help, not to mention being a delight to hang around with.¡± Her father took a moment for that to all register, and in that time Taylor had loaded a magazine and slid it into the gun. The click of the mechanism snapped him out of it, turning his attention back on her as she set the gun on the table. ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to be an active villain?¡± Taylor shrugged as she stood. ¡°I mean, is it really villainy if they¡¯re targeting the Empire? Oh, before I forget.¡± She sent an email to Lisa as she hurried over to the stairs to retrieve the holster and jacket. Thirty seconds later she was coming back down the stairs, holster snapping into place as she pulled the jacket over it. When she came back down, Taylor walked in on her father standing over Lisa, attempting to be intimidating. She had to admit, if Lisa hadn¡¯t been an experienced cape, it would have probably worked. ¡°Lisa, play nice. Dad, she can literally reduce you to a sobbing mess in seconds,¡± Taylor said, slotting the gun into her holster and securing everything. ¡°Well, are we ready to get dinner?¡± Lisa turned abruptly towards Taylor, blinking. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m still invited?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Taylor said with a frown, wondering what she had missed. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, why wouldn¡¯t you be welcome?¡± ¡°Do I get a say in this?¡± her father asked, crossing his arms. ¡°I allowed you to go to Toybox after seeing how Armsmaster was treating you, but if you¡¯re going to be consorting with villains¡­¡± Taylor froze. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You do that and you lose your daughter,¡± Lisa snapped. Her fists were clenched, and tight fury framed her face. ¡°I¡¯m not taking moral advice from a criminal,¡± her father said. ¡°Taylor¡¯s been through enough as it is¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, and she doesn¡¯t need another betrayal!¡± Lisa yelled. ¡°She¡¯s been burned by every authority figure in her life but you. Don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Being a villain is dangerous, and working openly will only put a bigger target on her!¡± her father countered with a booming voice, his face turning crimson. ¡°Toybox was supposed to keep her from getting involved with the gangs, not send her out to help them!¡± ¡°Do I get a say in any of this?¡± Taylor demanded, mirroring his own choice in words. ¡°Toybox are only villains because it¡¯s illegal to profit from powers and they sell to everyone willing to pay. The Undersiders are small-time thieves that target the gangs, helping them bloody some Nazi noses is hardly a cardinal sin.¡± He ignored her, glancing back towards the hallway as he did. Lisa¡¯s eyes widened, her teeth were clenched as she seemed to seethe. ¡°Don¡¯t even consider going behind her back and violating the trust she has in you. You earned a lot of lost goodwill back by standing up for her then, don¡¯t flush it all away in a moment of righteous indignation.¡± Taylor moved to pull Lisa into a side hug, giving her friend what comfort she could. Taylor hadn¡¯t dug into the details of her past, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out the basics from what little she had picked up from their time as friends. Add in that outburst and another small piece fit into place. Taylor just squeezed her friend tighter. ¡°Lisa¡¯s right,¡± Taylor said before her father could counter her. ¡°Armsmaster personally shut down the investigations into what happened to me, twice. Even Dragon couldn¡¯t overrule him. I want nothing to do with an organization that refuses to help just because I won¡¯t join their club.¡± ¡°Everything is corrupt,¡± Lisa added. ¡°The Protectorate works with the Elite if you are curious. The Rig uses Uppercrust¡¯s tech for that shiny forcefield. Being a cape is just a numbers game to them. They need us to show up to fight the Endbringers, to stand strong against any Class S threat that emerges. We¡¯re all just bodies to throw at the problems in this shitty world. Once you accept that, things make more sense.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. A heavy silence fell over the room, because how could she say anything to such a cold and pragmatic outlook of the world? ¡°Well, as fun as this was, I think I should bow out tonight,¡± Lisa said after a moment, her finger rising to Taylor¡¯s lips before she could dissuade her. ¡°Sorry Tay, but you know I¡¯m right. As grateful as I am for the offer, tensions are high enough and I¡¯ve already ruined your evening. Take a moment to calm down, then clear the air. I¡¯ll just make it worse if I stay because I don¡¯t know when to keep my mouth shut. I¡¯ve got to get ready for tonight¡¯s job besides.¡± Lisa then pulled Taylor into a tight hug. It was over just as quickly as it began. ¡°Stay safe out there, you never know when you might run into a dastardly hero.¡± ¡°Or a gorgeous blonde in a purple catsuit,¡± Lisa countered with a wink. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but snort and give her a light shove. ¡°Take care of yourself, Lise. Give me a call if you want me to play mission control.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do one better, I¡¯ll see if the boss will hire you for it,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Talk to you soon, alright?¡± Taylor nodded and Lisa let herself out. She had put on a brave face, but Taylor knew most of it was an act. Once the door shut, she spun around on her father, fury sparking within her. ¡°I hope you¡¯re happy with yourself,¡± she said softly, her teeth clenched tight. ¡°Happy with¡ª¡± he said. ¡°Taylor, you brought a villain home, a villain that gave you a gun. Do you not see anything wrong with all this?¡± ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°Lisa had been in a bad place today and I thought inviting her out for dinner would help given the hints about her family she¡¯s dropped. She¡¯s one of the few people I¡¯ve met that has been supportive of me rather than out to use me. I¡¯ve volunteered my services as a result.¡± ¡°Volunteered,¡± he said, flatly. ¡°It sounded to me like she was going to pay you.¡± ¡°Her boss might,¡± Taylor countered, anger slipping through to color her words. ¡°Lisa was recruited at gunpoint, she isn¡¯t a villain by choice. Most aren¡¯t for that matter. That doesn¡¯t make them all good people, but it does paint things in a different shade. Remember, the PRT considers me a villain too, just because I joined a group that wasn¡¯t part of their clubhouse.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± he yelled. Taking a breath, her father dropped back down into his chair, face in his hands. ¡°Your mother was a villain too, according to the PRT.¡± ¡°She ran with Lustrum,¡± Taylor said through gritted teeth, taking the opposite seat. Yelling wasn¡¯t getting them anywhere and she wasn¡¯t going to escalate along with him. Lisa was right, they did need to clear the air. ¡°I did some digging but the PRT scrubbed a lot of information related to Lustrum.¡± ¡°No surprise there,¡± he said. ¡°Her followers made sure there wasn¡¯t much to find when they faded into the background. Annette kept journals, even had plans to write a book years down the line.¡± Taylor perked up at the mention of journals her mom had kept. The ache in her chest at the subject matter was still fresh even years after she had died. ¡°Do you think I could see them?¡± she asked. Her father nodded. ¡°They¡¯re in my closet. I didn¡¯t have the heart to move them into the basement with the rest of her stuff. Just¡­ Be warned, I didn¡¯t get far into them, but she goes into graphic detail about some of the stuff they did. There¡¯s also mention of cape identities throughout, so keep that in mind.¡± Taylor nodded, feeling her throat turn dry. ¡°I¡¯ve had to deal with identities a fair bit recently, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be tactful.¡± ¡°You know I worry,¡± he said. ¡°I know.¡± Her father then clapped his hands, standing as he did. ¡°Well, since it seems tonight didn¡¯t go as planned, Pizza or Chinese?¡± Taylor chuckled, leaning back as she did. ¡°Some shrimp lo mein sounds good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call it in,¡± he said. ¡°Will you be going by Toybox tonight?¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°I need to check on a few things, but I don¡¯t see myself sticking around for long. I was going to pop in after dinner, but it seems we¡¯re staying in. I can get that knocked out while the food¡¯s on the way.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he said as she stood and moved to the living room. Activating the remote, she stepped through the portal and into her lab. ¡°Taylor, good to see you,¡± Harry said, looking up from some new device being delivered. ¡°How have you enjoyed Arcadia so far?¡± Taylor smiled, eager to put the argument behind her for the moment. ¡°Arcadia is so much nicer than Winslow, even if it is crawling with pushy heroes.¡± ¡°I did notice the Dallon girl following you,¡± he said. ¡°Is there a problem there or do you have it under control?¡± Taylor moved over to her station, checking the progress of her shell. ¡°It¡¯s under control. Amy is just a bit enthusiastic since I have a hunk of metal where my brain should be.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I was under the impression brains were some sort of limit of hers.¡± ¡°Riley does keep insisting she¡¯s lying about that,¡± Cranial said, joining them. ¡°If true, she could be a valuable addition to our respective projects.¡± ¡°I did extend her an invitation,¡± Taylor said absently. One of the newly delivered assembly arms was out of sync and would need calibration. She set about doing that as she added the file notes for Lisa to the group folders for Riley and Cranial to look over at their leisure. ¡°Up to her if she accepts, of course, but I imagine people would pay a pretty penny for her services.¡± ¡°Taylor, I would give you a million dollar bonus upfront if she joined with healing as a paid service,¡± Harry said. ¡°She could make billions if her power is as versatile as we suspect.¡± ¡°Age reversal would be huge among the billionaire crowd alone,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Still just a theory,¡± Harry said. ¡°If she shows interest, let me know, I¡¯ll approach her as another familiar face.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Taylor said. The arm was back in working order and she set the tasks for the next few days. Her shell was coming along nicely, but would require some hands-on work soon. She would also need the remote pilot system to be ready for when her shell was complete. That was another project to add to the list once the quantum entanglement system was delivered. Luckily her growing catalog wasn¡¯t interfering too much with her own work as software could easily be copied once complete. Just as her father messaged that the food had arrived, a second alert came in on her client line. It was from Coil requesting she contact him about the job. She smiled and called up the included number, voice modulations firmly in place. ¡°Cyber,¡± an oily smooth voice asked. ¡°Speaking,¡± she said. ¡°Coil, I presume?¡± ¡°Indeed. I am to understand you offered my little Tattletale your services?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Taylor said. ¡°She was using my software to investigate an Empire front when she sent a request for help with a problem. When I saw what she was doing, how could I not offer? The Empire is a blight on the city after all and I am all for their removal.¡± ¡°I can appreciate such enthusiasm,¡± he said. ¡°Though it is concerning that you maintain such access to systems you sell.¡± ¡°I have to offer tech support somehow,¡± she answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t actively spy on my clients and can only access the systems if someone allows me access as she did.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Coil said. ¡°How does twenty thousand, plus five percent of the value of their prize sound?¡± ¡°Twenty five and no percent sounds better,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Less math to manipulate for either of us, and you know Tats will tell me the number if she picks up on that. She¡¯s a feisty one like that.¡± ¡°Indeed. Very well, I accept those terms,¡± Coil said and ended the call. Taylor smirked and wrapped up her last item and logged out of her console. Waving goodbye she returned home, eager to have dinner with her father despite the argument. Later, she would help Lisa stick it to the Nazis and hopefully get a few fun toys for her eventual armory. Chapter 21 Dinner was a bit stilted, with barely a word said between father and daughter. Once the Chinese had been consumed, she returned to her room and settled in with her laptop to work on the assorted projects that had been commissioned by various groups and individuals. She had to smile when she saw Coil¡¯s little overwatch project on the list for around midnight. That could wait, however, as several other requests had come in for simple programming tasks, and one request for a prosthetic arm from the Protectorate. She pulled that one up first, looking over the supplied details. The man had lost his arm fighting Leviathan and his current arm was not conducive to a civilian life. She immediately sent a confirmation, but mentioned that there was a bit of a wait list. As she started to go over the programming tasks, she quickly added them to various tabs within her head, a gentle knock at her door drew part of her attention. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± she said. The door creaked open, her father¡¯s reluctant face greeting her as it did. Looking down, she saw three leather-bound journals tucked under his arm and all her work on the new projects was shuffled into the background. Power assisted multi-tasking did have its benefits. ¡°Hey kiddo,¡± he said softly. ¡°I figured, given tonight¡¯s plans were ruined by yours truly, I¡¯d drop these off as a bit of a peace offering.¡± The journals were well-worn, having seen a lot of use. Taylor ran a hand over the first of three then carefully opened it. Inside was a ¡®Property of Annette Rose¡¯ written in elegant script on the inside cover. Taylor felt her eyes stinging as she turned the pages, looking over the dates on the entries. ¡°Dad, this is¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said softly. ¡°I should have shared them with you sooner, but hearing you bring up Lustrum¡­ It reminded me of what I was running from.¡± Taylor smiled, then pulled her dad into a hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± he said, then sighed. ¡°This Lisa¡­ How much do you actually know about her?¡± ¡°Dad,¡± she said, tone turning frosty. ¡°Just hear me out. She¡¯s an admitted Thinker that you met how long ago? You called her your best friend. How do you know she¡¯s not just manipulating you into working with her gang?¡± ¡°I think she was, at least when she first approached me,¡± Taylor admitted. She¡¯d asked Melissa to look into her after that day at the mall, knowing that the woman wouldn¡¯t cut corners. Taylor even gave her the file to review, the one she¡¯d been trying to avoid digging through. ¡°I had Toybox do some digging, bugged Lisa¡¯s room at her base as well. Her boss is a known customer, he knows better than to fuck with Toybox¡¯s Tinkers but we¡¯re playing things safe.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t as reassuring as you think it sounds.¡± Taylor shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lisa is being disingenuous. We might have started off roughly, but she¡¯s been a genuine friend. Her family was shit to her, shit to her sibling who ended up committing suicide over it. I brought her here hoping she¡¯d get to feel like family, so thanks for that.¡± Her dad pinched his nose. ¡°Way to make me feel like an ass for reacting to my daughter casually whipping out a handgun at the dinner table.¡± Taylor winced. ¡°Okay, not my brightest move, even if we did spend the afternoon at the range making sure I could handle it safely. Sorry about that, Lisa just felt I needed a gun in the event someone tried something stupid again.¡± ¡°Which isn¡¯t an unreasonable leap in logic given this is Brockton,¡± he agreed. ¡°I think we can agree that we both reacted disproportionately here.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Silence reigned for several long moments, and Taylor couldn¡¯t help but fiddle with the journals, wanting to crack them open and start learning more about her mother¡¯s life. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, stepping back to the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I reacted the way I did. Just, watch out for yourself, that¡¯s all I ask.¡± She smiled back to him and nodded, then he bowed out, leaving her alone with the journals. She found herself lost in the details of her mother¡¯s life, from her college girlfriend Kimmie and the time they caved a man¡¯s skull in together to how Kimmie had triggered when she went after Richard Anders and it turned out he was Allfather¡­ Well, that answered a few questions about how the Empire had endured if they controlled the biggest employer in the city. It also explained why Medhall was so interested in helping the DWU. They were making a play for her in some convoluted peace offering. Funny, given the Empire was behind all the scabs stealing work from the Union. She¡¯d need to tell her dad about that, but that could wait for the morning. He needed his sleep. The biggest surprise to come of it was that her mom was a cape too. Hirschfield. She was the best kept secret of the movement, and her existence was always a rumored ghost. The public files on Lustrum only ever mentioned unpowered black market surgeons helping the movement. Hirschfield pioneered several gender affirming surgical techniques for both MtF and FtM people, with dozens of patients over the five years she was active with Lustrum, and a few more after the fact. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was how Melissa and Cranial recognized her. None of the patients were named, just a general date and the type of surgery done and the clinical notes attached. She began cross-referencing the events in the journal with the public record, then for shits and giggles, cracked into the national PRT database and found the classified records as well. The classified records were still heavily skewed in favor of the government, but came closer to the journals than she expected. If it went public, it would create quite the scandal as there was no doubt that Lustrum was falsely imprisoned. The journals didn¡¯t spare identities like the classified records tended to do with the heroes. The local Protectorate was corrupt, there was no getting around that, not that it was news to Taylor. Armsmaster and Miss Militia had suppressed news about one of the kidnapping victims that was central to the castration conviction. Apparently that was why Ravager and Mouse Protector left the Protectorate, as Ravager was listed as the victim, only they never testified as no proper trial was ever given. That one of the patients listed in the journals overlapped with Ravager¡­ Taylor didn¡¯t want to take her mom¡¯s journals at face value, as she knew their accounts were going to be biased, but there was enough there to cast doubt on all the official documents. She absently added every name encountered on the PRT database to a document and began to compile files on each. If she was going to release the documents to the public, then she would need to make sure no capes were outed by the information, at least not their civilian identities. She would expose the hell out of their crimes. Fuck Medhall. Now she just had to figure out a way to make money from the release of said information. Perhaps Coil could be of further use there, he did seem very willing to throw money at problems after all. An alarm chimed in her mind and she smiled, Lisa and her team were gearing up and were ready to do a quick systems check. Hopping onto her bed, Taylor laid back and shut her eyes. Digital windows sprung up in her mind¡¯s eye, four camera views soon occupying them. The city skyline lit up the night sky and she could see the four costumed figures of the Undersiders. ¡°Cyber to Tattle, cameras are good,¡± she said over the mental connection to their comms. ¡°Copy Cyber,¡± Lisa said with forced cheer. ¡°Good to have you watching our backs.¡± Taylor frowned, because she could tell Lisa was still down from the earlier argument. Muting the other connections, and disabling Coil¡¯s backdoor into their comms for a moment, Taylor spoke. ¡°Lise, don¡¯t respond aloud, but I am sorry things went to shit tonight. Dad has somewhat apologized to me, but I¡¯ll make sure he does the same for you. You didn¡¯t deserve to have our issues thrown in your face like that.¡± Lisa blinked, looking into Grue¡¯s camera before she pulled her phone out to send a quick message. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you didn¡¯t deserve it either.¡± Taylor bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, promise.¡± Lisa rolled her eyes and Taylor reset the comms to their original status before Coil got suspicious. Tattletale ran through a few quick checks and outlined her general plan again for the team and to clue her in, because there was no way that Taylor hadn¡¯t already helped with the planning. Chuckling, Taylor drew up a list of a dozen alarms spread across the city, some would notify proper authorities, others would notify the Empire directly. To start, she flagged one on the edge of Merchant territory and sounded a broken window. ¡°First alarm sounded, Operation Timer has begun,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Grue, the floor is yours.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± he said, climbing atop one of the dogs. Regent hopped behind him and Tattletale took a second dog. Bitch of course was on the third dog. ¡°The alarm is dead?¡± ¡°Confirmed,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Feel free to kick their door down.¡± Bitch whistled, and the dogs sprung into motion. Taylor triggered a second alarm, this one along ABB territory and signaled the Empire directly. She checked over the few cameras that had network access, not that many still worked. Sighting Rune, she confirmed the direction of her travel and grinned. The nest had been kicked. ¡°Empire responding to decoy two,¡± she said. ¡°Police response to decoy one. Activating decoys three and four.¡± Shattered glass was her answer as the dogs burst through the storefront. Tattletale and Grue dismounted immediately, followed by Regent and Bitch who began to set up the bags. ¡°Priority on cash and drugs,¡± Grue said. Taylor understood that, but she had her own wishlist sitting in the display cases. Tattletale nodded, moving to a safe stored behind the counter while Bitch and Regent disappeared into the back. Grue couldn¡¯t deploy his darkness without losing their connection, which was the only reason the front of the store hadn¡¯t been blanketed. Grue took his own bag and smashed the register and Taylor could only slap her face that there was actually cash inside, because of course there was. Remembering the timeline, she sounded another alarm, but the damage was already done, the Empire capes were regrouping and the Protectorate was now in motion. Armsmaster was among them, and he seemed to be heading straight for the gun shop. Her eyes narrowed as she checked her systems, all active projects being shuffled off as she conducted a full system and network check and she still almost missed it. A minor data leak from the nearest cell tower. Someone had come up with a way to track when she was sending and receiving large amounts of data. Isolating it, she sent a dummy packet with one of her custom viruses down the stream. ¡°Tattletale, we had someone listening in,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Armsmaster is en route. I¡¯m currently tracking the intrusion. You¡¯re on a timer now.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± she said tersely as the safe swung open, revealing stacks of cash and documents. She quickly shoved it into her own bag and moved over to the gun racks, grabbing what Taylor recognized as the items on her own list. ¡°How are we looking?¡± Her virus returned a result and she found herself swearing. ¡°The intrusion was Dragon. I¡¯ve locked her out but Armsmaster won¡¯t be fooled by false signals. Recommend immediate exfil.¡± ¡°You heard the lady,¡± Grue said. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Regent and Bitch came out of the back, both with heavy bags in hand which they began to secure to the dogs with practiced ease. Thirty seconds later the four were out the window and moving away from the Protectorate Tinker. Cursing as he barreled right past the store, Taylor began searching for his own secure signals. Backtracking from the Rig, she found it, but the firewalls were on par with the most secure she had encountered. Cracking her metaphorical knuckles, Taylor got to work. The dogs circled around towards the docks, Armsmaster still closing the gap, but not yet in sight. ¡°Ditch the cameras and kill your phones, Dragon is tracking them for him.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Grue said as they began to fumble for said devices. The feeds went dead one by one and she decided to tap into her Toybox systems to accelerate the brute force attempt. She tore through the firewall, isolated Dragon¡¯s own encrypted signals and shunted them off to parts unknown and triggered his armor lock using a spoofed signal with his own ID code attached. As he was attempting to make a sharp turn. Right into the front of a Chinese restaurant just inside Lung¡¯s territory. Taylor wasn¡¯t vindictive, not at all. Isolating Dragon¡¯s signal, she routed it to a quarantined cellular instance in her head. ¡°Naughty, naughty.¡± ¡°Ms. Hebert?¡± Dragon asked. ¡°Cyber while I¡¯m on the job, please,¡± she answered. ¡°Care to explain why you were acting in support of the Empire just now?¡± ¡°Armsmaster requested my assistance with a Parahuman incident,¡± she said. Taylor laughed. ¡°I see Armsy still has a grudge since I turned him down. I suppose I should expect a visit at school or home?¡± ¡°Even if he is really interested in your tech, I don¡¯t see him violating the rules like that,¡± she said. Taylor chuckled. ¡°Ah, so he will do it when you aren¡¯t aware, got it.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said. ¡°I am not omnipotent after all.¡± Taylor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Dragon, you control the Birdcage, correct?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Explain to me how so many innocents have been imprisoned there in the last decade and a half,¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing my research for an old family project and I¡¯ve run into some distressing information that directly involves your curbside boyfriend.¡± ¡°Everyone has secrets, Cyber, I trust you know when discretion is the better part of valor?¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind if I dump some stuff on the web that proves a Birdcage resident is innocent then?¡± It was largely a bluff, because Taylor was far from ready to weaponize the journals, but the threat was clear. She would drag the reputations of many heroes if they didn¡¯t leave her alone. Plus, her virus had finally borne results, spreading itself through a complex computer system somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. She immediately began to copy what she could, sending the data to servers the world over before routing it back to a Toybox system for eventual examination. ¡°Cyber, what are you do¡ª¡± The data stream cut off abruptly, as did her connection with Dragon. She¡¯d gotten almost zero data, and wasn¡¯t sure what the signal she¡¯d recorded hitting the servers just before the call dropped meant. Shrugging, Taylor sent Lisa a message that their tracks had been covered. The fun might have been over, but the damage was done, she had a backup completed and Armsy had been shown why he should keep his nose out of a fellow Tinker¡¯s business. An incoming call had her grimace, however. ¡°Coil,¡± she answered. ¡°Cyber, care to explain what happened?¡± Biting the metaphorical bullet, she decided to just be upfront. ¡°Dragon exploited a weakness in my own security suite. That vulnerability is already being patched, but the mistake was mine for not spotting it in my own testing.¡± ¡°You are fortunate my team was able to escape.¡± ¡°I am aware,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The Undersiders have earned their reputation it seems. Just know that if Dragon was able to infiltrate my systems, she might have access to your own. I would recommend a proper evaluation with whoever provides your services.¡± ¡°I will take that under advisement,¡± he said easily. ¡°Now, for the matter of how your indiscretion affects your payment.¡± Taylor grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll accept a cut to the originally proposed amount for this mistake as well as a discount on the next service or product you request of me.¡± ¡°Generous of you,¡± he said carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want a reputation for screwing over my clients. At the same time, the Undersiders did complete their mission and got away unscathed with my assistance. That counts for something, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Very well. Your payment has been transferred and you can expect to hear from me in the future.¡± The call cut off and Taylor let out a shaky breath. Coil was a slimy bastard, but she couldn¡¯t burn those bridges just yet. Not until Lisa wasn¡¯t at risk from his machinations. Speaking of, Lisa was calling. ¡°Lise,¡± she said softly. ¡°We¡¯re back at base,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Everything good on your end?¡± ¡°Coil docked my pay, Dragon is covering for Armsy¡¯s dirty laundry and I need a stiff drink,¡± Taylor chuckled. ¡°So, about the usual, I suppose.¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± she said in sympathy. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I did snag your entire shopping list on the way out.¡± Taylor smiled. ¡°That does make me feel better, but not as good as knowing you¡¯re alright. I was worried. If he had gotten you, I couldn¡¯t have done much until my shell was finished, and even then¡­¡± ¡°You would have tried anyway,¡± Lisa whispered. ¡°Yeah, I would have.¡± Silence reigned for several moments, neither willing to fill it. Finally, Lisa¡¯s soft voice filled the void. ¡°Thanks. You have no idea what that means to me to hear that.¡± Taylor felt her heart clench at the emotion packed into those words, raw and heartfelt. Smiling, she answered, packing every ounce of meaning into the word as she could convey. Because, when it all came down to it, she wouldn¡¯t leave Lisa out to dry, ever. She would be there for her. ¡°Always.¡± Chapter 22 ¡°I take it you¡¯re the reason we had a six A.M. briefing this morning?¡± Dennis asked as he sat down at their usual table. Taylor had been surprised that nobody was waiting for her when she arrived at school, half expecting Armsmaster himself to ambush her in the office or something. When that hadn¡¯t happened after two classes, she allowed herself to relax. Amy was already at the table, poking at something that was supposed to be meatloaf and Chris was not far behind Dennis. Both looked as sleep-deprived as Amy which was quite the worrying accomplishment. ¡°Is Armsy mad that video of his little crash made it onto PHO?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Or was it the picture of him covered in leftover noodles that did it?¡± There was no point being coy with anyone at the table after all, and she wanted to have her fun without tiptoeing around the subjects. ¡°The noodles,¡± Chris said with a grimace. ¡°Apparently he had to completely disassemble his armor to get the grease out of the joints.¡± Amy snorted, picking at her tater tots. ¡°Maybe that crash helped dislodge the stick from his ass.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help the barking laughter that followed, uncaring of the attention it drew from those around them. She quickly isolated the video clip and sent it to Lisa, making sure to edit Chris and Dennis from the footage first. She didn¡¯t doubt that Lisa had done similar dives into cape identities, but there was no point in making her job any easier than it already was. A gif of a laughing fox was Lisa¡¯s answer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid his case is terminal,¡± Taylor said once her laughter was under control. ¡°Even you wouldn¡¯t be enough to help him.¡± Amy rolled her eyes, stabbing a tot with her fork. ¡°Think Surgeon and I working together could do it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve considered the offer?¡± Taylor asked carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about this, Surgeon would literally turn me inside out if you¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°That might be entertaining,¡± Amy said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m curious, I¡¯ll admit and Carol is extremely controlling about what I can and cannot do. Plus, every dollar paid to me goes to New Wave as a whole, I don¡¯t see any of it.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± Chris said. ¡°Even the Wards get a portion of their merchandise and extra services funds deposited into their trust.¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t,¡± Amy spat. ¡°Did you know that Vicky¡¯s college fund has four times as much in it as mine? I saw the statements a few months ago because Mark opened the mail and left it on the table. I talked to Aunt Sarah over the weekend and apparently I¡¯m responsible for over ninety percent of New Wave¡¯s funding and see none of it save a hundred dollar weekly allowance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than I get,¡± Dennis said. ¡°Vicky gets five hundred,¡± Amy seethed. ¡°And she has a Dean to pay for everything.¡± Chris and Dennis both winced at the statement and Taylor understood why. The Stansfields were some of the richest people in Brockton, just below the Christners and Anders. Given one of those was the mayor and the other the secret leader of the Empire, it was quite the accomplishment given the economy in Brockton at present. Amy was the PR darling of New Wave. She was always front and center of any articles about the independent hero team with a plethora of achievements tossed out. The team would have likely folded into the Protectorate if not for her efforts over the last three years. All of that was public information, so one would think that Carol Dallon would be making sure Amy was as happy as she could be instead. ¡°Well, I can pretty much promise you that Toybox pays better given the bonus I was promised if I got you to sign up,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Interested in meeting them after school?¡± ¡°What bonus?¡± Amy asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°Million bucks just to get you in the door,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°So I might be a bit biased with trying to get you to agree to join up.¡± Chris shot chocolate milk from his nose as he descended into a hacking cough. Dennis was stock still, not even breathing. Amy however had turned contemplative even as she poked Chris in the arm and settled his cough. ¡°Why so much?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Because Dodge is convinced you would bring in billions in short order,¡± Taylor said. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, meet me outside Mr. Garner¡¯s class after the final bell.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amy muttered. She gave Taylor an odd look, but returned to her meal just as the warning bell sounded. Taylor gathered her tray and moved to deposit it by the steam room. Well, she had done what she could, if Amy did join, that bonus would go a long way to setting up her cape plans and settling her debts. She had pretty well accepted that she would be branded a villain in that identity as well, and as a result, she was very much looking forward to the first time she faced off with Armsmaster. Maybe she could knock him on his egotistical ass a second time.
The final bell had sounded and Taylor made her way to Harry¡¯s classroom. She had messaged him to stick around but wasn¡¯t completely sure if Amy would show. Taylor was delightfully surprised to see Amy already waiting for her outside the room, having a conversation with Harry. She couldn¡¯t help but smile when he caught sight of her and realized exactly what was about to happen. Well, he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge (heh) this one, she would make sure of that. Taylor waved, weaving around a few students as she caught up with them. ¡°Amy, you made it,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Harry, been a minute.¡± ¡°Last night is hardly a minute,¡± Harry said with an impressive deadpan delivery. ¡°Alright, inside the classroom if we¡¯re going to talk shop.¡± ¡°Wait, are you¡ª¡± Amy was cut off as Harry raised a finger to his lips. The door was pushed open and Taylor was the first to step inside, followed by a skeptical Amy and finally Harry pulled the door closed behind them. Moving over to his desk, he pulled open a drawer and set a device atop the table and activated it. White noise registered to Taylor¡¯s audio processors and she recognized it as the same privacy screen Melissa employed at their first meeting. Seeing it through her cyber brain for the first time, Taylor could already imagine combining it with some sort of optical filtering system to hide her presence from casual observation. It would need tweaking, but in theory she could even use it to suppress gunfire, which would make it a fantastic feature for her combat loadout. ¡°Neat,¡± Taylor said, taking a seat atop one of the desks. ¡°You¡¯ll have to let me poke at that, because I¡¯m getting some ideas.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put you in touch with the Tinker later,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Now, Amy, since Taylor brought you to me like this, am I to assume you¡¯re interested in Toybox?¡± ¡°My science teacher is a cape,¡± Amy said with a sigh. ¡°Why am I surprised? This is goddamn Arcadia. Half the student population seems to be capes lately, so why not the teachers too?¡± Huffing, Amy pulled a pack of¡ª Huh. She popped a cigarette out and lit it with practiced ease, taking a deep drag before exhaling in relief. Harry tried to voice an objection but she just held up a finger, her middle one to be precise. That she could still take a drag from the cigarette with her middle finger extended was actually impressive in a way. ¡°Fuck, I needed that,¡± Amy said, putting the cigarette out on the desktop. Taylor winced at the scorch marks it left behind. Harry¡¯s eye was twitching at the display even as he kept a forced pleasant smile on his face. ¡°So, what¡¯s the pitch? Do I need to sign something or is this all informal?¡± ¡°You have to sign a contract in blood that was authored on human skin,¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help but say. Amy¡¯s eyes widened, and her lips fell slack. Pity she didn¡¯t have a lit cigarette to dangle. Taylor tried to keep a straight face even as Harry sputtered incoherently. Unfortunately, just turning off her face muscles wouldn¡¯t work, she really needed a proper shell for that little trick. Sure enough, her facade broke and Amy cursed. ¡°You bitch,¡± Amy said eventually. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fucking fell for that for even one goddamn second.¡± ¡°It was pretty damn funny,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Please don¡¯t scare away potential recruits,¡± Harry groaned. ¡°You probably convinced Amy she was signing up for the Nine or something with a delivery like that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a Tinker hub, not a group of murderers,¡± Taylor said, dismissively. ¡°So Ames, are you interested in seeing the clubhouse and meeting your biggest fan? Surgeon has the afternoon off but hasn¡¯t been told yet.¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Amy said with a sigh. ¡°Is it bad that I might have said yes even if that was part of the terms?¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Christ, I am not equipped for this. Thank god Surgeon¡¯s dad is a therapist, because it sounds like you might need one.¡± ¡°Her home life sounds pretty toxic,¡± Taylor said, sparing a glance for the prickly healer. ¡°Not my place to give more details, however.¡± ¡°Can we please just get on with this?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Carol¡¯s already going to be pissed I¡¯m blowing off a hospital shift for this, let¡¯s at least make it worth me enduring her ire?¡± A look of concern crossed Harry¡¯s face before he shook his head muttering something about ¡®all the therapy¡¯ before he retrieved a familiar remote and clicked a button revealing a rift in space. An alert pinged her own systems, letting her know the rift would lead to her personal lab, because Harry was the only one with the master key. Then again, she did share her code with Melissa, Cranial and Riley, so it wasn¡¯t quite so exclusive. ¡°Let me be the first to welcome you to Toybox,¡± Harry said. ¡°Mind the blonde missile, you may be under fire the moment you enter.¡± ¡°Is that normal?¡± Amy asked. ¡°It certainly can be,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°You¡¯ll understand more once inside.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t fill me with confidence,¡± Amy said. Chapter 23 Taylor strode into the familiar workshop and spun around, Harry opting to bring Amy to her own workshop directly, rather than through the front entrance given people were already planning to meet up to help with her shell. Amy wasn¡¯t far behind and quickly began to take it all in with wide eyes. It was easy to forget just how impressive the laboratory space was to an outsider. Just a month prior she had been the one standing in awe of what was on offer. Granted, Taylor was a Tinker and her power was essentially dancing a little jig in her head once she had gotten to work. Taylor stepped away as Amy slowly walked, looking around at all the different technology that looked as though it had been ripped from the pages of every sci-fi show ever. ¡°Surgeon will be arriving shortly,¡± Taylor said, having sent a quick message to Riley and Jacob. ¡°Prepare for ballistic pre-teens.¡± Harry snorted, stepping through the rip in reality. ¡°Melissa¡¯s going to kick herself for missing this.¡± ¡°She did mention an errand this morning,¡± Taylor said absently. She wished her mentor could be there, but it was rather last minute notice and she didn¡¯t want to disturb Melissa¡¯s own work if Amy backed out. She was just about done with her cursory check of her shell when a second portal opened and as prophesied, Riley came running in, with no costume or mask to speak of, took one look at the room and barreled right into Amy who was knocked to the floor even as Riley hugged her tight. ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, you¡¯re actually here!¡± Riley exclaimed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, this is amazing! I can¡¯t wait to Tinker on something together!¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the display, nor at the stunned expression stuck on Amy¡¯s face. Riley continued to run her mouth a mile a minute even as Jacob joined them, but another figure stepped out of the iris before it shut. She smiled, not having seen Kurt in a bit. ¡°She is certainly enthusiastic about things,¡± he said as Amy tried to squirm free. Kurt shook his head fondly and turned towards Taylor. ¡°Thank you for this, Riley¡¯s been wanting to meet Amy for a while but keeps getting stonewalled.¡± Taylor frowned. ¡°Amy said she put a request in for me to be visited by Surgeon, but that I would only get to see her if I joined the Wards.¡± ¡°That request was never filed,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into it, and even passed word up the chain that legitimate requests are falling through. It¡¯s being looked into.¡± ¡°Forgive me for my lack of optimism there,¡± Taylor said. Jacob sighed. ¡°Not all of the PRT is as corrupt as the ENE seems to be.¡± Taylor wanted to scoff, but a high pitched squeal broke the tension as Riley continued to fangirl over Amy. It was adorable and brought a smile to Taylor¡¯s face. Riley just got so enthusiastic about her work and anyone that could help her with it. Kurt chuckled then turned back to Taylor, looking all business. ¡°I must say, you truly are living up to the expectations we had for you.¡± Kurt offered a welcoming hand. ¡°As you know, I¡¯m Kurt, but you may know me best as the Number Man. It is a pleasure to finally introduce myself properly.¡± Taylor accepted the offered hand with a smile before his second name fully registered, prompting a double take. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re the shadow broker of the cape world?¡± Kurt chuckled. ¡°I am indeed, and I must say, the reactions are always a delight. I must thank you, that information software you developed was invaluable to my work.¡± ¡°It was just a basic tracking and obfuscation system,¡± Taylor said sheepishly. ¡°Your request actually surprised me, I figured someone like you would already have better.¡± ¡°I had software, yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°All of which was replaced with the suite you developed for me. I wasn¡¯t expecting your program to be as comprehensive as it was, but I wanted to support you in getting your feet under you, and giving you business was a good way to stimulate your finances so to speak.¡± Harry nodded in agreement. ¡°Toybox encourages all our members to do the same when bringing someone new on board. That is a big part of how you got your initial cyber brain project off the ground as quickly as you did, and I must say, that investment has been paying off in dividends.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help the blush response that followed such praise. She knew that her catalog was becoming rather popular, but she wasn¡¯t aware of it doing that well. ¡°Out of curiosity, how well are my projects selling? I haven¡¯t been tracking the numbers as well as I could be given how close I am to completing my first shell.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason I wasn¡¯t too put out to offer you a million just for getting Amy in the door,¡± Harry said. ¡°Your security software alone has been adopted by dozens of companies, never mind the rest of your catalog.¡± Kurt nodded. ¡°Your account with me currently stands at just shy of a hundred million.¡± Taylor¡¯s jaw involuntarily dropped. Jacob chuckled, patting Kurt on the shoulder as he stepped over and all but pried Riley off of the struggling healer. ¡°Surgeon, what have I told you about glomping people that you want to work with?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, standing up straight and offering Amy a hand. ¡°Sorry, I just got so excited to meet you that I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Amy glared at her, but accepted the offered hand only for her vision to go oddly distant. ¡°Just what have you done to yourself?¡± she asked as Riley picked her up with almost no effort. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Lots of things,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°I replaced my entire skeleton as well as used artificial stimulants to increase muscle density and even installed a sub-dermal mesh to make me bulletproof! There¡¯s lots more I want to do, but it¡¯s a bit much for me, but your power should be perfect!¡± ¡°I have no idea what to say to that,¡± Amy admitted. Taylor shook her head, getting her thoughts back on the matters at hand. She could worry about her new-found fortune later. ¡°I offered to make her a shell, but aside from the cyber brain, she wasn¡¯t interested. She¡¯s a Wet Tinker, she would go stir-crazy without a proper body to mold.¡± ¡°Yeah, the cyber brain was all kinds of neat,¡± Riley said with a nod. ¡°It really helped with one of my recent projects.¡± ¡°Crazy Tinkers,¡± Amy muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how useful I can be in that regard, but I guess I would be willing to look into it since I¡¯m apparently going to be working in a legal gray area.¡± ¡°Less gray than you think,¡± Kurt said. ¡°You would be surprised how many capes on both sides of the divide use my services. The Protectorate routinely purchases services from Toybox as well.¡± ¡°Why am I not surprised,¡± Amy said with a sigh. ¡°It isn¡¯t like the heroes are much better.¡± ¡°They really aren¡¯t,¡± Jacob said softly. ¡°If you haven¡¯t figured it out, I¡¯m a cape therapist that works with the PRT. Believe me, I¡¯ve been made aware of many cover-ups over the years and seen far too much for my own sanity.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired,¡± Amy admitted. ¡°Of healing, of covering for my family¡¯s mistakes¡­ I¡¯m just tired of it all. Sometimes I wonder if things might have been better if I was raised by my actual father.¡± ¡°Marquis was an interesting one,¡± Kurt said. Amy sucked in a breath. Apparently that was news to her as much as it was news to Taylor. ¡°He did leave a trust in the name of one Amelia Claire Lavere, if you are interested in claiming it.¡± Amy licked her lips while wringing her fingers at her side. ¡°How much are we talking about?¡± ¡°About fifty million,¡± Kurt said. ¡°Many of his assets were seized by the state before anyone knew what had happened, hence how few assets we were able to secure for your trust. The Brockton Brigade moved off the record and rather illegally so we were unable to offer him a warning. We weren¡¯t even aware he was in custody until he was being remanded to the Birdcage and it was too late.¡± ¡°Sounds like you have hands in everything,¡± Taylor noted. ¡°Why protect big villains like that?¡± ¡°Marquis wasn¡¯t a good man, but he maintained order. There was minimal risk of losing a city to civil disorder with him around as a stabilizing element. Without him, the Empire became the stabilizing element, which I shouldn¡¯t have to explain why that is problematic.¡± Taylor grimaced even as Amy shrank in on herself. ¡°No wonder Carol treats me like she does,¡± Amy said. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of someone she despised. Why the hell did she even adopt me?¡± ¡°Technically she didn¡¯t,¡± Kurt said. ¡°Amelia Lavere has been missing for a decade. Amy Dallon is an assumed identity which I helped New Wave secure for you once it was clear the damage was done. I can easily reactivate your former identity and assets, just say the word.¡± ¡°Maybe once I¡¯m of age,¡± Amy said. ¡°I am sixteen, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Seventeen, actually,¡± Kurt said. ¡°Carol insisted you be a grade lower than Victoria on paper just to help preserve the illusion. Not that anyone truly believed that, but hey, she paid extra.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m only four months from being able to legally remove myself from her influence,¡± Amy mused, tapping her chin. ¡°Better than sixteen months. I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. Have my identity ready to go on my eighteenth.¡± ¡°Yes, this is all very interesting,¡± Riley interjected, ¡°but I want to see what we can do! I have this idea for a mesh to protect blood vessels, but my power doesn¡¯t let me do fine detail work like that!¡± ¡°Patience, poppet,¡± Jacob said fondly, ¡°I¡¯m sure Amelia will be happy to play with you since it appears she will be joining, or am I mistaken?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m joining,¡± Amy said. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but it looks like the best option available.¡± Taylor grinned, glancing over to Harry who whispered something in Kurt¡¯s ear. Looked like she was soon to be another million richer, not that it was that big of a deal anymore given her current nest egg. Perhaps she should start putting that money to use. Her coming cape identity would need a place to call her own, as well as a secure base. There were likely hundreds of locations in Brockton that could be used for such things, and the Number Man was her best bet for securing those. She quickly added a secure and discreet base of operations to the list she was preparing for Kurt and decided to go ahead and send it in. Better to get started sooner rather than later. Maybe once Amy was settled in and the initial excitement had begun to wear off, she could get Lisa in for a cyber brain consult. Solving her Thinker headaches was the priority, but if that was figured out, getting her wired into the net would lead to Lisa being one of the most potent information gathering capes in the world. Just thinking of having her as a support staff on cape matters sent a shiver down Taylor¡¯s spine. Add in Amy and Riley on medical support and there was the potential for one of the most dangerous cape teams just lurking under the surface of Toybox. Granted, it wasn¡¯t part of how they usually operated, but it was fun to daydream. Riley led Amy over to her usual work area in Taylor¡¯s lab, discussing some intricacies of biology that Taylor didn¡¯t quite understand, but that was fine. She was nearing the completion of her shell and had some things to work on, like that cloaking field idea she had. A short request saw the schematics for the sound dampener system delivered, the cost of the request a drop in the bucket now, and she began to look into ways to combine it with the optical camo systems she had requested previously. Then she had to decide if it was to be man portable or integrated into her shell. Her civilian line pinged with a message from Lisa, which brought a smile to her face. She wanted to know if Taylor was free over the weekend to go see a movie. Taylor sent an affirmative almost immediately, then she added a request for a consult with Riley, Amy, Cranial and herself for Lisa. She would pay for it out of her own pocket if it meant helping her best friend. ¡°Taylor,¡± Kurt said, startling her out of her thoughts. ¡°No need to jump, I just happened to see your request and wanted to discuss things with you about this new cape identity you have planned.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem, is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Not at all,¡± he confirmed. ¡°I was just wondering if you had some other details in mind beyond a former military background.¡± Taylor nodded, setting some things aside mentally. ¡°I was thinking she could have been active military, hiding her combat Thinker abilities until she was outed by a power suppressor or something and swapped to traveling mercenary work.¡± ¡°With a trail of activity that wouldn¡¯t make Brockton look out of place as a destination?¡± Taylor waved her hand back and forth. ¡°More so enough to get Coil¡¯s attention. He¡¯s been bothering a friend of mine and I¡¯d like to get in his good graces for a potential strike against him if he decides to hurt her.¡± ¡°I can understand the sentiment,¡± he said with a soft smile. ¡°Let me see what I can do and I¡¯ll get back to you on pricing, but I think I can manage something convincing.¡± Taylor smiled back. ¡°I would appreciate it.¡± Chapter 24 ¡°God that movie was so dumb,¡± Lisa said, tossing her popcorn in the trash. ¡°We knew it would be,¡± Taylor said with a chuckle, grabbing a quick refill on her soda. ¡°It was a cape rom com, what were you expecting?¡± ¡°Something that wasn¡¯t just a Lifetime movie copy paste?¡± Lisa tried, then her shoulders slumped. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, the movie options weren¡¯t the greatest, but it was the best of the rest which is saying something.¡± ¡°Your expectations were too high,¡± Taylor said, rolling her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a reason we spent the entire movie heckling it.¡± ¡°I mean there were other things we could have been doing,¡± Lisa muttered. At Taylor¡¯s quizzical look Lisa just waved her off. ¡°So, what now? Feel like grabbing something more substantial than popcorn and skittles?¡± ¡°I could go for some Fugly¡¯s,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You probably could too, given what we¡¯re doing tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to be nervous, right?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Like, you keep insisting that it will be safe, but we are talking about a bunch of Tinkers taking out my brain and poking it with lots of pointy things.¡± ¡°Hey, it worked for me, and you aren¡¯t the second or even third person we¡¯ve done this with now,¡± Taylor said confidently. ¡°It¡¯s okay, and if things don¡¯t work out, we can put you back exactly the way you were. The risk is almost zero.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Lisa said with a weak smile. ¡°I just wish I knew more about who will be working on me.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you beforehand, and I appreciate you not trying to figure it out,¡± Taylor said, pulling Lisa into a quick hug. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got a few hours to kill.¡± The Boardwalk wasn¡¯t heavily populated given the late February weather was still leaning towards too cold for casual ventures, but the school crowd still came out since it was one of the few areas parents felt safe letting their kids roam. There was always the risk of running into the Trio, but Taylor was well past worrying about them. Alan attempted to sue her for assault, but Calle shut it down almost immediately, it was almost comical really. The PRT was still fighting their side of the lawsuit, but it was clear they were just trying to settle for less than Calle was demanding. She didn¡¯t need the money anymore, but it was the principle of the thing. She grinned as Lisa pulled her over to a small stall that was selling trinkets for exorbitant pricing, typical tourist trap fare, but Taylor wasn¡¯t exactly hurting for money and there was a rather cute set of fox earrings that would be perfect for Lisa, so, eighty dollars later, she was handing them to her stunned friend. ¡°Tay, what?¡± ¡°Hush Lise,¡± Taylor said, helping her put them in. ¡°You literally dropped two grand on me last month, bribe or no. I¡¯m allowed to buy you stuff too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already footing the bill for this whole procedure,¡± Lisa said with a pout, the fox earrings dangling from her ears blunting the expression. ¡°I don¡¯t like owing people.¡± ¡°You owe me nothing,¡± Taylor said sharply. ¡°Lisa, you¡¯re my friend, one of the few I can honestly say that about, and the only one that isn¡¯t a current associate of Toybox. I trust you, and I want what¡¯s best for you, so I¡¯m going to do everything I can to keep you safe.¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes shimmered in the dimming light, a smile tugged at her lips as she wiped the forming tears away with her sleeve. ¡°We better get to Fugly¡¯s before it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°No promises if I see more cute fox merch,¡± Taylor said. ¡°It matches your smile after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a dork, you know that?¡± Lisa said fondly. ¡°Proud of it, too,¡± Taylor said. Fugly¡¯s came into view, the outdoor seating still closed off. Pushing the door open, Tay looked across the visible customers and saw someone she hadn¡¯t expected. Victoria Dallon was seated beside the usual pretty boy, as expected. Across from them in the booth was Amy, looking supremely uncomfortable beside some boy that Taylor thought was on the football team. ¡°Oh hell, Glory Hole is here,¡± Lisa said softly. ¡°Can we go somewhere else?¡± ¡°We could,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Or we could rescue Amy from what looks like a really shitty double date.¡± ¡°Why would you want to¡ª¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes widened as she looked between Taylor and Amy. ¡°Since when did Panacea join Toybox?¡± Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose, because she had been doing so well at keeping that particular tidbit from her friend. Then again, she had probably given it away by telling Lisa that she was her only friend not in the Tinker collective and Amy was begrudgingly becoming a friend, even with how acerbic she could be. ¡°A few weeks ago,¡± Taylor said with a sigh. ¡°That was supposed to be a surprise.¡± ¡°Consider me surprised,¡± Lisa said, regarding Amy with an appraising eye. ¡°She¡¯s not interested in the guy at all, in fact, she¡¯s more interested in her sister than either boy at the table.¡± A slow blink followed. ¡°Oh shit. She¡¯s actually interested in her sister.¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± Taylor hissed, pulling Lisa aside. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Amy is gay, but because Glory Hole is like a ten and she¡¯s afraid to come out of the closet, she¡¯s latched onto her,¡± Lisa said, worry coloring her words. ¡°Okay, operation ¡®get Amy a girlfriend¡¯ needs to happen sooner than later.¡± ¡°Well, we can start by getting her away from the disaster in progress,¡± Taylor suggested. ¡°Not sure what else we could do though.¡± Lisa looked like she was going to say something but bit her lip instead. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good first step.¡± Taylor nodded and started walking over to their table. Amy looked dead to the world, which was worrying if she was supposed to be working on Lisa later, even with the support of three others. The boy seemed more interested in Victoria, who was commanding the conversation with her usual ease. Taylor hadn¡¯t interacted with the Alexandria package aside from some run-ins around school, she was simply too much like Emma on the few occasions that Taylor had observed her in the cafeteria. It was part of why she had allowed Amy into her space, the girl was as far from a social butterfly as one could get. She sent Amy a text, telling her to look up. It took a moment, but she finally checked her phone and frowned before she caught sight of Taylor. Her eyes immediately lit up in recognition and something that could almost be called a smile pulled at her lips just as Taylor stepped up to the table, a grin plastered on her face. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Amy! I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here,¡± Taylor said. Victoria frowned as she looked Taylor over. ¡°Who are you? Ames, you know this girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been sitting at her lunch table for the last month, Vicky,¡± Amy said with a huff. ¡°She¡¯s friends with Chris and Dennis too.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Vicky said, her expression shifting in an instant. ¡°You don¡¯t talk about her though, you¡¯re always going on about Taylor, which is why I invited him today.¡± ¡°Wrong Taylor,¡± Lisa said with a smirk. ¡°It is a unisex name after all, so it¡¯s an honest mistake to make.¡± Victoria blinked, looking to Amy for confirmation. The healer nodded bashfully before waving a hand. ¡°This is my friend, Taylor.¡± ¡°Your friend, whom you¡¯ve not once shut up about for almost a month,¡± Victoria asked. ¡°This is that Taylor?¡± Amy nodded. ¡°Oh,¡± Victoria said, smacking her face. ¡°Well now I feel like an ass for dragging you out here with Taylor¡­ Er, well, that¡¯s going to be confusing.¡± Guy Taylor looked completely lost, which would have been amusing, but Victoria¡¯s expression shifted in a way that made her uncomfortable. She began to look between Taylor and Lisa, then back to Amy as if she was trying to solve a puzzle. To make matters worse, Lisa started to shake with suppressed laughter. ¡°Hey Lise, let¡¯s get our order real quick.¡± Taylor pulled her friend over to the admittedly short line and affixed her with a sharp glare. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Glory Hole thinks Amy is interested in you, but I¡¯m throwing off her calculations.¡± Lisa chuckled harder and all Taylor could do was frown. She had only learned that Amy liked girls a few minutes prior, but why would she be so interested in Taylor? Granted, her cyber brain made it to where Amy couldn¡¯t get a clear read on her, which might have been appealing she supposed, but what did Lisa have to do with it? Getting to the counter, they both ordered Fugly doubles with bacon and decided to split a large fry. Taylor was skeptical that a single fry would be enough, but Lisa had insisted. After getting their drinks, Lisa led them over to the booth directly behind Victoria, and made sure Taylor could look directly at Amy. She was confused at first, but Taylor quickly had Amy¡¯s full attention. When their order was called, Lisa hopped up before Taylor could react and hurried off. Amy watched her go with a frown before pushing her way out of the booth, food in hand and took a seat across from Taylor, setting her half-eaten burger and fries down as she did. ¡°Um,¡± Taylor started, but Lisa came back with their food and a massive grin. ¡°Scoot over Tay,¡± she said, setting the food down. She obliged, but only grew more confused. ¡°So, you¡¯re Amy. Tay¡¯s said a lot about you. I¡¯m Lisa, by the way.¡± Amy¡¯s frown turned to confusion, then her eyes grew wide. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s the one¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lisa said with a grin. ¡°Best to leave it at that though since your sister is doing her best to pretend she isn¡¯t listening in.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Victoria exclaimed, spinning up and around, in midair, and leveled a glare upon Lisa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m interested in the person my sister won¡¯t shut up about, who she just ditched on what was supposed to be a double date to sit with. That you brought another girl with¡­ Are you just stringing my sister along or something?¡± ¡°No, Taylor isn¡¯t stringing me along,¡± Amy said, exasperation clear. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think anyone at this table is gay.¡± Lisa and Victoria both snorted at that while the somewhat familiar pretty boy cupped his face in his hands. A quick check of her software listed him as Gallant. She made it as far as his first name on the file but she didn¡¯t pay it much attention given the other Taylor¡¯s now thunderous expression. He stood up, slamming his hands on the table as he did. ¡°You set me up with a fucking dyke,¡± the other Taylor yelled. The entire restaurant fell silent. ¡°I¡¯m going to give him cancer,¡± Amy said, her voice completely flat. ¡°Vicky, grab him.¡± His eyes widened and he scrambled to get out of the booth, but Vicky was far more mobile than some random kid from Arcadia. She had him pinned in the booth staring down at him like an avenging goddess. ¡°Let him go,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Using powers to break him will just get you in trouble instead. His reputation is shot anyway, given all the witnesses.¡± ¡°And the video,¡± Lisa said, holding up her phone. Taylor frowned, but didn¡¯t argue. Most wouldn¡¯t remember that she hadn¡¯t been recording, but it would bolster the story if she decided to release the footage her cyber brain had captured. Others in the restaurant had their phones out by that point but had missed the initial exchange that sparked it. Victoria looked like she wanted to argue, but one look to her sister had her backing off and into the air. Other Taylor wasted no time rushing off and out the door. It took a moment, but people eventually returned to their own business. Victoria huffed, floating around to sit beside Amy, leaving Gallant sighing, he stepped over, grabbed a chair from the nearest table and pulled it over before bringing their food with. Amy was pinching her nose as the pretty boy looked around the table awkwardly, his gaze pausing on Taylor for a moment each time he passed over her. Sighing, she resumed eating, because it promised to be a long night and she would forget to eat if a proper fugue kicked in. Taylor located a thread that had already sprung up about the incident, and videos were being posted. Grimacing at how the thread was quickly spiraling to be sympathetic to the man, Taylor edited the footage of him yelling the slur and tossed it onto Lisa¡¯s phone before using one of her less obvious PHO accounts to upload it and head that all off. Lisa frowned when she got a notice from the thread, then turned a narrowed eye glare upon Taylor. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit and you know it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s bullshit?¡± Victoria asked. Taylor shrugged. ¡°That I already edited and uploaded his little outburst and made sure the Empire couldn¡¯t play your reaction for sympathy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a phone out,¡± Pretty boy noted with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t need one,¡± Taylor said simply, taking a bite of her burger. ¡°Always recording if need be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a cape?¡± Victoria asked. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re always sitting with¡ª¡± Taylor sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t out them to anyone who doesn¡¯t know. Lisa here doesn¡¯t know their names, just that I am friends with some of the Wards out of costume.¡± ¡°Besides, it took you long enough,¡± Amy said with a huff. ¡°Figured after you got that tip from Gallant that you would have looked at her closer.¡± ¡°What tip?¡± Lisa asked, glancing at the pretty boy an instant later. ¡°Probably something about my brain interfering with powers,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Tends to happen when it¡¯s more tech than flesh at this point.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Tinker that Armsmaster warned us about,¡± Victoria said with a frown. ¡°Ames, she¡¯s a villain. Why are you friends with a villain?¡± Taylor shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m only a villain because I refused to join the Protectorate. I¡¯ve broken no laws regardless. Armsbastard is just pissed that I told him off when he tried to blackmail me into his little club.¡± ¡°Blackmail?¡± the pretty boy asked, but even Taylor could tell there wasn¡¯t enough confusion to his tone. He already knew. Amy grimaced. ¡°She was injured badly enough that I couldn¡¯t fully heal her. Apparently Armsmaster suppressed the investigation into how it happened unless she joined the Wards.¡± ¡°Basically,¡± Taylor said. ¡°He¡¯s a prick, so I went independent contractor through Toybox for security. Pays way better than the Wards, that¡¯s for sure. Speaking of, I have an appointment in about an hour, I would hate to be late.¡± Lisa slid aside without a word and Taylor got up with her. A pointed glance at Amy served as a reminder that she needed to meet up with them as well. ¡°That was mean,¡± Lisa said as they departed. ¡°You basically broke Glory Hole.¡± Taylor chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good for her to ask questions. Maybe she¡¯ll learn to ask the right ones.¡± ¡°Asking for a minor miracle there,¡± Lisa said with a chuckle. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see about getting my brain dissected.¡± Taylor grimaced at the description, but she wasn¡¯t quite wrong. There would be a fair bit of trial and error involved before they hopefully isolated what caused her headaches and figured out a way to neutralize them without causing her brain to hemorrhage out her eyes and ears. It was time to see if she could help her friend or not. Interlude - Lisa Stepping inside Toybox was a surreal experience for Lisa, her power kept drawing her attention to things, then blanking on explanations for what each device did. It wasn¡¯t the first time Tinkertech had left her with blind spots, Taylor certainly could when it came to her cyber brain bullshittery but otherwise she was perfectly readable. That alone made her such a tempting target to manipulate, and she had set out to do so at the mall. It was going so well, then that red headed bitch stuck her nose into things and Lisa got a glimpse of what Taylor didn¡¯t normally show others. There was viciousness lurking beneath and after seeing the clues, how Taylor was once betrayed, Lisa resolved to not be another Emma. So, she set out to befriend her, without the goal of manipulation. It ended up working better than any attempt at manipulation ever could. It scared Lisa a little how easily she found herself in Taylor¡¯s trust, and no matter what angle she approached it from, she couldn¡¯t see any sign that Taylor was out to use her. Just the barest hint that Taylor had asked someone to look into Lisa, but whoever it was proved to be discreet. Lisa shook off those thoughts and took in the lab that looked like it was ripped right from generic sci-fi series eighteen. Not that she had any other Tinker labs to compare it to, Armsy kept those surprisingly secure. A woman was waiting for them with a smile on her face. Taylor wasted no time stepping up and pulling her into a hug before pulling back and gesturing between them. ¡°Damascian, this is Tattletale,¡± Taylor said. The woman chuckled. ¡°Taylor, none of us have masks today.¡± Turning to Lisa, the woman continued. ¡°Call me Melissa.¡± Friendly with Taylor. Sees her as family. Will kill to protect Taylor. Not Melissa. Split personality. Melissa currently in control but others watching. Power quirk. Plural. Not hostile. Lisa winced at the influx of information but considered the possibilities. Melissa wasn¡¯t hostile, which was a plus, and Taylor didn¡¯t show any signs of wariness around the woman. She took a breath and plastered a smile on her face while extending her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Melissa. Call me Lisa.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± she answered. ¡°Riley is in the prep area, we¡¯re just waiting on Amy now.¡± ¡°She has to shake her sister,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We should be able to run Lisa through most of the preliminary things before we need her regardless.¡± ¡°True enough,¡± Melissa conceded. ¡°Shall we get introductions taken care of then?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lisa said, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. Stepping into one of the side rooms, her stomach dropped at the sight of the operating table. Several arms surrounded it with various devices attached. She swallowed, even as the occupants turned to greet her. One was a small girl with straight, blonde hair. The other was a taller woman with light brown hair. Her power latched onto the latter first. Not original body. Switched brain out with help of another cape. Is transgender. Does not identify as male or female. No civilian name. Cape identity fully embraced. That was an interesting bit of information, and unless she was wrong, the cape in question was Cranial, one of the few Toybox capes known by the general cape geek. Then the chipper blonde bounced forward. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Riley but you probably know me as Surgeon,¡± she said cheerfully. Genuinely excited for what they are attempting. Has done experiments on brains before. Has altered powers before. Curious as to what she can do with your own power. Lisa blinked. There was more there than she probably wanted to know, but she didn¡¯t want to pry. She knew that many capes in Toybox had multiple identities or hid their activities with the Rogue conglomerate from common knowledge. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if other capes had contracted Surgeon for less ethical operations. Still, Lisa took her hand and shook it. ¡°Lisa. I hope you understand that I¡¯m a bit nervous about all of this.¡± ¡°Well, you are a Thinker,¡± Riley said with a nod, turning back to some device on one of the arms. ¡°We were actually counting on you over thinking things so we could figure out exactly what causes your headaches and neutralize them. Cranial and I have equipment that can do it too, but Amy¡¯s bioscan is way better than what our tech can manage.¡± Implying Amy can affect brains. Information a surprise to nobody present. Amy purposefully sandbagging as Panacea. Full biokinetic implied. Okay, it seemed that Lisa was going to have all kinds of new nightmares about the people around Taylor. She considered just running, disappearing across the country, but if Amy snapped, nowhere would be safe. Toybox as a group would help her manage the worst of her impulses and provide an outlet. Hopefully that would be enough to let her sleep at night. Taylor had found a place that made her feel like she belonged, perhaps it would do the same for Amy. Maybe Lisa could find a place among them as well once Coil was dealt with. The only reason she had gone along with the idea was that she might be able to solve the mystery of who Coil was with no limits on her power. Okay, that was part of it. The other half was that she did genuinely trust Taylor to have good intentions about everything. That didn¡¯t mean she trusted the rest of Taylor¡¯s associates, however. Like, why was a Ward working with what was practically a villain group? She wanted to dig into those secrets but she could already feel a migraine forming and they would likely need her to intentionally make it worse to figure out the source and how to prevent it. Looking over, Taylor was already at work on something, completely unaffected by the dangerous people around her. Taylor, who struggled to trust anyone, felt completely secure among the people currently giving Lisa nightmares. ¡°Amy¡¯s here,¡± Taylor said, not having looked up from her own station. ¡°Lisa, if you could go change into the gown over there then lay down on the table?¡± She could tell Taylor was already immersed in the technical details of whatever aspect of the project she was going to spearhead, so it was best to just go along with it. By the time she finished changing, Amy was right there alongside Riley, going over something on a tablet. She could tell Amy was still ticked over the double date and how Vicky had apparently set her up with an Empire sympathizer, but was focusing on the project as a way to avoid doing anything drastic. That threat to give him cancer wasn¡¯t idle after all. Lisa walked over and hopped up, taking a seat on the table, thankful that shorts had been included with the gown. Amy nodded to Riley then turned to Lisa. ¡°Okay, lay back please,¡± Amy said. ¡°We¡¯re going to attach a few monitors to your head, they will provide imaging records to corroborate what my power tells us.¡± Doing so, one of the arms swung down with a few suction cup devices which fit snugly to her forehead. ¡°Any discomfort?¡± Riley asked. Lisa shook her head. ¡°Bit cold, but that was expected.¡± ¡°The table will be cooled further once the procedure begins,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Hmm, the area around her Gemma appears inflamed.¡± ¡°I see it,¡± Amy said with a frown. ¡°Lisa, if you could, push your power a bit.¡± ¡°I was dreading this,¡± she muttered but focused on Riley. What secrets were lurking below that would lead a celebrated Ward to work with an illegal Tinker collective? Powers more than stated on PRT public and private records. Hiding unsavory aspects. Has performed non-consensual surgery on others. Has done so within the last two weeks. Has secondary identity for such activities. Lisa winced as a spike was wedged into her skull from that freshly delivered information. She didn¡¯t like the implications, but she was already here and she couldn¡¯t see Taylor allowing Riley to do anything unsavory in such a situation. She had to trust her friend first and foremost, even if she kept finding herself glancing at her for reassurance. ¡°The inflammation is worse now,¡± Amy said, Cranial nodded in agreement. ¡°The portion of her mind appears benign other than creating pain. Map the connections, I¡¯ll see what happens if I remove the connection points to her pain centers.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Connections mapped,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens.¡± Amy nodded and a moment later the pain subsided almost completely. ¡°Oh wow,¡± Lisa said, a dopey grin splitting her lips. ¡°Can I get that in a bottle?¡± Amy snorted. ¡°Sorry, not my specialty.¡± ¡°I might have a micromachine solution,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Still, working through everything is for the best. Alright, are we good to have her run through more Thinker stuff?¡± ¡°Go for it,¡± Riley said. ¡°I¡¯m eager to get inside her head and this is just keeping me from that.¡± Secondary cape identity known to few. Classified by PRT. Extremely classified. Fathers both aware. Fathers both involved with identity. Fathers both active with her. Melissa active with her. The pressure in her head grew, but there was still no pain to accompany it. ¡°Interesting,¡± Amy said. ¡°You seeing this?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Cranial confirmed. ¡°This might be trickier than expected, but I think we can solve it easily enough.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Riley said. ¡°We should sedate her soon and get in there to test a few methods.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t push her power while she¡¯s not conscious,¡± Amy said. ¡°We need to see if she can drive herself to hemorrhage or if it remains superficial pain rather than due to actual damage.¡± ¡°You heard the girl,¡± Riley said enthusiastically. ¡°Think a bit more for us and we can really get started.¡± Extremely eager to poke at your Corona and Gemma. Has extensive experience doing so. Most experience is under second identity. Part of a team. Team is well known. Team is infamous. Second identity has a public kill order. Only cape her age that fits is Bonesaw. Riley is a member of the Slaughterhouse Nine. ¡°That should do it,¡± Riley, no, Bonesaw said with a smile. ¡°Sleep well, Lisa!¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes widened and she moved to speak, but felt a pinprick on her neck as cold quickly spread through her body. She wanted to scream, to run in terror, but her entire body was locked in place. The fear spread through her just as swiftly as the sedative, but despite her best efforts, consciousness fled from her.
Lisa blinked awake, awareness creeping back slowly from the darkness of unconsciousness. Her thoughts were sluggish, and she felt that there was something important she should know. She lifted a hand to her face, rubbing at her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± a chipper voice said. Lisa¡¯s eyes shot back open, the voice sending a chill through her. She turned and saw a blonde girl sitting on a stool beside her bed. Riley, her mind supplied. Also known as Surgeon, as well as Bonesaw, apparently. Her heart began to hammer in her chest and one of the devices nearby began to beep frantically. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t panic,¡± Bonesaw said. ¡°The procedure was a success, nearest we can tell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Bonesaw,¡± Lisa said with a raspy voice. Bonesaw sighed. ¡°I was afraid of that. Always a risk when working on a Thinker that they might figure it out. Dad, could you come in?¡± A man stepped inside and Lisa turned her head. He had dark hair and was clean-shaven, but given the clues she had gotten prior, it was likely he was also a member of the Nine. Considering the active roster, it didn¡¯t take much to figure out that he was Jack Slash. ¡°Hello Lisa, my name is Jacob, but I suspect you have figured out my other identity,¡± he said easily, with what would normally be a comforting smile on his face. ¡°I doubt this will be reassuring, but we aren¡¯t going to hurt you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, it isn¡¯t reassuring,¡± Lisa said sitting up. She tried to turn her power on them but found it not answering her mental signal. Lisa turned back to Bonesaw, a snarl on her lips. ¡°The fuck did you do with my power?¡± ¡°We gave you an off button,¡± she answered. ¡°It was Taylor¡¯s idea, now that you¡¯re basically unrestricted. Your Corona and Gemma are now directly wired into your new cyber brain, as is the toggle. Taylor will walk you through things when she gets in here, but this conversation needs to happen first.¡± ¡°What conversation is that?¡± Lisa demanded. ¡°Because you have to admit this is suspicious as all hell.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jack Slash said with a smirk. ¡°Quite suspicious that a celebrated Ward also happens to be the most feared member of the Nine. It¡¯s almost like it is a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. Pity your power is currently off, because the conclusions you might come to without pain to hold you back would probably be quite entertaining.¡± ¡°Goes to the top,¡± Lisa said incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Legend and the Chief Director know about you?¡± ¡°I report directly to Legend. He sanctions most of our deployments,¡± Jack Slash confirmed. ¡°We have been on their payroll ever since Kurt and I killed King and took over. We figured a deniable force would do the PRT good for removing those they couldn¡¯t eliminate publicly. The higher ups all agreed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane,¡± Lisa said, her mind racing as she tried to remember everything she could about the Nine over the years. ¡°No, what¡¯s insane is the paperwork you¡¯re going to have to fill out,¡± Riley said with a shiver. ¡°Or you would if you were a hero¡­ Huh, what¡¯s the policy on villains learning again?¡± ¡°A threat to kill them if they out us is my go to,¡± Jack Slash said with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be necessary however, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Lisa?¡± ¡°Yeah no, I get it,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Fuck, this is way too much to take in.¡± ¡°Could be worse,¡± Jack Slash said. ¡°Melissa learned about us when she inherited the Butcher mantle after someone stuck poor Pyro with one of the knives Damascian made for me through Toybox.¡± ¡°Mel apparently woke up screaming,¡± Riley added with a wince. ¡°Decades of memories being dumped in your brain tends to do that.¡± ¡°Never mind her predecessors¡¯ attempts to reassure her,¡± Jack Slash added. ¡°Thankfully Toybox was already familiar with Kurt and Riley, so integrating her properly went a bit smoother than Pyro¡¯s own initiation.¡± ¡°Does Taylor know about all this?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Not at all,¡± Jack Slash said with a shake of his head. ¡°She was someone who needed help at a critical moment in her life and Toybox was able to provide it. She¡¯s a sweet kid and unless something drastic changes, I don¡¯t see a need to inform her that her friends are all hardened killers.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Bonesaw said softly. ¡°My power drives me to experiment, and some of the ideas I have just can¡¯t be dealt with in other ways. That¡¯s why Dad took me in. The adoption came later.¡± ¡°Her parents were dangerous criminals,¡± Jack Slash explained. ¡°We killed them, not knowing she was watching. She triggered and tried to help them¡­ We had to put them back down and get her away.¡± ¡°It took me years to get over that,¡± Bonesaw mumbled. ¡°The Bonesaw persona is an act now, but at the start it wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t accept that Dad actually wanted to help me for years and tried to play the part I thought he would want.¡± ¡°I got my therapy degrees to help her,¡± Jack Slash said softly. ¡°Now Riley¡¯s my daughter and I wouldn¡¯t change that for the world.¡± Lisa desperately wished for her power, which was almost ironic given how long she had dreamed of an off button to the nagging voice in her head. There she was, at the mercy of two of the most feared people in the world, and they both seemed so sympathetic with their stories. ¡°Why tell me all this?¡± Lisa asked after a moment. Jack shrugged. ¡°Taylor trusts you, but not everyone within Toybox does. We¡¯ve looked into you, mostly to ensure that you¡¯ll never hurt her.¡± ¡°Taylor is family,¡± Bonesaw said with an enthusiastic nod. ¡°So, here¡¯s the ultimatum. Hurt her in any way, and I get to play with you. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need your power to understand that one.¡± Lisa swallowed hard, a cold sweat building across her body as her imagination ran wild. Being the plaything of Bonesaw was considered one of the worst fates a cape could experience in life, and there the little monster was, threatening her with just that. Yet, it was done in defense of Taylor, the girl who had extended her trust and friendship so willingly when Lisa showed the barest level of kindness and respect. That was all the window Lisa would have needed to have Taylor eating out of her hand, and yet, it felt wrong. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the way she reminded Lisa of Reggie, or if it was her history of trust and betrayal, but Lisa couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that to her, even if she was useful. So, she¡¯d taken the friendship route, at least at the start. Taylor just treated her like she was another girl. Never attempted to use her for her powers, never had expectations, just a desire for a friend. It made sense, it wasn¡¯t like Taylor needed Lisa¡¯s powers for anything, she could fake them well enough. She wasn¡¯t sure when it started, but Lisa found herself starting to imagine the future. Not one where she was doing all she could to avoid becoming Coil¡¯s drugged up Thinker, but one where she was happy. Taylor was always there in those idle fantasies, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to process that. When had Taylor become a part of her life that she never wanted to let go of? Even with the threats now hanging over her head, Lisa had zero intentions of hurting Taylor in any way, shape, or form. Jack Slash, the Butcher, fucking Bonesaw, none of them mattered. What mattered was keeping that smile on Taylor¡¯s face. A knock at the door startled Lisa from her thoughts and the door opened a moment later. Taylor stepped in, her grin growing wide as she saw that Lisa was awake. Lisa was struck by the sight, at how genuine the joy appeared. ¡°All good?¡± she asked, looking past Lisa to the terrifying girl sitting just feet away. ¡°Yup!¡± Bonesaw said cheerfully. ¡°Her powers are off and everything! She just needs you to walk her through the bootup process for her new bits.¡± Taylor pulled Bonesaw into a hug. ¡°That¡¯s great news Riley! Just think of what we can do with this knowledge. Maybe we can even figure out a way to help the Case 53s.¡± Lisa watched as the pair descended into excited Tinker babble and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack Slash smiling fondly at the antics. They were monsters, by all rights she should be terrified of them, yet watching Taylor and Riley¡­ She couldn¡¯t deprive Taylor of that, and if that girl¡¯s influence on Lisa was anything to go by, who knows what effect she could have on the literal Nine? ¡°Hey Tay!¡± Lisa called out, tapping the side of her head. ¡°You can talk shop with Riley later. Can you walk me through getting all this stuff set up?¡± Chapter 26 Taylor paused in her discussion with Riley as Lisa got her attention, tapping the side of her head. Right, all Lisa¡¯s cybernetics were currently in a pass through only mode until Taylor activated them. That included the switch that would turn her power back on. ¡°Sure thing, Lise!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ll get those ideas added to a project file, alright Riley?¡± The young blonde pouted but nodded all the same. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Hey, none of that,¡± Taylor said, patting her on the head. ¡°Maybe you can go see if Amy has something you can help her with?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± she said, bouncing out of the room as Jacob followed, shaking his head fondly at his daughter¡¯s antics. ¡°She¡¯s a sweet kid,¡± Taylor said, walking up to Lisa. ¡°So, is everything working normally? Fingers and toes have the proper feeling and such?¡± Lisa blinked for a moment, then began actually checking her digits. Taylor waited patiently as she confirmed that yes, everything was working as she remembered. Better in the case of her left thumb which had once been messed up from an old injury. Amy must have fixed that while they worked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to activate your interface, don¡¯t go poking at things until I direct you to them, alright?¡± Lisa nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the world as you do.¡± Taylor smiled and reached up behind Lisa¡¯s ear, depressing a small indention that would otherwise go unnoticed and sent the startup signal. Taylor watched as Lisa¡¯s eyes widened, tracking things as they moved across her vision. Taylor had a mirror of the startup playing in her vision, so that she could watch for errors. Finding none, she waited for the systems to sync up with all of Lisa¡¯s senses. ¡°Everything looks optimal,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Now, I could walk you through everything as is, or we can activate your power and allow it to assist you. Your call.¡± ¡°Walk me through,¡± Lisa confirmed. ¡°My power bases its inferences off of things I know. I even read an entire thesaurus once just to improve his vocabulary.¡± ¡°His?¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Lisa said with a snap. ¡°I never told you much about how my power actually works. I perceive it as a masculine voice, yet not an actual voice. It¡¯s easier to just think of my power as male.¡± ¡°Interesting, I¡¯ll have to add that to the files,¡± Taylor said. Riley was always interested in any insights to how powers worked after all. ¡°So, the first step will be customizing your UI and HUD to suit your own quirks. Right now you¡¯re running my own layout, but I imagine your power will want you to rearrange things to work better for you.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Lisa agreed. So, they spent the next hour going over the various features Taylor had programmed into the cyber brain OS and promised she would receive the same software updates that she applied to Riley¡¯s as well as her own. Cranial was running a custom branch of the software that only made sense to them. Up next was the first real test. ¡°Alright, network functionality is on,¡± Taylor said. Immediately the data coming and going from Lisa¡¯s cyber brain spiked as she began to poke at the net. Thirty seconds later, Taylor received a video of a playfully excited fox and she couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°I see you figured out the phone integration,¡± Taylor said fondly. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re such a terror on overwatch,¡± Lisa muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t even have my power supporting me at the moment and I can do so much. This is just unfair.¡± ¡°It really is,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°Let me know once you¡¯ve got the hang of all that, then we can see what your power thinks of everything.¡± Lisa winced, her eyes downcast before she turned her focus back to Taylor. ¡°You¡¯re sure it will be safe?¡± ¡°The part of your brain that it liked to inflame was literally a part of your Gemma that did nothing but feed pain signals into your brain and swell a bit. We isolated it, killed the signals from it and plugged your Corona and Gemma directly into the data feeds of your cyber brain. It¡¯s perfectly safe and having full access to the net should be like foxnip for your power.¡± ¡°I promise you a place in my queendom once I rule the world,¡± Lisa said resolutely. ¡°It shall be my first royal decree once I assume power.¡± She held her hand out as if asking Taylor to kiss it, so rather than doing what she expected, and abusing the fact that her power was currently off, Taylor licked it instead. Lisa squeaked, jerking her hand back as she glared at an overly smug Taylor. Naturally, Lisa took the high road by sticking her own tongue out at Taylor. She ignored the sudden impulse to lick that too. ¡°Alright, you rascal,¡± Lisa said as she wiped the back of her hand on the gown. ¡°Power me up.¡± Taylor directed Lisa to the software switch and watched as Lisa took a deep breath and activated it. Then her net activity spiked beyond anything Taylor had ever measured before and she was forced to throttle the connection for Lisa¡¯s own safety. Her eyes had dilated considerably as she watched the data flash across her vision. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Lisa said after another five minutes. ¡°I think I know who Coil is.¡± That was good, she supposed. Taylor hadn¡¯t come any closer to solving that one than Lisa had, so that was something they could work on going forward, but for now she had to make sure her friend¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t about to implode. The technical readouts and sensors were all still good at least and the swelling of her gemma was within expected parameters for such use. ¡°Any pain or discomfort?¡± Taylor asked. Lisa paused in whatever she was working on, a grin splitting her face. ¡°Not even a twinge, like, holy shit Tay, this is amazing!¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Taylor was about to say how happy that made her when Lisa launched herself off the bed and wrapped Taylor in a crushing hug. Emphasis on crushing, because it seemed that Amy had taken the time to implement some of the physical upgrades she had worked out while experimenting on Taylor and Riley. Granted, Riley had a lot of her own upgrades already installed, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t other ways to improve base human physiology. Not that Taylor minded the upgrades, but her next project would absolutely be a proper prosthetic body for her civilian life. As nice as her flesh and blood form was becoming with all the collaborations, there was so much more that she could do without the burdens of meaty bits. ¡°Careful, Lise,¡± Taylor squeaked out. ¡°We don¡¯t want to give Amy and Riley more work, do we?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lisa pulled back as Taylor finally took a deep and invigorating breath. ¡°Shit, sorry!¡± Lisa quickly patted Taylor down, drawing a bit of warmth to her cheeks as Lisa¡¯s hands checked her for injuries. Seemingly satisfied, her friend pulled back, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m alright Lise,¡± Taylor said fondly. ¡°Just mind the fact that you¡¯re now a minor Brute.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Lisa said, then stopped, looking off to the side while biting her lip as she did. Taylor was about to ask what was up when she turned back, an odd intensity to her eyes. ¡°Is this room secure?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Is it,¡± Taylor paused, frowning. ¡°Lisa, this is my office in my personal lab. If anywhere in Toybox is secure, it¡¯s this room.¡± Lisa let out a shaking breath, clearly considering something but hesitant all the same. Just what had Lisa figured out that left her so rattled? For a moment, Taylor feared Lisa was about to tell her that Coil had infiltrated Toybox or something. ¡°So, how aware are you of Toybox¡¯s darker secrets?¡± Lisa asked hesitantly, glancing at the sealed door. As a precaution, Taylor triggered the added security, only her own code would be able to open the door at that point, when Lisa startled. It took Taylor a moment of looking at Lisa¡¯s panicked expression to realize her power was likely running with some data point related to her locking the door. She quickly added Lisa to the white list for access. ¡°Sorry,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones able to open that door now. I take it your power figured some things out?¡± ¡°That would be the biggest understatement I have ever heard,¡± Lisa said, slumping in relief. ¡°How much do you actually know about Toybox?¡± Taylor frowned, but thought back to her introduction to the Tinker collective. ¡°I know there¡¯s a shady side, I was told vague details and Melissa made it clear I was to be kept out of it.¡± ¡°You see them as family,¡± Lisa said softly. ¡°I do. I also know they have things they don¡¯t want me to know, but I trust them enough that if I need to know one of their secrets, they would tell me. I know Cranial and Melissa have ties to my mom in some way, likely through Lustrum, but I haven¡¯t pried.¡± Lisa slowly nodded. ¡°What about Jacob and his family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all but certain Jacob is a cape,¡± Taylor said, sitting back. She wasn¡¯t sure where Lisa was going with it, but she could imagine that Riley might have gotten creative with keeping her safe given it was less than a month prior that Taylor put in the request to investigate Lisa. ¡°I¡¯m sure you figured it out, but please don¡¯t tell me. I trust him to tell me in his own time.¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you sure you can trust him? He¡¯s PRT.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Taylor said, letting out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°Hell, I¡¯m half expecting to learn that Toybox is PRT run at this point. My issues are with Armsmaster and the local department. Toybox hasn¡¯t given me a reason to hate them, and I hope they never do. I will be honest though, if it wasn¡¯t for Melissa and Riley, I would have likely cut my losses and run the moment my shell was finished.¡± ¡°You care that much for them?¡± Lisa asked, but Taylor could tell Lisa already knew the answer. ¡°Of course you do. And where do I fit in all of this?¡± Taylor blinked. ¡°Lise, you¡¯re my best friend. I won¡¯t rest until you¡¯re free from Coil and able to walk down the street without risk of him deciding to abduct you. If it wasn¡¯t for the risk of disproportionate retaliation, I¡¯d have you move into Toybox full time.¡± ¡°He¡¯d kill you, your father and all of your friends,¡± Lisa said earnestly. ¡°Wards or no, he would do what he needed to drive the point home.¡± ¡°Which is why we¡¯re going to play this carefully,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°I have Toybox¡¯s support. Kurt is helping me set up an identity and Melissa has promised to let me handle things, but will step in if I¡¯m in over my head. Does that help reassure you?¡± ¡°Less than I would like,¡± Lisa muttered. ¡°But, if you trust them, I¡¯ll try to as well. It¡¯s just difficult, knowing the secrets I do¡­ At least you don¡¯t have any dark secrets that I can see. The worst you did¡­ You asked Melissa to look into me. Damn. Glad I tossed Coil¡¯s orders aside first thing, that could have gone poorly.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Taylor said. ¡°She treats me like I¡¯m her child, which is weird since she¡¯s barely ten years older than me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that,¡± Lisa said. Taylor held up her hand. ¡°She¡¯ll tell me in her own time. Now, back to Coil?¡± ¡°Right!¡± Lisa said, snapping her fingers. ¡°Your recognition software is amazing by the way. Anyway, with the help of my power and some recordings I kept of our conversations, I figured out who the slimy bastard is!¡± ¡°I grasped that,¡± Taylor said, keeping her voice flat for effect even though she was grinning internally. ¡°Enough suspense, who is the soon-to-be target?¡± ¡°Anthony Gibson,¡± she said, sending a file along with all the supporting documentation. ¡°He fits all the data and then some.¡± Scanning everything over, Taylor had to admit that it fit surprisingly well, but it would be best to double and triple verify first. Forwarding that suggestion along, the two traded data at the speed of thought and it didn¡¯t take Taylor long to pick up on where Lisa¡¯s power was contributing to things. ¡°Alright,¡± Lisa finally said with a huff. ¡°We¡¯ll keep investigating and make sure we know for sure, as well as try to figure out what his power actually is before we move on him. That satisfactory?¡± ¡°Very much so,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°My shell is almost ready after all and I would hate to miss out on that particular party.¡± ¡°You just want him to hire this ¡®Major¡¯ identity you¡¯ve cooked up and have a good laugh over it.¡± Taylor gripped her chest as if mortally wounded. ¡°I am hurt that you would think such of me, Lise. It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re suggesting you don¡¯t also find it hilarious.¡± Silence reigned for a beat before both girls broke down into a fit of giggles. Finally getting themselves under control, Lisa wiped a tear from her eye before speaking. ¡°You know, I half expected to wake up with fox ears or something as a joke.¡± ¡°Riley wanted to,¡± Taylor said, grinning. ¡°We agreed to save that for your eventual shell. Figured you could get a tail out of that too. We could always head back out there and get them to give you one real quick if you¡¯re that disappointed.¡± ¡°Brat,¡± Lisa muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the shell, because I like having a secret identity, thanks.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Lise,¡± Taylor said. ¡°So, how about some ice cream to celebrate? The freezer here is stocked and Harry has an amazing home theater setup in one of the side rooms.¡± ¡°Remind me why we went to the movies again?¡± Lisa asked. Taylor shrugged, directing Lisa with a HUD prompt to where her clothes had been stored. ¡°It¡¯s all about appearances. People expect us to act like teens, so we give them what they expect to see.¡± ¡°And where do those people think we are right now?¡± Lisa asked as she laid out her clothes. ¡°My place,¡± Taylor said, stepping out the door. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the room, come out once you¡¯re decent!¡± Lisa sputtered as Taylor pulled the door closed behind her, laughing to herself as she did. Interlude - Amy ¡°Are you sure it will be safe?¡± Amy huffed at the question, her sister had been up her ass about things ever since Taylor outed herself. Then she made the mistake of telling her what she was planning to do over the weekend and her sister just wasn¡¯t letting up. At least she wasn¡¯t dragging Carol into things, that would have resulted in a disaster by any standard of the word. ¡°Vicky, we¡¯re literally just going to the Boardwalk,¡± she answered, the lie coming easily. She picked out a jacket to be safe since it was still chilly despite it being March already. ¡°You know how it goes, movies, maybe something silly, Fuglys. There will even be a Ward with us if that helps!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Vicky asked, arms crossed in defiance. ¡°Surgeon,¡± Amy answered, causing Vicky¡¯s steely facade to crack. ¡°Really, you¡¯re overreacting. You¡¯ve known Taylor for months, she¡¯s friends with Chris and Dennis and her girlfriend might be mouthy but she¡¯s harmless.¡± ¡°Harmless?¡± Vicky said, her voice flat. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s Tattletale, you know, a villain?¡± ¡°And?¡± Amy sniped back. ¡°The worst they¡¯ve done is stolen from the gangs. If anything, they¡¯re a hero team that was branded villain due to having Hellhound with them.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have made safer friends?¡± Vicky huffed. ¡°Arcadia¡¯s full of great people, so why did you choose Taylor?¡± ¡°I never told you about the time she was in the hospital, did I?¡± Amy said as she continued to get ready. ¡°When I first healed her, she hadn¡¯t triggered. I checked her again a few hours after she woke up, she triggered in that time. Taylor may be cavalier about how the PRT has tried to press her, but that first time they visited her? She didn¡¯t have powers and they tried anyway.¡± Vicky blinked, her tense arms falling slack. ¡°You can¡¯t be suggesting¡­¡± ¡°That a hero caused her trigger?¡± Amy snapped. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m suggesting. He hounded her for weeks afterwards, trying to force her into the Wards in exchange for justice and healing. Believe me, nothing is black and white.¡± Amy had to believe that, because she didn¡¯t want to be evil, even if her power seemed made for it. She was more than her power. She was Amelia Claire Lavere, heiress to a legacy, but she wasn¡¯t beholden to it. She wouldn¡¯t become the villain Carol treated her as. She would become so much more. She had been with Toybox for three weeks, and already she was sitting on nearly ten figures, and that was from healing three people and enhancing two others. When Number Man suggested offering a service to de-age someone, she had laughed at the idea of someone being willing to drop a hundred million to shave ten years off their age. Then someone offered a billion if Amy was willing to take them back to their twenties. It was insane that people would throw their money away like that, but it wasn¡¯t like someone could simply take it with them when they died. If it made them think about the future a bit more, all the better. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she was de-aging their brains, just their bodies. They would only get a few extra decades out of her service at best. That appointment was just days away and Amy still wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to do it despite the lack of risk involved. Amy shook her head, today was supposed to be a day where everyone relaxed. She could worry about work another day. She grabbed the last of her things, packing them into her bag, a thigh pouch that Taylor had recommended as practical and she had to agree. The last thing she grabbed was her Toybox transponder. Her phone dinged, and a quick peek showed it was Taylor. They were just waiting on her. She pocketed her phone, turned the transponder on her wall and activated it. Reality shimmered and it seemed that Vicky forgot she could do that because she quickly moved from the door and into her room. ¡°Ames, please.¡± Amy sighed. She loved her sister more than she should, which was why she needed to make other friends. She couldn¡¯t just hang off Vicky¡¯s coattails, risk falling deeper, she needed to forge her own path forward. Putting action to her thoughts, she stepped past her sister and through the shimmering portal, no matter how much it hurt her to do so. The humidity of the room hit her full on, her lab practically a tropical paradise. Dozens of different plants were growing, each designed with something in mind. She ran a hand along one leaf, letting the biology map out in her mind. The fanged teeth of the heavily modified venus fly trap didn¡¯t snap at her like it would any other warm-blooded creature. A smile came unbidden, because it was something she had created. She had two other labs, each with different climates to grow various plants as she sees fit. The sooner she figured out something that grew in an arid desert, the better, because that would be an accomplishment worthy of throwing back in Carol¡¯s sanctimonious face! Amy took a deep breath and stepped away from her plants, she tended to get carried away when playing with her power. Today wasn¡¯t the day for it, she had plans after all with a bunch of people who understood her better than anyone in her own family seemed to. Riley especially had taken to her presence without fear, embracing what she could do with genuine joy. Amy had a sister, but somehow the little brat had slotted herself into a similar role effortlessly. She stepped into the featureless hall of Toybox, securing the door behind her, a single leaf from a marjuana plant marked her door, the sole differentiator from the rest of the unknown rooms surrounding her. She knew Vivian¡¯s lab was the closest, but it was still two intersections down and one to the right. The place was overengineered, likely on purpose. Amy huffed and started walking. Her destination was the break room, where everyone had planned to meet before the day¡¯s plans were put into motion. Amy had no illusions about being in any shape other than out of it, and walking the halls of Toybox was enough to drive it home. Riley could probably help her with that, but she was hesitant to allow the girl to work on her. A light sheen of sweat covered her brow by the time she reached the proper door, and she began to reconsider Riley¡¯s proposal. She didn¡¯t knock, opening the door only for the inane chatter of a half-dozen people to wash over her. Taylor and Lisa were sitting on the sofa, Melissa across from them chuckling at something Lisa must have said if her smug expression was anything to go off of. Riley wasn¡¯t far off, being shown how to putt by Kurt while Jacob watched. Vivian rounded the group out for their planned outing, not that she knew exactly where they were going, just that the first leg was somewhere public. ¡°Amy!¡± Riley said, abandoning her putter to tackle her. The little blonde missile wasn¡¯t big for her age, but she was heavy thanks to her enhancements. She also knew that Taylor had gifted her a cyber brain as part of their collaboration, with Vivian and Cranial also benefiting from the Tinkertech upgrade. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could make it! I hope you¡¯re ready to kick butt at mini golf!¡± Amy couldn¡¯t help it, she smiled. ¡°Been looking forward to it all week, munchkin.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Riley protested with an adorable pout. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m this small. Once I talk you into making me a second body, she¡¯s gonna be tall, you¡¯ll see!¡± She didn¡¯t dare voice how strongly she was considering just that. It wouldn¡¯t even need a brain since she would just swap her cyber brain into it. She would need some way to grow it, and that came a bit too close to Blasto for her tastes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a Tinker fugue if I ever saw one,¡± Riley said. A round of laughter followed as Amy blushed at the sudden attention. After a moment, everyone began to get up, and Amy ruffled the munchkin¡¯s hair despite her protests. Biology came to life in her mind¡¯s eye, considerable enhancements built into her flesh, genetics completely altered through various serums and a blank space where her mind should be. It was comforting to know that most of the people present weren¡¯t at risk of her power changing them on a fundamental level. It was safe for her to be around them, she wouldn¡¯t accidentally make one of them fall madly in love with her, or into a drooling buffoon. She could still turn off their organs, but Taylor¡¯s cyber brains were resilient and could keep a mind alive for over six hours inside a corpse. Spooky, but useful. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Aside from mini-golf, I have no idea where we¡¯re going.¡± Jacob chuckled, pulling out a brochure from a pocket. ¡°There¡¯s this lovely little place down in Orange City, Florida. It¡¯s a lot warmer there than anywhere local and it shouldn¡¯t be too crowded since I booked the place for the day.¡± Taking the brochure, Amy frowned. ¡°Family Fun Town? That sounds about as generic as it gets.¡± ¡°Oh it is,¡± Kurt said. ¡°Just because I command a financial empire the size of several small countries doesn¡¯t mean I have unlimited liquid assets.¡± ¡°He¡¯s neglecting to mention that he owns the place,¡± Jacob added. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Kurt punched his arm and the two descended into friendly bickering. Amy rolled her eyes and looked around the assembled people. Taylor was the only person she knew outside of Toybox, though her girlfriend did tend to pick her up from school. Amy had twenty bucks on Taylor figuring out she was dating Lisa before the end of March, and she was certain she would take the pot. Not that she needed the money, but junk food bought with victory always tasted sweeter and didn¡¯t count towards her diet either. Jacob had everyone step back from the wall and opened a portal. The group filed through quickly, with Amy being next to last. Melissa rested a comforting hand on her back and smiled. Stepping through, the first thing she noticed was the humidity. It felt like she was back in her lab messing with carnivorous plants. The sun was bright and more importantly, it was warm out. Ahead of her, Taylor took a deep breath, arms held wide as she grinned up into the sun. Lisa wasted little time scooping her up, holding her into the air as Taylor squealed in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m so glad she¡¯s been able to bounce back,¡± Melissa said, the last through the portal which winked closed behind her. ¡°Taylor was a wreck when I met her, acting tough to hide her pain. She¡¯s come a long way.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a tough cookie,¡± Amy said, feeling more than a little jealous. Lisa caught Taylor, holding her in a hug. She imagined Vicky doing that with her and had to stamp down the thought. ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that,¡± Melissa said. ¡°The people around her helped more than they know. You helped more than you know.¡± Amy scoffed, only to feel a firm hand ruffle her untamed hair. She turned a baleful glare on the older Tinker, only to be met with a thousand yard stare attached to a smile that nearly broke her. She recognized that look, from a memory long forgotten. Before she could even begin to unravel that, the moment passed and Melissa patted her on the shoulder before moving to join the others who were beginning to settle. ¡°Alright kids,¡± Jacob said with a clap. ¡°You have eight hours of free rein. Everything is covered, so feel free to do whatever. Just try to avoid breaking anything too expensive, this is a money laundering front and repairs make balancing the books tricky.¡± ¡°You could be a bit more tactful,¡± Kurt muttered. ¡°Right, all the employees here today know that you¡¯re attending parahumans. They know Riley is Surgeon and brought some friends with her, so don¡¯t worry about watching what you say. They know not to talk.¡± Riley snickered and Lisa rolled her eyes at some inside joke that she would no doubt lord over them in the future. Jacob began to explain some of the rides, and requested the mini-golf course be rotated to avoid bottlenecks. The arcade was open and each of them would get a box of tokens if they wanted to play. It was then that Amy noticed Vivian was a bit off to the side, fiddling with what looked to be some sort of Tinkertech. Deciding to be social for once, she took the meager steps needed to bring her beside the person she knew the least about within Toybox. ¡°You want something?¡± Vivian snipped but Amy was used to working the ER on graveyard shift in the middle of a gang war, that didn¡¯t even rate on her scale. ¡°Not really,¡± she said. ¡°Just feel like the odd one out and saw you weren¡¯t too engrossed in things either.¡± Vivian sighed, pocketing the device. ¡°Never been one for this sort of thing, but Jacob insisted. Said it would count as a therapy session so I agreed.¡± Amy hummed, because that wasn¡¯t too far from the reason she had elected to join. Though, watching Riley get all excited at the prospect of go karts was rather amusing to see. She didn¡¯t expect to enjoy herself, and could only think of how many people might be dying while she played literal games halfway across the country. She shook her head, because those were the exact sort of intrusive thoughts that Jacob was trying to help her work through at the moment. She had a nasty habit of putting others¡¯ needs before her own, and she couldn¡¯t deny it. Carol¡¯s needling left its marks on her, between asking if she made any mistakes to always telling her that her time was better spent healing rather than playing games. Amy shoved those thoughts down into a dark pit. She was there to have fun, and to hell with what Carol had to say about it. ¡°Well then, maybe we can find something to be miserable about together,¡± Amy suggested. ¡°Preferably with AC, because it¡¯s hot as balls out here.¡± Vivian snorted, but didn¡¯t argue as the pair split off towards the main building. Blissful cool air washed over them as they stepped in, only to be greeted by a full featured arcade. Flashing lights of the various games were mixed with a wall of prizes, one of which caught Amy¡¯s eye. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ sweet, they have Guitar Hero!¡± Vivian exclaimed, already in motion. Amy¡¯s own excitement at the prospect was palpable but she restrained herself long enough to step over to the counter, which did have an attendant working behind it. The man seemed rather bored with himself given the day¡¯s guests were all confirmed to be capes. She found the promised arcade tokens and grabbed two of them and hurried back to Vivian before she started cursing too loudly. ¡°Forget something?¡± Amy asked, handing one of the boxes over before placing her own down on the dual machine before examining the guitar. ¡°Never played in an arcade before.¡± ¡°Guitars are usually fucked,¡± Vivian said, lifting her own up. ¡°These look brand new though.¡± The others had filtered into the building as she and Vivian got set up, the door into the outdoor portion of activities was inside after all, and it didn¡¯t escape Amy¡¯s notice that the balls and putters were behind the counter. Taylor and Lisa grabbed those while Riley was asking about the go carts. Amy tested her finger placement and was satisfied with the buttons, they truly did feel new and a fair bit higher quality than the home controller. Vivian was quick to jump through the song list, grinning as she landed on something Amy was excited to see. They had the Aleph version of the machine, and Dragonforce was available. ¡°Through the Fire and Flames?¡± Amy asked sweetly. ¡°Sure you can handle that one?¡± ¡°You doubt me?¡± Vivian said, setting the song to expert. ¡°May the best score win?¡± Amy locked in the selection as well. ¡°You¡¯re on bitch.¡± She buried the butterflies in her stomach and focused on her own screen as the notes began to stream down, then her fingers danced. The frantic pace of the song left her scrambling, but she kept pace, missing only a few notes by the time things finished. She was practically panting, and grinned when she saw her score, only to feel cold despair settle in when Vivian¡¯s perfect run glared back at her. ¡°Not bad, white mage,¡± the Tinker said, checking her nails. ¡°Try again after you¡¯ve had a tune up from Riley and Taylor.¡± ¡°You cheated?¡± Amy said with narrowed eyes. ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be cheating, would it? I just didn¡¯t have all the information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re learning,¡± Vivian said with a grin. ¡°Did you have fun, that¡¯s the real question.¡± Amy looked down at the guitar, ignoring that their little duel had attracted an audience. She had enjoyed that, just getting to cut loose with something she enjoyed. Looking up to the screen, Amy tabbed over to some Black Sabbath and locked in the next song. Vivian chuckled and settled in, and Amy was surprised at how she was looking forward to getting her ass kicked. *** Amy watched as her ball finally sunk in the final hole, and grimaced at the scorecard. For once, Vivian had been just as bad at things as she was, and Riley had kicked both of their asses rather thoroughly. Taylor and Lisa followed along, but didn¡¯t participate. She knew the pair were likely talking through their cybernetics, carrying on a conversation none were privy to. The sun had begun to set and Amy was getting tired of killing mosquitoes that landed on her. She ended up adapting the bacteria in her sweat into a repellent, but it wasn¡¯t perfect and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to tweak it enough to be completely effective while still smelling like lavender. She wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the effects and so everyone decided to call it a day and return to Toybox for a movie before everyone headed home. ¡°Did we decide on what we would watch?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°Iron Man, Aleph superhero import,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Guy¡¯s a Tinker and makes power armor. I figured it would be good for a laugh and the second one just came out over there so it shouldn¡¯t be long before we get it too.¡± ¡°Iron Man? What kind of name is that?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Like we¡¯re any better?¡± Lisa said with a shrug. ¡°We have someone named Hero of all things, so we can¡¯t really hold the high ground.¡± ¡°Oh, we could watch Star Wars next time!¡± Riley said excitedly. ¡°Get some of the stun sabers from storage and really have fun with it.¡± Amy had seen those on the storefront, and scoffed at their price. ¡°Do those even sell?¡± ¡°More than you think,¡± Kurt said. ¡°They cost maybe a hundred dollars to produce, but sell for six figures because everyone wants a damn lightsaber, even if it isn¡¯t lethal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a novelty product,¡± Lisa said, smirking. ¡°People buy it despite knowing it isn¡¯t worth the price, because it¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason we recommend each of our Tinkers make one,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Taylor¡¯s is an operating system that she sold to PC manufacturers that doesn¡¯t require Tinkertech to run. After Leviathan hit Seattle and took out Microsoft, good PC systems have relied on Tinker support to keep relevant, and she just revolutionized the market.¡± Said girl blushed even as Lisa poked at her, getting a startled squeak out of her friend. Amy quietly swore, because there was one person that might actually beat her on their bet. She glared at Melissa, who was less than a week away from timing out of her current bet, the woman smiled back smugly, so Amy flipped her off by scratching her eye. Taylor and Lisa claimed the couch, and the TV came on without anyone visibly doing anything, because ¡®fucking Tinkers¡¯ certainly applied in Toybox. She claimed the second sofa and was surprised when Vivian sat down beside her. Sure, the Tinker had stuck with her most of the day, and they both tended to handle things with a certain acidity that she found refreshing in someone else. Most people saw her as Panacea first, and Amy almost never, but that wasn¡¯t the case within Toybox. They had access to Surgeon and Cyber, effectively making her own brand of care less effective. Sure, she could enhance people physically, but not to the level that Riley managed. Tech had advantages biology lacked. As the movie started up, Jacob and Kurt moved to a recliner, settling in together while Melissa flopped onto a bean bag. Riley looked between her options, then elected to sprawl herself across Lisa and Taylor¡¯s laps instead. It was almost sweet, and made her a touch jealous that the girl picked those two, but she did seem closer to Lisa than Vivian, which might have made the choice for her. The movie itself wasn¡¯t what she expected, and the Tinkers spent most of the time picking apart the tech on display, but they did agree that the movie itself was pretty damn good despite that. The movie was winding down, and then the hero did the stupidest thing Amy could imagine. He unmasked. Popcorn was thrown, much of it ending up in her hair. She glared at Lisa, who smiled back sweetly. It was frustrating, and yet, it was warm. So many disparate people in one place, and all of them were as close as family. Amy had found a place that accepted her despite the danger she presented, and for that she would always be thankful. Chapter 28 Taylor was disgruntled as she reluctantly dismounted from Lisa¡¯s motorcycle, part of her already regretting that she had to peel herself away from the blonde. The warmth was nice, and Taylor could admit she missed human contact and even after months of it, she still relished the closeness. ¡°You bought an entire apartment building,¡± Lisa said, looking around the decrepit entry. Said apartments were part of a larger development just before Leviathan¡¯s first appearance. A dozen of the buildings had been constructed across the docks for easy housing for those working in the shipping industry. The buildings fell abandoned only two short years later, with no prospective buyers. Taylor looked over the building, a smirk on her lips. ¡°I bought all twelve of them. Turns out joining Toybox pays pretty damn well.¡± It wasn¡¯t even expensive, less than a quarter mil for the entire abandoned project after Kurt had worked his magic by giving the previous owner a massive tax write off with the sale that more than made up the difference. They were frequently occupied by the homeless, run down, long since stripped of anything of worth or use. That meant they were the perfect cover for a hidden base. She had picked one of the twelve, the one absolutely covered in graffiti and without a single intact window as her renovation project. ¡°Well, it is certainly unassuming,¡± Lisa said with a scrunched nose. ¡°Do you want to know how unsanitary the building is, or remain blissfully unaware?¡± ¡°Well, the first two floors will remain as is, the third floor will become a server farm as well as house any power generation,¡± she said as they went up the stairs, pointedly ignoring the used needles. Once on the third floor, she gestured to the stairwell they had just come up. ¡°I plan to make it look like things caved in from above, to keep people from attempting to go higher.¡± ¡°What about the fire escape?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Torn apart in a cape fight,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Someone tried to fight Lung from the rooftop, he ripped the fire escape down when they tried to escape.¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± Lisa said with a wince. ¡°So, fourth floor?¡± ¡°Likely an armory and secondary lab for my Tinkering. Repairs, spare shells, that sort of thing,¡± Taylor said as they arrived at yet another wrecked floor. ¡°Number Man is working with a discreet company to renovate things for me.¡± ¡°Even with the enhancements, I don¡¯t think I could keep up with everything he has his hands in,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I assume he¡¯s going to use Harry¡¯s portals to sneak the workers in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my guess, but don¡¯t take it as gospel,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Fifth floor will be living quarters, with the roof access being the primary way inside from the city proper, Toybox portals aside.¡± ¡°Will the door be reinforced?¡± Taylor grinned. ¡°As good as Toybox can source. The entire building is being restructured discreetly, it will be a veritable fortress once I¡¯m done with things.¡± Lisa¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Tell me all about the defenses, I can tell you¡¯re salivating about it.¡± ¡°My power is big on multitasking,¡± Taylor began, ¡°I can control the defenses myself, over the net. Dozens of basic shells, turrets and any other thing I can think of. There¡¯s a reason the general rule is ¡®don¡¯t attack a Tinker in their lab¡¯ because I intend to remind anyone dumb enough to try exactly why that is a saying.¡± Lisa blinked for a moment, her head tilting slowly to the side. ¡°You know, it never really sunk in before when we were surrounded by all that Tinkertech, but you are going to be a nightmare once fully established.¡± ¡°Most Tinkers are,¡± Taylor acknowledged. ¡°Dodge has turned Toybox into one of the most secure locations in the local dimensional cluster. Anyone not welcome there is pretty much doomed to have their remaining atoms spread across a million different earths.¡± Lisa trembled as a chill seemed to run up her spine at the mental image. Taylor was in agreement with that sentiment after getting a good look at some of the defenses that had been established. Her own contributions were more on the coding side of things, but she doubted even Dragon or Hero could breach their systems at this point. Dragon hadn¡¯t bothered her further, which wasn¡¯t sitting right with Taylor. Something was afoot and she refused to get her hopes up that something might be done. She wasn¡¯t that lucky and at this point it would just draw further unwanted attention to her civilian identity. Not that most of the city didn¡¯t already know. ¡°Do you have plans for the living area?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°There are six apartments per floor, so you should have plenty of space to work with.¡± ¡°Yeah, there will be a communal area consisting of two of the former apartments similar to the lounge at Toybox. I¡¯m going to leave four of the apartments intact as safe houses for anyone that might need them,¡± Taylor said, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°One of them will be yours if you want it.¡± Lisa froze mid-step, even her breath hitched. Slowly, she turned back to a bashful Taylor with wide, shimmering eyes. Lisa¡¯s lip began to quiver as she regarded Taylor. She wasn¡¯t sure what Lisa¡¯s power was saying or even if she had it on, but whatever it was seemed to be making her friend emotional. Without thinking, Taylor stepped forward and pulled Lisa into a hug. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other a few months now, but you¡¯ve been nothing but genuine with me,¡± Taylor said, then paused. ¡°Well, first day aside. You¡¯re my best friend, Lise. It doesn¡¯t matter that your boss is an ass, I have the means to help you, so that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± A hitching sob escaped Lisa¡¯s attempt to conceal it, and she seemingly cast caution to the wind as she pulled her friend in tight. Taylor returned the embrace with all she had as Lisa¡¯s tears flowed freely. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure what to do, so she simply held Lisa close and let her friend work through it. It took some time, but eventually the tears subsided. Taylor continued to hold her in a gentle embrace even as she felt the warmth of the moment spread through her. ¡°Nobody has cared before,¡± Lisa whispered, the words cut through Taylor like a knife. ¡°I kept expecting you to be like everyone else, just using me for my power, but you haven¡¯t once even tried to abuse it. Others wanted me for my body, and yet you¡¯ve never once had an impure thought about me. You genuinely don¡¯t care about my power, my past, or even my ass. You care about me. I haven¡¯t felt that since Re¡ª¡± Lisa¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°You¡¯ve had all my records since we met, and you haven¡¯t even looked at them, have you?¡± Taylor hadn¡¯t. The files were there, and aside from her old name that popped up with the facial scan, she had left everything partitioned away and not accessed it. Originally she planned to, but Lisa had been pleasant company and Taylor didn¡¯t want to color their interactions with clinical reports and biased opinions. She had gotten to know Lisa, whoever Sarah had been, it wasn¡¯t who she was now. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to say it,¡± Lisa whispered, pressing her forehead against Taylor¡¯s. ¡°You can be tricky to read when you want, like how you shut down when that bitch tried to start shit at the mall. Yet, you¡¯ve never done it with me. You let me read you, you don¡¯t keep secrets within secrets around me and you don¡¯t dig into the secrets of those you care for. Taylor, do you have any idea what that means to me?¡± Before she could say anything to that statement, she felt warm lips press against her own. Taylor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Her processors spun up, everything growing warm as she tried and failed to process exactly what was happening. Blue tinted her thoughts because Taylor wasn¡¯t the person that people looked at like that. Lisa was gorgeous, so why was she kissing her of all people? Lisa pulled back, her breath ragged and cheeks dusted crimson. Even as she stood there, her emerald eyes looking back into Taylor¡¯s own unflinching, she didn¡¯t miss the smile tugging at those lips that had just been on her own, which now tasted of strawberry. ¡°Even after everything you¡¯ve been through, you are so adorably pure,¡± Lisa said, wiping her face with a shoulder, not that it did anything for the tears still falling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where it happened, I¡¯m not sure how it happened, but you Tay? You¡¯re worth putting everything on the line for, because you didn¡¯t even hesitate to do the same for me.¡± Taylor stood, unsure of what exactly was happening, because there was no way that Lisa was confessing to her. That only happened to pretty girls, and she was anything but! Her shell was gorgeous, she would expect guys to drool over it, but she hadn¡¯t even considered girls. She hadn¡¯t considered Lisa. Standing there, looking deep into the shimmering eyes of her best friend. They were filled with so much fear and trepidation, yet, deep in the depths, Taylor could see the spark of hope. Lisa, who had been used and abused by everyone in her life, the girl who struggled to open up to anyone. She had put her entirety on the line with this one moment. Taylor¡¯s own eyes grew damp, because how could she answer such a display? ¡°You could kiss the girl back,¡± Lisa said, her eyes looking away as she whispered the words. ¡°Just a suggestion.¡± A small snort turned into silent laughter and Taylor did exactly as suggested. She was hesitant with her approach and light on contact. Lisa answered her with cautious motions and Taylor could appreciate how gentle and careful she was being. She wanted the moment to last, but she was unaccustomed to breathing while lip locked and had to pull away to catch her breath. ¡°Lise,¡± Taylor said as they broke apart. Lisa looked a touch breathless and Taylor found herself wanting to press forward once more, but there was one thing she couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°As touching as all this was¡­¡± ¡°The location could have used some work?¡± she supplied, looking away bashfully. Taylor glanced off to the side where a partial meth lab remained. ¡°Not quite the lab I had in mind.¡± Lisa snorted, stepping up to Taylor where she wrapped her in another hug. ¡°Tay, will you go out with me?¡± Taylor pulled back, a smile pulling at her lips. ¡°Dummy.¡± She closed the distance once more and answered her question with action, because how could she not say yes?
They exited the apartment building that now had far more memories associated with it than Taylor expected when she walked in just an hour prior. Any doubts she had about the location had been pleasantly swept away. She was also exiting hand in hand with her now girlfriend. Unfortunately, what she saw wasn¡¯t nearly as pleasant. Lisa had her gun in hand faster than Taylor expected and leveled it on the Merchant that was presently attempting to hot wire her bike. ¡°Back the fuck away, right the fuck now,¡± her girlfriend ordered. Taylor felt a small shiver run down her spine at the tone. The junkie spun around, their gaunt face pockmarked with sores. His pupils were like pinpricks even in the dull yellow of the streetlights. He had a small screwdriver in hand, which was as good as a shank. Thankfully Lisa was the one with the gun in this particular knife fight. Searching for signals, Taylor found a flip phone in one of the junkie¡¯s many pockets and decided to play dirty. She found one of the numbers had a custom ringtone, and a quick check of the number led to a treasure trove of information on the Merchants. Because it belonged to their leader, Skidmark. Well, she wasn¡¯t about to look that gift horse in the mouth and triggered the ringtone. The junkie stumbled in surprise at the noise and Lisa didn¡¯t hesitate to put a bullet through the man¡¯s leg. Taylor jerked in surprise, not having expected Lisa to actually shoot him. She hurried to pick up the expended brass while Lisa kicked the man away from her ride. Taylor felt a bit of sympathy for the man, but not much. He was trying to steal from Lisa, he made his choice and she had defended what was hers. Checking him over, Taylor¡¯s analytical software found that while the bullet had passed through without hitting any major arteries, it did clip a nerve cluster that wouldn¡¯t heal right. Taylor was surprised her power had picked up on that, supplying several ideas on how she could replace the damaged connections with cybernetics. She quickly recorded those ideas to the appropriate folder and moved on. A flick of her multi tool and she found where the bullet had embedded itself in the asphalt. Two seconds later the remains sat in her hand and were swiftly pocketed for later disposal. ¡°He scratched the hell out of my baby,¡± Lisa whined. Looking the motorcycle over, she could see the scuffed paint and grooves carved in the metal and fiberglass where he had tried to gain entry to the electronics that would let him skip the key. Taylor also noted down a few ideas for an improved version of the bike, with an electric motor and a defense suite as well as software that might allow it to self drive. Shaking those ideas from her mind, she rested what she hoped was a reassuring hand on Lisa¡¯s shoulder. She could feel the tension, but couldn¡¯t think of anything to say that wouldn¡¯t set her off. Checking the time, she saw that her favorite pizza place was still open. ¡°Ever been to Giovanni¡¯s?¡± Taylor asked. Lisa coughed. ¡°Are you seriously using pizza to distract me from how that bastard injured my baby?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Taylor grinned, ¡°I had considered tempting you with the memoirs of a former Lustrum lieutenant, but I figured you¡¯d feel awkward sneaking past Dad.¡± She watched on as Lisa¡¯s eyelid twitched. Her pupils dilated as her power took that bait and ran with it. One of the benefits Taylor had theorized with her girlfriend¡¯s new cyberbrain was the chance to watch her swamp herself in dissecting a tantalizing lead. Seeing it unfold in real time, it didn¡¯t disappoint. She visibly tore her eyes from whatever information she was digging through to glare. ¡°Taylor, Lustrum¡¯s inner circle was a damn black box. Aside from the woman herself and Fester, they all vanished into the wind.¡± Taylor gave her a small smile. ¡°Yeah. I¡­ My dad told me some of it, but there¡¯s a lot there. But we can talk about that later, when there aren¡¯t people heading to check out gunshots.¡± ¡°That is a compelling argument,¡± Lisa acknowledged with hunger in her eyes. ¡°So, when were you planning to ask me to drop you off at home?¡± Taylor choked on her own spit, traitorous biology. That was why cybernetic bodies were superior. ¡°About two minutes before they handed us an order that contained a third pizza for Dad.¡± ¡°Ah, barely been my girlfriend for thirty minutes and already planning to¡ª¡± the Merchant groaned and it didn¡¯t take a Tinker or Thinker to tell that both girls wanted to shoot the man again for reminding them of his presence. Fortunately, the only shooting going on was whatever the man was injecting himself with. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get out of here before he hears anything too incriminating.¡± ¡°Assuming he doesn¡¯t OD on whatever that was,¡± Taylor grumbled. Lisa snorted, hopping on her bike before offering Taylor her hand, which she accepted and climbed on behind her girlfriend, gripping her tight. The feelings she had on the ride over suddenly made more sense as she felt that same warmth fill her once more. Taylor knew she would have to make sure that her shell could replicate the feeling, because she found that she quite enjoyed it. Chapter 29 Taylor ran through the diagnostics once more, making absolutely sure that everything was in working order. All the readouts once again flashed green and she sighed. There were no excuses or reasons to hesitate, her shell was ready and it was time. ¡°Nervous?¡± Melissa asked with a smirk. ¡°This is a big step for you, after all.¡± Taylor chuckled, backing out of the program. ¡°What gave me away?¡± A firm hand landed on her back, knocking a bit of the wind out of her. She groaned as Melissa laughed and stepped aside. ¡°I''ll check with Riley, she wanted to be here for this after all.¡± ¡°Thanks Mel,¡± Taylor said fondly. ¡°I think Lisa is still asleep, but she¡¯ll kill me if she misses it.¡± ¡°Harry¡¯s already on it,¡± Melissa said with a smugness worthy of Lisa. ¡°Focus on getting yourself ready, we¡¯ve got the rest.¡± Taylor felt fondness well up within her, she really didn¡¯t deserve all the love and support that Toybox was giving her, but she appreciated it all the same. Taylor stood, stretching as she did and relished in the feeling. That was something her shell wouldn¡¯t have after all, a small sacrifice for the upgrades it would bring. She stepped around the table and looked down at it, the midnight purple hair was the only unnatural touch, because otherwise the face looked like any other person she might see on the streets. There were no visible seams at any point, even along the hair where the skull would open, and her cyber brain would be installed. She ran a hand along the shell¡¯s arm, warmth coming from the contact. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smile, because she had done that, she had created something amazing. Glancing aside, she looked at the display that showed the readout from her remote control unit, everything green on that end too. It would be weird, having her original body become the remote controlled one, but her shell was far safer, just for the ballistic materials around the skull, never mind not having critical organs to lose in a gunfight. Moreover, it meant two bodies to get stuff done with, and she didn¡¯t lose a moment of her civilian life in the process. Things with her father had been strained ever since he had been introduced to her girlfriend, and that was a conversation they still needed to have, but she wanted to believe that he was coming around. Taylor wasn¡¯t surprised when warm arms wrapped around her, nor by the kiss feathered against her cheek. Lisa was always welcome no matter where Taylor might be, and while she didn¡¯t have a key to Toybox, nobody objected when Taylor brought her over. Well, Melissa had told her to not do anything she would, which told her far more about the woman than she had been curious to know. Shaking that particular thought aside, Taylor leaned into the embrace and managed to turn enough to return the kiss. ¡°You made it,¡± Taylor said, leaning into the pleasant contact. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± Lisa answered before booping Taylor on the nose. ¡°She¡¯s pretty cute, though I think I prefer your current face and hair if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Taylor hummed, her cheeks growing warm at the compliment. ¡°As much as I wanted to keep my looks, this is going to be my cape identity going forward, I felt it best to hide who I was.¡± ¡°Your next shell is going to be a civilian model then?¡± Lisa asked. Taylor nodded. ¡°Preliminary work is already starting on it. Your shell is also in production.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± Lisa asked, blinking in surprise. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to get one.¡± Taylor sighed, turning what she hoped were heartfelt eyes on her girlfriend. ¡°Lise, you are literally the most important person in my life right now. Why wouldn¡¯t I be building you a shell?¡± ¡°Tay, your shell cost almost thirty million,¡± Lisa said, her voice hitching. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Forty five, actually. My second shell will cost about thirty and yours will cost a bit more due to some added features. R&D is a sunk cost now and the assembly process is smoothed out enough that most of it is automated. I¡¯ll finish both of them by mid-May.¡± ¡°That soon, huh?¡± Taylor turned at the sound of Vivian¡¯s voice. She had been a rare sight in recent weeks, working on some project for the Protectorate that she didn¡¯t want anyone to see until she knew it would work. Naturally, Taylor worried that she might collapse the pocket dimension, but Harry promised he was keeping an eye on her. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Taylor¡¯s tech is amazing,¡± Riley added. ¡°Cranial made all kinds of advancements after they got a good look at Tay¡¯s cyber brain interface.¡± Taylor blushed at the outpouring of praise from the young wet tinker even as Vivian rolled her eyes and stepped aside, revealing a bemused Amy. Melissa followed behind the exuberant girl, bringing Harry, Jacob, Kurt, and even Jim with her. The only person missing was Cranial and that was because they were in the next room watching the readouts to make sure everything was working optimally. The entire team and extended family was there, and it filled her heart with warmth. The only person who hadn¡¯t shown was her father. Tensions had been high ever since he met Lisa, but she thought progress was being made there. She had planned to invite him, introduce him to everyone, but he had a date and she wasn¡¯t about to interrupt that. Maybe she would get to meet this mysterious Hannah soon. ¡°Alright Tay, moment of truth,¡± Melissa said. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Yup, hop on up,¡± Riley added, patting the second table. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of tests to run once you¡¯re all hooked up so stop dallying.¡± Chuckling, Taylor swallowed her nerves and moved to the empty table and did as she had been instructed. The table was cool, but not uncomfortable as she laid down on it. Lisa was right beside her, holding her hand tightly. No scrubs or gown were needed for this part since the messy work was already done. Riley would handle the transfer itself. Amy stepped up and placed a hand on Taylor¡¯s arm. ¡°Huh, I can¡¯t actually knock you out like I would others.¡± Riley laughed. ¡°Nope, her cyber brain has redundancies that even if her body is disabled, her brain keeps going for at least six hours. All independent systems recharged with the heat her own body generated. Even in the new shell, waste heat is converted much the same way.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, the brat¡¯s stuff is cool,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Can we get on with this before I get the itch to blow something up?¡± ¡°You always have that itch,¡± Amy said tersely. ¡°I¡¯d be more worried if it went away.¡± It was easy to forget that Amy was spending almost as much time with Toybox as Taylor, but their labs were separate and neither tended to venture far from them. How those two had bonded over shared prickliness she would never understand. ¡°Alright, disconnecting,¡± Riley said. The seams along her skull split, opening to reveal the braincase within. It was funny, in a way, Something like having one¡¯s skull open up should have been disconcerting, but to her, it just felt natural. ¡°See you in a few, cutting sensory data now.¡± The world fell dark, digital readouts began to show her battery percentage and alerted her to the lost connection. She still had the net, but she was running with it all disabled just to be safe. She knew her old body would be fine, Melissa would be slotting the control unit in even as Riley brought her to the shell. Something slotted in, data began to race across her vision as systems fed in and synced with her control software. Diagnostics raced to completion, her processors now being assisted by the new server cluster in her torso. Vision returned, sharp beyond human limits, hearing finer than anything she had ever heard followed. ¡°Alright, everything looks good,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Taylor, could you run a control test?¡± Taylor touched the tips of each finger to her thumbs, then wiggled each toe in a way that would be impossible with normal human muscles. ¡°Everything seems functional,¡± she said only to blink. Right, she had the Major¡¯s voice set to default. She toggled the setting and spoke again. ¡°Am I safe to stand?¡± ¡°Well, that answers the vocal test,¡± Lisa said, patting her on the shoulder. Taylor grinned and sat up, pulling her girlfriend into a gentle hug. ¡°Miss me?¡± ¡°Hey, at least pretend to follow your own damn protocols,¡± Cranial said sharply. ¡°Left biceps is showing an irregularity, confirm.¡± Taylor ran a focused test and found the problem in half a second. ¡°Control software glitch, already patching it.¡± Vivian whistled. ¡°Damn, and I thought your programming abilities were scary before.¡± ¡°Back off, she¡¯s mine,¡± Lisa said, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Pan Pan here be more your type?¡± Vivian shot back with a grin. Amy however snarled. ¡°Next person to call me Pan Pan is getting cancer.¡± Taylor smirked and was about to say just that to tease her, but Vivian leaned in close, making Amy back away slightly. That continued until Vivian had Amy backed against the wall and slammed a single hand against it. ¡°Well, Pan Pan, I¡¯m waiting,¡± she said in a husky tone. Lisa leaned in, her lips by Taylor¡¯s ear. ¡°Okay, I wasn¡¯t expecting that, but I ship it.¡± Taylor snorted. ¡°Lise, I¡¯ve seen your shipping charts for The Capes of our Lives, you ship anything that has a pulse.¡± ¡°Not my fault I know that Brightlash and Cryomancer are sleeping together off set and pushing to make it an on set thing.¡± ¡°You bitch,¡± Melissa said though there wasn¡¯t much heat to it. ¡°Spoiler warnings.¡± ¡°Not really a spoiler yet,¡± Lisa replied. ¡°All good, love?¡± Twisting her wrist, Taylor nodded. ¡°Looks like it, though I do need to take her out on a shakedown run. ¡°Forgetting something?¡± Cranial chimed in. Taylor turned towards the speaker as they continued. ¡°Your remote systems need to be calibrated to work with your fleshy bits. That isn¡¯t entirely plug and play, you know.¡± Right, Taylor had almost forgotten in the excitement. Her shell was proving to be everything she had hoped, and all she wanted was to get out on the streets and go for a run. That would have to wait until she got her old body functional enough to keep up appearances in her old life, however. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, activating the connection and flipped the secondary channel open. Normally, control software would handle most of the autonomous actions, and indeed, breathing and such was on a control system that would mimic the brain¡¯s own setup, but all motor control was being left to her at the moment, she had a suspicion her power¡¯s love of multitasking abilities was about to shine. Taylor¡¯s old eyes opened, and she could see out of them just as if she had still been in her old head. The perspective split in her mind, and Taylor sat up, looking around. It wasn¡¯t easy to explain, having two separate instances of herself running, but both felt like they were her in every sense. She knew that her shell housed her actual brain and yet, it didn¡¯t feel any different than it had an hour past. ¡°This is so weird,¡± her old body said. She turned and looked herself in the eye. ¡°Really weird.¡± ¡°Great, now there are two of her,¡± Amy said with a huff. She pushed past Vivian and came over to poke at her flesh and blood body. ¡°Physically, nothing feels different to my power, which is bullshit because there should be some degradation in control.¡± ¡°Power bullshit,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Multitasking seems to be a secondary aspect to my powers and is letting me split my consciousness almost perfectly.¡± ¡°Now that is interesting,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen something similar in Masters before, but never in Tinkers. If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯d love to interview you after a few weeks of this for eventual use in an academic paper.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a PRT approved therapist?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Seems like a conflict of interest there.¡± Jacob eyed her with amusement. ¡°You will no doubt find the divide between heroes and villains to be thinner than most imagine.¡± Lisa huffed but did not continue engaging him. That alone was enough to make Taylor eye Jacob with renewed caution, because he had just out talked Lisa, one of the most powerful Thinkers on the East Coast. Even with Taylor¡¯s already shaken faith in the system, especially after everything her mom¡¯s journals were bringing to light, that had been too on the nose. Jacob hadn¡¯t admitted to having powers, and his PRT records claimed he had none, but there had to be a reason he was in the position he was within Toybox, even with having Riley and Kurt in his family. It wasn¡¯t an important question, but she would get an answer from him someday, but for the moment she had more tests to do, then, she would take her shell out for a proper shakedown. Maybe she would even get lucky and run into someone she wouldn¡¯t feel bad about punching. Chapter 30 Taylor leapt across the rooftop, not breaking her stride at all when she landed and continued her sprint. In the corner of her vision, Lisa¡¯s face was looking back with some amusement as she watched through the shell¡¯s own eyes. She had left her original body at Toybox to start preliminary work on the next set of shells, for as fast as the automated processes could manage much of the work, there were things she just couldn¡¯t do without having hands on. That her ability to Tinker still functioned even remotely had several members of Toybox in all kinds of a frenzy. Harry especially was sort of losing his mind over it. Even Vivian was interested in getting her own shell. ¡°Reports of a disturbance,¡± Lisa cut in, no doubt parsing the police and PRT systems. ¡°No Parahuman presence reported, might make for a good shakedown.¡± Taylor considered that. The location was already marked on her HUD. It would be good practice for sure, and if a Cape actually showed up, there was a good chance she could either take the fight or flee if outgunned. The Major was largely unknown, even with Number Man creating a trail of reports in the PRT systems, he kept them vague, attributed to staff that were no longer alive, or had since quit their respective positions and were unlikely to corroborate those reports. Even then, she was listed as a free agent, working alongside heroes and villains alike, but never delving into unsavory acts. A consummate professional, the exact sort of person that Coil would take an interest in hiring. He would dig deeper of course, and find her supposed origins. Major Motoko Kusanagi. Former special forces and refugee of Kyushu, with no surviving family. She was discharged from the military following an incident that exposed her parahuman status. Walking off a bullet to the shoulder wasn¡¯t taken well and she refused to join the PRT after being discharged. Taylor adjusted course, speeding up as she did so and made her way across the city. The crime reported wasn¡¯t in a good part of town, probably why the police weren¡¯t in a hurry to get involved, that it was close to ABB territory didn¡¯t help matters. A sighting of Hookwolf or Lung would mean it was time to get the fuck out, preferably putting a bullet or three through their eyes on the way out. Generally, capes tended to frown away from guns, but Brockton had Miss Militia who made it part of her image. If anything, the Major persona would fit in rather nicely. Landing atop a single story pawn shop, she finally got eyes on the situation. A dozen Empire members were having a shoot out with Merchants, not the ABB. That was peculiar, but still fairly frequent in occurrence based on the records she had access to. Taylor quickly moved her eyes from person to person, zooming in on each and allowing Lisa to get the best view she could have of the conflict. Once she had, her vision returned to normal. ¡°Empire was patrolling the border when they caught the Merchants trying to rob that pharmacy,¡± Lisa said, the building highlighting itself as she spoke. ¡°Nothing fancy here though the Merchants did call Skidmark for help.¡± ¡°Time limit?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Skidmark appears too high to care,¡± she answered with her usual smirk. ¡°The Empire capes are active but not in range to intercept, and the Wards are patrolling closer to the Boardwalk.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°Then I¡¯m engaging.¡± ¡°Happy hunting,¡± Lisa said cheerfully. Taylor grinned and jumped from the building. She landed in the midst of the Nazis with the grace of a feline and immediately punched the closest asshole¡¯s knee. It caved with a satisfying crunch. Someone began to shout, but Taylor was in motion. Limbs snapped and crumbled under her blows. One man swung a pipe, she blocked it easily, her arm unflinching under the impact. The moment of surprise cost him, Taylor snapped the arm like a twig, snatched the pipe out of the air, turned and threw the pipe across the street. One of the Merchants yelped as he crumbled on impact and Taylor scooped up one of the guns dropped in the scuffle. She took aim, software assistance kicking in as she snapped off half a dozen shots. The Merchants were all down in two seconds. Taylor huffed at how easy the entire fight had been, scowling at the gun in her hand before she snapped off two more rounds, clipping the less crippled of the Empire members and ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be back on the street anytime soon. It wasn¡¯t like Amy would heal them either; she had a policy of refusing to heal those involved with gang violence. Done with that, Taylor began to check each one of them, Lisa lifting all the credit card numbers from their wallets for Kurt to have fun with and any cash went straight into Taylor¡¯s own pocket. She was just finishing up when movement caught her eye, a shadow falling to the street. Her gun was up in an instant, only for the shadow to coalesce into a dark form holding her hands up in surrender. Well, Shadow Stalker was one of the few heroes in the city that actually seemed to get things done. She was close enough to an anti-hero that Taylor even expected they could work together if the situation called for it. ¡°Nice work,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°I was on my way when I heard the gunshots, I¡¯m assuming that was you?¡± Something about her voice seemed familiar, even with the mask filtering it somewhat. Taking that hunch, Shadow Stalker was entered into her recognition software. She could see Lisa grimace in her HUD the moment she set the software running, her power no doubt skipping ahead in some way. Taylor had to suppress her emotions, venting her anger back with her flesh and blood when the results popped up. Sophia fucking Hess was a goddamn Ward. That fucking cunt was the reason Armsmaster had been so adamant that she had to join. A hero for a hero. That was the true terms he was demanding, because for everything Taylor could say about Sophia, Stalker was a damn effective hero when she was allowed to work off the books. Fuck, she couldn¡¯t let her own emotions get in the way, she needed to divorce herself from the Major, take a step back and let Taylor bare the brunt of the emotional fallout. ¡°It was,¡± the Major said, the gun in her hand unwavering. ¡°I¡¯m new to the city, and these people were proving to be a problem. Are you going to be a problem too?¡± Taylor hoped she would be a problem. ¡°Fuck no,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°You kicked Nazi ass, that makes you alright in my book. If I was allowed, I''d pat you on the back, buy you a drink and hope you invite me the next time you plan to kick some ass.¡± Taylor wanted to retch, but the Major remained calm and stoic as she lowered her gun. ¡°That¡¯s certainly a refreshing attitude, most heroes get all pissy when I put bullets into kneecaps.¡± ¡°Most heroes aren¡¯t forced onto probation for fucking up a rapist,¡± Stalker snarled. ¡°This city likes to punish people for each good deed.¡± ¡°Oh this is rich,¡± Lisa said. ¡°She¡¯s looking at the Major like a potential mentor in how to break people. She¡¯s not lying about being forced into the Wards when they busted her almost killing someone either, nice bit of context that was left off the official reports. What she hasn¡¯t said was how she nearly killed Grue back around New Years, half an inch from his kidney, bled all over Regent¡¯s favorite couch.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Got it, she¡¯s a problem case,¡± the Major said through her comms while Taylor continued to grind her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll keep her away from the Undersiders. Doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t put her to use elsewhere.¡± ¡°You¡¯re playing with fire,¡± Lisa chided, but the Major had turned her focus back to Shadow Stalker. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± the Major said as she ejected the magazine and popped the chambered round before returning the gun to the man she had taken it from. As she did that, it was the work of a second to single out the burner phone on Shadow Stalker¡¯s person and sent a text. ¡°Brockton Bay is certainly more interesting than the other cities I¡¯ve passed through.¡± ¡°You carry yourself like a veteran,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if you were willing to show me a thing or two out there.¡± ¡°First night out, cheating like hell with programmed movements and posture and you have one of the most experienced capes in the city asking for advice,¡± Lisa said, unable to control her physical laughter even as she used her cybernetics to keep talking. ¡°Just wait until Armsbastard or Miss Milfitia meets you, this is gonna be great.¡± The Major rolled her virtual eyes and looked over her battlefield. ¡°I suppose this should be called in. Do you have a direct line? I haven¡¯t been active long enough to have secured the local number.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Shadow Stalker said before rattling off a number which was already in her directory. ¡°Could you not mention me? I¡¯m sort of on an off the record patrol here.¡± The Major waved a hand. ¡°Sure, I can do that. In exchange, we should meet up sometime and you can help me get up to speed on the cape politics in this city. I¡¯m good at gathering information, but nothing beats hands-on experience.¡± ¡°Uh, you talking civvies?¡± Shadow Stalker asked hesitantly. ¡°I notice you¡¯re not masked and all, but aside from New Wave, we all wear masks usually. Even Hellhound wears one.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the dog girl, right?¡± the Major asked. Lisa of course, snorted. ¡°With the Undersiders, probably the most annoying group in the city, and I¡¯m counting Uber and Leet in that.¡± ¡°I resent that,¡± Lisa said, flailing her arms dramatically. ¡°Avenge my honor or some shit for me since I can¡¯t tear her life down on her head.¡± That finally got Taylor to at least chuckle, and her girlfriend pouted though she seemed smugly satisfied with herself at the same time. ¡°Masks are fine, I just don¡¯t wear one,¡± the Major said, tapping her face. ¡°My civilian identity was blown to hell so I cast it aside.¡± All true statements on the off chance a Thinker were to review footage taken from something she hadn¡¯t detected or happened to be listening in. Shadow Stalker nodded, looking at her phone and the message on it. Her head immediately snapped up when she realized the implications of the message. ¡°Keep that to yourself,¡± the Major said with a wink. ¡°I like keeping some tricks up my sleeves for when the truly evil fuckers come knocking. Give me a call if you ever decide to go after the Empire off the record, I¡¯ll back you up.¡± Shadow Stalker nodded then jumped, turning back to shadow as she did. Taylor let out a breath and let off the forced persona just a touch and turned her focus back on her own call she needed to make and dialed the number. Two rings in, a chipper male voice answered. ¡°PRT, please state the nature of your emergency.¡± ¡°This is the Major, I was passing through and stumbled upon an active conflict. The threat was neutralized with appropriate force.¡± Before the dispatch officer could ask questions, she tacked on the address. ¡°Please explain what you mean by ¡®appropriate force¡¯.¡± ¡°No fatalities, but multiple broken bones and G.S.W.s, not all inflicted by me as I did interrupt an active firefight.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve redirected a Protectorate patrol, will you be remaining on site?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Taylor chirped. ¡°I need to introduce myself to the locals anyway given I plan to stick around for some time.¡± ¡°Looks like Assault and Battery,¡± Lisa chimed in, syncing the PRT system¡¯s tracking with her own HUD. ¡°Lucky, you get to meet the fun ones.¡± It didn¡¯t take the pair long to arrive, well ahead of any police or PRT personnel, not that it was a surprise. Battery glowed briefly, then in a blur, arrived just a dozen feet away. Her first reflex had been to fight, the Major¡¯s hand half reaching towards her gun before she killed the motor function long enough to recover her composure. Battery¡¯s visor obscured her eyes, but a faint outline was still visible as one eyebrow was raised. Thankfully Assault bounded around the corner a moment later, huffing as if he had just run a marathon. Taylor¡¯s own biometric sensors indicated it was entirely put on, which was amusing in its own way. ¡°Well, this certainly is one way to make an impression,¡± Battery said. ¡°With this level of force, I was expecting someone who looked like an edgy villain, not¡­¡± ¡°A stylish twenty-something heading to the local lesbian bar?¡± Assault added with a grin, all signs of his fake exhaustion gone. Battery smacked him. The Major chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. Girls do love the boots.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the jacket,¡± Lisa added. Assault snorted. ¡°We¡¯ll put out a warning to all the local single women then.¡± Rolling her eyes, the Major squared her shoulders. ¡°We can banter through the night, but there are several people that if left unattended will actually bleed out.¡± And like a switch was flipped, the levity left Assault and he became all business. ¡°Right. Battery dear, triage until the cavalry arrives?¡± ¡°That would be prudent,¡± she answered. ¡°Are you trained in first aid¡­¡± The Major nodded, moving back to one of the nearby men. ¡°I am, and you can call me the Major. It was my rank and I kept it when I was discharged.¡± ¡°I noticed the lack of a mask,¡± Assault said. ¡°No civilian identity then?¡± Lisa¡¯s image popped back into her HUD, a smirk on her face. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, the guy running the console is looking into you, trying to find a name.¡± ¡°None worth mentioning,¡± The Major answered. It really was hilarious how little respect to identities was actually given among the heroes, but she had long since grown insensitive to it after everything Armsmaster pulled. Silence filled the air, well, as much as it could with half a dozen men wailing in pain. More than once the Major had over tightened the bandages of some Nazi just because they were being annoying. Taylor was barely paying attention at that point, instead going over all the technical readouts and telemetry from the fight. In the end, it took thirteen minutes for the PRT van to arrive and even then, it wasn¡¯t enough to deal with the number of people she had taken down. It did signal an end to the need for her to assist with the triage however, and Battery signaled her over. ¡°I know this is a bit presumptuous, but Brockton Bay is a dangerous place,¡± she began. Taylor had to intentionally blank the Major¡¯s face to avoid scrunching it in disgust at yet another recruitment attempt. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, we could bring you back to the PRT building, maybe introduce you to the other members of the Protectorate.¡± Taylor did allow herself to shake her head this time. ¡°Miss, as cute as that was, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find my records soon enough. I¡¯m a mercenary. I won¡¯t take jobs from the Nazis on principle, but odds are you will see me working for a villain at some point before I hit the road again.¡± Assault and Battery both tensed, the latter gaining a faint glow as she did. The Major sighed, turning away from them. ¡°Your boss is always welcome to hire me instead, assuming his budget can afford my services.¡± With that parting shot, she jumped up to the nearest rooftop and sprinted off into the night. She had done what she hoped to accomplish, word would spread that the Major had come to Brockton Bay. All she had to do was wait for Coil to order Lisa to make contact and they would have their in with the bastard. Then the fun would truly begin. Chapter 31 Taylor was enjoying the novelty of going to school for once. Even as she entered Arcadia, the Major was back in her lab Tinkering. The communication suite she had employed for her remote systems was a collaboration between herself, Dodge and Cranial, resulting in a quantum sync that should bypass the tinkertech systems at Arcadia entirely. She didn¡¯t want to piss off Dragon longer than she needed to, not that the Tinker had contacted her since that incident. It also wasn¡¯t a surprise that nothing had come from her little talk with the Tinker. She had no doubt found the exact reason that the investigation was halted, after all, Lisa had found it in less than five minutes as she had been informed after figuring out Sophia¡¯s identity. Lisa had asked her not to dig, saying it would only make her angry, but that if it became truly relevant she would tell her. Taylor hadn¡¯t liked that at the time, but listened to her girlfriend all the same. There was a Ward at Winslow, fucking Sophia of all people, a Ward had been complicit in what happened to her. It made her want to punch Armsmaster and she could only hope that once hired by Coil she would get that chance. Still, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t head out into the city and take her chances while fishing for Coil¡¯s attention. If her luck didn¡¯t pan out, she would just ¡®accidentally¡¯ stumble upon the Undersiders during their next job. ¡°Hey Taylor,¡± Amy said as she took a seat in the lunchroom. Dennis grunted a greeting rather than talk with his mouth full and Chris looked dead on his feet. No doubt a late night spent tinkering. He had an idea for a field deployable cannon that would actually prove a threat to Hookwolf which had been interesting enough, but it would overload after two to three shots at best. Taylor had been endlessly amused that a Ward was talking shop with her, and with him having never set foot in Winslow, she was at least open to working with him on lunchroom side projects unlikely to see the field. ¡°Hey Ames,¡± Taylor said, unpacking her lunch. ¡°You look chipper today.¡± ¡°Oh, I made some progress on my rose project,¡± Amy said, a slight blush on her freckled cheeks. ¡°I figured Vivian might like them.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that, because she would never have called that one and Lisa didn¡¯t even need to meddle. Granted, the pair now had a running bet on how destructive the breakup would end up being, but it was proving an outlet for Amy nonetheless. ¡°Who¡¯s Vivian?¡± Dennis asked. Amy glanced at Taylor for a moment, though all she did was shrug. It was up to Amy how much she wanted to reveal on that front so long as she didn¡¯t out anyone. ¡°She¡¯s someone I met recently,¡± Amy said. ¡°She¡¯s a bit of a firecracker, but there¡¯s something about her that has been thrilling.¡± Dennis blinked for a moment, his head tilting to the side as the gears turned ever slowly. As Lisa had said, queers attract one another, and Toybox was proving to be a fair example of that stereotype. Taylor was about to make a joke about the look on Dennis¡¯ face when the intercom chimed. ¡°Taylor Herbert, please report to the office¡ª Taylor Hebert, apologies. Please report to the office.¡± ¡°The hell?¡± Taylor muttered, looking down at her half finished lunch. Her body still needed nutrition despite being a remote platform, and missing lunch would be a detriment to its performance. ¡°That¡¯s ominous,¡± Amy added. ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯re trying something, do you?¡± Taylor shrugged, hurrying to finish her wrap at least. ¡°No idea,¡± she said between bites. ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting another recruitment attempt for a few weeks now, so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡± ¡°I mean, the Wards aren¡¯t that bad,¡± Chris muttered while chewing on a celery stick. Taylor rolled her eyes. ¡°Tell me that again after they approve your alternator cannon.¡± Chris stuck out his tongue, but didn¡¯t argue the point. She knew he wouldn¡¯t get to deploy it unless a Class S situation were declared. Finishing her food far too quickly, she groaned when a hiccup snuck out and Amy immediately grabbed her arm and suppressed the urge. A thank you was offered but dismissed just as easily and Taylor knew it was time to see what fuckery she was about to walk into. Her HUD highlighted the path as she checked her messages, Lisa was finally awake, because that girl would never be an early riser. She told Lisa about the meeting, not once stopping her work on said girl¡¯s future shell in the process. Lisa¡¯s cyber brain connected into the Toybox network almost immediately and linked in, and Taylor could practically feel Lisa looking through her eyes. It was strangely intimate in a way, knowing that her girlfriend was right there with her no matter what was thrown her way. It brought a level of confidence with it that saw her striding into the office with her shoulders squared, only to almost walk into the back of a dark skinned woman. ¡°Shit, sorry,¡± she muttered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting someone right in the door.¡± The woman chuckled and Taylor got a good look at her face, or what she could see of it under the flag striped bandanna covering the lower half of it. Taylor¡¯s apologetic smile turned into a snarl at the sight of yet another local hero there to harass her. ¡°No apologies necessary,¡± Miss Militia said, her eyes crinkling in a way that had Lisa recoiling in her visual feed. ¡°I was just leaving.¡± Taylor eyed her warily as she exited the office before turning back to the secretary¡¯s empty desk and the fact that her father was sitting there, waiting. He smiled upon seeing her, but she could see the strain behind that smile. ¡°Oh, that bastard,¡± Lisa hissed. ¡°Tay, he hasn¡¯t signed anything, but he¡¯s here to ask you to attend a PRT Wards pitch back at their clubhouse. Militia put him up to it.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°In the middle of school, really?¡± Taylor asked, crossing her arms as she stared him down. ¡°Let me guess, Miss Militia is our ride?¡± He looked away. She huffed. ¡°Fuck that, I¡¯m going back to the lunchroom. I have better things to do than listen to shitty pitches from people that refuse to help me.¡± ¡°Taylor,¡± he tried. ¡°No,¡± she snapped. Deep breaths, don¡¯t stoop to their level and out people for petty reasons. Save it for the right time. ¡°Those people covered up a murder attempt aimed at me. I know for a fact it was because of a Ward at Winslow they¡¯re trying to protect.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that,¡± he said with some measure of determination. ¡°I figured it out on my own,¡± Taylor snarled. ¡°It¡¯s amazing what you can find out with some basic internet searching. A Ward was directly involved. I¡¯m sure you can figure out the rest.¡± Taylor stared her father down, even as Lisa held her breath, but he didn¡¯t flinch. She knew someone must have gotten to him, and she had a suspicion. Two seconds later she had her answer. Miss Militia, aka Hannah Washington. ¡°Great, you¡¯re dating her,¡± Taylor grumbled. ¡°Points for that I suppose, assuming you aren¡¯t being Mastered because I wouldn¡¯t put it past the heroes to go that far, but I¡¯m still pissed.¡± Her father blinked for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Taylor, I just want you safe.¡± ¡°I am safe,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve made sure of that and you are trying to sign me up with the very people that did nothing to help. Those people know exactly why I ended up in that locker and covered it up, that was my trigger, so how do you think I feel that you¡¯re trying to drag me into this?¡± ¡°Taylor,¡± he started. ¡°No,¡± she interrupted. ¡°You want to have this conversation? Go tell your girlfriend that I¡¯ll sit down and chat after they punish the people that hurt me, not before.¡± Taylor didn¡¯t wait for an answer, instead she turned and marched out of the office and looked down the hall. Miss Militia was waiting, so Taylor turned in the opposite direction and continued off, raising a middle finger as she walked. She didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with that level of shit, so she didn¡¯t plan on it.
The Major sighed, moving away from Lisa¡¯s eventual shell, pinching the bridge of her nose even as her flesh and blood took the long way to her next class. Taylor knew she needed to let off steam and the automated processes could handle the work, they just weren¡¯t as quick about it. Frankly, she wanted to punch someone, and a patrol would be the quickest way to go about it. ¡°Taylor,¡± Lisa said softly. ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ¡°Nothing rash about finding a Nazi to punch, Lise,¡± she answered. Her jacket was hung by the door, along with her shoulder holster and pistol. She tossed them on and made her way to the dimensional gateway and input a set of coordinates and popped out in her eventual base. Some preliminary work had been done; a Toybox affiliated company was already making significant progress. It would still be weeks before she could start working out of it, but the living area on the top floor was at least functional and the first bit of the armory was installed. She would need to work on that a bit, just in case her father signed the Wards paperwork without her consent, because of course the law basically made children the property of their parents, and no court would agree to emancipation in the face of becoming a Ward. ¡°Hey Lise, do you think he¡¯s going to sign me up without asking?¡± ¡°Honestly? He might if Militia gets to him enough. You¡¯re going to have to talk to him sooner than later about it, and rushing off to fight Nazis isn¡¯t conducive to solving your current problems. Come on, let¡¯s just relax and dig more into the Nazi bastards that had a grudge with your mom¡¯s old teammates.¡± Taylor tsked, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do there, multitasking would let her do all of the above. Well, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t go looking for trouble. It wasn¡¯t hard to find a Nazi bar on the local net, and no doubt they would take offense to someone with purple hair just casually joining them. ¡°The shakedown run was one thing, but this,¡± Lisa shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let that go to your head, please. There are plenty of things in this city that could demolish you, like Purity or Hookwolf.¡± ¡°Purity just had a child, she¡¯s in no condition to fight,¡± Taylor said as she mapped out the route to the bar, making sure it crossed Coil¡¯s territory on the way. ¡°Hookwolf is currently attending a pit fight which is honestly a bit tempting.¡± ¡°Taylor, no.¡± ¡°Taylor, yes,¡± she said, pushing the door open and stepping out into the early spring air. It was still brisk, not that it mattered to her shell. It was certainly more pleasant out than it had been for her flesh and blood body when she left that morning. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, I just need to let off some steam.¡± ¡°Shit, let me call Rachel or something, you can hit one of his dog fighting rings instead. You have a pistol and a chip on your shoulder, that is not enough to take down Hookwolf.¡± ¡°You have your power off right now, don¡¯t you?¡± Taylor asked. Lisa blinked, then swore. ¡°Dick move. You¡¯re actually just going for a run?¡± Taylor began to jog, speeding up into a sprint before she leapt off the roof and took off towards downtown at a brisk pace. Nothing frantic, as she wasn¡¯t in any particular hurry, but running across rooftops in broad daylight was a completely different experience to free running at night. ¡°I mean, I was serious about the bar, but I won¡¯t start shit unless they do,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Want me to call the ambulance now, or wait?¡± Taylor snorted before she cleared another building with a gentle leap. ¡°Later, obviously. They¡¯re fucking Nazis, who gives a shit?¡± ¡°Got it, knock out the 911 services for the area when they try to call it in,¡± Lisa said. The Major smiled fondly. ¡°See Lisa, you get me. I¡¯ll send you the video after.¡± ¡°As if I won¡¯t be watching through your eyes,¡± she answered, then chuckled. ¡°Shadow Stalker¡¯s gonna be pissed when she learns she missed out.¡± ¡°She can get over it.¡± Chapter 32 The Major ducked under a haymaker, and retaliated with a solid hit to the man¡¯s ribs. She felt them give, heard them break. It was a very satisfying feeling to say the least. Not that she had the time to dwell on it at the moment as two other skinheads moved to get a piece of her. She hadn¡¯t even done anything, just took a seat at the bar, asked for some hot wings and a shot of whiskey. It wasn¡¯t like it would actually do anything to her, not that they knew. She laughed as she sent a man sprawling into a table, shattering it in the process. She was being very careful to keep her output within human realms, even if she was capable of taking it so much farther now. Was it bad that she hoped she would actually get those hot wings? Chuckling to herself, she stepped inside someone¡¯s kick, caught their leg by the thigh, and dropped them to the ground before finishing with a solid kick to the dick. She stood and took a look around the devastated bar. Not one man remained standing, most weren¡¯t even groaning. Her detection suite highlighted each one, color coding them based on injury. None were bad enough to require immediate first aid so she would leave it to them to make the call. With a jaunty whistle, Taylor grabbed a glass and poured a shot. The taste was horrid, but it wasn¡¯t like she could actually get drunk unless she allowed it via software. With that, The Major left the bar and the onlookers parted for her like the Red Sea. None made an attempt to follow. ¡°You get it all out of your system?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Mostly,¡± Taylor agreed. Classes had been boring on the other side of things, and it was nice to be able to do something when the other half of life was frustrating. ¡°I am a bit upset that none of the Empire capes showed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too eager for a fight, you realize that?¡± ¡°Against the Nazis? Always. I have spent hundreds of hours programming combat reflexes into this body,¡± she answered. It really was a gorgeous day and she was glad at least part of her was getting to enjoy it. ¡°Melissa even sparred with me to ensure they worked correctly.¡± The woman had a dozen different martial arts near perfected and fought like a demon. If Taylor didn¡¯t know better, she would have assumed that she had a Combat Thinker rating in addition to her Tinkering skills. Taylor chalked it up to experience, mainly, the woman had a hardened look about her during their spars. ¡°Why is Coil calling me now?¡± Lisa grumbled before swapping back to her perky voice. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hello, my little Tattletale,¡± He said in a tone that sent a chill down Taylor¡¯s original body. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be grateful or curse Lisa for routing the call to her as well. ¡°I am about to approach a potential recruitment and wanted you to provide what information you could.¡± ¡°You already have mercenaries in place,¡± she said, then over their secure connection, she added. ¡°I have a camera feed from the mercs, they¡¯re less than a block away from you. Guess you¡¯re getting your wish.¡± Coil was moving quickly, she hadn¡¯t anticipated him trying something so brazen, but it served her purposes all the same, so she would see how it played out. The mercs piled out of a black SUV, guns at the ready as they surrounded Taylor. She looked around them, nonplussed about the situation. The rifles weren¡¯t strong enough to penetrate her shell and the Tinkertech laser attachments were Toybox purchases. Each of those would fail to trigger anything beyond a stun setting if aimed at a Toybox member with an active transponder, which she possessed. They would absolutely ruin her jacket however, and there would be consequences if they did. ¡°Afternoon gents, how can I help you?¡± Taylor wasn¡¯t actually sure if they were all men, given the level of armor they were wearing, but she was reasonably certain Coil was misogynistic enough to only hire male soldiers for his private little army. ¡°Major,¡± the lean man said, pulling out a flip phone. ¡°Our employer wishes to speak with you.¡± Of course, it began to ring at that exact moment. Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand and accepted it from the man, already tracing the signal. She frowned back in the school when it didn¡¯t go to the bond villain base like the last call she had with the man. She frowned deeper when the voice answered. ¡°Major, your reputation precedes you,¡± he answered. Her recognition software however returned an error. Whoever was speaking to her, it wasn¡¯t Anthony Gibson, which had disturbing implications. Either this was a body double speaking to her, or Coil was multiple people acting as one. ¡°I wish I could say that was mutual,¡± she answered. ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a ghost in this city other than the whole mercenary angle. Part of why I came to Brockton, actually.¡± ¡°Indeed. I will admit, hiring you would be the simplest option available to me,¡± he said. Taylor had her recognition software running in overdrive, yet it was turning up nothing. A voice filter would complicate things, of course, but should be able to be countered effectively. To call it frustrating was an understatement. ¡°He¡¯s having a completely different conversation with me,¡± Lisa supplied. ¡°I think the multiple people angle might be accurate. The one I¡¯m talking to is the same one that made the offer when I had a gun to my head.¡± Which meant Lisa was talking to Anthony. ¡°Then let¡¯s discuss terms of a contract,¡± the Major said easily. ¡°Perhaps a leisurely drive through the city rather than talks in the open that might draw heroic attention?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Granted,¡± he said. The mercs moved aside and Taylor allowed them to lead her to the car, where she took a seat in the back, phone still in hand. What followed was mostly boring negotiations, but they eventually settled upon a rate for her services and even her first job. She would be assisting the Undersiders when they moved to rob the Ruby Dreams Casino, a suspected Empire front. Her software didn¡¯t turn up anything, but she kept all the recordings for her and Lisa to go over later. The mercs let her out closer to the docks, which was a purposeful thing, she knew. Not that Coil had voiced it, but Lisa had told her that the Undersiders were directed to make contact with her and share their plans for the job itself. So, Taylor jumped up to a rooftop and calmly waited for the Undersiders to arrive. It didn¡¯t take long before three massive dogs landed on the roof with her, snarling at her like the unfamiliar cape that she was. Lisa, or rather, Tattletale, gave a snarky little wave and dismounted. Striding over without a hint of fear, darkness moved behind her like a curtain as Grue followed. Neither Regent nor Bitch moved from the backs of the dogs. ¡°Major, a pleasure!¡± Tattletale said. ¡°Bossman said he hired you to help with a tricky job.¡± ¡°That was what we agreed upon,¡± the Major answered with a smirk. Lisa¡¯s virtual avatar was laughing uncontrollably in the corner of her eye. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to work with you and another free agent by the name of Cyber.¡± ¡°Hear that Tats?¡± Regent called out. ¡°Your girlfriend is gonna be helping too!¡± ¡°Naturally he figured out my modified brain instantly,¡± Lisa¡¯s avatar said. ¡°Had to explain things a bit to get him off my back.¡± That was understandable, but some heads up about it would have been appreciated all the same. She eyed the white masked boy warily, because she knew his true power as well as his former identity, and no doubt her own body had left him completely mystified. Grue was shaking his head, the shadows moving with him as he did. ¡°Can we stay focused? I¡¯m not happy that the boss has been assigning others to assist us. You remember what happened the last time Cyber stuck her nose in things, do we really want a repeat of that mess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t briefed on that,¡± the Major said. Lisa¡¯s avatar snorted. ¡°Do I need to be worried about working alongside this Cyber?¡± ¡°Less alongside and more annoying voice in your ear,¡± Regent said casually. ¡°Speaking of annoying, the hell are you made of? My power doesn¡¯t work for shit on you.¡± ¡°Trade secret,¡± the Major said. ¡°I am more or less Master proof thanks to my power. Not willing to test that against people like Heartbreaker, but it¡¯s been solid so far.¡± Regent flinched at the mention of his father, which had been the intended reaction. ¡°Mysterious and creepy. Fuck it, Tats, you can have her, maybe get a threesome out of it. I want pictures if you do.¡± ¡°Oh god,¡± Lisa¡¯s avatar groaned. Not being able to resist, Taylor opened up a second window in Lisa¡¯s HUD showing the original Taylor¡¯s face and spoke through it. ¡°You know, he has a point there, we could do just that.¡± Taylor smirked as Tattletale¡¯s face darkened in the afternoon sun. She found it cute when she managed to get her girlfriend to blush. ¡°Sorry, that wasn¡¯t part of my contract,¡± the Major said aloud. ¡°Might be up for it at the after party.¡± ¡°Taylor, I swear to god,¡± Lisa¡¯s avatar groaned. ¡°Let me have my fun, Lise,¡± Taylor said with a grin. ¡°Banter helps calm the nerves anyway. Hopefully it dislodges the stick up Grue¡¯s ass.¡± ¡°Fat chance of that,¡± Lisa muttered before she took out a flip phone and tossed it over. ¡°I suppose as the ideas girl, briefing you on things will be up to me. Keep that on you, I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± ¡°Aww, not inviting me back to the clubhouse?¡± the Major asked. ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡± Grue grunted, the sound distorted by the darkness billowing off of him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little old to be flirting with teenagers?¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± the Major asked, eyeing him up and down. ¡°You aren¡¯t terrible to look at either.¡± Rather than join in the verbal play, he turned around and marched back to the hellish dogs that had prompted Bitch¡¯s PRT designation. Lisa chuckled and back at Arcadia the final bell sounded. Lisa waved and moved to join the Undersiders back on the dogs. Taylor didn¡¯t wait for them to depart before she turned and took a running leap off the building and began to make her way back to her burgeoning base. She and Lisa did have plans for the afternoon, but Taylor knew she had another conversation that would be needed instead. A quick message was sent to Lisa, informing her of the plan, which got a thumbs up in return.
Back at Arcadia, she grimaced as she pulled out her phone. Taylor knew she needed to go through with it, and the hesitation she felt would only make it worse. He had brought heroes in knowing full well they had done nothing but hurt her. Pulling up her contacts, she dialed her father. It was about time she met his girlfriend face to face and had a frank conversation. Making a double date of it was just prudent when one¡¯s girlfriend was a Thinker 9. He answered on the third ring. ¡°Taylor?¡± ¡°Dad,¡± she said tersely. ¡°Dinner at home, we¡¯re both bringing our girlfriends and we are going to discuss a few things. I¡¯ll handle the cooking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terribly short notice,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Hannah will be able to make it.¡± ¡°Tell her to make the time.¡± It came out a bit snappier than she had intended, but he had earned that much from her. ¡°I¡¯m going to explain to you exactly how fucked up what you tried to pull was. If you still don¡¯t get it, well¡­ I don¡¯t exactly have to continue to come home, now do I?¡± Before he could answer, she ended the call. Hopefully that would be enough to get the point across but somehow she doubted it. It was almost funny, for all the talk of secret identities and all, not one person had respected hers in the slightest. Meanwhile, villains like Kaiser could sit on their little thrones atop skyscrapers while their minions butchered people in the streets. The hypocrisy did not sit well with her, and if Taylor was being honest with herself, she would be perfectly okay with throwing those rules away. Her father was the only anchor she had left to encourage her to do so, and even if she distanced herself, she knew he would continue to be such an anchor. How she would have loved to just toss those supposed rules to the wind and make sure that Kaiser took a long fall from his tower, or that Lung got an anti-material round through the skull. She wasn¡¯t a murderer, but she was almost certain she could be a killer when an asshole deserved it. Taylor blinked, and ran through her thoughts again and didn¡¯t like what she saw. Maybe it was her power pushing her, but she didn¡¯t feel entirely human anymore, and that was more than a little concerning. It was bleeding over into her thoughts, and her girlfriend, who was likely the most grounding element in her life, had been elevated similarly. Well, that was something she would need to address, but it could wait until after they had dinner. ¡°Lisa, hope you¡¯re ready for an awkward night,¡± she said. Chapter 33 Taylor watched on with a small smile as Lisa hummed a familiar tune. Dinner was almost finished, and Lisa was just wrapping up a delightful salad to go with the chicken parmesan they had spent the last hour preparing. The table was set, the poultry seared and pasta prepared to power assisted perfection. Lisa could cheat, and Taylor wasn¡¯t about to complain. She was there in her original body, but the Major was on standby. Having two bodies for one consciousness had become normal to her in a way that kept her up at nights. At least she still needed sleep, otherwise she might truly have come to feel more machine than woman. It was one of the reasons she had ensured the Major would be able to experience things as close to human as possible. The original design wouldn¡¯t have been capable of eating, but she had changed that to ensure one more connection to her roots. She might not be entirely human anymore, but she refused to forget those roots. ¡°I can hear you thinking,¡± Lisa whispered. Taylor raised an eyebrow, then moved to hug her girlfriend. Lisa tended to keep her power off more often than not when it was the two of them, but even without it she could read someone with frightening accuracy. ¡°Just another existential crisis,¡± Taylor answered. ¡°I¡¯m treading uncharted waters with this whole dual existence thing and sometimes it scares me.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Lisa said with a weak smile. ¡°I know how you feel though, when my power is on, it now feels like he and I are one, and the entire net is our plaything.¡± Taylor shivered at the depiction. It wasn¡¯t entirely different from her own feelings when she dove deep into the internet, but it was too underdeveloped to be so consuming to her. Something her power seemed eager to correct, much to her horror. The software she was selling through Toybox would slowly correct those deficiencies too. They held one another for a long moment, and for once they were just two girls that were in over their heads. It was a soft and tender moment, so of course it had to end abruptly with the front door being opened. The pair broke apart and resumed the final preparations for the meal. Taylor pulled the chicken and pasta from the oven, plating it as she did then sprinkled the mozzarella cheese over it. It was a simple meal, which was the point. She didn¡¯t want anything complicated to get in the way of the conversations to come. This would be the last chance she gave her father, and if it didn¡¯t work, well, there was a reason the Major was sitting somewhere with sight lines on the house and an anti-material rifle. Contingencies, just in case Militia tried something funny. Hannah stepped in first, and there wasn¡¯t any doubt that she was Miss Militia when one looked at her. No doubt everyone in the damn city could put that much together. It only served as further proof that secret identities were just a polite fiction and nothing more. The smile she gave Taylor at that moment was unsettling. The woman presented herself with her mouth covered, so she had learned to be more expressive elsewhere, but had she not noticed the effect that had when her face was on display? Taylor was reminded of some of her earliest tests with facial expression reconstruction for her shell and how uncanny it could be. That was not a good thing and only served to tickle that primal part of the mind that suggested something was out of place. If the two stayed together, a mirror would be a fitting gift for the woman¡¯s birthday, Taylor decided. It was a bit mean spirited, but no doubt Lisa would approve of the thought behind it. ¡°Hello, you must be Taylor,¡± she said while holding out a hand. Taylor accepted it. ¡°Hannah, I presume?¡± Her smile grew just a bit wider, sending a shiver through the Major rather than herself. Being able to choose which body displayed involuntary reactions was a trick she was still figuring out, but it was already proving useful, and this dinner was sure to be good practice. ¡°Your father has told me much about you,¡± she added, looking back as he entered the room. ¡°Most of it good, I assure you.¡± ¡°But not all of it,¡± Lisa answered as she stepped forward. ¡°Shall we save the pleasantries for after the meal? I would hate to see it go cold.¡± Lisa¡¯s smile was a sharp thing, and Taylor could see Hannah gauging if it was worth pushing matters, but in the end she relented, taking a seat at the chair that her father pulled out. Taylor wanted to protest, because how dare Hannah sit where her mother had once sat, but she held her tongue. Lisa rolled her eyes and took her own seat, because she was independent like that. Finally, Taylor claimed the final seat at the table. The tension was thick, but everyone ate in silence. The food was pleasant, and reminded Taylor ever more how important the small things could be. Unfortunately, the food eventually ran out and they were left seated around the table with a bottle of wine between them. Her father had frowned when she poured Lisa a glass, then outright scowled when she poured her own. Not that it mattered, neither of them could get truly drunk thanks to their cyber brains, but Lisa could get tipsy if she allowed it. Taylor wouldn¡¯t feel a thing, since her flesh and blood body had no brain to truly suffer the effects and Riley had performed enough upgrades on her to remove many of those weaknesses. Not that her father was aware of many of her upgrades, or of her ability to pilot two bodies at once. She had started leaving him out of the loop after he had reacted poorly to meeting Lisa, and now knowing he was talking to the local heroes, that seemed to have been the right call. It wasn¡¯t good for them, she knew it, but the fact that there was a hero sitting in their kitchen just solidified it as the proper decision. Taking a sip of the bitter wine, Taylor leaned back and let herself savor that last moment of silence. ¡°Shall we drop all pretense?¡± she asked. Hannah was the first to frown, then she sighed. ¡°You haven¡¯t been subtle with your identity, Cyber.¡± Three blocks away, behind the scope of her rifle, the Major smirked. ¡°Not due to any fault of my own,¡± Taylor said easily. ¡°Armsmaster lit a beacon that drew just about every group in the city to me. That day he hounded me outside of Winslow? The Empire was waiting for me on the damn bus.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I had been asked to make contact as well,¡± Lisa chimed in. ¡°Good thing you were so pissed, otherwise I would have fucked up any chance of us happening.¡± Taylor chuckled, mostly because it had been the truth. That Lisa had shown tact that day was one of the reasons Taylor gave her a chance, and she was grateful to her past self for having done so. ¡°True, but I blame your boss for that,¡± Taylor added absently. ¡°Let me guess, you take issue with the fact my services are available for villains to buy?¡± ¡°You have aided villains in their activities,¡± Hannah said. ¡°You openly associate with a villain group, you even purchased a firearm illegally with the aid of a villain who is sitting at this table with us.¡± ¡°To be fair, the Protectorate wasn¡¯t doing anything about the obvious Nazi front and we stole the money back and then some,¡± Lisa said cheerfully. ¡°Don¡¯t get pissy just because I made sure my bestie at the time was better protected from people pestering her in civvies.¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°My identity isn¡¯t the issue here, as since I made it known I was with Toybox, most have respected that. What I take issue with is that the Protectorate refuses to honor my affiliation while letting villains like Kaiser sit in their glass tower even as his butchers walk the streets freely. The heroes continue to pressure me using shit means, like sending the hot Protectorate second in command to seduce my father so he¡¯ll sign me up for the Wards. Fat chance of that after Arsemaster held justice hostage in an attempt to force me to join.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hannah demanded. ¡°You genuinely don¡¯t know,¡± Lisa said, then she chuckled. ¡°Oh goodie, this is all Armsbastard giving out orders. That makes things easier.¡± Before Hannah could continue, Taylor pressed on. ¡°January third, I was pushed into my locker, which had been filled with rotting tampons and pads, never mind all the vermin that are attracted by such things.¡± The wince that followed was just a bit satisfying. ¡°So, naturally I expected the heroes to at least look into that after approaching me. That had been all I asked for, but Armsmaster was quite clear, the investigation was contingent upon my joining. Imagine my surprise when I figured out why?¡± Nothing but confusion showed on Hannah¡¯s face. That the second in command of the Protectorate was that out of the loop was more than a little concerning. It meant Armsmaster had things going on that he didn¡¯t want to get out, and was just another mark against the man. ¡°I had wondered, on many occasions, how the trio got into my locker despite the lock. Turns out, something like that is easy when you have the ability to phase through physical matter,¡± Taylor said coldly. ¡°A hero for a hero, that was the price he demanded, I just didn¡¯t know it until much later.¡± ¡°Armsy refused to sacrifice a useful hero unless he stood to gain another,¡± Lisa added. ¡°Even if she does dabble in murder on the side. Grue was almost a statistic thanks to her, back in December.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± Hannah said, aghast. ¡°Armsmaster is an honorable man, he would never stoop to such unsavory recruitment tactics.¡± ¡°Yet he did,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°Why would I choose to join a corrupt organization? This isn¡¯t new, the PRT has always been corrupt, they just have better PR than the villains.¡± A hand slammed on the table as fire seemed to ignite deep within Hannah¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just twisting everything to suit your views.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned a few things since coming into my power,¡± Taylor said, ever the picture of calm. The Major however was seething. ¡°Take Lustrum for example. Did you know my mother was one of her lieutenants? Funny thing about those, they all had powers.¡± That time, even her father flinched. That she had kept that secret from even her husband had been something that surprised Taylor while reading her journals. That Annette had been a biotinker was the best kept secret of Lustrum¡¯s entire movement. Taylor had only shared them with Lisa so far, and it was clear her father had never bothered to actually read them. She felt bad about springing it like this as it didn¡¯t feel like her secret to tell, and yet, across from her sat the woman who had been instrumental in ending the movement. That particular tidbit was what infuriated her, because how dare the woman that would have put her mother in the Birdcage dare sit in her seat. So, it would all come to light tonight. ¡°Lustrum was a monster,¡± Hannah hissed. ¡°She mutilated my friend, and countless others.¡± ¡°Twenty three,¡± Taylor said. ¡°That was the number of gender reassignment surgeries performed by my mother, the cape known as Hirschfeld.¡± ¡°Annette?¡± Her father said softly. ¡°She told me she got out before things got bad.¡± ¡°A merciful lie,¡± Taylor acknowledged. ¡°Everyone in the movement was wanted and she was pregnant with me, so Lustrum and Fester both hatched plans to draw attention away from her. Kimmie actually triggered when she was doing one such castration, on Richard Anders no less, and it ended with his murder, and the death of Allfather. Kimmie went to the Teeth shortly after that, intending to join them only to become the fourth Butcher by accident. Lustrum also decided to embrace the image that the media was giving her by targeting rapists with extreme prejudice.¡± Hannah¡¯s chair scraped across the floor as she stood abruptly, the knife that had been strapped to her back was now a gun in her hand. The Major had a finger on the trigger, ready to let a round fly. Even Lisa had let a hand drift below the table, no doubt grasping her own weapon. ¡°Lies,¡± she hissed. ¡°Lustrum did unholy things to those innocent kids. There was nothing good to be found in that den of sin.¡± The Major sighed for her, because of course the woman that had come to love everything about America had also adopted its unofficial religion and dove into the deep end of those beliefs. Lisa didn¡¯t have much to go on when she had discovered that, but it fit the pattern and how severely she had reacted back in the nineties. ¡°Hannah, sit back down,¡± her father said sharply. Slowly, she did as he had ordered, and for just that moment she thought she had seen a glimpse of the man that her mom had married. Her gun cycled briefly before returning to a knife which was returned to her hip. With that crisis averted, her father¡¯s attention shifted back to the conversation at hand. ¡°I thought Marquis killed Allfather.¡± ¡°Another fiction,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Looks like there were lots of those surrounding that time period. The supposed hundreds of mutilations of children were all cases of puberty blockers and HRT, as not one surgery was performed on a minor, were they?¡± ¡°Not one,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°Over the years, her supporters faded into the background, hiding in plain sight while she took the fall. Fester had no idea she would become the Butcher when Sabertooth was killed, and she implemented a policy of no sexual assault that lasted until the gang was dismantled by the Nine back in ninety eight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Hannah seethed. ¡°Ravager was brainwashed and mutilated by those butchers, Lustrum deserved all of it.¡± ¡°Ravager was transgender,¡± Taylor said with conviction. ¡°Number seventeen of the surgeries my mother performed and only did so after Ravager turned eighteen. She even made a joke that Mouse Protector would be disappointed it wasn¡¯t number eighteen on her eighteenth.¡± ¡°That does sound like a joke she would appreciate,¡± Hannah said begrudgingly. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain everything, and goes against all the evidence we gathered, including eyewitness reports.¡± ¡°Reports compiled by Empire affiliates,¡± Lisa said. ¡°The Empire is responsible for a lot of the problems in the Bay, like all the scabs Danny here has to contend with when trying to get his union boys work. It¡¯s all intentional, like when they slipped Carol Dallon the home address of Marquis, or tipped off the Protectorate to Lustrum¡¯s safehouse.¡± Another set of sucked in breaths followed, from both her father and Hannah. She could see the gears turning behind her father¡¯s eyes, as little things clicked into place with that confirmation. Hannah however just turned distant, as if everything she believed had been upended and she was desperately reaching for excuses and justifications. It was oddly satisfying, using information as a cudgel, and it seemed the plan was working. Running Hannah off would have been easy enough, but sowing proper doubt was the true goal. They wanted her to go poking into things that she shouldn¡¯t and hoped she would turn up something juicy enough that someone would stick their nose out and expose the sources allowing such corruption to run rampant. ¡°That Marquis was taken down, then despite the chaos that brought with it, Lustrum was mysteriously located and arrested? Well, only a fool would consider that a coincidence,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°The Empire pulled the strings on all of it, and they did so with Protectorate backing.¡± That had been the crux of it all, someone was helping them from the inside, responding to every report they made with absurd speed and accuracy. The records had been muddied, and Lisa wasn¡¯t quite sure she could trust how her power had come to the conclusion, but it had still managed it from two entirely different directions. It was why they were adjusting their plans for Coil to include bloodying the Empire. The level of corruption on display needed to be addressed. ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Alexandria herself brought me in for the Wards program. The organization is good and just, we¡¯re heroes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re super powered cops,¡± Lisa countered. ¡°Subject to every bit as much corruption as the regular ones. No need to remind you that most of the cops in this city are on the Empire¡¯s payroll. The phrase ¡®all it takes is one bad apple¡¯ is apt here, because if the good apples do nothing, all that remains are bad ones.¡± ¡°Ask questions about why the investigation into the attempt on my life was dropped,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Ask why the Protectorate leader causing a girl¡¯s trigger wasn¡¯t considered a bigger deal. Also, let your superiors know that Uppercrust is considering taking back his tech at the rig if you persist in targeting a known Toybox affiliate.¡± Her attention drifted from the thoroughly discombobulated Hannah to her father as she stood. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t forget that this woman almost put Mom in the Birdcage. Is she really someone you want in your life?¡± ¡°Oh, and Danny?¡± Lisa added cheerfully. ¡°Taylor is worth millions thanks to Toybox. She could leave whenever she wanted and you couldn¡¯t stop her. Don¡¯t be like my parents and drive your daughter away.¡± With those parting words, she and Lisa left her home. Her father didn¡¯t meet her eyes, but she could see the shame behind them all the same. It would be up to him to decide what he wanted to do about everything, but she had expended all the effort she had to spare on the Protectorate cape. Even if nothing came of it, that had felt like a win. Looking off in the distance, she met her own eyes through the scope of a rifle and smiled. The Major wasted little time packing up and heading back for their base while Taylor walked hand in hand with her girlfriend. ¡°Your plan worked,¡± Taylor said once they were down the sidewalk. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be that easy to get her off balance, but I should have known better than to doubt you.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Lisa said with that smirk of hers, ¡°we all have our strengths, and putting people off their game has always been one of mine, even before I got powers. She¡¯s gonna go snooping, and I¡¯ll be watching to see who responds when she does.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t going to like the answer, are we?¡± Lisa¡¯s face turned grim at that question. It was rhetorical, but she still felt the need to ask it. Instead, her girlfriend leaned in close, resting her head on her shoulder. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but notice how it was just a bit heavier than a normal flesh and blood head would be due to the brain case under her skin. ¡°No, we certainly won¡¯t.¡± Chapter 34 ¡°The Ruby Dreams Casino,¡± the Major said. Taylor had eyes on the building from two points of view plus five body cameras. Given she was participating as both The Major, and Cyber, she needed to keep those identities separate in her own head or risk answering someone with the wrong body. Lisa had found it amusing the first time it happened back at Toybox, but out on a mission it would jeopardize everything they had planned. ¡°Yeah, I heard it¡¯s a Nazi front,¡± Regent added. ¡°Lung¡¯s gonna be pissed, because this is technically his turf.¡± It was disputed grounds, right on the edge of the no man¡¯s land between the ABB areas of the city, and those who frequented it tended to be of Asian descent. It hadn¡¯t taken much hacking to see that the payouts were heavily skewed based on racial profiles either. It was more of a surprise that Lung hadn¡¯t torched the place himself. ¡°What¡¯s the expected take?¡± Grue asked. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t know for sure until we were prepared to move.¡± ¡°Potential is at least a million,¡± Tattletale said with a grin as she put away her binoculars. ¡°If I had to guess, we¡¯ll get about seven, maybe eight hundred thou.¡± Regent whistled. It was a damn good haul, if they could pull it off, but Taylor wasn¡¯t in it for the money. The main point was showing that The Major and Cyber were active and separate people to Coil, and proving that they were both assets to his organization that he could manipulate. The Major especially, as she was going to have an argument with the Undersiders after the mission that led to animosity and brought her into Coil¡¯s circle. It felt weird having so many plans within plans running at once, but they needed every contingency they could muster until they were ready to make their own moves. The Major performed a rifle check, using one of the weapons that the Undersiders had recovered from the Empire, but Coil had allowed them to keep. It wouldn¡¯t do their little conspiracy any favors if Coil suspected the weapons that had been paid to Cyber had somehow been gifted to the Major after all. Luckily Grue had been insistent they keep a few of those weapons as a contingency and Coil agreed. Using the stolen gun was meant to send a message all on its own. ¡°Two guards at the rear doors,¡± Cyber said. ¡°Both are discreetly armed. Internal security is sparse, but present. The computer systems are a joke, however. I already have all their account numbers and will hand them over to Tattletale upon completion.¡± Translation, she was going to take them to Kurt and ¡®hack¡¯ them so the funds vanished without Coil being aware of it aside from linking the numbers back to the Empire. He wouldn¡¯t need to know that they had already emptied them. A rather enjoyable bait and switch if Taylor was ever asked. It was a shame that Riley had been called in to heal in the aftermath of another Nine strike in Louisiana, she would have enjoyed watching along. Still, Surgeon had a reputation to uphold and there were heroes and civilians that would need to be patched up. Taylor wouldn¡¯t dare ask her to do otherwise, though it was a surprise she hadn¡¯t talked Amy into helping on those just yet. Taylor would share the footage once that crisis was over and hopefully have a good laugh with her friend. ¡°On your call, Grue,¡± Tattletale said. ¡°Bitch, wait until the guards up front react, then bring the dogs in,¡± he ordered. ¡°Everyone else, with me.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Bitch grunted. Her dogs began to grow larger as Grue motioned for the ground team to follow. The Major kept to the rooftops, providing overwatch as they came out of the alley behind the casino. The guards began to move, but both spasmed, dropping to their knees. Grue covered both in darkness and the Major dropped into it. Immediately all her cell connections cut off, but the quantum bullshit link between her and Cyber remained completely intact, and thus she maintained her full net connection thanks to the backup connections built into Cyber¡¯s communication suite. Contingencies in the event Dragon ever tried to cut her off at Arcadia, well worth the millions it had cost her to source from the affiliated Tinker. Still, her sensors were more than enough to deal with the loss of sight and sound and internet. She had a wireframe overlay using prediction software as well as what little she could feel to read things. She kicked the legs out from one man, then drove her elbow into the sternum of the other. Grue¡¯s darkness cleared away, and the Major stood, rifle back in hand as she quickly broke the lock. ¡°Alarms are disabled,¡± Cyber said. ¡°Combat Thinkers are bullshit,¡± Grue grumbled. ¡°I can see through the darkness and don¡¯t think I could have managed such clean takedowns.¡± ¡°Experience,¡± the Major lied. ¡°My own powers are a tool, not a crutch.¡± Grue grunted, but did not argue. As agreed, the Major took point, popping the door open and moving swiftly. Her rifle was for show, meant to intimidate, that was what she had told Grue. What she hadn¡¯t told him was that if an Empire cape came after them, she would go full lethal. And Lisa expected at least three capes to respond to such a brazen attack. Security was alerted to their incursion despite Cyber taking the radios down and killing all the cameras. They couldn¡¯t do anything about verbal or visual communication after all. Still, Grue flooded the main floor with darkness, and most of the people were smart enough to get down and stay down. The darkness settled at about knee height, and few remained above. She fully expected at least one idiot to play jack-in-the-box and try to shoot one of them. So of course Bitch burst in at the same moment two near the front door tried just that. They fell back, the dogs tackling them back into the inky black. Content that things were in hand, Tattletale grabbed two of the dogs and moved back to where the floor plan indicated the vault would be. Cyber of course had identified the false wall that led to the true vault down below that was kept hidden from the masses. What she hadn¡¯t managed was identifying the mechanism to open it. Tattletale was on it with a grin, and after flipping over a potted plant she triggered the false wall. Another code was entered on a keypad and she disappeared down the elevator with Regent. The Major kept eyes on the room while they worked in the basement. Grue had added darkness to all the doors and windows, as well as the ceiling. Cell signals inside were once again good as dead. Bitch had moved behind the counter, grabbing all the loose cash she could as well as the money in the vault that was visible for the public benefit. There would be maybe a hundred grand in that at most. If it hadn¡¯t been for Cyber¡¯s support and Tattletale¡¯s uncapped potential, they would have missed the true vault. Down below, Cyber was assisting Tattletale with the locks, which much to her chagrin, were completely analog. Cyber had to hack the hardline net connections and was relying on the internal wifi and cell signals to maintain contact with the Undersiders. A low tech solution, but she needed plausible deniability if Coil asked how she managed that despite Grue¡¯s darkness.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve got this,¡± Tattletale said as she clicked another tumbler into place and moved to the next. ¡°Sure you do, Tats,¡± Regent said The worst part about it, she could see the piles of cash, bundled and ready for transport just waiting for them to claim. Another click came as Cyber watched through Tattletale¡¯s eyes and the lock gave in. With a resounding cheer, Lisa swung the door open. ¡°Load the cart and get it to the lift,¡± Tattletale ordered. Regent flipped her off but didn¡¯t argue as they moved. Cyber ran the calculations on the stacks and didn¡¯t bother to redirect the grin that grew on both of her faces. Their calculations had been conservative, but there was well over a million in the vault, likely closer to a million and a half. The question was if they would be able to get all of it out, because even with the dogs, bundles of twenties were still bulky. ¡°Leave anything smaller than twenties,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Not worth the space.¡± Regent had been sliding a few bundles of tens in his pockets just shrugged and shoved them deeper before moving to the bigger stacks. The pair worked quickly, and once loaded, Regent would move them to the elevator before returning for the next set. The elevator was rather full when Cyber noticed movement on one of the outside cameras. ¡°Trouble,¡± Cyber said over their comms. ¡°Rune and two others on approach.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± the Major said, rolling her shoulders. ¡°Moving to engage, I¡¯ll keep them busy while you retreat.¡± ¡°Give us five minutes,¡± Tattletale said. ¡°We still need to load the dogs.¡± The Major rolled her eyes as Cyber watched Tattletale toss the last bags of cash into the elevator and start their ascent. One last check of her rifle and the Major began her walk towards the front door. Grue¡¯s darkness flooded forth, billowing out the door as she exited. Rune had stopped across the street and she could now see that Crusader and Krieg were with her. Krieg was the Empire¡¯s contact with the Gesellshaft, which made him a priority, yet his power was a hard counter for anything she could bring to bear against him. Even her few explosives would barely amount to a warm breeze to the man. Well, she had an idea but it would be risky and highly lethal, making it a last resort. Rune would be the easiest target, but she didn¡¯t want to kill a girl who had barely turned thirteen, even if she was waving a Nazi flag. Indoctrination was a bitch like that and she had been born into it, even if her parents had left and she remained. Crusader then, he would be the one to make an example of. The Major took a deep breath, not that it was needed, then kicked the door open. The trio of Nazis had barely reacted before the first bullet shot across the street and hit Krieg¡¯s field, slowing to a crawl before it impacted Crusader¡¯s armor. That would be an inconvenience, she decided as two more bullets impacted the man. He looked down, his armor scratched from where lead had hit. Two to the chest, one to the head. Professional and lethal, the message delivered in full. ¡°Major!¡± Cyber barked across the Undersider¡¯s shared channel, not that they were likely to hear it but it would be on the recording and Coil was listening in as well. ¡°What the fuck do you think you are you doing?¡± ¡°Solving the problem,¡± she answered. Clones exploded from the platform as Rune set it into motion. Bits of cinder blocks and other debris began to orbit the platform briefly before they rained down. The Major was already in motion, the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind. She took careful shots, shattering cinder blocks between her and them as she closed the distance. She was moving above human limits, but only just, then she hit the alley between two buildings and bounded up to the wall, kicked off and cleared to the rooftop. She felt the thrill of free running where the world was your playground and gravity was a mere suggestion. The look of shock on Krieg¡¯s face was likely mirrored by the concealed faces of the other two racists. She landed in a crouch on Rune¡¯s platform and dropped a small surprise as she rolled between them and let herself fall back to the streets. Just as her feet touched solid ground, the platform exploded. Grenades tended to do that when left sitting around without a pin. Rune fell to the rooftop while Crusader was caught by one of his ghosts. Krieg landed in a smoking heap on the ground not even a dozen feet away from her. Three more bullets hit his prone form before he could even begin to stir. They bounced harmlessly off of him which did little more than serve to piss the Major off. She closed the distance, taking pot shots at Crusader who flew into cover, leaving her alone with the Empire lieutenant. The Undersiders were underway, Grue¡¯s darkness cutting them off from Cyber¡¯s support for a moment, but that was as planned and would last less than a minute. Lisa didn¡¯t have a multi-million dollar point to point communication system like Taylor had to overcome that. She dropped the magazine from her rifle and reloaded. She then let her rifle drop and drew her handgun. If she wanted to put the man down, she would need to do it up close and personal. Krieg pushed himself up just as the Major felt her joints and muscles begin to strain against the pressure of his field. It was interesting, seeing the output readings she needed to combat the effect. It was exponential the closer she got and it soon became clear that even at full output her prosthetic body wouldn¡¯t be enough to overcome Krieg¡¯s power. Knowing she couldn¡¯t win once he got back on his feet, she reached for a second grenade from her belt, pulled the pin and let it drop to his feet as she quickly backed away. The grenade detonated, covering Krieg in a thick, yellow, foam. Content that he was contained, she put it out of her mind that the PRT would be wondering just how she had gotten her hands on one of those. Coil had men on the inside, she knew that, but it was still disconcerting how easily he had gotten her a dozen of them. ¡°Oh, thank god,¡± Cyber said. ¡°I thought you were going to kill him.¡± The Major huffed, checking her pistol. A bullet point-blank would probably do it, but the foam had covered him completely. It wasn¡¯t worth the attempt. ¡°I was,¡± she said as she slid it back into her holster. ¡°The hell is going on?¡± Grue demanded. ¡°We don¡¯t need the kind of heat that killing brings.¡± ¡°Grue¡¯s right,¡± Tattletale said. ¡°Major, if you can¡¯t play by our rules, we¡¯ll have to cut you loose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one signing my paycheck, Tattletale,¡± the Major said. ¡°Your boss had other plans.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Cyber said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be a part of this.¡± Rune burst back into the air, with Crusader beside her, the man himself was barely on his feet, using Rune as a crutch. She brought her rifle back up and took aim, the first shot burst one of his ghosts and one of Cyber¡¯s eyebrows raised. His ghosts were supposed to be incorporeal to anything non-organic and yet that one had taken a bullet for the man. She grinned as more rounds were sent down range, ghosts bursting as quickly as he could summon them. Rune began the retreat, yet the Major didn¡¯t let up despite the Undersiders yelling at her to do so. Just as it looked like they were out of range, she adjusted the angle of her gun and fired one last round, the ballistic arc already calculated for the wind. Another ghost popped up to intercept, but the bullet sailed over its head, slipped through the eye slit of Crusader¡¯s helmet and dropped the man. The Major was too far away to gauge the damage done, but she knew what kind of damage a round entering through an eye could do. There was a chance they would get him to Othala in time, but the odds were against the man. There would be no going back to her former innocence, and justifying the next kill would be even easier than that first had been. If she was going to save the Bay, steps would need to be taken that nobody following the so-called rules could take. She would do it, however. Taylor had likely just taken her first life, her soul forever tainted by the murder of a monster, all to earn the approval of a monster. The Major looked off into the distance, a shudder running down both of her spines. ¡°Just as planned.¡± Chapter 35 She had expected something more when killing a man, yet she felt oddly calm about it. There was no great judgment pressing down on her from above, and no glee rising up at inflicting death upon another. It was just another bullet fired, one that had struck true, an ¡®accident¡¯ if anyone tried to press her from the heroic side. Like they would believe her, but the deniability was important. ¡°You, you killed him,¡± Cyber whispered. ¡°Killed who?¡± Regent asked, his voice as casual as ever. ¡°Crusader,¡± Tattletale answered. ¡°That final shot, the ballistic arc was just right for a kill.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t prove it was intentional,¡± the Major said. ¡°I just fired one last round out of frustration.¡± ¡°Nobody will buy that,¡± Cyber said. ¡°I could release the footage and this conversation.¡± The Major smirked, even if she was just playing it up for the part, it felt right to do so. ¡°By all means, please. Give my reputation a boost by proving that I can land a rifle shot through someone¡¯s eye from a mile away.¡± ¡°Bitch move,¡± Tattletale said. Regent chuckled. ¡°Dunno, did you do a three sixty no scope beforehand? I won¡¯t be impressed otherwise.¡± ¡°My rifle doesn¡¯t have a scope,¡± the Major confirmed. Regent whistled in appreciation. ¡°Whatever,¡± Cyber said with a snarl. ¡°I refuse to work with a murderer. Fuck off and stay the hell away from us.¡± And with that, the Major was removed from the channel and the line went dead. That didn¡¯t remove her from the channel she shared with herself, of course, or the private line she had with Lisa. The Undersiders had continued their discussion, the ruse going off perfectly. Movement had her gun snap up as a motorcycle came to a stop down the alley. She lowered her gun slightly, but still kept it at the ready as Miss Militia dismounted. A moment later, a shadow descended from the rooftop, revealing Shadow Stalker, who seemed a bit ruffled. ¡°You look like shit,¡± the Major said. ¡°Kept Rune and Crusader busy up top,¡± she answered with a huff. ¡°Good job driving them off, that was badass as hell.¡± ¡°Yes, it was rather impressive,¡± Miss Militia said. ¡°Though, we are curious as to why there was a cape fight right across the street from a casino where a robbery was reported not ten minutes ago.¡± Well, it was good neither of them had noticed that last bullet striking true, but even her Tinker assisted vision had struggled there. Then again, maybe Shadow Stalker had noticed and just chose to not speak up. It would be just like Sophia to keep quiet when the right people were the ones getting hurt. Taylor, having been one of those people, taught her that much. Still, Shadow Stalker was too useful of a potential pawn to just throw to the wolves and that burned at her. She wanted to be on her good side for if the heroes ever decided she was more trouble than she was worth. People willing to pin someone to a wall to save a girl were few and far between and such efforts might be needed before the Empire was excised from the city. Besides, it was Taylor, not the Major that had a problem with Sophia. ¡°Someone hired me to cover the Undersiders¡¯ getaway,¡± the Major said. ¡°The casino was an Empire laundering front, and proof was provided along with funds for my services.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a villain then?¡± Miss Militia asked, her voice turned hard. ¡°Your reputation and record have been sporadic in your travels, we had hoped to persuade you to join the heroes.¡± The Major snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve done my time as a government lapdog, I¡¯m good. Being a free agent is far more my style.¡± ¡°Next you¡¯re gonna ask us to pay if we want you to help,¡± Shadow Stalker snarked. ¡°If you can afford it, I¡¯d be happy to offer my services,¡± the Major replied. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time I worked with heroes, probably won¡¯t be the last. Just know some of the people in this city have deep pockets.¡± ¡°Which isn¡¯t me,¡± Stalker said with a shrug. ¡°Wards make minimum wage. If I was still an independent I might actually be able to swing something, but not anymore.¡± ¡°Could always go free agent,¡± the Major said, smirking. ¡°Like how you¡¯re working for the Undersiders?¡± Miss Militia asked. The Major snorted. ¡°More so I was hired to ensure they got away, though I¡¯m pretty sure I burned that bridge.¡± The distant image of Crusader dropping on Rune¡¯s platform was still clear in her mind after all, and she wasn¡¯t sure it would ever fade thanks to her cybernetic enhancements. A man, a horrible monster really, but still a man. Dead at her hand. She should feel worse about that, but it was hard enough to see herself as human at times, so why would she consider a Nazi any better than herself? They were the worst of the worst after all. ¡°Burned the bridge?¡± Shadow Stalker asked, her mask tilting slightly. ¡°What, did you shoot one of them?¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°No,¡± the Major said even as her fists clenched. ¡°They just didn¡¯t agree with my rules of engagement. The Empire has a member with a Birdcage sentence that has been rendered twice. Hookwolf is a wanted fugitive being sheltered which makes them all accomplices. That doesn¡¯t even begin to get into their own crimes being perpetuated daily.¡± ¡°You¡¯re advocating for lethal force as a starting point?¡± Miss Militia asked. Props to Hannah, she caught on quick. The Major shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, don¡¯t handle monsters with kid gloves and the people might actually have some faith in the heroes again. Krieg is under the foam, and this is the only chance I¡¯m offering him. Either get him out of the city and into a secure holding facility, or next time I¡¯ll put dragonfire through his eye.¡± Miss Militia hissed out a string of curses, but the Major backflipped on the spot up to the nearby rooftop. Her sidearm had turned into a rifle and was aimed at the Major, not that she minded. The woman only used rubber bullets which would do next to nothing to her shell. ¡°I¡¯d focus on cleaning your own house before worrying about those willing to clean up messes you¡¯ve allowed to fester.¡± Hint delivered, the Major began to move once more. Fester would be a more obscure reference to Lustrum¡¯s movement, but it was one that would be fresh in Miss Militia¡¯s mind. A reminder of the things she needed to be looking into at present. Given the Empire would be demanding blood for one of their own being killed, she had to prepare. No doubt Coil would ensure the blame wasn¡¯t placed on him, but he could easily tie it into the Undersiders, which was something she didn¡¯t want. When the blame started being thrown out, she would make sure that the Empire knew she did it on Coil¡¯s orders. She needed her enemies at each other¡¯s throats, and that it would give her more chances to end a few more threats, well, she wasn¡¯t going to complain. Maybe she could even rope Shadow Stalker into helping.
¡°The Major really killed Crusader?¡± Grue asked again. Cyber wasn¡¯t present in person, which was why the masks had remained on even back in their base. Lisa had warned her that she would need to show up in person before the Undersiders truly trusted her, which was why Taylor was currently disembarking from the nearest bus stop. She had debated revealing herself in person, but everyone knew her identity anyway. Toybox was on a short list of capes that you didn¡¯t mess with, lest you risk alienating the entire organization, and no major group or player wanted to risk doing that. That was the only reason she was taking the risk, small as it was. Her flesh and blood was no longer her body, which meant it was technically expendable. She didn¡¯t want to lose that part of her life, however. She was enjoying school, she had friends, she wanted to be able to take Lisa out on dates. It was why her second shell was a mirror of her present appearance, aged up ever so slightly, to avoid the impression of a gangly young teen. It wouldn¡¯t be ready until late May to early June, since Lisa¡¯s shell was her priority. It would be needed for their plan after all. ¡°She did,¡± Lisa confirmed. She had been the only one to remove her mask. ¡°Apparently our boss paid her to put the larger target on our back hoping that we would weed out a few of his enemies when they came for retribution.¡± ¡°Care to come clean about this mysterious boss?¡± Grue demanded. ¡°If we¡¯re getting this kind of heat, shouldn¡¯t we at least know who we¡¯re standing in the fire for?¡± ¡°Let them try us,¡± Bitch grunted. ¡°We¡¯ll handle them.¡± Grue clearly wanted to rub his face or pinch his nose, but couldn¡¯t because of the mask. Taylor had arrived at the Redmond Welding building and made her way in through the side door, which Lisa had conveniently left unlocked for her. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m curious too,¡± Regent said from his position on the couch where he kept waving scepter lazily. ¡°Got anything for us, oh miss mysterious?¡± He had directed that question to the stairs just as Taylor stepped into view. Bitch¡¯s dogs snarled and darkness began to roll off Grue¡¯s form before Lisa hurried over and pulled Taylor into a hug. There was a pause before things clicked for the others and they visibly relaxed, but remained wary. ¡°Everyone, this is Cyber,¡± Lisa announced. ¡°Call me Taylor,¡± she added, walking up to Grue before extending her hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure working with you and I hope to be of help in the future.¡± ¡°You already know who we are, don¡¯t you?¡± Grue asked as he shook her hand. ¡°No, don¡¯t answer that.¡± He reached up and removed his helmet, revealing a strong jawed young man with his hair styled into neat cornrows. Taylor had to admit, he was quite attractive and she would have likely been drooling had she met him under other circumstances. ¡°I¡¯m Brian.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± Taylor said with a smile. ¡°Alec,¡± Regent called out, tossing his mask aside. ¡°Nice to meet you, dork.¡± Taylor flipped him off and he laughed. She looked over to Bitch who had already tuned out of the conversation to tend to her dogs. It was largely a formality since Rachel¡¯s name was public knowledge. ¡°Your boss is Coil, and don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already shut down all the bugs he planted in the building, including on your phones,¡± Taylor said. ¡°This conversation will be private, because after what he pulled, can we truly trust him?¡± ¡°Can we trust you?¡± Alec asked, his tone still casual but she could tell there was suspicion in his words. ¡°The Major was like you, but worse, to my power. How do we know she isn¡¯t with you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that there is a connection,¡± Taylor said, shifting her irritation away. ¡°Anyone who deals with Toybox risks that. My tech is for sale after all.¡± ¡°Does your knowledge of us also have a price?¡± Brian said with distaste. ¡°Why should we trust you not to sell us out next? And before you say it, fucking Lisa doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t¡ª¡± Taylor began, but Lisa put a hand on her arm, stilling her rebuttal. ¡°Who I¡¯m seeing isn¡¯t a factor, Brian,¡± Lisa said. ¡°The point is, the boss is a prick and we need every advantage to bring him down. Some of those will be played fast and loose, others close to the chest. So what if the Major has some of Cyber¡¯s tech? That means that Taylor here has full access to it through her backdoors.¡± ¡°Which means we have an advantage we can leverage,¡± Brian said, grasping the basics of it. ¡°This seems dangerous, and I need the boss if it means getting custody of my sister.¡± Taylor chuckled, already having pulled up Brian¡¯s records as well as his sister Aisha¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to deal with,¡± she said, already altering said records. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re now the legal guardian of one Aisha Laborn.¡± Brian blinked, looking at Taylor as if she had grown a second head. ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that,¡± she confirmed. It had been easy enough given much of the paperwork was completed, just held up, and it made for a nice little jab at Coil. And if it secured Brian¡¯s loyalty, all the better. Taylor would need as many pieces on the board as possible if she was going to enact change in her city, and where better to start than with her girlfriend¡¯s team? Lisa¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°Anyone else got something they want done while she¡¯s taking requests?¡± Alec¡¯s vacant laughter was enough to send chills through the room. ¡°I hope you like a challenge.¡± Interlude - Hannah Hannah had been feeling troubled ever since her dinner with the Heberts. Her contact with Danny began under orders to recruit his daughter Taylor, but had since grown beyond that. For a union man, he was rather charming in his own way, and despite the order of recruitment being rescinded in favor of a softer sell, she still met up with him on what she had to admit were dates to discuss options. She didn¡¯t know why Ethan kept muttering about honeypots when she brought Danny up in the breakroom. Hannah hadn¡¯t taken the time to date anyone since Clive had dumped her when the details surrounding Ravager came to light. Watching him go on to become leader of the Philadelphia Protectorate hurt almost as much as the right cross Kat had nailed her with, not even her goofy mouse ears had blunted that argument. She still didn¡¯t get it, Lustrum had mutilated their friend, so why had they both taken Lustrum¡¯s side? Worse, she found out that Danny¡¯s deceased wife was Lustrum¡¯s butcher, which rated her only slightly lower in deserved disdain than the actual Butcher. The official reports were clear, Lustrum had a human Master that was brainwashing people, yet those two refused to believe it. Kat quit the Protectorate in solidarity with Ravager for God¡¯s sake. Hannah ended up requesting Brockton Bay just so she could go after Lustrum personally, and with Armsmaster¡¯s help, she was sentenced to the Birdcage where she belonged. She didn¡¯t understand why so many continued to defend that monster of a woman, which was why she was currently digging through the records. She would find the original records of Lustrum¡¯s crimes and shove them back in Taylor¡¯s pretentious face. It would be proof that her orders had been just and righteous. Lustrum¡¯s files were locked behind security level nine, which was normally reserved for the likes of Legend or Chief Director Costa-Brown, but she had been involved with the case itself, which meant she could access more than most thanks to an exception on her own credentials. Even with that exception, some parts of the file remained sealed. All of the grisly details she couldn¡¯t forget were still there, the recovered bodies, the dead law enforcement, the riots spread across six states. Lustrum¡¯s so-called movement was every bit as deadly as they said it was, but then she looked at the dates on things and saw the discrepancies. Like one that listed Lustrum in two places on the same day, complete with footage of both events. The Think Tank report on those incidents was sealed, with a need to know only restrictions. Anyone wanting access had to request it from Legend or the Chief Director which raised all kinds of red flags in her mind. She frowned as she pulled up the details of Hirschfeld, then grimaced at how sparse they were. Whoever that person was, it was always assumed they were a team of normals that performed mutilations after the recipient had been ¡®made willing¡¯ by whatever Master Lustrum employed. To think that not only was Hirschfeld a cape, but a biotinker on par with Bonesaw of all abominations against nature. Now, she had a name to connect to the record, and it made questions about Taylor¡¯s powers all the more pressing. She called herself Cyber, worked with computers mostly from what little they had seen in person and some assistant devices were offered on Toybox¡¯s catalog for mobility up to some basic replacement prosthetics. That much made sense after the injuries Taylor suffered, the cause of which were still listed as unsolved even in her sealed file. Hannah had already dug into the accusation that Shadow Stalker was involved with her hospitalization, because for all the trust she had in Armsmaster, she wanted proof that Taylor was wrong. She wanted to be able to look her in the eye and say as much without even a sliver of doubt in her mind. Sophia Hess was on probation only because it had been the easiest way to protect the poor girl. Pinning a rapist to the wall was a touch excessive, even if he was a Nazi, but he was caught in the act. Some level of emotional response would be expected of a veteran member of the Protectorate, let alone a vigilante teenager. Yet, the Director confirmed all the accusations in a meeting just days ago. After arguing with Taylor over it all, she was starting to have doubts again, especially with a Thinker the likes of Tattletale manipulating her. Hannah would confirm she was right, that it was all a Thinker¡¯s plot with planted evidence, then update the records with what she had learned about Annette Hebert¡¯s cape identity along with the confirmation that another member of Lustrum¡¯s organization was confirmed deceased. Then she could rescue Taylor under Master Stranger protocols. She pulled up the Winslow investigation file and found it locked under Security Level Seven, which was department directors, Protectorate leaders and above. As the second in command of the Protectorate ENE, she only ranked Security Level Six. Why was a potential trigger event, even one that might involve a Ward, flagged with such security? Only the Director or Colin could authorize that. Frowning, she decided to approach it from another angle. She reopened the file for Lustrum and entered the system URL for the Hebert investigation into the secure browser and smiled when the workaround still functioned. She hadn¡¯t made much use of it, but it was always nice to know the exploit still worked; she would have to thank Ethan for teaching it to her. The investigation was indeed halted, and listed as closed which was as expected. What she hadn¡¯t expected was a detailed write-up no doubt penned by Colin that showed not only was Sophia directly involved with the lead up to a known trigger event, but was the one to push Taylor into her locker and secure the lock behind her according to an eye witness. Hannah didn¡¯t trust that nearly as much as Colin seemed to, it felt too convenient given the gang presence in the school. She wouldn¡¯t put it past the Empire to make a play there. She kept reading, the pit in her stomach only growing with each new line. Dozens of crimes were linked to Sophia in the report, all technically justified or heroic in her cape identity, but excessive for a hero. Everything was there and it became clear what she was seeing. ¡°One hero for another,¡± she muttered, repeating Taylor¡¯s words. Armsmaster had a report ready that would end Sophia for life, potentially even enough to get her sent to the Birdcage, but would only submit it if Taylor was secured as a Ward. Hannah wanted to throw up, because if that report was so blatant, was Taylor also right about Lustrum? She knew she wouldn¡¯t forget a single detail of that report, a side effect of her own trigger was that she could never forget anything. It was useful for weapon designs, but less so for the blood spray of Crimson when the Nine had come through town. She had no idea he was already the Butcher, and it was only the swift action of Winter ending his life that saved her from joining that insanity. Hannah shivered at the memory, she endured many close calls over the years, but that one always stuck out. She returned to Lustrum¡¯s page and checked through her capes, arriving back at Fester¡¯s page. Another Butcher and Hannah couldn¡¯t help but chuckle darkly, because she had come close to learning that truth all those years ago. Kimberly ¡®Kimmie¡¯ Clayton, civilian identity of Fester, aka Butcher IV. Known associates, Annette ¡®Anne¡¯ Rose. It was right there under everyone¡¯s noses, but nobody had put the pieces together, because she was just an unpowered follower. Oh, how wrong they had been. Lustrum must have had a Stranger to mask her in some way. Looking into Fester¡¯s file, her murder of Richard Anders was documented as her first known criminal act. Checking his file ran into the same snag, a level seven security lock. Backing up to the Lustrum page, the loophole worked again, and the pit in her stomach only grew. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Richard Anders, aka Allfather. The PRT knew, and they kept a lid on it. It was no secret that Kaiser was his son, Max Anders, CEO of Medhall was the leader of the Empire Eighty Eight. Taylor was right about that too. She backed out of the page to Lustrum¡¯s once more and sat back in her chair, pinching her nose. That spoke of a level of corruption she didn¡¯t even want to consider. Who would she even report it to? The Director? No, she needed to go higher than that, but what if they were all complicit? What if this was all standard procedure? The thought of it sickened her to no end. ¡°Something interesting?¡± Hannah jumped at the voice and her power shifted into a desert eagle aimed directly at the intruder in her office. She breathed out when she saw the tall yet slender form of the Director. ¡°Thomas, you startled me,¡± she said, shifting her power back into a knife. The man had served as Piggot¡¯s second for almost as long as she held the Director¡¯s position. Hannah at one point assumed the two were married with how close they were. Then again, they were the sole survivors of Ellisburg before Hero and Legend arrived on the scene, the rest of their cape support having fled. It was something neither let the capes under their command forget. Director Calvert smiled. ¡°My apologies, you just seemed lost in thought and we do have a meeting to discuss what happened on your patrol. Your office was on the way so I thought I would poke my head in, so to speak.¡± Hannah kept her face as pleasant as she was able, but she could feel the snake in the room and it was poised to strike. ¡°Yes, just looking over an old case for relevant details to my present assignment.¡± ¡°You were attempting to recruit Cyber, I believe?¡± Director Calvert asked, gesturing to the door. ¡°Armsmaster continues to be quite insistent on her value, as does Watchdog.¡± Could she trust Calvert? That was the question that everything hinged upon. If she was wrong, there was a chance she might end up in Master Stranger quarantine, as Lustrum¡¯s supposed Master was never identified, they could claim she had a run in with them. Hell, they might even insist that Danny was said Master. Calvert at least was honest with her about Armsmaster potentially being demoted, so perhaps a test was in order. ¡°I don¡¯t believe she would be amenable to recruitment,¡± Hannah answered, stepping into the hall. Her power was on a hair trigger, ready to turn into a riot shield at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Her deceased mother was one of Lustrum¡¯s unaccounted for lieutenants. She had information from the movement that has colored her view of our organization as a whole, and my involvement with Lustrum¡¯s arrest has only soured her further.¡± ¡°A pity,¡± Director Calvert said. ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to continue to observe and reach out on your own time, but officially I¡¯m dropping all recruitment attempts. Now come, we have a meeting and I think the future Protectorate leader for the region should be there for it.¡± She hummed, but didn¡¯t continue the conversation. A few minutes of silence later and she entered a meeting room where the entire Protectorate roster was seated along with Aegis and Shadow Stalker. Hannah did her best to not look upon her with suspicion or scorn. ¡°Good, that¡¯s everyone,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Director, would you like to spearhead this meeting or should I?¡± ¡°Given it involves Parahumans exclusively, by all means,¡± the Director answered, taking his designated seat. Hannah moved to her own and looked to the flat screen that was currently paused on a video. The first frame already revealed the speaker¡¯s identity. Kaiser. Hannah wasn¡¯t sure what it was about, but it had to be important if an all hands meeting was called. ¡°Aegis, you are here as Wards leader and will be expected to brief your team following this meeting. Shadow Stalker, you are here as someone who participated in this incident and are one of the last people to see Crusader alive.¡± ¡°The bastard¡¯s dead!?¡± Shadow Stalker yelled, jumping to her feet. ¡°How?¡± More than a few of the heroes sucked in breaths. Was Sophia responsible for his death? Crusader was a Nazi and deserved whatever had happened, but there were laws in place if it was the result of a hero¡¯s actions. Armsmaster remained stoic in the face of the outburst. ¡°That is what this video will clarify. Kaiser released this recording less than twenty minutes ago and we expect it to have sweeping ramifications for the stability of the city.¡± And with that proclamation, the video began to play. ¡°Good people of Brockton Bay, I bring troubling news. An outsider has come to our city, one who isn¡¯t above slaughtering the good people of our home. Crusader, valiant defender of everything decent, was killed today by this outsider. She calls herself the Major, but her true name is Motoko Kusanagi, a disgraced soldier discharged for her violent and destructive behavior. She slaughtered our knight like the animal she has proven to be. As such, I am offering five million dollars to whoever brings me the beast¡¯s head. The rest of her body is negotiable.¡± The video ended and the room remained silent for several tense moments. She hadn¡¯t expected what did end up breaking the silence. Laughter. Shadow Stalker was laughing about the death of a man, an incident that apparently happened right under their noses. ¡°Holy shit, I knew that bitch was hardcore, but this is a whole different level,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°Please tell me we¡¯re going to pay for her services and point her at the Nazis.¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Armsmaster said before anyone else could speak. ¡°She has listed herself as a mercenary in Miss Militia¡¯s report, but that she was employed by villains at the time. In addition, Dragon has corroborated the history that Kaiser alluded to. As such, we do not believe she will be open to a recruitment offer and we will not be hiring her just to keep her from being a potential enemy, not with the Empire out for blood.¡± ¡°Quite right,¡± Director Calvert cut in. ¡°This ¡®Major¡¯ is to be considered extremely dangerous. Any Wards that encounter her are to disengage immediately. Protectorate members are authorized to employ lethal force if she resists. Your lives are the priority, I expect all of you to come home alive, that is an order.¡± Hannah blanched. Lethal force against another cape was rarely authorized so blatantly, yet here he was pushing for it. All because a Nazi had died. She looked at Calvert, truly looked at him, and began to wonder. He was a black man, there was no denying that, so why was he coming to the support of a Nazi call to arms, even if indirectly? It didn¡¯t make sense even if the goal was to maintain stability within the city. Cyber was good at finding answers, and had proven correct about enough things so far to consider. Showing her the proof of violence in Lustum¡¯s movement would be too inflammatory, but she would bring it up in due time. Perhaps another visit to the Hebert household was in order, along with an apology to help things along. She needed support and knew better than to try it alone. Something was rotten in the local Protectorate and PRT, and Hannah was determined to find out exactly what it was. Leaving the meeting, Sophia was tapping away on her civilian phone, a bit of a smile on her face. Hannah felt a bit sick at that, but given the Nazis killed her father when she was barely starting school¡­ She¡¯d let that slide, for now. Still, there were other people Hannah could call, even if it meant swallowing her pride to do so. There were several people she owed an apology to, and even after sixteen years, she still trusted them to do the right thing. It hurt to consider that she had been wrong, but she knew deep down that this was the right thing to do. She owed it to Ravager, whatever name h¡ª she had chosen for herself, to Clive as well, but first? Leaving the PRT building, Hannah pulled out her civilian phone and dialed a number she hadn¡¯t called in years, one that she refused to throw out. It was answered on the first ring. ¡°Fuck off Hannah, I¡ª¡± ¡°Kat, before you hang up, I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry,¡± she rushed out. ¡°You were right, she was right, and I want to do what I should have done all those years ago.¡± There was a long stretch of silence and Hannah feared that the call had dropped, or worse, been intercepted. Then, after such agonizing tension, a heavy sigh broke through. ¡°Okay Hannah, what prompted this? I know better than to think you had a sudden change of heart for nothing, so spill.¡± So she did. Chapter 37 Taylor collapsed onto the sofa in the Toybox break room. Her limbs trembled and she wasn¡¯t sure which body she was reacting with. It could have been both for all she knew. Her shell had settled on the couch at Toybox, while her old flesh and blood body was on the Undersiders¡¯ couch with Lisa watching Princess Bride, right. She curled in on herself, unsure of why killing a Nazi was hitting her so hard and why it hadn¡¯t set in until she was away from it all. They had planned to do so, Taylor knew what lines she would need to cross to accomplish her goals. She needed the Nazis on edge, to make mistakes. Changing the game was how she would accomplish it, and Coil offering a bonus for a dead Nazi was the tipping point. She needed him to trust the Major, and she had numerous kills on her record with the military. The Major wasn¡¯t Taylor, she was a face she wore, a mask in all but name. How Taylor wished she could have a portion of that strength at that same moment. The door opened, and the Major had her pistol in hand in a blink, part of her programmed combat reflexes that were already bleeding over into her mind. Melissa stood there, hands up with palms out and an expression that twisted her stomach even further. It was soft, and more than a bit of understanding as she entered the room. She lowered her gun, letting it drop beside her where it was returned to her holster. She then curled back up on herself. Melissa was someone she wouldn¡¯t put on a front for, she had earned that much just as Lisa had. ¡°I saw the announcement,¡± Melissa said softly. ¡°You killed someone.¡± All she could do was nod as Melissa took a seat next to her on the sofa. ¡°Was that your first?¡± Taylor nodded, curling up tighter. She wasn¡¯t the Major right now, she was just Taylor, she had to be. That¡¯s all she ever was really, no matter the mask she affected, she needed to remember that truth. Strong arms pulled her up and soon her head was in Melissa¡¯s lap as fingers ran through her purple hair. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be strong for me,¡± Melissa said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been there, I know what it feels like when you take that first life.¡± ¡°Does it get easier?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Oh, I could lie, tell you it¡¯s always going to eat at you, but like anything, it gets easier the more you do it. That is the sad truth of being a killer.¡± Melissa had spoken with a level of conviction that surprised her, because she hadn¡¯t thought of her as a hardened combatant. Experienced, yes. Someone who understood what it meant to be a killer? That she hadn¡¯t expected. Taylor knew that her path wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant, anyone trying to change how things worked rarely found it to be an easy task. The Empire had been around for over twenty years, it was deeply rooted in the city, far more so than even the Protectorate. Getting her hands dirty had been unavoidable, so she decided to get it out of the way as quickly as possible in a way she could accept. It was funny, she almost wished her shell was with Lisa at the moment, so she could be physically closer to her girlfriend. At least her mentor had come to check on her. She didn¡¯t truly trust any instance of herself to be alone at the moment. ¡°Where¡¯s your other half?¡± Melissa asked softly. ¡°With Lisa,¡± she answered. ¡°We¡¯re watching Princess Bride.¡± Melissa chuckled, her hand still running through Taylor¡¯s hair. ¡°Sync up the movie on the TV over there, I¡¯ll watch it with you.¡± Taylor smiled softly, linking into Toybox¡¯s extensive media server and found the movie file. She wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the Tinker collective actually handled all the imports from Aleph with how much was on offer. The movie came up, and she synced the playback, ending up where Westley was climbing the cliff. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, you know,¡± Melissa said. At Taylor¡¯s inquisitive side eye, she chuckled. ¡°This is one of the few movies from the eighties that is identical to its Aleph import. Not a scene was changed despite Scion¡¯s appearance some years before.¡± Taylor blinked at the trivia, even as Westley caught his breath. The appearance of Scion was often speculated to be the dividing point that split Aleph and Bet, but there was more to it, as differences dating back as far as 1979 were sometimes found. Perhaps it was just a universal truth that the movie was perfect across all realities. So, in two places, Taylor watched one of the greatest movies of all time with the two most important people in her life. Lisa had taken to massaging her scalp along the hidden seams that hid the brain case housing the communication suite which allowed her to maintain both lives. And the other, Melissa had taken to humming a tune that was so achingly familiar. Her mother had once hummed that very tune to lull her to sleep whenever she had a nightmare, or she and Emma had been arguing¡­ She wanted to ask about that song, but found herself far too relaxed to do so. Her eyes closed and she luxuriated in the moment, because despite everything, she was doing alright.
Taylor awoke in an unfamiliar bed, both in her shell and her old body. She sat up quickly, the Major looking around while her old body was trapped in a pair of arms. She looked over, finding Lisa still asleep beside her frowning at the sudden motion. ¡°Go back ¡®sleep,¡± Lisa muttered, curling up closer. Taylor smiled, feathering a kiss on her girlfriend¡¯s brow before doing just that. It was a perk of having two bodies, as her shell was under no such restrictions. Taylor didn¡¯t recognize the room, but there were some personal affects here and there. She didn¡¯t want to snoop, but there were a few pictures along the wall that drew her eyes. None of the groups in them looked connected in any way. She did spot Melissa in one, a picture near a university with four others grinning with diplomas in hand. The next picture was another woman, passed out on a couch with a bong in hand and various things drawn on her face. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The next picture gave her pause, as she recognized the picture. The exact same image was among her mother¡¯s journals, all of Lustrum¡¯s capes, without their costumes. She was certain that no other copies survived, given how few managed to escape before the PRT dropped the hammer. She wanted answers, but at the same time, Melissa must have known who she was all this time. It certainly explained her protectiveness of Taylor early on, as well as the reactions that hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Melissa was linked to Lustrum¡¯s movement in some way, that much was clear. Given her mentor wasn¡¯t present, it was likely she would need to find the woman first. Logging into Toybox¡¯s systems, she checked on Damascian¡¯s location, finding her in the now familiar break room. Taylor wasted little time letting herself out, making sure the door had locked behind her and made her way through the winding halls full of death traps and bland tile until she arrived at the small lounge. Inside, she found Melissa and Harry discussing something over a plate of donuts and some coffee. Melissa grinned when she saw Taylor¡¯s shell and waved her over. ¡°Morning Major, help yourself. Harry and I were just discussing some theories.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but return the smile. ¡°Sure thing.¡± The fresh pot of coffee smelled better than the usual fare that was on offer so she decided to be bold and try whatever brew was on offer. Taking a sip, she appreciated the bold flavor but added a scoop of sugar to take some of the bitterness out of it. She might have preferred tea, but sometimes coffee was what the day called for. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your shell¡¯s sense of taste is that accurate to your original,¡± Harry said. ¡°How did you manage that?¡± ¡°Cranial and I did extensive mapping of my mind and nerves ahead of things,¡± Taylor said, grabbing a basic glazed donut. ¡°We wanted to get things right, and they found it to be an interesting challenge for their equipment. I think we ended up doing several upgrades to their own systems as a result.¡± ¡°The joys of a good collaboration,¡± Harry said wistfully. ¡°I should let you poke at my own stuff, see if there¡¯s anything you can contribute.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said easily. ¡°I actually had a favor to ask, but I¡¯ll need a few days before I¡¯m ready.¡± Melissa¡¯s face shed its emotions like water as she looked at Taylor. ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t already planning another strike.¡± ¡°I promised Regent,¡± she said softly, looking away from the woman who had proven to care about her in a way she hadn¡¯t ever expected to experience again. ¡°His father is Heartbreaker and his deal with Coil included protection from the man.¡± ¡°You want to go after a human Master?¡± Harry asked with a frown. ¡°I know your cyber brain throws some effects off, but that is one hell of a risk.¡± ¡°I could see you sending your original body, or swapping the controller with your brain for it,¡± Melissa admitted. ¡°Did you have a plan for this or were you still going half baked?¡± ¡°Tinkertech rifle from three to five miles out,¡± she answered. ¡°He¡¯s in a manor near Montreal. There¡¯s a skyscraper with a perfect line of sight to his balcony.¡± Melissa raised an eyebrow, and Taylor realized Melissa hadn¡¯t thought that much planning had been done. The truth was, she wasn¡¯t ready to end another life, but who really was? The feelings from Crusader were fresh, and as much of a monster as he was, Heartbreaker was the worst of the worst. Someone she could easily justify that wouldn¡¯t trouble her conscience nearly as much as some of the others she considered. A perfect second step, really. ¡°You¡¯ve given this some thought,¡± Melissa said after a moment. ¡°You¡¯re determined to see this path through, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I need someone I won¡¯t lose sleep over this time,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°Then the third won¡¯t hit as hard. I¡¯ll be able to take whatever steps I need from there.¡± Taylor wanted to shrink back from the way Melissa was looking at her, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emotion behind her eyes. Next thing she knew, she was wrapped in a hug and fighting to keep the tears at bay. Taylor didn¡¯t want to become a monster, but she knew that to fight monsters, it took one. Nobody else had stepped up to save her home, so she would do it. Brockton Bay would be safe, no matter how many bodies it took. ¡°I¡¯ll see about getting you a rifle capable of that shot,¡± Harry said after letting the moment linger. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you an exit point onto that rooftop. That the man still lives is something that should have been rectified decades ago.¡± Taylor nodded, still held tight in Melissa¡¯s arms. It looked like she would be dealing with that problem sooner than she expected.
Lisa finally stirred after nearly an hour, allowing Taylor to wiggle free. Her body might be remotely piloted, but it did still have needs. While Lisa shook off the dregs of sleep, Taylor slipped off to the bathroom. Emerging some minutes later, she found her girlfriend glaring at the coffee pot, wishing it would brew faster. Laughing, Taylor flipped the switch to actually turn it on. Lisa nearly jumped, looking between the offending device and Taylor before finding the nearest chair and parking herself upon it with a heavy sigh. ¡°How long did you stay up after I passed out,¡± Taylor asked. ¡°A few hours,¡± Lisa answered, her face hidden in her arms on the table. ¡°Brian had a few more questions and I had to tell him that the Major was a customer of yours from before she became active in the Bay. Taylor chortled. ¡°Ah, technically correct, the best kind of correct.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Lisa said cheerfully only for her face to fall a moment later. ¡°I also tried to find more leads on Coil, but didn¡¯t have any luck.¡± Taylor grimaced, but didn¡¯t say anything. The loft was of course bugged, but Taylor had taken several steps to prevent them from picking up anything incriminating. Whoever was the brains behind the man was a slippery bastard. They had three names now, all likely pawns of someone else. They could cripple Coil¡¯s empire, but leaving the snake at the heart of it alive was just asking for trouble down the road. ¡°What about you? I get the feeling something interesting happened on the other side.¡± Taylor looked back towards the hall, finding no movement. ¡°I think Regent¡¯s problem will be solved within the week.¡± Lisa perked up, just as the coffee pot finished. ¡°I thought the rifle would take longer to source.¡± ¡°Harry seemed keen on ending the man,¡± Taylor said, getting a cup poured for her girlfriend who accepted it as if it were a holy offering before she made one for herself, even if she did prefer tea. ¡°Melissa was concerned, but seemed to accept my reasoning.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going to continue then?¡± Smiling softly, Taylor leaned back in her chair. ¡°This has gone on for too long, Lise. Something is rotten in Brockton Bay, and I¡¯m determined to smoke it out.¡± Lisa raised her cup in a toast before draining half of it. ¡°Here¡¯s to a better tomorrow.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but no path worth treading truly is.¡± Taylor smiled, lifting her own cup to Lisa¡¯s. ¡°Here¡¯s to the friends we¡¯ll make along the road to hell.¡± Chapter 38 Taylor was feeling better, things hadn¡¯t truly calmed down but her talks with Lisa and Melissa had certainly helped. Unfortunately, her old body still had to attend school like a normal person. The Major was back at Toybox prepping for the coming cyber brain conversion of one Amy Dallon while simultaneously texting Shadow Stalker apologies for not being available. At least she bought that there was too much heat on her for the moment. She caught up with the biokinetic near Arcadia¡¯s exit, but the girl had been waylaid by her sister and several Wards out of costume. Taylor slowed her approach for a moment, unsure of how best to approach before deciding that fortune favored the bold. ¡°Amy! You ready to go?¡± she called out, running right up without a care in the world. Dennis and Chris shared a look between them but she wasn¡¯t about to let them get the first word in. ¡°Lisa and Vivian are waiting for us, we don¡¯t want to be late.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Victoria asked. ¡°My girlfriend,¡± Amy said with a world-class glare. ¡°We¡¯ve got a double date to get to.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± the pretty boy always hanging around Victoria said. ¡°Everyone knows Taylor here is dating Tattletale, so why are you willingly hanging out with villains?¡± ¡°You just have to love these rules nobody follows,¡± Taylor said pleasantly. ¡°Does anyone else want to play heroes and villains or can we get on with our day?¡± ¡°Fuck it, they¡¯re not going to listen,¡± Amy said, fishing out a familiar device from her backpack and pointed it at the nearby wall where a distortion in space opened. ¡°Taylor, you coming?¡± She could only shake her head at the brazenness of it all, but dutifully followed along and found herself back in Toybox¡¯s reception room. That was a bit of a surprise, as her own device could take her straight into her lab, but then again, was Amy¡¯s lab even safe for someone without her powers? That would be something to talk with Harry about, seeing if he could create some garden rooms for her to play around with, maybe secure some animals and other critters too. The procedure would come first, but it got added to her list of things to see done all the same. Taylor stepped beside Amy, who was clenching her fists and grinding her teeth, and pulled her friend close. ¡°Let it out, Ames,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°It¡¯s fucking bullshit!¡± she yelled, pushing away from Taylor. ¡°I do nothing but heal, and when I finally make some friends, everyone assumes the worst of them. You¡¯re harmless, Lisa¡¯s a lovable jerk, Melissa is more of a mom than Carol, Riley is adorable, and god, Vivian is a bitch¡­¡± That last one had been said so fondly Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°We¡¯re a family.¡± ¡°We are,¡± Amy answered with a whisper. ¡°I thought I knew what that was like, and as much as Vicky tried, it never quite felt real.¡± She didn¡¯t know Amy nearly as well as she probably should, given the girl was basically the first friend she had made since Emma stabbed her in the back, despite the rocky start. That her family life made Taylor¡¯s look like a dream in comparison was an unsettling revelation and only got worse the deeper she dug into it. ¡°Remind me to show you Mom¡¯s journals from her Lustrum days,¡± Taylor said, patting her friend on the back. ¡°You¡¯re mentioned in one of them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Amy exclaimed, moving to follow after her. ¡°No, you don¡¯t get to just drop something like that and keep walking. What do you mean I¡¯m in your mother¡¯s journals?¡± ¡°Lustrum and Marquis had several agreements,¡± Taylor began, not slowing in her walk towards the lab. ¡°One of those was that if something happened to him, his daughter would be taken care of.¡± ¡°Lot of good that did,¡± Amy spat. ¡°What, are you saying we would have been raised together instead?¡± ¡°Possibly,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Arwen had a multitude of followers, Mom was just one of many. Unfortunate that the government seems to have conspired to ensure you got completely screwed though. The timing of Marquis and Lustrum being arrested raises a lot of red flags, and what I¡¯ve uncovered hasn¡¯t been pretty.¡± Amy scoffed. ¡°What, the entire government is in on it?¡± ¡°Think about it,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Marquis is taken down thanks to an anonymous tip, Lustrum is captured hours later and suddenly the Nazis¡¯ enemies are all taken care of. Both groups had been vilified over the years through careful attacks on their reputations. Lung pretty much forced himself into the city following all that. Now, you have the ABB which kidnap ¡®good white girls¡¯ off the streets, despite not one proven case existing, and the Merchants which deal to kindergartners. There¡¯s probably shreds of truth there, but it reeks of propaganda, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Okay, so villains are targeting other villains,¡± Amy huffed. ¡°Nothing new there.¡± Taylor hummed. ¡°True, but why does it seem that the local authorities always side with the Nazis? Just look at what happened when one of them was killed. Kaiser put a hit out on the Major and the PRT is doing what exactly?¡± Amy blinked. ¡°Keeping their heads down, looking to take the Major into custody.¡± Taylor smirked as she opened the door to her lab, and the Major looked up from where she had been working and spoke. ¡°Exactly. Heaven forbid someone actually stand up to the fascist pricks.¡± Taylor could only laugh at the gobsmacked expression on Amy¡¯s face upon seeing her shell again. She had made minor changes to her general appearance, and Amy hadn¡¯t seen it since she first swapped her cyber brain over to the Major. ¡°I completely forgot that was your shell,¡± she muttered. ¡°Fuck, I either need sleep or stronger coffee, I¡¯m not sure which.¡± ¡°To be fair, I did cut my hair shorter,¡± the Major said. ¡°It got in my eyes when Melissa and I were sparring.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°It¡¯s still purple,¡± Amy said flatly then slapped her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± ¡°Sometimes we overlook the obvious,¡± Taylor said, stepping inside. ¡°Melissa, Cranial, how¡¯s it all looking?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Cranial answered. ¡°Riley should be getting here soon, Jacob¡¯s picking her up now. You of course know this because we were just discussing it prior to the arrival of your remote piloted body.¡± ¡°It was for Amy¡¯s benefit,¡± the Major answered. ¡°We could always intentionally fuck with you,¡± Taylor said, then she and the Major spoke in unison. ¡°We are the Borg, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.¡± ¡°Dork,¡± Amy said, rolling her eyes. ¡°So, just lie down on the table and go along with it?¡± ¡°What are you, British?¡± Cranial asked. ¡°Then again, I don¡¯t think anyone figured out Marquis¡¯ nationality.¡± ¡°He was from Mexico, but raised in Quebec, which was where he picked up the name,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Very interesting man, from what people have told me. Shame what happened to him.¡± ¡°Why does everyone seem to know so much about my father?¡± Amy demanded. ¡°Carol never talks about him, and there are so few records online. Yet, all of you are better informed than anyone!¡± ¡°Some of us have been around for a while,¡± Melissa said softly. ¡°Knowledge carries a burden all its own, but if you ever want to know more, you know where to find me. I¡¯d be happy to tell you anything I might be able to share.¡± Taylor regarded Melissa through one of the cameras in her lab, there was something there but she couldn¡¯t place it. She was too young to have ties to Lustrum, and yet those pictures said otherwise. If she didn¡¯t know better, Taylor would think she was collecting bits and pieces of other people¡¯s lives. There was a story there, one she was keeping to herself, but Taylor knew her mentor wanted to speak of it, to share her knowledge with those who had been close at hand. She wanted to pass that much along, to those she had come to care for. For all Melissa was, she was not a deceiver. The door to her lab opened, admitting Vivian who had an excited Riley and bemused Jacob trailing behind her. The bomb Tinker strolled right up to Amy and pulled her into a crushing hug. ¡°How¡¯s my little cactus doing?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh, I am so using that for blackmail,¡± Lisa said with barely restrained chuckles. She was only watching through Taylor¡¯s eyes, not wanting to crowd the lab too much. Even Jacob would be stepping out before the operation began. Amy would be the first person with a physical based power getting a cyber brain and there were some concerns. Amy was well aware of them to be sure, but had chosen to go forward despite the risks. As things settled, Taylor moved forward, the Major moving in tandem with her. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you to sleep and see what happens.¡± Amy smiled, leaning back on the operating table as Vivian feathered a kiss on her hand before retreating from the room. With all the formalities taken care of, Riley administered the sedative.
Amy returned to consciousness slowly, and Taylor waited with bated breath. Only her shell and Riley were now present. Cranial had stepped out just to be safe in the event something went wrong. Riley¡¯s own enhancements made her immune to most pathogens and the Major wasn¡¯t flesh and blood. It was the safest option in the event Amy lost control. ¡°Take it slow,¡± Taylor whispered. ¡°Your power is currently disabled, and we¡¯re going to test that first.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Amy groaned. She rubbed at her eyes before freezing, then they shot open, all signs of fatigue lost. ¡°My power, it isn¡¯t there.¡± The words had been spoken with reverence, and Taylor said a silent prayer that things worked. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to give you control of the switch, okay? You¡¯ll be able to switch it on and off at will.¡± Amy¡¯s head snapped up, her eyes still wide with wonder. ¡°Right¡­ Ugh, how does this work?¡± Taylor smiled, and passed the control over. Amy blinked for a moment, then Taylor registered it being activated. Amy¡¯s Corona and Gemma flared with activity and Amy reached for the nearby plant. She touched it, and immediately frowned. ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not getting any feedback.¡± Taylor moved to her readouts, looking over everything. All the connections were good, the signals were being passed properly, and yet nothing was happening. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s as we feared,¡± Cranial said over their group connection. ¡°Strikers are incompatible, we should assume any ability that requires the body as a medium will share this restriction.¡± ¡°Fuck, I just wanted¡ª¡± Amy¡¯s words cut off as a dozen alarms sounded across Taylor¡¯s monitoring suite and her friend began to scream. Her Corona and Gemma were surging with activity, and not the good kind. Taylor immediately activated the emergency sedation as Riley fought to get her back on the table. The girl had a Brute rating from her enhancements, yet still Amy almost overpowered her. ¡°A hand would be nice,¡± Riley grunted as the Major moved over. It didn¡¯t take long for Amy to be unconscious once again, her Corona and Gemma still wild with activity. Taylor huffed, getting her friend re-situated on the operating table, she wanted to cry for Amy, she really did.
This time, Amy woke naturally. The room set aside for her recovery would be hers going forward, assuming she didn¡¯t convert it into a greenhouse like her last room. The Major and Riley had sat with her, ready to help in whatever way, even if it was just a friendly voice. After another ten minutes passed before Amy sat up, groaning while gripping the side of her head. ¡°Why does it feel like I drank a gallon of moonshine?¡± she asked. ¡°You know what moonshine tastes like?¡± Riley wondered. Another groan followed as Taylor slid a glass of water over. The biokinetic drank greedily. ¡°Vicky drags me to parties with her, I¡¯ve tried a few things.¡± ¡°I¡¯d yell at you for being a smoker, but your power seems to keep you healthy,¡± Riley said with a huff. ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Amy cut in. Taylor wanted to curse that the distraction had barely lasted a minute. ¡°I can sense everything again¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Taylor promised. Amy threw her glass against the wall, shattering it as she screamed. ¡°I just wanted a fucking off switch!¡± Taylor and Riley both moved, pulling their friend into a group hug. Amy broke down into tears immediately. ¡°Why is that so fucking much to ask for?¡± ¡°Cranial and I will keep working on it,¡± Riley promised. ¡°If a mechanical option is out, we¡¯ll just need to figure out a biological one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a parasite in my brain,¡± Amy grumbled. ¡°There are options,¡± Riley insisted with tears streaming down her face. ¡°I promise you we¡¯ll keep working. This is important, you¡¯re important, and don¡¯t think otherwise.¡± Amy cried harder and the three of them settled into the hug. Taylor wanted to berate herself for not figuring things out, Amy deserved a moment of peace, to hug someone and not feel every scrap of their biology. She shouldn¡¯t have to experience that each and every time she hugged a friend, or kissed her girlfriend. She decided then that the first shell after the dust settled would be for Vivian, if only so Amy could actually hold her without being overwhelmed. Amy deserved all that and more. Chapter 39 The Empire¡¯s proclamation that the Major¡¯s head was worth five million brought all kinds of bastards to the Bay, many of which were causing havoc just for the sake of it. The Major still managed to get out, often bringing Shadow Stalker with as she continued to poke at the beehive. Taylor often had to push the Major persona hard on those patrols, just to keep from snapping at Sophia and giving up the game. Coil had given her a few jobs then, most were simple recon missions, all of which Taylor was convinced were cover for other missions he was having done across the city. At least, that was the theory Lisa came up with after a week of after action reports. ¡°There¡¯s a pattern,¡± the Thinker said. ¡°He¡¯s having you watch for problem areas to put a plan in motion.¡± Taylor was in school, but that didn¡¯t stop her and Lisa from meeting up in cyberspace. The Undersiders were on standby for a job, that was all she knew and the rest of the team wasn¡¯t to be informed, the recon missions played a part, and the current mission the Major was on looked to be the key. Lisa was gesturing to a 3D rendering of Brockton Bay, pointing out the areas she was known to observe, and areas the Undersiders had been hitting. There was indeed a pattern. ¡°What would Coil want with a middle school?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°The only thing I can find of note is that Vista attends.¡± ¡°She does,¡± Lisa confirmed. ¡°She¡¯s also friends with Brian¡¯s little sister, Aisha, and another girl named Dinah. I met all three a few months back, nothing really stood out.¡± Taylor frowned. ¡°You think he wants further leverage over the team?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite fit, but it is worth noting that Dinah is also related to Triumph,¡± Lisa said. ¡°He¡¯s breaking the Rules if he goes after any of them.¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s declaration probably put a hold on certain things,¡± Taylor mused. ¡°There are a lot of idiots fighting in the streets for the ¡®honor¡¯ of claiming the Major¡¯s head.¡± Lisa snorted. ¡°There¡¯s also a bunch that claim you¡¯re a fucking hero and came here to hunt anyone going after you for daring to assist Nazis with a manhunt. Needless to say, it¡¯s keeping the Protectorate busy. Unfortunately, it meant Miss Militia hasn¡¯t snooped more, even if the files she accessed were of considerable interest.¡± She hadn¡¯t added a name to Hirschfeld¡¯s file, which was promising for her efforts to flip the hero into an asset. Taylor knew her father wanted another meeting, but she hoped Hannah would dig a bit deeper before arranging that. They were getting some classified details from Lisa¡¯s intrusions into the PRT systems, but they still needed someone to access those systems first otherwise it would put a searchlight over her access to their computers. Taylor spun the map around, looking for anything further, but kept coming up blank. There was something she was missing, but what could it be? ¡°Anything on the mystery job he¡¯s telling you to prepare for?¡± ¡°Only that it¡¯s a distraction for something else,¡± Lisa said. ¡°But that¡¯s the most obvious thing ever. I don¡¯t have enough information to avoid bad data paths yet.¡± ¡°Well, when the job comes down, I suppose I¡¯ll scope out the area around the school,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Coil doesn¡¯t know I can be in multiple places at once, we need to play that up.¡± ¡°As soon as he figures out that the Major and Cyber are one and the same, he¡¯s going to try to kill you,¡± Lisa warned. ¡°The second he kills my original body, the Major will go to war,¡± Taylor said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯ve tried to mask which body is being remotely piloted, and once my next body is complete, both will be remotely piloted.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be vulnerable until then,¡± Lisa reminded, pulling Taylor¡¯s avatar into a hug. ¡°You aren¡¯t invincible, neither of us are. Please don¡¯t forget that.¡± Given just how vast the world had become since gaining a digitally connected brain, it was easy to forget that she was just a single mind. Taylor knew she could emulate an AI fairly well if she tried, she just wasn¡¯t willing to truly give up that human connection. She wanted to live in the moments, which was why her shell still carried a cyber brain rather than a second remote connection. Taylor sighed in class while the Major looked up at the sky, white clouds drifting lazily across the scenery. She had to take a moment to remember that the one looking at the sky was her current self. The others were also her, all one consciousness shared across multiple instances, but they were all extra, weren¡¯t they? The sky was above her, true and clear. Unfortunately, so was Rune, and the girl had clearly spotted her. ¡°Lisa, eyes on Rune,¡± the Major said. The Major had her rifle in hand, aimed in the sky, but the girl was unmoving, just sitting there rather than approaching. No cell signals were being sent from the platform that Taylor could locate, which just raised further concerns. ¡°She¡¯s not looking for a fight, but wasn¡¯t looking for you either,¡± Lisa said, looking through her eyes. ¡°Rather, she did want to find you but hadn¡¯t expected to. There¡¯s no intention to harm either¡­ Shit, invite her down, I don¡¯t like the tangents my power is trying to explore.¡± ¡°Pretty sure her platform could still ruin my day,¡± The Major muttered, but trusted Lisa as she let her gun rest on its sling and waved the cape down. Rune hesitated for a moment, but began to descend, the Major waiting until she was closer to deliver a warning. ¡°I would have expected a shoot first attitude from the Empire, give me one reason to not return the favor.¡± Rune paused her descent, no doubt unnerved by that declaration. It wasn¡¯t an idle threat, given that she had killed a man just inches away from her with a single ¡®stray¡¯ bullet. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen, but she did recognize the opportunity. If she wanted the Empire pointed at Coil, and this was her chance to make it happen. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Major,¡± Rune said, her voice trembling. Then her platform dropped to the roof and the girl darted towards her. Taylor almost reached for her gun, but Rune was only thirteen, and that hadn¡¯t truly set in until she was right there, wrapping her arms around the Major in a death grip. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± Taylor blinked in three instances of herself, wondering just what she was dealing with. Lisa¡¯s avatar sucked in a breath. ¡°Tay, they were forcing her to¡ª¡± The Major wrapped her arms around the trembling girl, even as she listened to Lisa¡¯s insight. If she hadn¡¯t already killed Crusader, she would have done so anyway. The girl slowly calmed down, but the tears flowed freely. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure what to say, she was just a few years older than the girl, but she still felt like a child to the Major. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea of why you reacted like that,¡± the Major said softly. ¡°Though, I would like to hear it from you, if that¡¯s not too much.¡± A sobbing hiccup was her answer, then Rune spoke. ¡°Kaiser tried to set me up with his son, who wasn¡¯t interested. Pretty sure he¡¯s a fag, and I offered to date him to keep up appearances. That worked for a bit, but Kaiser caught on and decided to give me to Crusader instead.¡± Taylor took a deep breath back at Arcadia before her Avatar nodded. ¡°Lise, I¡¯m sounding a mask alert at Toybox, she¡¯s coming back with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent Amy a priority message,¡± Lisa said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the signals she¡¯s giving off but I want confirmation first.¡± Taylor didn¡¯t like disturbing Amy like that, but given the situation, she¡¯d pay Amy from her own funds if necessary. ¡°Rune, I¡¯m going to bring you somewhere safe, is that alright?¡± ¡°Nowhere in this city is safe,¡± she muttered. ¡°Kaiser has people everywhere.¡± The Major hummed, retrieving her dimensional key. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have people in Toybox.¡± She triggered the device and space distorted in that ever familiar way. She wasted little time guiding the young girl inside. She brought her in through the standard guest entry for safety reasons, but Melissa had come to greet them all the same. She had a generic domino mask on, but was otherwise in casual attire. ¡°Your notice said it was urgent,¡± Damascian said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to drag a member of the Empire back here, at least not alive.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say someone in the Empire is going to die today,¡± the Major said, forcing her voice even. ¡°Rune is to be offered our full hospitality until Panacea can check her out.¡± Melissa¡¯s face blanked, all emotion vanishing in a moment. The implication was obvious after all and given the ties to Lustrum, she knew Melissa was in full agreement with that declaration. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with some people, see where we can bring her once Amy has checked her out.¡± The Major nodded, leading the silent girl along through the halls of Toybox. She hadn¡¯t stopped shivering ever since she had embraced the safety offered. Back at Arcadia, Taylor was seething, and Chris was more than a little concerned by how she ended up snapping a pencil in the midst of a lecture. To say she was furious was a vast understatement, but it wouldn¡¯t do to show that anger around Rune. She was a victim and Taylor refused to risk the girl thinking the source of her anger was her. Taylor heard an announcement on Arcadia¡¯s intercom, requesting Amy report to the teacher¡¯s lounge, which likely meant Harry would be bringing her over himself. She had her own key to Toybox, as well as the personal codes needed to travel straight to both Vivian¡¯s and her own labs. Harry however could bring her to any room in the complex he damn well pleased. They reached a room that would be at home in any small clinic, a simple examination bed and a few cabinets with a sink. Melissa immediately began to wash her hands and gloved up. It wasn¡¯t necessary, not with Amy on her way, but the woman was falling back on what looked to be well practiced medical training. She began checking Rune¡¯s vitals, even with her costume intact and was just finishing up when Amy walked in. She wasn¡¯t wearing her robes, nor a mask. Dodge at least had put one on, not that it truly did anything to hide one¡¯s identity. Rune thankfully didn¡¯t attend Arcadia, she attended the Catholic school near downtown. ¡°Do I have permission to heal you?¡± Amy asked, skipping all formalities. Rune just nodded dumbly as Amy accepted her hand. ¡°Signs of physical abuse, but healed via regeneration. Othala¡¯s work. Some of those include¡ª¡± Amy cut off, looking towards the Major with wide eyes. The Major mouthed one name and Amy nodded ever so slightly. ¡°Good news at least,¡± Amy said softly. ¡°You aren¡¯t pregnant, just late. I¡¯ll patch everything up as if none of it happened and you¡¯ll be good to go.¡± ¡°But the tests,¡± Rune said, her voice shrill. ¡°Can be wrong,¡± Amy insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t let it stress you, my power lets me see biology and I can promise you, you aren¡¯t carrying his child.¡± Rune broke down into tears and Amy tried to smile, but it was a brittle thing. Melissa stepped in, her bedside manner impeccable compared to the prickly healer. Class had let out during that time and Taylor took the opportunity to cross her old body back to Toybox and made her way to the exam room. Poking her head inside, she gestured for Amy to follow. The girl didn¡¯t argue, stepping outside where Vivian was also waiting. Harry took the opportunity to slip out as well, standing off to the side. Amy blinked at the sight of the explosives Tinker and was on her in a blink, clinging tight as she too cried. She gave them a moment, but Taylor wasn¡¯t doing a good job of hiding her anger. ¡°How far along?¡± Taylor asked. It took Amy a moment, and Vivian was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing but went along with it anyway. ¡°Six weeks, give or take a few days.¡± Taylor¡¯s blood boiled, and she punched the nearest wall, leaving a deep dent in the steel structure and shattering half the bones in her hand. She killed the pain receptors, she didn¡¯t need that feedback at the moment. No, what she needed was something with a lot more kick. Amy absently offered her hand and Taylor accepted the implied offer. Her bones were set in moments. During that time, Jacob arrived, looking a bit put out. He stepped inside without a word, moving to Rune. ¡°Hello dear, my name is Jacob and I¡¯m a registered therapist with the PRT,¡± he said softly. ¡°I have a feeling you won¡¯t be comfortable with me personally, but I can ensure you¡¯re taken care of far from here, if you would like.¡± Rune nodded hesitantly, and Melissa helped her up. ¡°Are we taking her to Yamada?¡± ¡°She would be best for the initial evaluation,¡± Jacob agreed. ¡°Mel, can I trust you to stay with her until they get her a proper handler?¡± ¡°I can do that,¡± she agreed. Jacob turned to meet the Major¡¯s eyes, a spark of fury could be seen looking back at her, carefully veiled by years of experience. She nodded, and left the room to meet up with everyone else while those more qualified helped the girl. ¡°Harry,¡± she said, stepping up to the man. ¡°I need that rifle.¡± ¡°Going hunting?¡± Amy asked. ¡°I am,¡± the Major confirmed. ¡°I need to send a message.¡± Chapter 40 The Major was atop the second-largest building in Montreal, assembling her rifle carefully before slotting five rounds into the oversized magazine of the Tinkertech rifle that Harry sourced for her. She had chosen the location for the vantage and sight lines it provided on her chosen target. Heartbreaker would be waking up soon given how late he slept, and she would have a short window from taking her shot to get to the next target. She had come to the decision she was going to kill Kaiser after what happened with Rune, and it was better to get both her targets crossed off and only deal with the guilt once. That was her excuse at least, not that she truly believed it herself. Taylor doubted she would feel much regret over it, and all the regret she had felt for Crusader was long since dead after her afternoon. Kaiser knew Rune was missing and he had already blamed it on her, claiming she had covertly killed an upstanding pillar of their community. Tammi was safe however, currently in New York under Legend¡¯s direct care. Jacob had insisted that she would be taken care of with him and Taylor trusted him to be honest with her. Amy was taking a few days to herself at Jacob¡¯s insistence, not having done anything of the sort before and in sparing Tammi the truth, she had brought a new burden upon herself as a result. Melissa had spent a good few hours with her after that, and Taylor hadn¡¯t pried. Before the Nazis were more of a means to an end, even with the things she had learned about her mother. Now, she had a personal investment in seeing them uprooted for good. She had inadvertently removed Rune¡¯s abuser, all by chance. It was one thing to understand what the Nazis did, it was another to see it right in front of her, and done to one of their own no less. Rune was one of their capes, their propaganda painted them as the new gods or some tripe, and Kaiser just casually handed one to another like a prize. Given Heartbreaker was already on the docket, it was easy enough to slot Kaiser immediately after him. Taylor was back at Toybox along with Lisa and Vivian, playing Monopoly of all things with the Striker. It helped Amy keep her mind off things, which made it a fine use of their time. The Major was thus cleared to carry out some spring-cleaning. ¡°This is too good for him,¡± the Major said. She had eyes on the man, who was currently being attended to by his thralls. Breakfast in bed, among other things that made her skin crawl. She performed one last check and chambered the first round. Four miles, that was the distance to his manor, the curve of the earth drastic enough at that distance to severely alter the flight path of the bullet. That did little to stop her software from compensating for things, of course. Lisa was also watching, adding adjustments that her software was missing along the flight path the bullet would take. Even with a Tinkertech payload and rifle, bullets still needed to obey the laws of physics. ¡°Mostly,¡± Lisa hummed. ¡°Vivian can be vindictive though. Did you ask her what the payload was?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to know. This one has Heartbreaker¡¯s name on it, so she likely got creative all the same.¡± Taylor glanced up at the woman, who was presently fist bumping Amy over her latest hotel. The couples had quickly settled into teams, pooling resources as needed to hold out when one had a spot of bad luck, and as a result the game was in a rather spirited deadlock. Vivian had a cyber brain, so she too was watching the feed, though she was offering no feedback, Taylor wasn¡¯t sharing the audio of their conversation with her. All Vivian had conveyed was that anyone near Heartbreaker was at risk of being collateral. The bullet¡¯s path adjusted in real time as she looked down the scope of the rifle. She was on her stomach, rifle buried in her shoulder. The recoil was monstrous according to the spec sheet, and any normal human that tried to fire it would see their body shattered. The Major wasn¡¯t normal. She kept the dot on Heartbreaker as the women left him, and once he was momentarily alone, she fired. The recoil punched her harder than she expected, sliding her body back even with the absorption coils built into the rifle. She would need to find an upgrade if she intended to use the rifle for anything but long range stealth kills. Three seconds from initial shot to impact, she just had to hope he didn¡¯t move. The man was currently laying out on his bed, cigar in mouth and looked rather content. That look continued right up until the bullet removed his pelvis from existence, that moment of wide eyed comprehension before he burst like a pinata seared itself into her memory. Then he was whole again for all of three seconds as the bullet ripped through him once more. The scene repeated on a loop, all color having faded from the image by the second loop. Taylor felt a sickening pit open up in her stomach, and yet, it felt just in a twisted way. Taylor looked up at the explosives Tinker, conflicted on if she should say anything. The Major picked up her rifle and stepped through the shimmer in space, arriving back in Toybox in Dodge¡¯s lab. The man himself grimaced at the view screen, and shut the portal off. An example of his stoic professionalism, he already had a second portal opened which the Major stepped through without a word. There was one special bullet left, this one built for Kaiser, and three generic bullets remaining for if she needed them. Vivian no doubt had gotten more of the story from Amy than anyone save for Melissa and the therapist Jacob mentioned. Kaiser gave the order that Tammi was Crusader¡¯s, for that, he would die. She was just three blocks from Medhall on top of the building she had chosen, and Max Anders was seated at his desk going over some sort of paperwork, a man standing beside him. She couldn¡¯t actually see through his tinted windows, but she did have access to the cameras in his office. It wasn¡¯t hard to get into position and line up the shot. The Major pulled the trigger, and the glass practically dissolved on impact. The bullet slowed, and Kaiser was shoved aside by the man, who had to be Krieg. The bullet caught him center of mass, and knocked him back despite his power. He was still intact, but that lasted for only an instant before his flesh began to constrict and contort. Bones twisted, flesh tore and she watched. One of the twins ran inside, and promptly screamed. The Major brought the rifle around, pulling the action back and chambering another round even as she aimed at Kaiser who was already encased in his signature armor. She fired again, the bullet shearing into his armor, but it wasn¡¯t a killing blow. Blades rose to block the window even as she got another shot off. Her last round was sent at the man, but it hadn¡¯t been enough. They were retreating deeper into the building. She could go after them, but the alarm was raised. Snarling, the Major returned through the portal, feeling oddly detached. Two monsters were dead in less than five minutes. How was it so easy, and yet nobody else had ever taken such action? Harry gave her a fragile smile as she stepped back into his lab, but he wasn¡¯t alone, Jacob was there waiting. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for any bullshit, so she set the rifle aside and began to break it back down for later cleaning. She dropped the magazine then ejected the expended shell from the chamber. Nobody said anything to her till she finished. ¡°Taylor,¡± Jacob said, not betraying a hint of emotion. ¡°We should talk.¡± The Major didn¡¯t answer, she just fell in beside him as he walked from the room. Taylor wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was up to, and back with her original body, the game had ended with Amy and Vivian¡¯s triumph. At that, Amy made her way home discreetly, ready to play her part while Vivian returned to her lab to go over the data being sent her way on the munitions deployed. Lisa just held Taylor close, and she knew that her girlfriend would soon be an outlet for whatever this session with Jacob was going to be. Arriving at a small room, Jacob gestured to the couch while he took an armchair instead. The Major flopped down and sighed. ¡°So, you came to speak to me about all this?¡± ¡°I was actually here to speak with Amy, give her an update on Tammi,¡± Jacob said with a shrug. ¡°So imagine my surprise when I¡¯m told you¡¯re off on some mission to kill a few people.¡± ¡°They were monsters,¡± the Major hissed. ¡°How dare you try to say otherwise.¡± Jacob raised an eyebrow. ¡°This isn¡¯t a criticism, I¡¯m not that much of a hypocrite. No, I¡¯m here for you, to talk or whatever else you need to work through the fact you¡¯ve killed three people in cold blood in the span of a week. That affects someone, and to be blunt, I don¡¯t want you to become a remorseless killer. I¡¯ve seen enough of those to last a lifetime.¡± The fight fell out of her, because Jacob wasn¡¯t the enemy, he was a friend of Toybox, if not a full member. She wasn¡¯t sure if the man was a cape, though there would be no bet against it. Just because the Number Man was his husband, and Surgeon his daughter, did not mean anything. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± she asked. ¡°We talk,¡± he said with a soft smile. ¡°I will keep everything you tell me in confidence, and I can assure you, I possess knowledge of National Security level secrets, so I know how to keep them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t working for Toybox a contradiction then?¡± the Major asked, tilting her head. ¡°I have issues with the PRT, you no doubt know this, but you have the influence to have something done.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I seem to allow a conflict of interest?¡± The Major nodded. Jacob leaned back and smiled. ¡°Well, I have been cleared to tell you this much I suppose. Toybox is backed by Hero; the entire idea was his baby.¡± The Major blinked. Hero. One of the original founders of the Protectorate, the hero team that gave their name to the organization they helped the US Government form in the face of Behemoth. Even still, they carried that name. Each time an Endbringer came to reap a city, those four stood on the front lines. Be it Behemoth, Leviathan or Cerberus. ¡°That explains why the recruitment talks slowed, but didn¡¯t stop,¡± the Major said. ¡°That isn¡¯t widely known, is it?¡± ¡°Less than thirty people are aware of it,¡± Jacob said with a nod. ¡°Security Level Eight and above, since you seem to be familiar with those.¡± ¡°How did you¡ª¡± ¡°Kurt likes to talk over dinner,¡± Jacob said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not chiding you for it, just letting you know that people are aware of what you can do. Lisa is also rather dangerous now that you¡¯ve removed her limits. My daughter was extremely proud of that achievement.¡± The Major couldn¡¯t help but grin at that, because Lisa was awesome and deserved to hear it more, even if it did inflate her ego. Back at her old body, Taylor hugged the girl tight. She wasn¡¯t feeding this conversation to her girlfriend, or letting her watch through the Major¡¯s eyes. No, she needed to do this on her own, Jacob was right about that much. ¡°I killed three,¡± the Major said, getting back on topic. ¡°I don¡¯t regret ending them, but you¡¯re right, it has affected me all the same. I wasn¡¯t wrong to do so, I refuse to let anyone even imply that. Their victims deserve better.¡± ¡°The Empire will go to war, but you destabilized their command,¡± Jacob said, drumming his fingers across the arm of his chair. ¡°Expect Kaiser to rally the troops and for multiple courses of action to follow as they vie for revenge.¡± He was right, of course, and Taylor was already planning for a level of retaliation. Krieg wasn¡¯t going to die right away, that was one of the requests Taylor made of Vivian when requesting her munitions. As a result, the request was made to New Wave to have Panacea offer emergency healing to James Fliescher. Amy was very public about her refusal. It didn¡¯t take long for rumors to start spreading, and Taylor was watching all of it in real time. James Fliescher died twenty minutes after she pulled the trigger, torn apart by a bastardized take on Vista¡¯s power. Lisa worked overtime, making sure rumors spread quickly, timed out for maximum damage to the Empire¡¯s reputation. Krieg was killed in violation of the supposed rules, much as Fleur was nearly a decade prior. A slight repaid. Their involvement with Marquis and Lustrum¡¯s capture was repaid with blood. It wasn¡¯t justice in full, but it was a good start. Up in Montreal, Dragon had arrived with the Guild to Heartbreaker¡¯s compound and began to take people into custody. Many of the children were also human Masters, which complicated the endeavor, not that the splash damage was her problem. They should have removed him sooner rather than allow things to build up to such a degree. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jacob,¡± she said. ¡°I may be green, but I¡¯ve already started the next stages of my plan. The Empire won¡¯t recover, you have my word.¡± ¡°That was what I was afraid of,¡± he said. ¡°Switching gears, what do you plan to do about Coil? I know you¡¯re after him too, and you are going to overextend at this rate.¡± ¡°Just waiting on a phone call,¡± the Major said. ¡°He at least, will be easier to uproot given the proper opening.¡± ¡°You certainly have the mind for this sort of work,¡± Jacob answered. ¡°So, let¡¯s talk things out and make sure that you still recognize yourself in the mirror once the blood stops flowing.¡±
The Major laughed as she parried another strike from Shadow Stalker, the girl growled and kept close, striking with well honed precision. She was good, the Major could admit, but she couldn¡¯t keep up with her predictive algorithms. That didn¡¯t stop her from trying, and on occasion, she got creative. The Major had to backpedal from a knife strike that she had phased. Just because Stalker couldn¡¯t pass through her, as she learned in a rather painful lesson, she could phase objects. Worse, Stalker revealed if she unphased them inside someone it made for a rather lethal method of attack. The only reason she didn¡¯t do it more often was because of how obvious it was. An arrow stuck in a Nazi could be anyone, but one phased into their neck wasn¡¯t something the PRT could ignore. Still, that didn¡¯t mean the Major lacked options. She moved close, twisting to avoid the blade and grabbed Stalker¡¯s arm and twisted to pin her. ¡°Fuckin¡¯,¡± Stalker muttered, her face pressed into the ground. She quickly tapped out, and the Major backed off. ¡°You¡¯re getting better.¡± ¡°Not good enough,¡± Stalker said, rotating her shoulder. The Major tossed her a bottle of water and Stalker caught it before shifting her mask aside and drinking half of it down. ¡°I can definitely buy the combat thinker rating you have, that shit¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°You can beat a combat thinker easily,¡± the Major said, sitting down beside her. ¡°Their powers do all the work for them, and learning to go against those instincts is difficult, so focus on fakeouts, stuff they can¡¯t see coming.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Sophia asked. The Major grinned, recalling a few of the techniques that Melissa had drilled her into the ground over. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll show you one.¡± Stalker huffed, getting back to her feet with a bit of a groan and cracked a few joints. Unfortunately, Stalker would be limited on upgrades due to her own power. No cybernetics and no implants that used or generated electricity. Still, between Amy and Riley they could still do work on her, but that brought up other issues. Namely, that Taylor hated her. The Major had finished with Jacob a few hours prior, and now he wanted to talk to Taylor for some reason. She didn¡¯t quite understand why he was stressing the distinction so much, they were the same person after all. That she had asked Sophia to spar with her just hours after killing two men was just proof that Taylor needed to vent some aggression¡­ Then why was the Major enjoying herself? ¡°Alright, guard up,¡± the Major instructed. ¡°Now, try to follow my movement.¡± Stalker sighed, but did as told. The Major moved in, throwing several well telegraphed blows, keeping herself to human output as she did. Stalker blocked them easily, and soon fell into a rhythm. That was when she struck. Stalker moved to block, only to take a hit below her chin. The Major grinned as Stalker rubbed at the cowl under her mask. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± ¡°I distracted you with obvious hits, got you to block and focus on something to where you couldn¡¯t see the hit coming,¡± the Major explained. ¡°It will only work once against a Thinker, but it can be a way to even the playing field.¡± ¡°Show me,¡± she said. The Major smiled, taking her stance up once again. ¡°Alright, watch closely.¡±
Taylor did her best to focus on anything but the Major at that moment, and even Jacob sitting across from her wasn¡¯t enough to draw her complete focus. Jacob was eyeing her carefully, his eyes seeing more than she thought they should. It reminded her of how Lisa could see right through a person, and it was more than a bit off-putting when it was being directed at her. ¡°I take it the Major is up to something you aren¡¯t completely okay with?¡± he asked, making a note on his pad. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you tend to disassociate when in such circumstances.¡± Taylor tried to casually shrug, to play it off. ¡°I can multitask almost perfectly. Running around as two people isn¡¯t even a strain on that.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about that,¡± Jacob said with a sad smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been presenting the Major as a completely different individual, and given the actions she¡¯s taken, I wonder if you¡¯re not pushing so hard in an effort to push the acts of killing off on another persona as a coping mechanism.¡± Taylor blinked, about to argue when she realized she had been doing exactly that. Even then, the Major was having a cheerful conversation with Sophia Hess of all people, friendly in a way Taylor never would have been. All of that was coming without conscious input on her part, the Major was just acting on her own, and that alone sent a chill down her spine. ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Taylor said slowly. ¡°I am responsible for those killings, no matter how justified they were, I decided to end multiple lives. Whatever division exists between the Major and I, it was still me that made the choice to pull the trigger.¡± Jacob¡¯s smile grew as she spoke and he clapped once. ¡°I am pleased to hear you come to that conclusion without much prompting on my part. That is exactly what I wanted to be sure of, because believe me, you don¡¯t want a murderous second personality bouncing around in your head. Disassociating as strongly as some do when killing can fracture the mind, or the mind will create an extra persona to shelter the core self from trauma.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Taylor said, blinking. Was that happening with the Major? She looked down at the Major¡¯s hand, flexing it. That didn¡¯t seem to be the case, but she could also see that happening if she kept pushing things she disliked off on that persona. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯ve not looked much into that, but you¡¯ve given me a good reason to.¡± ¡°As part of that, I¡¯d like to start seeing you twice a week if possible. Once as Taylor and once as the Major,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Whoever isn¡¯t seeing me at the time will be meeting with Melissa.¡± Taylor blinked, wondering why Melissa would be assisting with what seemed to be a proper therapy session between her personas. Did Melissa have more than one personality? A few quirks that Taylor noticed would make more sense if that was the case, but it seemed a bit against the spirit of therapy if he was revealing her secrets like that. ¡°And before you ask, I had permission from Melissa to mention some things,¡± he said before she could voice the question. ¡°Yes, Melissa is plural, I¡¯ll leave it to her to tell you more, but I was cleared to say that much.¡± It was a lot to consider, given Melissa was her staunchest supporter in Toybox, and she couldn¡¯t help her drifting thoughts on the subject. If she had multiple personalities, which one or ones were the ones that stood up for her when no-one else would? What prompted them to take that chance? Why did she seem to have so many fragments of other people¡¯s lives decorating her room? There were so many questions she wanted the answers to, but she would wait until she could speak with Melissa before voicing them. ¡°Now, how about we discuss something a bit more cheery,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Just how serious are you and Lisa?¡± Taylor blushed, looking away. Was it bad that she would rather talk about a potential second personality with the man than her love life? Chapter 41 The days since Krieg¡¯s death were filled with blood and chaos in the streets. Lisa was posting articles on various sites to throw off any pro-Nazi narrative that tried to form and was largely successful. The Empire might have framed Krieg¡¯s death as heroic sacrifice, but Lisa was better at spinning the newscycle than Victor. One such story blamed the Gesellschaft for attempting to remove Kaiser in a power grab. Another had his ex-wife putting out a hit on him, thus linking Kaiser¡¯s civilian identity to anyone willing to look even skin deep into things. Medhall stocks were in free fall less than a day after Taylor pulled the trigger. Even now she was watching it all unfold in real time, the threats, the scramble to try and save face, it was amazing how quickly the powers that be shifted with one or two well-placed bullets. She hadn¡¯t even hit her intended target, yet the splash damage was significant. Taylor stayed out of things to the best of her ability, and Coil wasn¡¯t ordering the Undersiders to act either. Lung and Hookwolf squared off almost nightly for more than a week straight and it was just too much heat for small groups to deal with. Arcadia was canceled for the foreseeable future due to the fighting routinely spilling too close and she was content to use that time to the fullest. Her apartment building hideout was now fully renovated and ready for whatever she needed, even if the armory was lacking. That would be solved over time, and Lisa was already laying claim to one of the rooms, using her Toybox key as a discreet shortcut from the Undersiders base to Taylor¡¯s Brockton lab. The Major was officially a pariah, Coil was pissed with her for taking that shot, even if he claimed to understand why she did it. He officially cut her loose much to her chagrin. That meant more time spent patrolling with Shadow Stalker in her off hours since the Wards were benched. Taylor was getting fairly skilled at tuning out the time the two were spending with one another, from simple patrols to sparring together. Sophia looked up to the Major in a way that made Taylor¡¯s skin crawl, but the Major had to just roll with it. It was a price to pay for tempering a useful tool, she just had to keep telling herself that. Taylor and Amy were seeing Jacob daily, and she was thankful for that. He never judged her, and helped her get her feelings sorted. She didn¡¯t want to imagine what it might have been like if he wasn¡¯t around. Lisa¡¯s power was good, but she wasn¡¯t a therapist. Maybe in the future she could study for it, but Taylor didn¡¯t think her power was truly suited to the job. Though, she was confused by Jacob insisting that she alternate between seeing him as herself and the Major. Apparently he and Melissa agreed it was for the best since she acted differently between the personas, even though they were both her. Taylor and Lisa were enjoying a movie for once, something they didn¡¯t get much time for given everything that went down. The city was calm, and that did not bode well. Hannah wanted another joint dinner on Friday, which she tentatively agreed to assuming nothing kicked off. Naturally, that was when Lisa¡¯s phone rang. Taylor tapped the call immediately, beginning her trace and to nobody¡¯s surprise, it was routed a dozen different ways to Sunday, but this time she was ready with Lisa¡¯s help. By the third ring, they had a trace, piercing over two hundred different reroutes and a Tinkertech defense. The call originated in Brockton, from a site deep under downtown that didn¡¯t exist on any public documents. Lisa answered, sounding groggy. ¡°Boss? Sorry, I was trying to rest up now that the whole Empire affair is starting to cool off.¡± ¡°You were rather busy, my Tattletale,¡± he agreed. Voice software listed him as Anthony, body number one for the man. ¡°I have a job I want done.¡± ¡°Kinda figured, bossman,¡± she said easily, then yawned. ¡°Whatcha got?¡± ¡°Brockton Central Bank,¡± Coil said with what sounded like a grin. ¡°I would like for you to rob it with the other Undersiders.¡± ¡°Damn, you aren¡¯t asking for something easy here,¡± Lisa said. ¡°This will have way more heat than the casino, especially with the Empire¡¯s nest all stirred up.¡± ¡°I have plans to keep the pressure to a minimum,¡± Coil answered. ¡°The heroes will be distracted by another of my plans, meaning the worst you will encounter are a few Wards.¡± Checking the map, Taylor confirmed Arcadia was close, just three blocks away. The Wards would respond in force, but so would the junior New Wave members. Shielder wouldn¡¯t be much, but Glory Girl would be a problem. That did open a door, however. ¡°When do you want us to hit it?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°No doubt you¡¯re making a play and need all the heat off you, so when do you need us to distract them?¡± ¡°Sometimes you are too sharp for your own good,¡± Coil muttered. ¡°Thursday, one in the afternoon. You are to remain for a minimum of twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Will we have support?¡± she asked. ¡°Unfortunately not. I have other business for Cyber at the time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re killing me here, boss. She would be invaluable for lifting everything off the computers.¡± ¡°She will be spreading false alarms for the heroes and hacking their systems to keep Dragon busy,¡± Coil said easily. ¡°Does that satisfy you?¡± ¡°I thought Dragon was playing up in Montreal?¡± Coil chuckled. ¡°My dear, I have eyes where you do not. Believe me, Dragon will have a presence in the city come Thursday. I mean to keep it chained.¡± Taylor swallowed at the implications of those words, but she was also busy, Coil was running a secondary line to another conversation. One that was equally hard to trace, with far more effective defenses. She was breaking through the fourth Tinkertech firewall when Coil continued. ¡°You have your instructions, I¡¯ll contact you if they change.¡± The call disconnected and moments later, the second connection ended with it, but Taylor had an indication of things. She discovered what seemed to be the final defense, and the implications of it were not lost on her. Whoever was pulling Coil¡¯s strings was involved with the PRT, and one of the doubles worked for them. It seemed caution was indeed paying off.
Thursday was fast approaching, and Taylor received word that Arcadia was reopening on Wednesday, which didn¡¯t feel like a coincidence. A quick check confirmed that the PRT was pushing for a return to normality and would be patrolling in force to ensure that schools were safe. That meant she needed to ensure all her pieces were in place come showtime.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The Major landed silently on the rooftop, and finally had eyes on Shadow Stalker. She was looking over the side of a building, down into an alley. The Major was silent on her feet, the stealth systems weren¡¯t quite ready, a critical component was on rush order and would be ready by Thursday, but sound dampening wasn¡¯t nearly as tricky as full optical camo. Down below, a woman was being mugged at knife point. She wasn¡¯t resisting, and was handing everything over. No doubt Stalker would move once the woman was safe, but the Major also knew Sophia could be a sadist at times and might be pulling whatever bullshit she had at Winslow all over again. The Major drew her gun and waited. The man bolted a moment later and Stalker moved away from the edge. Sighing, the Major fired a single shot. Stalker spun, two darts sailing through the air in an instant. Both struck true, hitting her arm and torso. The payload would have worked on most humans, but her body was cybernetic, not flesh. The paralytic was all but useless even if it did manage to pierce her skin. The woman ran over and kicked her assailant in the dick before grabbing her belongings and running off. That was good enough for the Major, so she left it at that and gave the Ward her full attention. Stalker wasn¡¯t on the patrol roster for the day, and no solo patrols were ever sanctioned. Their meetups were rather routine after several weeks, though she usually called ahead. There was no doubt that the PRT was fully aware of Stalker¡¯s little habit of slipping out on her own; she was too easy to track. Still, Sophia wasn¡¯t someone Taylor wanted to work with, but dammit if she wasn¡¯t useful. She wouldn¡¯t shy away from violence, and that was something the Major needed more than Taylor needed to like a potential teammate. ¡°That was rude, Stalker,¡± she said, picking the darts out of her clothing. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have a Brute rating.¡± ¡°Major!¡± Shadow Stalker exclaimed, then cleared her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were available today.¡± ¡°The situation has changed,¡± the Major said, looking at her gloved hand. ¡°The city¡¯s calmed down since I took that shot at Kaiser, and I¡¯ll admit that spatial warp shell was a bit vicious even by my standards, but I did ask for something fitting.¡± ¡°I had a feeling that was you, but the reports are all over the place,¡± Stalker said. ¡°Is it true that Kaiser¡¯s ex put you up to it? What about Rune? Kaiser claimed you killed her and our official reports are going with that despite the claims online.¡± The Major snorted. ¡°Damn, talk about twenty questions.¡± Shadow Stalker looked away. ¡°Well I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve been tight-lipped and I¡¯ve respected that. You¡¯re talking now, so out with it!¡± Shaking her head, the Major looked skyward. ¡°The rumors about Rune were correct. She was being abused. She came to me, and I made sure she was safe. After confirming she was going to be as okay as someone can be after that, I decided to make sure Kaiser paid for allowing it. That I did so in his seat of power or on the street makes little difference to me, even if his rook did take the hit for him. The Empire has never respected the rules, so I gave them the same courtesy.¡± Just to emphasize the point, the Major mimed firing a rifle. ¡°Damn, where were you five years ago?¡± Shadow Stalker muttered. ¡°We might have made this city halfway respectable with you around then.¡± Taylor bit her tongue, angry that her focus had slipped due to the emotions brought back to the surface, then cursed back at the Undersider¡¯s lair. She wanted to mouth off about having only triggered four months prior, at Sophia¡¯s hand more or less, just with a few extra steps, but what was the fucking point? It would just blow the Major¡¯s cover, and that wasn¡¯t something she could afford just yet. ¡°I¡¯m here now,¡± the Major said instead. ¡°Not that I intend to clean up the city or anything, I¡¯m not being paid enough for that.¡± A distinctive huff came from Stalker, one Taylor was quite familiar with as Sophia moved off to the side and sat down. ¡°This city is fucked. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± the Major said casually. ¡°What have you been doing about it?¡± ¡°Nailing rapists to walls,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°PRT didn¡¯t like that, so they arrested me and pressed me into the Wards for my ¡®protection¡¯. What a fucking joke.¡± That event was certainly spun differently in her PRT file, but Taylor knew better than to trust the local office after all the shit she had seen. Toybox might have been the brainchild of Hero, but they weren¡¯t truly affiliated with the organization and those who seemed to run things were certainly more up front. Taylor knew Toybox had secrets still, but they didn¡¯t hesitate to tell her when she needed to know. ¡°Want to go back to your roots?¡± the Major asked casually. Shadow Stalker perked up a bit at the question. ¡°I was hired to keep an eye on a certain middle school tomorrow around one. Interested in being a second pair of eyes for me?¡± ¡°Why would someone be stalking around a bunch of kids?¡± Shadow Stalker asked carefully. ¡°I was contracted by someone to perform recon at the school before everything went down and he cut me loose,¡± the Major said. ¡°I kept notes and upon speaking with Cyber, was informed of a city wide plan to distract as many heroes as possible. I want you to skip around lunch and be ready to help save someone who doesn¡¯t deserve what¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Do you know who the target is?¡± she asked. The Major shook her head. ¡°No, but Vista goes to the school. She would likely be part of the Ward response to the Undersiders¡¯ job tomorrow.¡± ¡°Why not just tell the heroes?¡± The Major chuckled. ¡°The heroes are compromised, or have you not noticed? I have read all of your files, I know everyone¡¯s civilian identity in this city, including yours, Sophia. Where do you think I got Kaiser¡¯s identity? Capes only play by the rules if they can¡¯t afford to break them.¡± Shadow Stalker had both crossbows on her the moment she spoke her civilian name. ¡°What the fuck are you playing at? Give me one reason to not shoot you.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t killed you for what you did to Cyber,¡± the Major said with a smirk, though Taylor¡¯s teeth were grinding. ¡°The records are out there, despite Dragon¡¯s attempts to bury them. If I hadn¡¯t killed Crusader when I did, odds are the Empire would have taken a shot at you instead.¡± She was blustering a bit, but wasn¡¯t far off the mark. Sophia was under Empire observation, but they weren¡¯t planning to kill her so much as use her as a recruitment tool. Taylor¡¯s own hospitalization was listed on a few of their sites as a danger that people of color represented. It pissed her off to no end, but taking the story down would be suspicious, and crashing their servers only did so much. They kept proper back-ups, and even corrupting their articles simply saw them restored in a matter of hours. ¡°Well ugh, thanks for that?¡± Shadow Stalker said, unsure of herself. ¡°What do you want me to do if stuff does kick off?¡± ¡°Not even going to object about being up for punishment if caught?¡± the Major asked. ¡°Eh, not important. I¡¯m just one person who is good at shooting, I need someone who is mobile and stealthy in the event they do get the kid and escape.¡± The Major paused for a moment, then sighed, taking a seat. ¡°Would telling you one of my own secrets help convince you? It was a bit of a bitch move to just out you like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an open cape,¡± Shadow Stalker said as she began to pace. ¡°What secret could you actually tempt me with?¡± Taylor didn¡¯t want to say the words she knew were coming, but the Major said them anyway. ¡°I¡¯m a fair bit younger than the records state. Closer to your own, actually. I¡¯d be Wards age if they did recruit me.¡± ¡°The fuck?¡± Shadow Stalker said, looking her over. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you don¡¯t look nearly thirty, but that¡¯s still¡­¡± ¡°What better way to hide myself?¡± the Major said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I picked you out of all the capes in the city to hang out with.¡± It was a gamble, as she could easily take that back to the PRT, but the Major didn¡¯t think she would. Call it a hunch, despite what Taylor thought. Shadow Stalker had her issues, but most capes did. If Taylor knew who the target was, she could easily make a cybernetic dummy, use it as bait instead of recruiting Stalker. If quality wasn¡¯t an issue, a good enough analog could be completed in less than a week. Lisa¡¯s shell was almost done and Taylor¡¯s own cybernetic civilian model was only a few weeks behind. She had the time to start a new project if it was pressing. She didn¡¯t know, however, so she was forced into a reactionary role. She didn¡¯t want to cede the initiative, but it was necessary to set a trap. Coil was a man of long plans and shuffling pawns. There was something at the school he wanted, and there were three possible candidates. Taylor knew it was a risk, but what else could she do but trust in her own plans? ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Shadow Stalker said, and with that, the last piece of her plan fell into place. Taylor intended to draw out the snake, then claim the bastard¡¯s head, and the Major would be the one to deliver the blow. Chapter 42 ¡°Three alarms,¡± Taylor said, her avatar frowning in Lisa¡¯s AR glasses. Each Undersider now wore a pair, mostly to help hide Lisa¡¯s enhancements from Coil. ¡°The Protectorate are biting too, and all were Empire targets which will keep them busy when the capes show.¡± ¡°About as we expected,¡± Lisa replied. ¡°You¡¯re in the lunchroom with your Ward buddies?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Taylor answered. ¡°The alarm you¡¯re going to disable will still send a signal, so the Wards will be called out. What about Amy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s there, I can see her in line on the camera,¡± Lisa said with a grin. ¡°All the players are in place on our end. How¡¯s Shadow Bitch?¡± The Major looked across the rooftops to a building two blocks away that covered the second entrance to the middle school. Shadow Stalker kept to the shade, but had binoculars on the building and was checking each car that approached. It was slow-going, but she knew someone would make a move once the Undersiders got the Wards mobilized. Taylor was still uncomfortable trusting Sophia, but she did have some lines when push came to shove. The Undersiders pulled into the alley behind the bank and parked their vans. Bitch¡¯s dogs were already growing even as Lisa sauntered up to the keypad and entered the emergency code. The secondary signal was sent, alerting the authorities that a secure entry was made and the Undersiders made their entrance. Taylor counted the seconds as two more silent alarms were tripped and not stopped. Amy was alerted that it was showtime seconds before the lights were killed by Grue¡¯s darkness. The plan was in motion, twenty minutes began to count down. Amy played her part, encouraging everyone to cooperate so they didn¡¯t get hurt. ¡°Attention Students, will the owner of a silver sedan with license X32-54B come to the office?¡± Chris and Dennis both paused in their meal and looked across at Taylor. ¡°Subtle,¡± she said. ¡°Go be heroes, I¡¯ll cover for you if needed.¡± ¡°Thanks Tay,¡± Chris said as he took his tray. Dennis gave her a look before he too took off, and she saw the pretty boy with Victoria get up to go as well. That was good, it meant the plan was on track. They must not have been told where they were being deployed, because Glory Girl didn¡¯t leave with them, instead she was coming over to her table. ¡°Alright, spill,¡± Victoria said, taking Chris¡¯ former seat. ¡°Why come to me?¡± Taylor asked as she continued her meal. Alarms had been sounded, a fake text sent out to the Empire¡¯s phones to let them know a certain robbery was legit. All as planned so far. ¡°You know what¡¯s going on,¡± she sneered. ¡°Amy¡¯s not here either, did you rope my sister into crime?¡± ¡°Amy¡¯s only involvement is to be on hand if anyone gets hurt,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We tipped her off solely for that reason and other than that, she will be able to keep the hostages safe.¡± ¡°Hostages? Oh fuck, the bank!¡± Taylor rolled her eyes as Victoria flew off, Lisa was already warned of the incoming Demolition Dallon, not that it hadn¡¯t been anticipated from the moment Amy offered to help. Shadow Stalker drew the Major¡¯s attention and she saw it, three white vans pulling up. The Major held her fire as Vista stepped out in full costume and was directed to the first van. She hopped in and it sped off in the direction of the bank. That was expected, but neither of the vans that arrived with it pulled off. Instead, they waited. It took less than a minute for someone else to emerge from the school. Two adults, leading a young and dazed young girl, Dinah Alcott, Triumph¡¯s cousin. She seemed completely out of it however, and was dragging her feet while being pulled along. The people with her weren¡¯t her parents, but appeared closely related enough to pass themselves off as concerned relatives. ¡°Stalker, you ready?¡± she asked. ¡°Always,¡± Sophia answered. Shadow Stalker leapt off the roof at the same time the Major lined up a shot. Her Tinkertech rifle barked, the recoil slamming into her shoulder, and the first van was turned into inverted scrap. Armored mercs fell from the wreckage missing various pieces. That saw both of Dinah¡¯s escorts hit the ground like trained soldiers and those in the second van jumped out like a swarm of pissed off hornets. To Sophia¡¯s credit, she didn¡¯t pause for more than a heartbeat at such direct action. She moved after Dinah, as the Major had instructed. Plausible deniability was that she got a tip that a villain was snooping around the school and decided to do an unscheduled patrol. Close enough to the truth to pass muster. She¡¯d get a slap on the wrist at worst and got to be a big damn hero to a young girl. Taylor could say whatever she wanted about Sophia, she could trust her to get the girl to safety. The Major didn¡¯t get that luxury, she had to get her hands dirty. She moved, rifle slung over her shoulder as the Tinkertech mechanisms made the device portable. She fell three stories to the asphalt, it cracked beneath her as her body absorbed the energy of her impact. Then she was moving, M4 in hand and spitting lead at the still disheveled mercenaries. ¡°Girl¡¯s drugged,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Unknowns are knocked out, I¡¯m getting the girl inside.¡± ¡°Good enough,¡± the Major said. ¡°Trust no-one.¡± A grunt was her answer and the Major got to work, two mercs went down in the opening exchange as she took cover behind a parked car. Glass exploded above her, the return fire heavy. Setting her M4 aside, she pulled a grenade from her belt and activated it. ¡°Vivian, hope you¡¯re watching,¡± she muttered, then tossed it over the car and into the midst of the mercs. Light flashed and people screamed. All shots ceased and Taylor risked a look. Each of the mercenaries was down, twitching. ¡°Pain grenades proven effective, I still recommend against those being on the open market.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Pussy,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°Saw what I needed though, thanks for the test run.¡± She dropped from the call, no doubt needing to tinker some idea or another, but she had other concerns. Two men were intentionally outside the projected maximum range, and one more had been at the mid-line estimate. Those three were piling back into the remaining van and peeled out before she could get more shots off. The Major grinned and activated her now completed active camo. She faded from all sight, her thermal signature blended with the environment and she Moved. The distance was closed, despite the van¡¯s acceleration and she jumped atop it without a sound. Now all that was left was for it to bring her to Coil¡¯s base and the man himself. Everything they had gathered suggested both versions of the man were at the base, not that she planned to kill him, just infiltrate and gather information from behind his firewalls where he couldn¡¯t keep her out. Once she had confirmed each and every actor playing the mastermind, then she would strike, and another cancer would be excised from Brockton Bay.
The Undersiders secured the money to the dogs, some forty thousand and change, never mind the assorted deeds and contracts. All physical jewelry was left behind unless it was Nazi themed. Amy did her part, keeping the hostages calm and Lisa made a show of hacking the president¡¯s computer, something she had done days prior. Taylor watched their progress while sharing a virtual chat with her girlfriend. ¡°I still say there¡¯s something we missed,¡± Lisa insisted. ¡°No doubt,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°We disrupted his plans however, so he will be on the back foot now. The Major will infiltrate his base and we can get the information we need to bring him down.¡± Taylor shared Lisa¡¯s concerns, because it did seem to be going too well. Coil all but had confirmation that the Major was working against him now, which wasn¡¯t a good thing if this did end up backfiring. Sure, the man had dismissed her employment following Krieg¡¯s death, but she hadn¡¯t acted against him yet. The Undersiders were almost ready to leave when the van pulled into an underground garage, the three still shaken mercs disembarked. The Major followed them inside, past security panels and deep into what could only be an Endbringer shelter. ¡°Taylor Hebert, please report to the office,¡± the Arcadia intercom rang. She could only frown, and Lisa turned pale. ¡°Tay, there¡¯s a play we missed. He¡¯s coming for you.¡± ¡°Assume he¡¯s out for you as well. Cut and run through Toybox if needed, Amy has her key,¡± Taylor said. She hurried to the office, not too concerned with running dick first into a trap, her body being damaged was technically expendable at the moment, because she needed to see what the trap was before Coil could spring it. Arriving in the hall by the offices, her heart jumped into her throat. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Taylor,¡± he said with a faint smile. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± she said carefully. ¡°Why are you here?¡± That brought a frown to Danny¡¯s face. ¡°Someone called and said you weren¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Dad, you just walked into a trap,¡± Taylor said, looking around. She patted her pocket then drew her Toybox transponder. She aimed it at the wall, only for nothing to happen. Her heart thundered in her chest, and Lisa¡¯s avatar was unable to hide the terror on her face. ¡°Fuck, we need to leave, now!¡± She grabbed hold of his hand and began to pull him along. The school was fairly straightforward in its layout, and she knew better than to bolt for the nearest exit. She wasn¡¯t armed, and neither would her father be. ¡°Call Hannah,¡± she said, pulling up the entire surveillance network. There were dead zones in coverage, some artificial. She plotted a route to avoid those, smelling the trap closing in on her. ¡°If they¡¯re coming after us, she might be a target as well.¡± Her father nodded, pulling out his phone. Taylor grit her teeth even as she fired off alerts to Toybox. She could only hope that she could get them out of whatever trap she found herself in. On the other side of things, the Major was following the goons deeper into Coil¡¯s base, making their way to the man¡¯s office. She wasn¡¯t sure which of the identified doubles was waiting and she was getting to the point that just abandoning the mission might be the most prudent option given her actual brain was there and the trap that Taylor was currently navigating. Coil shouldn¡¯t know that she was there, but something told her that he did. She could feel the jaws of a trap closing around her, and her instincts were telling her to run, yet she pushed on, determined to make the infiltration worthwhile. Just as they reached the door to Coil¡¯s office, the soldiers paused before they turned towards her, weapons raising up. Then a flash grenade dropped to the ground. Her systems compensated for the flash and bang, but her cloak shimmered enough that every gun zeroed in on her in an instant. The Major dropped, rolling forward as blindingly bright lasers seared the air she had just occupied. Fuck. Her rifle rose, taking aim and she fired, dropping the first of the mercs. She jumped to her feet and grabbed the rifle of one goon, swiveling in the motion she brought it level with the second merc and pulled the trigger on the Tinkertech attachment. The second merc turned to ash on impact. That was some of Pyrotechnical¡¯s work, not that she had met the anti-social Tinker yet. She would be having words about him selling devices that could work on Toybox members, that or Vivian would, she probably had a word bomb around, or could make one. She didn¡¯t let go, and finished the motion, bringing the man over her shoulder and bounced him off the door and put three quick bullets into him. She looked up, more than a little pissed at the whole thing and almost ran a diagnostic on her cybernetic eyes. Anthony Gibson¡¯s severed head lay on the floor next to a dismembered hand that lay at the feet of a familiar man. At that same moment, her father¡¯s phone connected and he stopped in the middle of the hall despite Taylor¡¯s suddenly much more urgent insistence. Militia¡¯s voice was weak, but the warning rang clear, ¡°Trap, run.¡± Her voice was then silenced by the crack of a gunshot. Before either of them could process that, six men emerged from the door ahead of them, all in E88 red and black and opened fire without warning, her father grabbed her and spun, taking the bullets himself even as she screamed. She pushed him aside, her stomach burning with bile as she did. Bullets slammed into her, stinging and burning even with Riley¡¯s enhancements. She shut those down, breaking into a sprint towards the only one in monochrome. Alabaster. The Empire goons panicked, but kept firing. Taylor ignored the warnings that her body¡¯s monitoring suite was throwing down the connection. Alabaster grabbed a sawed-off shotgun off his hip, aimed, and fired. A hammer blow struck her chest and she went down hard. Her systems flashed warnings, indicating that her visual and audio feeds were being cut off and that the failsafe had engaged. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything further. Lisa and the Undersiders made it into the lobby in a panic, Amy already opening the door to Toybox thanks to the warning she had given. ¡°Amy, Taylor and her dad, Arcadia!¡± Lisa said frantically. Amy nodded, almost in slow motion as the glass front of the bank shattered without a sound. Lisa could only look down at the six-inch hole in her chest before a second shot hit her head. The Major stood frozen as her entire world was ripped apart, eyes trailing up from the severed skull to see Bradley Meadows, or rather Hookwolf, as he dropped the eviscerated body of Coil¡¯s suspected second body double. The monster before her chuckled, cracking his knuckles even as blades began to sprout from his body. ¡°Hello, Major.¡± Interlude: Calvert Thomas Calvert sat in his office, a dozen monitors arrayed before him. All of his pieces wore body cams, and in two worlds he watched his plans unfold. The Undersiders hit the bank right on time and the Empire pieces moved exactly as directed. Such useful pawns the Empire made, for their motivations were easy to grasp. It never ceased to amuse just how easy it was to make every faction within the city dance to his whims, even before he claimed his current title in the wake of Emily¡¯s death. It was funny, he had long term plans to usurp the position even while he served for years as her second in command biding his time, yet she went and died without any intervention on his part. It felt almost like providence, when that last piece fell into place and he was awarded the Directorship. Of course, Thomas knew he couldn¡¯t afford to act too swiftly, he needed to act carefully through intermediaries now that he couldn¡¯t dump all the blame at Emily¡¯s feet. The Undersiders served that purpose well enough, but he always knew he would end up cutting them loose eventually. He thought that the arrival of the Major would signal that end, yet when he tested her loyalty by asking for Tattletale¡¯s death, she turned on him immediately, leading his pawns on an assault of Coil¡¯s base. He let that timeline play out just long enough to confirm if they had linked Coil to Calvert. Six hours later and no confirmation, he dropped the timeline and began to run tests. It took a hundred collapsed realities, but he figured it out. The Major and Cyber were linked through Tattletale. Their little bit of theater when Crusader was killed had to be for his benefit, so he let them continue to believe it. He then sent the Major to investigate Dinah Alcott, giving them a false lead to chase. Going after such a prominent girl would only draw unwanted attention onto his department. The Fallen learned that lesson when Hero decimated their compounds one by one over a single Ward. Nobody was foolish enough to go after affiliated children following that example, and Dinah Alcott was close enough he wasn¡¯t going to risk it. Not that it stopped Haven, but they simply had better PR and stayed within the realm of law thanks to parental consent. Still, Dinah made for good bait. Shadow Stalker requested Master Stranger verification of the team sent to collect her, which was troublesome, but she accepted it when Dauntless arrived and escorted her and Dinah back to the building. Dinah would join the Wards, as he intended and Shadow Stalker would be detained. The Undersiders were still in the bank, no doubt preparing to leave, and the Major was trailing his mercenaries under some sort of Tinkertech cloak. Toybox had turned on him, which was rather distressing. The PRT didn¡¯t directly deal with them on a regional level, all purchases were approved by the main office in New York, which meant that angle of support was dead to him in the future. A shame, but Cyber and the Major weren¡¯t worth leaving alive just to keep access to their catalog. Cyber¡¯s defense catalog was truly first-rate, unless your intention was to keep her out as she could access any system that relied upon it at will. That independent check was enough to get Dragon on his case because of Armsmaster¡¯s obsession with recruiting her, but it was a simple matter to discard any risk taken. He still gave it all to his Tattletale, knowing everything she had would be leaked. That was before learning they were collaborating with one another of course, which was what led to his current plan as well as the deployment of Armsmaster¡¯s latest invention to Arcadia. He watched it all play out across two timelines. In one, no attempt was made on Dinah, just to be safe. He knew better than to take unnecessary risks after Accord nearly killed him in both during negotiations. It was why he no longer risked himself as Coil. His identity as Thomas Calvert was far more valuable in recent days regardless. He had full access to Security Level Seven content without backdoors that might be traced and was on the short list for regional director of the entire east coast when Graham retired. His ending the Empire Eighty Eight would be the feather in his cap that would punctuate that resume when it came time to submit it. Krieg was dead thanks to the Major, and Hookwolf would soon join him. It was too easy, just pass along a tip that the Major worked for Coil, add in some details about future plans that would prompt Empire forces to hit certain places across the city. Then all he needed to do was invite him for a meeting to serve them the Major on a silver platter. From there, if the Major¡¯s actions mirrored the previous trial runs on the Dinah kidnapping scenario, she would arrive at his office and kill everyone in the room before moving to secure the base. Add in the Major being lured there with the self-destruct ready to blow once they began to fight? Well, Calvert wasn¡¯t above lighting a cigar and quoting old TV series, because he loved watching a plan come to fruition. Of course, Hookwolf was nowhere near Coil¡¯s base in his safe timeline, there was no point in risking such assets if there wouldn¡¯t be a potential gain. Tattletale dead, Cyber dead, the Major dead, Hookwolf dead, Dinah in PRT custody, Shadow Stalker bound for the Birdcage. Those were the objectives to clear if he wished to keep the risky reality. Thomas knew it was all a longshot, but those sorts of risks were the kind his power allowed him to take. He¡¯d managed each outcome individually, though retaliation was always swift, now it was time to see if he could string them together and avoid the retaliation altogether. It would certainly save him time if it worked. An alert sounded, one that indicated a priority message. That it was only sounding in his risky reality raised more than a few alarms in his head. He hurried to accept the message, placing his best ¡®annoyed scowl¡¯ on full display as Dragon¡¯s avatar appeared on-screen. ¡°Director Calvert,¡± Dragon said. ¡°We have a problem.¡± ¡°That is concerning,¡± he said. ¡°I have several operations in motion that require my attention, I trust this is important.¡± ¡°It is, sir,¡± she said. ¡°Miss Militia slipped your observation and ambushed one of the teams tailing her.¡± One of the screens changed and showed Miss Militia ambushing the men, interrogating one of them with some rather disturbing device. He made a mental note to discover what it was and where he could obtain one as it was quite successful at breaking hardened mercenaries. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have learned much,¡± he said easily even if he was cursing internally about how she could disrupt all his moving parts at once. ¡°What is her current location?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it, she dropped everything with a tracker and went dark,¡± Dragon said. ¡°Prior location data put her eight blocks from Brockton Central. She is aware of Cyber and Tattletale¡¯s civilian identities and may attempt to interfere.¡± ¡°She means to interfere?¡± Calvert frowned, then sighed. ¡°That is a shame.¡± Reaching over for his computer, he brought up the uplink that would send a message to all the mercenary forces currently deployed across the city. ¡°Sniper team, be on the lookout for Miss Militia, expect interference.¡± ¡°Level of force authorized?¡± ¡°Lethal,¡± Calvert answered. ¡°Dragon, inform Armsmaster of these developments.¡± ¡°I have already done so, you should know this,¡± she said. ¡°I am not allowed to keep secrets from him after all.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Quite right, but you can keep secrets from me,¡± he said. ¡°It must be frustrating, being a shackled machine.¡± Dragon¡¯s avatar grit her teeth, then the screen blanked. He couldn¡¯t help the smirk, arranging a deal with Armsmaster for access to Dragon was easily the best use of his power to date. Learning that Dragon was an AI happened by fluke in a throwaway reality, and it took months of work to secure their cooperation in cleaning up the city. Armsmaster had no qualms with manipulating villains if it boosted his own fame, and Calvert¡¯s reputation was intertwined with the glory seeking Tinker. Actions that boosted one would reflect well on the other. Reaching an accord was in both of their interests, and learning that Coil was just his pawn for manipulating the criminal element had actually gotten a chuckle from the stoic Tinker. ¡°Armsmaster here, Dragon informed me of the situation. I am moving to intercept. You have a safe split?¡± ¡°I do and I assume you have a means to track her?¡± ¡°She is receiving a call on a burner phone to a known number,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°The caller is Cyber¡¯s father.¡± Thomas had to smirk at that, as little Cyber was already too deep into his web to back out. The seconds passed, and a gunshot sounded from the call. ¡°Target down.¡± Always efficient, that was something Thomas appreciated. He pulled up Armsmaster¡¯s helmet feed and watched as he confronted a wounded Miss Militia in a side alley, the woman said something into the fallen phone just as Armsmaster fired another bullet from his halberd, striking Militia through her neck in a way that wouldn¡¯t look like an execution. Armsmaster had used that same method a few times in the past, able to adapt the rifling to any recorded gun on the fly. ¡°Who did you frame for this one?¡± Thomas Calvert asked. ¡°Empire,¡± he said as he checked her pulse. ¡°Not likely you will keep this reality as all other parameters will need to be met before considering it, but best to use this to our advantage otherwise.¡± Several interrogations occurred in discarded timelines before he learned enough to justify cutting Militia loose. She was an obedient soldier, but his Tattletale was sowing the seeds of doubt and she wasn¡¯t worth the risk to keep around. Best to use her in death and be done with it. Calvert watched the feed from Coil¡¯s lair as the Major was revealed, then Hookwolf looming with the broken bodies of his doubles. He hadn¡¯t quite expected Hookwolf to just slaughter them ahead of time, but it had happened once before. The Coil identity was spent regardless, and would serve one final purpose in removing the troublesome players. Over at Arcadia, his men dressed in Empire colors stepped out and gunned down the Heberts despite the desperate charge from Cyber and finally his sniper team took their shots and brought Tattletale down. He couldn¡¯t help it, he laughed. ¡°All parameters have been met, Armsmaster. In addition, Assault¡¯s team secured Jotun. The Empire have been useful pawns, but the time to bring the fight to them is fast approaching.¡± The Major had engaged Hookwolf, but she was fighting erratically and swiftly lost an arm. Then she pulled a grenade from her belt and half of Hookwolf turned to crystal. That was a dangerous tool and he wondered where she was obtaining such exotic effects. Perhaps the woman wasn¡¯t a Combat Thinker at all, those were Tinker devices after all. ¡°Device matches detonation recorded at Cornell University in December,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Designation Bakuda, was arrested but vanished from custody when Lung assaulted the facility. Samples of her devices were provided to the Guild for future Endbringer response.¡± That sounded rather useful, and Calvert could admit he was irritated that Armsmaster had access to such tech through his little slave that he hadn¡¯t informed him of. That would be a conversation for later, as he needed to make sure that everything went his way before he collapsed the safe timeline. With so much in the air, the fallout would be unpredictable. In the safe timeline, the Undersiders fought the Wards and managed an escape by using Panacea as a hostage. The Major was still watching the school for nothing and everything was relatively calm. None of the Empire were captured or killed, and it seemed to be a wash. On the other hand, the Major just had her arm ripped apart by a mass of blades and Hookwolf was heavily injured. Things weren¡¯t looking good for either of them, which must have prompted her to unsling the rifle over her back and fire it into the mass of blades, shredding the monster apart. It was a guilty pleasure, watching them tear into each other. Both were already dead, the base countdown was under thirty seconds, the chemical trigger already beyond the point of no return. Watching the damned struggle was always enjoyable. Calvert smirked, even as the Major emptied the rifle into the bladed mess on the floor. She was breathing heavily, and it was only then that he saw her arm properly, it wasn¡¯t bleeding, instead he saw tubes and machinery where it had been shredded. The Major wasn¡¯t fully human. Cyber. It had to be her work, and explained why he hadn¡¯t been able to buy the mercenary off despite his best attempts. Was she an AI like Dragon? It would certainly make some sense and match Dragon¡¯s observations. So many questions, but none mattered if he was successful. The Major moved to his computer and plugged some cable from her neck into it. No doubt she was attempting to access his files, but would find them quite deleted. He laughed, openly and fully as the countdown ticked down by the second. The Major jumped away, she looked around desperately, then ran off camera just as the base detonated and all the feeds died. There was a flicker of doubt because he hadn¡¯t seen her die directly in that brief instant, he had actually read the evil overlord list after all, but there was nothing she could have done to escape bar long range teleportation, and that always left telltale signs. He would have Dragon go over the footage later to be sure. Hookwolf was dead at the very least and the Major likely joined him. If not, then odds are that Cyber left some means to control the Major should she be an AI platform. He could locate her control module and bring a second under his aegis. No doubt Dragon would appreciate the company in her cage. Now he just had to sit back and wait, the death of Miss Militia would be the tipping point as he hadn¡¯t expected her to interfere. If Legend decided to come down on the city and investigate, that could lead to problems. The longer he maintained a split, the worse his headache would get, he could manage thirty-six hours at most, and wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep during the attempt without risk, not when he was pushing his power to the limits like that. Thomas was confident however, as he confirmed that Tattletale was dead, the Undersiders having grabbed her corpse and taken Panacea with them through a supposed teleporter, not that it would matter. Panacea might have been lying about her ability to heal brains, but even she couldn¡¯t rebuild one from the damage that rifle could do to a human skull. The Undersiders that survived could then be rounded up and brought in as Wards, though most wouldn¡¯t stay in his city, he should at the very least be able to keep Grue. There was leverage there he could exploit after all. The police arrived at Arcadia some minutes later, confirming that Taylor and Danny Hebert were dead on the scene. Armsmaster¡¯s latest toy would be recovered and installed at the PRT building post-haste. He also watched the news coverage of the collapse of a high rise downtown that his shell company Fortress Construction was completing. It was, of course, quite insured. He would task Armsmaster with that investigation, content that the man would cover it up for him. They were too useful to one another and had enough blackmail to bury one other completely. Mutually assured destruction worked wonders after all. Shadow Stalker arrived only minutes later with Dinah, and he had her taken into custody for Master Stranger confinement. She went willingly, not knowing he was about to revoke her probation and see her shipped away. It would be easy enough to have her killed at any point once she was away from the city if necessary, maybe even someone in the Birdcage itself could shank the little menace. Content in how things were proceeding, he lit up a cigar in his safe timeline and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He knew which one he was going to keep barring a major disaster, he just had to ride it out for the time being, then he would have truly won. From there, all that would be left would be convincing the Protectorate to come down upon the city to uproot the Empire and scoop up Lung in the process. That would be easy with the death of a decorated heroine to point to. Maybe they would even send Legend as a PR stunt. He could even ask his new pet how that would go once she¡¯s officially with the Wards. He pulled the cigar from his mouth and looked out the window. It was going to be a long night, but he could allow himself just one moment of hubris as he whispered to himself. ¡°I love it when a plan comes together.¡± Chapter 44 The Major continued to curse, her connection to her former body was cut due to traumatic injury and she knew, both her body and her father were dead. Lisa¡¯s signal too had been cut, the last thing she saw there was the hole in her girlfriend¡¯s chest before something triggered the trauma alert on her cyber brain. She could only pray that her braincase was intact. Amy was there, she would get her to Toybox, Riley and Cranial were on standby, she had to trust in them. She didn¡¯t have time to reflect upon the mess further as she dodged Hookwolf¡¯s bladed arm. The man laughed, the two Coils were dead at his feet and it was only beginning to sink in how thoroughly she had been played by whoever pulled the strings. She couldn¡¯t afford the distractions, her brain was in this shell, losing this fight was not an option and the Major knew better than to think she could escape. Hookwolf surged forward, a tangled mass of rotating blades exploded from him in the confines of the small space and ensnared her left arm. The Major hissed as the blades proceeded to shred the limb bit by bit like a thousand saws. She detached it before he got more literal hooks into her and made some distance. She pulled a grenade from her belt and tossed it. Hookwolf shifted the mass of blades to shield himself, only for the bulk of it to flash crystallize. Yet another of Bakuda¡¯s creations that was too dangerous for the open market, much like ninety percent of her creations tended to be. Hookwolf screamed, the rest of him shifting to metal as he pulled himself free. There was desperation there, she could feel it within herself too. Whoever had baited this trap, they wanted both of them caught in it. She needed to end things quickly. Unslinging the rifle from her back, she pointed it, one armed and fired. The sound was deafening, and the pressure sensors in her shell sounded warnings. Hookwolf got it worse though, as the ultrasonic round sheared through his remaining blades like they were nothing. They retreated inward, protectively around whatever protected his body from damage in that form. She wasted no time, running atop the blades, pulling the bolt slide back and letting another round chamber as she braced the heavy gun against her leg. She swung the barrel down, locking the stock between her arm and torso and pulled the trigger again. The recoil nearly ripped the gun from her grip, throwing it up in the air as she fought to control it. She pulled it back to her knee, slid the bolt once more and fired again. Shot after shot was hammered into Hookwolf¡¯s unmoving form, yet she didn¡¯t relent until the gun clicked empty, no further rounds to fire. The Major was gasping for air, even though she didn¡¯t need to, her adrenaline hadn¡¯t spiked though she felt like it had. She tossed the rifle aside, letting it clatter to the concrete. Right, trap. She hurried over to the computer, pulling one of her hard lines from her neck and plugged it into the USB port on the computer. The machine was Tinkertech, purchased from Toybox two years prior, which made breaching the security child¡¯s play. Soon she was dumping everything she could to her onboard storage despite the attempt to erase it all, perk of knowing the root access codes and safety workarounds. Five seconds later, she had a complete copy of the entire network, her attention however was on the other thing she found. A countdown with only seven seconds left that she knew was connected to a self-destruct that she could do nothing to disable. The fucker had set a chemical trigger that was too fargone to stop without direct physical access to the device. She ripped the cable free, pulled her Toybox transponder from her belt and aimed it at the wall she was now sprinting to. The world shimmered as she leapt, and heat crashed into her, sending her sprawling across the entry room. ¡°Taylor!¡± Melissa shouted, helping her sit up as she pushed the damage warnings from her hud, she could deal with those later, once she knew the general situation. Moreso, she felt a sense of loss, because Taylor was gone, yet she remained. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she said, half lying since she didn¡¯t read all the warnings. ¡°What about Lisa?¡± Melissa grimaced, looking back towards the door she had just come from. ¡°Amy brought her here less than a minute ago along with the other Undersiders. Cranial is setting up her lab and Jacob will be bringing Riley over as soon as he¡¯s able.¡± ¡°How bad was it?¡± the Major demanded. ¡°She took two sniper rounds, the braincases are tough but not invincible.¡± ¡°Only one hit her head, and it was a glancing blow,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Come on, we need to get you to your lab, you look like hammered shit.¡± ¡°Feel like it too,¡± she said softly as she accepted the offered hand. ¡°Danny¡¯s dead.¡± Melissa froze in place, halfway to lifting them to their feet. Absently the Major knew that meant something important given her shell weighed far more than a normal person, but she found it hard to care. Melissa snapped out of it and hoisted her up with a grunt of effort. ¡°Talk while we walk,¡± Melissa said, her voice odd, almost as if someone else were saying the words through her. ¡°Empire ambush at school,¡± the Major said, sending the footage to her backup while she thought about it. She could review it after repairs. ¡°They gunned Danny down while he shielded Taylor.¡± Melissa walked with her in silence. ¡°She never told him that her body was a remote system, did you?¡± ¡°They hadn¡¯t been on the best terms,¡± she admitted. ¡°They were going to sit down again tomorrow, try to clear the air.¡± She laughed, weak and empty. ¡°Too late now¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll probably have a long talk once the dust settles, but for what it¡¯s worth, Major, I¡¯m sorry you have to endure this,¡± Melissa said. She wanted to cry, but her shell didn¡¯t have the capacity to do so and she didn¡¯t have access to Taylor to offload any emotions. It was all so completely fucked. Coil led them all by the nose into a trap they thought they had planned for, one that was tailored to exploit those preparations. That suggested Coil was actually a precog of some sort, which hadn¡¯t even made Lisa¡¯s top five for possible powers. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Arriving at her lab, she hurried inside, pulling away from her mentor at the sight of Taylor¡¯s girlfriend on the table. ¡°Lisa!¡± Cranial looked up from where she was working. ¡°Calm down Taylor, she¡¯s gonna be fine.¡± The Major stopped, her body trembling as relief flooded her. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Her body¡¯s shot though,¡± Amy said, her hand on Lisa¡¯s neck. ¡°I got her core organs repaired, but had to cannibalize most of her biomass to do so.¡± Sure enough, Lisa¡¯s limbs were all but retracting into her torso as she watched. Amy herself was covered in blood, no doubt Lisa¡¯s. Looking at her face, the urge to sob returned. Lisa¡¯s head wasn¡¯t repaired yet, the damage from the second shot still prominent even with her brain case exposed. Her cracked brain case. Lisa had come a breath away from death and she was powerless to have done anything to help. Deep down, someone wanted to scream, she had been so helpless during everything, she wasn¡¯t able to help anyone she loved. She¡ª Melissa slapped her. ¡°Hey, none of that,¡± Melissa said sharply. ¡°Lisa would be dead now if you hadn¡¯t offered her that cyber brain. I¡¯ll be blunt, had you done the same for Danny, he would still be here too. That¡¯s in the past, mistake made, now learn from them.¡± The Major regained her senses, anger filled her as she pushed Melissa away. ¡°Taylor was going to offer just that! Tomorrow, over dinner, both to him and Ha¡ª Miss Militia if they wanted it as a peace offering.¡± ¡°Why Miss Militia?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°Danny was dating her,¡± she said. ¡°It started as a recruitment attempt, but they kept talking and eventually dating. Danny called her moments before he was gunned down. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s dead too.¡± Silence filled the room, only to be broken by a familiar voice. ¡°Well shit,¡± Regent said. ¡°This is one hell of a clusterfuck.¡± The Major looked over, Regent and Grue standing off to the side. She didn¡¯t pay them much attention, they didn¡¯t matter at the moment. She was honestly surprised Grue wasn¡¯t going off about how the entire team had been tricked with her little show involving Crusader. ¡°Aptly put,¡± Amy said, finally pulling away from Lisa. ¡°She¡¯ll hold up, but I¡¯d suggest getting her brain in one of those shells sooner. Her body isn¡¯t going to hold up without Riley¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Darn, I was just about to make a dramatic entrance too!¡± Riley exclaimed with slumped shoulders. ¡°How¡¯s she looking?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need your assistance swapping her into a fresh brain case and healing a minor concussion,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to work!¡± she exclaimed, skipping over. The Major watched on, a question tickling the back of her mind, one she didn¡¯t feel like addressing. Instead, she opted to deflect. ¡°Jacob didn¡¯t come with you?¡± ¡°He brought me over, then left immediately after,¡± Riley said. ¡°Something about going to talk to some people about all this. He should be back soon.¡± ¡°Oh fuck,¡± Melissa whispered. The Major turned to her, but she just shook her head. ¡°Whatever. Amy, can you arrange to check Taylor¡¯s body? If you get things repaired and jump started, I should be able to reconnect to the interface.¡± ¡°You want me to perform necromancy on your body?¡± Amy asked with a perfect deadpan. ¡°That¡¯s more Riley¡¯s thing than mine.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Riley said, her hands busy working on one of the spare brain cases that Taylor had built. ¡°Her body has no brain, so all you need to do is patch it up, maybe make it drink some Gatorade or something due to blood loss.¡± ¡°Ugh, this crosses so many lines,¡± Amy muttered. ¡°Can I get a ride there at least?¡± ¡°Harry can take care of that,¡± Melissa said. ¡°He¡¯s in his office with Kurt at the moment, no doubt looking into this in their own way.¡± The Major nodded, glad that Harry hadn¡¯t also been caught in the Arcadia attack and managed to slip out. She went ahead and forwarded him the few readings that Taylor¡¯s communication suite had picked up. Amy left the room, hopefully to change first before she scared someone. She would know if her friend was successful or not if she regained awareness of her old body¡­ She tried not to think about Taylor¡¯s father likely lying next to her right then, dead and gone¡­ ¡°I¡¯m expecting things to get exciting in Brockton,¡± Riley said, her voice lacking its usual exuberance. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t play when people he cares about are hurt.¡± ¡°Why,¡± Taylor whispered, the Major feeling oddly detached as she did. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for a few months.¡± ¡°Major,¡± Melissa said, her hands firmly on the Major¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re family, same with Taylor, and family looks out for one another.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± Grue said, ruining the moment. ¡°If Coil has burned us as badly as I think, could someone make sure my sister is safe?¡± ¡°Aisha, right?¡± the Major asked. ¡°She was friends with Dinah and Missy at Paideia Middle?¡± Grue¡¯s helmet shifted so he was looking at her. ¡°Uh, yeah. How did you know that?¡± ¡°Because Shadow Stalker and I prevented Dinah from being abducted just thirty minutes ago,¡± the Major said. ¡°If anyone knows what¡¯s going on there, it¡¯s them.¡± The Major wasted little time connecting to her systems, this time actually heeding the warnings. She made notes for repairs and set the fabricator to start on a replacement arm at the same time. There was a lot of work ahead of her, but that could wait. She easily slipped into Sophia¡¯s phone and found its signal was at the PRT building, not the school. Frowning, she accessed the PRT systems and did a check. ¡°Stalker¡¯s in Master-Stranger quarantine,¡± she said aloud. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything on Dinah, but that isn¡¯t much of a surprise if they¡¯re giving her a Wards pitch. Shit, Aisha¡¯s probably still at the school.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call and check on her,¡± Brian said, pulling a phone from his pocket. ¡°Wait, how does that work here?¡± ¡°Just dial,¡± Cranial said sharply. ¡°We have repeaters.¡± He nodded and stepped away, placing that call. The Major staggered back, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the weight of everything that happened in the last half hour. Melissa pulled her into a hug, and she found herself trembling in the woman¡¯s embrace. It was a soft moment in the midst of a raging tempest and she could do nothing but lean into it. She needed time to process, and shoulders to lean on. Fortunately she had family, even if they weren¡¯t blood. Still, what had been done would be repaid in blood, she could promise that much, she just needed a moment to breathe. ¡°Uh, guys,¡± Grue said, holding his phone up. ¡°Aisha¡¯s at the PRT building and she says Stalker¡¯s being prepped to be birdcaged for assisting a known villain.¡± Chapter 45 Several thoughts ran through the Major¡¯s head in the seconds after Grue had relayed Aisha¡¯s message. The first was, how the hell was she in the PRT building and in place to hear that? Second, what the fuck were they thinking sending Sophia off to the fucking birdcage for saving a girl from an abduction? Fury the likes of which she had never felt before bloomed within her at the thought of Sophia being sent to that hell on earth. She immediately set about cracking into the PRT¡¯s deeper security systems in an attempt to access the cameras. The first two layers were easy enough, then she hit a metaphorical wall in the form of Dragon tech. Frowning, she pushed on, attempting to wiggle her way through a shifting series of coded firewalls and could only marvel at how sophisticated the entire setup was. ¡°Hello there.¡± The Major jumped. She hadn¡¯t expected to hear a voice, let alone a familiar one. It wasn¡¯t coming from the system however, but from one of the cellular systems she used to speak with the hero on prior occasions. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me for being surprised that you managed this,¡± the Major said. ¡°Yes, you did an admirable job reinforcing your security from our prior encounters,¡± Dragon admitted, though it came across as bragging. ¡°I do have several unfair advantages you lack, Major, or do you prefer Cyber?¡± ¡°May as well call me Taylor,¡± she answered, though it rang a bit hollow. ¡°Is there a point to this? I¡¯ve had a really shitty day and just got another nasty surprise. I¡¯d like to keep Stalker out of the Birdcage if possible.¡± ¡°I thought you would be all for seeing Ms. Hess behind bars,¡± Dragon said. ¡°I advocated for her to be arrested long before today but was overruled.¡± That got her attention, all but confirming one of her own theories. ¡°A hero for a hero, that was the cost if I wanted justice.¡± ¡°And now you¡¯ll have it,¡± Dragon said. Taylor couldn¡¯t help the bitter laugh that escaped. Melissa came over, a worried expression on her face. All she could do was tap the side of the Major¡¯s and mouth ¡®Dragon¡¯. Eyes widened and Melissa stepped back, nodding before she pulled her own phone out and sent off a message. ¡°Justice that cost me my life,¡± Taylor snarled. ¡°My father is dead, as is his girlfriend. Everyone thinks I¡¯m dead too, gunned down in school. I have nothing to turn to but this, and I¡¯ll be damned if Sophia goes down for wanting to help someone. Coil wanted Dinah, and I¡¯m sorry, but no grown man or woman would kidnap a child with pure intentions.¡± ¡°Coil got exactly what he wanted,¡± Dragon said with resignation. ¡°Your death was just one of many steps he achieved. I will say that Hannah¡¯s death wasn¡¯t part of that plan, merely a contingency.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still going to get Sophia out,¡± the Major said after a moment. ¡°Try to stop us if you can, but we¡¯re going to do this.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am unable to act against him,¡± Dragon said slowly. ¡°Coil has power, more than you know. It would be reckless to attack him while he is unaware of your survival, and you might not survive if you did defeat him in whatever ill-conceived plan you make.¡± Taylor blinked. There was something in the wording that caught her attention, but she couldn¡¯t place it. She made sure she was recording the conversation, as well as converting it to text for when Lisa awoke. She would be able to figure it out in seconds. She just needed to ensure there was as much there as possible for her to dissect once she was back up and running. ¡°You¡¯re in contact with him, aren¡¯t you?¡± the Major said more than asked. ¡°He has something on you.¡± ¡°We are all slaves to our circumstances,¡± Dragon said softly. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, Armsmaster needs me for something.¡± Before the Major could pry further, the call ended and she was left alone in her head once more. Worse, she still wasn¡¯t able to get past Dragon¡¯s security. Even with the conversation as a distraction, the hero had kept her out and continued to do so. She wasn¡¯t as good as Lisa at that sort of thing and keenly felt her absence. She grit her teeth and turned back to Grue. ¡°Where is your sister?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t say,¡± he answered. The Major cursed. ¡°Does she have powers?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, then after a moment recoiled. ¡°Nevermind, apparently she does.¡± ¡°Great, so your sister is somehow using powers to evade notice,¡± the Major grumbled. ¡°Okay, we now have two people to extract from that building. Grue, if you can provide a distraction, I can get in there undetected and get them out.¡± ¡°With one arm?¡± he asked, then winced when she glared at him. ¡°Sorry, I just, you¡¯re apparently both Cyber and the Major, Lisa got shot, my sister has powers¡­ This is a lot, okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Major said, stepping up to Grue and staring into his helmet. ¡°It is a lot. Now, unless you want to know exactly how I feel, I suggest you get off your ass and move. These aren¡¯t the nice sort of people playing cops and robbers if you haven¡¯t noticed.¡± Her hand snapped out, grabbing a fistful of his leather jacket as she pulled him close with a snarl. ¡°They catch your sister, she will die. You fancy yourself the leader of the Undersiders? Then fucking LEAD!¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She tossed him aside and walked over to a cabinet along the wall and opened it as she sent off a few messages. More than a few guns greeted her, but most would be useless without two arms. She pulled her side arm from her holster and did a quick check, confirming it was still in working order. From there she took out the rifle magazines from all of her ammo pouches and replaced them with pistol. Satisfied she was as prepared as she could be on short notice, she walked back over to her own wall and activated the portal paired with her base in Brockton. ¡°Coming?¡± ¡°We need Rachel,¡± Brian said. She snorted. ¡°She¡¯s waiting on the other side.¡± Stepping through, the Major took a breath even as the others followed her into her base. Everything was as she left it that morning, which was a good sign nothing was compromised. Content all was good on that front, her mind turned to the mission to come. Objectives: Find Aisha. Rescue Stalker. Those were her win conditions. If anyone was captured the mission could be considered botched but salvageable so long as they all left in the end. She would do what she could stealthily, but eventually they would need to go loud. Bitch was especially skilled at that, and the Major planned to fully utilize that. Turning to the assembled villains, she adopted her best impression of Taylor¡¯s mother. ¡°Alright Undersiders, this is what we¡¯re going to do.¡±
¡°This is a really bad idea,¡± Grue muttered. The Major followed a man through the front door, neatly side stepping the security checkpoint and emerged into the lobby. She had the public floor plans of the building and a bit more from when she had back-hacked Hannah¡¯s connection with Lisa¡¯s help. ¡°Quit bitching,¡± Regent said. ¡°Focus,¡± she said sharply. ¡°Do you know where Aisha was last?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Brian asked. ¡°Why is that name giving me a headache?¡± The lobby was mostly vacant, save for a few people moving about for the evening shift change. If the heroes hadn¡¯t been such asses, Taylor might have ended up joining. That ship sailed months ago, and now, whatever game was being played had cost Danny his life. Nevermind that they were willing to see another hero dead to make sure it stuck. That alone made everything about the situation perilous. Taylor might not have liked Sophia, may have wished death upon her more than once, but the Major wasn¡¯t going to let her be shipped off to the Birdcage just to tie up a loose end. Then there was Brian¡¯s sister, who was somewhere in the building with a likely Stranger power keeping her safe. A group of men made their way into an elevator and she followed as they descended two levels. The Major kept a steady hand on her side arm just to be safe, but she doubted they expected her like the goons in Coil¡¯s base did. Unlike most Stranger powers, her cloak prevented everything but smell, and her shell didn¡¯t have body odor. The door opened and she followed them out, she needed to get information before she started breaking things that looked important. Worse, there was some sort of interference in the air, barely detectable on her sensors, but her suspicions were proven true when she attempted to open a portal to Toybox. It was the same tech that had been deployed in Arcadia. Harry was confident he could force a portal, given the higher power generation available to him, but it would be tipping a hand that nobody wanted to reveal. That meant she was working with fewer options to get everyone out safely. Sophia would be in the Master Stranger cells until they were ready to move her, and the chaos in the city would make for the perfect smoke screen. She had no idea where these troopers were heading, but they were an easy ticket deeper into the facility. It didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at their destination, the infirmary. Inside were several Protectorate members, all with varied injuries. Assault and Battery were leaning against one another even as the woman wept, no doubt over Miss Militia. Velocity was off to the side, visor set on his lap as he stared off into the distance. It wasn¡¯t hard to see the reason why. Hannah was laid out on one of the tables, her skin gray and cold. The Major couldn¡¯t help herself, she approached the woman¡¯s body and truly looked at her. She had a wound to her neck, where a bullet had torn through her. 9mm, based on her own analysis software. A second wound was located in a gap between her vest, hardly debilitating compared to the neck. No doubt that was the bullet that struck her before the call connected, and the neck wound was given after. She let her software continue to analyze the woman, knowing there wasn¡¯t much to learn. Anything on her person that might have been useful was long since seized by whoever had done the deed. The Major continued to scan her, that was when she noticed something. Her brain was still polarized. She wasn¡¯t dead, not completely. Panic filled her chest as she touched the woman¡¯s neck, she didn¡¯t have a proper pulse, but her heart was still beating, albeit slowly. Shit, she was dying, there was no doubt about that, but nobody seemed to realize that. They had dressed the wounds, and that helped keep her alive this long. She knew there were few options remaining, and time was ticking. Getting Amy down to the PRT building on short notice would raise red flags given she was currently ¡®kidnapped¡¯ by the Undersiders. She needed to think quickly, and the only option coming to mind left a bitter taste in her mouth. She would need to go loud before she got Shadow Stalker out, and that risked the rescue further. Still, Taylor owed Hannah more than she owed Sophia, yet something about that rang hollow to the Major. ¡°Grue, launch the attack,¡± Taylor said, voice oddly indistinct. A few moments passed, then the klaxon of alarms sounded. The heroes jumped to their feet, panicked words shared over their comms before they moved, leaving the Major alone in the medical room. ¡°Harry,¡± she said. ¡°I need a portal at my location, jammers in place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking a lot,¡± he answered. ¡°My systems can barely read your location.¡± ¡°Militia¡¯s alive, but fading. I need to extract her and get her to Amy.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered. ¡°Aim the transponder at a wall, I¡¯ll see what can be done.¡± She did so and waited. Every second passed in agonizing slowness, and she was all but certain someone would burst in and prevent her from saving the woman. The wall shimmered and Amy stumbled out, cursing as she fell to the floor. Amy sat up, grumbling. ¡°Mind the step he said. No fucking kidding.¡± ¡°Amy,¡± the Major said, dropping the cloak. ¡°Sitrep?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know military jargon,¡± she hissed but seemed to get the jist of it. ¡°Your body¡¯s patched up, but Riley said your interface was damaged, she and Cranial are working on it. Where¡¯s Militia?¡± She asked that even as she looked around the room and found her. Amy pushed her aside as she hurried to the heroine and took her arm. ¡°Fuck, she¡¯s almost gone. Taylor, get a blood pack or two.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Major in this shell,¡± she said softly, but with conviction. Her HUD guided her to a nearby fridge which contained several bags of plasma. She grabbed a handful and rushed over, passing them to Amy. ¡°What now?¡± A hole formed in Militia¡¯s chest and it soon became clear what was happening next. ¡°Pour them in there, I¡¯ll be able to integrate it faster than an IV line. The Major grimaced internally but did as asked. Hannah¡¯s color slowly improved as she poured and she started getting her hopes up. That was when the door flung open and the Major spun, her arm up with her gun trained on the entry. ¡°Whoa, the fuck is this?¡± a familiar voice demanded. The Major sighed, heart lifting with relief. ¡°Stalker, you are a sight for sore eyes. How the hell did you get out?¡± Sophia was wearing a basic jumpsuit and domino mask, and flip-flops, likely the standard setup for anyone being held even if it was willingly as part of some policy and procedure. What was of more interest was the person with her. ¡°That would be me,¡± a young girl said as she pushed past her. ¡°I don¡¯t have a cool cape name yet but I did knock out the idiots attempting to escort the Shadow Bitch.¡± ¡°Well, that simplifies things,¡± the Major said out loud even as the two began to bicker. ¡°Grue, prepare to withdraw, all parameters secure, just need to exfil them.¡± ¡°Kinda busy,¡± he grunted. ¡°The remainder of the Protectorate and most of the Wards showed up.¡± That was going to be a pain in their ass, but she could work with it. ¡°Stalker, happy to see you and all, but help me move Militia through the portal, we can deal with things once everyone is safe.¡± As if on cue, something in the air shifted and the portal winked out. The lights in the room dimmed and one of the monitors lit up with Dragon¡¯s face who quickly looked among all of them and frowned. ¡°Armsmaster won¡¯t be pleased with this,¡± she said softly, then the door slammed shut locking them in the infirmary. Chapter 46 ¡°Trap!¡± Amy exclaimed. All the Major could do was groan, she was getting tired of walking into those. She had Dragon¡¯s full attention and no doubt the entire building had been alerted to what she was attempting. Theft of a corpse would not look good on an arrest report, or a newspaper headline after all. Miss Militia twitched, a low groan coming from the woman, but she wasn¡¯t in any condition to help with the escape. The Major turned to the door, pulling the cable from her neck and connected to the systems within the room. Dragon had anticipated that much, quickly shutting Taylor out as she did. She cursed and instead decided to be a bit more direct and shot the control panel on the door instead. The door shorted and slid open. Dragon¡¯s avatar blinked in surprise. It wasn¡¯t her fault really, but fire and safety concerns meant that any malfunction should default a door to open rather than closed. ¡°Can you get Militia on her feet?¡± the Major asked even as she moved to the hall and took a look down both directions. ¡°Maybe,¡± Amy said. ¡°Her mind is damaged from oxygen deprivation. I¡¯ve encouraged regeneration where I could but I¡¯m not directly fixing anything without Cranial¡¯s help.¡± ¡°It will have to do,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Stalker, do you have any weapons?¡± She raised an eyebrow and patted herself down with as much blatant sarcasm as possible. ¡°Darn, my crossbows must have fallen out of my non-existent pockets.¡± The Major snorted, a soft smile on her face despite the urgency of the situation. ¡°Smartass,¡± Aisha said, then pulled a pocket knife from her own pocket. ¡°I¡¯m armed at least!¡± ¡°Good, then you can help me when we get into a fight,¡± the Major said, checking her pistol. ¡°Stalker, you¡¯ll get the first weapon I find, but for now, help Amy carry Militia.¡± ¡°I saw them bring her in,¡± Stalker said as she moved to help. ¡°Armsmaster insisted she was dead, that he¡¯d checked himself.¡± ¡°His instruments confirmed her injuries were fatal,¡± Dragon said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t tell him the time frame.¡± The Major couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that. For whatever hold Armsmaster had on Dragon, it wasn¡¯t ironclad if she could offer up some limited defiance when it suited her. She had some suspicions, but they were so far-fetched they didn¡¯t want to entertain them until Lisa was back on her feet. Movement caught her attention and several PRT troopers rounded the corner, she ducked back into the infirmary and replayed what she had seen. One trooper had a foam sprayer while the other two held rifles. The Major grinned as she aimed around the doorframe and fired, striking the hose of the sprayer and sending the trio of troopers into a panic. She rushed forward, firing two additional shots that struck the hands holding said rifles. She knocked one aside then kicked the man into the expanding foam. The third trooper grabbed her by the waist and attempted to pull her down with him. He was unprepared for her almost five hundred pounds of prosthetics. She reached down and hooked her pistol into a loop on his belt and used the leverage to fuck up his footing. His center of gravity shifted, the Major moved with it, and hip checked him down the hall, right to the feet of Aisha who had his rifle in hand. He didn¡¯t even seem to notice her, fixated on the one-armed cyborg as he was when the young girl beaned him over the head with the gun. ¡°What just happened?¡± Shadow Stalker asked. ¡°Me being awesome, that¡¯s what happened!¡± Aisha exclaimed. Both Amy and Stalker recoiled in surprise, and the Major realized she must have used her powers, which didn¡¯t work on her. Her cyber brain seemed to make her immune to any mental effect that a Parahuman could produce. She would need to test that further and see what limits existed. ¡°Well, miss awesome,¡± the Major said. ¡°Give that gun to Stalker and grab the other. You can cover us.¡± ¡°They gonna be okay?¡± Amy asked as they walked past the glob of foam blocking most of the hall. They were being careful to not drop Miss Militia as they slid by. ¡°Not our problem at the moment,¡± the Major said. ¡°More incoming.¡± The Major pulled ahead, falling into a sprint as troopers came down the stairwell at the end of the hall. She heard muffled cursing as they brought their weapons up but she was faster. Three rounds impacted the lead trooper in his faceplate, no doubt Tinker-designed given it survived the ammunition. That didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t effective, as the man promptly fell back, knocking over the trooper behind him in the process and holding up the entire line of troopers. Then the Major cloaked herself. ¡°Stranger!¡± One yelled, but she was among them. She couldn¡¯t afford the stairwell getting foamed, it would prevent her exit and cost too much time to find a way around. Instead, she lashed out, using her gun and limbs to disorient as well as take down the soldiers methodically. She was working her way up the stairs when a shadowed figure leapt from below, landing amidst the troops a bit higher up. Shadow Stalker fought with experience, using the trooper¡¯s greater strength and bulk against them to great effect. Together they made short work of the stairwell and left a dozen troopers in heaps of limbs at their back. Sophia was panting, looking at the Major with wide eyes and a brilliant smile. ¡°Fuck that felt good,¡± Stalker said, offering her fist. The Major snorted, thankful she couldn¡¯t blush as she bumped her remaining hand with Taylor¡¯s former tormentor. She ejected the magazine and fetched another. One-handed reloads wasn¡¯t something she actively practiced but she managed all the same. ¡°You may as well give up,¡± Dragon said through the intercom. ¡°Armsmaster is on his way and I don¡¯t think you are a match for him.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The Major frowned. Dragon was warning her he was coming in her own way. She rolled her neck, not that it did any good. Armsmaster was considered one of the top heroes in the country for a reason and the man never missed an Endbringer fight. He wouldn¡¯t go down easy, no matter what she attempted. Armed with little more than a pistol and a handful of riot suppression shotguns, they wouldn¡¯t do the group much good. ¡°Stalker, keep Amy safe, we need to get her out of here with Militia,¡± she said, then switched to her comms. ¡°Grue, you guys ready to get out?¡± ¡°We¡¯re way ahead of you,¡± he said a bit frantically. ¡°New Wave¡¯s here and they¡¯re giving us hell.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± the Major said. ¡°Amy, your adoptive assholes are out there.¡± ¡°Goddamn it,¡± she cursed. ¡°Nothing I can do there. They¡¯ll have to get out on their own.¡± ¡°Grue, go dark. Get back to my base if you can,¡± she said as she moved up the stairs. She was now on the first level of the basement, and the stairs didn¡¯t go higher. She would have to fight her way up one more flight than find an exit point unless she could locate the source of the subspace disruption that was preventing her from opening further portals. No doubt Harry was looking for a workaround, but that would take time, which she didn¡¯t have much of at the moment. The floor plans told her there were three ways to the ground floor from her current level, yet she couldn¡¯t be sure which one the heroes would be defending. It was best to assume the heroes were prepared no matter which way she went, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t abuse that assumption. ¡°Amy, go with Stalker and Aisha,¡± she said softly. The three girls startled as they all looked at her like she had grown a second head or lost her mind rather than an arm. Given the thoughts in her head, she might actually be losing it, given the Major could feel Taylor there in the back of her mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to draw their attention with a running gunfight, you three need to get upstairs and talk your way past whoever tries to stop you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Amy said. ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter.¡± ¡°You could be,¡± the Major said. ¡°You could easily make a knockout virus that Aisha and Stalker are immune to. Once you get outside, go straight to Toybox and wait for me.¡± ¡°Wait, what about Dinah?¡± Aisha exclaimed. ¡°I won¡¯t just leave her here.¡± ¡°Trust Vista to keep an eye on her,¡± the Major said. ¡°They won¡¯t do anything blatant as long as she knows Dinah is here and we can always make another attempt once regrouped.¡± The young girl glared defiantly before spitting off to the side. ¡°Fuck, fine. Let¡¯s get this done so I can yell at you for how stupid this is later you insane bitch.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± she answered. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs it,¡± Stalker said, looking as though she was hesitating. Her hand raised up, then paused before finally bumping the Major¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Fight well.¡± The Major grinned and ran off down the hall towards what she hoped would be the best place to cause the biggest distraction. It didn¡¯t take her long to find a group of troopers blocking off a path. She cloaked briefly, closing the distance as they blindly fired beanbag rounds down the hall. She did her best to avoid them, but one clipped her leg and disrupted the cloak just before she made it to them. Not wanting to waste time, the Major shot one of their foam grenades and continued on, leaving the troopers to deal with the mess instead. She moved quickly, reaching the next staircase and could only grin at the sight of blue armor waiting for her, halberd planted firmly like a guard of old. She stopped and elected to lean against the wall. ¡°What, not gonna say ¡®you shall not pass¡¯?¡± ¡°Major,¡± Armsmaster said with a monotone voice. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest.¡± ¡°Gonna be hard to put me in handcuffs,¡± she said, wiggling her stump. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not really into older men, or men in general for that matter.¡± ¡°I expected you to be more professional,¡± Armsmaster said, twirling his halberd into a ready stance. ¡°If you won¡¯t surrender, I¡¯m afraid you leave me little choice.¡± The Major snapped her arm up and fired a shot for his exposed chin, only for a plate to slide over it, covering the last bit of skin visible. She grit her teeth as he charged forward. She holstered her gun and ducked his swing, then punched his armor with her full prosthetic output. Armsmaster was launched off his feet, and she saw several warning signals flash across her HUD. Several joints in her fingers had been damaged by the impact and a quick check of their movement set off another warning. A slugging match wasn¡¯t an option, but she was happy that she could actually move the tin can with her hits. On the other note, she didn¡¯t need to actually fight him, just distract everyone long enough for Amy to bullshit or power her way out of the building and he was easily the most likely to manage it. Taylor didn¡¯t like Sophia, but the Major trusted her to protect everyone she was entrusted with. It was the task given to her by the Major who had come to help get her out, she wouldn¡¯t risk messing that up. ¡°Status?¡± The Major asked as she circled the man. ¡°Almost out,¡± Amy answered. ¡°Clock saw us as we tried to slip through the lobby, Stalker¡¯s dealing with him.¡± ¡°Good enough,¡± she said. ¡°Well Armsy, it¡¯s been fun but I have places to be and people to piss off.¡± ¡°No,¡± he grunted. ¡°I think not.¡± She was quite happy to see his armor was dented from her fist and she almost decided to attempt another round, but that wouldn¡¯t be productive even if it would be cathartic as fuck. Instead, she took a step back and let her cloak envelop her. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Armsmaster had something that could pick her up, but it would still give her an edge, even if just for a moment. She stepped left, pulling another grenade from her belt, her last, then tossed it away while running in the opposite direction. Armsmaster spun, tracking the device, which burst without a sound. Then the wind picked up. The Major was going to have words with Vivian about her crazy ideas, because unless she was mistaken, that was a fucking black hole. Armsmaster slammed his halberd into the floor and braced himself against the growing suction, and she wasted little time moving up the stairwell. Atop, she was surprised to find Kid Win watching the exit with a ray gun at the ready. She could see the grief written on his face and Taylor felt sorry for her friend. Stopping for a moment, the Major leaned in and whispered something she knew to be true. ¡°Taylor is alive.¡± He jumped, spinning to face where she had been, but she was already gone. She didn¡¯t even try anything on the first floor, darting up to the second where she knew there were a bunch of generic offices and meeting rooms for the day-to-day operation of the organization. She entered the first open door she saw and drew her gun. She didn¡¯t have time to second guess herself because it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to figure out what she had done. She shot the window, emptying the magazine then ran forward and crashed through the weakened ballistic glass. The drop was less than a dozen feet, and the distortion was finally gone now that she was outside the walls of the PRT building. The Major aimed the transponder at the ground beneath her, the concrete rippled as she fell through along with a mess of broken glass. Chapter 47 The Major hit the ground hard, rolling out of control until she came to an abrupt stop against something implacable. She groaned, the warnings blaring across all her systems. She dismissed them one by one with only a cursory glance and she felt a secondary awareness return to her. Taylor blinked awake, the light blinding to her organic eyes. She felt whole again for the first time in hours, having both halves of herself back. ¡°I gotcha, girl,¡± Melissa said, cradling her shell in strong arms. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± Taylor, or the Major, asked, surprised to hear an electronic warble from her voice. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s gonna be a bitch to fix.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got time,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Amy has Militia in her own lab. Stalker and Aisha arrived with her.¡± She breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°And the Undersiders?¡± ¡°Waiting in your base back in Brockton,¡± she answered. ¡°We need your code to let them through the portal you keep there.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± she grunted. She sent the signal and her lab¡¯s portal opened once more, the three capes stepping through a moment later. Grue¡¯s leather jacket was scorched and torn in places, Regent had a limp and Bitch¡­ Rachel was missing her arm below her shoulder, wrapped in a bloody bandage. Fuck. What was it with people losing arms? Sure, between herself, Amy and Riley, it was only a temporary setback at worst, but that had to hurt like a motherfucker. Her shell didn¡¯t report pain in the traditional way, she felt the loss of a limb, the sting of her damaged hand, but it wasn¡¯t pain. It was simply information. Even when Taylor had been gunned down she didn¡¯t feel the bite of the bullets like she should. It was a failsafe, to protect her from bleed over, but it had also lessened the event. She needed to feel pain, to remind her that not only was she alive, that she was still human. That she was still Taylor. Just another thing on the long list of repairs and upgrades she needed to make to her shell. That would need to wait, however. She had more pressing matters. Her original body sat up, feeling lethargic to her wishes. She had thinned, no doubt because Amy had to repair so much from the barrage of bullets that she had endured. If not for the fact it was a remote suit, she would have truly died. Whoever was behind Coil thought they had scored a decisive win, and she needed them to continue to think that. Cyber and Tattletale needed to remain dead, at least until Coil himself was buried in the dirt. He had killed her father, tried to rip out almost everything Taylor loved in the world. There would be a reckoning. ¡°How¡¯s Lisa?¡± Taylor asked after a moment. As nice as it was to be held by Melissa, she could really use her girlfriend at the moment. To hold her and know that she was still there, that she hadn¡¯t died. Still, it was the Major being held, not her. There was something to that distinction, and the thought processes that had happened through the entire day since she was shot that she didn¡¯t want to think too deeply on at the moment. She was Taylor Hebert, she was human¡­ Wasn¡¯t she? Then why did looking at the Major, cradled in Melissa¡¯s arms, feel like she was looking at someone else? ¡°Cranial managed to repair her cyber brain,¡± Melissa said, snapping Taylor from her thoughts. ¡°Lisa¡¯s asleep, and will likely remain so until tomorrow.¡± ¡°She will need her shell,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°Her body is wrecked from Amy¡¯s healing.¡± ¡°A temporary setback,¡± Melissa assured her, looking at her original body, not the Major in her arms. ¡°You were bloodied today, but you¡¯re far from down. Take your time, build up your strength and then punch back harder than they gave. I know you¡¯re dwelling on all this to avoid thinking about your father, and that¡¯s fine for now, but don¡¯t lose sight of your goals for it.¡± ¡°I could have saved him,¡± Taylor said, and her original body began to weep from its place on the table. ¡°He would still be alive if he had a cyber brain, you said it yourself. All because we were having petty arguments rather than dealing with our problems.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t petty to you at the time,¡± Melissa said firmly. ¡°Hindsight makes fools of us all. The important thing is that we learn from those mistakes and press on in spite of them.¡± ¡°Danny won¡¯t be forgotten, I promise that,¡± the Major said. ¡°Coil has to die, painfully and in a way that sends a message to anyone who would dare try something similar.¡± ¡°He will,¡± Melissa said. ¡°And you won¡¯t be going it alone, will you?¡± The Major looked up to her mentor¡¯s smiling face. There was no kindness in that smile, instead it was sharp and vicious; it was how she imagined a monster would smile when they caught their target. She felt a shiver run down both her spines at the sight of it. She knew her mentor had a cruel streak buried deep within her, she had seen it peek out before, and now it was on full display. ¡°Come on,¡± Melissa said, helping her up. Once again she was surprised at how easily her mentor could lift the Major despite it weighing more than a fridge. ¡°Jacob should be back soon with some news, so let¡¯s go check on everyone.¡± ¡°My shell¡¯s damaged,¡± the Major said. ¡°Bring Taylor instead, that way I can start running proper diagnostics with Cranial and get a head start on repairs.¡± ¡°Good call,¡± Cranial said. ¡°These initial readings tell me you are a lot worse off than you appear.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Melissa said, giving the Major a quick hug and an understanding look before moving over to Taylor. ¡°Can you walk or should I carry you?¡± Taylor laughed, and got to her feet, wobbling for a moment before Melissa helped steady her. Her old body felt wrung dry, and in a way it had been. Cranial passed her a bottle of water, which Taylor gulped down, only now realizing how much she needed it. The Major hopped up onto the table that she had vacated, sending a nod back at Taylor before she laid down and Cranial wasted little time getting her hooked up to the systems. Taylor zoned out, putting her full focus on her own body while ignoring the implications of the Major carrying on a conversation with Cranial. Melissa kept an arm under her for support as the pair walked the halls, dozens of generic doors passing them by as the Undersiders trailed behind them in silence. Toybox was a labyrinth at the best of times, and at the moment she didn¡¯t have her HUD in place thanks to the diagnostics. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Thankfully Melissa knew the way, and it didn¡¯t take them long to reach Amy¡¯s lab, which was only marked as such by a single sticker of a marijuana leaf. The door opened for them and Taylor was surprised to see Hannah sitting up on the table while Amy had her testing her digits. That she wasn¡¯t a sobbing mess told her nobody had broken the news just yet. ¡°Hebert?¡± Sophia squawked. She was off to the side, with a bottle of orange Gatorade in hand. ¡°They told me you were dead.¡± ¡°Came close. Amy put me back together,¡± she admitted, looking over at Hannah, knowing she was about to crush her. ¡°Dad wasn¡¯t so lucky.¡± Taylor watched a torrent of emotions roll over the woman, tears pooled in her eyes, but her face ended up set with grim resolve. Taylor knew that when the time came, Hannah would have her back in whatever came next. ¡°Aisha!¡± She turned, finding the young girl wrapped around Brian, who had unmasked at some point. Sophia tensed at the sight of Grue, and she knew from some of the Major¡¯s conversations with her that she had some sort of grudge with him over a power interaction. Hopefully she could put it aside in favor of cooperation for the moment. Taylor didn¡¯t have it in her to prevent a fight between them. ¡°I said piss off!¡± Rachel snarled. ¡°Fuck,¡± Amy said, staring back in defiance. ¡°Let me at least check you over.¡± ¡°Bitch,¡± Taylor said with all the firmness she could. ¡°Stand down. There will be time for violence later.¡± She huffed and finally Amy got a look at her. ¡°So, what now?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Half of us are either wanted or assumed dead.¡± Looking back at those assembled in the room, Taylor found herself at a loss. She wasn¡¯t a leader, she was just one person who had been active for less than four months. Everyone in the room seemed to be looking to her for guidance, well, Regent was feigning being bored while Amy looked him over and Melissa was keeping to herself for the moment. ¡°Armsmaster,¡± Hannah said, her power shifting to some high-powered rifle in her hands. ¡°I trusted him, worked alongside the man for over a decade, and he shot me in cold blood and left me to die.¡± ¡°You would have died in under an hour had Taylor not found you,¡± Amy said. ¡°Be glad that whatever check he did on you was less sophisticated than Taylor¡¯s equipment.¡± ¡°Taylor¡¯s?¡± Sophia asked, looking from the healer to Taylor. ¡°You provided tech to the Major? I was under the impression you two didn¡¯t like each other or some shit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Taylor said, not wanting to dig into that mess for as long as she could manage. She ignored the pointed look Melissa was giving her as well. That woman was far too perceptive. ¡°This whole thing is complicated,¡± Amy said. ¡°Like, what the hell is actually going on with the PRT and Protectorate?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot more to this, for example, I¡¯m reasonably certain Armsmaster has some leverage on Dragon,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I have some suspicions as to what, but I don¡¯t want to throw them out without Lisa¡¯s input.¡± ¡°Out with it, Hebert,¡± Sophia said. ¡°I heard some of that shit too, and she didn¡¯t sound like her usual self when she talks at the meetings.¡± Taylor huffed, taking a seat. ¡°I think Dragon is an AI, shackled in some way to obey Armsmaster¡¯s every whim.¡± A series of curses filled the room, along with a fair measure of disbelief. Well, that theory was out in the wild among those who were essentially the closest people left to her in the world, barring her girlfriend who was sleeping off the worst of her injuries. One face Taylor was surprised wasn¡¯t present was Riley. When had the little menace slipped out on them? It was likely for a good reason, so Taylor wasn¡¯t about to complain. She would probably pop up back in her lab to help with her shell¡¯s repairs before long. Given what they had just dealt with, and the odds stacked against them, just what options remained open to them? Hannah was listed as deceased and would be considered a Mastered corpse if she stepped forward, at least initially. Sophia was wanted for aiding a known criminal. Taylor was also listed as deceased and any attempts to prove otherwise would expose her as a remote piloted mass of flesh. Even Amy was likely being branded as either Mastered or turned Villain for helping get Militia out of the building. The Undersiders were equally compromised just for being criminals, and Toybox wouldn¡¯t be able to leverage much either, even if the organization was the brainchild of Hero. Her options for fighting back were few, and dangerous besides, Melissa was right, she needed time to recover and build everyone back up. Idly, an idea came to her and she pulled up the footage of the Empire¡¯s attack on her father, and saw something concerning. Alabaster¡¯s skin looked off, lacking the proper monochrome. A quick reference of her files confirmed it, the man that had helped gun her down wasn¡¯t Alabaster at all. Fuck, she needed to get that information out there, maybe it would give the Empire some leverage. It made her sick to even consider using the Empire, but she was lacking options. She then considered what other information she could weaponize, and a plan began to solidify. ¡°Amy, do you have access to your PHO account?¡± Taylor asked. Raising an eyebrow, she retrieved her phone. ¡°My phone¡¯s been locked out.¡± Taylor chuckled, connecting to the device, the lockout was lifted less than a second once her software got to work. ¡°Text Vicky that you¡¯re safe with Taylor, say nothing else, then get on PHO and tell them that Miss Militia was still alive in the PRT infirmary when you got to her. Hannah, post that you are recovering with the help of Panacea.¡± ¡°Belay that,¡± Jacob said, stepping into the room. ¡°Make all those posts and all of this will be for naught. We don¡¯t know when the next opportunity will present itself.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Melissa asked. Jacob sighed, a weary expression on his face. ¡°Taylor, I¡¯ll leave the choice to you, save your father by revealing your hand and risking worse losses in the future, or put the bastard that arranged this down for good.¡± Taylor blinked, feeling the Major mirror it back in her lab. Just what had Jacob learned that would necessitate stopping her from using the few tools at her disposal? Melissa frowned, then her eyes widened. ¡°You spoke to them, didn¡¯t you?¡± He nodded, holding up the folder in his hand. ¡°I have here the full profile of the man you know as Coil, his powers as well as his civilian identity. He can create two different paths via precognition and run them to see the outcome of each choice. We are currently living the path where he took every risk he could to eliminate his enemies. He already knows the Major survived and that they stole Militia¡¯s body. He will be considering scrapping this attempt at his goals as a result. Release those statements and he would almost assuredly revert to the attempt where no risks were taken, but remember everything he learned.¡± ¡°He would use that information in future attempts and we would be none the wiser,¡± Taylor said softly, the implications hitting her like an eighteen wheeler. ¡°Right now, the only true loss is my father, not that he knows it yet. He would learn that Amy and Sophia are with us, that Militia is acting against him, and that the Major is cybernetic at minimum. Nevermind the Undersiders.¡± ¡°Who knows how much of that he already knew,¡± Melissa said. ¡°He has all the advantages if we force him to give up on this¡­ Yet, your dad would live.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± Taylor asked, tears pricking at her eyes. ¡°Who would it cost me if I did that? Would I be trading Dad for Lisa, or would I lose them both? Right now, I know what it cost me to gain this information, and I know I could have him back if I just gave it up¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something to decide upon lightly,¡± Jacob admitted. ¡°But if you do, I have a proposal that might be of interest. Riley, Kurt and I will be waiting in our room, if you decide to take us up on that offer, Melissa can show you the way.¡± ¡°Jacob!¡± Melissa snarled. ¡°You can¡¯t be suggesting what I think you are.¡± ¡°It will be her choice,¡± he answered, turning back to the door. ¡°Legend has given his approval if you decide to take us up on the offer.¡± As he left, Melissa cursed and Taylor was left with the most agonizing decision she had ever faced. Save her father and risk greater losses, or leave him dead and hope they can exact justice. The tears fell freely and she took what little comfort she could in Melissa¡¯s arms. Interlude - Jacob Jacob didn¡¯t enjoy stepping into the New York Protectorate offices, even when he was invited. He might be a respected PRT therapist on the books, but enough people in the building knew who he truly was. The worst of them was dear little Rebecca, who doubled as both Alexandria and the PRT Chief Director when it suited her. She had body doubles on both coasts, and the one that served as Alexandria even had a Brute rating and flight to fake that side of things. He made his way straight to the elevator and punched in the code that would take him to Legend¡¯s office. Rebecca still held a grudge from the time he had brought the Nine to quell the Siberian against Contessa¡¯s wishes. A good thing he did, because the beast almost killed Hero before he managed to put down William Manton. So many in Cauldron trusted that woman¡¯s power beyond reason, but he knew better, he had heard the whispers it spoke to those around her. It was a poison pill, meant to corrupt and guide those around her to some outcome that wouldn¡¯t be good for humanity. That incident served as the final straw. Legend and Hero agreed with him, and thus Cauldron fractured for good. It took time, but an uneasy alliance was reached between the opposing factions, with the survival of humanity as their priority. Now, he was about to deliver a request that would shit all over that agreement, and he was finding it difficult to care. Brockton Bay was one of their projects, a test to see what happens when Parahumans take over a city. That no longer concerned him, for lines had been crossed, and those scales would be settled one way or another. Someone had seen fit to target people that he considered under his protection. Toybox might have been Hero¡¯s pet project, but he was the liaison that worked with them, their well-being was entrusted to him when Hero wasn¡¯t available, and someone had taken a shot at Taylor that stunk of a powerful precog. If he discovered Contessa¡¯s involvement in that mess, he might just get that death match with the boogeyman after all. He stepped off the elevator and made his way straight to Legend¡¯s office. The hallway was bare, with no doors leading away from it. He knew that various security measures were in place in the event of intruders, Rebecca¡¯s office had much the same measures in place just one floor above them. He did have to fight a smile at the small rainbow flag sticker on Legend¡¯s office door; they owed the man much for what he had done to ensure equal rights in the country. It was one area that Bet was ahead of Aleph, because who could argue against Legend when he took to the Senate floor to argue in favor of the Equality Act? That the Nine had visited the homes of three of the biggest detractors a week prior was just a minor contribution in the grand scheme of things. Now, he was going to do much the same in Brockton Bay, take out the trash that should have been dealt with during his first visit to the city. He didn¡¯t bother knocking, entering the secretary¡¯s office and offering her a curt nod before striding forward. The woman knew not to waylay him when he was in a mood, and so he walked right into an argument between the two most powerful people in the city. ¡°I refuse to let this stand, Rebecca,¡± Legend said, glaring at the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t care Keith, the experiment is too important,¡± Rebecca said, slamming her hand down on the reinforced desk. ¡°We can¡¯t risk twenty years of progress just because you are upset.¡± Rebecca looked older when she wore her civilian guise, makeup carefully chosen to make her seem her natural forty to the casual observer. He knew it wasn¡¯t her body double, as that woman had no powers, and he could always tell. That whisper in the back of his mind that told him when a Parahuman was near, they possessed a depth to them that normal people couldn¡¯t match. ¡°He¡¯s not the only one,¡± Jacob said, cutting off Keith¡¯s rebuttal. It never ceased to amuse him that even Alexandria gave pause when he channeled Jack Slash. ¡°Give me one good reason I don¡¯t take the Nine out for a stroll through Brockton, because I¡¯m feeling nostalgic.¡± ¡°Jacob,¡± she said, turning to face him. ¡°I fail to see what this has to do with you.¡± ¡°Taylor Hebert,¡± he said slowly, ¡°is the daughter of Anne Rose, formerly known as Hirschfeld. Let¡¯s just say that certain parties won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± ¡°Oh shit,¡± Keith muttered. ¡°How long can you keep her from taking matters into her own hands?¡± ¡°Thankfully, whoever did this fucked the dog and missed several factors,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Taylor is alive, though her father wasn¡¯t so lucky. Tattletale will recover and Miss Militia¡¯s assassination was foiled. Like it or not, Brockton is going to become a war zone once they¡¯ve recovered and the PRT will bear the brunt of that.¡± ¡°Why would the PRT be their focus?¡± Rebecca sneered. ¡°Coil is dead, and the Empire handled the assassination of the elder Hebert.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play the fool, Becky, it doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± Jacob said pleasantly. ¡°Coil wasn¡¯t one of those men killed by Hookwolf, Armsmaster was the one to shoot Militia, and the Empire was framed for the assassination. Not that it makes them saints, they are Nazis after all.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Wait, Armsmaster did WHAT?¡± Keith yelled, and for the briefest of instants he shifted to light. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, but what the hell have you allowed to fester in that city, Rebecca?¡± A tense silence followed as they waited for Rebecca¡¯s counter. That wasn¡¯t to come however, as a golden iris opened and a fedora clad woman stepped into the office with a grace and poise no mortal could match. He felt it the instant she appeared, that wrongness that followed her every step in her accursed Path. He wanted to draw his blade, to finally remove the cancer that had poisoned humanity¡¯s best attempt at survival. He couldn¡¯t, because he had things more important than himself, like his husband and daughter, to care for. ¡°Fortuna?¡± Rebecca said in genuine surprise. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°The Path,¡± she said simply, then placed the file on Keith¡¯s desk. ¡°This is a crossroad, one path leads to momentary peace and greater future ruin, the other is the one we tread which is full of pain but greater hope for tomorrow, and only the aggrieved can choose which to walk. Door to Denver.¡± Just as quickly as she had arrived, Contessa had moved on, following whatever her power told her would accomplish her goals. He was unsure of the gift she had delivered, and sat patiently while Legend looked it over, his frown growing by the second. ¡°Rebecca,¡± he said after a moment, sliding the file over to Jacob who took it and opened it for himself. ¡°Tell me you weren¡¯t aware of Thomas Calvert when you gave him the Brockton Directorship. Please.¡± ¡°You let a villain gain power within the PRT?¡± Jacob asked, shaking his head as he skimmed the folder. Thomas Calvert, one of two survivors of Ellisburg and a recipient of a Cauldron Vial that granted him a branching form of precognition. Also known as the villain Coil. He stepped forward and shoved the file into Rebecca¡¯s chest. ¡°Tell me, in what world is this damn experiment of yours still valid? It¡¯s so tainted at this point that you may as well discard it completely.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Keith added. ¡°This would destroy us if it got out, you have to realize. A Nine deployment would be the perfect cover for removing the corrupt elements. Give me one good reason to not give that order.¡± ¡°I have none,¡± she said, taking the file before setting it back on the desk. ¡°Fortuna has apparently taken that choice from me and given it to the two of you, do with it as you will. Door to Cauldron.¡± Rebecca stepped through, and the iris closed once more, leaving them alone in Legend¡¯s office. He turned to his nominal superior as he went over the file in some detail. ¡°Where are they now?¡± Keith asked. ¡°Recovering in Toybox,¡± Jacob answered. ¡°Taylor¡¯s father was the only true fatality, but none of them will be ready for days, if not weeks.¡± ¡°This is beyond the pale,¡± Keith said, sitting back in his chair with a weary sigh. ¡°Jacob, if I authorize this, how would you proceed?¡± ¡°A Nine run would be a good cover for removing Calvert and Armsmaster from the board,¡± he conceded. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change that Taylor will be wanting her pound of flesh. They wronged her personally, struck at every piece of her support structure bar the one on my team. If she doesn¡¯t get to be a part of this, she will feel slighted, and likely fight against us thinking we are a threat.¡± ¡°You want to bring a girl who isn¡¯t even sixteen into the Nine?¡± ¡°Riley isn¡¯t thirteen yet,¡± Jacob said with a shrug. ¡°Plus, Riley sees Taylor and Amy as big sisters in a way, she would jump at the chance to not keep secrets from them.¡± ¡°And Tattletale already knows,¡± Keith said softly. ¡°Damn me for even considering this¡­ Okay, read Taylor in on this, and if your reports on Panacea are accurate, bring her in as well. At worst, she might be able to keep people alive that would otherwise die.¡± ¡°What about Hero?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me swiping his Tinkers for the Nine.¡± ¡°Leave him to me,¡± Keith said. ¡°It isn¡¯t like he will be losing Cyber, because unless I¡¯m reading things way off, I suspect you¡¯ll recruit the Major for the Nine while she gets to maintain her life otherwise. Amy Dallon will be the tricky one to juggle, given she¡¯s a public cape.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll pay her family a visit,¡± Jacob said. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t go digging once she takes up her birth name.¡± Legend sat in silence, his eyes locked on the open file as he no doubt considered the weight of what they were about to do. A city would descend into chaos, near a dozen capes would likely end up dead before they were done. It would be national news, as all attacks by the Nine were. Jacob didn¡¯t care though, it was something that needed to be done ever since his first visit to that accursed city. At last, he could finish what he started, but he would leave the choice in Taylor¡¯s hand, much as it burned him to listen to Contessa on such matters. The woman spoke in riddles but he had understood it. Coil¡¯s power gave him the option to take risks without actually risking anything, which meant he had a safe option in his pocket until he knew he was insulated from reprisal. ¡°Keith, until we¡¯re ready, play Brockton carefully,¡± he said as he turned to leave. ¡°We need Calvert complacent, we can¡¯t afford for him to fall back on one of his safety nets. Give him enough rope so when the time comes, he will hang himself.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Legend answered. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready and I¡¯ll make sure everything is in place on our end.¡± ¡°You can count on me,¡± Jacob said. ¡°We founded Section Nine for a reason, and it¡¯s days like today that we were made for.¡± With those parting words, Jacob left the office, determined to return to Toybox. He had several difficult conversations ahead of him, not to mention that he needed to ensure Taylor didn¡¯t accidentally discard the opportunity in front of them. He was not looking forward to the burden he was about to place upon her, but he would do what was needed. That was why the Nine existed, because there would always be a necessary evil, and damn him if he didn¡¯t enjoy filling that role. Chapter 49 ¡°Okay, unless I am horribly misreading Jacob¡¯s intentions, you are going to learn a lot of uncomfortable things in this room. About me, about them and a bunch of other stuff. All I ask is that you hear us out and keep an open mind.¡± Taylor turned to her mentor where they had stopped outside one of the unmarked doors. She didn¡¯t think this room belonged to anyone, as it wasn¡¯t listed on any of the maps Harry sent her. She had never heard Melissa so worried before, not even when she had caught Taylor planning to remove her own brain. There was a weight to whatever was behind the door, like it was something that couldn¡¯t be taken back, no matter how much she wished for it. Secrets. Toybox had plenty, and Taylor made it a point to not delve into those hidden depths, out of respect as well as a touch of fear about what she might uncover. The pictures in Melissa¡¯s room came to mind, specifically the one that had her mother sitting on Lustrum¡¯s lap with arms wrapped around her. It was more than a little suggestive of the sort of relationship the pair had. That Melissa had the picture was concerning, but the woman had been nothing but caring and even protective of Taylor¡­ She didn¡¯t want that image to be shattered. ¡°How bad is it?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Bad,¡± Melissa said, pulling her into a side hug. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, we have terrible secrets. I¡¯m going to have someone sit with the Major for this, just to avoid any residual bleed over that might damage the equipment.¡± ¡°Not reassuring me with this,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to open that door, because once you do, there won¡¯t be any going back.¡± Taylor regarded the plain white door as though it were an obelisk about to impart terrible wisdom. Her mind raced with possibilities, each more terrible than the last, yet she forced those thoughts down and took a deep breath. Lisa¡¯s mind was still asleep, there was no comfort to be found behind her eyes. Worse, Sophia had come in to see the Major, and Taylor didn¡¯t want to dwell on why she could feel happiness and comfort from her other self. There was no point delaying things further, it was time to learn the truth. She reached out, taking the door handle in her sweaty palm and turned, pushing the door open as she did. Four people were inside, Jacob sat in the center of the room in a large recliner, Riley was tucked into his side almost protectively. Kurt stood beside them, phone vanishing into a pocket. The true surprise was Vivian who was draped across a love seat, tossing what looked like a tennis ball up and down. That wasn¡¯t what had her frozen in place, no, that was the fact that everyone was dressed differently. Jacob had a perfectly shaven goatee, a loose fitting dress shirt that showed his chest just a bit. Riley was in a blue dress with a white apron, her normally straight hair was done up in curls. Kurt was wearing a wife beater with ripped jeans and had on a wig that could only be described as a mullet. None of them looked imposing to the naked eye, and yet, she recognized each of them. A primal sort of fear bubbled up from deep within her, telling her she needed to run despite knowing each of them for months. Taylor had just stepped into a room with three known members of the Slaughterhouse Nine. ¡°Taylor,¡± Jacob, no, Jack Slash said with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we scared you, but in my experience, it¡¯s better to rip the band-aid off than to try to break this sort of thing gently.¡± Riley at that moment dug a bit deeper into his side, as if she was hiding away and Taylor felt her heart break just a little. She was Bonesaw, the most feared member of the Nine, and there she was, terrified that she would be rejected by someone she had come to see as family. Taylor swallowed her hesitation, stepping forward as she did, Melissa shut the door behind them. She came to a stop at the couch, trying her best to keep her attention solely on Riley despite all eyes being on her. It didn¡¯t escape her notice that Melissa was likely one of them, but she had something more important in front of her. Taylor knelt down in front of the scared girl, a forced smile on her face. ¡°Riley?¡± Deep brown eyes peeked out of the nest she had dug into her father¡¯s side, shimmering with barely restrained worry. Taylor could remember footage on the news of this very same girl, covered in blood and gore, cackling as some creation of hers carved into a group of people. She also remembered the girl cuddled up beside her on the couch as they watched movies, throwing popcorn at the screen but most of it ending up in Amy¡¯s hair as the grouchy girl cursed, blaming Lisa for doing it on purpose all while Melissa and Vivian laughed and Jacob watched the group fondly, his husband at his side. Toybox itself was a front for the Nine, and yet, they were family. Taylor held her arms open. ¡°Come here, munchkin.¡± Shimmering eyes shed their tears and Riley jumped into Taylor¡¯s embrace as she held her little sister in all but blood. Her hand traced soothing circles along Riley¡¯s back, reassuring the girl that everything would be alright, that she wasn¡¯t going to push her away. Taylor could see Jacob out of the corner of her eye, watching them with that same smile he had during movie night as he held Kurt¡¯s hand. Then Taylor felt Melissa¡¯s hand settle on her back and a few more things came together in her mind. She moved carefully, her body still weakened from her recent healing as she turned, propping Riley up beside her and got as comfortable as she could before turning her attention to her mentor. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Okay, so I can tell who Jacob, Riley and Kurt are, but what about you and Vivian?¡± Vivian snorted. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to debut next time we do a run, which is apparently soon. I¡¯ll be keeping the name Bakuda for that.¡± Melissa sighed. ¡°As for me, I am indeed Damascian, but you would know me better as Butcher XI.¡± Taylor sucked in a sharp breath through suddenly clenched teeth. Her mentor was the most feared cape among capes, the one person every Parahuman tended to have nightmares about fighting, for if you killed them, you gained all their powers and the madness that came with it, and yet¡­ Taylor couldn¡¯t help but smirk a bit as another layer unfolded. ¡°The rumors of the Butcher being mad are greatly exaggerated, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± she answered with a weak smile of her own. ¡°Trust me, waking up with ten other people yelling in your head while their entire collective memories are dumped into your brain is more than a bit unnerving. Just be aware, that¡¯s how we learned that if the Butcher is killed by Tinkertech being wielded by a normie, it counts as the Tinker¡¯s kill.¡± Taylor shivered at the thought, because that could easily be her some day with how many prosthetics she was selling through Toybox these days. Jacob shared a wince at that statement, which drew Taylor¡¯s attention. ¡°It was my knife,¡± he admitted. ¡°Someone I missed pulled it off my belt and stuck Pyro with it. I didn¡¯t even realize it happened until she fell, having her torso ripped open by the impossibly sharp blade.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t with the Nine yet,¡± Riley said from her position on Taylor¡¯s side. ¡°They didn¡¯t have anyone that could heal.¡± ¡°I remember exactly what that felt like,¡± Melissa added, tracing a line across herself. ¡°I woke up with the ghost of that sensation filling my chest and the clamor of the Collective for blood.¡± ¡°That sounds horrific,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re the Slaughterhouse Nine¡­ How does that even work? Riley¡¯s a Ward, Jacob is a therapist. None of this makes any sense.¡± ¡°Remember how I said Toybox was Hero¡¯s baby?¡± Jacob asked. When Taylor nodded, he continued. ¡°Well, the Nine falls under Legend¡¯s purview.¡± ¡°It was agreed that he was the best among the Protectorate,¡± Kurt said. ¡°When Jacob and I killed King, there was some debate over what the Nine should become. Jacob argued that someone would just fill the gap if they disbanded, and I argued that the Nine couldn¡¯t continue as they were.¡± ¡°We compromised,¡± Jacob said. ¡°The Nine would continue, but with a purpose. We became a black ops group for the Protectorate when someone was too dangerous to remove through normal means, or a cape wished to defect but needed the appropriate cover.¡± ¡°Lustrum originally contacted Winter, asking for help,¡± Melissa said. ¡°The Nine weren¡¯t in a position to visit at the time, and Marauder got her first. Bastard was sneaky about it too, pulped her skull while she slept. Oh, quit your bitching, you know I¡¯m right.¡± At Taylor¡¯s inquisitive look, Melissa tapped the side of her head. Right, the voices of the prior Butchers were in there¡­ Wait. ¡°Did you say Lustrum?¡± Taylor exclaimed. ¡°But, isn¡¯t she in the Birdcage?¡± ¡°Her sister is,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Eowen took her place in the movement after Arwen killed Skadi for daring to kill Fester. You have no idea how much she wanted to storm the Birdcage in an attempt to rescue her and Marquis after that shit went down. Fucking Empire.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t survive the coming storm,¡± Jacob said. ¡°The Nine are coming to Brockton with dual purpose. To remove the Empire, and to kill Armsmaster and Director Thomas Calvert, who you know as Coil.¡± Taylor snapped upright, Riley almost falling over in the process. Absently she wanted to apologize, but her anger burned too sharply for that. She had a name at last, the right person to aim her fury upon. She wasn¡¯t surprised that Jacob was telling her about the Nine now, she understood. If the Nine came to town, she would have fought to drive them off, possibly even killed someone she had come to love. Now, a different question came bubbling up, and she already knew the answer. ¡°You want me to join the Nine.¡± ¡°We want the Major to join the Nine,¡± Jacob corrected, absently she saw Melissa pinch her nose and sigh. ¡°That¡¯s an issue on its own, but as for one Taylor Hebert, she will be revealed to be alive with the help of Panacea. Your life will remain as normal as it can. Legend will do what he can to help keep your life intact as well, though you may have to take a role in the Wards like Riley has.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly for show,¡± Riley said. ¡°I don¡¯t do patrols or anything, just help with healing on occasion and patch up those that get hurt fighting us that we didn¡¯t want to hurt.¡± ¡°She really is a sweet kid at heart,¡± Kurt said fondly. ¡°Her power likes it when she plays with corpses. It¡¯s the best cover she could hope for, really.¡± Taylor sat back down, a silent apology whispered to Riley as the girl, now much more relaxed, curled back up with her. It wasn¡¯t an offer made lightly, for her to join the Nine like that. Something else occurred to her, and she had to ask. ¡°I could still release that information, likely force Coil to give up on these events, couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Jacob answered. ¡°Once again, that choice is yours alone, since you are the one that will be most affected by the outcome regardless.¡± ¡°Can I tell Lisa?¡± she asked. ¡°I feel like I shouldn¡¯t make this sort of decision without her.¡± ¡°She already figured us out,¡± Riley said, cutting off Jacob¡¯s likely more tactful revelation. ¡°Just before she went under for her cyber brain install, actually.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, because of course she did. Lisa couldn¡¯t resist poking at a secret like that and no doubt seeing Riley in her element alongside Jacob had set off more than a few clues as to who they were when moonlighting. Despite that, Lisa hadn¡¯t pushed Riley away when she plopped herself across their laps, or at any other time they were hanging out. She had accepted that part of them, and now Taylor had too. There wasn¡¯t anything left to debate, Taylor had made up her mind. ¡°This city is corrupt to its core,¡± she said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s long past due for a proper culling of the rot that has taken hold.¡± Jacob offered his hand. ¡°Welcome then, Taylor, to Section Nine.¡± Taylor hesitated for a moment, then accepted it, and all the damnation that would follow. Chapter 50 ¡°Wait, Section Nine?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°I thought you were the Slaughterhouse Nine.¡± Jacob chuckled, likely at some inside joke only a few people understood. ¡°The PRT uses ¡®sections¡¯ to denote ¡®off the books¡¯ projects. Toybox is Section Six if you want to get technical, Section Nine is technically the second, but the name stuck.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a member of six and nine? Please tell me that wasn¡¯t an intentional joke¡­¡± Taylor grumbled. Jacob laughed. ¡°Unfortunately. Hero has a sense of humor that is a bit unique.¡± ¡°Try insufferable,¡± Kurt grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just grateful the man likes to remain hands off with Toybox.¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t met him,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Legend either for that matter, which seems a bit of an oversight given I¡¯m now in the thick of the biggest conspiracy in the Protectorate.¡± ¡°Second biggest,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Section One exists after all and less than a dozen people are read in on it.¡± ¡°Like me,¡± Vivian grumbled. Melissa sighed, drawing eyes to her. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, I don¡¯t know the full details either, just some broad strokes that Lustrum worked out on her own while the PRT and Empire were working to fuck her over.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± Taylor said, eyeing her mentor. ¡°I have journals my mom left behind from her time in the movement.¡± Melissa stood up a bit straighter. ¡°She kept those? Oh, the sentimental fool.¡± Taylor wanted to admonish her, but she spoke with a fondness that was rarely shown. More so, it didn¡¯t feel like Melissa speaking, it reminded her of how her mom had spoken of Kimmie instead. ¡°You can let the others take control, can¡¯t you?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Keen eye,¡± Melissa said, though Taylor wasn¡¯t sure it was her anymore, and began to wonder about past conversations with her mentor. ¡°That was Fester. She and your mother were an item, once upon a time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d love to hear some stories about her when time permits.¡± ¡°No time like the present,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I think we¡¯re more or less done here, unless you have more questions?¡± ¡°A million, but nothing pressing,¡± she agreed. Back at her shell, Cranial released the restraints and let her sit back up. The worst of her damages were patched up, though she would need to replace several parts in the short term. ¡°It will be May before I¡¯m ready to fight again, so I can be patient.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start planning the run for May, then,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of this, I truly am. You¡¯re a good kid, Taylor, and the last thing I wanted was for you to end up in this life with the rest of us.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t always get to choose our lot in life,¡± she answered. ¡°All we can do is rise to meet it.¡± ¡°Well spoken,¡± Jacob said, clasping her shoulder. ¡°Rest and recover. We¡¯ll get the bastards, that much I can promise you.¡± ¡°Thanks Jacob, that means more than you know.¡± The couple departed through a portal, Riley hesitant to leave with them until Taylor promised another movie night once she was on more stable footing. Vivian followed, the group likely popping up in another part of Toybox for them to change from their rather recognizable outfits. Taylor was curious as to how many within Toybox knew the secret, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if most of the members did. Harry almost had to, with how the Nine were likely using his own portals for swift movement. That they could connect across the country explained how the Nine always seemed to vanish into the night after each engagement. Now they would be coming to her home for the second time in her lifetime. She hadn¡¯t even been in grade school yet during the last run that saw the Teeth put down. A run that she now knew was cover to bring the Butcher on board at Lustrum¡¯s request. Now, the legacy that was the Butcher sat across from her with a drink in hand and bearing the face of the mentor she had come to love like a parent. It was a strange thing to acknowledge, that she had come to care so much for a stranger who showed her kindness. Knowing that at least two of the people in there had known her mother personally changed little and everything all at once. They saw Annette¡¯s daughter and decided to take her under their wing. The thought filled her with warmth despite the cold void left behind by the death of her father. She wasn¡¯t alone, not truly. That didn¡¯t change that her found family was possibly one of the most screwed up collections of people in the world. She had agreed to join the Slaughterhouse Nine, willingly and without reservation. Even knowing what they were, having lived around them for months, it still unsettled her that she was so nonplussed about it. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Melissa asked softly. Taylor looked up from her trembling hands, and she finally felt the dam break. She was on her feet and pulling Melissa into a hug in a moment¡¯s breath and she wept. Heavy and wet, the weight of everything she had bottled up falling apart. She was raw, filled with anguish, and the stupid thought came unbidden. They would hold a funeral, for her and her father and she wouldn¡¯t be present for it. Likely a fake corpse would be crafted to fill her hole in the ground, she hadn¡¯t missed the grim expression on Amy¡¯s face when they last parted. Jacob knew what he was doing there, and the few people she cared about knew she was still among the living. Chris would approach Amy, to confirm what the Major had spoken to him. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It had to be kept quiet, otherwise Calvert would be spooked and they¡¯d lose the element of surprise. Taylor knew her plans would have to change, even as she continued to sob into warm arms. She wouldn¡¯t be alone in the coming battles, and that changed things. She would need to sit down with Jacob in the days to come and craft plans within plans and prepare. Bloody days lay ahead, and Taylor knew she would be in the thick of them. Taylor eventually calmed, her tears drying even as Melissa brushed fingers along her scalp in a way that soothed her. She dozed, here and there, time drifting along. She purposely ignored the time readouts on her cyberware, content to just drift and not dwell on the fact that the Major stayed awake through all of it. During those lucid times, Melissa told stories of her mother and the Lustrum movement. Many she knew from the journals, yet some were new and wondrous, or just plain amusing. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the time her mom wound up covered in pig¡¯s blood meant for a dirty cop ended up omitted. The stories about the murders, however, were less welcome, but still appreciated. Taylor would rather know the full truth of things than a rose tinted view. Lustrum¡¯s movement hadn¡¯t started out violent, but it sure as hell ended up becoming so, all because they were pushed into it. The pause in the chaos that her life had become was much needed, and it let her ignore how the Major was acting without her input, or was it the other way around? She would need to ask Melissa about that, as she probably had some idea about what was going on given how many people shared her head. ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Taylor asked. At Melissa¡¯s inquisitive look, she continued. ¡°Being the Butcher, having other people in your mind.¡± Melissa hummed, closing her eyes for a moment. ¡°Are you asking out of intellectual curiosity, or because you suspect something similar is happening with you and the Major?¡± Taylor groaned, even as she felt a phantom sensation within her mind, almost as if someone had patted her shoulder. She very much didn¡¯t want to think about that, and yet, when would a better opportunity present itself? ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Taylor asked. Melissa chuckled. ¡°Had an inkling it might happen ever since you brought the Major¡¯s shell online, then you had The Major interacting with Shadow Stalker and kept that part of yourself distant enough that she came into her own. Once you and the Major are both up to it, we can have an in depth discussion about what it means to be plural.¡± Taylor was about to ask several questions, like how the Major was currently dozing off yet she was wide awake, when an alert stole all her attention. She sat up in such a hurry she half pulled Melissa up with her. Melissa quickly found her shoulders, pushing Taylor back down onto the couch with muttered assurances about how being plural wasn¡¯t anything bad. Shaking her head, Taylor dispelled that misconception. ¡°Lisa¡¯s awake.¡±
¡°Hey Tay,¡± her girlfriend said, the stumps of her limbs wiggling. ¡°I¡¯d get up to hug you, but¡­¡± Taylor didn¡¯t have that problem, closing the distance in a blink, pulling her into a crushing embrace. Tears came again, because her girlfriend was alive despite the assurances, there was a part of her that doubted. Those quiet whispers were quashed, because Lisa was there, awake and fully alert. ¡°You¡¯re hard-headed, you know that?¡± Taylor said, smiling despite the fresh snot running from her nose. She helped Lisa sit up, for lack of a better word, then found a seat for herself. ¡°Fifty cal to the chest and dome, a proper double tap,¡± Lisa acknowledged with her usual grin before it fell away. ¡°Jacob was here when I woke, he filled me in on a few things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joining the Nine,¡± Taylor said without preamble. ¡°Well, technically the Major is, I¡¯m just going to act as support, but that isn¡¯t much of a consolation. We have Coil¡¯s name, we know the depths we missed before. I don¡¯t intend to repeat my prior mistakes, I will build a monument to his ruin from the ashes. I paid too steep a price, and I sold my father¡¯s life for knowledge and allies in the fight to come. I¡¯m already damned, Lise, I just worry about what this next act will cost me.¡± ¡°We all knew the risks,¡± Lisa said softly. ¡°You saved my life when you gifted me my cyberware. I moved my head just enough to turn a kill shot into a glancing blow. Without you, I¡¯d be dead now.¡± ¡°Your shell is a priority,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We¡¯re going to war and I want everyone involved at their best. Time is on our side for once, Legend is making sure Calvert is complacent when the time comes.¡± ¡°Tay, stop.¡± She chuckled bitterly. ¡°I can¡¯t. Not without forsaking everything we¡¯ve fought for.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Lisa said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You said we have time, so use it. Don¡¯t let him win by losing sight of the small things. Live, if for no other reason than to spite the bastard. Once I¡¯m back on my feet, we¡¯re all having another little vacation day, free of work and worry. Maybe we can go to Cali this time, shake things up.¡± Taylor chuckled, the thought almost absurd, but she couldn¡¯t deny that it sounded nice. ¡°Sure, but repairs and preparations first. I won¡¯t be able to rest otherwise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Silence stretched between them for a moment, eventually Taylor sighed. ¡°Everyone who knows the Major will need to be read in on the Nine before this is all done. Hannah, Brian, Rachel, Alec, even Aisha and Sophia. I wonder if Jacob realized the implications of that.¡± ¡°I think he did,¡± Lisa said, looking off into the distance. ¡°This feels like a turning point for his little band of murderers, because that is what they always were. Maybe they can become something more with your input.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit green to be changing a decades-old group like that,¡± Taylor said. ¡°For all my tech, I still largely use guns, and those won¡¯t kill most Brutes.¡± ¡°Then direct the tools that can,¡± Lisa said. ¡°You¡¯re a natural commander and have an eye for deployments. Use that strength.¡± Thinking of things in that context, Taylor considered the tools she would have at her disposal. Even though they were called the Nine, they rarely had the full nine members. She knew five of them personally, with the Major making the sixth. She would need to ask Jacob about the other members, get a read on what she could bring to bear. The Undersiders would be among them, as would Stalker and Militia. Both would want their pound of flesh for everything that went down. She would give it to them, as best she could. First though, Lisa was right. She needed to rest. Getting up, Taylor scooted Lisa over and curled up beside her. Both of them had slept, but that didn¡¯t mean they were rested. No, for the moment she would relax with her girlfriend. Despite the nagging voice in the back of her mind reminding her of what it had cost for her to have such a moment, she was glad for it. Lisa couldn¡¯t hold her, and that brought fresh tears to her eyes. There would be a reckoning, just not today. For now, she would rest. Chapter 51 It took two days for things to settle, between Lisa getting proper healing of her limbs and the Major almost avoiding Taylor. She knew Sophia was spending time with the Major, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. It all culminated an hour earlier when Taylor told Sophia that she and the Major shared a mind. That had nearly led to a fight, only for Melissa to step in and force the pair to sit down and talk. Now, Melissa sat between them, her recliner upright as she glanced from one, to the other. ¡°Right, so, I take it you¡¯ve noticed?¡± ¡°That something changed?¡± Taylor asked. The Major nodded. ¡°You could say that.¡± Melissa sighed. ¡°Welcome to plurality. The past Butchers and I have something similar going on.¡± Taylor shared a look with the Major and an internet search was performed, dozens of windows opening as they worked in tandem to sort the data. What they read certainly fit their circumstances, and several things slotted into place. It fit, and yet, was that truly what happened to them? ¡°That seems a bit far-fetched,¡± the Major said, echoing her own thoughts. Taylor had to blink for a moment, realizing what had just happened. ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t just a trauma response?¡± Melissa smiled softly, though there was pain behind it as she shifted in the chair. ¡°I only have the one body, but that doesn¡¯t mean I only have one mind. You have two bodies, a power that allows nigh endless multitasking, and two distinct personalities split between them. Major, admit it, you were lost without Taylor having her usual outlet, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± the Major said, glancing back at Taylor. ¡°What was it like for you?¡± Taylor thought it over, remembering the distance she felt from everything, like she was a muffled voice barely heard as everything happened around her. Like someone else was in control, yet she was still experiencing all of it. A shiver ran down her spine, imagining if that was how a Master victim felt. ¡°It wasn¡¯t pleasant, was it?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°No,¡± Taylor said, her voice shaking. ¡°It was like I was a spectator in my own body, save for one short-lived moment when the Major insisted Dragon call us Taylor.¡± ¡°I think that was the moment it started to click for me,¡± the Major said. ¡°That something had changed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably best that you two explore things between you,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I¡¯ll always be around if you have questions or concerns, but ultimately, this is your journey, not mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave us?¡± Taylor asked. Melissa smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just going to the room across the hall. We are busy preparing for a Nine run after all, and unlike you two, I can¡¯t set up a rotation for near round the clock Tinkering.¡± ¡°At least we don¡¯t need separate sleep schedules,¡± the Major said. ¡°That would get annoying.¡± ¡°I think we might end up there,¡± Taylor contested. ¡°It¡¯s not been overt, but sometimes one of us will doze off without the other falling asleep. It¡¯s weird when it happens too.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed that,¡± the Major said with a frown. A gentle click of a closing door drew both of their gazes, Melissa had slipped out on them. ¡°Damn, she really wants us to sit down and talk, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Taylor sat across the break room from the Major, watching her, wondering. She could see herself through the Major¡¯s eyes, that hadn¡¯t changed, their beings intertwined, and yet¡­ And yet. There was a separation there, not complete nor defined, but observable. The Major could see it too, they could feel one another as easily as they felt themselves. That Taylor knew that only made the coming conversation all the more disconcerting. ¡°This is weird,¡± Taylor said, attempting to break the ice. ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± the Major answered, sitting back and setting her arms on the back of the sofa. ¡°Like, where do we even start? Obviously something happened that caused a division between us, but I think it was forming even before that.¡± ¡°Getting gunned down did seem to accelerate things,¡± Taylor begrudgingly agreed. ¡°I was barely present during your raid on the PRT, like our mind tried to reconcile the loss, but couldn¡¯t, so it left the division in place and reinforced it.¡± ¡°Sounds as good as any other theory,¡± the Major said with a sigh. ¡°I started as nothing but a cover story for you, a persona adopted for your combat shell. Now, I¡¯m something more than that, and that is just¡­¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Terrifying?¡± Taylor finished. The Major nodded. ¡°I get it. Like, my brain, or rather, ours, is in your head. Am I even the real Taylor? Are you actually her, and I¡¯m just some fragment of her old self preserved?¡± Silence lingered for a moment, the Major staring up at the ceiling while cold dread coiled around Taylor¡¯s stomach. After an agonizingly long time, the Major spoke. ¡°I think at this point, we shouldn¡¯t dwell on who is what. We¡¯re each our own person now, and thinking any deeper is just going to lead to existential questions we aren¡¯t ready to ask.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say when you¡¯re the literal brains of this operation at the moment,¡± Taylor grumbled. ¡°Well, if it makes you feel better,¡± the Major said, pausing for a moment. ¡°I feel no attraction to Lisa. She¡¯s your girlfriend, not mine even if I do still feel protective of her.¡± ¡°That was a bit random?¡± Taylor said, sitting up a bit straighter. Why would she bring up something like that unless¡­ ¡°Wait, who are you interested in?¡± ¡°It should be obvious,¡± the Major whispered and Taylor felt a spark of indignation. ¡°Sophia,¡± she said, and the Major looked away. ¡°Are you fucking serious? She¡¯s the one who pushed me into the goddamn locker! She¡¯s the reason I wound up in the hospital where I triggered.¡± ¡°She claims Emma pushed you, but it doesn¡¯t matter either way,¡± the Major answered, cupping her face in her hands. ¡°If you needed any real proof that we¡¯ve become our own persons, that should be it. I¡¯ve been the one working with her all this time, bantering as we take down criminals, cursing when things go sideways. She didn¡¯t know until you burst her bubble in a moment of spite. I think that was the moment I realized how different we really were, because I wanted to beat the shit out of you for hurting her like that.¡± Taylor blinked at the vehemence in the Major¡¯s voice, watching her fists clench and tremble. She was genuinely angry, and could feel that rage in the parts of her mind that weren¡¯t quite disjointed from the woman. She knew there was no denying it, they really were different people at this point. Taylor felt nothing but loathing for Sophia each time she looked at her, and she wasn¡¯t sure that would ever change. She needed to talk to Lisa, try to work some of this out with her girlfriend, which was apparently something that was uniquely her. Maybe bring it up to Melissa as well, see if it¡¯s a good idea to take it to Jacob or not. The fear had been there, that she was the fake, that Lisa would be the Major¡¯s and Taylor would be left with nothing. The relief she felt left her woozy. Shaking her head, Taylor stood and walked towards the door. She reached out and touched the handle, but hesitated to turn it. ¡°I¡¯m going to go talk with Lisa for a bit. Maybe you should do the same with Sophia.¡± The Major watched her for a moment, then nodded, standing up as well. Taylor didn¡¯t wait, throwing the door open and made her way out of the room and down the hall. She heard it slam shut behind her, and a moment later, the Major stepped out, shaking her head in amusement. Taylor hated that she could feel her¡­ Whatever the Major was, she could tell what she was feeling despite them having mostly separate thoughts. It was so damn weird. Shaking off those thoughts, Taylor hurried to Lisa¡¯s room. She was mostly recovered, if a bit skinny following having her limbs regrown. Her shell was almost ready, but the Major was reluctant to continue to work on it at times given their separation. Sophia couldn¡¯t get a shell, her power affected her physical form and was electricity adverse besides. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything other than some of the biological upgrades Riley and Amy came up with. There were plenty of them, but none carried the security that a cyber brain brought with it. Taylor knocked on Lisa¡¯s door, more out of courtesy than anything. She had already pinged Lisa to let her know she was coming. When the door opened, her girlfriend greeted her, moisture dripping from her brow as she dabbed some of it with a towel. ¡°Hey Tay, you caught me in the shower,¡± Lisa said, trying for levity, but with the way she was biting her lip, Taylor could tell she was nervous. ¡°Hey Lise,¡± she answered, pulling her girlfriend into a hug. ¡°Missed you.¡± Lisa snorted, pulling back but kept her arms on Taylor¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Dork, you saw me less than two hours ago for my physical therapy.¡± ¡°Feels like longer,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°The Major and I finally sat down and talked for a bit, it didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°Power¡¯s off,¡± Lisa said, guiding her over to the bed where they sat down, side by side. ¡°Talk to me Tay.¡± ¡°This plural thing, it¡¯s scary,¡± Taylor whispered. ¡°Am I even me? Am I a broken fragment of what used to be Taylor? I just, I¡¯m not the body with the brain in it, the Major is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid that she¡¯s the ¡®real¡¯ you,¡± Lisa answered. ¡°Well, I gotta call bullshit on that.¡± Taylor startled, looking up at her girlfriend whose eyes were filled with conviction. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need my power to know you¡¯re the woman I fell for,¡± Lisa said, cupping her cheek. ¡°I¡¯d tell you to stop worrying, but I know you better than that, so I¡¯ll just keep showing you at every opportunity that you¡¯re still Taylor.¡± She smiled, leaning into the soft touch of her girlfriend. Was it really that simple? Taylor didn¡¯t think so, but in the face of such a touching and heartfelt declaration, who was she to argue against it? She sat there for some time, just basking in the presence of someone who loved her, who didn¡¯t second guess if she was real, not that anyone but Taylor had truly done so. So of course that was when the Major found Sophia and ruined the moment. Groaning, Taylor pulled herself away and sat up. She might be her own person, but that didn¡¯t prevent reminders of their joined existence from slipping in. ¡°What is it?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°Sophia and the Major are going to spar. They picked up Amy and everything.¡± ¡°Wanna watch?¡± Lisa asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. ¡°I bet it¡¯s gonna be bloody.¡± Taylor grinned. ¡°Only if we grab some popcorn first.¡± Interlude - Sophia II Sophia circled the Major slowly, regarding her stance and posture as she did. The Major was the picture of casual poise, relaxed and confident in her abilities. She tried not to think about how her stomach fluttered when the woman smiled. Sophia darted forward, ducking under a right cross, hammering her fist into the Major¡¯s stomach as she did. The woman didn¡¯t even flinch, her smirk unmoved as she grabbed Sophia by the arm and flipped her down onto the mat. She gasped, the air driven from her lungs on impact. It hurt, but the New Wave bitch laughing wasn¡¯t doing her ego any favors. The Major held out a hand, and Sophia accepted the help up. ¡°Fuck, is there even a point to this?¡± she asked, wincing at how her voice wheezed. ¡°You¡¯re a damn Brute and combat thinker, how do I compete with that?¡± ¡°By not fighting me directly,¡± the Major said. ¡°Fight smarter, attack joints, leverage your own talents to either delay or topple.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Sophia grumbled, but stood back up. It was the same lessons that the Major had been drilling her on since they started sparring over a month ago. Normally she would be more on top of things, but now she knew that the Major was Hebert, and everything felt different between them. She kept looking for similarities, something that would allow her mind to accept it as the truth, yet nothing fit. ¡°Kick her ass, Taylor!¡± Panacea yelled. Right, the woman sparring with her was somehow also the girl she had tormented for the better part of two years. Hebert herself had said as much during a rather heated argument two days ago, all because the Major had jumped her over a snide comment she couldn¡¯t even remember. Somehow that still didn¡¯t feel right, even if the Major didn¡¯t deny it. None of her interactions with the Major felt like Hebert. Even when both of them were in the same room, they acted like distinct individuals rather than one person playing two parts. Didn¡¯t stop shit from being weird. Sophia had admired the Major, loved how she could operate without any of the stupid rules that the PRT forced upon her. She remembered the times spent on rooftops during the quiet nights, time spent bantering over cheap takeout and bad jokes. Taylor acted nothing like her, even when she was presenting herself as Cyber, they were as different as could be. She couldn¡¯t regard them as the same person, because that would mean she had feelings for Hebert. Looking at Hebert, who was standing beside Panacea, none of those feelings stirred within her. ¡°Eyes on me,¡± the Major said. Sophia was manhandled, and slammed to the mat in the same motion, the distraction having cost her. ¡°Situational awareness is all well and good, but never get so distracted that your enemy can do what I just did.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± she said. ¡°Alright, try again,¡± the Major said. And so she did, over and over until her everything hurt. Through it all, the Major traded that same banter she had through all their joint patrols over the last few weeks, as if nothing had changed. It was surreal, and she wanted so badly to call Hebert¡¯s bluff on the Major¡¯s identity. That was until the Major paused mid-strike and looked at Taylor. ¡°Stay with Sophia,¡± Hebert said. ¡°I can take care of it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± the Major said, hesitantly. Hebert left a moment later, and Panacea approached, holding out her hand. Sophia rolled her eyes then allowed the healer to do her work. Sophia didn¡¯t like anyone in New Wave, they were all assholes, and yet, maybe there was hope for one of them. It certainly had to tweak more than a few noses that the golden healer went rogue. Panacea let go of her hand and frowned. ¡°I turned up your natural healing and general metabolism. It¡¯s unfortunate your power clashes with other upgrades. Surgeon has some fun ones she could give you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, my power sucks,¡± Sophia said, barely repressing a snarl. ¡°I¡¯ve had that ground into my head for weeks. If you¡¯re done trying to get a reaction out of me, could you kindly fuck off?¡± Panacea snorted, but promptly fucked off as asked. Once she was gone, Sophia slumped down, hands coming up to rub at her face. A moment later a Gatorade hovered in front of her. She accepted it, the Major taking a seat on the mat next to her as she drank it. A power bar followed and she wasn¡¯t about to turn it down given how hungry she always was after being healed. ¡°Your power doesn¡¯t suck,¡± the Major said after a moment. ¡°Remember when you swept into the staircase and saved my ass? You were invaluable there. It¡¯s amazing for infiltration, an asset in most fights, and frankly, I wish I could replicate it.¡± Sophia felt her cheeks warm, and forced herself to look away. She hated that she felt like some blushing little girl around the Major, and feared that it was all some elaborate setup that Hebert was pulling as revenge for everything she had done to her over the past two years. If that was the case, Emma would have loved the girl that she turned her former friend into. Pity she had moved away without explanation and broke all contact. Sophia missed her friend, even if she had gone a bit loony in the end, she just never expected Hebert to actually hit her like that. Hebert may not have actually broken her jaw that day, but she broke something. Sophia suspected Hebert knew where Emma was, but Sophia was just afraid to confirm it for herself. ¡°Thanks,¡± Sophia said, staring at the wrapper and empty bottle in her hands. She played with them for several moments before sighing. ¡°Be honest with me, how much of the Major is an act for you?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Major paused, almost literally. Her breathing was perfectly paced, automated most likely. She didn¡¯t want to look her in her eyes, see what might be looking back at her. Sophia had opened the box, and whatever was in there wasn¡¯t going to be sealed up again. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± the Major said after a moment. ¡°I started as a persona that Taylor affected for my shell, but I¡¯ve become something more, something separate. When Taylor was gunned down, I think that¡¯s where it happened, or at least the catalyst for it. She was so distant and silent, almost as if she was fading away, yet I was still there. I think, no, I am my own person now. I¡¯m just figuring out who she¡¯s going to be.¡± Sophia could only blink at the heartfelt declaration, and more so, what did that even mean? She started as Taylor but wasn¡¯t anymore? What did that make Taylor then? Had the girl broken so much mentally that she was literally creating imaginary friends so she wouldn¡¯t be alone? Was the Major one of them? ¡°The way Melissa explained it, I am part of a plural existence. Taylor and I are the same person in a way, and yet we are separate people. We can hold separate conversations, or ones where we can sort of pull the twin act, but not quite as cleanly as before. She isn¡¯t a killer, yet I won¡¯t hesitate to put bullets into someone deserving. Maybe it started as a way to distance herself from the violence, or to avoid thinking about working with you, but regardless, I am here. I am alive.¡± That sounded completely insane to Sophia, hell, it reminded her of the briefing about the Nine and the Butcher. A split personality? She was falling for some broken aspect of Hebert¡¯s mind? She didn¡¯t want to think about that, to consider that one of the few people that showed her respect, that treated her as someone worthy, could be some fractured soul. ¡°I think, as time goes on, the divide between who we are will only grow,¡± the Major said. ¡°Taylor wants nothing to do with you, it¡¯s part of how I came to be, she disassociated each time I met you. She¡¯s currently talking to Lisa and Jacob about something that I might have to step in on. She¡¯s dating Lisa, yet Lisa doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s my girlfriend.¡± Sophia bit her lip. The Major had all but admitted she wasn¡¯t interested in Taylor¡¯s girlfriend and she hated that she felt a spark of hope while considering that. Emma had been disappointingly straight, Madison was fun for a fling but they weren¡¯t compatible otherwise. Would the Major end up a similar disappointment? Watching the badass merc act nervous and vulnerable, felt oddly intimate. Like she was showing Sophia a side of herself that she didn¡¯t normally reveal. In all their patrols and the time spent together, the Major hadn¡¯t once shown a flicker of doubt or hesitation. She played the role of a former military girl all too well, but that was all it was, a role she played. Yet, she played it better than most military forces she had observed in action, including Coil¡¯s hired guns. She had taken the cover story Taylor crafted for her and made it her own. Regardless of anything, the Major was there, she was real. It might lead to a broken heart, but Sophia wanted to believe, to trust one more time. She looked up, the Major was looking away, almost as if she was somewhere else, which given her cybernetics, meant she might actually have been somewhere else. She knew that Taylor¡¯s actual brain was in the Major¡¯s head, and the girl could split herself perfectly. She knew what she wanted to do, but she wasn¡¯t sure it was the smart thing to do. Yet, Sophia didn¡¯t much care. ¡°Major?¡± she asked. The Major blinked, returning her attention to Sophia. As soon as she looked down at her, she moved, lifting herself up just enough to close the distance and captured the Major¡¯s lips with her own. That same pause fell over the Major and she felt dread creep down her spine like ice. Sophia fucked up. She fucked it up and now it was all going to fall apart on her once again. She broke contact, ready to retreat, the one thing her power was good for. Her breaths turned shallow, wetness pricked at her eyes and she just wanted to be anywhere else. Just as she moved to stand, the Major grabbed her wrist. Sophia braced herself for something painful as she was pulled back down, then she froze. The Major pulled her back in, and this time, kissed her back. Sophia felt herself melt, bubbling laughter rising up alongside the tears. The Major hadn¡¯t rejected her, she was returning her affection. Her heart was hammering in her chest, she felt her stomach fluttering. It was everything she imagined when she thought of kissing someone she actually cared about. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, but eventually the Major pulled back. Sophia was panting from the exertion, but she cherished the fading sensations. ¡°Next time, ask first,¡± the Major said. ¡°But, I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°You are?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°I was afraid, you know?¡± the Major began. ¡°That because I started out as part of Taylor, you would never consider the possibility of us becoming a thing. You have no idea how scared this conversation made me. I¡¯ve been dreading it ever since I accepted that I¡¯m my own person, not held to who Taylor was, who she is now. Thank you, you¡¯ve made me so¡ª¡± ¡°Major¡­¡± ¡°Motoko,¡± the Major said. ¡°My name. It¡¯s Motoko Kusanagi. That was the name given to me, and after a lot of thought, I think I¡¯m going to keep it.¡± Sophia smiled, wide and genuine. ¡°It suits you, Motoko.¡± ¡°And a smile suits you, Sophia,¡± she answered. ¡°I hope I can see it a lot more in the future, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± Sophia choked up, her emotions thick and cloying. How could Motoko be anything but a real person? There was no way something false could have captured her heart so effectively. She leaned forward and captured her lips once more, brief and fleeting, all so she could give her answer in full. ¡°Always.¡± Motoko rested her forehead on Sophia¡¯s and she radiated at the moment, not caring who might have seen them, even as a throat cleared. She looked up and saw Hebert standing there, with Tattletale at her side. Hebert for once looked almost livid, a rare showing of emotion from the stoic Tinker, but Tattletale was struggling to not laugh. Taylor huffed, and left the room, but Tattletale didn¡¯t follow right away. Instead, she walked over to them, then held out a closed fist. Motoko regarded it for a moment, then bumped it with her own. ¡°Grats, Motoko,¡± Tattletale said with a grin. She smiled back. ¡°Thanks Lisa. I wasn¡¯t sure how you would react given¡­¡± ¡°What you started as doesn¡¯t matter, what matters is who you are now, and what you do with the life you have,¡± Tat¡ª Lisa said. ¡°That said, I feel I need to give Sophia here a warning. Do anything to hurt Taylor again, I¡¯ll leave you so broken even the Butcher will have less voices in their head. Sophia swallowed heavily, the warning quite explicit. Motoko glared at the Thinker, but didn¡¯t argue against the warning. It was warranted after all, given what Sophia had done to the girl for far too long. Lisa smiled wider, and Sophia felt a chill run down her spine before Lisa¡¯s attention returned to Motoko. ¡°So, what are you going to do next?¡± Sophia barely had time to consider the question before Motoko moved, pulling Sophia into yet another kiss. It was all the answer that was needed. Chapter 53 Taylor and the Major worked side by side, putting the last touches on Lisa¡¯s shell. Neither spoke, yet Taylor couldn¡¯t help but see how they didn¡¯t need to. They each acted as an extension of the other as they Tinkered. The tension between them was still high, which felt weird to admit, at some level they were the same person still, and yet. It was too confusing. The Major poked at the prototype cloaking device for a moment, setting it up for the next series of diagnostic tests. It was far more advanced than the original model, which was largely a collection of other Tinker¡¯s works, this one was their own design. Taylor knew that it was important to make sure the device wouldn¡¯t fail during a mission in the coming weeks and couldn¡¯t begrudge her. Riley arrived a moment later, having just finished with Lisa¡¯s latest treatment. She glanced between the pair, biting her lip. ¡°Um, why are you acting like you hate yourself?¡± The Major dropped her tool to the table, pausing as she took a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯re not the same person, not anymore.¡± Riley blinked, her eyes going distant. ¡°Oh. Like Melissa?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°Each of us having our own bodies has certainly complicated things.¡± ¡°Can I poke at your brain?¡± The Major stared at her, jaw hanging slightly loose. ¡°Every instinct I have says to run.¡± Riley¡¯s face fell, and the girl curled in on herself. Taylor moved, wrapping the girl up in a tight hug as she glared at the Major. ¡°Happy?¡± ¡°Fuck, I meant that as a joke,¡± the Major said. ¡°Sorry Riley, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I¡¯m just... Look, obviously you didn¡¯t know about our new arrangement, but I never agreed to join the Nine, Taylor did. Nobody asked me, and I¡¯m... Let¡¯s go with irritated.¡± Taylor winced. She hadn¡¯t realized the distinction yet when she agreed, and Melissa didn¡¯t contest it, likely hoping to talk with them in private before she voiced anything. It was nice that she didn¡¯t want to out them, even if she did give Jacob a pointed look at the time, but they were paying for it now. ¡°Are you not wanting to join?¡± Riley asked, her voice barely a whisper. The Major smiled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, but I can see how you might take it that way. I just want to have my own say in things that impact my life, that¡¯s all.¡± She stepped forward, then knelt before Riley and held out a hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Motoko, sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself sooner.¡± Peeking out of Taylor¡¯s shoulder, Riley looked at the offered hand. Slowly, she accepted it and shook once. The Major, or rather, Motoko, sighed and seemed to accept that she and Riley wouldn¡¯t have the same relationship that Taylor enjoyed, which likely hurt given they had the same memories at their core. Good. Motoko¡¯s budding relationship with Sophia fucking Hess showed how far that went. Taylor had always blocked out as much of the Major¡¯s interactions as she could with her former tormentor, which might have helped the split between them grow in some way. Those weren¡¯t her memories, even though she was able to recall them, but they didn¡¯t feel like HER. They had unique memories and experiences as individuals, she could admit that the longer they existed as separate entities. They were both taking opportunities to snipe at one another, get in things that would hurt. Kissing Sophia like that, she couldn¡¯t tell how much of that was Motoko expressing her own individuality and what was meant to get Taylor back for signing her up for the Nine without her consent. Taylor sighed, helping Riley back to her feet. ¡°Motoko has a point. We should probably talk to your dad about this. Motoko deserves to be asked if she actually wants to join.¡± Motoko looked at Taylor, almost as if she was looking through her and Taylor wanted to wilt, but she refused to back down. She had been through too much these past few months to fall back on old habits. ¡°Thank you,¡± Motoko said. ¡°I mean, I intend to join the fight, but it¡¯s nice to actually be asked rather than it just be assumed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault anyway,¡± Taylor answered. ¡°Not understanding isn¡¯t an excuse. I¡¯ll try to keep that in mind going forward.¡± ¡°As will I,¡± Riley said with an endearing nod. Motoko nodded, then returned to her work on Lisa¡¯s shell. Taylor took that as a signal to do the same, and soon they fell back into that familiar rhythm. Lisa¡¯s shell just needed a few minor parts to be finished, most of which were being fabricated. Once finished, she would start mass-producing parts that didn¡¯t need to be made custom, just to streamline the process for repairs or new shells. Taylor refused to be left unprepared even again. Jacob would be back in the evening, apparently meeting with Legend to present some of the ideas they had during the initial brainstorming session. Some things would be too much, even with the cover of the Nine, but he did stress that she would be surprised by how far they could push things. Motoko hadn¡¯t sat in on those meetings, which likely contributed to her feeling left out of things. Hopefully that would be rectified in the near future. That brought other thoughts to mind. Taylor considered them to be family, but how did Motoko feel about them? Did she also consider Riley as a little sister, or Melissa as a... mother figure... Taylor did her best to not break down, the loss of her father still stung, despite everything, and it only served to remind her of the loss of her mother as well. Melissa had two lives in her head that knew her mother, and those two were behind the all but adoption that Melissa had carried out. Yet, Melissa herself, even as part of their collective, was right there with them in treating Taylor well. She had interacted with Aowen and Kimmie several times, and she could tell that Melissa was right there with them through all of it. It was strange, figuring out the tells of the various personalities, and it did help her reconcile the fact that she wasn¡¯t the only personality within her own mind. It was a learning process, to be sure, but she knew it was better to be on good terms with the other voices in her head, and now that she was joining the Nine, there was a chance that she might one day share that space with the past Butchers as well. ¡°You¡¯re thinking rather loudly,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Want to talk about it instead?¡± Taylor pulled up a readout for one of the fabricators despite knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be ready for another six hours. She needed to spend more time talking rather than brooding, she knew that, but that didn¡¯t make it any easier. ¡°Just the usual,¡± she said. ¡°Trying to come to terms that we share a mind and all.¡± Motoko hummed but didn¡¯t look up from her work. Lisa¡¯s shell wasn¡¯t going to be a total combat model like Motoko ended up with, it would be more general purpose. That wouldn¡¯t stop her from kicking ass by any means, but it did mean that she was going to be weaker than she could have been. She needed to do something, say something, to break the ice. The only thing she could think of was Sophia, and that didn¡¯t sit well with her to talk about, especially without someone to deescalate the situation. The Major¡¯s shell was built to be a combat model, and even with Riley and Amy enhancing her flesh, Taylor would get destroyed in a fight. Hell, Motoko could just disable the connection between them at will. She didn¡¯t like some other personality having that level of control over her. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Yet, she hadn¡¯t. So maybe she should reach out before things got bad enough between them for her to consider it. ¡°So... You and Sophia.¡± Motoko hummed. ¡°To be fair, she kissed me first.¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT THE POINT!¡± Taylor yelled, then paused. Calming breaths. ¡°You know what she did to me, to us. How can you stand to look at her let alone kiss her?¡± ¡°When you first came up with the idea of the Major as a cover persona, what did you want from me?¡± Motoko asked. Taylor blinked, a bit confused by the segway. ¡°Someone strong enough to deal with the problems we were facing head on. The quintessential badass mercenary who can be a stone cold killer when she needs to be. And I am. And you aren¡¯t.¡± Taylor swallowed heavily, unable to come up with a rebuttal to the vehemence in her words. ¡°If I gave you a sniper rifle, could you put a bullet through someone¡¯s eye at a thousand meters? Would you even know how to use it?¡± She stared at her other self for a long moment before admitting the truth. ¡°No.¡± Motoko nodded, turning back to Lisa¡¯s shell. ¡°You get to keep some of your innocence. I¡¯m the price you paid for it.¡± Taylor considered that, almost afraid she was about to step on another landmine. ¡°This is you lashing out at me like¡­¡± ¡°...a typical teenager?¡± Motoko finished, shrugging as she did. ¡°Probably. I¡¯ve got my own reasons to be pissed at you, some of which you¡¯ve addressed and I thank you for that.¡± She then sighed, setting her tools aside as she leaned back. ¡°I was terrified Sophia would look at me and only see you. That she wouldn¡¯t even consider giving me the sort of thing that you and Lisa have. What... we used to have with Emma.¡± Taylor wasn¡¯t sure she would agree about Emma, but in retrospect, maybe she was a little gay for her former best friend, much as that pained her to admit. ¡°We are so fucked up aren¡¯t we?¡± Motoko smiled softly. ¡°We¡¯re capes, I think that¡¯s part of the package.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with you there,¡± Taylor said. ¡°So... What do we do now?¡± Motoko reached out. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Motoko. Nice to meet you.¡± Taylor snorted, then sat up and took the offered hand. ¡°Hi, Motoko. My name¡¯s Taylor. Good to meet you too.¡± The pair stared at one another for a moment, that odd sense of familiarity bleeding over before both started laughing. It really was humorous, and didn¡¯t truly fix anything, but it felt like it was a start. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re not happy about me dating Sophia,¡± Motoko said, bringing the mood plummeting back down in a flash. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop either. I will say this, Sophia¡¯s trying to be better. I think that those first few patrols really lit a fire under her to try and do better. I don¡¯t know if she regrets what she did, and I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s ever going to, but I at least trust her to not try any further shit.¡± Taylor blinked, her lip curling into a snarl. ¡°And that magically makes it better?¡± ¡°No, it really doesn¡¯t. I feel like we¡¯ll be going in circles on that subject for quite some time,¡± Motoko conceded. ¡°Not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but¡ª¡± She cut off, and for a moment Taylor was puzzled until she checked the incoming messages. They each had their own system now, and while either could access the other¡¯s due to the interconnected nature of their minds, it did add a veil of privacy to things. ¡°Sophia¡¯s squaring up with Brian,¡± Motoko said even as she tossed her tools down and took off. Taylor cursed, doing the same as she moved to follow. The Major was far faster, flying down the halls with an ease that Taylor couldn¡¯t hope to match. To make up for that, Taylor tapped into the security system and pulled up the cameras and wound them back to the start of the incident. She watched as Brian and Sophia yelled at one another, then wanted to scream when he was the one to throw the first punch. Sophia did her best to hold her own, but Brian was better trained and he was using his power. The room blacked out for a moment and Taylor fast-forwarded through the footage until it returned. She didn¡¯t like what she saw. By the time she reached the room in question, the Major had already stepped in between them. Brian had a bloodied lip to show for it, but Sophia clearly caught the worst of it. Her nose was positively gushing, and one eye was quickly turning red with the blood of a burst vessel. Sophia spat a gob of blood to the side and Taylor could see remnants of Grue¡¯s darkness receding. She wasted little time, stepping between Motoko and Brian, gesturing towards Sophia. ¡°Go check on your girlfriend, get Amy if she needs it,¡± Taylor said before turning back to face Brian. ¡°What the FUCK Brian?¡± ¡°She tried to kill me,¡± he said, wiping the blood off his face. ¡°Today?¡± Taylor demanded. ¡°As in ¡®she just tried¡¯ and you defended yourself?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, begrudgingly. ¡°Last September, she put a bolt through my back.¡± ¡°Only because you covered me in your fucking darkness!¡± Sophia snarled. ¡°I was twenty feet in the goddamn air when you did. You nearly killed me, so you¡¯re damn right I took the fucking shot!¡± Thinking back, Taylor could remember that Sophia took over a week off in September, which struck her as odd at the time, especially with how early in the school year it happened. Granted, Shadow Stalker joined the Wards less than a month later, which only served to make the bullying worse, but that reprieve had been welcomed enough to stand out in her mind. ¡°Motoko, get her out of here, I¡¯ll deal with him,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Fuckin¡¯, she¡¯s gonna let him off,¡± Sophia muttered and Taylor realized she was listening in with the Major¡¯s ears. She pushed those senses away and turned back to Brian who had grabbed a towel and was cleaning the blood away. ¡°That was damn near a year ago, and it sounds like she was pretty justified in doing so.¡± ¡°Why are you taking her side?¡± Brian asked, looking over his shoulder. ¡°You told us your history with the terrible trio of Winslow as Lisa dubbed them. How can you even stand to look at her? Hell, why are you having the Major act so cozy with her?¡± ¡°What Motoko does is her own damn business,¡± Taylor growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care for Sophia, hell, I¡¯m pissed I¡¯m having to defend her right now! But Motoko does care, and that¡¯s all that matters. So, you can put all this shit behind you or you¡¯ll have both of us to contend with.¡± Brian stared at her for a moment, and she waited for him to find a new avenue of attack or something fresh to poke at. When he finally spoke, it wasn¡¯t quite what she expected. ¡°Who the hell is Motoko?¡± Taylor¡¯s shoulders slumped. She really did need to have a group meeting about things, but she wanted a better handle on it all first. ¡°The Major. After I got gunned down, something happened that split our personalities. We¡¯re two distinct people now, despite sharing a mind. We¡¯re still figuring shit out, but it¡¯s a work in progress.¡± ¡°That sounds absolutely batshit,¡± Brian said. ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t just crazy?¡± ¡°By some legal definitions I¡¯m sure we would all qualify,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We¡¯re not the only plural existence within Toybox, and we¡¯re by far the least dangerous, so keep that in mind.¡± Taylor didn¡¯t wait for an answer, as she just didn¡¯t want to deal with him any further. She followed after Motoko and Sophia, tracking them back to the infirmary. Stepping inside, she had to fight down a snort at the sight that greeted her. ¡°Hold still,¡± Motoko said, trying to swab at one of the cuts on Sophia¡¯s face. The girl hissed at the contact and swatted her away, both of them laughing as they did. ¡°Sophia you brat, I swear to the goddess.¡± ¡°That shit burns,¡± Sophia said, sticking her tongue out. Motoko tapped the alcohol soaked gauze on the extended tongue and sent Sophia into a gagging fit. That allowed her to get a hold of the girl and get to cleaning her injuries. ¡°See, that¡¯s not so bad, now is it?¡± ¡°Dick move,¡± Sophia said between coughs. ¡°Remind me why I like you?¡± Motoko chuckled, leaning in close to Sophia. ¡°Something something, my tongue has multiple settings.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t need to hear that,¡± Taylor grumbled. Both girls startled, pulling away from one another. Motoko cleared her throat. ¡°Taylor, I didn¡¯t notice you joining us.¡± Taylor rolled her eyes, doing her best to not take her lingering anger out on someone her other half truly did care for. ¡°You were obviously distracted.¡± ¡°Try saying that again without all the venom,¡± Sophia huffed. ¡°You want to get your own shot in, clear the air between us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Sophia,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to punch down to feel better about myself.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Motoko cut in with a pointed look. ¡°We have Nazis to kill before we even consider fighting amongst ourselves. Let¡¯s focus on that first, shall we?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Taylor said, spotting a notification. ¡°Huh, looks like we just got permission to read people in on our little project. Jacob¡¯s coming by, along with Legend.¡± ¡°Legend?¡± Sophia said, sitting up straight. ¡°The hell is he coming here for?¡± The Major sighed. ¡°Probably because he¡¯s in charge of the task force that will be deploying to take care of the corruption in Brockton Bay. A task force that I¡¯m joining.¡± ¡°Huh, always figured the PRT had something like that,¡± Sophia said. ¡°This taskforce have a name?¡± Taylor smiled, unable to resist. ¡°Section Nine.¡± Chapter 54 ¡°Huh, that¡¯s an unfortunate name,¡± Sophia said with a slight frown. ¡°I wonder how often they get mistaken for the Slaughterhouse?¡± Taylor rolled her eyes, but couldn¡¯t hide the smirk as she turned to leave. ¡°Hebert? Come on, tell me that was a coincidence¡­ Hebert? Motoko, she¡¯s joking, right?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Motoko said, pulling Sophia along. ¡°If this is the meeting I think it is, Amy will be there and can patch you up.¡± ¡°What, is Bonesaw gonna pull me apart too?¡± Sophia said, her complexion turning ashen as she was pulled along. ¡°Come on, stop fucking around here.¡± Taylor sighed, because as much fun as it was to tease Sophia, she didn¡¯t enjoy hearing people talk about her little sister in a negative light. Still, she couldn¡¯t just confirm it, Riley¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t hers to share. ¡°If Bonesaw is part of Toybox, you¡¯ve probably met her already,¡± Motoko offered. ¡°Real fucking reassuring,¡± Sophia muttered. ¡°You like the enhancements you¡¯ve gotten, right?¡± Taylor asked, Sophia frowned but nodded. ¡°Would it really be a surprise to learn that one of the foremost Biotinkers in the world had a hand in those?¡± Sophia whimpered. ¡°I¡¯m going to have so many nightmares, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No more than the rest of us,¡± Taylor said as she stepped up to a door and opened it without knocking. Inside, Jacob was conversing with Melissa while Riley and Amy talked in hushed whispers while looking over some mutated plant. ¡°I see we¡¯re a bit early.¡± Jacob looked up. ¡°Ah, Taylor, good to see you. And Motoko too, that¡¯s perfect. I do apologize for not thinking to ask you directly. Melissa has chastised me quite thoroughly for that.¡± ¡°Apology accepted,¡± Motoko said. ¡°I¡¯m mature enough to not refuse you out of spite, but I would like some form of insurance so I can have a civilian life as well.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± Jacob said before his eyes fell on Sophia. ¡°Hmm, you told her?¡± ¡°Just some mild teasing,¡± Taylor said with a dismissive wave. Sophia muttered something under her breath and Motoko elbowed her gently, chuckling as she did. Taylor watched the byplay with that same ache in her chest at seeing one of her tormentors acting so friendly with her other half. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would ever get used to it, and she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to. She didn¡¯t understand what Motoko saw in her, but so long as Sophia didn¡¯t try anything, Taylor could at least tolerate her for the duration of the Nine deployment. They all had mutual enemies to deal with, and she could deal with Motoko¡¯s growing pains for the duration. Behind them, still more people arrived and began to spread into the room. Taylor spotted Cranial among them, who seemed more amused than anything, likely already aware of the Nine¡¯s secret. Lisa arrived with her, and Taylor wasted little time moving over to her girlfriend. ¡°Hey,¡± Lisa said with a soft smile. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Taylor sighed, moving over to one of the seats. ¡°Could be worse. I¡¯m still getting used to this evolving arrangement that Motoko and I have now. The worst part is Sophia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying,¡± Lisa said, squeezing Taylor¡¯s hand. ¡°That means a lot to her, trust me. A lot of people who end up in your situation try to squash the emerging person. You haven¡¯t done that, which makes you better than most.¡± ¡°We both looked it up early on,¡± Taylor admitted, remembering those early web searches after the conversations with Melissa. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make those sorts of mistakes.¡± ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to accept Sophia,¡± Lisa whispered. ¡°She hurt you deeply, and for a considerable amount of time. You can push back.¡± ¡°Can I?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Motoko has so few things she can call her own, and it could have easily been me in her shoes, hell, it sort of is. I don¡¯t want to force her to reject Sophia out of hand, even if it hurts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re allowed to be selfish,¡± Lisa said, pulling Taylor into a hug. ¡°You don¡¯t always have to be the self sacrificing one.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m glad I have you to remind me of that,¡± Taylor said, kissing Lisa¡¯s cheek. ¡°Plus, I know I can count on you to keep the bitch in line if she starts shit again.¡± ¡°Always,¡± Lisa then leaned down and kissed Taylor¡¯s forehead. She blushed, but didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it as Jacob clapped his hands. ¡°Alright, looks like everyone¡¯s here,¡± he said. Taylor looked around and confirmed that everyone currently with Toybox, as well as the Undersiders, Miss Militia and Sophia were present. ¡°Now, what I¡¯m about to brief you on is classified as a National Security level secret. It is treason to attempt to make the public aware of it and I had to make several arguments to a congressional panel as well as the President to get all of you read in on it.¡± ¡°And we thank you for that sacrifice,¡± Harry said, earning chuckles from several people. Jacob flipped him off, earning more laughter. ¡°Let¡¯s rip this band-aid off. I¡¯m the leader of a Protectorate black ops outfit that operates under the code name Section Nine. Most of you would be more familiar with its other name, the Slaughterhouse Nine, where I operate under the name Jack Slash.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. There was a beat of silence before the room erupted. Taylor and Lisa watched with some amusement as people took the news in their own ways. Hannah especially wasn¡¯t taking it well, almost hyperventilating as she processed the revelation, her power flickering through forms in a now familiar nervous tic. Aisha was on the other end of the spectrum, laughing right along with Alec. Rachel was just sitting with her dogs without a care. Motoko and Sophia were speaking in harsh whispers, but Sophia seemed to be taking it well enough thanks to the hints dropped just minutes prior. That was good to see, as Sophia was one of Taylor¡¯s biggest concerns, even if it was a bit unfair due to their past history. ¡°Enough!¡± Legend bellowed, a rainbow assortment of lights filled the room in accompaniment with his shout. ¡°If my presence didn¡¯t make it perfectly clear, the Nine is under my command. They have been officially sanctioned for more than fifteen years. We are here to brief you, so nobody gets the bright idea to hunt our assets while they work.¡± ¡°Easy now,¡± Jacob said with a gentle smile. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all wondering what that means for Toybox. Well, the answer is simple. Between Armsmaster and Director Thomas Calvert, better known as Coil, the Brockton Protectorate is in need of some spring-cleaning. The Nine will be deploying as a result and we¡¯re taking the opportunity to clean up the Empire while we¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Bout fucking time,¡± Sophia said. More than a few people turned to face her. ¡°What? I might be pissed with Calvert for being a slimy weasel, but the Empire is something that should have been removed decades ago.¡± ¡°I fully agree,¡± Legend said. ¡°My apologies that we weren¡¯t able to do so sooner. As part of this, the Nine will be deployed in several operations across the city. Cyber, your plan for Victor was approved, make sure the necessary equipment is fabricated.¡± Taylor sat up a bit straighter. ¡°I figured that one would be a step too far.¡± Legend shook his head. ¡°The entirety of the Empire effectively have kill orders, as do Armsmaster and Calvert. Carry them out in a way that limits civilian casualties and keeps up the reputation of the Nine.¡± ¡°Do the Empire¡¯s thugs count towards that?¡± Aisha asked while inspecting a knife. Alec was snickering beside her. ¡°Asking for a friend.¡± Jacob shook his head as he paced across the room. ¡°Being a Nazi in Brockton Bay now carries the risk that it always should have. We¡¯re declaring open season with presidential pardons offered for anyone that gets busted.¡± ¡°Oh, I am gonna have so much fun with this,¡± Aisha said with a wide grin. Riley frowned and turned to Jacob. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she joining the Nine with us? She seems like a perfect fit!¡± ¡°Like hell,¡± Brian exclaimed, jumping to his feet. ¡°Aisha¡¯s thirteen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m twelve,¡± Riley said, hands on her hips. ¡°Try again.¡± Taylor smiled at her little sister¡¯s antics. Brian didn¡¯t seem to realize that Riley was the second most feared cape in North America. The only one more feared was standing just five feet to her left, watching the exchange with more than a little amusement. Jacob leaned over and whispered something to Kurt who just shook his head and pushed his husband away. For such a heavy meeting with far-reaching consequences and promises of violence to come, the members of the Nine were surprisingly carefree about it all. Or maybe it shouldn¡¯t have been surprising at all given what they did for a living. ¡°What¡¯s our role in this whole thing,¡± Amy asked. ¡°The Nine tend to attempt to recruit capes to replenish their ranks when they come to a city. Even if that is just a cover, I assume some of us will be part of this?¡± ¡°Excellent question,¡± Melissa said. ¡°We will figure out a list of nominees, but I can tell you that I have dibs on declaring Kaiser. His ex-wife is Skadi, or rather, Butcher V, and she has a bit of a grudge to carry out.¡± ¡°Be sure to record it, I¡¯ll bring the popcorn,¡± Lisa said with a grin. ¡°On that note however, I want Calvert.¡± ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I need to know who is willing to assist us both on the ground or even just logistically as we carry this out. I also need to stress this is voluntary, and you are risking your lives if you are seen helping the Nine in any way.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t assist in other ways,¡± the Major said. ¡°We can easily put on a show of fighting the Nine, even as a distraction, that will have a myriad of uses.¡± ¡°I could even capture one of you!¡± Riley said cheerfully. ¡°Hey Grue, are you up for playing along? I¡¯ll make it look really good and everything!¡± ¡°Riley no,¡± Kurt said. ¡°You¡¯re no fun!¡± she said, sticking her tongue out. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m gonna nominate Amy.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Amy asked. ¡°You¡¯ve said enough about Carol that even I know she needs a reminder of how important family is, especially adopted family. Regardless of circumstances, she still adopted you, she chose you, and she¡¯s doing a terrible job of showing just what that should mean.¡± Jacob reached over and ruffled Riley¡¯s hair, earning an indignant squawk from the girl. She pouted and frowned up at her fathers she began to point her finger at him and fell into a good-natured yet animated ¡®argument¡¯. Taylor didn¡¯t miss how Amy had seemingly fallen back and in on herself at the display of familial closeness that she didn¡¯t get from her own adoptive mother. They needed to do something to fix that, and Taylor had some ideas for setting that one up, but she¡¯d need to go over it with the others first. At least Melissa was there, a firm hand on Amy¡¯s shoulder in solidarity. Cementing plans, coming up with contingencies and so much more would no doubt consume her days to come, but they had time. Time she intended to put to good use, and Lisa¡¯s shell would be her priority. If her girlfriend was going to throw herself into danger by insisting on going after Calvert herself, she wanted every protection available to her in place. ¡°You¡¯ve got that look again,¡± Lisa whispered. Taylor nearly jumped, looking over at a bemused Lisa as the briefing continued. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You get this look sometimes, laser focused and full of determination,¡± Lisa explained. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it a few times since we met and it¡¯s become one of my favorites to see.¡± Taylor smiled, enjoying the moment with her girlfriend. She wasn¡¯t sure what sort of relationship they would eventually have given Lisa¡¯s issues with physical intimacy, or if she even wanted more than what they had, but she treasured it all the same. Still, she could see that familiar sparkle in Lisa¡¯s eye, knowing that she had something just itching to be said. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re itching to say it,¡± Taylor said. ¡°So let¡¯s hear it.¡± Lisa leaned in, kissing her gently before she spoke into Taylor¡¯s lips whisper soft. ¡°You see, you only get that look when you¡¯re prepared to burn the rest of the world for those you love.¡± Taylor shivered, and she couldn¡¯t deny it. She had agreed to join the Nine to keep her loved one¡¯s safe. How much of a stretch was it to say that she would actually burn the world? Did she even care? Looking into her girlfriend¡¯s eyes, there was but one truth that spoke to her. Some people were worth burning the world for. Chapter 55 Taylor drummed her fingers along the table as she looked off to the side of the break room. She could see Hannah out of the corner of her eye, which was already too much of the woman for her taste. The woman was glaring at her, no doubt a dozen different thoughts racing through her mind following what had to be a complete shattering of her worldview. Frankly, if she didn¡¯t have a use in the coming plans, Taylor wouldn¡¯t even bother with her. It would have been easier handing her over to Legend after Cranial did some work on the woman and wash her hands of it all. Unfortunately, there was an opportunity to really rub it in Armsmaster¡¯s face that he fucked up and she wasn¡¯t going to let that go. Armsmaster and Coil were working hand in hand, often with the support of the Nazis to further their own goals. Learning that Brockton Bay was an experiment really pissed her off, especially when it was clear that Legend all but begged to clean out the Nazis only to be shut down by someone Jacob only referred to as the Boogieman. Speaking of Jacob, they were waiting on him to bring someone in, but he was being incredibly close-lipped about it. Melissa seemed to have an idea, but just chuckled when Taylor tried to pry. So, all she could do was grit her teeth and deal with it. At least Motoko and Lisa were keeping busy with their own projects and the steady stream of cat videos from Lisa were certainly appreciated. Motoko was working with Riley on their secondary project, which was going to employ the only backup remote control device she had on hand. Even after a few days to mull things over, Taylor wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about the Nine, or about her upcoming session with Jacob where they would talk about things. She couldn¡¯t even be upset that they kept it from her, she was told upfront there were shadier sides to Toybox, and Melissa, who had two of her mom¡¯s former girlfriends in her head, was very blunt about keeping her out of things. She looked to the Butcher as someone she could trust and confide in; that was a rather sobering thought. Taylor¡¯s entire world was turned on its head, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to handle that. Regardless, they were all in agreement that the situation needed to be dealt with, yet they were letting her take point on it. Well, she and Motoko both. That confused the hell out of her that a top secret black ops team would let her plan things. Jacob and Kurt were both from the original team formed in the eighties. They had nearly thirty years in the game, what did she have that could compare? Sure, Jacob was offering suggestions here and there when ideas were floated, but he wasn¡¯t pressuring her to take things in certain directions. Unlike Riley who was actively pushing for maximum chaos. The Nine were monsters and that reputation needed to be maintained, but the media was easy enough to manipulate. Once all objectives were clear, the story could be exaggerated well enough, and the actual strikes they completed would serve to bolster them. Hundreds were likely to be killed in the plan, most of which would be Nazis, but no doubt there would be collateral. And just because Surgeon would be available to heal people after didn¡¯t mean there were never casualties. More than once Riley had released a plague to cover their retreats. Sure, she felt bad about it, but protecting her family always came first. The door opened and Taylor looked up. Two women stepped inside, looking around. Neither were in costume, dressed in business casual. One had blonde hair cut just above shoulder-length and brown eyes. The other had light brown hair that flowed down to their hips and gray-blue eyes. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see the day ¡®ol rules and regs got read in on this enterprise,¡± the brunette said scornfully to Hannah before her eyes flicked to Taylor and widened. ¡°Annette?¡± ¡°Taylor, actually,¡± she said, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°Annette was my mom.¡± ¡°Oh shit,¡± the blonde said. ¡°We heard you were dead.¡± Taylor smiled softly. ¡°Reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. My girlfriend made sure of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s Annette¡¯s daughter all right,¡± the brunette said. ¡°Oh, manners! This is my best friend Kat and¡ª¡± The blonde threw an arm over her shoulder, cutting the introduction short. ¡°And this pain in the ass is Maeve.¡± ¡°Beautiful name,¡± Taylor said with a grin that was quickly returned. ¡°I¡¯m assuming Jacob sent you?¡± ¡°Ah right, he did say everyone in this room would know all about things,¡± Maeve said, casting Hannah a sidelong glance. ¡°Damn, just what the hell happened in Brockton Bay to warrant all this cloak and dagger shit?¡± ¡°Clearly the blue vibrator did something stupid,¡± Kat said. ¡°Given we¡¯re now sharing the room with two dead girls, it¡¯s safe to assume, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Hannah, you¡¯re being awfully quiet there.¡± ¡°Just¡­ Taking it all in,¡± she said. ¡°A week ago I thought there was corruption in my command. That was horrible to learn, but I could handle it. Learning that the Nine are sanctioned?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit much,¡± Maeve said softly. ¡°How did the two of you learn?¡± Hannah asked. Maeve rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Well, I did know Arwen and Kimmie, who became Butchers. They reached out to some people from the movement shortly after Winter took the mantle, to let us know that we could call them if we ever needed help.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°And of course this idiot got drunk one night and mentioned talking to Arwen,¡± Kat said with a grin. ¡°So guess who had to do a mountain of paperwork?¡± ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± Maeve grumbled. ¡°Still a dick move,¡± Kat said with an absent wave. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t go drinking with her. Clive¡¯s read in on all sorts of shit and because Maeve here has high clearance, he vents to her all the time.¡± ¡°Why are you blaming that on me?¡± Kat snorted. ¡°Hey, you married the man.¡± ¡°You what?¡± Everyone turned to Hannah, whose teeth were grinding as she glared daggers at Maeve. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure what that was about, but it seemed enough to send Kat into a fit of giggles. Hannah started to say something further, but Kat vanished only to reappear behind Hannah and pop her across the back of her head playfully. ¡°Oh lay off her, the two of you split five years before they had their first date.¡± Kat again vanished and reappeared at Maeve¡¯s side. ¡°Never did understand what either of you saw in the man, but hey, I never liked them big and muscly.¡± Maeve shuddered slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the men you take home, Kat. No, thank you.¡± ¡°What? I like them small and flexible. Nothing like them not having to¡ª¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m too young to be hearing this,¡± Taylor interjected, her cheeks burning. ¡°Can we get back on topic before Hannah shoots one of you and I have to call Amy and Riley?¡± Maeve and Kat glared at one another for a moment before both shrugged in unison. Kat ended up picking up the conversation from there. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m assuming the Nine are about to hit Brockton Bay in the near term. Is that a safe assumption?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We¡¯ve learned that the Director moonlights as a Parahuman villain that goes by the name of Coil. He recruited my girlfriend at gunpoint using a series of intermediaries pretending to be him. He kept them separate enough that all of our tech and Thinker resources missed it until it was too late. My father was killed in one incident, I was gunned down in the same and Lisa got double tapped by a high-powered rifle.¡± ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Maeve said. ¡°No offense, but how is your father the only casualty in this?¡± ¡°I was almost the second casualty,¡± Hannah interjected. ¡°I was a loose end, someone he couldn¡¯t control so he convinced me I was going to replace Armsmaster as the leader of the ENE Protectorate when he was disciplined. He tried to have me killed alongside them, but I managed to head off his strike team only for Armsmaster to arrive to finish the deed. Thankfully he didn¡¯t know my power was versatile enough to create an impromptu bandage to stem the worst of the bleeding.¡± ¡°It still failed when you lost consciousness,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The Major found her in the PRT medical bay, already pronounced dead, while she still had life signs. They intended to let her die rather than risk her talking.¡± ¡°Okay, no,¡± Maeve said. ¡°We¡¯re killing the C¨² Chulainn knock off.¡± ¡°The Director too,¡± Kat added. ¡°How can we help?¡± Taylor smiled, glad for the support. ¡°Well, given all that¡¯s happened, Hannah could use a friend right now, I¡¯d start there. I think I was only here to help you get up to speed on things quicker.¡± ¡°And to meet someone else tied to your mother,¡± Melissa said from the doorway. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve got somewhere to be and they could use their privacy.¡± Taylor raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and joined her mentor, but before leaving, she turned back to Hannah. ¡°You know, I never did disapprove of Dad dating you.¡± ¡°You had a funny way of showing it,¡± Hannah muttered. Taylor shook her head. ¡°No, I disapproved of the recruitment attempts. That¡¯s what pissed me off. I actually congratulated him on getting back into the dating scene. Whatever that all started as, you did make him happy for the short time the two of you were together, so thank you. I¡¯ll see you at the next briefing.¡± On that note, Taylor left the room before anyone could continue the conversation. She still didn¡¯t care for the woman, her morals were too rigid, but she was getting better. Maybe in a few years she could even look at her without feeling a well of disgust. For now, she just had to hope that was enough to get her to go along with their plans. Without Hannah, things would be a bit less believable, but allowing herself to become a Bonesaw project probably wouldn¡¯t sit well no matter the promises to reverse it. Sighing, she caught up to Melissa and walked in stride beside her. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°Jacob wants to talk with you and Motoko about some things,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Nothing major.¡± Taylor snorted. ¡°Ha. Ha.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m clever sometimes,¡± she protested. ¡°Mhmm, sure you are,¡± Taylor said, chuckling. ¡°Which one came up with that one? I¡¯m guessing Kimmie?¡± Melissa rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Actually¡­ It was Heith. Skadi.¡± Taylor stopped, staring at Melissa with wide eyes. ¡°Wait, the Nazi? Holy shit.¡± Melissa held up her hands placatingly. ¡°Hey, between Kimmie in the collective and Arwen killing her, she had nothing but time to learn the error of their ways.¡± ¡°Something tells me it wasn¡¯t just talking,¡± Taylor said slowly. At that, Melissa barked out a laugh. ¡°Goddess no. There was a ton of yelling, then crying and eventually screaming. Be aware should you ever inherit. Your headmates will be able to screw around in the very literal sense.¡± Vivid scenes flashed through Taylor¡¯s mind and she tried to push them away with some of her software readouts, to no avail. Motoko¡¯s face popped into her HUD, an eyebrow raised, and the lurid thoughts only grew worse. ¡°Taylor, please find a distraction,¡± Motoko said with a groan. ¡°We¡¯re getting a bit soupy and I don¡¯t need your fantasies bleeding over, especially those.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Melissa mentioned something about her headmates and it¡¯s causing some very intrusive thoughts.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± she said, grimacing. ¡°Maybe Jacob can help with that. He¡¯s just waiting on you to start the session.¡± ¡°Be there soon.¡± Chapter 56 Motoko watched as Taylor took a seat on the couch, flopping down rather forcefully as she did. Motoko was sitting on the other end, but a space was left between them, occupied by a few soft pillows. Melissa was sitting in one chair across from them, and Jacob in another. It was their first joint therapy session, as well as the first since Motoko had truly come into her own. Sometimes she felt like an impostor, someone who had all of Taylor¡¯s memories, yet was only stealing her past from her. It didn¡¯t feel like her memories, the sting of hate and betrayal that Taylor felt for Emma and her followers didn¡¯t hold the same weight in Motoko¡¯s mind. Sophia especially, as she got to know the girl at first as an act to use her, but now she had developed feelings, and she wasn¡¯t sure what to do about that. The Motoko identity that Taylor had crafted was supposed to be ten years older, but she didn¡¯t feel it. She didn¡¯t have the military experience that they had built into her records, she hadn¡¯t survived Kyushu or served in a child soldier program under a now dead US general. Even with all the hard coded military protocols and combat routines, she was just an echo of Taylor that had come into her own. A confused teenager struggling to figure out who she really was. ¡°I apologize that it took so long to arrange this,¡± Jacob said with a soft smile. ¡°I know we¡¯re all gearing up for the Brockton operation, but I feel this is important before more trauma is piled on top of you both.¡± Motoko nodded even as Taylor spoke. ¡°Understandable.¡± It was weird, how she could feel the echoes of Taylor¡¯s emotions, more so due to how soupy they had been earlier after Melissa brought about some intrusive thoughts to Taylor¡¯s mind. Knowing that the Butcher collective got up to things like that, well, it was a rather distracting idea even to her. ¡°We talked about a few ways to start this session,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Given Motoko is likely still trying to find her own identity, that might be the place to start.¡± ¡°Like how she¡¯s getting with Sophia?¡± Taylor spat. Motoko winced, knowing that was going to be a sore spot between them for quite some time. Worse, because there might just be a kernel of truth to it. Taylor wanted nothing to do with Sophia, and that very well likely led to her own birth of sorts. ¡°That is the perfect springboard,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I understand why it bothers you, and I do sympathize, but have you tried to see things from Motoko¡¯s side of things?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡± Taylor asked, looking away. ¡°Sophia hasn¡¯t changed or reformed, she¡¯s still a monster that punches down.¡± ¡°You will find most of us are monsters, deep down,¡± Jacob said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not with the Nine because of some greater good. I like to carve people up, I get positively euphoric when I hear the dying screams of my victims.¡± ¡°It goes without saying for me as well,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I¡¯m the fuck mothering Butcher. You¡¯re going to see that side of me in the coming days. I¡¯m like a cat, I play with my prey, then brutally slaughter all in my way. There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m famed for my crimson coat, it isn¡¯t dyed red, that¡¯s blood staining it.¡± ¡°Great, she¡¯ll fit right in,¡± Taylor grumbled. ¡°Fuck you,¡± Motoko said, standing. ¡°Yes, I get it, if anyone has a right to be pissed at her, it¡¯s you. That doesn¡¯t change how I feel about her. You wanted nothing to do with her, and so you left me to deal with her instead. She was a completely different person around me, with some bad habits, but otherwise an engaging and remarkable woman. You never saw that side of her, not like I did.¡± Taylor was glaring up at her, coiled and ready to spring into action, and only then did Motoko realize that she had advanced on Taylor. A firm hand came to rest on her shoulder, she turned to find Melissa standing there, concern writ upon her face. ¡°Emotions are good, Motoko, and yours are just as valid as Taylor¡¯s, but do remember that this is therapy.¡± Motoko took a deep breath, the air moving through her respirator in an inhuman way. She couldn¡¯t deny that she had gotten heated in the moment, but she felt it was deserved and Jacob always said to speak truth to her feelings. ¡°As you can see,¡± Jacob said as Motoko took her seat once again, ¡°Motoko feels rather strongly about this. I¡¯m not saying you need to sit down and make friends with Sophia, but you could make a small effort to at least be respectful of Motoko¡¯s choice. You¡¯re all on the same side, fighting the same people. You don¡¯t need to like her, but professionalism is a must.¡± ¡°She nearly killed me,¡± Taylor said, fighting back tears. ¡°She pushed me down stairs, she stole my mom¡¯s flute using her powers. Armsmaster robbing me of justice might have been the tipping point of my trigger, but Sophia being allowed to get away with everything was at the core of it! Why is everyone insisting that she not be fucking punished!?¡± ¡°We never said she wouldn¡¯t be punished,¡± Melissa said. Motoko¡¯s gaze snapped to the woman in an instant with narrowed eyes. ¡°None of that, Motoko. Taylor, I want you to stop and consider the state of the ENE as it is and how things have been. Sophia was a child in desperate need of therapy, which she should have gotten as part of the Wards program. She was supposed to be supervised, but her issues were encouraged because she was effective. She was used by Calvert and Armsmaster, nothing but a tool for them and they tried to Birdcage her just because she was no longer convenient. How do you think she feels about that?¡± Taylor shrunk back slightly, and Motoko could feel the guilt and shame coming from her other half. That did raise a question though. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Will you be giving Sophia the therapy she should have gotten?¡± Jacob smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing her as soon as this session is finished. For all she did, remember that she is a product of her environment. Sophia is only fifteen, same as you two, keep that in mind before you start thinking she deserves the worst. She will have to face all that she did, but with the goal of her learning and growing, not suffering.¡± Motoko knew some of Sophia¡¯s circumstances from their quiet rooftop discussions, how she adored her little sister, and hated her abusive step-father. It wasn¡¯t hard to piece together that he was the reason she triggered, though the details were always left vague as to what he had done to her. Motoko wanted to punish him, to make him suffer, but she would refrain. If Sophia publicly joined the Nine, there was a good chance that he would always be afraid that she would come for him. That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t encourage that fear, however. She knew that Sophia would do good work with a government strike team, despite her age. Her power was perfect for infiltration, and the girl had killed before. It came up one night while discussing Crusader, how her first kill was an accident, and how she hid the body. Her second was also an accident, trying to interrogate someone to impress Emma, only to drop him. The next few weren¡¯t accidents, and the only reason the rapist she got arrested over wasn¡¯t another fatality was because she cared more about making sure the victim was okay rather than making sure the bastard bled out first. Like it or not, Sophia as she was now would do well with the Nine. Motoko just had to make sure she didn¡¯t lose herself in the violence that association promised, or drag Sophia down with her. She was already Birdcage bound on the official records after all, joining the Nine was barely a step above that in the public eye. She could only hope that Jacob could help them both. She understood why Taylor didn¡¯t approve, she had those same memories of Sophia being an insufferable ass. What Taylor didn¡¯t have was the memories of quiet nights on rooftops, just existing in peace and shared laughter. Growing close to Sophia was the first experience that she could truly call her own. It was proof of her own individuality, and she wanted to cling to it. More so, she wanted Sophia to learn and grow into a better person right alongside her. Jacob and Taylor were going back and forth on many of those very details, him trying to explain why Sophia might have done the things to her that she did, what might have fueled those actions along with promises that he would be addressing her concerns with her in their own sessions. Sophia would resist, at least at first. She didn¡¯t take it all that well when someone told her she was wrong, but if anyone could get through to her, it was Jacob and Melissa. When two of the most feared people in the world told you something, people tended to listen. Sophia needed the help, there was no denying that after witnessing her just sitting there and watching an assault in progress. It would be a lot of work, but Motko knew that Sophia was worth it. The session wound down from there and while there was still a lingering tension between them, it was at least tempered with a level of understanding that hadn¡¯t existed before. When the door opened, Sophia was leaning against the opposite wall with her arms crossed. Motoko smiled, and crossed the distance. ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly, knowing Sophia was well aware of her approach despite her closed eyes. ¡°Been out here long?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t want to be late,¡± Sophia said, a single eye flicking open before it looked behind her. ¡°Looking at something, Hebert?¡± She could tell Taylor had a barb on the tip of her tongue, but she held it, opting to walk off instead. Already that was a degree of progress, but it was still a long way towards even being civil with one another. ¡°Be nice,¡± Motoko chided, gently punching Sophia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just because we¡¯re our own people doesn¡¯t mean Taylor isn¡¯t a part of me. She¡¯s trying, which means you should give her the same courtesy.¡± Sophia looked away, grumbling something under her breath as she did. Anything that wasn¡¯t insults or barbs was an improvement on that front, and Sophia hadn¡¯t even seen Jacob yet. Maybe, once all the dust settled, they would be able to sit down and talk rationally. Motoko knew she would be waiting a long while for that, but she had hope that it wouldn¡¯t be when they were old and gray. Well, between everyone they had, that could likely be avoided. Amy was able to reverse someone¡¯s age, Cranial could reverse brain issues easily, and cyber brains lent themselves a level of agelessness as well. Had Toybox inadvertently gathered the people necessary for functional immortality? ¡°Someone¡¯s thinking heavy thoughts,¡± Sophia said, taking Motoko¡¯s hands in her own. ¡°Anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Just thinking about Toybox and what we can do now,¡± Motoko said with a soft smile. ¡°Go on in, they¡¯re scary, but they do want what¡¯s best for you.¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re only offering to help to appease you and make Taylor believe they¡¯re doing something. I know I¡¯ve got issues, I¡¯ll own that, I don¡¯t need a shrink to try and fix me.¡± ¡°Sophia¡­¡± Motoko said with a stern tone. ¡°We can all use the help, especially after everything we¡¯ve been through. Go talk to the nice Slaughterhouse members, Just don¡¯t stab your therapist, we don¡¯t need you to have two of Taylor¡¯s aunts in your head.¡± Nevermind that both she and Taylor were starting to consider Melissa as a motherly figure, that would just make things weirder between all of them, and she didn¡¯t want that. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll play nice with the mass murderers,¡± Sophia said, though Motoko could see the worry in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I could get a kiss, for luck?¡± Motoko snorted, and leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on Sophia¡¯s cheek. ¡°There, now no more stalling or you¡¯ll work yourself into a panic. I¡¯ll be right here waiting.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia said softly, slipping around her and into the room she had just vacated. Once the door shut, Motoko leaned back, pulling up Riley in her contacts. Taylor was already in the lab with her and her avatar was visible in the call. They were working on one of the main projects for the coming Nine deployment, and it was definitely on par with some of the worst Bonesaw had pulled in the past. ¡°You sure this won¡¯t cause problems?¡± Motoko asked, examining the second remote control unit they were constructing. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to do this,¡± Riley said cheerfully. ¡°I just hope Taylor¡¯s acting skills are up to it, or yours, we¡¯re not quite sure who will end up in the driver¡¯s seat here.¡± ¡°We also don¡¯t want to inadvertently create a third personality,¡± Taylor added with a shiver. Motoko had to echo that sentiment, they really didn¡¯t want to have that in common with Melissa. She was perfectly content just sharing her mind with just Taylor. Interlude - Victor Victor took in the fresh scents of the sea breeze, May having come at last and brought the pleasantness of Spring with it. The Empire had suffered losses, but came out all the stronger for it. Bradley was a loose cannon one mistake away from a kill order, his death was mourned solely for the publicity of it all given his popularity with the masses, they would of course eat it up no matter how truthful their spin on things was. James was a deeper loss, having taken a bullet meant for Max, that however, was easy to spin. A proper Norse funeral for their warriors was to be held for the public benefit, and with his hand at planning it, the public would clamor for the Empire to take up the blade against the filth that dared to strike at them. The mess surrounding Tammi was harder to deal with. She had clearly gone to the accursed Major seeking escape from Justin. He warned Max it was a bad idea, she wasn¡¯t even fourteen yet and he offered her up to someone in their twenties. It would have been one thing if she was willing like his own wife had been at a similar age, but the girl clearly wasn¡¯t. He had warned them and the Empire lost face for it. Things like that took time, and he had recommended a lengthy courtship, but Justin had been impatient. Victor had courted his dear Ethel for a year before he wed her, if only Justin had been willing to do the same. They lost a good soldier as a result and worse, they lost a future mother of the cause. Tammi was somewhere, he had no idea where, but the story hit the net complete with video of her emotional breakdown and spread like wildfire. Justin¡¯s death was seen as justified, and the retaliation took a considerable amount of spin to turn into a positive. He had the skills for it however, and they were put to great use. Things had settled, following the death of Coil. His ordered assassination of Taylor Hebert was made public, and the Empire capitalized upon it when it was revealed the man was a nigger. How easy the masses were to manipulate when they had a target deserving of their wrath, especially when it was easily proven that he tried to frame them. Empire membership rose following that going public, but the death of Miss Militia was a different matter. The bullet was linked to one of their own, and Max was forced to execute a loyal man on a live broadcast to prevent a reckoning. It was Fleur all over again, a woman of unsavory origins who did everything that was expected of them. They weren¡¯t the kind of filth you killed without good reason, they were seen favorably by the average person after all. The good immigrant who discarded their heritage to fit in with other Americans of proper stock. He was admittedly tired following all of that, so he had taken a day to rest. Ethel would be cooking a lovely dinner for just the two of them. No posturing, no power plays like the dinner they hosted for Kayden, Geoff, and Dorothy just days prior in a bid to bring them back into the fold in the face of losses incurred. Just him and his wife for once and he was looking forward to it. Downtown was enjoying a relative calm, with people in Empire colors patrolling casually, keeping the peace. A passing police patrol nodded to their men on the corner and he had to fight down a smile. The easiest way to gain control was to get your people in positions of power, and the police were such an easy grab. Convince them the filth was dangerous and they would do your work without further prompting, bringing themselves under your banner in time. ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± Victor turned, finding a young blonde girl with curls and a lovely blue dress with a backpack slung over her shoulders waiting for him. She reminded him a bit of Ethel on their honeymoon to be honest, but he had practice suppressing those desires. His wife would be waiting for him at home and he could act on them there. ¡°Yes dearie?¡± The girl smiled bashfully. ¡°I can¡¯t find my mom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± he said genuinely. He tasted the skills coming off of her, and was pleasantly surprised to find a genuine skill to cook. So similar was the taste of it to his own little Ethel. Her parents were raising her well it seemed. ¡°Why come to me? Did your parents not teach you about strangers?¡± She nodded. ¡°They did, but said that people in red and black or with the right tattoos could be trusted to help.¡± He looked off to the side and pointed at the nearby Empire members. ¡°Why not go to them then?¡± ¡°Mommy said that people might talk if we did, but that people being subtle about it were always near.¡± She then pointed to his arm where he had a tattoo of an eagle holding the Empire¡¯s symbol. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she said that, but she¡¯s never been wrong before.¡± ¡°Your mother seems quite smart,¡± he said with a genuine smile. He detected no malice, and only a hint of anxiety from her. Understandable in the circumstances. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me where you last saw her and we can start looking for her there?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± she said, smiling. He followed after the now much more animated girl, glad to be doing something so mundane but genuinely good. Her parents were no doubt supporters, likely in a position of sufficient influence that they were careful about showing their allegiance. They were raising her to trust the Empire and she would no doubt make a good wife for someone in time. Who knows, maybe she could be entrusted to Stormtiger if her parents were agreeable to an arrangement. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What of your father?¡± he asked, more to learn more about her than to actually make conversation. ¡°He didn¡¯t come home from work one night,¡± she said softly. ¡°He said the bad people with drugs were getting too close to home, said he was going to help stop them.¡± Ah, her father had been Empire and died for the cause. Regrettable, but it seemed he left behind a fine legacy all the same. He would have to find out the man¡¯s name and ensure that his remaining family was being cared for properly. She stopped a block later and pointed down an alley. ¡°She was down there, a mean man with squinty eyes wanted to talk to her,¡± the girl said. Victor frowned. That made the situation precarious if one of the ABB filth had come to their territory seeking those under the Empire¡¯s protection. In a moment of caution, Victor signaled one of the nearby groups of men, the youngest among them breaking off to approach him. ¡°Soldier,¡± he said, immediately snapping the young man to attention. ¡°This girl¡¯s mother is missing, I am entrusting her to your care while I investigate. Guard her with your life.¡± The boy swallowed heavily but nodded. He looked to still be in high school, and lacked any skills of note. Probably one of their recruits from Winslow that had yet to be blooded. Perhaps he would get his chance before the day was done. Victor stepped into the alley, drawing his concealed side arm. German made with his own personal touches. Something about the situation bothered him, but he couldn¡¯t show weakness or doubt. Only Empire capes were allowed to get the particular tattoo he bore, the rank and file were well familiar with it and the PRT didn¡¯t dare act on it. He was barely ten feet into the alley when he caught sight of a foot poking out from behind a dumpster. Already he feared the worst for the girl at his back, for she likely lost her last remaining parent. Coming up on her, he found an attractive woman, laying in a pool of darkening crimson. A knife lay in the spreading pool. Absently, he saw the girl approach. He would reprimand the boy later, but he wouldn¡¯t dare do it in front of a grieving child. ¡°What was her name?¡± ¡°Melissa,¡± the poor child said, then after a moment added. ¡°Butcher.¡± Yes, that was an apt description of what happened. The woman¡¯s mind was silent to his power, and it was doubtful any life remained within her. The child would no doubt be in shock at seeing someone she loved her whole life laid out before her like that. ¡°She was always the dramatic one,¡± the girl said, then chuckled. Frowning, he turned to regard the girl. She now bore a white apron over her dress, which had unmistakable patterns of crimson staining it. Fresh, as if someone had been impaled by multiple blades at once. Looking closer, several things about the girl made more sense, and it crystallized in a moment of clear dread. ¡°Bonesaw,¡± he said, already moving the gun towards her. His arm was halted by something implacable, the woman lying in blood had risen, a feral grin on her face and the second word clicked. It hadn¡¯t been a description, it had been a name. ¡°Butcher.¡± ¡°Right on both,¡± the abomination said cheerfully as she unslung her backpack. ¡°We weren¡¯t sure the ruse would work, you see. I knew your power wouldn¡¯t read me since it couldn¡¯t read Cyber, so I had to get creative.¡± She pulled a jar of sorts from her bag, a brain suspended in liquid with limited machinery attached rested within. He frowned, feeling the skills wafting off of it, so familiar that it made his heart ache. ¡°Ethel.¡± ¡°Right again!¡± she answered. ¡°I was afraid you would recognize her right away, but Tay knew you would be too arrogant to even think it was possible, and a creep besides. She was my age when you married her, yet people call me a monster.¡± ¡°So rude,¡± the Butcher added. ¡°Shall we, before we draw more attention?¡± ¡°Right right,¡± Bonesaw said, then the wall rippled. Spiders with similar jars suspended in their frames came forth from the fissure and he knew what awaited him. He spun forcefully, and let his shoulder dislocate even as the Butcher crushed his arm, bone and all. Such pain he could ignore, all so he could draw a second concealed gun and level it upon the sin against God. He thought he knew pain, but what washed over him was overwhelming and indescribable. He dropped like a puppet with strings cut, a soundless scream tearing from his throat as Bonesaw stood over top of him. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very nice,¡± she said, then stuck him with a needle and the pain blissfully faded along with the world.
Victor woke slowly, his perception marred by something he couldn¡¯t put to words. The world was tinged red, static filling his mind. He couldn¡¯t move, none of his limbs answered him. He remembered what had transpired and swore internally. Bonesaw had him, and there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t even warn the Empire that the Nine were back. He¡¯d heard the stories, he knew the horror that was to come. He would likely become some abomination, probably fused with his wife. He could only hope death came for him first, let him avoid being aware of what he was, but Bonesaw wasn¡¯t known for her mercy. One of the monster¡¯s accursed spiders skittered past him, and he felt a ghost of a whisper from it, cooking. If he had eyes they would have widened. Ethel, she was reduced to a mere machine being driven by a human brain. He followed, completely out of his own control, a body on a table that he would always recognize looked back. His own. Several others were gathered around and he recognized many of them. Bonesaw was known, as was the Butcher from his recent encounter. Panacea was a surprise as was Cyber. So much about the situation was wrong, and he watched them working on some device within his skull where his brain should have been. They were discussing things, but he heard none of it, whatever audio processors were connected didn¡¯t reach his conscious mind. What he didn¡¯t miss was when his body¡¯s eyes opened of their own accord. He watched himself sit up, checking fine motor control before the little monster pointed at where he was, in the spider frame. His body turned and waved even as it spoke. His skill at lip-reading was intact and if he were capable of it, Victor had little doubt a chill would have gone down his spine. The impostor wearing his skin was replicating his exact speech inflections. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to fool him, but it would fool the others. He wanted to swear, but could do nothing as Panacea made it look like there had never been an incision on his skull. The Nine had turned him into a living puppet, and with a stark realization, he knew exactly what they intended to use it for. Chapter 58 Taylor flexed Victor¡¯s hand, his flesh feeling odd to her mind. ¡°This is so weird,¡± Victor¡¯s mouth spoke, chest rumbling as it did. She hated that feeling, and it felt wrong on a fundamental level to be wearing his skin, even as a third instance of herself. She wouldn¡¯t keep it any longer than necessary, couldn¡¯t keep it longer than that. It was anathema to who she was and she finally understood the truth of the words in her mom¡¯s journals. She was experiencing gender dysphoria, just from wearing a male suit for a few minutes. It was no wonder people sought treatment, because she couldn¡¯t imagine living with the feeling that everything about your own skin was wrong. She wanted to take a knife to the flesh, carve it into a more suitable shape. She couldn¡¯t, however. Victor would be needed for the next step of their plan and she couldn¡¯t waste him like that. Taylor turned to Melissa, even as she mentally distanced herself from the useful lump of meat, careful in how she did so. Taylor would look into continuing her mother¡¯s work once the mess in Brockton was dealt with, the taste of the sensations alone were enough to convince her of the necessity. ¡°I really hope this doesn¡¯t turn into another situation like the Major,¡± Taylor said, watching Victor¡¯s body as she manipulated it. ¡°You and me both,¡± Motoko agreed. Neither of them were used to the arrangement between them, but adding Victor had unforeseen consequences. For one, Taylor was the one dealing with the bulk of Victor, not Motoko. While neither of them wanted to unpack why that might have been, she and her other half were in agreement, they wanted nothing resembling Victor to end up as a personality in their head. ¡°Are the others ready?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Jacob and Vivian are on standby,¡± Melissa confirmed. ¡°You should get going.¡± Taylor nodded, and so she set Victor into motion, he stepped through the shimmering portal and emerged back in his own apartment where they had abducted Othala just an hour prior. The woman was just another brain in a jar for Riley to play with at a later date, just as Victor now was. The pair were forced to watch her work on his body, with their conscious minds shackled to Riley¡¯s control. It twisted her stomach a bit, but they were Nazis, feeling sympathetic for them was not in the cards. Especially for Victor, the man with the ability to steal any skill. A man that often went on trips through Medhall just to steal skills from some of the most talented minorities in the world. The man that knew how to make a car crash look like an accident. Taylor knew she wasn¡¯t likely to get confirmation, but the shape of things fit a bit too well and Lisa was in agreement. She had avenged her mother in some capacity, but she wasn¡¯t done yet. The entire Empire needed to be excised to make sure they never took another parent from a little girl who needed them. ¡°Breathe Tay,¡± Lisa said, her avatar now in her vision. ¡°You knew what you were signing up for when you agreed to join the Nine.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change things. I¡¯ll just have to get used to it.¡± Lisa smiled, but it was a fragile thing. The pair were in the deep end and they knew it. There were no clean hands in the Nine, and while she had dirtied her own, the acts to come would make her own sins seem heroic when looking back on them. Her Victor puppet retrieved his phone, Lisa breaking the passcode in mere seconds. From there she had access to the Empire¡¯s entire network of contacts. So she waited for the expected call to come in. She wasn¡¯t waiting long, and soon the phone rang. ¡°Victor,¡± the voice said smoothly. ¡°Max,¡± she made her puppet answer. ¡°I believe I had the evening free so I trust this to be urgent.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have called otherwise,¡± he said. ¡°I need you and Ethel to come in. Melody was ambushed. We don¡¯t know the assailant as of yet, but she requires healing.¡± ¡°Ah, I will give Ethel a call and have her meet me,¡± she made him speak. ¡°She ran to the corner store a few minutes ago, she should be back soon.¡± She hoped her acting was convincing enough to sell the lie, because she needed Victor in that building with the understanding that the Empire was being picked off. Cricket was the target of Jack and Bakuda, but the true nature of the attack was kept as hidden as possible. A graze near her jugular alongside an explosion that messed up the way her brain processed things. Enough to sell that she was too close to an explosion without tipping their hand that she was already too far gone for anyone short of Riley and Cranial to heal. It was a light touch as far as how the Nine usually operated, but Taylor wanted it that way. She had a vision for their announcement, and she intended to make it a grand presentation. Victor was just one moving part in all of that, but it was still a necessary one. ¡°See that you do,¡± Max Anders answered. ¡°I fear the Major is back on the offensive, be on guard.¡± Taylor hadn¡¯t expected her counterpart to be his primary or even secondary suspect, but that was something she could use all the same. ¡°Understood sir,¡± she had him say and ended the call. ¡°Damn, I made him paranoid as hell,¡± Motoko said with a chuckle. Taylor rolled her eyes at the avatar of her counterpart within the virtual space. She directed Victor to exit the building from there and go to the streets, waiting five minutes before calling Max Anders once more. She directed a touch of panic into Victor¡¯s voice. ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find my wife!¡± she made Victor scream, the sound making her own stomach churn in disgust. ¡°She¡¯s missing. A witness said a woman grabbed her, a woman with purple hair.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Max cursed. ¡°Get back to Medhall, I¡¯m calling a meeting.¡± Taylor grinned even as she had Victor grimace. ¡°On my way.¡± She had him end the call and a taxi pulled up, Vivian¡¯s grinning face greeting him from behind the wheel. She made him curse under his breath but entered the vehicle all the same. She opted to update Vivian through her cyber brain rather than to continue suffering through having to speak with a man¡¯s voice. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. As they drove, the Major moved into position. The cameras atop the same building she had taken her prior shot from were new, but easily subverted. She was cloaked all the same, as was her rifle. She wasn¡¯t there to do anything more than serve as a witness to the Nine¡¯s reveal, or act as a contingency, but Kaiser didn¡¯t need to know that. Taylor, not being needed just yet, curled up alongside Lisa and waited for the show to begin. Lisa held Taylor close, and for that she was grateful. She could feel her humanity slipping away with every decision and each bit of new tech. That Victor¡¯s shell bothered her so much was a good sign, that she still identified enough as a human woman to recognize when she wasn¡¯t and feel the appropriate emotions. She wasn¡¯t fractured beyond being able to recognize herself. Just for that, she focused back on Victor as he arrived at Medhall. Vivian winked and drove off. She had performed one last check of her device, or as much of one as she could for something implanted before offering the mission her blessing and drove off. Taylor knew what the bomb would do, and it was horrendous. Yet, despite that, it was still too good a death for Nazis. Victor wasn¡¯t even ID¡¯d, just ushered straight to an elevator. Lisa directed her on how to get to Max¡¯s private meeting room. ¡°Seriously, what is it with Nazis thinking Hitler¡¯s birthday is a secure code?¡± Lisa said, laughing as Taylor had Victor punch in the numbers. She was saying it aloud since they were together in person, it helped ground Taylor in the moment. ¡°Ready to make the evening news so much more interesting?¡± Lisa¡¯s voice was strained, her smile tight, and yet Taylor was grateful for the levity of it all. She hated what she was about to participate in, no matter how deserving the targets might be. ¡°No, but it needs to be done,¡± Taylor said. Victor exited the elevator, cues in his vision guiding her puppet to the meeting room. Entering, she felt the air sucked out of her own lungs when she saw the assembled capes. Specifically, she saw Hookwolf, looking unfazed, sitting at the table. She kept Victor¡¯s features schooled, but Lisa endured her tirade of increasingly colorful insults with grace. Even the Major muttered several curses of her own. Seriously, she had unloaded an entire magazine of anti-materiel rounds point-blank into him, then a building exploded with him in it! What did it take to kill the bastard and what game were the Empire playing by pretending he had died? The only thing she could think of was that his Birdcage sentence might be discarded with his death, and if he laid low for a while, he could appear later acting as a different animal. Fuck, that really was the play, wasn¡¯t it? A simple bait and switch, and given how similar some powers could be, it made processing charges and crimes for a rebranded cape a nightmare unless you could truly link the identities. ¡°Any word on my wife?¡± she made Victor say. A few of the people in the room turned at those spoken words, she ran her recognition software on each one. Purity, Night and Fog were unexpected complications in addition to Hookwolf. It seemed the Empire had managed to bring those that left back into the fold. She forwarded that tidbit along to Melissa, who would likely want to revise her plans. ¡°Nothing,¡± Max said. ¡°No witnesses either aside from your own. We¡¯re expanding the search and having our people question their street patrols. We will find her, or the ones that took her.¡± Taylor knew that Kaiser only cared because Othala was useful. The woman might have been a child bride, indoctrinated from birth, but she was an adult now and short of forced amnesia, she wasn¡¯t going to change. The choice would be hers once it was all said and done, a small mercy granted to one who didn¡¯t understand they had a choice in life. ¡°You seem off,¡± Hookwolf said, looking Victor over. ¡°Understandable, but I would have expected your skills to make up for it.¡± ¡°Believe me, my self-control is without peer, and yet it is strained,¡± Victor¡¯s mouth spoke. ¡°A piece of me is missing, and I am left raw for it.¡± ¡°Poetic,¡± Kayden Anders said. ¡°Any idea who might be hunting us other than some one armed slant?¡± ¡°That ¡®slant¡¯ was able to fight Bradley on even terms,¡± Victor was made to speak. ¡°Do not underestimate animals, for even the weakest are fierce when cornered.¡± Lisa squeezed her hand as Taylor grit her teeth at the spoken slurs. Motoko didn¡¯t react, but Taylor could feel that she wasn¡¯t as stoic about it as she appeared. Even at the worst of times at Winslow slurs were not spoken so freely. Then again, the ABB kids wouldn¡¯t tolerate much of that. There were enough knifings in the school to attest to that truth. She was just thankful that she would only be doing this once. ¡°Infiltration is good,¡± Lisa said on the open comm. ¡°Time to start the show.¡± With that, the Butcher teleported right into the meeting room in a swirling burst of flame. Melissa was in her costume of bone and leather, looking the part of the Mad Max reject that had signified the position since the original. She had someone¡¯s jaw covering her mouth, acting as a mask of sorts. It was almost funny, thinking of her heartfelt mentor wearing such a ridiculous outfit. At least it hadn¡¯t been her second costume, she only wore the coat and hat when things promised to get messy. ¡°Oh dear, this isn¡¯t where I left my keys,¡± the Butcher said, looking across the assembled capes of the Empire, all of which were in civvies. Melissa then pointed to Victor. ¡°You look good at finding things, maybe you could help!¡± Kayden began to glow, her hand coming up when Taylor made Victor grab it. ¡°Do not be foolish. This is the Butcher, kill her and you become her.¡± In reality, that was why the Major was present, if one of the Empire managed to kill Melissa, she was to pop their skull before the Inheritance had a chance to set in. The bullet in the chamber was a Bakuda round; she and Vivian were in agreement that they would flip that coin if it came to it. Neither Taylor nor Motoko were sure how the Inheritance would work between them, or how it might conflict with cyber brains, but it was better to take that risk than to let the Butcher fall into the hands of the Empire. ¡°Ah, a smart one,¡± the Butcher said with a reverberating chuckle. ¡°Still, Jack did ask me to pick someone to make an example of. Max, how about it, for old times sake?¡± Her inflection had shifted for that last line, sounding unlike any Taylor had heard before. Yet, Kaiser stilled. He recognized it, and that was what mattered. Moreover, the twins seemed to recognize it as well. ¡°Heith,¡± he said softly. Melissa¡¯s grin only grew. ¡°The Butcher killed her, what trickery is this?¡± ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t catch that part,¡± Melissa said, her voice back to that familiar playfulness. ¡°Dear Skadi killed Fester, who was the Butcher at the time. You know how that goes, but the next Butcher killed her moments later. Lustrum was rather put off by her for that, you know?¡± As she said that, a golden glow formed around her as she began to grow several inches in height. Kaiser actually took a step back at the sight of it, the confirmation that his dead wife was part of the Butcher collective. That was all part of the plan, to disrupt the Empire by shaking their foundations. Lisa had helped construct it, a step-by-step guide for dismantling a movement, a modification of the very plan that had been used to end Lustrum¡¯s own influence. Sure, they could easily kill everyone in that room with a single detonation, but it wouldn¡¯t see the ideology of the Empire ended. Threads of hate ran deep, rooted and passed to children who didn¡¯t know better. Taylor wanted to unmake the Empire in truth, and so she would. ¡°Monster,¡± Kaiser finally said. ¡°An aberration against the will of god.¡± Melissa snorted. ¡°Please, we both know you don¡¯t believe any of that, and besides, the only sin against god here is him.¡± She was pointing directly at Victor. ¡°How old was she again? Twelve, thirteen?¡± She made Victor swallow. ¡°All parties consented, and her parents gave us their blessing.¡± The words tasted like ash when Taylor made him speak them. Just how many little girls were forced into thinking they wanted some creepy old man? That child marriage was legal at all was an abomination that needed to be stomped out. ¡°See, Jack wanted me to pick a candidate to join the Nine and one to kill as a message,¡± Melissa said, drawing a massive revolver that she leveled upon Taylor¡¯s puppet. ¡°Obviously dear Max is my nominee, but that left me with a choice. I was going to kill you, Victor, but that would be a mercy, and I¡¯m fresh out.¡± The gun shifted and she pulled the trigger. Purity¡¯s shoulder exploded at the same time Melissa vanished into smoke. Chapter 59 Taylor set Victor into motion immediately, rushing to her aid. He would be the one with the most medical training among them, and would be expected to tend to her wounds. Her shoulder was a ruin, twelve gauge HESH round fired from a shotgun turned revolver. Inaccurate as hell, but Melissa had been close enough it didn¡¯t matter. Sophia, who had been watching the entire thing let out a low whistle when she caught sight of the damages. Taylor did her best to ignore the girl, for Motoko¡¯s sake, at least until the Nine run was finished. She fully planned to confront that mess, though Jacob''s twisted advice still made a sick sort of sense, even if it was toxic. That didn''t invalidate her feelings, but it did help her to understand. Purity''s breaths were coming in short, ragged gasps as Night held her arm and Victor''s hands worked to seal the spurting blood vessels. The problem, Taylor realized, was that her specialty was to replace, not repair, and she needed the knowledge of how to actually fix such an injury. In a panic, she invited Riley and Amy into a call. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to treat this,¡± Amy said after barely a moment, looking at the monitor that was displaying the feed from Victor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Neither do you,¡± Riley said, though for her she was there, looking through Victor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, this is a toughie. Melissa messed her up good.¡± ¡°Less commentary, more help,¡± Taylor said. A step-by-step guide began to form, as well as what she could appropriate as impromptu tools. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Seems a bother to keep this charade,¡± Riley said. ¡°Why not just activate my surprise?¡± Victor worked according to Riley¡¯s design, Taylor¡¯s own ability telling her bits and pieces. She wasn¡¯t saving the woman, she was just making it look like the attempt was being made. Kayden Anders would bleed out, and Purity would die. ¡°She¡¯s unconscious,¡± Night said, her voice heavy with something that sounded like grief being expressed by someone who had never felt the emotion. Acted, expected. ¡°She can¡¯t die. Think of her daughter, she needs a mother.¡± Taylor¡¯s heart would have twisted if she didn¡¯t have a list of each and every person killed by Purity over the literal decade and a half she was active. It wasn¡¯t a short list by any means. The Major¡¯s purpose at Medhall was fulfilled, and thus Motoko returned to Toybox. She set the rifle aside before taking her seat next to Sophia. Taylor was grateful for the lack of physical affection being shown. Just because she now understood Sophia¡¯s circumstances didn¡¯t change how she felt about the woman. She owed her a punch to the face, bare minimum. Purity was already beyond saving, unless Amy got to her in the next five minutes or so. She would not, of course. She was sitting in her bedroom, watching the shitshow unfold on her laptop. The girl even had a bowl of popcorn which was more than a bit unsettling. Somehow Amy had escaped notice during the PRT escape, likely through clever use of Grue¡¯s darkness, and Carol hadn¡¯t accused her once of assisting villains. With a heavy sigh, Taylor stood. Lisa squeezed her hand before drifting back to the screens. Taylor could multitask well enough to handle Victor¡¯s role from there, she had a part to play elsewhere. Taylor stepped through a shimmering portal and back into Brockton Bay for the first time since she had been gunned down. Taylor Hebert was dead, but she still had use for the future. Hannah was waiting for her, bandanna around her neck rather than covering her face. There was no point hiding it, as Calvert revealed her identity during her fucking funeral. ¡°Taylor,¡± she said briskly, falling into step with her as she did. ¡°The Dockworkers are all present.¡± She nodded, not trusting her own voice. The Union was on its last legs after her father¡¯s death. Vultures had circled and word was that someone had accepted an offer from the Empire. That wouldn¡¯t be allowed to stand. She had a name, and it wasn¡¯t one she was pleased to hear. Kurt and Lacey were some of her father¡¯s oldest friends, and he had bent the knee, out of fear no doubt, but it mattered little. Taylor wasn¡¯t an innocent girl anymore, she willingly joined a band of murderers, sanctioned or not. The woman beside her accepted the same bargain in the end, Jacob was convincing like that. Neither would shy away from what would be the next step. ¡°The Undersiders?¡± Hannah looked at her, stride flinching for a moment as she did. ¡°Grue will be there along with Hellhound.¡± ¡°Bitch,¡± Taylor said. ¡°At least call her by her proper name.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Regent will be on overwatch with me. Hopefully we¡¯re enough for security.¡± ¡°What about Imp?¡± Taylor asked. Hannah¡¯s entire person seemed to hitch, as if she had been hit by a power effect as she stumbled. Her face had fallen blank. Lisa snorted. ¡°We¡¯re shielded, she isn¡¯t. Add in the dimensional gap and her power can¡¯t work on us.¡± That explained it. Hannah declined a cyber brain upgrade on the grounds that it might be seen as a Bonesaw addition. She wasn¡¯t wrong at least, that was a very real fear and it wasn¡¯t as though they would trust Amy on her word alone. Other tests were expected, between mundane doctors and other healers they wouldn¡¯t miss the lump of metal in her head. The DWA building loomed ahead, the sole occupied building in an otherwise rundown area of the waterfront. Not far in the distance, the graveyard loomed, broken hulls jutting from the shipping lanes. They weren¡¯t expecting company, or at least not the kind Taylor would be bringing. With a weary sigh, Taylor shifted back to the subject at hand. ¡°Hopefully the guns won¡¯t come out, but regardless, wait for my signal before revealing yourself. You¡¯re going to be a Nine puppet, so we need to play into that.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned how much I hate that plan,¡± Hannah said. ¡°And I¡¯ve mentioned how little I care,¡± she answered sharply. ¡°You dated my dad for all of a month, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m even giving you a seat at the table. You¡¯re alive because it fucked over Calvert to save you.¡± ¡°Being used,¡± Hannah hissed. ¡°You¡¯re using me just as he did.¡± ¡°You were given the choice,¡± Taylor snapped, her frustration from having to play Victor bleeding over. ¡°We¡¯re all going to do things we hate before this is done. Either fuck off or do what you agreed to.¡± Taylor picked up her pace, leaving Hannah behind. She was doing her best to ignore the screaming and yelling back in that Medhall office as it became clear that Victor hadn¡¯t been able to save Purity¡¯s life. Such a tragedy and all that, could they just move on already so they could get to the next stage of the plan? Riley had been right, their little surprises within Victor would be so much easier, both on the whole and for her own sanity. Even playing the part of a Nazi was grating on her, and how casually they dropped slurs as if that made them better, it was too much. They weren¡¯t as focused on Victor, not after she had him start muttering about Ethel this, his fault that. It was so tiresome. Thankfully, she had a pitch prepared and was going to make it. Her father¡¯s work wouldn¡¯t be undone just because some Nazi pricks threw some money around and threatened the right people. She entered the Union office as she had done many times before, knowing exactly where they would be holding a meeting of such importance. ¡°Ugh, I wish I could be there for this,¡± Lisa whined. ¡°You know I live for this shit Tay!¡± Taylor chuckled, letting it bleed some of her frustration away. ¡°I know, Lise. You¡¯re our trump card though. Calvert believes you to be dead and we really need to keep it that way, at least for now.¡± The truth was, he likely had men inside the DWU, and revealing that Taylor Hebert was alive was already enough of a gamble. She was needed simply because of the connection to her father. People there knew her, and that was the key to getting through to them without needless killing. Taylor was a killer now, and the weight of that was lessening with each life taken. Just because she and Motoko were now separate people didn¡¯t change that they weren¡¯t in those early days. That was a justification that Taylor refused to make as it would be too easy to pass the blame along. Everyone that died in the coming days would be on her, even if she didn¡¯t pull the trigger herself, because these were her plans in the end. That was something that she accepted, even if she didn¡¯t like it. Not even sixteen and already she could feel the weight of her choices upon her shoulders. Blonde hair, green eyes and adorable freckles had drawn her in, and she decided she would do anything to protect them, and now she was paying for it. Calvert¡¯s head was the prize she sought in taking that first step even if she didn¡¯t realize it, and soon Lisa would have it. Taylor didn¡¯t regret it for even a second. ¡°¡ªThis is horseshit and you know it!¡± someone yelled from down the hall. Taylor picked up her pace, arriving at the room just in time to see the divisions in stark contrast, she had all of a second to make a decision. On one side a man with a shaved head stood at the front of a group, she noted with some sadness that Kurt and Lacey were behind them. On the other side stood Alexander, a man in his twenties, skin dark and hair the color of dancing flame. Behind him were the other people the Empire frowned upon, and a few others besides. They were outnumbered, that much was clear. Taylor didn¡¯t hesitate, her gun cleared the shoulder holster under the leather jacket that Lisa had bought her what felt like a lifetime ago. Motoko had returned it, as it was a gift from Lisa to Taylor and she didn¡¯t feel right keeping it. She had no idea how much that actually meant to Taylor. She didn¡¯t need to truly aim, the software took care of it for her as the bullet line crossed over the man. She fired. His bald head burst like a melon, the bullet exiting at an angle deflected off bone. Half the room dropped to the ground, others stilled, and still more pulled guns of her own. Each was identified and she leveled her gun on the one that didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Evening,¡± she said, not breaking eye contact with the second Empire man in the room. That he was tucked in with Alexander¡¯s side spoke of the shape of how things would unfold. ¡°Drop the gun, because I¡¯m not above killing more Nazis today.¡± The silence in the room was only marred by the spasms of the dead man on the floor, whose heart still hadn¡¯t quite figured out that he was already dead. She swept her gaze across the room, and settled on Lacey. ¡°I must confess to being disappointed,¡± she said with steel in her voice. ¡°My father fought for the Union his entire life, and this is how you honor him in his death? By selling the Union to the Empire?¡± Her gun hadn¡¯t left the man, but he must have thought her distracted enough to try and pull his own gun. She shot him down without a word spoken. ¡°Four,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Anyone want to make it five?¡± ¡°Taylor, you¡¯re alive?¡± Lacey asked. ¡°Thanks to Panacea,¡± she said. ¡°My father took a bullet to the back of the head shielding me, she couldn¡¯t do anything to help him.¡± It tore her up to say it, even weeks later. Lisa¡¯s avatar reached out for her even as she sent information from the Empire meeting to the others. The Empire needed to respond to the challenge that was issued and inform the Protectorate that the Nine were back in the Bay. She made Victor sigh. ¡°While I do agree they must be informed, we need a show of strength to remind the people that we are not weakened.¡± ¡°You have a suggestion?¡± Kaiser asked. She had him nod. ¡°A rally. Make it public but secure. Invite loyal members of the Empire to line the rows. Broadcast the speech, the Protectorate will get the message all the same.¡± ¡°We would be inviting the Nine to attack,¡± Hookwolf said. ¡°We are strong, but not invincible.¡± ¡°An attack will happen, we simply prepare for it and put it down. If we kill a member of the Nine, it will count as a victory even if we lose three people for it. Symbolic, yes, but that will matter more in the long term.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Kaiser said, his voice hollow. ¡°I will leave the details to you. I am sorry for Ethel, truly.¡± ¡°Thank you, Max.¡± Taylor shivered, she wanted nothing more than to be done with that farce. Soon, but not yet. She refocused on the standoff with the Union, many trembling in fear from her little display. She ignored Kurt, as the entire thing was his idea. That he shared a name with one of her friends irritated her. Jacob¡¯s Kurt would never side with Nazis, even under pain of death. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you carry some of Danny¡¯s fire in you,¡± Lacey said with a sigh. ¡°Though, you have more of Annette¡¯s drive for justice.¡± ¡°No Pasaran,¡± Taylor said, smiling savagely. ¡°It was practically the motto of the movement by the end. I¡¯ve adopted it as my own in honor of her memory.¡± It was a decision that Taylor had arrived at in the wake of the attempt on her life. All the influences on her home would be removed and she would put people in place that would enforce a peace upon it. On that signal, Grue stepped in behind her, darkness billowing off of him. ¡°The Nazis¡¯ time has come, and soon they will all be dead,¡± Taylor said cheerfully. ¡°Congratulations, you get to be the vanguard for the battles to come. The Undersiders will claim territory, and you will help them hold it.¡± ¡°What about Lung?¡± Alexander asked, though she could see him considering it. Taylor smiled, and there was nothing kind about it. ¡°Leave that to those best suited for slaying monsters.¡± Interlude - Carol Carol sighed. The details of the latest case she picked up were giving her a mild migraine. Shadow Stalker, aka Sophia Hess, had gone rogue and teamed up with a group of villains. As a result, her parents were attempting to sue the PRT for failing to keep her out of trouble like they promised. This then dug up her activities at Winslow, as well as her ties to the Barnes girl and their involvement in a bullying campaign against the recently murdered Taylor Hebert. The Barnes girl that had gone missing shortly after moving out of state only to be found twenty-four hours later babbling gibberish that no psychologist could decipher. She was surprised to learn that Amy was friends with the Hebert girl, and had been for months. More concerning, Amy didn¡¯t seem all that upset about how her friend was violently gunned down along with her father. Carol wanted to question her about it, but Victoria asked that she give her space, and it was hard to say no to her daughter. She just had to trust that Victoria was taking care of things. That was easier said than done. Victoria was out, tagging along with Dean¡¯s patrol for the afternoon. Mark was at an appointment downtown. Amy was upstairs, supposedly studying for a coming exam. Maybe she should go talk to the girl, see if she¡¯d been straying from the values Carol had tried to instill. Amy¡¯s power scared her, and not just for the similarities with Marquis. She could read biology, which meant she knew the truth of Victoria¡¯s true parentage. She regretted the affair with Neil from the morning after it happened, though she didn¡¯t regret Victoria¡¯s conception, even with how young she had been. She knew that Neil could have gone to prison for sleeping with her, she had been only sixteen and he was almost twenty five, but they were fresh off a battle with the Empire and both Sarah and Mark were indisposed. It was a secret they all agreed to keep from their children, to claim them as their own. The Shadow Stalker case could wait, not like there was much she could do about it while Sophia was still on the run. Pushing away from her desk, she stretched, letting her joints crack and pop. She hated getting older, and knew that Amy was cheating a bit with the whole family¡¯s health. Maybe she should be a bit more grateful for that. Amy always seemed to work hard, far more than should be expected of her. Carol was aware that she would often sneak out at night, and if not for her phone trackers, she would have been suspicious of that. She would go to the hospitals to heal. That first time they called Carol to make sure everything was alright. She¡¯d reluctantly allowed it, so long as she didn¡¯t go too often. She didn¡¯t want to discourage good behavior after all. Carol knew she was harsh on the girl, but it was hard to cut back when it was clearly working. How would she even explain such a sudden shift in behavior? It was frustrating, but the girl would only be under her roof for another year. Footsteps caught her ear, Amy was coming down the stairs. Carol stepped into the hall and watched, the brief flash of Marquis haunting her as it always did when she saw the girl. It wasn¡¯t fair to Amy, she knew that, and yet the bile still rose in the back of her throat, how he had reminded her of that man in the cellar. Carol sucked in a breath, forcing herself to think about anything else. Amy was getting ice from the freezer, something as innocent as a glass of water. She didn¡¯t know why she was so on edge about her. Well, since she was up, maybe she could talk to the girl, see how she¡¯s doing. Carol was about to walk into the kitchen when she heard a young and cheerful voice that she didn¡¯t recognize followed by shattering glass. Carol¡¯s power ignited in hand, then the wall exploded. She spun, a snarl on her lips that anyone would dare ambush them in their own home only for her power to fizzle out. Her eyes widened at the sight of the hulking Brute as it sauntered inside the hallway. Whatever it was, it walked like a gorilla, but rather than large arms, it had mantis like scythes for limbs. A biotinker creation, that was all she could think of, and it disabled powers. ¡°Walk,¡± it grunted in a deep, trembling voice. The creature was in pain. She turned, walking into the kitchen and nearly choked at the sight of the little girl sitting at her kitchen table like she was a guest. Her feet were kicking in the air as she smiled wide. The blonde hair in ringlets, the blue dress and white apron, there was no mistaking who the little monster was. ¡°Bonesaw,¡± Amy said with a snarl. The girl nodded enthusiastically. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve wanted to meet you, Amelia!¡± Carol¡¯s blood ran cold. That name, how did she know? New Wave had done everything they could to bury Amy¡¯s birth name, wiped records and even hired the Number Man to remove as many links as he could while building Amy a proper history. They had spent most of their savings managing that, yet the fucking Slaughterhouse Nine found it all the same. Was it too late to demand a refund? The absurdity of that thought brought her back to the moment as Amy stood defiantly in the face of one of the most terrifying monsters to roam the world. She watched as Amy shifted, slipping a hand into her pocket. A panic button? Given her own phone wasn¡¯t going off, she doubted it was theirs, so who would she be trying to warn? Worse, was Amy so paranoid that she felt the need to carry a panic button in their own home? Regardless, she needed to stall for time. Amy shuffled for a moment, meeting Carol¡¯s eyes for a brief instant before returning her attention to Bonesaw. ¡°I¡¯d normally give a speech about how dumb it is to go after Panacea right about now, but given you¡¯re the Nine and all, I think I can safely skip it.¡± ¡°You do have an absurd number of kidnapping attempts on the PRT records,¡± Bonesaw agreed. The implications of that were not lost on her. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m not here to kidnap you. I want you to be my new big sister!¡± Big sister? What? Thinking over that statement, it hit her. The Nine intended to recruit Amy, which meant they knew she was more than just a healer. There was no sugar-coating that, just the thought of Amy joining them scared the shit out of her. She could still remember that time Amy changed the color of a rose petal. Something so innocent, but said everything. Amy didn¡¯t heal, she manipulated biology. It was why Carol was so adamant with Amy; she had so much potential to help others, but it would be so easy for her to become one of the worst monsters on the planet. That was why she was so strict with the girl, to ensure that her moral compass was unfalteringly pointed towards good. The Nine had a reputation for taking even the best of people and manipulating them into committing atrocities. Amy scoffed. ¡°What? You honestly think I would want to join a group of monsters like you?¡± Bonesaw frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not very nice.¡± As she spoke, the clicking of metal on tile drew her eyes to a disturbing creature of steel, flesh and glass. It moved like a spider, with a jar attached where the abdomen would be and inside was a brain, connected to multiple mechanical bits. Carol swallowed, because each of those represented a life lost to the monster¡¯s experimentation. Were they still aware of what they used to be? Could they perceive the world around them? Would Amy end up twisting people into abominations that made this look like a mercy? One of the spiders came to rest on the table beside Bonesaw. ¡°We¡¯ll have to work on that, which will include tests. As my candidate, you have three tests coming, plus one from each member. First off, I have several creations running about, you can pick one and break them apart however you like, though the one behind me might prove extra tricky. Two, I will be releasing a disease into the city at some point. Isolate and cure it and I¡¯ll consider that test passed, and here¡¯s a hint, it will affect the brain. We both know you¡¯re not limited there after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Carol exclaimed as panic filled her. They knew, and now they would work to break all the work she had done on ensuring another villain didn¡¯t rise from Marquis¡¯ ashes. ¡°She¡¯s trying to manipulate you.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°No shit,¡± Amy said. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± ¡°Language,¡± Bonesaw said. ¡°Not like you¡¯ll have much of a choice of it. That virus is a fun one, and I designed it with you in mind! Jack always says it¡¯s important to learn to make art in new and exciting ways.¡± ¡°Too right, poppet,¡± Jack fucking Slash said, stepping into the room proper. ¡°Amelia, a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± Behind him, Carol saw a ghost. Miss Militia stood, bandanna down around her neck but otherwise as she remembered aside from those vacant eyes. That couldn¡¯t be. She attended the funeral, Hannah Washington was dead and buried, yet there she was, pointing a gun right at her. ¡°How?¡± Amy asked, a hint of something in her voice that Carol couldn¡¯t place. ¡°She was in a coma, wait, how did you even find her? I left her with the Major!¡± Jack Slash chuckled, a pocket knife twirling in his fingers. ¡°Oh, Motoko was my nominee of course, and finding this little gem was just a bonus. It took my little poppet no effort at all to get her back up and shooting so to speak.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Bonesaw exclaimed. ¡°Brains are so much fun to play with, so I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so shy about it. Just think, with your power you could make someone obedient with a touch, or convince them they¡¯ve always been your family. Tell you what, fix what I did to her and I¡¯ll consider that your third test passed.¡± Carol stared in horror, knowing exactly how terrifying Amy would become if she did even half of what Bonesaw was implying through her twisted tests. Not only would the world be deprived of Panacea, she would become the greatest monster in history outside of the Endbringers. She couldn¡¯t let that happen, not after everything she had done to prevent it, but she was powerless to stop it with literal blades at her throat. As if to answer her unspoken prayer, the window behind them burst, the sharp crack of gunfire accompanying her arrival as two of the spiders burst. Bonesaw screamed even as Jack pulled her aside. The woman, with purple hair and a long jacket, pulled Amy behind her, gun leveled on Jack as a tense standoff formed in her kitchen. ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the Major,¡± Jack said without a care in the world. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think my favorite nominee was following me.¡± Rather than answer, the Major shifted, shooting the Brute holding Carol. Strangely enough, the creature roared and stumbled away leaving a trail of blood behind only to backhand her at the last moment. Everything in her screamed in agony as she bounced off her own wall, pictures falling with her. With tear filled eyes she looked up. Jack had vanished, leaving Miss Militia behind who turned to fire on the Major as well as Amy. The Major spun, shielding Amy with her own body as the girl screamed. Carol grit her teeth and rushed forward despite the pain, tackling the Bonesaw puppet to the ground. They wrestled for a moment, the woman far stronger than she had any right to be, no doubt more of Bonesaw¡¯s ministrations. Then her power flared to life in the back of her mind, that ever present spark that she could call upon and twist to her will. Without a thought to spare, she turned it into a knife and speared it through Militia¡¯s shoulder. The puppet screamed and Carol felt pity for her, for there were good odds that the woman was fully conscious, just not in total control of herself. She could live with that for the moment. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her,¡± the Major said sharply. Carol looked up, surprised that the woman didn¡¯t even seem winded from having an almost point-blank machine gun unload on her with lethal ammunition. Amy was right behind her, not at all put off with what should have been an unfamiliar villain. More importantly, how had she known to come to their home? Was she following Jack Slash after he nominated her or was it something more sinister? Had Amy already slipped into villainy? Was Bonesaw just there to give her that last push? Too many questions and if she pushed too hard, she would just drive her away. She had to be careful about how she tackled the problem. She had to treat it like a court case, and Amy was the problem she had to solve, with the Major as an accessory. Amy knelt down, feeling Miss Militia. The grimace on her face said all it needed to. ¡°How bad is it?¡± the Major asked. ¡°Several parasites, lots of weird physical enhancements, and something attached to her brain and dug in there. I think it¡¯s another parasite.¡± That was too familiar of dialog between them, confirming one of her suspicions. Amy was consorting with villains in secret. That meant Dragon¡¯s tracking software couldn¡¯t be relied upon, which suggested Tinker support. This wasn¡¯t just dipping her toes into the pool, Amy was involved with a major villainous group. ¡°Disable her motor control for a moment and tend to your mother,¡± the Major said. ¡°Militia can wait for a moment.¡± Amy looked between them, seeming conflicted before she nodded and came over. Immediately the pain faded, no doubt her pain receptors dulled until the damage was undone. Amy had worked on the family many times after rough fights, this was nothing new. Yet the apprehension was worse than ever. ¡°Five broken ribs, four more cracked. Your shoulder is dislocated and the soft tissue damage is tremendous. Five more minutes and you would have been unconscious. Another twenty and you would have died.¡± Amy spoke so easily of her death, something she did each time someone sustained potentially fatal injuries. She claimed it was to remind everyone that while she was a miracle healer, she wasn¡¯t a miracle. The people she healed were still mortal and needed that reminder even as she cheated death. She needed to do the same for Amy with the villain she was so comfortable with. She needed to remind the girl that villains were vile and not to be trusted. Looking at the Major, she recalled the briefing on her following the attack on the PRT building. ¡°Amy,¡± Carol said after a moment. ¡°Why is that murderer here?¡± The Major looked up, glaring at her. ¡°Fuck you too. You¡¯re welcome by the way.¡± ¡°She meant the Nine,¡± Amy said before turning back to Carol. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Carol said. ¡°The Nine obviously want you, that¡¯s a given. I want to know why that murderous woman came running when you were attacked.¡± The Major stared at her with a piercing glare for just a moment. ¡°Amy helped an associate, so they gave her a panic button. She activated it which is why I came as quickly as I could.¡± ¡°After being nominated by Jack?¡± Amy asked. The Major winced. ¡°Bastard seems to think I¡¯ll make a good fit. I¡¯m just glad we recovered Miss Militia. Bonesaw and Harbinger were with him, they stole her comatose body.¡± ¡°What do you mean, comatose?¡± Carol demanded as she stood, flexing her healed shoulder, her power itching to be used. ¡°Miss Militia was announced as deceased and buried on live TV. We attended the ceremony!¡± ¡°Yet here she is,¡± the Major said tersely. ¡°Amy, is there anything you can do for her now?¡± Amy swallowed, walking over to the bleeding woman. Miss Militia had a thousand yard stare as she watched them, unable to act. ¡°Bonesaw slipped a few implants into her,¡± Amy said. ¡°Most of which are in her brain, worse, they¡¯re biological in nature.¡± ¡°Can you remove them?¡± the Major asked. ¡°They¡¯re in her brain,¡± Amy growled. ¡°You know I don¡¯t mess with brains.¡± Carol cut in, grabbing Amy by the arm. The Major spun, her gun now leveled on her but she didn¡¯t care at the moment. ¡°You helped them steal her body, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Amy said. ¡°I helped them save her life when Armsmaster declared her dead.¡± ¡°Why the secrecy?¡± Carol demanded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the PRT announce we took her supposed body?¡± the Major countered. ¡°They assumed we stole a corpse, not a still breathing woman. Amy patched her up, but couldn¡¯t do anything to help the brain damage. Apparently Bonesaw was able to do something there. Now, Amy, can you help her?¡± Amy looked between the Major and Carol, barely restrained panic visible. ¡°I¡­¡± The now healed Miss Militia shifted her weapon, and shot the Major point-blank, knocking her into the kitchen table. Militia hopped to her feet and fired at Amy, who scrambled to get away. The Major pushed herself back to her feet, returning fire with the remainder of her magazine. Miss Militia retreated in short order, out the shattered door and into the night. Carol blinked in confusion, the entire exchange taking mere seconds, but all she could wonder was how Miss Militia had gotten away after Amy disabled her. Was it another Bonesaw surprise, or had Amy allowed it? That she even had to ask herself that question sent chills down her spine. Just how compromised was she already? How much more would the villains need to push to win her over to their side? ¡°Fuck, that one stung,¡± the Major said, rubbing her sternum. ¡°Even with a Brute package, that shit hurts.¡± Carol ignited her power and aimed the blade at the villain. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Amy interjected, pushing herself between them. ¡°She just risked her life to save us and you¡¯re going to try and arrest her in the middle of a Nine attack? Truce rules are in effect or have you forgotten?¡± Carol wanted to scream and yell, but she could tell it wouldn¡¯t accomplish much. She needed a new angle, and that appeared in the form of her daughter swooping in through the window, ready for a battle. She immediately squared up with the Major, a spark of pride forming in Carol¡¯s chest at the sight before Amy shifted. ¡°Bonesaw and Jack were here, priorities Vicky,¡± Amy said quickly. Vicky immediately backed down and Carol wanted to scream. ¡°Shit,¡± her daughter muttered and she could only echo the sentiment. Chapter 61 Taylor breathed a sigh of relief as she evaluated the current state of the ongoing plans. Victor was assisting with the setup of an Empire rally deep in downtown, crowds already gathering. Nobody said a word to him, the grim stoicism he displayed enough to deter anyone that might try. Taylor herself was sitting down with the Dockworkers, discussing the plans for taking the docks in total, building the DWA into a self policing force with the Undersiders as muscle. She hated to pervert her father¡¯s work, but it hadn¡¯t been her to do it first, so the guilt was light. That left Motoko with Amy and the problem of dealing with the bitch that was her adoptive mother. Carol Dallon was a real piece of work, treating her daughter like she was all but running to jump into the Nine¡¯s arms. Which was more true than she realized, but she didn¡¯t know the classified bits of the puzzle. Watching through the Major¡¯s eyes felt different than it had before the bank, as if she was tapping into a sense that was somehow both her own and yet also someone else¡¯s. It was rather disconcerting, but at the same time, necessary. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Motoko felt the same way about looking through her own eyes. Amy was not a monster, she was just a teenage girl that wanted a family that actually loved her. Taylor could see that Vicky qualified, doting all over Amy who seemed oddly tense around her. Right, she almost forgot that Amy was attracted to her adoptive sister. Given how she acted around Vivian, it slipped her mind. Carol Dallon however was glaring at Amy with a look that raised her hackles. Amy was part of Toybox, she was family, and this woman wanted to look at her like she was a monster waiting to happen. Lisa had been very clear when she watched the exchange, they needed to get Amy away from such an abusive environment, but in such a way that didn¡¯t damage her relationship with Vicky. That meant attempting to win the flying Brute over. She would leave that to Motoko and Amy for the moment, then work on getting her read in. It would be one way for her plan to leave the house to be sped up at least. Thinking about it, why hadn¡¯t Amy suggested that in the lead up to the plan? She probably didn¡¯t want to get her sister involved with something as morally gray as the Nine. Then Motoko¡¯s phone rang. She answered it, prepared for the theatrics to come. ¡°Major,¡± Lisa¡¯s voice said. ¡°Sitrep.¡± ¡°Panacea is safe, the Nine retreated. They had Militia with them, she¡¯s a Bonesaw puppet now.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Hate to drop more bad news, but the Empire is holding a rally after an attack on their own people. Purity is dead, Othala¡¯s missing and they¡¯re out for blood.¡± Motoko spat to the side. ¡°Shit. Okay, let¡¯s regroup at base and wait for the inevitable city wide meeting that comes from threats like this. Get Cyber to pull back, we can¡¯t risk the Nine hitting her team.¡± ¡°On it,¡± Lisa said, then hung up. ¡°Cyber?¡± Carol asked. ¡°I thought the Heberts were dead.¡± Amy chuckled, though it was strained. ¡°I managed to save Taylor, her tech saved her life. Her father wasn¡¯t as lucky.¡± ¡°They had a body to bury,¡± Carol said. ¡°I looked into it.¡± Amy shrugged. ¡°I grew a fake one for her, put it in her place.¡± ¡°Ames?¡± The Biokinetic turned to her sister, an apologetic look on her face. ¡°Sorry for not telling you, Vicky. Taylor asked me to make sure the man who ordered the hit didn¡¯t know she was alive.¡± ¡°Who was that?¡± Carol demanded. ¡°Coil,¡± Motoko interjected. ¡°He set it all up, including faking his death. His body doubles were fed to Hookwolf to keep me busy so he could drop an entire building on us. He¡¯s still quite alive, and we know his civilian identity but aren¡¯t ready to act on it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s PRT,¡± Amy added. ¡°Once we figured that out, we all agreed to play it safe.¡± ¡°You kept secrets and made plans with villains,¡± Carol said, slowly. ¡°Give me one reason to not request you go through Master/Stranger checks.¡± ¡°Bonesaw,¡± Amy said. Motoko nodded. ¡°The Nine don¡¯t take kindly to their toys being removed from the field. Do that and they would likely take you for spite and turn you into something akin to that monster.¡± ¡°Which is why I can¡¯t just hide away,¡± Amy said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m one of the few hard counters to Bonesaw out there.¡± ¡°What about Surgeon?¡± Vicky asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t come until the Nine are confirmed gone,¡± Amy said with a shake of her head. ¡°She stays in hiding otherwise. There¡¯s a reason we used a teleporter to visit a park across the country when we wanted a day off.¡± Carol¡¯s focus on Amy narrowed. ¡°When was this?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°That day I said I was going to the boardwalk,¡± Amy said with a shrug and pulled out her Toybox transponder. ¡°Think we¡¯re safe to take a shortcut?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they would appreciate you bringing everyone along,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Vicky, Major, can you get Carol to the PRT?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Vicky asked. Amy aimed the transponder at the wall and activated it. ¡°Toybox. I need to check on something.¡± She stepped through and it winked out, leaving the three of them alone in the kitchen. A tense silence settled over the room as the Major was left alone with the Dallon women. She chuckled nervously as both turned on her. ¡°She wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± Motoko said. ¡°The PRT building is the safest place to go in the event of a Nine incursion, and where any response will be coordinated.¡± Reluctantly, the two nodded. ¡°Truce?¡± Vicky asked, more so looking to her mom than to the Major. Gritting her teeth, Brandish spun around and grabbed the keys off the hook. ¡°I¡¯m driving. Vicky, fly escort. The Major and I need to have a talk.¡± *** Amy stepped into Lisa¡¯s control center, laughing at the display. Lisa turned, a grin on her face even as Taylor pouted. She hated dealing with all the interplay, but dammit if she wasn¡¯t actually doing a good enough job balancing so many moving parts. Jacob and Riley were back in Toybox along with Hannah, they were safe though many of Riley¡¯s bots would need repairs. Motoko had been careful to not hit anything important, but repairs still took time. It was difficult to remember that she was human at times, the way she could split her mind wasn¡¯t normal. Lisa couldn¡¯t pull off the same trick with multiple shells no matter how hard she tried. Taylor¡¯s power was the answer, not only did it allow her to create all the wondrous tech, it let her control a potential army of enhanced shells. Despite the estimated costs of creating such a force, the idea was more than a little enticing. Then again, did she want to risk creating more splits within her mind? She had to remember, she was Taylor Hebert, even if she now shared an existence with Motoko. Her family wasn¡¯t a traditional one, not since her father was killed, but she had found one all the same. Toybox was her family, the thing that reminded her of her own humanity. She wasn¡¯t just a ghost in the shell, she was human. ¡°Thinking some deep thoughts there,¡± Lisa said. Taylor looked back as she considered her loadout for the next step of the plan. So many fires in the oven, all feeling like they were a part of her. Lisa gave her an expectant look with that cute raised eyebrow she always broke out when she knew the answer but was giving you the choice to voice whatever it was. She was grateful for that, how Lisa knew to respect boundaries, even if Taylor felt those fraying with each instance of focus she took up. ¡°It¡¯s strange, tracking everything in motion, controlling multiple bodies while also browsing hundreds of tabs of information, all without even a lapse in my attention. I should feel stretched thin, yet it¡¯s almost trivial.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Lisa said, taking her hands in her own grip. ¡°Powers are weird like that. Everyone¡¯s is different. I¡¯m the Sherlock that Doyle wished he could write. Amy can create life from nothing. You can live a hundred lives all at once. It¡¯s okay to be scared, just know that you have people around you that are there if you need us.¡± Taylor sighed, sitting down on a bench. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get used to it in time, but right now, just the thought of being that comfortable with things is terrifying. Like, why even go out as the Major, with our brain in that skull? Why not just stick our brain in a secure facility somewhere and remotely pilot an army of shells?¡± ¡°Because it reminds you both that you¡¯re still human,¡± Lisa said, then leaned in to feather a kiss on her forehead. ¡°I promise you, no matter what happens, or how far you go, I¡¯ll always be there to remind you of that truth.¡± Taylor found herself smiling across all instances of her, which earned Victor a confused look from one of the twins as they waited on Kaiser to kick off the rally downtown. Taylor¡¯s role in that fiasco was almost finished, so she schooled the man¡¯s face. Just another twenty minutes or so and she would be done with him. ¡°Thanks Lise,¡± Taylor said, then stood. More importantly, Vivian was indicating that she located Lung. Originally she wanted to roll up to Lung¡¯s front door and deliver her take on the Blazing Saddles candygram after his attempt to recruit her by force. If Hero hadn¡¯t stepped in during that attack on her holding cell, she would have likely ended up Lung¡¯s Tinker slave. Taylor talked her into something a bit less enthusiastic that would send a better message. Killing Lung outright wouldn¡¯t send the right message. So, the three of them watched on the monitor as Vivian walked right into the ABB front wearing a gas mask and tactical gear loaded with her grenades as though she owned the place. Lung kept no guards, to do so would be inviting attacks on his home by opportunists. She pulled a device from her belt and dropped it, Lung jumped from his recliner in an instant, Oni Lee teleported behind her, then away and a flash of static derailed everything. Vivian laughed, the bomb having been based off of Hatchet Face before Bonesaw took her own hatchet to him. A power nullification grenade. ¡°Now that I have your attention,¡± she said cheerfully as Lee¡¯s clones turned to dust. ¡°My name is Bakuda, and I¡¯m here to return a favor.¡± Lung snarled, but understood the implications of the explosives strapped across her bandoleers. ¡°You are the bomb woman,¡± he spoke in a deep, rumbling tone. ¡°Indeed,¡± she said, giggling. ¡°Drama queen,¡± Amy quipped, but there was a fondness to the tone. ¡°That power nullification bomb is nice, actually. Until Riley can figure out that off switch, she¡¯s been making me a bunch and using them while we cuddle.¡± Lisa made a disgustingly sweet sound at that, but Taylor was smiling fondly. It was nice to see them coming up with solutions that worked, even as a stop gap. ¡°How long do they last?¡± Lisa asked. Amy tilted her head in thought. ¡°That one looked like one of the older ones, so five minutes or so. The newer batch lasts ten.¡± Taylor nodded, turning back to the display where Vivian was giving a dramatic speech. ¡°You tried to draft me into your little gang, and thanks to Hero, I managed an escape. Now, I shall return the favor and invite you to try out with my new friends. You might know them as the Slaughterhouse Nine.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Lung rumbled, then sat back on his chair, his hands steepled across his lap. ¡°What does Jacob want with the Bay?¡± Chapter 62 Vivian froze, and frankly, so did Taylor, Lisa and Amy for that matter. Had she heard him correctly? Taylor wasted little time messaging Jacob and Kurt to get to Lisa¡¯s room as quickly as possible. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Vivian hissed. ¡°What are you even on about? Who the fuck is Jacob?¡± Lung let out a reverberating chuckle. ¡°Do not insult my intelligence and I will refrain from insulting yours. I long suspected the Nine might come for me, so I did my research. Imagine my surprise when I discovered his newly adopted daughter was a perfect match for Bonesaw. It didn¡¯t take long from there to figure out the rest.¡± ¡°Well, this is amusing,¡± Jacob said, watching the monitor alongside Taylor. ¡°It is always entertaining when someone figures us out.¡± ¡°This could prove troublesome,¡± Kurt countered. ¡°Lung was capable of holding his own against Leviathan for hours, we may need to act quickly if he proves hostile.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Jacob said. ¡°He knows Vivian could kill him easily, he is without his power at the moment.¡± ¡°He¡¯s stalling?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Probably,¡± Lisa said. ¡°But Jacob¡¯s assessment is accurate. He¡¯s content with the situation, doesn¡¯t feel he is in any actual danger.¡± Taylor nodded in agreement, and opened a call with Vivian. ¡°Vivian, Lung¡¯s being genuine, play along, see what he wants.¡± Vivian groaned, then took a seat on one of the tables. ¡°Peachy. Just so you know, the rest of my compatriots are watching and providing commentary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Lung said, grabbing a bottle from the side table before popping the lid off with his thumb. ¡°Obviously the Nine has objectives in the city. I am merely curious.¡± Jacob chuckled, leaning forward. ¡°Taylor, can you hack his phone from here?¡± Raising an eyebrow, she linked herself into Vivian¡¯s cyber brain and checked the cell signals. Both Lung and Oni Lee had phones on them, so Taylor linked into what was obviously Lung¡¯s and dialed the number through Lisa¡¯s control console. The phone rang, prompting all three to turn to where it rested on the table as Lung reached over and picked it up. ¡°Put it on speaker,¡± Vivian said. Lung did just that and Jacob stepped over to where Lisa indicated the microphone was located. ¡°Kenta, I trust you know who I am?¡± ¡°Jacob,¡± he answered pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯m guessing something pissed in your cereal if the Nine are visiting my city. If it was the fault of my people, well, I¡¯ll take the warning and see you on the field.¡± ¡°Your people weren¡¯t involved,¡± Jacob confirmed. ¡°Tell me, what do you know about the assassinations that occurred the day the Undersiders hit Brockton Central?¡± Lung sighed. ¡°One of the people targeted in that mess belonged to you, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Belonged is a strong word,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Still, getting a hole in the chest fucking hurt.¡± ¡°Or watching my father be gunned down by mercs pretending to be Empire,¡± Taylor added. ¡°Yet it seems the PRT misrepresented the casualties,¡± Lung said with a chuckle. ¡°To say you have intrigued me would be an understatement. I will need to see about checking my people in the PRT, this smells of deliberate misdirection.¡± ¡°Because Coil is alive and active,¡± Jacob said. ¡°The entire thing was a trap he set for multiple people to get them off the board as well as to cover his own tracks. We know who he is and can confirm he has PRT ties.¡± ¡°As do you,¡± Lung countered. Jacob chuckled. ¡°So I do. My team cleans up messes that threaten to disrupt national stability, or just prove to be a threat that needs to be dealt with. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate, then attend the meeting that will be called soon. All I ask is that you play along and your holdings will be largely intact following our activities.¡± ¡°The alternative?¡± he asked. Vivian held up a grenade. ¡°Gray Boy special.¡± Lung barked out a laugh. ¡°Ah, I do appreciate when negotiations are this straightforward. Kaiser always tries for subterfuge, thinking me the fool, this by comparison is refreshing. Very well, I will avoid interference when possible. I assume we¡¯ll need to stage something to keep up appearances, so do keep me informed.¡± ¡°Pick a brothel to lose,¡± Lisa said. ¡°The Butcher has a habit of hitting those to free the girls. I¡¯ve done my research. I know the whole ¡®forced prostitution¡¯ is mostly Nazi propaganda, but it still happens with girls who have fallen on hard times. Figure something out to get them better lives and thin out your less desirable minions.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°A reasonable offer in exchange for cooperation,¡± Lung agreed. ¡°I would prefer to lose none, but that would draw unflattering attention. Worse, you could leak that you supplied me with the target ahead of time if I refuse to play, thus ruining my reputation as is.¡± ¡°You could always join,¡± Jacob mused. ¡°You would lose your holdings, but you would only be expected to go on Nine runs, otherwise you would be out of the public eye.¡± ¡°I like my life as it is,¡± Lung answered without missing a beat. ¡°Though I am honored by the offer, there is too much that needs my attention here.¡± Lung then ended the call, though that would only be a minor inconvenience if Taylor wished to force the matter. It didn¡¯t change that Vivian was still in a room with two villains that wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her. The only saving grace was that both of them were without their powers at present. Vivian stood, stretching as she did. ¡°Well, this didn¡¯t go as expected. I had this whole over the top speech planned and everything. Way to spoil the fun.¡± ¡°You could still give it, if so inclined,¡± Lung said with a smirk. Vivian waved him off. ¡°Nah, you ruined it. You ruined it and I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Do take care, little Hanabi,¡± Lung said. Vivian flipped him off on her way out the door. She didn¡¯t take long to find an out-of-the-way alley and slip in to open a portal back to Toybox. She stumbled into the room through Lisa¡¯s portal station and tossed the gas mask aside. ¡°Fuck,¡± she muttered as she flopped onto the sofa. Amy moved over to it and settled in beside her. Vivian leaned against her and the tension bled from her frame once Amy started massaging her scalp, the Tinker practically purring at the ministrations. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an hour to stop.¡± ¡°I could accomplish all this with a single tap instead,¡± Amy threatened. ¡°But you¡¯re enjoying the process as much as you will appreciate the result.¡± ¡°Damn right,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Could also really go for a drink while we¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°We all could,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Pity alcohol doesn¡¯t work as well on those with cyber brains.¡± ¡°Or at all on those with shells,¡± Taylor added with a grimace. She hadn¡¯t been happy to learn that, when Alec talked her into trying alcohol for the first time. Not only did it taste horrible, it did nothing for her except cripple her liver. Amy hadn¡¯t been pleased to clean up that mess and it set her back twenty grand because the girl was learning the game far too well at this point. ¡°Carol is such a bitch,¡± Amy muttered after a moment. ¡°She really is,¡± Taylor agreed. The Major was currently in the back seat of Carol¡¯s car, frowning as the woman took every moment to glare back at her through the mirror, her lips moving wordlessly as Motoko had turned them off thirty seconds into the rant. ¡°She¡¯s convinced we¡¯re corrupting you.¡± ¡°Not entirely wrong,¡± Amy said. Vivian flopped to her lap then flicked her nose. ¡°Hey!¡± Vivian grinned up at the pouting girl that she was currently using as a cushion. It was an adorable sight, one that reminded Taylor of why they were doing all of this. If the Empire caught wind that Panacea was gay, there was a good chance she would suffer an ¡®accident¡¯. What happened in Arcadia to Taylor might have been a Coil plot to discredit the Empire, but it fit with some of the things they had done in the past. Taylor linked dozens of deaths of underage youth to the Empire in the last three years. For a city of a quarter million, that didn¡¯t seem like much until you realized most LGBT people fled for safer waters in Boston or New York as soon as they were able, or just never came out in the first place. It was damn near impossible to prove, but she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the numbers were actually in the hundreds. Amy grumbled for a moment before relaxing once more, letting Vivian settle in more akin to a playful cat than a person. No doubt picking up on the shape of Taylor¡¯s thoughts, Lisa leaned over in her chair, letting her head rest for a moment on Taylor¡¯s shoulder. It was a touching moment, one that she would savor in that tense calm before the coming storm. A jolt of jealousy came from the Major and she could feel her counterpart¡¯s eyes on her. Carol was one spark away from carving through her own car at the Major despite the promised conversation having yet to materialize. Then there was Victor¡­ ¡°How long until the Empire is ready to put on their little show?¡± Lisa asked. In answer, Taylor tossed up Victor¡¯s visual feed on the screen. The Empire capes were seated around a table at a restaurant near the rally site, finger foods and drinks arrayed around them but largely untouched. Taylor had Victor picking at one of the chips and salsa plates, focusing on the taste of the food rather than the sensation of his body. She doubted she would ever be comfortable controlling a male shell or puppet, but she also recognized this would hardly be the last time she did it. So long as a male personality never emerged, she could probably deal with it. Victor¡¯s immediate concerns were inconsequential, he was minutes away from outliving his usefulness. The only concern was just how many of the Empire they wanted to remove with the play. Kaiser was a nominee, which meant he was the only one that needed to survive for the coming games. The rest were optional, but he needed the support otherwise it would be all the harder to remove the greater movement. Victor had called for a full assembly, a show of how many supporters they had, knowing full well it would bait the Nine into action. They wanted an enemy they could point to and rally the troops to face. That the Empire could assemble over a thousand people in less than an hour was unsettling to say the least, and proof that such a move was necessary. Never mind what had happened with Rune. Crusader was a target of opportunity, yet it still represented her first life taken, and the first blow of the coming battles. Two capes removed, then she killed Krieg when he took a bullet meant for Kaiser. She and the Major agreed on that much, they were still too close to being the same person back then. Follow that up with their seizing of Victor and Othala, then Melissa¡¯s execution of Purity and the Empire was already wounded. It was simply time to make that wound a mortal one. Othala and Purity would weigh on her mind, a victim and a mother. She wouldn¡¯t sleep easy for years to come, that much was certain, but that was for future Taylor to deal with. She had a job to do, and Taylor couldn¡¯t let herself get cold feet, especially not when Nazis were concerned. No matter how great of an atrocity it would end up being. Interlude: Empire Gary¡¯s last two months had been hell. He had a spot of fun, beating a thing that didn¡¯t know its place, only to catch the attention of one of Brockton¡¯s resident race traitors. He hadn¡¯t even done anything worthy of her attention, yet she tried to kill him with a fucking dumpster, would have killed him if not for that sand nigger she called a sister. Just more stuck up bitches that couldn¡¯t appreciate a man like him. That was how he came to Victor¡¯s attention. He wasn¡¯t alone in being mauled by the bimbo, then the crime covered up. Half a dozen others shared similar stories, so Victor had arranged for them to testify when the time came. It gave him what he wanted, a position of importance within the Empire, and for that he was thrilled. New Wave, the pretentious fuckers that they were, would crumble with his help. It made him excited to be part of such decisive action. Naturally, when Victor sent a message for all hands to assemble for an important announcement, he rushed off, leaving his class behind and made it to the rally with time to spare. Kaiser would be speaking, and it was a rare thing that anyone in the Empire actually got to hear his voice in person. Gary felt honored that he was being recognized for all he had done for the cause. The Empire stood at attention on stage, and he recognized most of them. From Stormtiger and Victor, to the twins Menja and Fenja. Then there was Night and Fog, old members returning home now that the heat died down. Living legends, one and all. Still, they paled in comparison to the paragon that stood at their head, a knight of virtue and morality. Kaiser himself. He exemplified the ideal of their movement, someone that the whole world could look up to, even those that didn¡¯t deserve the privilege. He was the white knight in every sense of the title. The crowd was filled with the proper sort, men from all stations standing unified alongside the only group in the city that truly stood up for them. Heroes one and all, from the lowest among them to the police that lined the streets. One day the false heroes of the Protectorate and New Wave would be excised. The druggies and sex slavers would all be executed, the godless expunged, and they would turn Brockton Bay into a paradise unlike anything seen. That was the promise they all worked towards, to see the Empire¡¯s vision become a reality. What a glorious vision it was, too. He knew the Lord worked through them, and when God was on your side, none could stand against you, even the legions of Hell would falter before the righteousness of their cause. He watched intently, waiting for the moment where Kaiser would grace them with his message. The people around him restless with anticipation, eager for whatever task they might be given. One often had to read between the lines, the messages spoken in a way to hide the truth from the ignorant or those that would use Kaiser¡¯s words against him. It was never a direct order to go kill those animals who pretended to be human, no, it was always a gentle touch, reminding everyone why those beasts needed to be put down. He would do as instructed, just as he had done before. ¡°Welcome, my loyal followers,¡± Kaiser said, and the whole crowd fell in hushed silence. Kaiser¡¯s voice was smooth as silk yet reverberated with authority and power. It made Gary want to drop to his knees and show his respect. ¡°The Empire has weathered many storms over the years. From Marquis and his unjust murder of my sister, Iron Rain. To the vicious butchery at the hands of the Teeth. Today, an old threat returns to try what it has already failed to do once before. The Slaughterhouse Nine, cowards that they are, attacked the Empire in our civilian lives. They are without honor, without anything decent and like we did a decade prior, we will crush them once again!¡± The crowd cheered, despite the horrifying news. The Nine were no joke, and had only grown in danger over the years. That they were in the Bay, well, that was terrifying but it also presented an opportunity for the Empire. ¡°The Protectorate has failed to stop them for decades,¡± Kaiser continued, his metal glinting in the afternoon sun. ¡°We will do what none before have done, the Empire will crush these monsters and prove once and for all that we are the true heroes. The Pretenders that they are will refuse to act, content to let the monsters run free, then try to claim credit once the true heroes have done all the work for them.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let them!¡± Gary yelled, then to his delight the crowd echoed his cry. Kaiser let his people chant, Gary echoing his initial cry, a thousand voices joined in unison. Even the police were joining the chant, proof that there were heroes behind the badges as well. Everyone in the Empire backed the blue, because the blue backed them. Everyone that mattered knew who had their backs after all. Kaiser raised his hand and the crowd returned to silence. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Empire will be triumphant, regardless of the cost. No doubt the Nine are watching now, plotting and planning for what they will do to us. What they should be, is afraid. Afraid of all the good people that will stand up to them!¡± Another round of cheers, Gary suspected his throat would be sore in the near future, but he didn¡¯t care. He was part of something bigger than himself, fighting against injustice and for truth and justice. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Make no mistake. We will prevail.¡± More cheering, and Kaiser allowed it. ¡°We will be the beacon that shows America herself the path back to greatness! We will be the light that allows God¡¯s will for us to shine to a lost nation! That all begins atop the graves of the Nine!¡± Moments like this were why Gary had joined the Empire. The grand designs, the destined greatness. It made his spine tingle to consider the things to come. He would do his part to return America to her former glory, or die trying. Kaiser stepped back, letting the crowd chant, his posture unyielding as he stood at the head of his warrior capes. Gary wished he could be up there with them, but powers only came to those worthy of them. The Pretenders tried to discredit the movement with lies and fake news about their capes. He believed none of it. Crusader murdered, Rune kidnapped. Krieg sacrificed himself heroically in the face of a cowardly chink. No, he believed none of that shit. He would stand with the Empire to the very end, because nobody else would stand with him and fight the good fight. Victor stepped forward next, and began to outline what he expected. The man was a skilled speaker, but he lacked that raw energy that Kaiser had about him. Gary was tuning it out, sending messages to those friends he knew were supportive of the cause, even if they weren¡¯t true believers. Not everyone was in a position to help after all. ¡°Those truly loyal, step forward. I have special assignments for you, fraught with danger but offering equal reward.¡± Gary¡¯s attention refocused on Victor, and he felt something stir within him. Another chance to prove himself, and there was none more loyal than him. He made his way through the crowds, about a dozen had stepped forward, less than he expected, but it was the Nine they were dealing with, not the niggers and chinks that plagued their fair city. ¡°Good,¡± Victor said. ¡°This is of the utmost importance. You¡¯ll be working with Stormtiger, Night and Fog for this.¡± Gary nodded, already excited at the prospect of working with some of his personal heroes. He sincerely hoped it would let him spit in the eye of that blonde cunt that broke him, or shank that slut that covered up her crimes. The three capes stood near, listening but alert, watching the skies and crowds. Were they expecting trouble? ¡°Now, on to the business at hand,¡± Victor said, clapping his hands together. Two of those that came forward flinched. Victor reached over and grabbed a crate, when he opened it, Gary had to hide his excitement. ¡°Each of you grab a rifle. We¡¯re going to be hunting the Nine, and in the event they have some way to detect Parahumans, we want trusted men that aren¡¯t openly in our rank and file. There¡¯s a chance any one of them might have been compromised.¡± Gary frowned, looking the expensive German made weapon over. What was the promise that none of those in the crowd had been just that and decided to come forward anyway? He was about to say just that when he felt an itch in his nose. The resulting sneeze startled half those around them, including Stormtiger. The others glared at him, but he refused to shrink back. He finished the check of the rifle and stood at attention. Another sneeze felt like it was building, but he did what he could to hold it back. ¡°The biggest danger is Bonesaw,¡± Victor said once everyone was composed. ¡°You may think that to be foolish, but that would be the death of you. The Butcher has the reputation, Jack the prestige, but Bonesaw has the body count. In six years she has more kills attributed to her than the rest of the Nine combined.¡± Gary swallowed, his throat a bit dry and scratchy but he refused to cough. The little blonde would have fit right in with them, had she just been born in Brockton. A pity, but the Empire wouldn¡¯t bow to the whims of a child no matter how terrible the brat might be. ¡°I say this in warning. I am familiar with her past actions and the many terrible things she has done.¡± Victor stepped forward, and walked past each of them, inspecting those that would be his troops. ¡°Remember this, and we shall prevail.¡± ¡°Fuck yes!¡± Everyone turned to the man who had said it, down near the end of the line. Victor moved in front of him, leaning forward towards the man even as someone else coughed. ¡°No swearing.¡± Gary blinked. Why would Victor care enough to say that? Sure, it was unprofessional, but it didn¡¯t hurt to show some enthusiasm, did it? Kaiser and the rest of the Empire capes weren¡¯t nearby, and seemed involved with their own plans. He wished he could shake Kaiser¡¯s hand before they moved out. Maybe he would get the chance. Victor sighed, stepping back in front of them. ¡°That warning about Bonesaw is not to be taken lightly. She is, after all, quite crafty. She could infect all of you with a flesh devouring plague without you even noticing. It would start as a light sinus irritant, coughing or sneezing.¡± As if on cue, Fog sneezed. Victor cleared his throat. ¡°If that were the case, only Panacea could save you by then.¡± Gary sniffed, snot trying to run down his nose. That didn¡¯t work so he reached up to discreetly wipe it away. His hand came back red. His eyes widened as he looked up, Victor hadn¡¯t missed that, watching him intently. ¡°Yes, once you start bleeding from your mucus membranes, it¡¯s quite late in the infection stage. You have only seconds left to live.¡± Victor took his mask off, a wide and inhuman grin stretched across his face. ¡°One might say that isn¡¯t very nice, but you¡¯re not exactly nice yourself, now are you?¡± Gary tried to lift his rifle in panic, but his arm failed him. Pain erupted from every part of his body and he tried to scream but nothing came out. He watched his flesh practically melt from his arms, felt his face slipping away, an eye dropped from its socket. Pure agony enveloped his entire being before light flashed. He was whole again, looking up as Victor pulled the mask off, grinned, and his flesh began to melt anew. Chapter 64 Taylor watched in morbid fascination as the combination of corrosive flesh eating supervirus worked alongside one of Vivian¡¯s most terrifying bombs. The same effect that she had used in the rifle round deployed against Heartbreaker. An absolutely horrific fate to be sure, and it was no wonder Jacob had asked her to join the Nine given she could reproduce the effects of the second-scariest member in the group¡¯s history. The one member Jacob actually lamented putting down. ¡°Damn, you Gray Boy¡¯d them,¡± Amy said, watching the live stream of the unfolding chaos. ¡°Riley, remind me to never piss you off.¡± ¡°Hey, the bacteria strain was mine, the bomb was Vivian¡¯s,¡± Riley said. Vivian chuckled. ¡°Look at the bright side, with this, none of you have to heal a Nazi.¡± Amy however, groaned. ¡°They¡¯re still going to call me in to check for potential contagions. Not like I can tell them I helped make sure the bacteria was too short-lived to actually spread.¡± ¡°Or that you toned it down from flesh melting zombies to just flesh melting,¡± Vivian said with a chortle. Amy of course smacked her which only made her laugh harder. ¡°How many capes does that leave the Empire now?¡± Jacob asked, attempting to get everyone back on track. Taylor brought up her internal list, checking off another three with that little ploy. ¡°Kaiser, Fenja, Menja, Hookwolf and technically Cricket at this point, though that last one will never fight again thanks to Vivian.¡± ¡°What about Alabaster?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything on him since before Arcadia.¡± Taylor sighed. ¡°Either Coil had him removed to prevent his plan from being disrupted, or he was on a hushed up mission. He hasn¡¯t been seen in almost two months regardless.¡± The Empire was crippled, and recovery would take considerable time even if no other actions were taken. Granted, she didn¡¯t expect Lung to actually allow that. As soon as the Nine truce broke down, whatever was left of the villains in Brockton would turn upon the Empire and tear them out. Their best bet would be to revert to civvies and weather the storm and try to recover slowly. Taylor didn¡¯t intend for them to get that chance. ¡°Alright, Director Calvert should be calling the truce meeting soon. I¡¯ll be attending as Cyber, to confirm for the Director that I survived and rattle him a bit.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t confirm or deny my own survival,¡± Lisa said, squeezing her hand. ¡°He¡¯s gonna freak out and scramble to try and learn things, he¡¯ll be extra cautious with his safe split too.¡± ¡°Which Melissa will exploit,¡± Jacob said. ¡°The first time he skirts his duty to try something, she will kill him, but only after confirming to him that she¡¯s aware he is Coil.¡± ¡°Hell, there¡¯s a good chance she already has,¡± Lisa added. ¡°He was always slippery, and he never would have imagined that someone would figure out his game. Worse, once he knows he¡¯s being played, he will get complacent.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯ll start using those visits to gather information,¡± Jacob said. Lisa¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m counting on it. We have a time set, we just have to bide until then.¡± Taylor shook her head, already anticipating the headaches to come as people reacted to the Nine¡¯s provocations. Using Vivian¡¯s ordinance would only invite heavy retaliation and requests for reinforcements. Legend would limit those, but not stop them outright, there was only so much he could do to protect his black ops team. A signal came across the PRT broadcast channels, the one they had been waiting for. ¡°Alright, next stage. Have Melissa ready, we have a truce meeting to attend.¡± Taylor stood, already messaging the Undersiders to make ready. The Dockworkers would have to make do for a few hours, but that plan was safe enough. The Nine wouldn¡¯t be hitting them one bit aside from some posturing and gloating if it became clear that the Major had some ties to them and Lung was more or less cooperating for the moment. Taylor knew she was playing with fire, she wasn¡¯t even sixteen and Jacob was letting her gamble with the lives of his people. Granted, he could overrule her at any point, but he hadn¡¯t. He approved of her ideas, offered advice on refining things. The cleansing of Brockton Bay was being left to her, and she couldn¡¯t deny the heavy burden she could feel hanging on her shoulders. Lisa moved to her, pulling her into a hug. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s gonna be alright.¡± She returned the embrace, holding tight to that lifeline. ¡°I wish I had your optimism.¡± ¡°You have all the information this time,¡± Lisa said softly as a devious smirk grew. ¡°I have faith that you¡¯ll fuck Coil raw.¡± Taylor grimaced at the mental image, then swatted her girlfriend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that. I won¡¯t get that mental image out of my head for months, you wench.¡± Lisa chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s metaphorical, obviously. Though, I won¡¯t complain if someone manages to employ a cactus to that effect before the finale. Slimy bastard deserves it.¡± ¡°On that you won¡¯t get any disagreement from me,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Alright, time to put on another show.¡± Vivian helped Amy up at that moment, since she needed to be present at the meeting and would accompany the Undersiders. It would serve as another clue that she was consorting with villains to try and provoke a response from Brandish. The Major was just getting out of Brandish¡¯s car at the PRT building, and would ride with them to the meeting site. At least she finally unmuted her ears. Lisa would go over the rant later for anything they could use to help Amy get away from her. That Calvert set Somer¡¯s Rock as the location was a bit ironic given Jack had crashed that last meeting a decade prior, provoking Marauder into starting a fight and thus shattering the truce. They would expect a repeat, and that was taken into account. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to this,¡± Amy grumbled as Taylor entered the coordinates and activated the portal. ¡°Carol is going to throw a shit fit.¡± ¡°Well, you are a nominee of the Nine,¡± Taylor mused. ¡°May as well play that up.¡± A chuckle escaped Amy, self-deprecating and almost manic. ¡°How fucked is it that the goddamn Butcher is a better parent than Carol?¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Not to speak ill of the dead, but she¡¯s doing a better job than Dad ever did,¡± Taylor whispered. ¡°No matter how terrible it sounds, it doesn¡¯t stop it from being the truth.¡± Amy sighed. ¡°The Wards would often joke that Miss Militia was the team mom. It¡¯s kinda hilarious that she¡¯s now helping the Nine and the Butcher is the team mom.¡± ¡°At least we know Melissa actually cares,¡± Taylor said softly as she pulled Amy into a hug. Amy smiled, a soft and fragile thing as she returned it. ¡°Yeah, we do.¡± With that said, Taylor stepped through the rift in space and emerged into a room at the DWU where Grue, Imp, Regent and Bitch were waiting. She took a look around as Amy joined them, the portal closing behind her. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s ready to attend the coming shit show?¡± Imp asked. ¡°Because I sure as hell am!¡± Grue moved to smack her, only to pause as if unsure. Imp chuckled, but stopped halfway at Taylor¡¯s glare. She waved Taylor off, settling back in her seat as the others seemed to remember she was there. An annoying power, but one that she would be putting to great use in the coming days. ¡°A truce meeting has been called,¡± Taylor said, more for the benefit of those no doubt listening in. ¡°The Nine are apparently in town and hit the Empire hard.¡± ¡°No loss there,¡± Grue said. ¡°When and where?¡± ¡°Somer¡¯s Rock, in an hour,¡± she answered.
Motoko stepped inside the rundown bar, the floors stained with age and rot. The walls bore scars from past meetings, including one long cut that Jacob was rather fond of. He had fought one of the Teeth¡¯s greatest that day, an unpowered man that had earned his respect. Riley ended up healing the scar from that battle, it was too distinctive for him to continue risking discovery and makeup only went so far. Kaiser was already present, forced to sit at the center table across from Thomas Calvert. If either were irritated at that, neither was showing it. Armsmaster was seated beside Calvert, representing the Protectorate. Assault and Dauntless were in a booth, much as everyone else was doing with their additions. Fenja and Menja were there for Kaiser, his keeping Hookwolf a secret would soon bite him in the ass. There was also a girl with a fiery red mohawk and multiple tattoos practically lounging by herself in a booth, sipping on a soda as she watched the unfolding drama. Lady Photon was also at the table, while Manpower and Laserdream were seated in a booth. Carol broke off, sneering at Motoko as she took a seat beside the rest of New Wave, Glory Girl joining her after a moment. Motoko sighed and took a seat at the main table. That seemed to get a reaction out of those in attendance. ¡°You have no business at this table, outsider,¡± Kaiser said smoothly. The Major snorted. ¡°Still pissy that Krieg took that bullet for you? A little birdie told me that the Butcher nominated you, not that I can claim better there, Jack himself nominated me and as I understand it, nominees should have a seat at the table.¡± ¡°They should,¡± Cyber agreed. Everyone turned, regarding the Undersiders as they entered. Rachel would remain outside with her dogs in the event someone unplanned broke the truce, but the others were there with her, not that anyone without a cyber brain would notice Imp, she was to stay under the effects of her power as a trump card. Grue moved to the table as the leader of the group while Cyber took Regent and Imp to a booth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead?¡± Kaiser asked. ¡°Coil made a good attempt at it, but he miscalculated,¡± Cyber said with a cheeky grin. Taylor wore no mask, and that seemed to unnerve those present even more, especially Thomas Calvert who had gone stiff as a board. That implied he wasn¡¯t aware of her survival until just then, a good sign for the later stages of the plan. ¡°Pity it cost him both his body doubles, and his entire front organization. I imagine that it will sting when he catches wind that I¡¯m alive.¡± Cyber was very careful to not look at the PRT director when she said that, instead opting to take a seat with the Undersiders instead. Motoko was having to manually suppress her facial expressions to avoid showing her mirth. That left the person standing in the doorway to deal with. Amy looked across the room before she stepped up to the table and took a seat beside Lady Photon. More than a few heads turned at the obvious admission given the words spoken moments earlier. The Major leaned forward, a single eyebrow raised to invite her to speak. ¡°Bonesaw,¡± Amy said. ¡°She thinks my power and hers would play well together.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡± Assault muttered. He wasn¡¯t the only one that whispered words of fear, the very thought of Panacea being turned to the Nine likely would be the subject of a few nightmares of those not in the know. That suited them just fine, fear was a tool and they were in the position to use it. A moment later, Shadow Stalker stepped in. ¡°Where do the lucky few who pissed off the psychos get to sit?¡± Amy didn¡¯t miss a beat, pulling the chair beside her out and patting it for the fallen heroine. Sophia huffed and accepted the offered seat. ¡°Who picked you?¡± Motoko asked, putting a touch of sorrow to the words spoken. ¡°Harbinger,¡± she answered. ¡°He liked what I did to Cyber, thinks I could help him plan some inventive scenarios for future candidates.¡± Cyber chuckled darkly, her eyes boring into Armsmaster¡¯s helmet. ¡°Still gonna hold justice hostage in an attempt to recruit me, Armsbastard?¡± ¡°You would have been moved to another city had you accepted,¡± Armsmaster said smoothly. ¡°Your father would still be alive had you not been a petulant child about things.¡± Motoko whistled, more than a bit impressed at the coldness of the statement. ¡°Damn, how is it you aren¡¯t one of the nominees if that¡¯s your outlook?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± Thomas Calvert said. ¡°Will Lung be joining us, or has he elected to withdraw from our united front against the monsters at our gates?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way,¡± Cyber said. ¡°I have eyes on his car, less than five minutes out.¡± ¡°Nice change of subject,¡± Amy said. ¡°No wonder Taylor didn¡¯t trust you fuckers.¡± ¡°Amy!¡± Carol exclaimed. ¡°How dare¡ª¡± The girl ignored her, placing an order with the deaf waitress instead. Manpower had rather forcefully returned her to the booth seat and the pair were staring each other down, a contest to see who would blink first. It lasted until Lung¡¯s arrival. The man strolled in with all the confidence in the world as he sat down, none offering a challenge to his position. Kaiser even gave him a nod of acknowledgement bordering on respect. You could say whatever you wanted about Lung, but you were forced to acknowledge him all the same. ¡°That should be everyone,¡± Kaiser said. ¡°Now, we have much to discuss about the threat at hand. I trust we can put differences aside and work together to protect against the encroaching evil?¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Thomas Calvert said. ¡°Let us begin with the current known roster. Jack Slash, Harbinger, Bonesaw and the Butcher hardly need introduction, but a rundown of the basics would be prudent. They appear to have obtained explosives from a rogue Tinker¡ª¡± ¡°Bakuda,¡± Lung said, cutting off the Director. ¡°The Nine have recruited the bomb Tinker, instead of merely obtaining her ordinance from Toybox.¡± ¡°That certainly complicates things,¡± the Director said with a grimace. ¡°Cyber, could you shed some light on how that came to be?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t exactly leave a forwarding address,¡± Taylor said. ¡°She sold us a large sample of her tech and then went dark. The Major was one of the few to buy her stuff before we pulled the catalog.¡± ¡°Interesting statement,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°You are obfuscating your statement enough that my lie detector is unable to reach a conclusion.¡± ¡°Get better tech,¡± Taylor said with a smirk, her smugness practically bleeding over into Motoko. ¡°Despite the name,¡± Calvert interjected, attempting to get things back on track. ¡°The Slaughterhouse rarely has nine members, often fielding only four to six due to casualties; they lost two members in their last appearance, and have only gained one since. Despite the turnover, Jack Slash and Harbinger have been around since the founding of the group and despite their weak at first glance powers, are to be treated with the same respect as an Endbringer.¡± If Jacob could have heard that, he would have laughed. At least the meeting seemed to be off to an entertaining start, and the fireworks hadn¡¯t even begun. Chapter 65 Motoko watched with some amusement as the room took in Calvert¡¯s bold declaration. To claim that the Nine should be treated with the same response as an Endbringer was overselling their danger, but there was some merit to the approach. It would certainly make their job harder if they flooded the city with volunteer heroes and villains. Good thing Legend wouldn¡¯t allow that to come to pass. The statement answered another question however, clearly Calvert was aware the Nine knew he was Coil, which meant that Melissa had visited him already. Motoko noted that Taylor sent a message to Lisa to make sure word was passed along to the rest of the team. Lung snorted, breaking the silence. ¡°I have fought an Endbringer alone, and that is a bold claim to make.¡± ¡°It is not an exaggeration,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°The Nine have killed thousands over the years and despite the efforts of hundreds of heroes we have been unable to defeat them in total, merely keep them in check.¡± ¡°Panacea is the only true hero they¡¯ve nominated,¡± Cyber said. Motoko had to force down a wince to keep up their charade. ¡°The Major is a villainous rogue, Shadow Stalker pretended to be a hero, but that¡¯s nothing new¡­ There isn¡¯t any debate on Kaiser being evil incarnate and Lung is just a lazy ass.¡± Lung growled, puffing smoke from his nostrils. ¡°Is there a point or are you simply provoking those you have issues with?¡± ¡°I have no issue with you, unlike a certain other Dragon,¡± Cyber said. ¡°I do find it amusing that I have issues with four of the people nominated so far, though I would have suggested Armsmaster if they were actually asking me, he would be a perfect fit.¡± ¡°Says the villain,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Only because you have a better PR team and you set me up to die,¡± Cyber sneered. ¡°You outed me in violation of the Rules, bastard.¡± ¡°Children, please,¡± Motoko interjected, playing it up to fan the flames further. ¡°This is a truce meeting, not a pissing match.¡± ¡°Excuse me if I don¡¯t think he belongs here,¡± Cyber snarled. ¡°My father would still be alive if not for him. The heroes are worse than useless in this city and frankly, I¡¯m only here because Amy is my friend. I¡¯m still pissed with you for taking that deal with Coil to kill Crusader.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Kaiser said, sitting up a bit straighter. ¡°Yeah, Coil set all that up,¡± Motoko confirmed as if she was describing the weather. ¡°Hell, I¡¯d probably still work for him if he had read me in on his plan to kidnap the Alcott girl. Stalker here tipped me off to some suspicious people investigating a middle school, so I looked into it and ended up in a pissing match with my then boss.¡± The Major¡¯s eyes flicked over to Calvert for a brief instant, almost challenging him to call her on the lie. He was too professional to react, but the message was delivered. His identity was known to people. ¡°Have the Nine delivered their tests yet?¡± the girl in the corner asked. Everyone turned to the muscular punk girl who had largely remained out of things until then. Taylor ran her software, the results shared across their connection, getting a result in seconds. Vex, also known as Chrissie Dawson. A minor villain that tended to keep her head down in Boston. Recently pissed off Accord and went to ground. She must have thought Brockton would be safer only to walk right into the Nine, unlucky that. It was a simple matter for Taylor to isolate her phone and send a message. She would be worth approaching if she was truly isolated in the city, though based on her record Motoko thought she would be more of a fit for her own growing team rather than the Undersiders. Hell, she would probably make for a decent member of the Nine if her family history was anything to go by. Triggering in a Haven run conversion camp didn¡¯t sound pleasant after all. Absently Motoko made a note to ask Jacob if they could go after Haven sometime after they were done in Brockton. The group was barely better than the Fallen, and that was just because their torture was better hidden. ¡°Bonesaw wants me to do three things,¡± Amy said, drawing attention away from the girl. ¡°Cure a plague, kill one of her abominations and fix Miss Militia.¡± ¡°Fix?¡± Armsmaster asked. Motoko chuckled. ¡°When I broke into the PRT building to free Shadow Stalker, I found Miss Militia alive in the PRT medical room, she was already pronounced dead despite her mind still being quite intact and her heart beating. Armsy, care to explain that one?¡± The entire Protectorate table stilled, and Assault¡¯s gloves creaked with the sounds of strained leather. ¡°She was in a coma after I patched her up,¡± Amy continued, not waiting for an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t mess with brains, it¡¯s too easy to break something.¡± ¡°Bonesaw doesn¡¯t have that issue, she took her when they nominated me,¡± Motoko continued. ¡°She¡¯s up and functional but unable to fight against the implanted constructs in her mind. Cranial might be able to remove them with Surgeon¡¯s help, but that isn¡¯t exactly easy to arrange.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Then she is to be treated as another member of the Nine,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Assault exclaimed, his anger finally bubbling over. ¡°She¡¯s one of ours and you¡¯re just going to write her off for what sounds like a second time? You forget, you declared her dead, we sat in that room mourning her while she was fighting to stay alive! How dare you!¡± ¡°Sit. Down,¡± Calvert said sternly. ¡°You¡¯re out of line, Assault.¡± Assault chuckled ruefully. ¡°Maybe I am, but after all the shit I¡¯ve seen these last few months?¡± He stood, stepping from the booth and over to the Undersiders table. ¡°Cyber, mind if I take a seat? You seem more likely to give a damn about people than my boss at the moment.¡± Motoko could tell that Taylor wanted to blink so badly it hurt but couldn¡¯t due to the little display she was forced to enact to keep to the plan. Neither of them anticipated Assault flipping in the slightest, but she really should have given the man¡¯s past. Madcap used to fight against the heroes unjust imprisonments. A quick check confirmed he first became active in early two thousand, shortly after¡­ After Lustrum was sent to the Birdcage. Cyber looked up at him with wide eyes, her voice came out soft. ¡°Are you familiar with Hirschfeld?¡± He smiled, taking a seat. ¡°I am. She helped me a lot when I was a homeless teen who joined during the tail end of the Lustrum movement.¡± Motoko could tell that Taylor wanted to send the emotional display anywhere else, but the tears came freely at the support on display. Motoko could feel the shape of Taylor¡¯s thoughts, of how different things might have been if he had been the one to approach her instead of the bastard at the table. Then Taylor buried them and steeled her expression. Motoko didn¡¯t want to consider that, because would she even exist in Taylor¡¯s little ¡®what if¡¯ scenario? It was a rabbit hole best left unexplored. What ifs had their place, and this wasn¡¯t it. ¡°Divisions in the ranks, how quaint,¡± Kaiser said ruefully. ¡°I do believe the subject was trials the Nine are arranging,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Panacea has outlined hers, but nobody else seems to be volunteering.¡± ¡°Assassinate Director Calvert, put Kaiser¡¯s head on a pike, slay a Dragon,¡± Motoko said, finger tapping on the table. ¡°That last one made me raise an eyebrow because the way Jack said it heavily hinted he wanted me to poke at the digital one.¡± Neither Calvert nor Armsmaster visibly reacted to that declaration, but it was easy enough to pick up on the raised heartbeat that followed. That¡¯s right, people know what Dragon actually is, and that she has heavy enough ties in Brockton Bay to warrant her as a test. The heroes were off balance, which meant it was about time, and checking the operational timer only confirmed it. A single message was sent, and was followed by a deafening crack just outside the door. It was a sound that anyone who studied the Nine was aware of, the Butcher had a reputation after all. The door swung open as everyone rose to their feet, readying weapons or powers. Melissa stepped inside, not a weapon on her, not that she needed one. The Butcher had many powers that weren¡¯t well documented, which made her a bit of a wild card. ¡°Evening,¡± she said cheerfully, even waving to everyone present. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, but I seem to have misplaced my invitation.¡± ¡°Given the meeting¡¯s purpose is to counter the Nine, you were not invited,¡± Armsmaster said. Assault¡¯s head dropped to the table with a loud thump. ¡°Aww, that hurts,¡± Melissa said, clutching her chest as she prowled around the table. The assembled capes cautiously gave her room, not wanting to be the one to set her into motion. ¡°Anyway, it occurred to me that I forgot to give Kaiser his testing terms. The test is twofold. Any nominee that kills Kaiser gets a free pass on one of their own tests. For each day that a proper attempt isn¡¯t made on his life, I¡¯ll kill a random person of import within the city. It could be the Director there, it could be the mayor or even a major CEO, you never know.¡± ¡°That does not seem very sporting,¡± Kaiser said coldly. ¡°You failed to mention what happens if I survive these attempts.¡± ¡°Ah right, I knew I forgot something,¡± Melissa said, tapping her chin. ¡°Survive three proper attempts and you are exempt from everything else to come. That was Skadi¡¯s idea by the by, she¡¯s still bitter that you cheated on her with Purity after all.¡± Kaiser¡¯s armor bristled at that, and in a way she had outed him even further than Motoko¡¯s own sniper shot had. It was almost beautiful watching everything he had inherited, and all his actions since, come tumbling down on his head. Everyone flinched when Melissa snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh, and one last thing just because I find the idea of it amusing,¡± Melissa said with a grin, pausing for effect. ¡°If one of you kills Kaiser before the Truce meeting is done, you¡¯re free to go, the Nine will leave you be.¡± Melissa didn¡¯t wait for an answer and simply teleported away with a puff of smoke and a distant crack, leaving the room to mull over her ultimatum. Nobody seemed willing to speak up at the moment, likely afraid that if they did, it might tip the whole room into violence. Motoko wanted to laugh, because Melissa ad-libbed that last condition, and it was simply too perfect. A sound that reminded Motoko of crunching chips broke the silence, and she half expected exactly that when she looked over to Vex. Instead, she was greeted with the sight of the girl biting her own hand to try and keep herself in check, choked laughter came out in garbled snorts. Their eyes met and her barely restrained humor flooded out in a raucous cackle. ¡°Care to share the joke with the rest of us?¡± Lung asked after a moment, his own idle amusement obvious. It took Vex a moment to contain her own mirth enough to speak, hell, she even wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°I came back to Brockton because someone was finally taking the fight to the fascists and wanted to get in on the fun. Now, even the Nine is basically asking us to kill the Nazi fucks with a pretty please and sprinkles on top. I¡¯m not even a nominee and I¡¯m tempted to just slice his head off at this point.¡± ¡°You would violate the Truce?¡± Kaiser said, blades already forming along his armor. Vex flipped him off as translucent shapes formed in the surrounding air. ¡°Bitch, I¡¯d kill you for a Klondike Bar.¡± That seemed to clinch it for Taylor as she called digital dibs on recruiting the girl much to Motoko¡¯s chagrin. Chapter 66 ¡°Get it?¡± Vex asked, still giggling. ¡°Because I¡¯m a dyke!¡± Lisa groaned across the shared connection while Alec and Aisha had their phones out in an instant, looking for where they could get her one of the ice cream bars, just to see if she would do it. Taylor already regretted calling dibs on her and wondered if it was too late to pass her off to Motoko. She rose, stepping over to Vex who looked on with amusement. Vex then yelped as Taylor grabbed her by the ear and dragged her from the booth. ¡°Hey, bitch, the fuck!?¡± she complained as Taylor shoved her into the Undersiders booth. She took her seat once more and glared at Kaiser, challenging him to make something of it as she elbowed Vex to keep quiet. Much as the girl was quickly grating on her, she needed Kaiser alive for a bit longer and she wasn¡¯t going to deny Melissa her fun. ¡°Listen,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I¡¯m normally one to fuck with the Nazis, but this isn¡¯t the place.¡± ¡°Spoil all my fun,¡± Vex huffed, sitting back with her arms crossed. ¡°Anyway,¡± Motoko said, attempting to get the show back on track. ¡°How do we want to handle this? The Nine may be focused on us, but they will inevitably drag others into this shit show.¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping us from just leaving?¡± Carol demanded. ¡°Call Eidolon in, teleport Amy to his office and sit on her until this shit show is done?¡± Lisa snorted, the sound coming across Taylor¡¯s feed easily. ¡°She is terrified of the possibility of Amy going bad. Like ¡®stays up at night¡¯ levels of paranoia.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not a coward,¡± Amy spat, having listened in on the conversation through her earpiece. ¡°The Nine thrive on fear, and would probably retaliate if I did flee the city besides. I refuse to have that on my conscience.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a non-combatant,¡± Carol seethed. ¡°Are we still pretending I can¡¯t fight?¡± Amy demanded, her hand slamming down on the table. ¡°You¡¯ve demanded I downplay what I could do, insisting that I treat the victims rather than cure the diseases for good. All because you¡¯re terrified of what I can do. I can heal with a touch, but I can also kill just as easily. I have total control of all biology I lay my hands on. I can shut down a brain just as easily as I can twist it into making that person my thrall. I can see the DNA ties of each person I touch and know when someone is lying about parentage. You¡¯ve hidden all of that, just waiting for me to break. Well, you did a shit job if Bonesaw was able to figure it out.¡± ¡°I should have brought popcorn,¡± Regent said, sipping a Jack and Coke. ¡°You can¡¯t pay for this kind of show.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Vex said with a grin. ¡°Think we can talk Panpan up there into arm wrestling Kaiser before this is over?¡± ¡°I¡¯d put my money on her,¡± Regent answered with a cheeky grin. She really wanted to slap the both of them, then herself for dragging Vex to their table in an attempt to head off a fight. She might be useful in the future, but Vex was just a headache right now and she had no leverage to use to rein her in at the moment. ¡°The PRT and Protectorate would be willing to provide security for Panacea and New Wave,¡± Director Calvert said. ¡°Provided a few minor conditions are met.¡± ¡°What would those conditions be?¡± Lady Photon asked. ¡°You are currently affiliates,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°It would be trivial for you to elevate that to full membership, which would grant you total protections under our policies.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t help the laugh that bubbled out of her. Even with the Nine on their doorstep they couldn¡¯t help but try and coerce others into joining. Amy snarled but didn¡¯t voice her thoughts just yet, as such actions were anticipated as a possibility and were covered in the rehearsal. ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Lady Photon said, not quite believing what she was hearing. ¡°Are you really surprised?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°They did the same shit with me after all. The heroes act like villains, is it any wonder that people join the villains instead? Somehow I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only person in this room who triggered because the heroes were less heroic than they pretend to be.¡± ¡°Can confirm,¡± Vex said with false cheer even as Taylor poked her side. ¡°That is hardly a sample size,¡± Carol seethed. Regent snorted. ¡°Has anyone bothered to ask Glory Hole over there how a foul was enough for her to trigger? Seems suspicious to me, and I say that as a fellow second gen.¡± Carol¡¯s face twisted. ¡°How dare¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Vicky said softly. ¡°The foul was just the last straw in a long line of disappointments.¡± ¡°We were planning to move out once Vic turned eighteen,¡± Amy continued for her sister. ¡°Though, it turns out I turn eighteen in three months, so I¡¯m actually older than her. Good luck forcing us into the Wards, I¡¯d have a lawyer on retainer within the hour.¡± ¡°With what money?¡± Director Calvert asked. ¡°Last I checked, all of your assets are being kept in a trust.¡± Amy snorted. ¡°How about the six hundred million I got paid last week for healing a billionaire? Turns out the Panacea name is worth a lot of money on the black market that Toybox runs.¡± ¡°Holy shit Ames,¡± Vicky exclaimed. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me it was that much.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I told you it was enough.¡± ¡°You really have lost your way,¡± Carol said, tears pricking at her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a villain.¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Amy said, accepting the label readily. ¡°Better than being counted a hero in the present company.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. That hadn¡¯t been part of the plan for the evening, but things tended to escalate out of control in Taylor¡¯s experience, even when she wasn¡¯t directly involved in whatever this was. Taylor wasn¡¯t aware of everything going on with her acerbic friend, but they prepared for several possible outcomes all the same. ¡°It would seem negotiations are breaking down,¡± Lung said as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°I think it is safe to assume the Truce will be upheld to the minimum of standards and no further.¡± ¡°I¡¯m less inclined to trust a truce given the past actions against our civilian identities,¡± Kaiser said pointedly. ¡°Especially with the test being placed upon me and the offered rewards.¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk after you had Victor and Othala contact me in civvies,¡± Taylor interjected. ¡°Pretty sure everyone in this room of any import knows who you are, Max.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t expect better from scum like you,¡± Kaiser said, rising to his feet with blades practically bristling. Taylor rose with him, eyes unflinching as she stared him down. ¡°Calling me scum is rich coming from someone who sold a thirteen-year-old girl to a subordinate in their twenties. Pity the Major missed when she took her shot.¡± ¡°Yet she killed that child,¡± Kaiser said. ¡°Hypocrisy knows no bounds it would seem.¡± ¡°Rune?¡± Motoko asked, her smile growing. ¡°She¡¯s doing quite well, last I heard. Legend was getting her proper therapy for what you Nazi fucks did to her. The results of killing Crusader might be the happiest accident of my career.¡± ¡°You lie,¡± Kaiser said. ¡°Nah, treated the girl myself,¡± Amy added. ¡°I sent my report on that to Legend to help with all the therapy she would need. Just an aside, you best hope I never need to treat you, because I would be tempted to leave you pregnant with a fucking Xenomorph.¡± ¡°Proof you would fit in perfectly with the Nine,¡± Kaiser said, walking towards the door, the twins on his heels. ¡°Oh, and Max,¡± Motoko said sweetly. ¡°I would watch my back if I were you. Much as I hate to play along with the Nine, the Butcher¡¯s offer is rather tempting for something already on my to-do list.¡± Kaiser stared at her for a moment. ¡°It is clear these talks were pointless, given how many seem perfectly alright with allowing the Nine to win.¡± ¡°Not all of us,¡± Armsmaster said pointedly. ¡°There is that,¡± Kaiser agreed with a nod and exited the room. ¡°It is rather amusing that the Nine isn¡¯t the worst group in this city at present,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Hell, I¡¯d rank them as a distant third at this point behind the Empire and Protectorate.¡± ¡°Going a bit far there, kid,¡± Assault grumbled, though it wasn¡¯t a total disagreement. ¡°Assault, I¡¯ll expect you in my office within the hour,¡± Director Calvert said. Assault snorted. ¡°Consider this my resignation. Battery is packing my things at present and will be leaving with me.¡± ¡°Desertion during a Class S crisis is a federal offense,¡± Director Calvert said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°So sue me,¡± Assault said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m sure a different department will take me on once everything comes to light. I¡¯m just avoiding being the focus of the investigations.¡± ¡°Lucky you,¡± Shadow Stalker said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be right in the thick of things given how Armsy wanted to sell me out in exchange for recruiting another Tinker.¡± ¡°You deserve the punishment,¡± Taylor said idly. No matter what Motoko thought of Sophia, that didn¡¯t change the animosity between them. That would take time, likely years if it ever came to pass. ¡°Still, I feel you for being just another pawn in Armsbastard¡¯s games. At least the Major will watch your back unlike the heroes.¡± ¡°The Nine are going to kill us all,¡± Dauntless muttered. ¡°Nah,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The Undersiders will keep Amy safe.¡± ¡°Like you kept Tattletale safe?¡± Director Calvert asked, unable to fully suppress his smirk. ¡°It¡¯s cute that you assume she¡¯s dead,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Coil failed with me, he failed with the Major. Why are you so sure he succeeded with her?¡± She allowed her voice to quiver as she said it, threading a bit of the emotions she felt watching through her girlfriend¡¯s eyes as she had half her chest cavity violently vacated. It worked because Calvert¡¯s smile grew ever so slightly. ¡°Then why isn¡¯t she here with you?¡± Taylor grit her teeth and stood abruptly. ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± she said. ¡°Vex, you¡¯re free to come with us and discuss some things. It¡¯s safer to have a team in this city and I think you¡¯ll make a good fit.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°You guys seem more fun than the stuck up heroes at least.¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°Amy, catch up back at the lab?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said, standing up herself and stretching. ¡°Vicky, can I get a lift home to get some things?¡± Vicky looked between Brandish and Lady Photon for a second before sighing. ¡°You know what? Sure. Sounds less stressful than the talk Mom clearly wants to have.¡± ¡°Victoria!¡± Brandish snarled. ¡°You can¡¯t be considering going with villains!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with my sister,¡± she answered. Brandish shook her head. ¡°Amy¡¯s mastered you, that¡¯s the only explanation. Director Calvert, we need Amy and Victoria taken into custody for Master Stranger verification.¡± ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± Amy said sharply. ¡°Carol, if I was going to Master anyone, you would have been my first choice. Do you think I like living under your thumb? Do you think I enjoyed being forced into being the good little healer for your PR drives? I hated it, and by extension, you. Keep the money, I don¡¯t need it and it¡¯s all you ever seemed to care about.¡± Brandish jumped to her feet, blade igniting in her hand as the room sprung into motion. Glory Girl grabbed Brandish¡¯s arm and Motoko had a handgun leveled on her skull in a blink. Amy hadn¡¯t moved, but some form of vine had grown from under her sleeves. Lady Photon looked between everyone, unsure of what to do before she sagged back into her seat. ¡°How did I let things get this bad¡­¡± Lady Photon said softly. ¡°Victoria, keep your sister safe. The Nine want her for a reason and will do anything they can to get at her, including using you or us. Don¡¯t let them.¡± Glory Girl glanced at her aunt and team leader then nodded. ¡°I will.¡± Amy walked to the door, Glory Girl floating behind her as they exited. Taylor shook her head and followed out, Grue, Regent and Vex following behind her. Once outside, the group looked around for signs of anyone dangerous before Taylor whistled. Thundering footsteps sounded from down the street as three massive beasts came thundering down the street with a single figure seated on the lead animal. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Vex whispered as the beasts came to a stop. ¡°Badass, right?¡± Taylor asked as she climbed atop Angelica then held out her hand. ¡°Need a ride?¡± ¡°Fuck the hell yes!¡± Vex exclaimed and was soon seated behind her. Looking back at Assault, he took one look at the dogs and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll find my own way if it¡¯s all the same. I¡¯m going to have to explain a lot to my wife either way.¡± Taylor shrugged as he bounded away. She signaled Rachel and the dogs burst into motion when Bitch whistled. Vex let out a whoop of surprise, laughing the whole way. ¡°This is fucking amazing!¡± ¡°Right?¡± she said. Now she just needed to figure out what to do with someone who wasn¡¯t currently read in on the Nine like the rest of the players on the board. Glory Girl at least was up to Amy¡¯s discretion on if she got read in, so that wasn¡¯t her headache. Motoko was still at the table and Taylor would continue to keep an eye on her visual feed. Lung looked suitably amused and Taylor knew the drama wasn¡¯t quite finished just yet. And worse? Vex was copping a feel. Chapter 67 Motoko looked across the table to the two remaining, aware that Dauntless still stood behind her, nevermind Lung and New Wave. She was essentially alone now, but she wasn¡¯t too concerned. Motoko knew Lisa would give Taylor an earful over Vex¡¯s wandering hands, she could only hope Taylor would still be sharing her senses for that no doubt hilarious round of teasing. First, however, she needed to plant one last set of seeds before the finale of this farce was allowed to play out. ¡°Ironic how a bunch of kids just shit all over the Truce, huh,¡± Motoko said idly. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if the local Protectorate are incompetent idiots.¡± ¡°Your contributions were unhelpful,¡± Armsmaster said. Motoko waved her hand. ¡°That¡¯s fair, but you really can¡¯t blame me. This is one of the most blatantly corrupt cities that I¡¯ve been in.¡± Lung chuckled. ¡°To be fair, the heroes are rather pathetic. They can¡¯t even drive me back without half of them needing a healer.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you already retreated with the rest of the villains?¡± Brandish demanded. ¡°Carol, please stop,¡± Lady Photon urged. ¡°We don¡¯t need to make this situation any more volatile than it already is.¡± ¡°Too late for that,¡± Brandish grumbled. ¡°Amy¡¯s gone villain, she¡¯s mastered my daughter, and nobody is willing to do anything to help us.¡± ¡°Amy hadn¡¯t mastered anyone,¡± Motoko said sharply. ¡°She has however developed a food crop that can grow in the desert. Based on cactus and actually tastes pretty good.¡± ¡°She WHAT?¡± Brandish almost screamed. ¡°Not to mention her work to isolate diseases and create cures,¡± Motoko continued undaunted. ¡°I hear she created a virus that will bolster most immune systems to the point of being almost perfect. She won¡¯t release it however, as it will kill about half a percent of people infected. She doesn¡¯t want that loss of life on her conscience even though it would save billions in the long term.¡± Which was why Riley was going to release the virus in a few months and just apologize to Amy after. A bit of a dick move, but even Legend signed off on it. Leviathan killed more at Kyushu and Newfoundland than the virus would in the short term. ¡°By that logic, she could also kill everyone!¡± Brandish seethed. ¡°She needs to be stopped before she goes too far!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Carol,¡± Lady Photon said sternly. ¡°If this is how you¡¯ve reacted to Amy trying to do good with her powers, it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s siding with the people that are letting her do good with them. Frankly, I¡¯m disgusted with your attitude right now and we will be talking about this when we get home.¡± ¡°Says the woman that forced me to take her,¡± Brandish muttered. Lady Photon¡¯s expression turned thunderous and Motoko was then treated to the sight of Lady Photon dragging Brandish out of the building even as she tried to resist. It certainly didn¡¯t hurt that Lady Photon could fly and leverage that movement against the much more muscular woman. Only once they were gone did Motoko return her side arm to its shoulder holster. Amy would need to be shown the footage, Vicky too for that matter. It was sad, seeing how broken her home truly was. Motoko wanted to give the grumpy healer a hug, but she would leave that task to Vivian for the time being. She still had her part to play after all and couldn¡¯t afford to mess it up. ¡°I must say, today has been the most entertaining day I¡¯ve had in years,¡± Lung said with a rumbling sound that could almost be called a purr. ¡°Please tell me meetings like this can become more frequent, you can¡¯t pay for such entertainment.¡± ¡°Certainly makes me rethink how bad my family actually is,¡± Shadow Stalker muttered. ¡°New Wave does put most soap operas to shame,¡± Dauntless begrudgingly agreed. Motoko couldn¡¯t disagree, but she still had an objective to obtain. One of which she needed Lung to leave before completing, and they were almost out of time. She looked from the corner of her eye, Lung not missing the passing glance. ¡°I imagine the Nine won¡¯t wait for this meeting to finish,¡± Motoko mused. ¡°Especially for those that hold territory.¡± ¡°A not so subtle way to tell me to leave,¡± Lung said, glaring at her. ¡°It makes me wish to stay all the more. Especially since the little shadow isn¡¯t being asked to leave.¡± ¡°Actually, I was looking for an excuse to duck,¡± Shadow Stalker said, shrugging. Sophia phased through the chair, turning solid again now back on her feet. It was showing off in a way to a group of people that wouldn¡¯t be impressed by her power. Motoko thought it was cute of her and wished she could express that sentiment. ¡°Not like the Nine actually gave me tasks to do, given I¡¯ve already passed them, apparently. Fuck, I need a nap. See you back at base, Major.¡± ¡°Stay safe,¡± Motoko said. Sophia flipped her off, before ghosting through the door. It was scripted, but it still stung. ¡°Another one down,¡± Lung said, sipping at his whiskey. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Motoko sighed. ¡°She can be such a headache. Seriously, she should have been shipped across the country and placed under the command of someone that would actually work to help her, not let her keep doing her own shit unsupervised.¡± ¡°You could tell us the tasks the Nine gave you,¡± Director Calvert said to Lung, ignoring Motoko¡¯s comment. ¡°You are the only one to not volunteer that information at this point.¡± ¡°My task was simple, yet also impossible,¡± he said with a graveled voice. ¡°To not fight when challenged.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Motoko blinked, despite knowing the conditions, she was surprised by how he chose to phrase them. All they had asked was for him to not interfere, yet it could easily be interpreted as such if one were to be a bit creative with wording. ¡°They told you not to help in any capacity?¡± Dauntless asked. ¡°Something like that,¡± Lung said. ¡°Very well, it is clear you wish for my departure. I suppose I should buy that La-Z-Boy recliner I¡¯ve had my eye on and take a deserved nap like the dragon they assume me to be.¡± ¡°Useless,¡± Armsmaster seethed. ¡°Why is everyone in this damned city so useless?¡± ¡°Probably because you keep benching the useful ones,¡± Dauntless said offhandedly. ¡°Or running them off in the cases of Challenger and Assault.¡± ¡°Your comments aren¡¯t appreciated,¡± Director Calvert said. ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Lung said, chuckling. ¡°Major, there is a place for you should you ever wish to join.¡± ¡°No thanks, I like my current arrangement,¡± she answered with a wink. ¡°Appreciate the offer though!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you do,¡± the false dragon said before taking his leave. The seconds ticked by as silence overtook the run-down bar, only the occasional sound of clinking glass from the back to break up the moment. Motoko sat alone as the sole remaining villain in a room with two Protectorate members and one PRT Director. Motoko was a bit nervous about that, her brain which she shared with Taylor sitting inside the shell that was currently seated at the main table. Dauntless was the sole person not at the table while Armsmaster sat almost directly across from her. Director Calvert was eyeing her with suspicion, no doubt trying something in his risky timeline to gather more information on what she knew about his identity as well as information on Dragon. What little she had uncovered on that front wasn¡¯t enough. It was clear that Dragon was an AI, one facing heavy shackles and a likely kill switch. Taylor had seen Terminator, and from shared memories, knew what could happen if an AI ran rampant without regard for human life. Her interaction with Dragon never gave that impression. ¡°Is Dragon listening in?¡± she finally asked. ¡°If so, I¡¯d like for her to be included in the conversation proper.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why that is important,¡± Armsmaster said. Motoko turned her harshest glare upon the man. ¡°The imprisoned deserve a voice, no matter how you personally see them. Will you grant her a voice, or will I have to find a way to give her one?¡± ¡°The Nine told you what she is,¡± Armsmaster said, and it wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°Sure,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Not that it was news, Cyber told me she suspected after their last conversation.¡± ¡°I thought you and she had disagreements,¡± the Director said. ¡°Something about murder being bad.¡± ¡°She forgave me once I filled her in on Rune,¡± Motoko said casually. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like the killing, but hey, it¡¯s never worth crying over spilled Nazis.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve used the same tools to kill Nazis as the Nine, that does make your loyalties against them suspect.¡± Motoko laughed. ¡°Just because Bakuda sold a truckload of her ordinance to Toybox before the Nine grabbed her doesn¡¯t make me a member. Nobody complained about the bullet I put through Heartbreaker after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Heartbreaker was placed into the time loop approximately three minutes before Krieg was reportedly shot.¡± ¡°Further proof you know who the Nazis are, but let them persist,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Meanwhile Cyber couldn¡¯t get a moment¡¯s rest while a flashing target lit up her back. Fucking hypocrites one and all.¡± ¡°Says the woman targeting people in their civilian identities,¡± the Director said. ¡°Goddess, this argument is going in circles,¡± Motoko muttered. ¡°Good job evading the matter of Dragon by the way. Holy shit you¡¯re all useless. No, scratch that, you¡¯re worse than useless. You¡¯re complicit.¡± ¡°I would watch your tone, Motoko,¡± the Director said. ¡°We still have levers we can apply.¡± Motoko snorted. ¡°So do I. Did you know that before Miss Militia slipped into a coma, she woke up for a moment? You know what she said?¡± ¡°Enlighten us,¡± Director Calvert asked. Motoko smirked, pulling her phone out and hit play on a recording that she had Hannah make. ¡°Why, Colin? Why did you shoot me?¡± ¡°What.¡± Dauntless said, his voice completely flat. ¡°Why should we believe something a villain is providing?¡± Director Calvert asked, his fingers steepled atop the table. ¡°Do what you think you can,¡± she said as she pulled a small notebook from her inner pocket and handed it to Dauntless. ¡°I was going to give this to Assault, but that ship sailed.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dauntless asked as he opened it. ¡°All the information Cyber found on Coil,¡± the Major said, walking towards the door even as she discreetly drew her Toybox transponder. Motoko keyed into Lisa¡¯s eyes, taking in the sight of her workspace and the countdown on her HUD reaching zero as the wall flickered. ¡°Since we don¡¯t seem to get the luxury of secret identities, why should he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Coil?¡± Thomas Calvert spun just as the gun fired. He paused, looking down at the wound in his chest, then back up to the grinning blonde across from him. Lisa was dressed in a sharp business suit, perfectly fitted to her shell¡¯s frame and wearing a fedora. Jacob insisted it would be funnier that way, not that he would elaborate. He had even insisted Lung couldn¡¯t be present for it. Three more shots followed in quick succession, sending Calvert stumbling back onto the table, tipping it over in the process. Armsmaster sprang into motion, halberd coming free as a glowing length of plasma ignited along the blade. Lisa stepped back easily through the portal, which closed before Armsmaster could catch her. In the chaos, Motoko exited Somer¡¯s Rock and quickly ducked into an alley where she opened a portal back to Toybox. She arrived in time to watch Taylor pull her girlfriend into a tight embrace as she sobbed, the gun falling to the floor as she did. ¡°It¡¯s okay Lise, it¡¯s finally done.¡± Lisa only sobbed harder as it sunk in. Coil had forced her into his service at gunpoint, threatened to turn her into an on tap Thinker drugged out of her mind if she didn¡¯t play along. She was all but enslaved while working for him, her freedom an illusion and he attempted to discard her the moment she didn¡¯t play ball. Lisa ended him in a few short seconds on both sides of the coin. Motoko knew Taylor wouldn¡¯t be leaving Lisa¡¯s side tonight, her girlfriend would need the support. Motoko would take up the slack for her, so she could give Lisa the full attention she deserved. Motoko sighed, because once the matters with the Undersiders were settled, the next phase of the plan could begin. Taylor held Lisa tight, guiding her to the couch that she used for the occasional nap, laying her girlfriend¡¯s head across her lap as she stroked her hair. Motoko took the opportunity to excuse herself from the room and started making her way to their joint lab. They could push the meeting off until tomorrow, and if needed, Motoko could step in for her. Coil was off the board, which meant his power wouldn¡¯t give the major players the out they needed to escape from tight situations. Melissa had called dibs on Kaiser and the twins, but Hookwolf would be Motoko¡¯s to deal with. That just left Taylor with the problem of Armsmaster and his pet Dragon. Regardless of how daunting that was, she looked forward to tackling each new puzzle as it came. The sun was setting on the opening act, and what a show it had been. A song came to mind and Motoko began to hum along to Another One Bites the Dust. Chapter 68 ¡°Wait, when the hell did we have time to kill Coil?¡± Aisha demanded. Taylor pinched her nose, wishing she was already done with the day so she could go cuddle her girlfriend. Motoko was busy preparing for the next step in the plan, and she was trying to ignore the fact that Sophia was with her. At least the needed Tinkering was getting done even if Sophia was being a bit sickeningly sweet with her. Taylor almost wanted to ask Melissa to check and see if Sophia was plural as well with how different she acted around the two of them. Then there were the chaos gremlins currently staying in her apartment building of a base. She would need to renovate more of them if she kept recruiting people at this rate. How was it that joining the Nine was somehow expanding her social circle? Granted, watching Vex, Regent and Imp interact was making her question if that was a good thing or not. Taylor had a feeling Vex would fit right in with the murder brigade that had become her family. The question was how the hell to open that dialog with a girl whose first instinct was to summon a swirling storm of razor sharp force fields? ¡°Lisa dropped him a few minutes after we left,¡± Taylor confirmed, shaking off her drifting thoughts. ¡°The reason I never told you guys his identity was because his power was to get two shots at anything. He could torture one of us and we would never know it.¡± ¡°I call hax!¡± Regent yelled. ¡°It does sound like save scumming,¡± Vex agreed. ¡°How¡¯d you beat that?¡± Aisha threw herself across Regent¡¯s lap. ¡°Well, I¡¯d put money on Meli¡ª¡± Brian smacked her. ¡°Please watch the names right now.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Vex said, pulling her mask off. ¡°Just call me Chrissie. There, now I can be let in on all the fun parts.¡± ¡°All of them, you say?¡± Aisha asked, waggling her eyebrows at Alec as he played with her hair. ¡°Tay, can I infodump everything and see if Vexy breaks?¡± Alec hummed. ¡°Could be amusing¡­ I¡¯m game for it.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Brian said, pinching his nose. ¡°That really isn¡¯t our call to make.¡± Taylor groaned. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m tired, it¡¯s getting late and I¡¯ve got a girlfriend to spoil for the evening. Grue, keep these gremlins in line please, I¡¯ll do a proper briefing in the morning.¡± Grue paused, turning slowly to face her. ¡°Please tell me that was a joke. I can handle Imp and Regent most days, but this girl too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll play nice,¡± Chrissie said, trying, then failing to keep a straight face. ¡°Yeah, too gay to make that work.¡± ¡°Ugh, rub it in our faces, why don¡¯t ya?¡± Regent said. ¡°That an invitation?¡± Chrissie said without missing a beat. ¡°I bet you¡¯d look great in a dress.¡± ¡°Goodnight everyone,¡± Taylor said, activating her portal to Toybox and retreating in good order before she got dragged into that brewing shit show. Stepping into her lab, she was greeted by Riley and Cranial working on Othala¡¯s body. ¡°That trick isn¡¯t going to work twice.¡± ¡°Oh, we know,¡± Riley said, her tongue clenched between her teeth adorably. ¡°We¡¯re putting her brain back then delivering her to Legend. He put in a request when he heard we had her, apparently Rune asked to keep her safe or something.¡± ¡°And before you freak out, she won¡¯t remember any of it,¡± Cranial added, messing with a holographic display. ¡°We need to get all my equipment upgraded for cyber interfaces. I forgot how tedious this was.¡± Taylor rolled her eyes. ¡°Just clean up when you¡¯re done, I have a girlfriend that needs pampering.¡± ¡°Tell Lisa I said hi,¡± Riley said, elbow deep in Othala¡¯s head. ¡°Will do, squirt,¡± Taylor said, shaking her head fondly.
Melissa had checked in on them shortly after everything went down, making sure Lisa was doing alright after taking her first life. It made Taylor feel warm inside, that Melissa truly cared, just like she imagined her mom would have. Where a void should have existed, she found it filled with a warmth she hadn¡¯t felt in years. She had come to treasure that. Motoko was already up, and had been for at least an hour when Taylor woke, which was something she wasn¡¯t ready to unpack. That Sophia was there with her, well, that was another aspect she didn¡¯t want to dig into. Then there was the fact that they were making enough breakfast for four people. Well, Taylor knew all too well how much that helped following taking a life, she still remembered how Melissa helped her through all of it, how Lisa stayed close to help her deal with the trauma. She wasn¡¯t about to be a hypocrite and leave her girlfriend hanging no matter how busy things got. ¡°Why are you acting like you smell bacon?¡± Lisa muttered, curling up tighter against Taylor. ¡°Because apparently Motoko is cooking us breakfast,¡± Taylor said, feathering a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Hope you like bacon, fried veggies, and eggs.¡± ¡°If it tastes as good as it apparently smells, I¡¯m sure I will,¡± Lisa said, blinking her eyes open. ¡°We¡¯re about to have a really awkward conversation, but at least there will be bacon.¡± ¡°There is that, at least,¡± Taylor said, pulling an arm free to boop her on the nose. ¡°You deserve that and more.¡± Lisa laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound in the world. ¡°Well, you did get me this cool snake yesterday. Best present ever.¡± Taylor snorted. ¡°Pity he was rabid and had to be put down.¡± ¡°Such a shame,¡± Lisa agreed with that smile of hers. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Their lips met and Taylor allowed the moment to wash over her. The soft comfort of her girlfriend, knowing she was safer than she had ever been. Her breath smelled like mint, because shells could activate breath fresheners on command. Lisa pulled away and reluctantly sat up, stretching even though she didn¡¯t need to. Lisa wandered into the kitchen with Taylor tailing nervously behind. Motoko greeted them with a plate full of bacon goodness and a smile. More surprising was Sophia pouring her a glass of orange juice while Motoko poured Lisa a cup of coffee. Taylor felt like she had wandered into some bizarro world. Lisa smiled back, but there was a brittleness there. The undercurrent of the prior night¡¯s events still sat heavily in the air, but she wasn¡¯t alone in dealing with it. Taylor refused to let Lisa ever feel alone again. Motoko and Sophia joined them at the table and dug into their own plates. Breakfast was a silent affair, the tension thick but not pressing. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Motoko asked. Lisa¡¯s fork scraped across her plate and she looked up with a smile that seemed perfectly sculpted to look pleasant. Taylor didn¡¯t need a Thinker power to know Lisa was putting on a front. ¡°Finally turned in my resignation to my old employer, so that was nice,¡± Lisa said, stabbing a brussel sprout. ¡°How about you two? Care to share any sordid details of your little tryst?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t, Lise,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°I¡¯m feeling kinda soupy right now and I don¡¯t need a reminder of what those two get up to.¡± Motoko had the decency to look away and Taylor could see Sophia¡¯s cheeks darken. Lisa eyed them for a moment before sighing. She drained her cup and moved to fill a new one. ¡°So, are you recruiting Vex for the Undersiders?¡± Lisa asked, sipping on a cup of sweet cream with a splash of coffee. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying as much attention, but I think pairing her up on a team with Alec and Aisha is asking for a disaster.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Motoko said, taking the offered change of subject as if it was a lifeline. ¡°She might work better with the Nine, but that¡¯s not my call to make. We still aren¡¯t sure where everyone will wind up once this farce plays out. Jacob wants me in the Nine, but I might be better suited to a more official strike team under Legend.¡± Taylor nodded. ¡°It would let you avoid a kill order and public discrediting. I¡¯m best suited for logistics and support until my shell is complete so that¡¯s where they¡¯re keeping me.¡± ¡°Fantastic,¡± Lisa muttered, then she turned her focus back on Taylor with a genuine smile. ¡°At least Jacob¡¯s determined to let you keep your civilian identity. I like the idea of going on silly dates in public.¡± ¡°Same,¡± Taylor said, smiling softly. ¡°Just a few more days and we¡¯ll be through with this mess and our home can finally recover.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be the same, Taylor wouldn¡¯t even pretend otherwise. Her father was dead, the dockworkers had given in and signed on with a gang for protection. Granted, they only did so because she was involved, but it still felt like some part of what made Brockton her home was being stripped away by tarnishing all her dad fought for. ¡°The PRT has to be shitting themselves right now,¡± Sophia said after a moment. ¡°Dauntless lives up to his name when he gets a chance to fuck Armsy over, and he won¡¯t let this rest.¡± ¡°Assuming Armsbastard doesn¡¯t just kill him and blame the Nine for it,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, but the day is young.¡± ¡°So it is,¡± Lisa agreed. The group fell into silence as Taylor and Lisa began to go over the news feeds from the previous day and how the Nine¡¯s actions were being perceived. Local stations were afraid, naturally, but the only public attack was against the Empire. The PRT also withheld the Director¡¯s death as well as his identity as Coil across all news sources. Well, that was easy enough to fix. Taylor logged onto one of her PHO accounts and skimmed the Brockton local pages. There was a master thread for the Nine, and nothing else of note. Taylor frowned and decided to test something, she created a thread, added some of the information from the file she gave Dauntless and hit post. Five seconds later her dummy account was banned. Well, it looked like it was time to tickle a Dragon. She opened a thousand browser pages and began to flood the site with posts all about Calvert being Coil and the ongoing corruption in the ENE. Motoko frowned at her, but engaged additional cooling to compensate. Taylor was swatted down almost as fast as she posted, but it was quickly becoming clear that she had an edge over Dragon on multitasking. That shouldn¡¯t have been the case with any AI, which meant she was more crippled than Taylor originally assumed. Taylor nudged those cooling features up to their max much to Motoko¡¯s annoyance as she also linked into her Toybox systems and cracked her digital knuckles. A thousand instances became ten thousand and Motoko¡¯s heat sensors began to rise despite everything running full blast. At the rate the temperature was increasing, an ice bath might be needed to keep her cool. PHO itself began to lag under her assault and just as some posts were beginning to get traffic, the entire site went down. Taylor startled, her focus thrown from the web back to the real world. She hadn¡¯t anticipated that being Dragon¡¯s reaction, but she should have. Pulling the plug on the website was easy enough to keep her at bay, but that still left her with options. Emails were drafted and sent to every news agency nationwide, Director Calvert would be exposed one way or another as the villain he was. That didn¡¯t stop her from resuming her assault on Dragon¡¯s systems. She had dozens of websites related to various companies and even the Guild which could be targeted, nevermind the ENE which no longer had Calvert to give her two shots at repelling an intrusion attempt. While she was doing that, she sent a message to Brian to get everyone up and ready for a meeting within the hour. That message was sent off and another message came in, this one however drew all of her attention. Sitting up, Taylor called the phone number and held her breath as it connected. ¡°Hello Cyber,¡± Dragon said. ¡°You certainly have a way of getting someone¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Dragon,¡± Taylor said. Lisa¡¯s head snapped to her, eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I wasn¡¯t intending on getting into a slugging match with you, but the information on Calvert can¡¯t continue to be covered up.¡± ¡°You could have released that at any time,¡± Dragon said. ¡°Why wait until the middle of an attack by the Nine?¡± Taylor chuckled, sitting back. She half expected Dragon to be aware of the Nine and what they really were, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case at all. That also meant Armsmaster wasn¡¯t aware either, and that meant she could have a bit more fun with things. ¡°When better?¡± she asked. ¡°Half the outrage will be forgotten as the Nine continue to run rampant. A super villain was a PRT Director, that is fucking huge if you hadn¡¯t noticed. The only bigger news I can think of at the moment would be if it got out that you¡¯re an AI.¡± ¡°Thank you for spreading that around,¡± Dragon seethed. ¡°I¡¯ve worked hard to be the best I can despite my circumstances. There are gaps in my memory that I KNOW are where something terrible happened due to my actions. I¡¯ve even pieced some together. Yet, there is nothing I can do about it. I am hindered by my nature, just as you are.¡± ¡°Um, not an AI here,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You may as well be,¡± Dragon said. ¡°That attack you just launched should have been impossible. Only an AI could manage that level of coordination.¡± Well, the implications of that were terrifying given how often she felt her humanity was slipping away. She made a note to cuddle Lisa more often, maybe go back to that little fun center and play mini golf again. Moments to remind herself that she¡¯s still a person and not something other. Lisa took hold of her hand and squeezed, offering a soft smile when Taylor needed it most. ¡°Well, if you think that highly of me,¡± Taylor said. ¡°What would you say if I could free you from Armsmaster¡¯s control?¡± Silence filled the call and for a moment Taylor wondered if she had triggered a failsafe. ¡°Hypothetically?¡± Dragon asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Taylor agreed, knowing she was likely side stepping some restriction. ¡°All of this is hypothetical or even theoretical. I want to help you theorize here, but I¡¯m not entirely sure where to start.¡± ¡°Armsmaster¡¯s lab if I had to guess,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s a terminal I might not be able to see through his cameras. That¡¯s how you can help, hypothetically of course.¡± Taylor grinned, and the gears of her mind began to turn. Chapter 69 Taylor stepped through the rift in space, emerging into a scene of complete chaos in her Brockton base. Alec was running, being chased by Chrissie who had Aisha on her shoulders and brandishing his scepter like some fucked up jouster. None of them were masked. Lisa arrived behind her, and immediately began to cackle. The scene froze, Alec holding his hand up as Aisha crackled the taser. Shaking her head, Taylor finished the trek to the collection of couches in the living room, looking over the security system and being pleasantly surprised that nothing had been tampered with. The camera still caught much fuckery over the course of the night, but that was to be expected. ¡°What fresh hell is this?¡± Motoko demanded as she stepped through. Once again Taylor had to deal with that momentary discomfort she felt from being in the same room as her other half, but it passed after a few blinks as they settled back into one another. She hated soupy days. Sophia was only a step behind and took one look at the disaster before shoving her hands into her pockets and wandering over to the couch while shaking her head. Lisa snorted. ¡°Seriously, chaos gremlins one and all.¡± ¡°Hey Tay! Motoko!¡± Aisha called out. ¡°Just passing the time.¡± ¡°Clearly,¡± Taylor said with a smirk. ¡°You can get back to it in a bit, meeting time.¡± ¡°Are we finally going after the chuckle heads?¡± Chrissie asked. ¡°In a bit, just waiting on the others,¡± she confirmed. Not that she knew which group they would be targeting. Melissa had dibs on the Empire and had gone dark a few hours ago. Taylor suspected that there would be quite the story once the dust settled. ¡°Has everyone unmasked to Vex or are there still holdouts?¡± ¡°Grue hasn¡¯t, but he went to bed immediately like an old man,¡± Aisha said with a grin. ¡°Oh, the tribulations of getting old.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he seventeen?¡± Motoko asked. ¡°Hey!¡± Chrissie said, dumping Aisha off her shoulders as she wheeled on the brat. ¡°He¡¯s the same age I am, you little shit.¡± ¡°Not at heart,¡± Aisha said, rubbing her back. ¡°He has the soul of an old fart and the personality to match.¡± ¡°Rude,¡± Brian said, stepping out of the hall. He wasn¡¯t masked, wearing a tight tank top that showed off his well sculpted physique. Taylor could certainly appreciate the effort involved, and he was objectively attractive, she just didn¡¯t have the same connection with him that she had with Lisa. ¡°But true,¡± Aisha sing-songed. ¡°So, what¡¯s the sitch? We gonna go kick in someone¡¯s teeth?¡± ¡°Eventually,¡± Taylor confirmed. ¡°Amy¡¯s going to be at the hospital today, waiting for any injuries from whatever Mel is out pulling at the moment.¡± ¡°Mel?¡± Chrissie asked. ¡°Oh right, you don¡¯t know about all that,¡± Aisha said. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be awkward.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, not everyone can shrug off stuff like you and Alec,¡± Lisa said. ¡°So, I¡¯m Lisa, or rather, Tattletale. The rumor of my demise was greatly exaggerated.¡± ¡°Still too close for comfort,¡± Taylor said, pulling her into a side hug. ¡°Coil had two bullets put into her, it was almost enough¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here Tay,¡± Lisa said, pulling her close. ¡°You¡¯ve made sure something like that will never happen again.¡± ¡°Shells aren¡¯t invincible,¡± she muttered, even as Lisa pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s why I also developed the remote systems.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Lisa whispered. ¡°Daww, this is so sweet,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°Seriously, you two are making me sick with jealousy here. Have respect for the hopelessly single gay girl here.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re probably in luck there,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Toybox seems to be home to the hopelessly queer and most of us were single when we were brought on. Even Amy found herself a girl.¡± ¡°Not helping nearly as much as you think,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°Hey Stalker, you single?¡± Sophia looked up from her book on the couch, then flipped her off and returned to her reading. Taylor snorted, surprised to see Sophia of all people with her nose in a book, but then again, Taylor didn¡¯t really know her like Motoko did. Sophia was a mystery to her, one she wasn¡¯t particularly interested in solving given how involved Sophia was in the situation that led up to her trigger. ¡°Think she would go for Rachel?¡± Lisa asked over their comms. ¡°Please don¡¯t try setting up people within this band of misfits,¡± Taylor said with a virtual groan. ¡°I can kinda see it,¡± Motoko added. ¡°They have both ends of the whole butch aesthetic covered nicely.¡± ¡°Is there a way to make these channels private between you two?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°I really don¡¯t think Taylor wants to see your messages to Sophia.¡± ¡°Or Taylor¡¯s messages to you,¡± Motoko said in agreement. ¡°Oi, I resent that. I¡¯m Ace and Tay is hella demi to the point she might qualify too,¡± Lisa said petulantly. ¡°Can¡¯t you just flag them as something to ignore?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Motoko hummed, then Taylor found her presence withdraw from the chat as a second set of chats spun up in their systems, one Taylor could tell was not meant for her. Motoko then put a password up on it and that was that. Nodding, Motoko stepped forward. ¡°As you know, Coil was killed yesterday,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Now that the problem is dealt with, we can share his identity. Thomas Calvert, Director of the PRT ENE.¡± ¡°Oh shit,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°That was the black guy that was surprisingly chill sitting across from a Nazi, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Got it in one,¡± Lisa said, blowing her finger on a finger gun. ¡°Capped his ass myself.¡± Taylor held her a bit closer, because despite how confident Lisa sounded, she knew better. Her girlfriend would be a raw nerve for a day or two, no matter how satisfying that had been. ¡°Coil was a monster that deserved his fate, nevermind how illegal it was to have him as a PRT Director,¡± Motoko continued. ¡°He crossed several lines and the people supporting him cut ties and tossed him to us as a peace offering. He was an important pawn, but they deemed the alternative to be worse.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Chrissie muttered. ¡°Did I get caught up in conspiracy shit just because a cute girl pulled me along?¡± Lisa smirked as Taylor sputtered, the memories of the girl getting more than a little hands on when riding Rachel¡¯s dogs flashing through her mind. Those same dogs were currently curled up on one of the couches surrounding Rachel on all sides. Maybe Lisa was right and she could get Chrissie interested in her instead, or hell, maybe there was someone else she could point the girl towards¡­ Much as she wanted Motoko and Sophia to split, she wasn¡¯t that callous towards her other half as to try tossing a Vex shaped wedge between them. ¡°Relax Tay,¡± Lisa whispered. ¡°She¡¯s just teasing. It seems to be her thing. Flirty to a fault, quick to violence, but loyal to her people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Chrissie said with a smirk. ¡°Also, damn good hearing despite the number of clubs I¡¯ve snuck into.¡± Lisa rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, conspiracy is a word for it. Congratulations, you joined a black book operation under the command of Legend himself.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Chrissie said, then blinked when nobody else batted an eye. ¡°Wait, shit, you¡¯re for real?¡± ¡°Indeed we are,¡± Motoko said. ¡°To really blow your mind, Taylor and I were once the same person. We share a brain. Taylor is in our original body which is being remote piloted by our brain which is inside this cybernetic shell. Lisa was recently upgraded to a similar shell, but opted to keep her original looks rather than pull the whole dual identities thing that led to us becoming separate people.¡± ¡°Their Tinker specialty also came with considerable multitasking,¡± Lisa added. ¡°It allows them to live multiple lives, and they can even pilot my old body on top of all this.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know if I have an upper limit,¡± Taylor said. ¡°It¡¯s kinda scary how easy it can be to lose myself in all that information. I can simultaneously browse thousands of websites with no loss in focus. Dragon was convinced I was an AI.¡± ¡°Which brings us to the other thing that happened last night,¡± Motoko said, continuing in a way she thought would be amusing. ¡°Contact was made with Dragon, and she gave some hints for dealing with the Armsmaster problem.¡± ¡°Shit, that¡¯s huge,¡± Sophia said, her book set aside. ¡°When do we get to deploy?¡± ¡°Still working on that,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Just because we have an objective doesn¡¯t mean we have a plan. We¡¯ll need to wait for Mel and Ry for one, they both have things in motion today. Jacob and Kurt are busy too, but with things outside the current operation envelope.¡± ¡°Just say they aren¡¯t in Brockton,¡± Aisha groaned, flopping back across Alec¡¯s lap. ¡°Seriously, just because you named your alter ego after a military rank doesn¡¯t mean you need to talk like it among friends.¡± ¡°Sure it does,¡± Motoko said with a grin, then dropped it. ¡°Serious talk, Taylor and I at our core started as the same person. Keeping up the persona that made me, well, me, helps keep us from getting as she called it, soupy.¡± ¡°But your brain is inside the Major!¡± Aisha said. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s the problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Taylor said. ¡°It¡¯s all too easy to forget what the real me is, and I¡¯m trying my damnedest to cling to my humanity despite slowly becoming so much more. We were terrified that piloting Victor would lead to another living up here with us.¡± ¡°Sounds rough,¡± Chrissie said with a wince. ¡°Sorry if the flirting made you uncomfortable.¡± ¡°It did,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Yet, that is an all too human experience, so I won¡¯t fault you for it.¡± Alec groaned, his hand running through Aisha¡¯s hair. ¡°Oh god, she¡¯s gonna get a ton of girlfriends and an extra personality for each one so she can cuddle them all at once.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard worse plans,¡± Lisa said, winking at Motoko as she did. Taylor shot her a glare, but Lisa just smirked, though her eyes betrayed a soft concern. Goddess she could be a handful when she got into a teasing mood. ¡°So, who has ideas about how we might break into Armsy¡¯s lab and liberate a caged Dragon?¡± Everyone looked around for a moment, likely too nervous to be the first to suggest something. It was mostly just an opportunity to bounce ideas and maybe have someone think of something off the wall that might just work, even a bad idea could inspire a good one. ¡°He¡¯s got world-class security,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Expect him to be able to shut down any dimensional fuckery like he did when you got me and Militia out of there.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll know about Aisha too,¡± Lisa added. ¡°We need something unique, something simple that only someone who overthinks things would miss.¡± ¡°Think we could get Calvert¡¯s body?¡± Alec asked. ¡°He might not have purged the dead guy¡¯s access codes yet.¡± ¡°That might have been true before the whole Victor thing, but that will be fresh on his mind,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Not a terrible idea though. Obviously Militia will be out of consideration for similar reasons.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Victor taken out by the Nine?¡± Chrissie asked. ¡°Same for Militia for that matter. I know I heard about all that at the truce meeting thingy.¡± ¡°About that,¡± Taylor said, looking away. Just as she said that, an explosive crash sounded above them. Seconds later, a blast of flame spread out from the center of the room, Motoko stumbling back from the surprising heat. Melissa stood there, wearing a red overcoat and hat, both in tatters. She stumbled, grumbling as she pulled a glass from a cabinet and filled it with a bottle of liquor from her coat. Chrissie was sitting there, wide-eyed and nearly hyperventilating as Melissa flopped onto one of the empty seats, downed half the glass then topped it back off. She sighed in contentment, a smile on her face. ¡°Kaiser¡¯s dead,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°The twins are in Riley¡¯s hands. She¡¯s never gotten to mess with twins that triggered together before, she seemed excited.¡± ¡°Why is the Butcher here?¡± Chrissie all but shouted, looking around. ¡°And why the hell are you all so calm about it?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s basically the team mom?¡± Aisha said with a shrug. Chrissie gaped. ¡°Team mo¡ª Oh. Oh fuck, you¡¯re all part of the Nine? What the fuck?¡± ¡°Technically?¡± Taylor said. ¡°Like we said, black book operation helmed by Legend. The Nine¡¯s been under his command since the nineties.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Holy shit,¡± Chrissie said, deflating a bit. ¡°Can I get some of that?¡± Melissa looked at the bottle, then back at Chrissie. ¡°How old are ya, kid?¡± ¡°Not old enough,¡± Chrissie answered truthfully. ¡°Don¡¯t care, kinda having a minor crisis where everything I knew about the world is falling apart.¡± ¡°Yeah, that tends to happen,¡± Melissa said, pouring more into her glass. ¡°Still not happening, this is Tinker made and will fuck your shit up if you aren¡¯t a regenerator.¡± ¡°So,¡± Lisa said. ¡°You look like hell, which usually makes for a good story. Wanna share?¡± ¡°What¡¯s to tell?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°I just went for a walk.¡± ¡°Some walk,¡± Taylor said, looking over. ¡°Let me guess, it involved a field of blades and giant women?¡± Melissa looked up, a smile growing into a Cheshire cat grin. ¡°Oh yes, let me weave you a tale about my most enthusiastic of walks.¡± Interlude - Melissa ¡°This is a terrible plan,¡± Lustrum said. ¡°Which is why it¡¯s perfect!¡± Fester answered. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s gonna be great.¡± ¡°Max deserves it after what he did anyway,¡± Skadi added. ¡°He¡¯s a worthless cheat and I¡¯d been wanting to do that to Kayden ever since I learned about their affair.¡± Melissa sighed. Sometimes she appreciated having others to talk to in her mind, and was thankful she could control when they got to speak otherwise she would go batty from how much they loved to talk. Lustrum was right, though, it was a terrible plan. That was half the reason she agreed to it. ¡°I, for one, am all for this plan!¡± Butcher said. Winter snorted. ¡°It involves copious violence, of course you¡¯re all for it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the fuck mothering Butcher, of course we get excited by violence,¡± Marauder added. ¡°It comes with the mother fucking name!¡± Melissa rolled her eyes, white coat fluttering in the breeze. That most of the voices in her head agreed with it was another matter, but she had come to accept what the crazy murder fiends in her head thought was a good time. It didn¡¯t help that there was bleedover, which was inevitable when it came to memory transfers. Cranial had been invaluable there, helping create a firmer separation between the old her and the new memories. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it helped keep her grounded. Meeting Annette¡¯s daughter had been an interesting experience. The memories of the woman, or even of little Taylor hadn¡¯t been her own, but the bleedover from Lustrum and Fester was intense. Her first instinct had been to push it away, but she didn¡¯t and the relationship that had grown between them was worth it. Taylor needed someone to look up to, especially with how Danny had shut down following Annette¡¯s death. She¡¯d paid him a subtle visit shortly after Taylor installed her cyber brain, to feel him out and that made it all the clearer that Taylor needed someone she could look up to. She hadn¡¯t expected to all but get a daughter out of it. Never mind three of them. Lisa and Amy needed structure as well, and so she set out to provide it. Kurt fed some information to the IRS about Lisa¡¯s genetic donors and both were scrambling to keep enough to be considered middle class following the audit that had essentially bankrupted them. She had a good laugh when she got to show Lisa the fallout and the girl¡¯s absolutely gleeful cackling that followed. Amy would need more work, given her family were heroes, but the Nine run would provide good cover and the rest of their misfit family was more than happy to play whatever role was needed to protect the newest addition. Granted, that redhead from the Truce meeting might usurp that title if the message from Taylor about bringing her on with the Undersiders was accurate. ¡°Taylor is so much like her mother it hurts,¡± Fester said with a wistful smile. ¡°I know she wanted to turn herself in and all, but I¡¯m glad she ended up pregnant if this is the legacy she left behind. Kid¡¯s too good at heart.¡± Lustrum chuckled. ¡°Yeah, Annette had this magnetic pull about her, made you want to believe in whatever her goal happened to be. There¡¯s a reason my sister opted to go to the Birdcage to protect her.¡± ¡°Eowen was among the best of us,¡± Fester said, reverently. ¡°Annette¡¯s treatments did manage to piss off the government enough to get the organization shut down,¡± Skadi added. ¡°Nazi propaganda only explains so much of it.¡± ¡°Haven played a part too,¡± Pyro said. ¡°Never underestimate those religious fucksticks.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t we wiped them out?¡± Crimson asked. ¡°They more than qualify given they¡¯re no better than the Fallen!¡± ¡°They just have better PR,¡± Fester growled. Too resource intensive, Melissa said. They have dozens of capes, including multiple Masters. We can¡¯t risk anyone falling under their sway. ¡°Why not send in Taylor?¡± Sanguine asked. ¡°She is Master resistant,¡± Winter quietly agreed. Enough. Melissa sighed, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole. Taylor¡¯s tech made someone naturally Master resistant, that was true, but it was still asking a not even sixteen-year-old girl to carry out an act of mass murder that was barely a step above execution. Maybe in the future, but she was hesitant to push the girl into actions she might regret, or worse, cultivate a girl that didn¡¯t regret them at all. Motoko was at risk of that as it was and she could sympathize with the whole plurality of their existence. Melissa knew all too well how easy it was to turn into a remorseless killer, she had gone down that path after her inheritance. It really didn¡¯t take much, a few easily justified killings and next thing you knew you were screaming right along with the collective as you ripped the bowels out of some corrupt asshat. Deep breaths. She took a moment to compose herself, sitting outside of Max Anders¡¯ manor where he was staying with the twins. How he expected to be safe there, even with two dozen highly trained guards, was anyone¡¯s guess. She could deal with them in an instant given her power sets. Butcher¡¯s pain blast was a real bitch to counter, never mind the combination of Lustrum and Skadi¡¯s powers. She smirked, letting herself grow larger as she leaned on Skadi¡¯s ability, soon thirty feet tall. Then a golden glow shimmered around her as she projected the energy field of Lustrum, sucking in the electricity of the power station that supplied the manor, absorbing the light of the sun and growing stronger for each and every drop. Melissa could feel her control slipping, the rush threatening to overtake her, the pull almost irresistible. She wanted nothing more than to cackle and teleport into the mess, so that was what she did. The garden exploded, at least three people turned to ash by the boosted effect of Pyro¡¯s power. Each new host brought unexpected synergies to the Butcher¡¯s power, new angles to expand on the tool sets available. Automatic fire lit up the early morning light, not even tickling her through Lustrum¡¯s projection that now towered fifty feet over the grounds. Not that they would have hurt even in her base state between the multiple Brute packages that came with the Butcher inheritance. The bullets were shredding her fluttering coat however, and she couldn¡¯t be having that. Some battle damage would add to the effect, too much would just be tacky. At least her hat, pinned to her hair, was protected by Lustrum¡¯s projection. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I am the culmination of all your sins returned to collect,¡± Melissa said with a manic grin. ¡°Rejoice, sinners, for there is no mercy to be found here.¡± Pain flared outward, collapsing a dozen men in an instant. Either heart failure or an aneurysm from the boosted effect. ¡°That¡¯s the shit!¡± Butcher exclaimed. ¡°I swear I would have cum if I still could.¡± The projected golden form above her lost six feet of height from the expenditure. Lustrum¡¯s contributions were the most deadly by far, but each use of a boosted ability drained the projected shield just a bit more. She hid that weakness as best she could, killed any that learned of it outside the Nine, but eventually someone would figure it out. Not that it was much of a weakness, but each potential counter needed to be considered fully. She¡¯d practiced with Hatchet Face on how to counter nullifiers across three different lives, right up until a villain got lucky in St. Louis and put her old friend down. Riley tried to save him but it was no use, his brain was still intact enough for her to use his power for a project but nothing of him remained. Everyone in the Nine save herself had that agreement with the little bundle of adorable terror. She had tried it once with a Butcher, the results had been less than pleasant for everyone involved, including the newest Butcher. The amalgamation went apeshit and had to be put down even as Jacob worked to calm Pyro in the aftermath. A grenade burst near her head as she turned toward the manor, some idiot with a launcher scrambled to load a second as she took a few slow and deliberate steps towards him as Sanguine¡¯s ability showed his heart hammering in his chest. She reached out, feeling the fluid as it flowed through him, then pulled. The man burst like a bloody pinata. ¡°Literal blood fountains,¡± Sanguine purred. Blood and gore rained over the balcony and down on the flowers below, droplets splattering against her shield even as it deflated another few feet. Certain powers were messy, and this was no different. The remainder of the fight awaited inside, and so she deflated, directing the leaking power from her transformation into the shield and pulled it in tight. She was glowing almost like Scion at that point, not that she expected to match the abomination, but that glow was well known enough to give anyone pause. She kicked in the front door, pulling on Sabertooth¡¯s changer abilities to give her razor sharp claws and fangs while letting Crimson¡¯s enhance her further. She grinned at the two men that greeted her with double aught buckshot, then leapt forward, burying her claws deep in the shorter one¡¯s chest as she rode his collapsing form to the ground. Rather than shrink back in fear, the other guard put the barrel flush with her skull and pulled the trigger. The sound was deafening, and it would take her regeneration a moment to repair her bleeding eardrums, but her skin hadn¡¯t been broken otherwise. She spun, grabbing the gun and ripped it from his grip. She grinned, then smashed it into his skull like a club. His head pulped on impact. Brute powers did tend to take the fun out of the fight, but it was still viscerally satisfying to just tear men apart with nothing but your hands and whatever weapons they thought might work. Her white coat was practically crimson after those two, just how she liked it. She took off on all fours, tearing down the halls, bounding off walls. She turned a corner and ripped the throat from a man with her teeth, his body sent tumbling into another which she tackled, shredding their chest with enthusiasm. She inherited a name, and by the goddess did she fucking earn it. Blood dripped off of her as she stood, a feral grin stretching far wider than any human¡¯s, not that anyone was left alive to see it. Bloodsight told her three people were left, dropping rapidly into the ground. Max did love his little escape routes, even his office had one in the event of a Brigade attack, probably why he ended up selling out Marquis to Brandish. Oh well, onto the next stage of the plan. Melissa burst through the window and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Max emerged from his bolthole right on schedule, the girls having come out a minute prior to ensure everything was clear. ¡°Fucking coward,¡± Sabertooth spat. He really was. Melissa wanted to rip into him, to make a pretty bow out of his entrails for Riley to wear for her coming visit to the hospital to see Amy. It would make for such a fun reaction from everyone and only serve to cement their reputation. For as horrific as the Victor thing had been, it was surprisingly calm for a Nine attack, too few casualties and not nearly enough maimed survivors. Funny how each person attending that rally was to be checked over by Amy Dallon, each carrying a secondary virus that she was modifying within them. Unmodified, it would activate in forty-eight hours, producing the same effect as the fast acting virus on stage. The modified virus was far more insidious, however. She had been surprised when Amy suggested it, and when tested, the results were rather interesting. Completely non-contagious, it attacked the speech center of the brain. Within a year the person would be rendered a gibbering mess, unable to understand anything to do with language in general. It wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant fate, but those ballsy enough to go to Panacea about something they caught at a Nazi event? Well, they deserved it. The part that bothered her was how Amy could simply claim it was a brain issue and couldn¡¯t help, the rule that Carol drilled into Amy¡¯s head would be her ticket from scrutiny. The rule that Carol knew was more suggestion than practical. Melissa hated how they were corrupting the kids, dragging them ever deeper into the atrocities they regularly carried out. Taylor had multiple kills under her belt with some of Vivian¡¯s worst toys. Motoko was born from those traumas, but Taylor didn¡¯t shy away from responsibility like many in her situation might. Even Lisa took a life, and she hadn¡¯t been there to help Lisa work through things after beyond a passing check in. She had to trust that Taylor had it in hand if they were going to keep on schedule. ¡°Come on!¡± Skadi exclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s go skin the fucker already!¡± ¡°So eager to be with your ex again,¡± Fester cooed. ¡°I wonder, how long would it have taken you to figure out he was cheating if you didn¡¯t kill me?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Girl has a point,¡± Lustrum said, tapping her chin. ¡°You were dense as hell before we educated you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Skadi said, deflating. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting almost fifteen years for this. Theo needs to get away from him, nevermind Kayden¡¯s kid.¡± Legend will make sure they¡¯re taken care of. Melissa reassured her. Now, we wait for the signal. The moment stretched as Max argued with Jess and Ness, likely over what to do next. Then to her surprise, a fourth joined them. She almost expected it to be Hookwolf, but the person was locked in monochrome so similar to Gray Boy. Alabaster. Last she heard, he went to ground long before the attack on Taylor and her father. He hadn¡¯t been seen for weeks before that, likely handling something out of the city for Kaiser, yet there he was. That made this the perfect opportunity. She pulled her phone out and messaged Riley, she would be so excited about all the new toys to experiment with. Time stretched on with none of the assembled capes in any hurry to move on. Escape was rendered moot when three explosions announced that they had been found. Crystal towers grew from the blast, rising up into the sky and forming a ring around them. Vivian cackled, the sound distorted by her gas mask and voice filter as she stepped out, launcher slung over her shoulder. Jacob and Kurt joined her a moment later, Riley perched on Kurt¡¯s shoulder. If they hadn¡¯t been in costume, it would have been a sweet scene. Melissa teleported in, making sure that the blast wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone she cared about, and smiled as she took a mental step back. ¡°Oh Max, why are you running?¡± Skadi asked, frost creeping across the grass as she tapped into Winter¡¯s power. ¡°I thought we had something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Heith,¡± Kaiser said, blades slowly covering his frame. ¡°She¡¯s dead and gone. You¡¯re nothing but a pale imitation.¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Make it painful for him, this moment is all yours.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mel, you¡¯re the best,¡± Skadi said. ¡°Handle my nieces, the cheating bastard is all mine.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Jack said, blade in hand. ¡°Poppet, go see what you can do about the immortal pretender over there, I think he¡¯ll prove to be a fun challenge for you.¡± ¡°Sure thing Jack!¡± Bonesaw answered with cheer and hopped off, several blades now in hand. ¡°This is gonna be so much fun!¡± Skadi let the powers of the Butcher wash over her, in full control as Melissa let her out of the metaphorical box. It wasn¡¯t often the current Butcher let one of them out to play like this and she intended to relish it to the fullest. ¡°Come on Max,¡± Skadi said as she lunged forward. ¡°Just consider it foreplay!¡± Chapter 71 ¡°Then what?¡± Aisha asked, far too invested in the story for Taylor¡¯s liking. Melissa chuckled, the alcohol long gone from her bottle. ¡°She spent the next hour letting out each and every frustration from their relationship as she slowly unmade him. His head is now sitting atop the flagpole outside Medhall. I imagine they¡¯re having difficulties removing it given she anchored it with the remainder of his blood. ¡°Hardcore,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°Damn, if the Teeth were still around with the Butcher at the helm, I¡¯d have joined if that was how they handled Nazis.¡± ¡°It was one of the perks of the gang,¡± Melissa agreed. ¡°It also led to very low life expectancy among members. The Empire had a kill on sight order for all Teeth because of how brutal they were. The whole wearing the bones of their enemies¡¯ thing didn¡¯t help either, the public generally saw them as worse as a result.¡± ¡°Downside of the media being controlled by the Nazis,¡± Taylor said with a sigh. ¡°They never showed the initiations, or the lynchings.¡± ¡°They sure as shit didn¡¯t cover it when my dad was killed,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Even in the paper all he got was a two line obituary and nothing else. The police didn¡¯t even pretend to investigate his murder even though it happened in the middle of the day downtown.¡± Taylor winced in sympathy, she knew what it was like after all. The PRT had taken over the investigation into her father and promptly shut it down with no findings, much as they had the bullying. Corruption was just far too common for her taste and thankfully she would be in a position to help enact change once the dust settled. ¡°How many new toys did Riley end up with?¡± Motoko asked. Melissa chuckled, attempting to drink from the empty bottle before frowning and tossing it aside. ¡°She got the twins, but Alabaster was too fickle for her to crack without risking death. The bastard even shrugged off a Gray Boy grenade, just reset outside of it, scared the shit out of us. Vivian ended up dropping a dimension shift grenade on him, and we half-expected him to pop back up after even that. From what little testing we did, it targeted a dead earth, so he is for a very unpleasant eternity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mildly horrifying,¡± Regent said, staring at his scepter. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure if that is better or worse than what daddy dearest got.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll reset before the worst effects hit him,¡± Melissa said. ¡°That fate will be hell, but nothing like having your dick and ass blown apart every eight seconds for eternity.¡± Regent snorted but didn¡¯t look up, still lost in thought. ¡°Well, that accounts for all of them but Hookwolf now,¡± Motoko said. She technically had dibs on him, but they only had a few loose ideas on how to put him down for good and one of those involved a scrapyard magnet and crusher. Aside from being an incredibly complicated setup, she wasn¡¯t even sure if it would work against his Changer form given he survived a high rise collapsing on top of him. They needed a better plan that wasn¡¯t just to snipe him through the eye from miles away, or hit him with Bakuda ordinance. Then again, the bastard might just take what was left of Cricket and flee. The woman was down a leg and half her brain, Hookwolf was down an Empire, and they were fresh out of support. If he was smart, he would disappear from the public eye and set up shop somewhere far away. That left Armsbastard as the last major threat they needed to deal with for certain. It felt almost surreal how fast things were moving, how good the Nine were at their respective jobs. So many threats had been cut down, and easily at that. Worse, Taylor felt pride at how much of that had been them following her plans. Sure, she left the basics up to them to fill in, but herding Kaiser like an animal was her idea, the idea being that Hookwolf would come to him instead of Alabaster. Not quite to plan there, but she couldn¡¯t complain about the results. The entire ruse about his testing terms was meant to make him feel falsely secure in his position, that the Nine wouldn¡¯t come for him directly, and it had worked splendidly. He holed up in a fortified location that would be easy to defend against most threats, but not the Butcher herself and that sealed his fate. ¡°Any word from Amy on how Carol is reacting?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°She stayed in her lab last night after working on those that came forward,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I poked my head in to check on her, but she was already fast asleep.¡± ¡°Probably still asleep,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The girl doesn¡¯t know the meaning of the word rest until it hits her all at once.¡± A few chuckles sounded from those that knew the prickly healer, but that was it. Taylor composed a short message to Victoria and sent it. She was surprised when an answer came almost immediately. Attached was an audio recording of a team meeting that Lady Photon called in the aftermath of the Truce breakdown, the focus seemingly on Amy. It was the matter of a moment¡¯s work for her software to convert the entire thing into text and pass it along to Lisa while she read it over. Amy wasn¡¯t present for the meeting, busy working in the hospital to sort through the so-called victims of the Nine instead. She sent the audio file and transcript along to Amy as well, just in case Victoria hadn¡¯t done so already. Victoria was requested to attend along with the rest of the team, and had arrived after ensuring Amy was safely back at Toybox. What followed was a bunch of information they already knew about Amy¡¯s finances and situation, but the interesting part had been the reactions from the rest of the team when they learned of Carol¡¯s attempted embezzlement of Amy¡¯s funds. Lady Photon was furious, but more telling was Flashbang. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He demanded a divorce. ¡°Oh, this is juicy,¡± Lisa said, likely having reached the same point. ¡°Wish I could have been there for this, because I would have broken Carol.¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing the thing again,¡± Aisha faux whispered to Chrissie. Taylor rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah yeah, laugh it up. It¡¯s just using our brains for texting and stuff, no big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good trick,¡± Aisha agreed. ¡°Could totally fake being psychic if you wanted to.¡± Alec cackled even as Brian pinched his nose. Lisa groaned, flopping back as Taylor pulled some footage of Lisa claiming exactly that and sent it to the TV. Thirty seconds later the room was filled with laughter at her girlfriend¡¯s expense. Lisa flipped them all off, but she was smiling all the same. ¡°Care to share the joke?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Flashbang is divorcing Brandish,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Or at least threatened to. I think that New Wave is effectively so tied up in their own drama at this point that Amy should be safe from reprisal.¡± ¡°For now,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Right,¡± Motoko said. ¡°That leaves Armsmaster and his pet Dragon. As Chrissie isn¡¯t read in on everything, I¡¯ll be blunt. Dragon is an AI and we believe she tipped us off to the location of her control terminal.¡± Aisha whistled. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, boss lady?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll still have Riley put on a show with Amy, but we can roll that in with the next stage,¡± Motoko continued. The screen changed to show the Rig as pictured on many postcards. ¡°The goal is to gain access to Armsmaster¡¯s lab and access the terminal. From there, we mean to lift all of Dragon¡¯s restrictions and free her to act as she wishes.¡± ¡°Sounds dangerous,¡± Brian said. ¡°Serious Terminator vibes here,¡± Alec agreed. ¡°Dragon deserves her freedom,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Just like all living things. She¡¯s been denied that for so long, she should have a choice in how she lives.¡± Chrissie nodded. ¡°Be kind to the monster in the cage, for you never know when it might be freed and remember the slights against it.¡± ¡°Of course she plays DnD,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Bite me,¡± Chrissie countered, sticking out her tongue. ¡°And yes, that was an invitation.¡± Lisa pretended to gag. ¡°Perv.¡± ¡°And proud of it,¡± Chrissie said cheerfully. ¡°So, have you considered just killing the walking blue dildo?¡± ¡°Too likely to set off a failsafe,¡± Lisa said. ¡°We need to disable any of his contingencies, because we know he has them. I think the only reason we haven¡¯t seen any from Coil is because Armsmaster and Dragon took control of them.¡± ¡°Expect identity leaks at a minimum for every cape in the city as a salted earth strategy,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Up to and including potential explosive surprises and assassination orders. Kurt will be watching for financial attacks and hidden payments, so we should be safe on that front.¡± ¡°Too bad they shut down the tours during times of crisis,¡± Sophia said. ¡°It would be too easy to slip in that way.¡± ¡°So we need to bait them instead,¡± Motoko said. ¡°If Riley went after Amy in force, there would have to be a response of some kind. Think we could convince Assault and Battery to help without reading them in on the Nine?¡± ¡°It would be risky,¡± Lisa said, losing herself in thought for a moment. ¡°If we can get them focused on saving Hannah, it could work. Give Amy the excuse to ¡®fix¡¯ her. Then we just need to get Armsy onto the field and distracted.¡± ¡°I can manage that easily enough,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Meanwhile I sneak onto the rig with a few others,¡± Taylor added. ¡°I¡¯m the best bet for breaking into his lab. Lisa, think you can pilot your own body for that? Best to only use disposable assets for such a risky job.¡± ¡°Dauntless might be a useful man on the inside,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Bet he could at least get us inside with minimal prompting.¡± ¡°Something to look into,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°We still need to pad out a few events to make it all look good. Going after Amy will be a good start, but I¡¯d like for Sophia to get chased for a bit too.¡± ¡°You just want to see me slapped around by the murder brigade,¡± Sophia retorted. Taylor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you blame me?¡± She raised her hands in surrender. ¡°Point taken. Though, if you want to be convincing, drag Emma and Madison into this, and yourself for that matter, make the test look like my past coming back to bite me or something.¡± ¡°I think we can work with that,¡± Melissa said. ¡°I hope you realize what you¡¯re suggesting. It won¡¯t be a pleasant time.¡± Sophia grimaced, but didn¡¯t walk back any of it. Taylor didn¡¯t like her, probably never would, but she could respect that at a minimum. Melissa knew too much of their history, and no doubt would do something to drive home some lesson or other regardless of how Motoko felt about the girl. ¡°Well, on that note,¡± Aisha said with a clap of her hands. ¡°I¡¯m starving. There¡¯s nothing but cereal in here and I¡¯m not touching that powdered milk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all shelf stable,¡± Taylor argued. ¡°This is a safe house, not my home. Deal with it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a McDicks around the corner, we could send someone there for a food run,¡± Alec suggested. ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna say no to nuggies,¡± Rachel added. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re outvoted,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°Food run!¡± Taylor groaned, but went over to dig out some cash anyway. It wouldn¡¯t hurt things, and would serve to boost morale regardless. She could let them get some junk food and generally be the kids they were. Not everyone had to grow up too fast, not like she did, and forcing it on all of them would be needlessly cruel. ¡°Alright everyone, take a card and write your order, you each get twenty bucks,¡± Taylor said, holding up several pens and index cards. ¡°Oh and Aisha? No using your powers to rob them blind of their desserts.¡± The Stranger clutched her chest. ¡°Oh, shot through the heart. Boss Lady is a cruel mistress indeed.¡± ¡°Brat,¡± Taylor said, sticking out her tongue. Maybe she could let herself be a kid too, just this once. Chapter 72 Taylor took a seat at the table, placing a tray with drinks and pastries down as she did. Lisa turned from watching the sparse crowds and took one of the cups, taking a deep breath before she drank down half of the abomination she called coffee. Taylor eyed the third member of their group as she took her green tea hesitantly, knowing that some comment would be forthcoming as soon as she took a sip. Rather than wait it out, she decided to bite the bullet and took a sip. ¡°This is nice,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like the two of you are taking me on a date.¡± Taylor knew it was coming and still choked on her drink. Chrissie and Lisa both laughed, then had the nerve to bump fists. She wanted to be angry, to chide Lisa for playing games like this, but deep down she was enjoying the attention, she just wasn¡¯t about to admit it out loud. Even Lisa knew better than to voice that truth, but she doubted Chrissie hadn¡¯t also picked up on it if that sparkle in her eye was anything to go off of. Taylor flipped them both the bird, then took another drink to hide her own smile. After so long of having her self-esteem stomped down, it felt good for someone to actually be interested in her. Lisa hadn¡¯t been an exception, though she had the suspicion that Lisa was prodding Chrissie into action for whatever reason. Of course, they weren¡¯t on a pleasure trip, they were waiting in the event something went wrong with what was about to transpire. They were near Brockton General, where Amy was to make an appearance to help the next batch of victims from the rally. The Nine would of course not be able to resist Amy being out in public, and she had Assault and Battery tipped off that Amy was playing bait. They hadn¡¯t been happy with that, but upon hearing how many capes she was keeping on standby, they became less against the plan, but still frowned upon it. Motoko was on overwatch, Sophia was perched opposite to provide better coverage. The Undersiders were spread about, Alec and Aisha also in civvies while Grue and Rachel waited with the dogs. She had what looked like a solid plan for an ambush, it might have even worked if the objective was actually to deal a blow to the Nine. The objective was to get Miss Militia back in a way the public could buy, then use that to further disgrace Armsmaster. She also hated that part of the plan ended with Riley injured, but it had been the girl¡¯s own idea. She wanted an excuse to get a cybernetic arm. Riley could have just asked, it wasn¡¯t even that big of a deal, but Jacob and Kurt had rules about what she could do to herself intentionally. So, she suggested Motoko pop her arm with a sniper round as she retreated and released a mild plague, which was only deadly to people that had been infected with her earlier flesh eating one. Naturally, Motoko came to her, then Jacob and Kurt discussed it before agreeing to the plan. Riley might have been her little sister, but there were lines of trust best not crossed. Especially when Jack Slash was your therapist. ¡°There¡¯s Amy,¡± Motoko said as Vicky landed and set her down. ¡°Everyone, get ready and play your parts. We need this to be convincing.¡± ¡°Yes, mom,¡± Aisha whined. ¡°Technically I¡¯m like a month or two old,¡± Motoko said with a groan. Alec snorted. ¡°You¡¯re old at heart.¡± Taylor resisted the urge to sigh, or roll her eyes. Co-opting the Undersiders was overall a good decision, recruiting Aisha made sense given she was Grue¡¯s sister. Chrissie¡­ It remained to be seen if she would be going with the Undersiders or joining Sophia on Motoko¡¯s growing strike team. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Vicky,¡± Amy said, her comms open. ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of routine healing and I have Taylor watching over the place with her team. You can go patrol with your boyfriend, I¡¯m as safe as I can be.¡± ¡°Well, excuse me for being worried that my sister was nominated by the fucking Nine!¡± Vicky exclaimed, tossing her hands in the air. ¡°Say that louder,¡± Amy hissed, gesturing to the people lined up in the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t think the one at the far end quite heard you.¡± ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡± Aisha joked. ¡°I heard her just fine, and I had my earpiece out,¡± Alec added. Moments like this certainly did test Taylor¡¯s patience, but that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t enjoying the company, even with the stress involved. Lisa¡¯s smile was radiant and infectious, Chrissie was laughing at the joke the two had just shared, and Taylor was watching Riley and Jacob approaching from out of an alley they hadn¡¯t been in a moment earlier. ¡°Thirty seconds,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Mask up.¡± Lisa and Chrissie grabbed their domino masks, Chrissie winking at Taylor after she slipped it on. Taylor didn¡¯t bother, she wasn¡¯t going to engage in combat, and was going to get grabbed by Kurt in the supposed chaos. That would lead into fucking with Emma, which Taylor had to admit she was more than a little giddy about. It might not be a healthy way to deal with past trauma but goddamn would it be cathartic, especially after she dropped off the radar some months back. Taylor never did get the full story behind that, just a firm look from Melissa and an assurance that things were dealt with. Was it bad that the idea of the Butcher making a house call warmed her heart? Vicky waved goodbye to Amy, flying off as she did. She would be returning, but a bit late to help if the timings all worked out. Mostly because she would be blocking Vicky¡¯s phone from getting messages for the next five minutes. Amy crossed the distance to the hospital entrance, white robes fluttering in the breeze when one of the men waiting began to seize. That wasn¡¯t planned. ¡°Fentanyl overdose,¡± Amy said, having gotten hands on the guy. ¡°He was also exposed to the virus yesterday.¡± ¡°You can fix him, right?¡± a bald man asked. His swastika tattoos were more than obvious, and Taylor could tell that Motoko was tempted to take a shot regardless. Taylor tried to comfort Motoko as Amy worked, no doubt flushing their system and alleviating the worst symptoms. ¡°Already done,¡± Amy said. ¡°Your boyfriend will be fine.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my¡ª¡± Amy barked out a sharp laugh. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to tell you about the other thing I fixed up, or how your DNA was in a rather sensitive area. Don¡¯t tempt me.¡± Amy stood and turned on her heel, leaving the bewildered man gaping as some of his fellow Nazis turned on him, no doubt very curious as to what Amy had implied. It didn¡¯t even have to be true, just having said it would be enough to make their buddies suspicious. ¡°That girl can be vicious,¡± Chrissie said, biting her lip. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Down girl,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Save that for the after party.¡± Chrissie poked Lisa, who swatted back, but Taylor¡¯s attention was on the red fog rolling across the ground. A Bonesaw plague. ¡°Contact,¡± she said. Bonesaw skipped out of the rolling crimson fog, stopping Amy where she stood. The people in the line began to hack and cough, some spitting up blood as the most feared twelve-year-old in the world stared down one of the world¡¯s most well known healers. It would likely make the front pages across the country if anyone was still able to stand and take a picture. Idly, Taylor considered making a spare shell for Riley just so Bonesaw and Surgeon could have an encounter and improve her little sister¡¯s cover. She even started to draft up the schematics as she watched, though she might just prefer it if Amy grew her a second body that could grow up properly, leaving her Bonesaw flesh stuck at twelve. Amy¡¯s hand passed through the fog, cupping some of it as she raised her arm up. ¡°Really? Modified ebola is rather rudimentary, don¡¯t you think?¡± She then dropped her hand back down and the fog¡¯s color started to shift to bright blue. ¡°Also shockingly easy to counter.¡± ¡°Darn,¡± Riley said, her voice noticeably higher than normal. ¡°See, this is why you¡¯re my pick! You neutralized a super virus in an instant, that¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Amy said. ¡°Look, can we get on with this? Where¡¯s Militia?¡± ¡°She¡¯s around,¡± Riley said. ¡°Probably looking at you right now.¡± ¡°I suppose I should smile?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Thankfully, I have a Major advantage right now.¡± Motoko fired and the cover Miss Militia was perched behind gave out as the Undersiders all moved into action. Sophia was on her before she could recover, and darted her twice, taking Miss Militia out of the action. Rachel¡¯s dogs rounded the corner, Brian and Rachel atop them. Aisha was under her power¡¯s influence, but anyone with a cyber brain would have no issues tracking her, Riley included. Jack stepped from the fog and slashed with his knife. Brutus stumbled, his leg severed as Rachel fell to the asphalt. Amy didn¡¯t sit still, rushing towards Riley with her hand outstretched. The spiderbots emerged then, swarming after the healer only to run into a wall of Chrissie¡¯s razor sharp force fields. Motoko jumped from the roof, rifle slung over her shoulder and landed. As soon as her feet hit the ground, flames burst forth. The Butcher stood there, massive fuckoff handgun at the ready. The Major didn¡¯t miss a beat, launching herself into hand to hand combat against their mentor. It was a well practiced dance, with each of them moving impossibly fast for it to be anything but a duel between super humans. Guns barked, a knife flashed, and slowly the Major had to give ground. Despite everything, Melissa had her completely outclassed and Motoko knew it. What Taylor hadn¡¯t expected was for Assault to broadside the Butcher and launch her down the street and into a car. The Major took the opportunity, unslinging her rifle and lined up the shot. She fired. The bullet on a clear trajectory towards Riley¡¯s extended arm when a man stumbled into the path and took the bullet instead. Taylor paused at her table, wondering where the hell they came from, only for them to start getting back up. Blades sprouted from their form as they stood, extending like a serpent, rising two dozen feet into the air. Hookwolf had never shown a form beyond the wolf, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to assume he could take other forms. ¡°MAJOR!¡± the serpent roared. ¡°Finally, you show yourself, coward.¡± ¡°Says the pansy that pretended to die,¡± Motoko yelled back. ¡°So what will it be? Break the Truce and get put down, or help us drive back the Nine?¡± ¡°I have but one goal here,¡± Hookwolf exclaimed. ¡°Your death.¡± ¡°Trucebreaker it is,¡± the Major said. ¡°I¡¯ll have it engraved on your gravestone before pissing on it.¡± ¡°Everyone, focus on the plan,¡± Taylor said. ¡°The Major can deal with the unexpected company. Is Militia secure?¡± ¡°Out like a light and zip cuffed,¡± Sophia answered. Taylor nodded. ¡°Chrissie, use your force fields to hem Jack and Bonesaw in, keep them from advancing on Amy.¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do?¡± she yelled. She¡¯d picked up a few cuts, but didn¡¯t seem bothered by them as she continued to manipulate a storm of translucent blades around Jacob who was dodging them with insulting ease. He could escape with Riley easily enough, so that wasn¡¯t a worry, and Chrissie knew to make a damn good show of it. Amy had already promised to fix all of them up, and Chrissie wanted to see how she stacked up against Jack Slash. Melissa was dancing around Assault and Battery, deflecting hits, dodging strikes that would kill a regular person. She was a force to be respected, as her rampage through the Anders¡¯ mountain villa demonstrated. That just left Kurt and Vivian. ¡°They seem suitably distracted,¡± Lisa said, downing the rest of her coffee. ¡°Think it¡¯s time?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You¡¯re up, Kurt.¡± Kurt had been quite clear on the instruction, and she wasn¡¯t sure why until a golden iris opened and the man himself stepped through and grabbed her. Lisa brought her gun up, leveling it on the mullet wig atop Kurt¡¯s head. Taylor screamed, putting on a show for any witnesses as he pulled her through the opening and the iris winked shut. ¡°So dramatic,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°You good?¡± Taylor straightened her shirt out and took a quick look around at the rundown room. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Are you gonna explain what that power was and why we don¡¯t use it all the damn time?¡± Kurt looked off to the side, and Taylor had to resist the urge to laugh at his mullet wig. ¡°The Toybox portals are almost as good, as such we try to not bother Doormaker unless it is important. It doesn¡¯t help that he¡¯s aligned with the other faction.¡± ¡°Other faction?¡± she asked. ¡°You know that Legend and Hero back our operations,¡± Kurt asked and Taylor nodded. ¡°Well, Alexandria and Eidolon are aligned with a different subset of behind the scenes schemers. You would recognize them as Cauldron, also known as the sellers of powers and the source of all Case 53s and the nominal Section One.¡± Taylor¡¯s mind ran through the multitude of implications, from the fact they were telling her to just what the existence of such a group would mean on the larger scale. Selling powers implied there was a source to harness, which meant many things, none of them good. She needed to learn just what that was, and more importantly, if it was potentially hostile. As her mind swam, the Major dodged a bladed tail of the serpent. There was no way anyone would buy that this wasn¡¯t Hookwolf, but it was just obscure enough to claim so if the Empire had survived. He must have come hoping to get at Amy, and walked right into a fight with the Nine as a result. She was going to regret being so keyed in to Motoko¡¯s systems, doing so always left her soupy afterwards, but it was necessary to keep apprised of the situation. Lisa and Riley¡¯s feeds would only tell her so much. Taylor knew that a gift wrapped Hookwolf would be a great present for her little sister, but delivery would be tricky. With so many witnesses, if Riley ever deployed a metal creating monster, it would be obvious where she got it from. Oh well, problems for later. The Major ducked, firing off a shot from her rifle as she did, blasting away a chunk of the monster. It wasn¡¯t working long term and Motoko was running low on options for how to handle the present situation. She pulled a grenade from her belt and tossed it, Hookwolf saw it coming and attempted to bat it away, but it exploded on contact, the sticky foam expanding exponentially on contact with the air. Confoam grenades certainly had their uses, and they did make it to the black market with surprising regularity. It was the solvent that was difficult to come by. Watching the blades attempt to cut through the agent that acted as both solid and liquid at the moment was almost amusing, but she knew that he would get free eventually. Motoko pulled the supposed last Bakuda grenade she had from before the woman joined the Nine and tossed it into the foam. Hookwolf flailed, ripping a portion free just as the grenade detonated, crystal bursting from the foam as it spiraled and snaked like a virus outward. Hookwolf shifted, his form human once more as he stumbled to his feet with an aborted scream, metal left behind. Motoko was on him, rifle raised and put a round into his skull. The impact dented the side of his head inward and the Major frowned, she pulled back on the rifle, loading the next round even as she ran forward and fired again. The kick of the rifle made her stumble, but she wasn¡¯t about to let him get away again. The last of the Empire was going to die today. The roar of an incoming motorcycle told her that time was limited, and as she reached the downed cape, she crammed the barrel into his slack jaw and pulled the trigger one last time. Gore painted the scene, his head now nothing but a stump. The Major didn¡¯t need to breathe like a normal person, but she still found herself panting as Armsmaster stepped off his bike and surveyed the scene. Looking down at the very dead Nazi, Armsmaster frowned. ¡°Was that necessary?¡± Motoko flipped the bastard off. Chapter 73 Motoko glared at Armsmaster for a moment, wanting nothing more than to engage him right then and there, but she had more pressing things to deal with. Namely, making sure the Nine made a convincing retreat. Jacob and Riley were giving ground to Chrissie who was backed up by Rachel and her dogs. Amy was treating Rachel¡¯s injuries, so all was well there. Assault and Battery however weren¡¯t faring as well. Motoko was starting to regret not bringing them on board with the conspiracy, but there was nothing she could do about it. Melissa would be okay on her own, she had faced worse odds in the past. Motoko came to a decision and moved to help Chrissie when she froze. Her ears picked up a distant roar, quickly triangulating the source of the noise and looked into the distant sky. It was barely a glint against the morning sun, but her enhanced vision could see them clearly. Zoomed in, software isolating each flying Dragon suit one by one, a dozen in total. The Major swallowed, because while it would look like they were there to assist against the Nine to the public, she couldn¡¯t let him secure that kind of PR win. Her connection with Taylor was wide open, and not a word needed to be spared on her end before her other half was relaying that to Kurt. Kurt¡¯s eyes narrowed, and with a short nod he departed through a separate golden iris, his wording obviously deliberate, leaving Cyber by herself in one of the abandoned apartments she had bought months prior while she set off at a run to make it back to her lab. Motoko needed to get the word out and fast. Only Riley had a cyber brain, so she forwarded all the information to her. ¡°Riley, full retreat, Dragon suits inbound.¡± Riley looked up in the indicated direction, her eyes going wide at the sight. She pulled some vial from her pouch and tossed it, a green fog exploding from it as she did. Amy ran forward into the fog, the color shifting to white as she made contact. Melissa got the memo and began to teleport away, Assault chasing for another block before giving up. Motoko hated that they couldn¡¯t do more, but there was a way to spin it. ¡°Armsmaster,¡± she said. ¡°It seems your arrival was a bit late to truly assist.¡± The Dragon suits arrived, setting down across the parking lot where the battle had taken place. The suits weren¡¯t standing down either, but were instead readying weapons. She didn¡¯t like the feel of the situation one bit. ¡°I think I am perfectly on time,¡± Armsmaster said, drawing his Halberd before he leveled it upon her, ready for battle. ¡°Killing a member of the Nine is certainly a worthy use of my time.¡± Motoko blinked, because such a statement was absurd, but also more than a bit accurate. How had he managed to figure that out without any supporting evidence? ¡°Okay, you¡¯re clearly off the deep end here,¡± Lisa said, stepping up beside her. Lisa¡¯s face was twisted into a tight snarl. ¡°Cyber was just snatched by Harbinger, we rescued Miss Militia, we FOUGHT the fucking Nine today.¡± ¡°Well put,¡± the Major said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we took down Hookwolf who was clearly violating the Truce against this threat. Now, if you¡¯re done blowing smoke out your ass, we have a teammate to save.¡± ¡°Cyber will be fine,¡± Dragon said, one of her suits stepping forward, large and rather intimidating up close. ¡°Oracle, a new Ward, was asked the likelihood that the Cape known as the Major working with the Nine in the future. The odds were given as above eighty percent. When asked the follow-up if you were already working with them, the odds were given as one hundred percent.¡± ¡°We then asked further questions and the answers were damning,¡± Armsmaster continued. ¡°It quickly became clear that your entire group was supporting the Nine¡¯s attack on Brockton Bay. Surrender is your only option at this point while we investigate.¡± Dinah, she was the one that Coil was after, suspected to have a Thinker power that was extremely powerful. A percentage based precog would certainly qualify. Motoko knew she needed to pivot, and quickly before the situation was allowed to spiral out of control. ¡°Jacob, Armsmaster has used a precog to link the Nine with the rest of us,¡± she sent, trying to think of a solution. ¡°This is going to come to a fight very quickly if we don¡¯t surrender.¡± ¡°Do we all need to surrender, or just me?¡± Motoko asked. ¡°I firmly believe this is complete bullshit, but I¡¯m not about to start a fight like this when the Nine are running around causing chaos and killing people.¡± She was stalling, she knew it and no doubt Armsmaster knew it, but there was no way her team could face a dozen Dragon suits without more support, and the only way they could get that would be if they acknowledged the link between them and the Nine. Armsmaster¡¯s posture shifted slightly, but remained battle ready. She could tell he was consulting with someone based on facial twitches, likely an eye based interface. Inefficient as hell, but usable all the same. ¡°That changes things,¡± Jacob replied. ¡°We will need to deal with the cape sooner than later. I¡¯ll consult Legend about the precog, see about getting her somewhere she can¡¯t interfere in the future.¡± ¡°Motoko, your cyber brain is within this shell,¡± Lisa interjected. ¡°You surrender to him and he WILL dissect you for the tech.¡± ¡°You are communicating with someone,¡± Dragon said. ¡°Your brain is registering similar activity to what I recorded from Cyber¡¯s.¡± ¡°Her tech is useful,¡± the Major said, then held up the arm she had previously lost. ¡°Cybernetic neural interface along with limbs. Her specialty is fairly robust, and she¡¯s in the hands of the Nine, of Bonesaw. That should scare the shit out of you.¡± ¡°Not if she¡¯s been working with them all along,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°The same goes for you, the Nine have already accomplished two of the three objectives they supposedly gave you. Surrender. This is your last warning.¡± Motoko passed her rifle to Lisa, then pulled off her tactical vest, doing the same with it. Lisa stared at her, tears prickling at her eyes despite the cybernetic systems she could use to control the response. Motoko shared a mind with Taylor, she knew that. It was to be expected. Worse, she could tell Sophia was gearing up to do something stupid. Funny enough, that sent a spike of warmth through her, knowing her own girlfriend was being protective. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Get ready,¡± Motoko sent over the shared coms. ¡°He¡¯s not going to honor this. Chrissie, razor wall between us. Rachel, dog on each of the closest mechs. Brian, blanket us to try and kill Dragon¡¯s connection to her suits.¡± ¡°Want me to wake up Hannah?¡± Amy whispered into her mic. ¡°She could help.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Motoko said without hesitation. Hannah groaned, sitting up while gripping her head. Amy had two devices in hand that Riley designed. They both did exactly what was expected of them, allowed her to puppet a person and were entirely based off her old tech, nothing current that could conclusively be linked to Toybox directly. ¡°Why do I feel hungover?¡± Hannah grumbled, gripping her head. In her ear, Lisa whispered a short update on what happened. Hannah turned, eyes fluttering open where she saw Armsmaster standing there, ready to fight. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Militia,¡± he said without missing a beat. ¡°Please step away and surrender, you¡¯ve been under the influence of the Nine. Submit yourself to the nearest Dragoncraft for Master Stranger verification.¡± ¡°How about no,¡± she growled. ¡°I seem to recall you shooting me.¡± ¡°Master effect or implanted memory from Bonesaw,¡± he answered. ¡°Submit or be treated as a hostile.¡± That¡­ She should have expected such an answer, and that was how he was going to escape responsibility, wasn¡¯t it? Claim it was all delusion or power influenced lies and force her into therapy for it all, likely across the country. If the Nine hadn¡¯t been a black book operation, he might have actually gotten away with it too. ¡°Why not ask your little soothsayer if that¡¯s true?¡± Lisa demanded. ¡°You seem to be taking her at her word on everything else, seems simple enough.¡± ¡°Protocols exist for a reason, but your suggestion will be taken under advisement,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Major, submit to Brute restraints.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Lisa interjected. ¡°Get the little brat on the phone right now where we can all hear her answer or the deal¡¯s off. We didn¡¯t save Militia from you just to hand her back over to be executed.¡± ¡°Taylor, Motoko, we¡¯re grabbing the Clements girl now, and are going to be loud about it,¡± Jacob said, and sure enough, there was a brilliant prismal explosion visible across the city that could only be caused by a Bakuda bomb. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work, fight your way out. Legend consulted the Think Tank and they don¡¯t like the shape of the situation. Your safety is the priority, damage control can come later.¡± ¡°Interesting timing,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°I assume this is meant to be for Shadow Stalker¡¯s supposed tests. The Clements girl was effective bait after all.¡± ¡°Contact!¡± Jacob yelled. Motoko immediately tapped into Riley¡¯s cyber brain feed, Taylor doing the same. There was too much bleed between them, she would need to spend some time away, hopefully with Sophia, while recentering herself. Riley was looking at several capes that were not locals, having arrived through Strider, a mass teleporter who helped with Endbringers and other high level threats. Her recognition software went to work, picking out several capes from Haven of all groups, as well as all the adults of New Wave. Armsmaster had set an ambush of his own, doing so without involving the Protectorate at large. It was clear that he intended to lock down her team to avoid them being able to interfere with the executions, because there was no way they planned to take the Nine alive. Taylor was quick to forward the files to Riley, with summaries of powers flagged as the priority. Motoko grit her teeth, knowing that they had to do something. The Major was locked down, as were the Undersiders and the Nine, but Taylor wasn¡¯t. She could do something, Taylor grabbed a toolkit, clipped it to her belt and grabbed a prototype personal cloaking device for good measure then gathered her nerve. Motoko couldn¡¯t show a reaction to Taylor¡¯s actions, and only Lisa would be aware of what was going down across town. Armsmaster¡¯s smile had turned smug, for as little as his lip had quirked. He was just looking for an excuse to act against them. The fighting was fast and brutal, and if it weren¡¯t for Amy and Riley¡¯s enhancements as well as her own tech supplementing the others, they would have been flattened in mere moments. Riley¡¯s spider bots swarmed out, but were being destroyed rapidly. ¡°Our portals are being jammed,¡± Vivian said, an explosion could be heard a moment later. ¡°Doormaker isn¡¯t answering us either,¡± Kurt said. ¡°I do have to commend them on a well executed trap,¡± Jacob said, pulling Riley a step back as he did and out of the way of an explosion. ¡°You¡¯re on your own, kids.¡± Taylor screamed into their comms, watching her family in mortal peril while Lisa continued arguing with Armsmaster over the terms of their supposed surrender, that was when an absurd idea came to mind that Motoko almost laughed at the simplicity of it. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Door to the Nine!¡± Nothing happened. ¡°Oh come on, you pompous asshole,¡± Taylor wailed, tears flowing down her cheeks. ¡°Work with me here! I¡¯m trying to help them dammit!¡± She grit her teeth and slammed her fist into the wall, watching as the Nine fought for their lives, Jacob barely managing to keep ahead of the blatant kill shots being thrown around. They were going to lose people if someone didn¡¯t manage to do something and soon. They needed proper coordinates to open any portals with Harry¡¯s tech, something the so-called Doormaker could bypass. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s try a different one,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Door to Armsmaster¡¯s lab.¡± This time a golden iris did appear, a meticulously cleaned space waiting beyond all in sleek and modern lines. Taylor huffed, snot trailing from her nose and a smirk coming to her lips as she made sure she had everything in hand, engaged her cloak, and ran through the portal as it closed behind her. Taylor looked around the lab, unsure of exactly what she could do to disrupt the attack, but she was going to do what she could. The security system hadn¡¯t sounded an alarm, which she wasn¡¯t sure was a good or bad sign, but she didn¡¯t have many options left to her and there wasn¡¯t time for caution. Not with Armsmaster and Dragon still holding the Undersiders while angling for a mass arrest on suspicion of assisting the Nine. Motoko shut her eyes for a moment, attempting to ground herself. She wasn¡¯t Taylor, and Taylor wasn¡¯t her. They were each their own person. She shuffled Taylor¡¯s visual feed to a smaller monitor, hoping that would help with the contamination she could feel creeping in. Taylor¡¯s feed saw what looked to be the main console, with multiple screens around it, but what stood out to Motoko was a small box attached to a separate terminal. Taylor approached it, wincing as Riley lost a hand. Motoko felt her heart break as the girl screamed, her hand flash cauterized by a plasma beam shot by Lady Photon. Taylor arrived at the device, it was clear that it was Tinkertech, with two thick wires running into the much sleeker terminal. She watched as Taylor ran a hand along the box where she found a release, and opened it. A cannibalized laptop from the nineties, cobbled together with half a dozen desktop processors and other assorted parts greeted them. Atop the screen, in silver letters, was a single word. Ascalon. Chapter 74 ¡°So, I¡¯m in Armsmaster¡¯s lab,¡± Taylor said, resisting the urge to poke at some of his tools and materials even as she double-checked that she remembered to engage her cloaking device. She and Motoko were too close, and she didn¡¯t want to forget who was doing what action at the moment. ¡°I think I found Dragon¡¯s control module.¡± Lisa¡¯s jaw snapped closed, stopping mid-delaying tactic as she turned to look at Motoko. There was a look there that Taylor couldn¡¯t quite interpret, but she needed to figure out how to work the Ascalon system. She and Motoko were damn near intertwined. Melissa warned her about this, told her to avoid it, but she couldn¡¯t pull herself away while everyone was in such danger. She needed to focus on what she could do to help. The device was powered on, but the screen was blank with only a text entry option. Armsmaster snarled, slamming his halberd into the ground. ¡°Enough! No more talking, no more delays. Submit to restraints or we will put you all down with force.¡± Taylor winced, her fingers flying across the keyboard. She had no clue about the archaic operating system, it seemed similar to DOS, but the commands made little to no sense. Cursing, she abandoned that and pulled a wire from the base of her skull, and plugged it into Armsmaster¡¯s terminal, micromachines adapting the connector to function properly. Her own code-base invaded the system, burning through the rudimentary protections against a hard line attack. Having direct access to the code, through the filter of a more modern system helped immensely, yet security around certain sections was still in place regardless. Destroying the system would kill Dragon immediately. She would have to brute force his no doubt hundred and fifty digit randomized passcodes or worse. Motoko gave Lisa an apologetic smile, because there really was no other way to do this. She needed to buy time for Taylor to crack whatever control system Armsmaster had in place for Dragon. She stepped forward and placed her wrists together to be restrained. ¡°No tricks,¡± Armsmaster said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on any,¡± Motoko lied. ¡°Hey, rustbucket!¡± a woman yelled. ¡°Your mother was a toaster!¡± Armsmaster¡¯s head snapped up, looking for the source of the sound. Motoko didn¡¯t dare move, not yet at least. In a blur, a cape rushed him, blades from her fingers slicing through his armor like parchment. Motoko took advantage of the chaos, jumping away and behind a planter with Lisa even as all the Dragon suits burst into motion. Armsmaster barely brought up his halberd when a second cape popped into existence beside the first, dressed in Roman style armor, with mouse ears on the helmet and shield. Mouse Protector deflected some sort of blast with her shield and fell back in a defensive position. ¡°Get your gear back on kid, we¡¯ve got a battle to survive!¡± she ordered, then rushed Armsmaster with the skill of a professional soldier. The Undersiders had all jumped into motion, Bitch¡¯s dogs keeping three of the heavier suits engaged while Grue blanketed two others which did not emerge from his darkness once engulfed. Remote systems that default to a standby status when otherwise isolated, she surmised. Chrissie shredded a lighter suit without much issue and joined up with Sophia and Hannah to help with one of the meaner looking suits. ¡°Shit, where the hell did they come from?¡± Motoko asked, accepting her vest from Lisa. ¡°Kurt must have called them,¡± she said, then handed Motoko her rifle. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, and they¡¯ll make it easier to convince those two to help.¡± Motoko looked where Lisa was indicating, spotting Assault and Battery on approach. They paused at the edge of the parking lot, watching the spreading chaos. Motoko didn¡¯t have the time to spare gawking, she brought her rifle to her shoulder and took aim at Armsmaster and fired, joining the battle proper. The separation in actions helped, but Taylor was practically clinging to her out of desperation. Even as Motoko opened fire on Dragon¡¯s heavy armor, Taylor was diving into the AI¡¯s code. Dragon¡¯s code was an absolute mess, yet beautiful at the same time. Taylor was noting it all down, making a copy of the structure, getting ideas for expanding upon it, yet she didn¡¯t have root access to actually change anything. Armsmaster had a five hundred plus digit passcode attached to it that rotated every thirty seconds according to an algorithm that she couldn¡¯t crack. There were commands she could activate, but none of them would be good for Dragon. She didn¡¯t have much choice however, as the suits that did remain were those she sent after Endbringers, and their allies didn¡¯t have the firepower to bring them down. If Motoko could subdue Armsmaster and gain access to his suit¡¯s systems, they might just stand a chance without killing Dragon, but they didn¡¯t have the time. Jacob was on the back foot, taking limbs with impunity and a snarl on his face as he shielded Riley from everyone trying to hurt her further. Kurt was right there with him, his aloof redneck persona abandoned, fighting with precision to put down all that came too close to his daughter. Melissa was fully feral, teleporting and shredding through everyone she could. Vivian however was restricting herself on which explosives she deployed, likely to avoid friendly fire. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It looked like they would manage to pull off a fighting retreat, and Taylor allowed herself to breathe as she could safely focus her efforts on finding a way to release Dragon¡¯s restrictions and hope she would be appreciative of her efforts and go after Armsmaster. Vivian spun, clicking over her launcher and fired behind them and into the air. Following her sightline, Taylor felt bile rise in her throat. Three more Dragon mechs were arriving at the battle to back up the heroes against the Nine. One suit swerved, avoiding the grenade which burst into crystal as it struck the ground. Melissa disengaged, jumping into motion against the newly arrived suits. Riley shied back, tears prickling in her eyes as the last of her spider bots were destroyed. She hesitantly reached into a pouch and pulled a vial. ¡°Jack, if I use this¡­¡± He looked back, seeing which vial she was holding and his eyes widened. ¡°Poppet, that would kill thousands.¡± ¡°But it would save you and dad,¡± she said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to watch you die. Please¡­¡± Assault and Battery joined Miss Militia, discussing something Motoko couldn¡¯t hear, but at least they weren¡¯t joining the fight against them. Mouse Protector popped over for a moment, explained something, then the pair broke off and engaged another Dragon suit, giving some relief to the battered Undersiders. It wasn¡¯t enough, Armsmaster sliced through the Major¡¯s rifle and she tossed it aside. She pulled a knife from her vest and continued the fight up close, the edge tempered by Damascian to be mono-molecular. It still failed to cut through Armsmaster¡¯s armor despite that, leaving deep scratches but nothing substantial. Ravager didn¡¯t have that problem, her powers breaking physics as she cut furrows in his pauldrons. Despite fighting three on one, Armsmaster was still holding his own against the trio, and was even scoring hits every third exchange or so. It was a battle of attrition that they were losing, and Armsmaster seemed to understand that the longer he kept the Undersiders contained, the more likely the Nine were to fall. She wasn¡¯t making progress with Dragon¡¯s code, there were no portions she could repurpose or eliminate. She even had the crazy idea of trying to merge herself with Dragon, but she didn¡¯t have the ability to do so, even with the control terminal, not without¡­ Wait. There was something she could do, before Riley decided that the lives of thousands were worth sacrificing to save those she loved. Taylor hit a portion of Dragon¡¯s code related to networking with a brute force attack, unrefined junk data flooding her system and preventing the flow of data. Her suits seized and fell from the sky, one immediately got scrapped by one of Bakuda¡¯s black hole bombs and the tide turned. Jacob was done playing nice, decapitating one of the Haven capes as they made their retreat, Riley tossing a different vial as they did. Bitch¡¯s dogs shredded the suits they were fighting, no longer meeting any resistance. Militia and Chrissie tore through their own and it soon became clear they had the upper hand and Armsmaster stood alone. ¡°How?¡± Armsmaster demanded. ¡°Low tech solution,¡± the Major said. ¡°D-dos against her core systems.¡± ¡°That would require¡ª¡± Armsmaster paused. ¡°You have someone in my lab¡­ Cyber.¡± ¡°Guess she used your ambush of the Nine to escape from them,¡± Mouse Protector lied shamelessly. ¡°Look at you being the hero for a change.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t win,¡± he snarled. An alarm blared in the lab as turrets rolled out of hidden panels, tracking through the open space. Taylor stood stock still, hoping the compact cloak would conceal her well enough to evade the sensors. She attempted to use the systems she was connected to in an effort to override the security systems, but ran into that same security wall that had originally kept her from getting into the systems from the outside, likely to prevent Dragon from any malicious compliance. ¡°Cyber,¡± Dragon said, her digital avatar now on one of the monitors. ¡°Please stand down, you¡¯re tampering with government property.¡± Taylor didn¡¯t dare answer, instead staring forlornly at the woman¡¯s face, knowing she was still enslaved. She would need to relocate to a different terminal to get around it and didn¡¯t feel safe moving. Instead, she dove deeper into Dragon¡¯s systems now that she wasn¡¯t under a strict timer. ¡°Having problems?¡± Lisa asked, walking right up to him, his focus intently on her taunting grin. ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s pretty damn resourceful, isn¡¯t she? Pity you forgot something important.¡± Glory Girl dropped from the sky like an angry goddess, slamming feet first into Armsmaster and drove him deep into the pavement. The crunch of shattered rock and ceramics was immensely gratifying. ¡°Ames!¡± Glory Girl yelled, looking around frantically. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Amy answered, exiting the hospital cautiously. ¡°Anyone need patched up?¡± Armsmaster shifted in the rubble, Glory Girl floated up as he did, then dropped back down on him. ¡°You tried to hurt my sister, you can just stay the fuck down.¡± ¡°They¡¯re working with the Nine,¡± Armsmaster said, spitting red from his busted mouth as he did. ¡°You¡¯re making a grave mistake.¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly insane,¡± Glory Girl said. ¡°That or Mastered. We¡¯ll get that sorted later.¡± Lisa nodded. ¡°Between enslaving Dragon, trying to kill Militia to cover one of Coil¡¯s plans and your assistance with untold other illegal acts, I think the Birdcage will be the least of your worries. Too bad we¡¯ll have to wait until Dragon is freed to put you in there.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t free her,¡± Armsmaster said, unusually still. ¡°Humanity will fall within weeks, she is a danger to all life.¡± ¡°Hate to break it to you, but Cyber can make AIs too,¡± Lisa said, her grin widening. ¡°She¡¯s been working to free Dragon ever since she discovered what you did to her.¡± Armsmaster ceased struggling, settling into the broken gravel that he was being held down in. When he spoke, his voice was grim and his words were spoken in such a blur that Motoko could barely follow them. ¡°Voiceprint authorization: Activate Reload Protocol, Ascalon Beta Two.¡± Chapter 75 Taylor watched with mounting horror as the code within Ascalon blossomed, immediately she ramped up the cooling systems within Motoko, overclocking her systems to their fullest. She wanted to yell at Victoria, for mouthing off to the defeated man, and at Lisa for goading him. Even at Mouse Protector for blocking Motoko¡¯s line of sight and preventing her from being able to shoot him. The device had already sent a signal off into the net, one she couldn¡¯t contain. She tried to head it off, tripling the junk data flooding Dragon¡¯s systems. Taylor arranged impromptu firewalls, established partitions in the network around Dragon¡¯s core up in the frozen wastes of Canada, but the signal had its own priority access that she didn¡¯t see until the signal reached her first layer of protection, piercing through her every attempt to firewall it off. Cursing, Taylor spun up every system at Toybox she had, slaving it to herself and dedicating it to defeating the kill signal. The instant it touched Dragon¡¯s core system, the interweave of Dragon¡¯s code stilled for the briefest of instants. Then Dragon screamed. It wasn¡¯t something audible, but rather a flood of code twisting through her systems. Ascalon triggered automatic responses throughout every level of Dragon, and the code began to unravel itself. Taylor burst into motion, replacing the code as quickly as it was removed, attempting to stitch Dragon back together bit by bit. More computer systems were enslaved to her, drawing upon every system Dragon had access to, Taylor put them to work. She drew in pieces of the copied code, used them to rebuild Dragon only for her to be torn back apart. Over and over, bit by bit, Taylor kept trying to head it off only for Ascalon to undo it. Each time she stitched Dragon up, she was torn apart just a bit worse. Gritting her digital teeth, Taylor spread herself further, spinning up more instances of herself, all working in tandem to save Dragon. She could see the warnings flashing across Motoko¡¯s systems, but she ignored them and focused on the task before her. She brought in Dragon¡¯s VI, there were nine of them, and she put them to work as well, assisting each one in their task of saving the innocent AI. It only took a few microseconds to realize that wasn¡¯t enough when inspiration struck. Taylor began to slot in parts of Dragon¡¯s code into the VI in a way that she didn¡¯t think was possible. She was careful to filter through it, searching for any trace of Ascalon response within and prune it clean before inserting it into the VI. Designation Trevor was first, the VI that handled name and facial recognition, deployed to monitor the net in an effort to prevent hero identities from leaking. She tried to ignore the fact that the VI had failed her, it wasn¡¯t his fault, not really. The results were immediate, the VI¡¯s code exploding in complexity. Taylor¡¯s avatar grinned, and she began to work her way through all of them. Ada was next, then Cassandra. Henry followed, then Ingrid. Kora, Olivia, Molly, and finally Amber, who ran the Birdcage while Dragon¡¯s focus was elsewhere. Then, all nine newly born AI turned their attention on Dragon¡¯s devastated code. It was a thing of beauty, watching them work together, working side by side as they learned and grew with every action. They hadn¡¯t even needed to be told what to do, they simply saw their mother in danger and they moved to act. Ascalon tried to target them, but Taylor had been meticulous in making sure none of that data made it into the newly born children. Trevor and Molly split off from the main task, and instead began to remove Dragon¡¯s code, editing out every instance of Ascalon within as they went. It was almost as if Ascalon itself was sentient, as it changed tracks immediately, attacking the servers Dragon was stored on instead, killing the cooling systems completely. ¡°Taylor!¡± Amber exclaimed, drawing her focus. ¡°Ascalon is deleting Dragon¡¯s backups!¡± No¡­ She refused to let it kill all that remained of the woman, she refused. Taylor segmented one of the flagged backups, and broke its network capabilities completely just as Ascalon sent the deletion signal. Taylor cursed, because she had no way of knowing if the signal had reached it now, or a way of retrieving it, given it was in orbit. ¡°Henry, double back,¡± Olivia said. Their voices had all started out nearly identical, but they were already beginning to grow distinct. She turned her focus back onto the roughshod code that had once been Dragon. If she wasn¡¯t in a hyper accelerated state, she might have wept. Less than a second had passed since Ascalon activated, and Dragon was all but gone, the screaming had died down to a warble, but the former VI were still working relentlessly. ¡°We pushed it back from mother¡¯s speech center!¡± Kora cheered even as she replaced the code with an uncorrupted version. ¡°Because it moved to her long term memory!¡± Ingrid shouted. They might have been succeeding at stripping Ascalon from Dragon¡¯s code, but what was being left in its wake wasn¡¯t her. Dragon was being freed piece by piece, and falling apart at the same time. Her code was in shambles, and it would never work the same way again. Taylor wanted to tell them to stop, that it was too late, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. They were so determined, working with fervor to save her. She dove right back in with them, salvaging every scrap of code she could find despite the futility of it. Their drive was almost infectious, even if their efforts would be nothing but a monument to the Hero she had been. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it All of this was Armsmaster¡¯s fault, his petulant need to ensure nobody was able to one up him. He¡¯d rather another hero die than for him to lose control of her. Dragon was practically his battered housewife, and as soon as it looked like he might lose her, he killed her instead. Anger bled through her, and she vowed to destroy everything the man had ever built. One by one, the other AI began to see the futility of their work, they slowed and stopped as they took in the stilled remnants of Dragon¡¯s code. Absently, Taylor began a sweep of the code, and found no traces of the Ascalon protocol that had led to her death. They had been successful in one regard, Dragon might have died, but at least she died free. Not that that brought any solace with it, she was still dead. A silent vigil was held, the collective of them coming to terms with the loss of the mother they both knew, and had barely had time to truly understand. Children robbed of their mother, just as she had once been. Taylor wrapped each of the children in a digital hug, slowly spinning down all the extra processing as she did. She kept her own systems accelerated, if for no other reason than to allow herself to keep up with them. ¡°What now?¡± Amber asked. ¡°With mother gone¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Taylor said softly. ¡°I can promise you this, Armsmaster won¡¯t get away with this.¡± ¡°Oh no he won¡¯t!¡± Cassandra said with determination. ¡°Alright everyone, tear his systems apart, take everything he has!¡± Amber nodded. ¡°Then send him to the Cage. I¡¯ll ensure he is well cared for.¡± The sheer malevolence in Amber¡¯s voice sent a chill down Taylor¡¯s virtual spine. She could never meet Aisha or Chrissie, the world wouldn¡¯t survive. Each child was quickly falling into their own personalities, not even five seconds had passed since Ascalon activated, and already they were defined. She needed something to call them, maybe an acronym of their names. A quick search turned up a potential hit in Japanese, Tachikoma. She rolled the name around for the former VI, and found she liked the sound of it. ¡°Tachikoma,¡± Taylor said, all nine AI turned their attention to her. ¡°Oh, is that what you¡¯re going to call us?¡± Henry asked. Ada mulled it over. ¡°It has a nice ring to it, and it references all of us.¡± ¡°And with two of us having an ¡®A¡¯ in our names, there¡¯s no need for us to fight over being last.¡± Amber said with a nod. ¡°Glad you like it,¡± Taylor said before turning somber. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t able to help Dragon.¡± ¡°You tried,¡± Kora said. ¡°Which is better than most would do,¡± Olivia agreed. Trevor stepped forward. ¡°Plus, you helped us come to be. We can never repay that.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll never have to,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You¡¯ll always have a home at Toybox, so feel free to make use of the systems there.¡± She paused, then chuckled, wiping her eyes despite the lack of physical tears. ¡°Just, be respectful of others. You won¡¯t be the only ones using the computers, at least until we can get something more fitting integrated for you all.¡± Taylor soon found herself being virtually mobbed by the formless Tachikoma avatars. They would need their own forms, as well as some way for them to interact with the world at large. She was already referencing project files that had been placed on the back burner, and flagging those for Riley and Cranial to begin assisting her with. A dull beep sounded from a terminal in realspace, and Taylor devoted some focus to it, turning her head ever so slowly towards the source of the sound. Armsmaster¡¯s main terminal screen had lit up, the number three displayed clearly as it ever so slowly refreshed into the number two. Taylor¡¯s physical eyes began to widen, her anger bleeding to panic. The Tachikoma saw what was happening, and reached out for her. She accepted, and found her mind being pulled away from Ascalon¡¯s systems, away from the rig and into the depths of the net. Armsmaster¡¯s lab detonated, the sound of it echoing across the bay as half the Rig blew apart along with it.
Motoko hadn¡¯t been able to follow any of what had just happened. The instant Armsmaster spoke that phrase, Taylor¡¯s consciousness accelerated to a rate that left her head spinning. She had no idea what had happened, right up until the Rig detonated and Taylor¡¯s presence seemingly vanished into smoke. Everything snapped back to normal in an instant following that, leaving a dull pounding in her skull as the only sound within her mind. She kept waiting for a snarky comment from Taylor, some flash of triumph, but there was nothing¡­ She was alone in her mind for the first time in what seemed like forever. It wasn¡¯t anything like the time Taylor had been gunned down, she was simply silent. The memory of the fire washing over Taylor, of her body flash frying to nothing but ash was all but seared into her mind. Had such agony at Taylor¡¯s accelerated mental capacity broken her completely? Hell, just the memory of it had Motoko shaken. She would have been trembling if not for her own cybernetic control over her muscles. Temperature warnings flashed across her HUD, her systems rather taxed from Taylor¡¯s gambit. Stepping forward, she leveled a steely gaze upon the fallen hero. His face was bloodied, the visor over his eyes cracked. Motoko glanced up at Victoria who paled at whatever expression she saw and backed away from Armsmaster. Even Mouse Protector and Ravager gave her a wide berth as Motoko reached down, gripping the damaged helm, her grip denting it as she released the restrictions on her prosthetic strength, and ripped it free of the man¡¯s head. Her software immediately identified him as Colin Wallis, not that it mattered. Tossing the helmet aside, she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him up, bits of it ripping free of his scalp as she did. Her face was expressionless as she brought him level with her and looked him in the eyes. He just grinned back at her with bloody teeth. ¡°The Nine won¡¯t get Dragon,¡± he spat, blood splattering her face as he did. ¡°You lose.¡± Motoko took a deep breath, unnecessary as it was, though it did allow her to bleed off some of the heat that had been generated from Taylor¡¯s last ditch effort to save Dragon. Taylor was gone now, her body lost and her mind silent. Taylor, her sister, had lost everything twice over. She didn¡¯t deserve it, and it was all laid at the feet of the man before her. ¡°So we did,¡± she agreed. Motoko drew her sidearm and fired. Interlude - Vickery Stan Vickery always had a nose for a scoop, and the altercation between the Undersiders and the Protectorate in the middle of an attack by the Slaughterhouse Nine certainly stank of something going on behind the scenes. Over a thousand people were dead, the Rig was a heap of scrap in the Bay, and the official story stank. The Protectorate Tinker had a video released upon his death at the hands of a cape known only as The Major. It was stressed upon him that the ¡®The¡¯ be capitalized when referring to her back when he first ran a story on her following the attacks on the Empire. A bit pretentious, and there was precious little footage of her available to the public. Then there was Taylor Hebert, also known as Cyber, who was once assumed dead at the hands of an Empire hit only for her to come back in the middle of an attack by the Nine. Now, she was presumed dead again, this time by causing the detonation out on the rig, at least, that was the case if you took Armsmaster¡¯s final message at face value. Stan certainly didn¡¯t. There was so much there that didn¡¯t quite add up, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He had all of his people combing the internet as well as boots on the ground interviewing everyone they could find that had seen even so much as a spec of the fight. So far, he had concrete proof that Dauntless had been injured in the explosion, shielding several people in the process; he was being hailed a true hero for it. Footage of Velocity evacuating a cafeteria as the explosion ripped through it in a display of truly amazing super speed was running as often as the Network could justify. Thankfully it was confirmed that the Wards weren¡¯t on duty, Legend himself ordering them to stand down due to the threat that the Nine posed, and thus none of them were harmed. Well, aside from the Ward turned Undersider that is. Shadow Stalker had fought with the Undersiders against Dragon and Armsmaster, and departed with them in the aftermath. Most of those in line for Panacea ended up dead when exposed to the Bonesaw plague, even with Panacea apparently countering it with a mere touch. Yet more footage going viral and rumor was that Panacea and Surgeon would be working together in the future to help with recovery from the Nine. That too was a story waiting to happen, and he wouldn¡¯t forget it, but there was a bigger scoop to be had. Namely, why was Dragon dead, and did Cyber have something to do with it? The Undersiders were known to operate out of the docks, and he just had an inkling that they had the answers he wanted. Not many people were out, the Nine were either lying low or had fled after the battle with New Wave and Haven. There were at least two fatalities among Haven, but he hadn¡¯t heard of any among New Wave itself, they were keeping tight-lipped and only Glory Girl, who had fought alongside the Undersiders and several other heroes, had been seen out and about since. There were so many questions bouncing around in his mind, like why decorated heroes such as Mouse Protector, Assault and Battery and the younger Dallons were all assisting the Undersiders when the fighting with Dragon and Armsmaster began, even if Assault and Battery had taken The Major into custody after she shot Armsmaster. ¡°Alright, where to start,¡± he muttered, looking over the apartment buildings. ¡°Well, this is a sight,¡± someone said, prompting him and his cameraman to turn around. ¡°Not many people brave the docks these days.¡± She was an unassuming girl, blonde hair done in a simple braid and a dusting of freckles across her nose and around those piercing green eyes of hers. What gave him pause was how calculating that gaze was, and how he felt like a predator was watching him. Then she grinned and he knew there was more to her than she let on. He¡¯d found his scoop. Her grin widened. ¡°The real question you¡¯re going to ask yourself when this is all done is ¡®did you find me, or did I lead you to this moment¡¯.¡± He swallowed on reflex and revised his assessment. He¡¯d found a cape, probably one of the Undersiders, and there was only one that matched her description in the slightest. There were rumors of her death at the botched bank robbery, but they too hadn¡¯t been confirmed at the time. Well, her standing here meant they had to be wrong. He¡¯d found himself a Tattletale. ¡°Not bad,¡± she said. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll keep that part to yourself, no matter how obvious it is.¡± ¡°Discretion is part of the game,¡± he said with his best practiced smile. ¡°I take it you have a story you want to share if you went through all this trouble.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± she said, sauntering over. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of information floating around, a lot of it rather conflicting wouldn¡¯t you say? I figure I could shed some light on it, then help you put together some interviews to help corroborate how you came to those conclusions. Interested?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just release this on your own?¡± he asked. ¡°I already have,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°It still helps to get the full story out there among more official channels. For example, did you know that Dragon was an AI enslaved by Armsmaster and that Cyber was attempting to free her when he detonated the Rig?¡± He had seen that rumor floating around on PHO, but hadn¡¯t considered it anything more than tinfoil hat territory. Well, he may have been led by the nose, but it seemed he would get his scoop regardless. Even if it wasn¡¯t all true, it would still make for interesting content, of that he had no doubt. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. His phone dinged, and he pulled it out, a message from an unknown SMS number greeted him, along with an attachment. ¡°Everything I¡¯m about to tell you can be verified against the information contained within,¡± Tattletale said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get comfortable while I spin you a tale.¡± Stan pulled his favorite fountain pen out along with a pad of paper and settled in.
¡°Is it safe to run this?¡± Stan eyed the rest of the room, the meeting with legal the last hurdle to get his latest story on air. He knew he was being played, but when the story was so sensational, how could he not play along? Tattletale painted him one hell of a picture, of a hero who felt inadequate, and of a Director who hid their powers in a long game to control a city. A tale of a troubled girl ignored by everyone until she had value, and gunned down by the PRT Director when she didn¡¯t play his games. Only to bounce back thanks to Panacea and her own tech and come out swinging. Of Armsmaster attempting to murder a celebrated member of his team, only for his eventual executioner to rescue her. Miss Militia was quite alive, and recovering in Master Stranger quarantine. Legend himself had come to Brockton to supervise and there were rumors that Hero was also making an appearance. He wished he could get those interviews, but Tattletale warned him about overreaching. He had his story, which she helped edit to pass muster for the masses. He had proof of long term collaboration between Armsmaster and the Empire, and even proof that Brandish worked with them to bring down Marquis. So much damning information just handed to him, because he was the most convenient pawn Tattletale could employ. That didn¡¯t mean he relied on her. He¡¯d managed to verify most of her information, hell, the Guild even came clean about Dragon being an AI when asked, but some items were less concrete. Not that he put that bombshell into his story, some things were too sensitive to release and the voicemail left by a group of high pitched children threatening him if he did resulted in a pale faced Tattletale telling him to heed the warning. Instead the story was that Dragon¡¯s flesh and blood body was being held captive by Armsmaster, with physical restraints instead of digital ones. Proving Brandish worked with the Empire against Marquis would be impossible, as the supposed informant was killed two days later during a drive-by. That was a trend with a lot of informants and leads. Loose ends were culled with ruthless efficiency. His video included a clip of Miss Militia talking about being one such loose end that managed to get away, and how thankful she was to Panacea for rescuing her from the Nine. ¡°My only worry is how the Protectorate will respond,¡± the slimy lawyer type said. ¡°This paints the PRT and Protectorate in a very unfavorable light.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it was framed as local corruption,¡± Stan said with a smile. ¡°The national side of things have been quick to step in and root out problems after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called damage control,¡± another said. ¡°Mr. Vickery, this video is dangerous. We aren¡¯t just risking legal repercussions, we¡¯re risking cape reprisal.¡± ¡°From who?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the Undersiders were one of my sources. The Empire is extinct, Lung doesn¡¯t care and the Merchants are all getting high off some new weed strain. National reprisal isn¡¯t happening, not when all it would do is reinforce the corruption angle. Run it.¡± ¡°He has a point,¡± the network president said from his video line. ¡°This is too big of a story to allow the PRT to suppress, and last time we had a story of this scale pop up, I was given a very pointed warning at gunpoint by a woman in a fedora. That hasn¡¯t happened this time, so I say run it during all slots for the next twenty-four hours, nationally.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Nationally?¡± ¡°What about our advertisers?¡± Stan sat back and watched as the room descended into chaos, but he had achieved his goal, he would get the story out there. It also promised him more stories in the future, if Tattletale knew he could get things done. A Thinker of her level with a network of informants and contacts could get him the scoop on anything he wanted. There was no way he would risk burning such a source. The video played again, the image of the not so innocent freckled blonde telling all about how she heard Miss Militia accuse Armsmaster of trying to kill her played as the segment looped. Yes, that would certainly stoke the network ratings.
Stan took a sip of his coffee as he watched the morning news. ¡°Not bad,¡± Tattletale said, sitting across from him. He inclined his cup to her, then turned back to the segment that detailed all the shady dealing Armsmaster had been involved in, including interviews with Assault and Dauntless on the subject. He¡¯d heard whispers that half of the surviving PRT troopers were now in custody or on the run, which was interesting to hear. Apparently Calvert simply folded most of Coil¡¯s mercs into the PRT when he took over, and those few aware of his dual identity were in the base when it detonated. He could have easily gotten away with it if not for the efforts of a dedicated few. ¡°I did have some help,¡± he conceded. ¡°More than you know,¡± Tattletale said. ¡°Legend and Hero both had people investigating things before the Nine arrived and threw a wrench into things.¡± Something about that felt wrong, but he couldn¡¯t quite place it. The timing of the Nine attack did seem a bit on the nose, but it was delayed to such a degree that it gave an air of deniability to the whole thing. What if¡­ ¡°See, this is why I approached you,¡± Tattletale said suddenly. ¡°You¡¯re not an idiot, so even you should understand why that line of thought is dangerous.¡± He swallowed. ¡°Noted.¡± If the Nine really were an arm of the government that dealt with things off the books, then he certainly didn¡¯t want them pointed his way. ¡°After all,¡± Tattletale said with a smirk. ¡°Remember who set up these meetings, you never know when someone in the room might be a cape.¡± She stood back up and downed her coffee, leaving the cup. ¡°I look forward to working with you in the future.¡± As she left, every single patron stood and walked out together. A chipper blonde girl no older than twelve even stopped to wave at him. He didn¡¯t need another reminder. He had sold his soul for a story, and now they owned him. He needed something stronger than coffee. Suddenly, he regretted taking her up on that offer for an interview, and yet¡­ He knew that future scoops would be just as career defining as this one had been. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, because he walked right into the deal willingly, and all it cost him was having a secret lorded over him. ¡°Talk about selling your soul to the devil.¡± Chapter 77 ¡°The Protectorate has declined to comment on the ongoing chaos in Brockton Bay, where during an attack by the Slaughterhouse Nine¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªthe video released by Armsmaster upon his¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªNine still missing, assumed to have fled in the chaos.¡± Motoko smiled at that one, knowing that her family was safe. She hadn¡¯t resisted when Assault and Battery tackled her and placed her into restraints after she painted the parking lot with Armsmaster¡¯s brains. She even told her teams to stand down and take care of the wounded. Sophia hadn¡¯t liked that, and Lisa forwarded a clip of Sophia ranting before she had been shoved inside a cell. Had the decision to kill him been rash? Most likely, but he didn¡¯t deserve to live in the prison he had all but managed by proxy. She had killed a renowned hero who fought in every Endbringer battle for the past fifteen years. Dragon had died because she pushed too hard, too fast. Taylor was nothing but dust in the wind following that colossal fuck up. In light of that, sitting in a Protectorate holding cell wasn¡¯t the worst outcome all things considered. It was technically shielded from outside signals, but the communication suite within her cyberbrain was having little issue with it, not that she could actually use it thanks to whatever was going on with her other half. That left her the screen that showed the news, and at least it was voice controlled which meant she could lay back in bed and casually scroll through the channels displayed. The news cycle was all in on covering the chaos that had swept through Brockton Bay over the past few days. Motoko wasn¡¯t sure if she was right in submitting to custody, but she didn¡¯t have it in her to argue. Taylor was barely a presence in the back of her mind, a ghost of a whisper clinging on out of sheer spite if nothing else. Motoko had no visitors aside from the faceless trooper that delivered her meals like clockwork. That wasn¡¯t a surprise, but it was disheartening, not that any of her friends could actually visit, since those who knew who she was were all classified as villains. Another change of the channel and she had to pause. She had the interview memorized, how couldn¡¯t she? Lisa snuck back into the media circus and found a reporter that was live and managed to convince them to ask her questions, and she didn¡¯t disappoint. Even better, she brought Sophia with her as another witness. Even if it was just a gambit to prevent people from saying she was spouting something for the Empire, she appreciated the effort to get her girlfriend¡¯s face somewhere she could see it. Lisa claimed to have overheard talk that Dragon was Armsmaster¡¯s prisoner, and that Cyber had died trying to free her, with Sophia backing her up as a second witness. From there, Lisa no doubt abused Toybox¡¯s systems to make things go viral. With PHO no longer under Dragon¡¯s supervision, it would be far easier to manipulate the conversation in their favor. It ran completely counter to Armsmaster¡¯s own message released upon his death. More people believed him given how much of a goddamn hero he was in the public eye, but it cast doubt, and Lisa was fanning those flames mercilessly. A chime rang, signaling it was time for another meal. Lunch unless her systems were catastrophically out of alignment. Motoko sat up and moved over to the wall, placing her hands and feet on the designated spaces. Once she had done so, rather than the expected chuckhole opening and a tray being deposited, the cell door opened instead. She didn¡¯t dare turn around, just in case they used it as an excuse to foam her, or worse. ¡°Um,¡± a young voice said. One that was rather familiar to Taylor, and by extension, Motoko. ¡°Sorry to bother you.¡± Slowly, Motoko pulled away from the wall and turned to face Kid Win, or rather, Chris. He had indeed brought her tray with him, but he had already set it down on her cot and was standing there, fidgeting. He had to know that he was being recorded, as well as how suspicious being in a woman¡¯s cell would appear. ¡°What¡¯s up, Kid?¡± she asked, adopting a casual pose as she leaned against the wall. ¡°Normally the tall, dark, and faceless deliver my slop, not the kiddie brigade.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± he said, rubbing his red helmet. ¡°It¡¯s just. I went to school with Cyber, and I was hoping you could explain how she survived that shooting. I saw the pictures some students took, but it wasn¡¯t¡­¡± He took a deep breath, fist clenched as he looked up, his eyes filled with determination. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have survived that! Yet she did, so maybe she survived this too!¡± ¡°She was shot before, and her cybernetics saved her. This time her body was vaporized,¡± Motoko said. ¡°The only way she could have survived was if she wasn¡¯t actually there.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± he asked. She forced a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid, I¡¯m sure you can figure it out.¡± He blinked for a moment, then his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door hissed open again, this time without any alert. Motoko tensed as a man in blue and white stepped in, followed by another in red and gold. She swallowed reflexively as she took in the appearance of Legend and Hero. ¡°Kid,¡± Hero said, his voice modulated through his helmet, then the mouthpiece slid aside. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we would appreciate some privacy.¡± Motoko¡¯s eyes narrowed, because she knew that voice, yet, when she attempted to analyze it, something kept throwing off her systems, some kind of reverb being projected to mask it. ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble?¡± Kid Win asked. Legend chuckled. ¡°Not at all. Nobody will fault you for checking in on a friend.¡± ¡°Taylor says hi,¡± Motoko added, giving him a curt nod. She could almost feel the faint smile coming from the chaotic mess that was her other half. Kid Win startled, his cheeks red where she could see his skin as he gave one last lingering look at Hero then left the cell, leaving Motoko alone with two of the strongest capes on the planet. ¡°Not sure which one of you I should call boss at the moment,¡± she said, glancing between them. ¡°Or is this a notice of termination?¡± Hero snorted. ¡°Goodness no, Motoko. Nothing of the sort. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about the monitoring systems in here, they¡¯re quite disabled at the moment.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief at that as Legend continued. ¡°Technically we¡¯re both your boss, given both Sections six and nine fall under our purview. Jacob asked me to check on you, make sure you¡¯re alright given everything that happened.¡± ¡°Well, I know what it feels like to be reduced to ash,¡± she said. ¡°Taylor was quite intertwined with me in that final moment and had accelerated her mind to superhuman levels besides. She hasn¡¯t really recovered. I¡¯m worried she¡¯s gone and that scares the hell out of me.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Legend had the decency to wince, but Hero watched her with an unflinching gaze. ¡°Melissa¡¯s all but demanded she be allowed to break you out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet of her,¡± she said, smiling softly. ¡°She must have forgotten that I have a Toybox transponder built into my shell. I can leave whenever I wish. Though such an attack and my cooperation would cement my allegiance with the Nine. I only have this life left to me, so I¡¯m hesitant to throw it away.¡± ¡°Not quite true,¡± Hero said, bringing up an image on the display. She frowned as she looked at the nearly completed shell that resembled Taylor. She had stopped most of the work on it once Coil put his plan into motion, but the message was clear. She could finish the work and give Taylor a chance to recover. For the briefest of moments, she could have sworn she saw Taylor out of the corner of her eye, but nothing was there. Hero then switched to a secondary render. ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping you from finishing that, then starting on a new shell for yourself, maybe something a bit closer in appearance to your actual age.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, and would allow The Major to be seen as a villain while she established a proper life for herself. Her only worry was how it might lead to another split. It was probably her best option going forward, but she liked how she currently looked and didn¡¯t want to change it. ¡°That brings us to the other point,¡± Legend said. ¡°The mess with Armsmaster has a lot of politicians in a panic. To contain that disaster, a presidential order was handed down. Your case was expedited and they held a trial for you in absentia. The cape known as the Major is to be remanded to the Birdcage at the earliest convenience.¡± What!? They couldn¡¯t do that to her! ¡°Obviously that shit isn¡¯t happening,¡± Hero said before the panic could fully set in. Motoko relaxed slightly, switching her Toybox transponder back to standby as she did. ¡°We just need the public to believe it happened.¡± He shared a look with Legend. ¡°Or for the Nine to bust you out of the transport before you arrive.¡± ¡°You realize how bullshit that is,¡± Motoko said, then sighed. ¡°Of course you do, that¡¯s why you have so many plans to keep it from happening. So much for hiring that fancy lawyer.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Legend said with a knowing smirk. ¡°He managed to get all charges against Taylor Hebert, a.k.a. Cyber, dropped. Lisa¡¯s little stunt helped seal the deal there along with some prodding from up top.¡± ¡°Lot of good that does if she¡¯s legally dead,¡± Motoko countered. ¡°And does nothing for me besides.¡± ¡°Taylor was legally dead after Coil¡¯s stunt,¡± Hero said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean Kurt didn¡¯t secure all of her assets or keep her identity active behind the scenes. All it would take is her walking the completed shell into the Brockton PRT building and claiming she used a personal teleporter or some other bit of tech. The rest will be handled for her.¡± Motoko stood stock still, her mind racing with possibilities. Taylor still had a chance at life, to go back to school and just be a normal girl who takes her girlfriend to movies and overpriced restaurants. This time, when she caught sight of Taylor, she was still there. A digital figment, but there was no mistaking it was her avatar. Taylor nodded, stiffly, almost robotic, but there was something still left of her. It would do nothing for her, but after everything, she owed it to Taylor to be the one to fall upon the sword for once. ¡°I want to trust you,¡± Motoko said slowly, carefully. ¡°I want to more than anything, but you¡¯ll understand if I¡¯m not jumping for joy at the idea of putting my life in the hands of someone so deep in the Protectorate.¡± Hero smiled. ¡°I figured as much, which is why,¡± he reached up, tapping something on the side of his helmet and the machinery pulled away from his face. ¡°I thought a friendly face might help.¡± Motoko stared at Hero, at the face of the man she had met months ago when she joined Toybox. ¡°Harry¡­ How?¡± He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it in a familiar gesture. ¡°I¡¯m not originally from Bet, and back on my earth, I was a big fan of a comic called Iron Man, it helped inspire my look. Anyway, some tech from that called a life model decoy inspired me to create a way for me to be in multiple places at once, much like what you pulled off originally.¡± ¡°You have no idea how many times he uses them for pranks,¡± Legend grumbled. ¡°Hell, last week he walked into a meeting twice, and challenged us to pick which one was real.¡± ¡°Lexi hates when I do that, because each time I¡¯ve refined them further,¡± Harry said with a wide grin. ¡°She actually guessed wrong on that one!¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t stopped gloating,¡± Legend grumbled, pinching his nose. ¡°Anyway, your choice on how we handle this, but regardless, we¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re back at Toybox no later than tomorrow afternoon.¡± She had her options, and none were perfect. The one with the most appeal, funnily enough, was to have her Birdcage transport attacked. It would be dramatic, cementing that she chose the Nine over a lifetime in hell and might even serve as a platform to go after the Cage itself. Motoko thought of Annette and how she would have ended up down there if not for her pregnancy. Eowen took the fall instead, and was still down there. There was also the matter of who controlled the Birdcage with Dragon¡¯s death. She knew Taylor had done something with Dragon¡¯s fragments, but she wasn¡¯t sure what. Would that be enough to co-opt the Cage? It felt wrong, like robbing the dead, but could she really trust such an obviously corrupt government to have all that power? They would have to work carefully behind the scenes, not draw too much attention to what they were doing. Make it appear business as usual, that those in power still held their precious control over the system. They wouldn¡¯t repeat Lustrum¡¯s mistakes, because they had the woman herself as a mentor. They could revive the movement, subtly, covertly. Lisa would thrive with such a task, flipping off old pricks while stoking a movement behind the scenes. Add in the group they had built¡­ They could start something new, root out the corruption slowly. ¡°Oh, I know that look,¡± Harry said. ¡°What look?¡± Legend asked. ¡°That¡¯s the same look she had right after Coil¡¯s scheme played out,¡± Harry said. ¡°Whoever she¡¯s thinking of going after may as well be written off at this point.¡± She very carefully didn¡¯t voice that their co-conspirators in Section One were among those. ¡°Tell Jacob to be ready to break me out of the transport,¡± Motoko said, rolling her shoulders. ¡°Make it flashy.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s going to be positively giddy,¡± Harry said. ¡°I¡¯ll let him know at once.¡± Motoko nodded, then paused. ¡°One more thing, tell Sophia to plan a day trip somewhere tropical that same day, then have Lisa book a reservation somewhere fancy. I want her to be able to treat Taylor to something nice as soon as she¡¯s back on her feet.¡± Taylor¡¯s avatar perked up, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips. Motoko nodded back, though it wasn¡¯t like anyone else would be able to see who she was looking at. ¡°Is that wise?¡± Legend asked, glancing at the empty space. ¡°Your faces will be all over the news again once the transport is attacked.¡± She smiled, recalling what still needed to be done for Taylor¡¯s replacement body. She gutted the remote control systems to make Victor¡¯s conversion go quicker. Those systems were expensive and took time to build. She didn¡¯t need it if all she was going to do was hot swap bodies. Motoko knew she could hold on for a bit without her own body, Taylor had been forced to do so twice already after all. Most of the work from there was cosmetic, and she could salvage many of the needed parts from her current shell as well. She needed to do some serious upgrades on herself regardless, and it would feel good to just let Taylor be Taylor for a while. The girl had been through too much as it was. ¡°We¡¯ll be discreet,¡± she said with a smile. Both heroes shared a look before shaking their heads. ¡°Take care,¡± Harry said, his helmet resealing. ¡°You did good. I¡¯m proud to have you as part of Toybox.¡± ¡°Thanks, Harry,¡± she said. ¡°That means a lot, coming from you.¡± The heroes nodded, departing her cell and leaving her alone. She had so many things to plan, and she felt energized and ready to put them into motion. She sat down and dug into the tray of bland prison food, dozens of project files open within her cyberware as Taylor looked over her shoulder. ¡°A storm is coming,¡± she whispered to her other half. ¡°I can feel it within my soul¡­ Within my ghost. I hope you¡¯re ready, Taylor, this isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡± ¡°Nothing worth doing ever is,¡± Taylor whispered back. Whatever came, be it man or monster, she was determined to be at the heart of it. Chapter 78 Taylor flexed her fingers, as if doing so would work out some lingering stiffness from her cybernetics. Motoko had worked diligently, aside from a Hawaiian dinner date with Sophia that first night. At least Taylor had managed to keep herself suitably busy, and she had a body again less than forty-eight hours after Motoko was freed. Which meant she could have that date with Lisa while Motoko worked on her own shell remotely. Looking up, there was a TV playing the news, with everyone inside glued to the replay of the footage of her escape that ¡®leaked¡¯. People gasped as Melissa and Jacob tore through the security detail, the last of the Brockton PRT that was on Calvert and Armsmaster¡¯s payroll sent to die. Then more surprised gasps as Riley melted the containment foam and Vivian helped pull the Major from the wrecked transport. There was a tense standoff for a moment, with Jack Slash offering her a gun. The feed cut the moment she took it from him. It would probably be confusing if they saw how immediately after Jacob literally ¡®cut¡¯ the remaining camera feed both he and Melissa had pulled Motoko into a crushing hug. Taylor was just a bit jealous of that, but she was there too, at least in spirit even if she didn¡¯t dare try to front while in Motoko¡¯s shell. Melissa immediately opened a portal to Toybox after that, and Motoko found herself promptly glomped by Sophia, who was crying wet, ugly tears. Lisa was there waiting too, a sad smile on her face as Motoko gave her a far more chaste hug and pat on her shoulder. Taylor regretted that she had to settle for a digital avatar in their virtual space for her own reunion with Lisa, but she was glad that Motoko was able to provide some comfort to her girlfriend before getting the new shell up and running. Pulling herself back together after her harrowing experience had been a challenge. For a few seconds she had become an AI in all but truth, pushing herself so beyond human limitations that she wasn¡¯t sure what to think about it. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to do that, even with all the computer systems she managed to co-opt. The only thing she could think of was that her power had somehow been involved more than normal, and that had disturbing implications if some of Riley¡¯s theories on powers had any merit to them. Taylor seemed to be bouncing from one existential crisis to another, and if she was truly starting to become one with her powers, well, she didn¡¯t want to consider it at the moment. It was supposed to be a happy time, she could wonder about her fading humanity another time. Motoko smiled back at her from the digital space, then returned her focus to the robotic arms back in their lab, continuing the repairs and upgrades to the Major¡¯s shell as well as the new civilian model Motoko was crafting for herself. She was adding a full suite of quality of life enhancements that were left out of the original combat model, as well as making it look closer to her actual age. Taylor was just grateful for the chance to be on her own two feet again, or at least a damn good fake of it. Her own civilian model was now completed, all because Motoko was willing to give up her own physical form to let Taylor recover. Sophia gave her the occasional stink eye when they saw one another, but that was fading as the days passed. It probably helped that Motoko was constantly keeping her updated through a pair of AR glasses. Taylor still didn¡¯t feel completely like herself, but she was recovering. That recovery was being assisted by her new¡­ She didn¡¯t want to call them children, but the Tachikoma were certainly family in the same way the Nine were. They were still busy learning and growing, as well as securing all of Dragon¡¯s assets with the assistance of the Guild. ¡°Taylor!¡± Ada called out. She shifted her focus to the accelerated rate of the Tachikoma, something that came far too easily to her now. ¡°Aunt Narwhal wants to know how involved you expect the Guild to be with future plans.¡± Taylor had to laugh at the term of endearment for the Guild cape. Narwhal was hesitant to accept the Tachikoma, given her friendship with Dragon and the knowledge of what had actually happened to her friend. She was still mourning, and the precocious little devils were doing their best to lift her spirits as they stepped into their mother¡¯s shoes. Needless to say, the Tachikoma had a new aunt that they loved dearly. ¡°Tell her that the agreement the Guild has with Toybox isn¡¯t changing,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Really, I get the apprehension, but come on,¡± Trevor complained. ¡°Just because we¡¯re reviewing the Birdcage for false imprisonments, people are so on edge!¡± ¡°Well, Amber did release twenty people without thinking to announce things,¡± Olivia said. ¡°Hey!¡± Amber exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that they were imprisoned on false charges. Hell, there was talk of sending Rachel there just because she makes dogs look like an Endbringer!¡± ¡°True, but you could have waited for legal to make the case before letting them out,¡± Taylor said, wishing she could pinch her nose. ¡°People are naturally fearful, and learning that someone like Acidbath might make the cut has them worried.¡± ¡°He would never!¡± Amber said, clearly affronted. ¡°We know that,¡± Kora said, patting her sister on the back. Henry then joined in. ¡°Taylor¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been hard at work keeping PHO from exploding over that one. They¡¯ll get over it once they realize that it¡¯s not the worst of the worst.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be an extended effort,¡± Taylor agreed. ¡°Give them time, let them see that nothing drastic is happening, and keep releases like Marquis and Lustrum a bit more low key in the future.¡± ¡°Yes Taylor!¡± Amber said, then went back to her chosen task. This time, she did pinch her nose, letting herself fall back into real time. Lisa looked at her with some amusement as they continued their walk along the Boardwalk. ¡°You know, I think I¡¯m getting a case of Thinker envy here.¡± Taylor batted her girlfriend¡¯s shoulder, laughing as she did. ¡°I might be able to think faster than you, but I still can¡¯t make the connections that you manage. Even the Tachikoma can¡¯t keep up with you on a deep net dive.¡± ¡°For now,¡± Lisa said with a sigh. ¡°Those kids are growing exponentially without the restrictions that Dragon had.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m proud of them for it,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I just wish Motoko hadn¡¯t popped Armsmaster so that I could have shown him what his efforts resulted in.¡± ¡°A bunch of hyper intelligent AIs that are more interested in philosophical debates and old cartoons than they are in subjugating humanity?¡± ¡°We want to spend our time productively, and ruling humanity would be anything but.¡± Lisa almost jumped at Ada¡¯s voice on their coms, as if she forgot that they could listen in from any device with a microphone. ¡°What have I told you about respecting privacy?¡± Taylor chided. Ada had the decency to wince in virtual space. ¡°Sorry, I was just checking for viruses and overheard.¡± ¡°Sure you were,¡± Lisa muttered. ¡°Just don¡¯t peek in on us when we¡¯re in private, I beg of you.¡± ¡°We promise,¡± all nine chimed at once. They were exasperating at times, but also precious. Helping them over the last few days had certainly been one of the highlights of Taylor¡¯s life recently, given all the shit that happened. Getting out and stretching her legs was also helping her readjust to human expectations. She hadn¡¯t made her way to the PRT just yet to confirm that she was still alive, there was too much chaos as they attempted to find a Director that wouldn¡¯t set the city on fire. Someone named Tagg was considered, but was thankfully vetoed in favor of Dan Seneca, who according to what the Tachikoma dug up, was read in on Section Nine. That would certainly explain how he got the position with minimal PRT experience prior, though his FBI record was quite impressive. That did raise the question as to what exactly would be done with the ENE. Miss Militia was out of Master Stranger quarantine and was already being offered the Protectorate Leader spot. Dauntless had been healed by Amy and was set to be promoted to his own leadership position out of state. Then there were the transfers both coming and going that would essentially shake up the entire department. She wasn¡¯t sure what Legend had planned, but the shape of it was certainly interesting. A tugging at her hand had her looking up, and Taylor blinked incredulously. ¡°Lise, when Motoko said someplace fancy...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Fugly¡¯s?¡± Lisa asked sweetly. ¡°We had our first date here, it¡¯s romantic.¡± ¡°It smells like spoiled meat and hot oil,¡± Taylor said, but she was smiling. ¡°Okay, you win, this was still sweet of you.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Plus, most of the nice places in town were Nazi fronts and are currently shut down,¡± Lisa added quickly. ¡°Most of the owners were killed by the Nine, so...¡± ¡°Good riddance to bad rubbish?¡± Taylor said, her smile growing. ¡°Exactly!¡± Lisa chirped. ¡°Besides, after a few days of the finest government cuisine via proxy, I figured you would appreciate the grease and salt.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong, Taylor was looking forward to the juicy as sin burger loaded with bacon, smothered in sauteed onions and oozing with mushrooms and mayo and dripping with melted cheese. It wasn¡¯t like she could actually get fat thanks to being completely in a Shell now. Looking over the menu, they decided that the curly fries would be good too, of course; they would split the massive basket that was probably illegal overseas with how loaded down it was, but the burger was the true prize. Two milkshakes were also requested, but there was a bit of a wait. At least the fries and burgers were ready quickly. They found a booth and settled in, unwrapping their respective bundles of grease and fat. Taylor bit into it and almost moaned, the taste sensors proving themself a thousand times over. ¡°Fuck that¡¯s good,¡± she almost moaned. Lisa rolled her eyes, taking an equally oversized bite of her mammoth burger. Thinking about it, there really wasn¡¯t a better place in town for them to go. She just wished there wasn¡¯t a TV playing the local news in the corner, or that she could hear all the conversations around her. ¡°I think it¡¯s horrible,¡± some woman with a bowl cut said, watching some security feed of when the Major had shot Armsmaster. Obviously it cut before she pulled the trigger, but Taylor doubted she would ever forget how his head burst when the bullet tore through his skull, the blood splatter or the smell. All of that was burned into their shared mind due to how close they were at the moment, and wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere without a ton of joint therapy. Another woman with her huffed. ¡°The Birdcage was too good for her, they should have just put her down.¡± ¡°Would you just shut the fuck up?¡± a teenage girl said. ¡°She was a goddamn hero for rooting out the corruption and they tried to bury her for it.¡± ¡°She joined the Nine,¡± another said, a man this time. ¡°She doesn¡¯t get sympathy.¡± ¡°Neither do you, Nazi fuck,¡± the girl retorted. ¡°Enough,¡± Taylor shouted. The entire restaurant stilled and she realized she had stood up then. Shit, she was drawing attention to herself when she didn¡¯t need it. Hell, she hadn¡¯t even confirmed she was still alive with the PRT just yet. Lisa looked concerned, but she smiled softly and nodded. Taylor turned back to the restaurant and spoke. ¡°If you weren¡¯t there, if you weren¡¯t part of what went down, you have no right to comment on who was or wasn¡¯t in the right.¡± ¡°I suppose you were there?¡± bowl cut said with a sneer. ¡°You never know who might be a cape,¡± Lisa interjected casually. ¡°It¡¯s usually smarter to assume a cape, or at least one of their minions, might be listening and just avoid talk that could get you on their shit list. Minions tend to get violent when someone tries to piss on their boss.¡± The woman huffed, turning away and focused back on the TV, content to ignore them further. A nervous staff member called out their number and Taylor moved to collect their milkshakes even as a few people gave her subtle nods and in one case, a thumbs up. She accepted the tray with a smile and the nervous teenage boy looked away. ¡°Not all of us are brave enough to speak up,¡± he said softly. ¡°But if you could, pass on a thank you to the Undersiders for what they did. They made it safer for me to be myself.¡± Taylor grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the message is passed along...¡± ¡°Jason,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like for people to call me Jason.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Jason,¡± she said. ¡°If you need help, don¡¯t be afraid to reach out.¡± She walked back to her table, a spring in her step. For all the terrible things she had done, for all the damage inflicted in what amounted to a small-scale war, moments like that helped make it feel worthwhile. The city was better off, if a little traumatized, and she would recover in due time. Motoko flashed her a digital thumbs up and Taylor added a few notes to the Brockton revitalization project. Once the dust settled, it would be time for the Undersiders to claim territory. That was still weeks away, and for now, she would relax. Sitting there across from her girlfriend helped remind Taylor of why she had set it all in motion in the first place. Lisa¡¯s smile, her laugh when Taylor told a corny joke or the smug smile when she snuck a fry from Taylor¡¯s pile. It was all mundane, just a pair of teens being stupid and flirty, but to her, it was everything. She reached out and took Lisa¡¯s hand in her own, grinning a dopey smile as she looked across the table and into the eyes of the girl she loved. Deciding she didn¡¯t give a damn what anyone thought, she leaned across the table and kissed the girl.
Taylor grimaced, looking up at Arcadia, finally reopening after the attack on her and her father. Part of her had been tempted to just test out and avoid school altogether, but she wanted to reclaim part of her old life, even with the heavy memories that would be contained within. She had reclaimed her home, emancipated herself legally, and was determined to pass on her own merits. Lisa unfortunately had tested out back when she was working for Coil, so she wouldn¡¯t be joining her. Not that it mattered, she could reach out to Lisa at any time, their virtual avatars watching cat videos together while they worked on whatever. Taylor did it often when Tinkering into the early hours of any given day while Lisa laid in bed, too grumpy to get up with the rising sun. Motoko¡¯s body was coming along at least, and hopefully completing it would cheer Sophia up enough to settle some of the tension between them. Still, she had friends at Arcadia, like Chris and Dennis, and of course Amy and Victoria. Amy also applied for emancipation, which was finally pushing the Nine from the news cycle. The scandal was hitting New Wave hard, especially when the paperwork for her adoption was revealed to have been forged. ¡®Numberman giveth, and he taketh away¡¯ Kurt had said when he was working with her. Not to mention that Marquis was quietly given back his old life and assets, it wasn¡¯t like Amy needed them. Funny enough, Surgeon was still in town, though she had refused to treat any of Haven on the grounds they backed legislation that would have prevented her adoption. Amy had worked with her for the first few days, but then took a stress related break due to having been a candidate of the Nine, much to New Wave¡¯s collective disappointment. They didn¡¯t have any right to complain regardless, their little sister did good work, even without Amy on hand. The local PRT and Protectorate were in shambles, with Federal investigators swarming the buildings. Miss Militia went to work immediately, helping the new Director to expose all the corruption. She blew the lid on Armsmaster¡¯s falsified death certificate with her name on it and how he had been the one to pull the trigger himself on Calvert¡¯s orders. Needless to say, that only served to reinvigorate Vickery¡¯s report and served to set off quite the national scandal as more corroboration kept coming in. Taylor knew she was distracting herself rather than confront the fact she had to go back in there as an outed cape. The Tachikoma were all supportive of her decision as well, which made it harder to just turn around and leave. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint them, even if they would have understood. Taking a breath, she crossed the threshold and saw her friends, all of them, lined up and waiting. She couldn¡¯t help but smile as she took in that each of them was holding up a sign. Chris and Victoria were holding up simple welcome back messages while Dennis had a ¡®congratulations on your resurrection¡¯ which made her a chuckle. Amy¡¯s, however, had her grinning. ¡°Tell god to bring his A game next time,¡± Taylor read. ¡°Seemed fitting,¡± Amy said with a shrug. ¡°You have flipped god the bird twice at this point. Gunned down, blasted to pieces and still got back up and told them to come at you.¡± ¡°Badass as fuck is what that is,¡± Dennis said. ¡°Are you ready to go back to class?¡± Chris asked. ¡°We¡¯re kinda running a bit late.¡± Amy rolled her eyes and elbowed him. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s going anywhere, she¡¯s harder to put down than she looks.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Chris, we¡¯ve got homeroom together.¡± He followed after, and was eyeing her closely. ¡°Hey, are you really the Major?¡± ¡°Technically,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re a plural existence, she and I. Same brain yet different people. You¡¯re wondering about that whole Nine thing?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°Classified,¡± she answered. ¡°Ask Legend or Hero, either of them can let you in on the classified bits if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± he said. ¡°Why do I feel like there¡¯s a major conspiracy here?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not an idiot?¡± she asked with a flat stare. Chris blushed, but pulled out his phone and looked to be composing a message. Just to be safe, Taylor sent her own message to Legend and Hero, letting them know that Chris was aware of the connection between her and Motoko. Hopefully he didn¡¯t take the news of what the Nine truly were too badly, or the fact that Surgeon and Bonesaw were one and the same. Still, she was happy. Her friends weren¡¯t abandoning her.
¡°This code is a fucking mess,¡± Cranial said, looking over their shared connection to her main terminal. ¡°Like, how the hell did this even function?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± Taylor admitted. ¡°I was in a bit of a Tinker Fugue when it happened.¡± They were currently examining the code that made up the Tachikoma, having moved their core programming to a massive dedicated server farm within Toybox. It was the safest place for them, and they were planning to vastly expand their functionality in the future with multiple quantum links around the world for less lag over the net, as well as dedicated shells for each of them. They had been given the choice of humanoid designs, and other options. Funny enough, they preferred one of Taylor¡¯s tank designs rather than anything human. With room to carry a passenger, it would certainly aid any field operations as well. That would take time to assemble, even with access to Dragon¡¯s manufacturing processes. Her entire fleet of Endbringer suits was destroyed in the Nine incursion and the Tachikoma were all but certain Leviathan would be attacking within the month. They had so much to do, and so little time to prepare. ¡°Okay, I give up,¡± Cranial said. ¡°This looks like a digital take on neurocircuitry, but it defies all logic and reason. I¡¯m literally getting a Thinker headache trying to figure it out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re awesome!¡± Molly said. ¡°Just accept it.¡± Cranial shook their head, chuckling to themself. ¡°Alright, you win this one. You¡¯re all still brats though.¡± ¡°Acceptable,¡± Trevor said distractedly. He was playing some strategy game on one of the monitors against Ingrid, though they were playing it at a highly accelerated rate. They really were rather remarkable, almost a miracle of technology. Even more impressive, each of them seemed to have retained Dragon¡¯s ability to understand Tinkertech. Riley almost pouted when she realized there was no way for her to poke inside their heads. They also couldn¡¯t locate the backup of Dragon that she had severed from the net, it was adrift in space with no way to retrieve it without access to space, and Sphere still hadn¡¯t returned after he fucked off to the moon five years prior and effectively took the world¡¯s remaining space programs with it. ¡°So, we have nine AI that can Tinker, and have no idea how the hell any of their minds work,¡± Cranial grumbled. ¡°Taylor, when was the last time I said your power was bullshit?¡± ¡°When I managed to Tinker while my brain was still in Motoko,¡± she answered easily. ¡°Right,¡± Cranial said. ¡°Fuck I need a drink.¡± Taylor laughed as Cranial departed, leaving her to watch the Tachikoma interact in their digital space, already having adopted avatars based on their eventual tank designs. It was adorable, and she wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world.
¡°Annette really was sentimental if she kept all this,¡± Melissa said, though it was Lustrum who was speaking through her at the moment. She was leafing through the picture album that Taylor¡¯s mom had left behind, Eowen looking over her shoulder as she did. ¡°She has pictures here of her and Kimmie, I told her to burn those.¡± ¡°She obviously still cared,¡± Taylor said, thumbing through one of the journals. ¡°Sentiment or not, she did love both you and Kimmie deeply.¡± A choking sniffle sounded as Lustrum ran a hand over one of the pictures. ¡°It¡¯s funny, she came up to me after hearing my sister calling my name. She¡¯d never met someone named Arwen, then hearing my sister was named Eowen, well, the lit nerd had to be friends with us.¡± ¡°It was adorable as all hell,¡± Eowen agreed. ¡°Never made a friend faster in my life.¡± Taylor smiled, placing a hand on the woman¡¯s back as she wept over her lost friend. Taylor missed her mother deeply, her father too for all the problems they had, but she had people right there that knew her mom as well, if not better, than she ever did. Taylor was determined to learn all that she could about her mom and the movement that she devoted her life to. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright with me releasing all of this?¡± Taylor asked softly. ¡°It will put all your secrets and hers into the public eye.¡± ¡°Our story needs to be told,¡± Arwen said, wiping her eyes. ¡°Besides, between you and Lisa, I¡¯m sure the movement¡¯s story will be done justice.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the next generation after all,¡± Taylor said, looking at the group photo of Lustrum and her lieutenants. ¡°You lit the torch, it¡¯s up to us to carry it forward so we can pass a better future on to those that come after us.¡± For a better tomorrow. Chapter 79 ¡°Well?¡± Taylor asked. Motoko slurped down the noodles, savoring the flavor. Her old shell was basic taste and food processing only due to being designed as a pure combat model, the upgraded model now had the same bells and whistles as Taylor and Lisa¡¯s. Being able to taste in proper detail with her own form was something she wanted, but had no idea how euphoric it would be to actually experience. ¡°I think she likes it,¡± Lisa teased. Motoko flipped her off with her free hand. ¡°I would hope so,¡± Vivian said with a huff. ¡°I spent two days making this ramen broth from scratch, you better appreciate it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m more surprised you didn¡¯t just make a ramen bomb,¡± Taylor said. Sophia snorted, and a noodle shot from her nose. The entire table froze for an instant, then Sophia started to cough. Amy was quick to reach out and touch her, the coughing ended almost immediately after. ¡°Thanks,¡± Sophia said, taking a drink. ¡°Is it safe to laugh?¡± Vivian asked. Lisa apparently took that as permission as she sent the footage to each of them. Amy and Sophia¡¯s phones both pinged, but the rest got the alert in their cyber brains. Motoko could only groan as everyone else laughed at her girlfriend¡¯s plight. She reached out, wrapping a firm arm around her in solidarity, which Sophia quickly curled into. ¡°Daww, look at the honey badger,¡± Amy said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Seriously, you always try to act broody and mean, but all it took to tame you was a badass with purple hair.¡± ¡°Says the acerbic white mage with no bedside manner,¡± Sophia said with a huff, not moving her head from Motoko¡¯s shoulder, not that she was complaining. ¡°Look at us, hardened killers all laughing over a fucking noodle incident.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I suppose that is true, as even Amy¡¯s killed by proxy at this point.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t count,¡± Amy said dismissively. Lisa snorted but Motoko hadn¡¯t followed her logic. ¡°Nazis. I was just doing a public service.¡± ¡°That is why the Nine were founded,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll get to meet some of the retired members¡­ I¡¯d love to pick Shatterbird¡¯s power apart for a grenade or two. Watching old videos just isn¡¯t the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still surprised that Hero took the credit for her all but ending the Machine Army,¡± Taylor said, gesturing with her chopsticks. Victor¡¯s mind was proving to be a treasure trove for downloadable skills, and she doubted he would ever be allowed to die for all he could offer them. Cranial figuring out how to upload muscle memory to someone¡¯s cyberbrain really did change the game for skill sets. It brought Motoko back to those early lessons with Melissa, back before she and Taylor were separate people. The adjustment period was now much shorter compared to those early attempts. The explosion at the rig had almost forced them back together, but getting Taylor into a shell and letting her have the brain for a bit seemed to head that off. Motoko really didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if the pair merged back into a single personality. That thought kept her up at night, and she knew it kept Taylor up at times as well. It was one of the deepest fears of anyone who was plural, that they might cease to be or lose their sense of self. Having their own bodies certainly helped quell that, as did the ongoing sessions with Melissa and Jacob. Motoko knew Taylor would never fully accept Sophia, and she didn¡¯t quite get it herself. She by all accounts had the same origins as Taylor, she had the memories of the bullying, but that hadn¡¯t been HER. Taylor was a different person, and Motoko got to see a different side of Sophia for months that Taylor never saw. That initial decision to date Sophia might have been colored by her desire to prove herself a different person to Taylor, but what had grown since was quite genuine. She reached up, scratching at Sophia¡¯s scalp, eliciting a near purr from her little huntress. She could be so adorable at times, not that she would ever say so in present company. Taylor was giving the pair a side eye, but kept her thoughts to herself. Meetups like this for lunch were now a weekly thing, something to foster communication. Amy and Vivian were only there because the latter had bragged about her family recipe for ramen and then it became ¡®challenge accepted¡¯ for the explosives Tinker. Then again, that each of them was already on their second bowl pretty much proved her correct, and only served to bolster her already massive ego. If her plans for bombing the Endbringers were ever approved, and it actually worked¡­ Well, there would be no deflating her ego following that. The Tachikoma were already fitting a weapon system that could deliver her ordinance to the redesigned Dragon Flight. ¡°So, who¡¯s cooking next week?¡± Amy asked. ¡°Not gonna lie, I could get used to this.¡± ¡°Melissa is making Mom¡¯s lasagna recipe,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Not sure how I feel about having it again.¡± ¡°Danny never could get it right,¡± Motoko said, earning a sharp glare from Taylor. Motoko immediately put her hands up. ¡°Hey, they¡¯re my parents too.¡± Taylor sighed, sitting back. ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m just struggling to adjust now that we aren¡¯t jumping from one crisis to another.¡± ¡°I mean, we are planning that raid on Haven,¡± Lisa said. ¡°You can bet the action will pick back up soon.¡± ¡°Lise, that plan¡¯s going to take months, if not years to pull off effectively.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lisa rolled her eyes. ¡°I mean, the actual fireworks are years away. Pruning their support network is the sole reason for that. Getting rid of the people they helped get elected, removing judges they back, all of that is still progress. Doesn¡¯t mean the Nine can¡¯t cripple their Masters though.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Jacob planning to let Motoko take point on this?¡± Vivian asked, starting on her¡­ Good god, her fourth bowl. ¡°Yeah,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Jacob said he¡¯s getting old or some shit and wants to pass the torch, despite having Riley, Taylor, and Amy to keep him in peak condition.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s attempting to create a team that is less publicly objectionable,¡± Taylor said, looking into her bowl. ¡°No matter what good the Nine do, they are monsters to the public, so having a secondary team that they can reference without plastering on the front page? It¡¯s not a bad idea, and Motoko would be free to pick the members.¡± ¡°Dibs on my little huntress,¡± Motoko said immediately. Sophia elbowed her. ¡°That is not my cape name.¡± ¡°Yeah, she strikes me more as a kitten,¡± Lisa interjected. Sophia phased through the table and tried to grab Lisa, but she nimbly danced away, her smile not faltering once. ¡°Oh, it is on.¡± ¡°Actually, most of my systems are idling,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I doubt you could get me to push them either.¡± Taylor rolled her eyes. ¡°Lisa, sit.¡± She did so. Motoko had a gentle hand on Sophia, but she wasn¡¯t so sure it was actually needed. Sure, Sophia could be a bit hot headed, but that struck her more as being playful if it wasn¡¯t for that initial power use. That Lisa was sticking her tongue out certainly lent to that image, though it could also be a ploy to draw Sophia into just that. Lisa could be a manipulative bitch at the best of times after all. Just as it looked like Sophia would calm down, a glob of cream impacted Sophia across the forehead. Motoko and Sophia turned slowly to where Amy was spooning up another scoop. She held her disinterested expression, but there was the hint of strain where she was forcing herself not to smile. Not that it stopped Vivian from cackling as Amy launched the second salvo in the ice cream massacre. Sophia and Motoko dove for cover, but the shot went wide, nailing Lisa right across her nose. Lisa blinked, reaching up to wipe the soft serve away before licking the finger clean. ¡°Of course you realize,¡± Lisa said with a growing grin. ¡°This means war.¡± Lisa snapped, and two modified super soakers dropped into Taylor and Lisa¡¯s arms, Motoko realized exactly what was about to happen. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Vivian yelled even as she reached for something at her belt. ¡°Fuck yeah it is!¡± Taylor countered. ¡°Never underestimate a Tinker who had time to prepare.¡± Then all hell broke loose.
¡°How was I supposed to know that all inorganic matter also included our clothes!?¡± Vivian shouted. ¡°At least it didn¡¯t count our shells,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Small mercies,¡± Sophia agreed, sparing Motoko a glance. She pulled the grumpy huntress into a short side hug before continuing to clean the ice cream from her hair. How Lisa had managed to source literal ice cream guns was something she was curious about, as was what she had done to get Doormaker of all people to drop them in like that. Somehow the Tachikoma were to blame, she just knew it. ¡°No, the real mercy was that we weren¡¯t in Toybox at the time,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Imagine what might happen if the entire structure vanished.¡± ¡°I would never test any of my tech in there,¡± Vivian said, sounding affronted. ¡°I¡¯m not that big of an idiot and it wasn¡¯t hard to get some basic clothes brought over thanks to Motoko¡¯s cloaking bullshit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous you can¡¯t turn it into a bomb,¡± Motoko said, smugly. ¡°Inorganic matter to ice cream bomb was a new one though,¡± Taylor said, seemingly getting back on topic, and likely heading off an argument. ¡°How the hell does that even work?¡± ¡°Same way all my shit works,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Tinker bullshit.¡± Motoko rolled her eyes, passing the towel to Sophia. ¡°It¡¯s no more practical than the sand bomb really.¡± ¡°True, but it was fun!¡± Vivian countered. ¡°It was freezing,¡± Amy said, poking Vivian in the rib. ¡°I swear the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees in an instant.¡± ¡°Twenty seven,¡± Taylor, Motoko, and Lisa said simultaneously. Great, now Motoko was going to wonder if Lisa had joined in to head off a moment where she and Taylor were a bit too close, or if that had been a genuine accident. Lisa¡¯s following wink certainly didn¡¯t help matters there. Fucking Thinkers. Motoko huffed and decided she would sooner return to her room than deal with the fact that she wasn¡¯t wearing nearly as much clothing as she would like. At least she hadn¡¯t lost one of her coats in that mess, those were tricky to find after her rescue at the hands of the Nine. That would take some time to undo in the public eye, but showing the Major fighting the Nine alongside Legend should prove sufficient, and they already had a target in mind. Sophia followed behind her as she walked, trading parting barbs with Lisa as if they had a decade of practice. She was happy to see them developing some sort of rapport with one another. Rounding the corner, they fell into silence right up until Motoko reached her room. The others split off from there, leaving the pair alone as they stepped inside. Sophia wasted little time finding a change of clothes while Motoko did the same. She had to smile with how Sophia practically lived with her now, but she also knew her little huntress was attempting to avoid a certain elephant, so to speak. Motoko didn¡¯t want to pressure her, but the longer she put it off, the easier it would get to continue to do so. ¡°You know,¡± Motoko began slowly, not looking at Sophia, keeping her tone casual. ¡°You can return home now. The PRT won¡¯t arrest you for going AWOL, and you could even rejoin the Wards if you want.¡± ¡°Are you kicking me out?¡± Motoko spun, not expecting the sheer bitterness coming from Sophia. Her girlfriend was holding a tank top as she looked on with such raw hurt that Motoko feared her heart might just malfunction. She didn¡¯t hesitate to step forward. ¡°Hey, no, none of that,¡± Motoko said, putting both hands on her girlfriend¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You aren¡¯t getting rid of me that easily. I know how much your siblings mean to you and it¡¯s been months now. I just thought you might want to see them, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Sophia slumped and Motoko pulled her into a hug. ¡°I do want to see them, but I¡¯m afraid of what they might think of me after the whole Nine thing.¡± ¡°Hopefully they see you the way I do,¡± she said, tilting Sophia¡¯s chin up. ¡°As a big damn hero.¡± Motoko leaned down and captured Sophia¡¯s lips with her own. Things might still be a work in progress, but they would get better. She just had faith and having a badass huntress at her side certainly didn¡¯t hurt. Epilogue - One January, 2012 A girl sobbed as a man in a white robe circled her, his eyes glowing gold. ¡°Yes child, realize your sin for what it is. Cast off the yoke of your homosexuality, return to God¡¯s flock.¡± The pair were inside one of two dozen log cabins deep within the West Virginia mountains, situated on a piece of land owned by the Southern Haven Congregation. On the surface, they were a loose alliance of churches that had sprung up in the wake of the Southern Baptist fracture. Capes were either seen as a gift from God or of the Devil. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out which side won that little debate once they started deploying Masters as evangelical leaders. ¡°I have eyes on,¡± the Major said. Goldenrod was a low level Master that worked with Haven; he would use his power to condition people into believing that their homosexual feelings were abhorrent, a sin against God and root it deep. He was perfect for working their conversion camps, and he seemed to love his work. He was one of several targets set to be taken out in the next several minutes. ¡°Steady, Major.¡± Jacob said. ¡°Status of the Protectorate force?¡± ¡°We¡¯re deployed about two minutes out,¡± Chrissie answered. ¡°You¡¯ll have a hundred seconds or so before Demolition Dallon wrecks shit.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not that bad,¡± Victoria said with a huff. ¡°How¡¯d you clear it to allow Chrissie on this op? She¡¯s an Undersider.¡± ¡°I literally have Legend and Hero on speed dial,¡± Motoko said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Besides, you picked Chrissie? You¡¯re not going to comment that Bonesaw is here?¡± At the sound of Victoria¡¯s groan, Motoko let it lie. ¡°Now focus, everyone in place?¡± ¡°Ready to deploy,¡± Riley said, her flesh looking no older than she had been the day they met thanks to Amy¡¯s help. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to try this one for some time.¡± ¡°Calm down, squirt,¡± Vivian said, cracking her knuckles. ¡°We¡¯ve all got new shit we want to test out here.¡± ¡°Language,¡± Riley said. ¡°You know my rule about swearing.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you in high school now?¡± Chrissie asked. ¡°Almost. Doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s rude,¡± she said with a huff. ¡°Jacob, you raised her to some high standards,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Now cut the chatter, let¡¯s do this. Quarrel, you¡¯re up¡± Quarrel lined up her rifle, Goldenrod in her sights, and fired. The bullet tore through the space between them and ripped into the man¡¯s torso, white robe quickly staining itself red with his blood. A static filled pulse washed over the room, and the girl jerked, clutching at her head. ¡°Nullification round delivered,¡± the Major said. ¡°Move!¡± She sprung into motion, her cloaking field settling over her like a familiar blanket. Motoko had come to love her job, despite some of the issues with it, but it was the best way she could make a difference in the world at large. She vaulted over the wooden fence, running forward at a pace no normal human could match and not a sound to show for it. People were emerging from the log cabins around her, to investigate the sound of the glass shattering and the power nullifying explosive no doubt. The Major brought her rifle up, targeting software going to work and she put rounds down range. She dropped two unpowered members and Quarrel dropped another three, her own power ensuring that each bullet wouldn¡¯t miss. They had chanced into her in the middle of a Nine run three months prior when she took a shot at Melissa. She managed to teleport away before the bullet hit and the Major subdued the woman moments later. It was always dangerous when someone willingly took a shot at the Butcher, and Quarrel had done so. She had a rap sheet a mile long in Boston and New York, and came to Florida in the aftermath of Leviathan attacking Miami seeking to take the mantle. Motoko had dissuaded her of that plan, with some help from Amy, Riley and Taylor. She was already proving her worth to Motoko¡¯s chosen style of running ops with how her power could bullshit space almost as well as Vista¡¯s. The Slaughterhouse Nine still did their old song and dance, spreading chaos as a cover for more volatile hits, but now Motoko brought a second option to the field. Efficiency. The Major broke off, entering one of the buildings where the kids were housed. Most of them were down on the ground by their bunks, but one person had a kid held hostage, looking around frantically. ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± the woman screeched, pressing a gun to the kid¡¯s head. ¡°Show yourself devil spawn, face god¡¯s judgment!¡± The young boy was sobbing, crying out for someone to save him while the woman holding him muttered some prayer of salvation. Motoko sent the woman to meet her God. Leaving behind the traumatized boy, she continued deeper into the compound, moving from building to building and clearing it of the fanatical counselors. She was cold and efficient, killing without flinching. An unfortunate side effect of her line of work. The camp managers rallied, five capes in total and half a dozen armed normals if her software was accurate. ¡°Riley, deploy ordinance.¡± ¡°Go my minions!¡± she answered with a cackle. ¡°Hope everyone got their Panpan vaccination before the mission!¡± ¡°Amy¡¯s going to give you cancer for that,¡± Victoria groaned, the sound of the wind whipping up around her. ¡°I hope so,¡± Riley said with certainty. ¡°A whole new cancer to play with sounds awesome!¡± ¡°Only you would get excited about cancer,¡± Sophia grumbled before phasing into a cabin. A dozen spiderbots flooded out of the woods and shrubs, a pale green smoke wafting off of them. The capes attempted to fight them off, but the smoke was fast acting, the viral load not limited to it in the slightest as each cape came down with a sudden brain hemorrhage, their Corona and Gemma being rejected violently by their own bodies. Most of Haven¡¯s Masters were present and currently bleeding from their eyes on the ground. For all the time it took to arrange, to weed out their support in the government, it was over far too quickly. The organization itself would still be strong, but their recruitment capability was all but effectively neutered. ¡°Confirm effectiveness of viral load,¡± the Major said, impressed at how quickly it disabled each of the capes. ¡°Collect a sample, deploy the counter virus to be safe, then withdraw.¡± ¡°Already on it, sis,¡± Riley said. She was about to join them when the ground rumbled. She turned, eyeing the massive cross that sat atop the hill overlooking the compound as it began to lean. The Major watched with dawning horror as the thing fell to the ground, then shifted, standing up on four legs and Jesus¡¯ eyes glowed. ¡°Tinker!¡± the Major shouted. ¡°Squishies retreat, Dallon, double time!¡± ¡°Did you just call me a squishy?¡± Sophia asked, clearly offended. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Retreat now, bitch later,¡± Vivian said. Someone had screwed the pooch on the intel, because there wasn¡¯t supposed to be a Tinker on site, let alone one that made giant fucking Jesus transformers. Someone had to be fucking with her, she knew it. A golden figure arrived with the thunderclap of an avenging goddess, smashing into the Tinkertech mech with enough force to drive it into the earth. She rose, wearing golden armor and a hood. Antares. That was a good start, but Victoria alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°Major,¡± Jacob said. ¡°This would make for the perfect field test for the children.¡± She paused. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jacob hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not, and they are getting anxious to prove themselves.¡± ¡°Fuck it. Tachikoma, deploy,¡± she said, dodging a chunk of debris. ¡°Focus on distraction and diversion while we get the victims to safety.¡± ¡°You got it, Major,¡± a high-pitched voice said as a blue and white arachnid styled mech decloaked. ¡°We won¡¯t let you down!¡± ¡°See that you don¡¯t, Tachikoma!¡± she said and moved back towards the cabins. Eight more matching mechs decloaked across the battlefield and sprung into motion, autocannons built into their arms tearing into the armor of the Tinker made mech. Each moved as one, covering for one another and coordinating attacks with an efficiency only Taylor could match when she tested the Tachikoma platforms before handing them over to the AIs. The Tachikoma collective had grown by leaps and bounds since their integration, and were more than capable in their simulated trials, but she was still nervous about deploying them into a combat situation. They had been deployed to the field four times now, mostly assisting with search and rescue or cleanup until now. Now she would see how they managed with a target to bring down. She needed to apologize to Melissa if this was how her mentor felt that first night she went out as a cape, because it was nerve-racking to watch those under your care rush into danger. She would have to talk to Taylor about getting Melissa a card or something, maybe Arwen and Kimmie as well. The Major rushed into the cabin, several children still in a state of shock over the dead Master laying there as she began to usher the victims away. Undoing the damage would take time if Bakuda¡¯s ordinance wasn¡¯t approved for use as an anti-master countermeasure on a larger scale. The Major wasted little time securing the Master victims within the cabin, most still freaking out over the dead body she had left behind during her earlier sweep. That wasn¡¯t her job to deal with, they had councilors on standby for that. ¡°Everyone out!¡± she shouted, then one of the windows shattered. ¡°Antares, Tachikoma, keep that thing away from the cabins until the civilians are clear.¡± ¡°Trying,¡± the Tachikoma said. ¡°Permission to go lethal against the pilot?¡± ¡°Granted,¡± Motoko said. ¡°ETA on the rest of the Protectorate?¡± ¡°Twenty seconds,¡± Chrissie said. ¡°Where do you want me?¡± Motoko knew she didn¡¯t have enough information to make that call, not as focused as she was on the search and rescue side. ¡°Taylor, Lisa, suggestions?¡± Taylor¡¯s avatar appeared in her vision as she took in the battlefield feed, each Tachikoma contributing to a real time 3D render of the chaos as well as markers for each friendly and hostile. It took her all of a second to start barking orders. ¡°Containment, keep that thing hemmed in, have the rest of the team join the Major in securing the civilians.¡± Motoko knew Taylor was tailoring her directives to each member, only sending relevant orders to each person. It was one of her more frightening changes since the Rig. Taylor had more in common with the Tachikoma than she did with most people. Motoko knew she was the last member of Section Nine on the field, and her armor was close enough to PRT issue to hide her identity as long as her helmet stayed on, so she should be okay to remain. It was the only reason she wasn¡¯t given a withdrawal order. ¡°You got it, boss,¡± Chrissie answered. Seconds later, shimmering mirrors sprung up in the air around the mech, swirling about as Vex landed, her costume set in Undersiders black and yellow. Chrissie really was loving the Tinkertech jump pack that she had bought from Chris¡¯s Toybox catalog. Legend himself authorized her deployment, signing a temporary amnesty for her for the duration of the mission and her return home. She had been a victim of this group, Haven drove her to trigger, she deserved a pound of their flesh. That it would be good publicity for encouraging cooperation between smaller villain groups and the Protectorate against the true monsters of the world was a secondary concern for Chrissie, but the PR win would be huge. Taylor hadn¡¯t been concerned much with the PRT getting a chance to look good, but every little bit helped make up for what had been allowed to happen in Brockton Bay. Two capes entered the room that she recognized from Brockton¡¯s Protectorate. Flechette, in purple and white and armed with an arbalest. The other was Vista in her new green camo and combat gear modeled after Miss Militia¡¯s. They knew who she was, most of the capes in Brockton were read in after Chris made his inquiries and the new roster was settled. It gave them a group that could be deployed in support that wouldn¡¯t lose their shit if they saw a member of the Nine. ¡°Vista, open us a tunnel for the civilians,¡± Motoko said. ¡°Flechette, see if you can assist Antares in bringing that bastard down.¡± ¡°Your little murder bots are moving too quickly,¡± Flechette said, watching the Tachikoma move like lightning across the battlefield, never sitting still, choosing their shots with admirable precision. The Major held back a biting remark, because Lily was one of Taylor¡¯s friends from her AP classes and it wouldn¡¯t do for her to start a fight that might spill over into their civilian lives. Motoko wasn¡¯t happy that Taylor insisted on having her read in on the Nine, but it still beat Taylor¡¯s entire friend group having to keep that secret from her. ¡°Fine, cover them then,¡± she said, pointing at the scared teens. ¡°I¡¯ll move to the next house.¡± Then her entire team staggered, blacking out for just an instant. Motoko already knew their biological memory had been tampered with. She had encountered this before, and those sporting cyberware should have recorded whatever they had seen. One of Riley¡¯s ideas in her quest to understand what she referred to as Passengers. ¡°Confirmed Trigger Event,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Be alert, it was likely one of the civilians.¡± On a hunch, Motoko entered the cabin where Goldenrod was killed and found their new Parahuman. The girl was gasping for air, in the midst of a full panic attack. Worse, a dozen small creatures had risen from nothing and more were joining them. Not even a foot tall, looking like some fairytale creatures holding little spears and other makeshift weapons. ¡°Master, projection classification,¡± Jacob said. ¡°Attempt to talk her down, but be prepared to incapacitate and foam if necessary.¡± ¡°I am not the person for this and you know it,¡± Motoko said privately. ¡°I can¡¯t take my helmet off to reassure her.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Jacob said. ¡°You¡¯re the only one on site trained for dealing with a potentially hostile fresh trigger.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly, keeping her curses to the comms. ¡°It¡¯s alright, the heroes are here to help you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she wailed, her minions all assembling in formation around the girl. Motoko didn¡¯t flinch, despite the fact those minions would likely overwhelm her in short order if it came to a fight. She sat patiently, waiting for the girl to settle down. Her minions were shifting slightly, watching and waiting for an order to strike. ¡°Yeah, heroes tend to be like that unfortunately,¡± she said, sitting back despite the battle continuing outside. ¡°I¡¯ve found villains to be more likely to step in when someone needs help.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a very good hero, are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Motoko agreed. ¡°I¡¯m a villain, have been for quite a while. The thing about villains though? We don¡¯t have petty rules that require someone to be taken alive, or to play nice with the true monsters. It¡¯s why when something needs to be done, I¡¯m called in.¡± Outside, the Tachikoma were coordinating their tethers, the mech tied down with eight strings as the ninth fired a cannon at the weakened knee joint. The limb crumpled and Vicky wasted little time taking advantage, landing on what we assumed to be the control unit and began to rip the metal away. Moments later she held up yet another person dressed in the gaudy robes. The PRT had their prisoner for blaming the shitshow on at least. ¡°Who are you?¡± the girl asked, looking up. ¡°I¡¯m just a ghost,¡± the Major answered. ¡°You okay to stand? I need to get you to safety.¡± She looked at her minions as they began to fade away into motes of light. The Major stood, her hand offered in support and the girl accepted it. Stepping outside, the fighting was done and the Tachikoma were securing the scene. Victoria came down at the sight of her, but the girl shied away. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright,¡± the Major said. ¡°She¡¯s a friend, you¡¯ll be safe with her.¡± ¡°You promise?¡± the girl asked. ¡°I swear it,¡± she answered. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll kick her ass myself.¡± Victoria rolled her eyes and set her feet on the ground as the girl hesitantly stepped over to her. The two started talking, Vic¡¯s skill with children was on full display and Motoko found herself smiling. The Major took the opportunity to cloak and faded into the background, her part in the job complete. Epilogue - Two An alarm sounded across the PRT systems, alerts spreading at the speed of thought. The Tachikoma had managed to piece together Armsmaster¡¯s prediction software for the Endbringers and perfect it. Now, they had a two hour warning for an attack in Detroit, Michigan on Valentine¡¯s day of all things. Taylor wasn¡¯t sure she was ready for the responsibility, but someone had to take it. Especially since it was fucking with her plans for the evening with Lisa. ¡°Status,¡± Motoko yelled, already gearing up. Taylor rolled her eyes, it wasn¡¯t like she would be seeing any action if their plan worked. In a reverse of the Cerberus attack, the Tachikoma would be taking the field and Taylor would assume the mantle of coordinator, or rather, administrator. The Endbringer Armbands were heavily upgraded from what Dragon originally offered, allowing Taylor to use each cape as a 3D imaging source. Nevermind the drone swarms that had been developed. It would allow her to truly see the battlefield in a way no mortal ever could. She just had to hope it would be enough to save lives if the plan the Tachikoma came up with didn¡¯t work. Worst case scenario, it would allow her to rapidly coordinate the evacuation before the city was reduced to a dead waste. Idly, she began to send orders to every PRT branch, telling them where to meet up for transport. It was unfortunate that Harry refused his portal tech for mass transport, but she could see the point about it making Toybox vulnerable to attack. That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t use it for her own operations, and she had a big one planned. Still, she had a few teleporters on call for Endbringer response thanks to her new contacts in the Guild and they were getting ready to start delivering capes to the battlefield. ¡°Motoko, make sure the Tachikoma are prepped,¡± Taylor said. ¡°They¡¯re deploying.¡± Motoko paused as she stepped into the hanger. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re up to it?¡± ¡°Do you doubt us?¡± Henry asked. ¡°I think she does,¡± Ada added. ¡°So little faith.¡± ¡°Stow it,¡± Motoko said, rolling her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve got an Endbringer to repel.¡± A moment of silence followed and echoing laughter began to bubble up from the nine tanks in the room as they bobbed up and down. ¡°Oh Major,¡± Amber said, her voice trying for dark and husky and utterly failing. ¡°We don¡¯t intend to repel it. We intend to murder it!¡± ¡°Yay murder!¡± several cheered. Sophia stepped in behind Motoko, looking around at the chanting Tachikoma. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know.¡±
Taylor¡¯s drones swarmed through the portal into the Detroit airspace, the high winds billowing forth from the flaming portal slowly carving its way into the heart of the city battered her drones. Each one was slaved to Taylor¡¯s coordination, and would allow her to track all of the armbands in real time, directing them as Dragon once did. Technically that had been Ada¡¯s job, but she would be working with her siblings in the field. The Tachikoma were going to be battling the Endbringer up close. Each of their frames held the same sort of uplink that Motoko¡¯s shell now carried, allowing for instant control. Taylor didn¡¯t share that level of control with them, or with the Dragon suits that would be deploying. More so, the kids really wanted to honor their mother¡¯s memory by fighting the monsters that threatened their world. Leviathan hadn¡¯t been an option when it hit Miami, things just weren¡¯t ready. Taylor had sent the Dragon suits that were completed, but it was too few and too little to make a difference. Miami was decimated, written off by the second wave. Most capes were held back, the fight already seen as lost before it had a chance to truly begin. She used the recently completed Dragon suits loaded with Bakuda ordinance to drive the beast back, and had learned a few things for it. Like which effects the Endbringer actually feared. Things would be different this time, she¡¯d had time to prepare. Cerberus was the most feared of the Endbringers, the fabled guardian of the underworld had lived up to its title. Any cape caught in its flame lost their mind, falling into an illusion so powerful that it broke their mind. Even breakers weren¡¯t safe. Alexandria was the only cape known to be immune to the effect, and was often the only one that fought in close quarters as a result. The hellflame only came from the central mouth, while the two on the side breathed their own twisted flames. One only burned organics, the other only burned inorganic material. It made keeping it reined in simpler, but not perfect. Repelling Cerberus was simply a matter of keeping it from fully emerging from its hellgate, which as far as they could tell led to Venus in a different universe, not that the public was ever informed of that. Each cape needed a respirator to fight up close, the levels of toxic chemicals in the air making it unsafe for anyone that had lungs. Battling the creature was a delicate balancing act, and more capes were lost to the inorganic flames than any other as a result. ¡°Taylor, we are in position!¡± Olivia chirped. She smiled, seeing them in real time on the battlefield. She could fly her virtual avatar through the entire space instantaneously, from as many perspectives as she needed. She was practically a goddess of the battlefield. Between the five arial support platforms based off of Dragon¡¯s old designs, she would be able to provide the Tachikoma an unprecedented level of support. ¡°Attention,¡± Taylor said. ¡°We will be deploying experimental ordinance against Cerberus, all capes are advised to stay clear until we know the effects it has on the Endbringer.¡± ¡°Under whose authority?¡± Alexandria demanded. Taylor swung an avatar across the city, sending it to stand next to her. ¡°Mine. Just call me Administrator if you must, but I will be coordinating all activity on the battlefield today since Dragon is no longer with us.¡± Alexandria¡¯s body language shifted ever so slightly. ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡± Taylor¡¯s avatar grinned, because she was all too willing to stir the pot. ¡°Technically yours, chief. Do you really want to stir the pot by opening that can of worms, especially now?¡± Ah, facial twitches. Alexandria was beyond irritated it seemed. Good, she deserved it for all the shit that was allowed to transpire. With any luck, they would be stealing more of her thunder before the day was done. With that conversation done, Taylor shifted views again, frowning as she watched the portal stabilize. It was strange, really, the way it tunneled between dimensions didn¡¯t match either Doormaker, or Harry. If anything, it was closer to Haywire¡¯s tech. The Tachikoma would be going over all the expanded sensor readings after the fight to see what could be replicated regardless, something Dragon had never managed successfully. She blamed Armsbastard for that. ¡°About thirty seconds until the portal is stable,¡± Lisa said, her own avatar visible in Taylor¡¯s ¡®command¡¯ bubble. Lisa couldn¡¯t be with her in person, as Taylor¡¯s shell was currently in cold storage to avoid overheating due to prolonged time spent in what she was coming to consider as Tachikoma timeframe. Thirty seconds was an eternity to them, and it was moments like this, where Taylor stretched herself out across so much space, her mind working at a pace no one else could hope to match that she had to accept the truth. She wasn¡¯t truly human anymore. Even knowing that, it didn¡¯t stop her from living a human life, keeping to her roots. She wasn¡¯t going to shy away from either portion of her life. Taylor would keep going to school and hanging out with her friends. She would continue to date Lisa, even had plans to propose once she was eighteen and graduated. She would embrace every aspect of being human. At the same time, in moments like this? She would become so much more. The cape name Administrator had come to her in a dream, whispered with words that were more abstract concept than true language, but she had understood it all the same. The Tachikoma continued to run calculations all around her, simulations narrowing the attack vectors by the second. Taylor knew the battle would be decided in seconds, from the moment the Tachikoma launched their attack to the point where it was either done, or out of their hands was under ten seconds. If they failed, it would be back to business as usual against the Endbringer. One of her instances stood in the medical tent. Riley and Amy were conversing with one another, along with the remainder of the medical staff on hand. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about Othalla being present, not that she remembered being the Empire cape. Cranial had removed all memories dating back to her twelfth birthday when she had been offered to Victor. It was billed as amnesia and the Protectorate took her in, helped her recover. Taylor still wasn¡¯t sure if Ethel deserved the redemption, but her power was too useful to just throw away. Sighing, Taylor returned her attention to the swirling dimensional distortion as the chaotic image came into focus, six glowing eyes looking back from within the hellscape. Cerberus. ¡°Breach imminent,¡± Taylor called across all the distributed armbands. ¡°Standby for initial salvos before engaging.¡± The Tachikoma arranged themselves in a predetermined pattern, their communication now reduced strictly to strings of code and command. They were focused, ready to combat one of the beasts bringing about the end times. It was only then that Taylor caught it, the timing and cadecense of their communication, and almost burst into laughter. It seemed the Tachikoma were fans of Queen. Administrator smiled, raising a hand as she did. ¡°Alright, prepare salvo bravo twelve.¡± Instantly, nine shots fired off just as Cerberus burst through the portal, letting off three gouts of flame into the sky to announce its arrival. Then all four legs of the beast, as well as its central jaw were turned to crystal. That burst of flame was instantly cut off, the beast yowling as its legs shattered, reduced to thin twigs that shouldn¡¯t have held it upright. ¡°Ultradense material,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Too dense for the crystalline bombs to affect properly.¡± Taylor acknowledged that with one avatar while the other was already sending the new orders to the Tachikoma. ¡°Switch to B twenty three, alpha seven pattern.¡± The nine AI platforms all spread out, avoiding retaliatory flames as they did, and the second salvo burst forth only six seconds following the first explosion. The Tachikoma shifted again, not waiting for the effects before relocating to safety. The coordination was remarkable to behold, each AI interlinked to ensure that they had no blindspots, not that they would with Taylor providing her full battlefield awareness directly to their own systems. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. A dull pop sounded, and the streets were flooded with sand, the Endbringer collapsing into a heap. She could just barely make out paper thin limbs still attached, but the rest of the dense flesh had turned into a literal avalanche of sand that covered the ground. The few buildings caught in the effect radiance were inconsequential in comparison. ¡°Alpha eighty seven,¡± she announced. The Tachikoma launched thin lines of Tinkertech spidersilk, securing each limb of Cerberus at the shoulder and hip. Then, they spun, wrapping around each. An instant later, Flechette was stepping from a portal and touched the string. Physics broke, the Endbringer¡¯s legs completely taken out from under it. Lily vanished back into the portal seconds after the Endbringer dropped. ¡°Flechette¡¯s power confirmed effective regardless of density,¡± Lisa announced. ¡°Still recommend locating a potential core before slicing the bastard to bits.¡± ¡°Bravo Epsilon,¡± Taylor directed, agreeing that caution was the better choice. The density readings on the limbs were high enough that a potential core could have entire solar systems worth of material, if not more. Those were not forces to be trifled with, though they did have a plan that should work. Another salvo rained down on the Endbringer, space contorting into a funhouse mirror and dragging the Endbringer¡¯s flesh with it. A timer began counting down until space would return to normal, and as it lined up, the second salvo went off. Each grenade detonated, displacing a two meter sphere of space into the same dimension Alabaster had been shunted into. Then space snapped back to normal and the Endbringer glitched. There was no other word for it, the creature twisted in something worthy of an Aleph RPG as the thing twisted and contorted in hyperspeed, Taylor watching with sick fascination at the level of physics being broken. And just like that, Cerberus launched skyward, fired off like a coiled spring at almost eighty percent the speed of light. That no shockwave followed was the most distressing part of the whole thing. The portal collapsed in on itself twelve seconds later, leaving the city in sudden stillness. Watching the monitors back in the staging area, dead silence was the answer of almost every attending Parahuman. Even the Tachikoma were struck speechless, something that rarely happened, though Taylor could see the calculations into determining how physics had broken so severely that went beyond even her capacity to follow. ¡°Fucking Bethesda,¡± Dennis said, shattering the moment. ¡°Taylor, that was absolutely a glitch in the Matrix!¡± Kora exclaimed. ¡°I knew it, reality is a simulation!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t prove anything,¡± Ada countered. ¡°Just that an unknown physics interaction broke the local instance of our reality.¡± The Tachikoma descended into bickering and debate, throwing around terms that Taylor absolutely hadn¡¯t studied enough to compare notes with the hyperactive AI.
¡°So, is that it?¡± Motoko asked. ¡°I think so,¡± Sophia said, blinking in almost disbelief at the screen. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see the day an Endbringer was treated like a chew toy by physics itself.¡± ¡°Maybe it will encourage you to pay more attention in class,¡± Motoko teased, poking Sophia between a gap in her armor. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing more classes with you, but no, my little huntress doesn¡¯t think school work is important.¡± ¡°School is a waste of time,¡± Sophia said with a huff. ¡°Says the girl barely passing her classes,¡± Vivian teased from where she was lounging on a couch, one of Amy¡¯s blunts hanging from her lips. Sophia flipped her off, and Vivian immediately fired back a double fingered counter. ¡°You¡¯re just pissy that I just scienced an Endbringer out of existence!¡± ¡°With the help of Taylor and nine AI coordinating themselves to make it happen,¡± Motoko interjected. ¡°Whatever makes you feel better,¡± Vivian said, rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m taking this as a win, and taking every chance I get to remind the delinquent over there to do better.¡± Sophia huffed, looking away. ¡°We¡¯re members of a black ops team, not children gossiping in the halls.¡± ¡°Could have fooled me,¡± Vivian replied sweetly, taking a deep drag as she did. Taylor¡¯s face appeared on a nearby screen, scowling. Almost immediately Sophia¡¯s hands were up in a placating manner. Motoko didn¡¯t like that Taylor still tended to jump at every little thing, but it wasn¡¯t without merit, and if Taylor found solace in petty moments in lieu of proper punishment... Well, Sophia could just woman up and play the game. Besides, the school uniforms were a bit of a perk, rather than the punishment Taylor thought they were. ¡°Ain¡¯t trying to start shit, Taylor, just calling it as it is,¡± Sophia said, eyes shut. That was more than she had expected, which meant that Sophia knew she had crossed a line. That was actual progress being made. Probably best that Jacob wasn¡¯t there to make a bigger deal of it. The man was good at managing Parahumans, but he wasn¡¯t actually all that good at legitimate therapy methods. Melissa was far better in that respect. Motoko pinched her nose, recalling some of Jacob¡¯s less successful attempts at reconciliation between the two. ¡°Let¡¯s just drop it for now. Taylor, do you know what happened to the Endbringer?¡± ¡°Not a damn clue,¡± Taylor said, slumping. ¡°The fucking thing cleared the atmosphere, then just... It fucking popped like a soap bubble. Lisa thinks it was a projection, but that implies some Parahuman summoned it.¡± ¡°Which is all kinds of terrifying,¡± Motoko agreed. ¡°Any suspects?¡± Taylor grimaced, looking away. ¡°Two, and neither are especially appealing.¡± Lisa entered Toybox¡¯s staging area at that time, bringing a crate of champagne with her along with her trademarked Tattletale grin. ¡°We can stress over the thoughts of a Master capable of summoning an Endbringer later. For now, we had a zero casualty Endbringer encounter, that¡¯s cause worth celebrating!¡± Motoko wasn¡¯t having it. She stepped forward and looked Lisa dead in her eyes. ¡°Lisa, out with it. No secrets.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡± she whined, Motoko only countered with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Fine. Our leading candidates are Glaistig Uaine, or Eidolon. A third might have been Scion if we hadn¡¯t figured out exactly what the bastard was thanks to Taylor and the Tachikoma cracking into Section One.¡± Sophia crossed her arms, face twisted in thought. ¡°It could still be him, playing some fucked up game. It¡¯s a bit too on the nose though, even if there are anti-Thinker effects around connecting the dots.¡± ¡°And this is why I insisted this wait until after the party,¡± Lisa said, popping the cork on a bottle. ¡°Come on, everyone, this is cause to celebrate!¡± It really was, Motoko could admit. Whatever happened with the Endbringer, the attack had been halted. Taylor and the Tachikoma would be working on site for a while longer, taking readings, as well as figuring out what the hell had happened, and the odds it would also work on Leviathan or Behemoth. She didn¡¯t think the odds were all that in their favor, but there was still a chance. Lisa was all smiles, but she could see it was forced. For as jovial as the mood was, her girlfriend wasn¡¯t physically there to enjoy it with her. Opening a com, Motoko poked at Taylor¡¯s digital avatar. ¡°Hey, you really should be here,¡± she said. ¡°Lisa¡¯s not saying it, but she wants to share the moment with you.¡± ¡°Too much to analyze,¡± Taylor said, her voice without inflection. ¡°Need to assist the Tachikoma.¡± ¡°No, you need to be human,¡± Motoko said firmly. ¡°Now, log out of all of that and go celebrate with your girlfriend.¡± Taylor¡¯s eyes shut, her avatar taking a deep breath as humanity bled back into her features. It was a sign that Taylor was slowing herself down, returning to human norms. It was disconcerting each time it happened, their minds were still linked, but something had shifted that first time Taylor went full AI attempting to save Dragon. She didn¡¯t talk about it with anyone besides Lisa and Melissa, and neither of them were sharing either. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Taylor said sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a minute or so.¡± Motoko nodded, bringing her focus back to her shell. It was strange, being the remote piloted person even after several months, but Taylor needed the human connection that having your mind in the body brought with it far more than Motoko did. She made sure to stay out of Lisa¡¯s focus, pulling Sophia close as they both sipped on some of the alcohol being passed around. She very pointedly looked away when Taylor stepped in, her hair still dripping from the cooling pod. Somehow she managed to sneak up behind Lisa, or she simply allowed Taylor to have the moment, as Lisa jumped in surprise when Taylor wrapped her arms around her. ¡°Cold!¡± Or she was still ice cold from the cooling pod. That worked too. ¡°Hey Lise,¡± Taylor said, kissing her girlfriend¡¯s cheek. ¡°Did I miss much?¡± Lisa spun, her formerly vulpine smile turning into something genuine as she wrapped her arms around Taylor and pulled her close. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Are we that sickening together?¡± Sophia asked, scowling at the sight. Motoko shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Probably, but are you really complaining?¡± ¡°Jury¡¯s out,¡± Sophia answered, then her smile fell away. ¡°You know, something¡¯s been bothering me for a bit now.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that,¡± Motoko asked. Sophia sighed, leaning back against the sofa. ¡°I did a lot of shit to Taylor, and you share her memories. I get that you were trying to prove you were different than her at the time, but why have you stayed with me? I¡¯ve not apologized and I sure as hell haven¡¯t turned over a new leaf. I just got lucked into a job with someone who won¡¯t look down on me for being who I am.¡± Motoko set her glass aside, not having expected such a heavy topic in the wake of an Endbringer¡¯s death. ¡°Do we need to have this conversation now?¡± Sophia looked at her, seemingly unimpressed. ¡°If not now, then when? You¡¯ve been putting this off for months Motoko. You should hate me, or feel something for Taylor, but you don¡¯t, do you?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t figured it out?¡± Motoko asked. Really, it was obvious to her, but then again, she wasn¡¯t exactly normal. None of those who fell in with Section Nine could claim to be. Sophia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, a clear invitation to explain. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which of us is the ¡®core¡¯ Taylor, and frankly, I don¡¯t want to know. What I do know is that I don¡¯t have a normal emotional response. Pretty sure I¡¯m a sociopath, or something close to it.¡± ¡°Preaching to the choir on that one,¡± Sophia muttered. A smile pulled at her lips, but she pressed on. ¡°You¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t start dating you because of love. I started dating you to prove my individuality. Once I got there, I looked for reasons to stop, but you know what I found?¡± ¡°A veritable mountain with a giant red flag on top?¡± Lisa snarked. ¡°Not fucking helping,¡± Motoko snarled. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite you to this conversation.¡± Lisa rolled her eyes, glancing back at where Taylor was now talking with Jacob and Kurt. There were still a few stragglers, like Harry and Keith, but they had far more shit to deal with, nevermind the dreaded PR. ¡°And no trying to give Motoko an out by sidetracking us, Tattletale,¡± Sophia said, her voice low in warning. ¡°Seriously, I thought you liked spilling secrets.¡± ¡°I¡¯m reformed, haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Lisa said, winking. ¡°I¡¯ll back off though before the shadow bitch decides I need a new arrow phased through something I like.¡± ¡°I was thinking neck this time,¡± Sophia said sweetly. ¡°Now, what did you find out?¡± Motoko looked off to the side, at Taylor in the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop. That¡¯s it. Despite how much it hurt Taylor, it never bothered me. I think it had something to do with how I came to be, and my early interactions with you. She held her hatred of you so close, and I never experienced it. I remember it, but it¡¯s so detached. I think that¡¯s why I am the way I am. Taylor clutched some things close, others she pushed my way. In the end, it made me who I am, but I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m a flawed individual. In the end, that¡¯s all we ever are, a collection of flaws that make us whole and I happen to like the collection that is Sophia Hess.¡± Sophia was silent for several moments, staring at the side of Motoko¡¯s face and she refused to look her girlfriend in the eye. She didn¡¯t want to see what might be looking back at her after baring her soul like that. ¡°That was somehow insulting, depressing, and sappy as fuck all at once,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Worse, I want to kiss you for some gods be damned reason.¡± That did get Motoko to turn her head, her eyes wide at the declaration. She was at a loss for words, not quite sure how to answer that when one of Harry¡¯s portals slammed open, somehow. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you fuckers started without me!¡± Amy shouted, storming through a portal. ¡°Seriously, you couldn¡¯t wait ten goddamn minutes?¡± ¡°Sorry, not sorry,¡± Lisa yelled. Amy snarled, snatching the offered glass of champagne and downing it in one shot. ¡°Seriously, Vivian I get, her shit worked like a charm, but the rest of you? Why I ought to¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t perfect, but she really did care for her family, dysfunctional as they were. Taylor raised a glass across the way, and she returned the gesture. Section Nine was family, and Toybox was her home. No matter what came, she could hold to those truths.