Slash and Burn: A Worm CYOA SI

Chapter 3: It's All about Your Perspective of Justice!

Taylord, the Bug Rider:

She sat in the booth and looked across at the heroes that were eating their meal. It was still hard for her to believe that she was sitting across from a new hero team and eating pizza on her first night out as a cape. Maybe it was the fact that it was almost three AM, but it felt like a dream to her. After all, Hyperion had taken down Lung, who had fought off entire superhero teams in the past, in a single blast and then turned around and offered her, a random rookie cape, a place on his team. She didn't appreciate the nickname, but it wasn't exactly awful compared to the options she had already considered. That did not mean that there was any chance that she would keep the name "Bug Rider" if she had the choice, however.

Hyperion's helmet had folded back so that his lower face was exposed, allowing him to eat pizza. From what Taylor could tell, he had the square jaw of a classical male hero's physique. After he finished chewing, he looked at Taylor thoughtfully. "You know," he said, "if you have any questions about the whole cape game, you're free to ask."

Taylor, who has wearing a domino mask that Hyperion had conjured, nodded, before a thought occurred to her. "You said you were new to being heroes, but you're not new to the cape scene. So you used to be…what?"

Hyperion sighed and Aegle looked down at her plate, now somber instead of cheerful. "We used to be villains. We would travel around the country doing odd jobs and the like, stirring up a little trouble." Taylor drew in her breath sharply, suddenly uncertain about being near them. "But, we had a change of heart. Now we want to make up for our less than glorious pasts by fixing the world. You've seen what Brockton Bay is like," he continued, gesturing outwards to indicate the city, "the whole world is in decline and if people like us don't step up…it's a sort of open secret, but there are actual concrete estimates on how much longer society has if something doesn't change. Conservative estimates say about fifteen years, and more generous ones say thirty."

Taylor frowned. "You became a hero to stop that?"

"In part, but I've also come to understand the impact of my less than illustrious past has had on people, and I've learned that it's much more satisfying helping people. That's another reason why I want to use my powers to help people. That fact that my powers have begun to skyrocket in what they're capable of since I made that decision have also helped."

Aegle nodded, grinning. "Before, he was pretty limited in what he could do, but now he can teleport, shoot lasers and give people powers! He even made me a better Tinker and gave me a shape shifter power so if I think of a blueprint, I can now become that!"

"You could say I'm powered by being a hero," Hyperion said with a slight smirk.

Taylor looked down at her plate. She wasn't sure she felt comfortable with the idea that they used to be villains, but they weren't so bad anymore. But, she needed to know who they were. "Who did you used to be?"

Hyperion smiled and gestured to Aegle. "She was my kid tinker sidekick," he said, ruffling her still-glowing hair. "Our old crew had a few other members with various powers, but I wouldn't say any of us were big time. Mainly I was a thinker, able to read other capes near me. That's how I stayed out of trouble with the PRT for so long, I was able to keep my crew out of trouble. I'd rather put my past behind me and not bring up the name of my old identity if you don't mind, but I will tell you the powers of the rest of our group: There's Mars, who can change between a normal man a giant unstoppable monster, Morrigan, a brute, Svarog, another tinker, Aphrodite, a master with the ability to influence emotion, Hercules, a brute with a power nullification effect, Sekhmet, a pyrokinetic, and Ninlil, a shaker with power over a variety of things which she uses to help her fly."

"And they were all villains?" Taylor asked.

Hyperion nodded. "Yes, we're committed to reforming. I think you would be a good addition to the team, but I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable by having you work with ex-villains." He paused. "I suppose I should also note that I plan on recruiting more people with similar pasts, help them find more productive pursuits."

Taylor drew in a deep breath. "I need time to think about this. It's a lot to take in at once."

"I understand, takes as much time as you need," he said. "But even if you say now, we'd be happy meet up with you any time, either for 'work' or just hanging out like this."

"Yeah, and it'll be super exciting, just think about what we could do together! Tinkered super bugs! With combat tentacles and jet packs!"

"Um…Thanks."

+S&B+

Jack Slash:

Grue and Bitch weren't too happy to see me, but that was okay. "I want to talk shop with you guys, make a job offer."

Brian paused, tense. "What?"

I nodded and looked Rachel in the eyes. "I'm here representing a group called Elohim. We're looking to recruit valuable parahumans."

Rachel and her dogs growled. "Why should we listen to you?"

"Because we'll pay well, and we're about to take down your boss."

"What?" Brian demanded/repeated.

"Your boss is a disgusting monster who is currently planning on kidnapping a child precog and forcing her to work for him by drugging her," I informed them. "This is not something we will tolerate happening in this city. Two of our members, Hyperion and Aegle already took down Lung, and you can expect the other two ABB capes to be nonissues by the end of the week."

Brian glanced at Rachel, who I was still staring down. "Who are you?" he asked me.

I smiled replied without looking away from my staring contest (complicated by my mirror shades and lightless pits for eyes), "Shoggoth, but you can call me Neil since you're in your civilian identities."

"Shoggoth?" he asked.

I replied by growing giant green tentacles covered in mouths and eyes out of my back. I retracted them when Rachel's dogs attacked me and they started growing as her power worked on them, but I otherwise ignored them. I continued my staring contest and after a moment Rachel whistled to call the dogs off and I regrew my clothes. Super shape shifting powers are utterly ridiculous like that, but I manage to live with that power somehow, one day at a time.

"Right," Brian said.

I hummed in agreement and rocked on my heels idly.

"Let's move this inside," he said eventually, gesturing me to head in.

I nodded and walked in, Rachel and Brian following behind me at a respectable distance. I would have called it safe, but when my power manipulation power used five charges to give me a shape shifter power, it created one that was effectively a 12 on the PRT's threat rating system. This meant that since about a 10 was enough to abandon a city over, I had a disguise power strong enough to be worth writing off the entire state of New Jersey over, though I don't think anyone would consider it a big loss.

Eventually we made our way up into the Undersiders' loft. Alex was lazing on one of the couches and Lisa was sitting at the table, eating cereal and pouring over her computer. When I opened the door she looked up mid-bite, and her mouth dropped open, letting her spoon fall to the floor.

"How would you like that gun against your head removed?" I asked her, since it seemed like no one else was quite ready to start a conversation yet.

"What?" Brian asked/repeated again.

"Like I said, your boss is a monster and he recruited Lisa here by literally putting a gun to her head," I explained.

"You're taking him out? Today?" Lisa asked in a mixture of incredulity and hope.

"And offering you all jobs, since you'll be out of them soon."

"You're with Hyperion and Aegle," Lisa said, a vulpine smile spreading on her face.

"The team name's Elohim," I informed her. "And we plan on ending villainy in this city."

Lisa's eyes widened. "You think you can do it too…you actually can!"

Alec sat up. "So we either join you hero team or you take us in?"

I shrugged. "You don't have to join, but we know what you each want and we can help you get that." I pointed at Alex, since he was the last to speak. "You want power, prestige, comfort and safety from your father? We have tinkers and a matter creating and shaping shaker who can help with that." I pointed at Lisa. "You want to be free to make your own choices and show you're the smartest person in the room? We could use a powerful thinker to help organize and run things." Her eyes widened again before I pointed at Brian. "You want your sister in your care and away from your parents? When we seize Coil's assets with Tattletale's help we can make that happen, easy." I pointed to Rachel. "You want to take care of your dogs without having to worry about social weirdness? We can set you up with a fully equipped shelter for as many dogs as you want, and you won't be the most socially awkward among us by far."

Lisa was the first to speak. "You come in off the street and want to put me in charge?"

I shake my head. "You'll be Head of Intelligence, and probably Strategic Resources until we recruit Accord."

"You're recruiting Accord?" she asked. "For his Thinker power," she answered herself.

I nodded. "Well, if you can answer for me, should I go?"

"I thought you needed – oh, you expect me to convince them. Sure, call back in a few hours."

I waved her good bye and left them to their own devices. That's the thing about know-it-all Thinkers, they can argue your side or the argument and their own at the same time. It saves time, even if you can make dozens of fully powered clones of yourself on a whim. Shoggoth eats, he does not work.

+S&B+

Sophia Hess:

Sophia leaned against the wall, waiting outside Mr. Gladly's classroom with Emma and the rest of their hangers on while the worm Taylor Hebert spoke with Mr. Gladly. Emma wanted to ambush her, but a new kid, this weird, energetic blond girl named Riley something was standing inside with her. Apparently the new kid had made the poor decision to be friends with Hebert. Neither Emma nor Sophia would stand for that.

When the two can out, Emma had formed a loose ring blocking them in and they started the usual tactic of badmouthing Hebert while pretending to ignore her. When she tried to get through, no one got out of her way, so she just stood there and waited like the prey she was.

Sophia watched as something hardened in the new kid's eyes, even though she kept up her cheery demeanor. The new kid firmly grabbed Hebert's arm and pushed her way through the ring, showing the followers out of the way and leading Hebert off somewhere.

Sophia growled and followed, Emma following.

Eventually the new kid led them to an unused classroom on the third floor. Sophia moved to block the only entrance and exit of the room, seeing the two standing in the center of the room, the new kid looking at her with that bright smile she seemed to constantly wear.

The new kid waved. "Hi there, Sophia! Since you were following us I thought we could get to know each other."

Sophia warily approached, she could tell that there was something dangerous about the new kid. "Oh yeah?"

"Yep!" the new kid replied cheerily. "I'll start: I like having fun and my friends not being bullied."

Sophia scowled. "Why do you care? She's pathetic."

The new kid's smile shrank slightly, changing tone slightly and her eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint entering them. Her body was loose and Sophia could tell that she knew how to fight. "I care because she's my friend. And like my Uncle Jack said, 'you have to give people the respect they deserve.' Taylor deserves respect, and I wanted to give you the chance to earn some," she said cheerily.

Sophia growled, aware that Taylor and Emma were both watching. She couldn't back down or she'd look weak, like prey. She lunged at the new kid, using her training and experience to lash out, but almost before she could react the new kid had her arm and was swinging her over her head. Sophia had to stop herself from phasing out of the new kids grip when she was slammed into the ground and a shoe heel set against her throat, again before she could react.

Sophia glared up at the new kid, who was still smiling brightly. "You should get more practice, but that's okay. If you ever need help I'd be more than happy too." The way she was smiling and the eager look in her eyes sent a shiver down Sophia's spine. She wanted to phase out of the girl's grip at teach her a lesson, but that would reveal her identity as Shadow Stalker. And there was a tiny part of her mind which said that this girl would be dangerous even if Sophia fought her as a cape. Sophia glared up at the girl as she shoved down that part of herself. She would get revenge on the new girl for making her look weak.

The girl let Sophia go and turned to Hebert, dismissing Sophia utterly. "Let's go eat somewhere else, Taylor," she said, taking Hebert's hand.

Sophia rolled to her feet, ignoring her aches form the throw as the two walked towards the door. Silently snarling she quietly approached the two from behind. When they neared the door, Sophia sent a vicious kick at the back of the new girl's knee, but she managed to twist out of the way. Sophia sent a punch to the girl's face, ready for her grab, but instead the girl dodged out of the way and sent a quick jab at Sophia's extended elbow before grabbing her throat and slamming Sophia against the doorframe.

With her free hand, the new girl wagged her finger in Sophia's face. "No! Uncle Jack told us that you're not supposed to do that sort of thing in public," she scolded.

Sophia moved to kick her knee and break the hold, but before she could do anything the new girl's free hand formed a fist and hit Sophia's forehead hard, bouncing her head off of the door frame.

"Hurting people just because you don't like them or just to make yourself feel better is wrong," the girl explained. Then she let go of Sophia, allowing her to slump against the door frame. "Come on Taylor!"

+S&B+

Jack Slash:

I teleported to Trickster, who was out of costume and in his team's apartments. He was sitting on a couch and the rest of his team (except Noelle) were there with him. I was in my Hyperion guise with Hercules in his bronze colored armor, lion skin and giant two handed axe on his shoulder. "Hello, Krause. How would you like a cure for Noelle and a way back to Earth Aleph?"

Predictably, the Travelers all jumped to their feet in shock at my awe inspiring appearance.

"You…what?" he managed to ask after overcoming his obvious amazement at having me come to him of all people. I was glad he'd gotten over it so quickly. If it had gone on too long it could have gotten awkward, and then I'd have to use my bullshit powers to level the building and then rebuild it and everyone inside so I could do the whole thing over.

My powers could probably actually do that, come to think of it.

"Everything you and your team wants? I can give it to you," I explained.

"What's the catch?" Sundancer asked, halfway in her costume for some reason.

"I am Hyperion," I needlessly explained so that they could hear my mellifluous voice, "and I am the leader of the new group Elohim. Our goal is to end villainy, make the worlds better places to live, and ensure JUSTICE!" I shouted the last word loud enough to make them all jump in the surprised joy of the good news. "And I want to recruit you. Parahumans have a natural desire to use their powers, so Elohim intends to provide constructive environments for parahumans to use them without resorting to villainy."

"If you know we want to go back, then you should know that I want to leave this life behind me," she replied.

"Yes, well I'd prefer if you joined. You'll be free to travel home whenever you wish, you'll get excellent pay and benefits, and you'll be in on the ground floor of the new worlds order."

"What?" Krouse asked. I'd already heard that enough from Brian, but in my infinite wisdom and mercy, I allowed it.

"Parahuman powers are reshaping the world, and they were already showing up in Aleph when you left and the number has been slowly increasing there ever since," I explained. "Even without the Endbringers, society is going to go through radical changes as time progresses and capes have greater and greater impact. Already villains outnumber heroes here, and the same basic reasons behind that will happen on Earth Aleph eventually as well. The standard societal dynamics can't survive an era where individuals or small groups can effectively stand off against entire armies. Elohim intends to be an answer to that growing problem."

"By building a cape empire?" Sundancer asked.

"Not if we can help it," I replied. "We merely intend on making our services and role in society indispensable. All of your powers would be incredibly valuable in helping improve the lives of people everywhere."

"I'm not joining some megalomaniac with visons of empire," Genesis replied. "I just want to leave this life behind."

Hercules growled but I held up my hand. "Alright, I'm not a megalomaniac – my views of myself are entirely accurate – and I'd prefer if you joined our superhero team, but as long as you leave behind your current life of villainy that's acceptable. If you ever change your mind, you can always contact us later."

"But you can cure her?" Trickster asked with desperate hope in his voice.

"I already did." I snapped my fingers and Noelle appeared, fully human, beside me wearing a loose denim shirt and blue jeans that someone would probably be missing later.

She smiled at seeing her boyfriend. "Krause!" she said, already moving towards him.

"Noelle!" he cried out in joy as he wrapped her in a tight hug.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them willing to let each other go.

"Well, the Empire Eighty-Eight's European friends have an appointment that they will Nazi coming, so I should get going. We'll be in touch."

+S&B+

In the middle of Africa, Sekhmet and I appeared in the midst of a swirling storm of fire. I grinned and the pitch black figure in front of us. An injection of Loyalty, Empathy and Translingualism, and we were ready to roll. "Hello…"

+S&B+

I teleported into a brick-walled courtyard along with Sekhmet, Ninlil, Hercules, Svarog and our newest member, Montu. Sekhmet and Montu were both concealed by shimmering hazes of heat and swirling sparks as they held hands. Ninlil was inside a giant angel of broken glass and shards of metal, and by angel I mean the old Kabbalistic kind that look like eldritch abominations with lots of mouths and eyes and alien geometry. Hercules had his axe and club strapped to his back and had a Tinker-tech minigun in his hands. Svarog was in a large, heavy bipedal suit of powered armor that was about six meters tall with energy guns and missile launchers.

I clapped my hands together. "Well, like I said before, Nazis are acceptable targets so feel free to go to town, but remember that we want to save the kids and any of the parahumans Svarog thinks we can turn. Good luck and have fun."

I teleported away as fire, glass, bullets and lasers exploded out across the Gesselshaft compound.

+S&B+

I appeared in a battle scarred lot, Armsmaster, Assault, Battery and Miss Militia standing before Aphrodite.

"Don't try mastering me, I can tell when you try," Armsmaster growled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean too," Aphrodite replied insincerely.

"And I can tell when you lie."

"Hello, everyone!" I interrupted. They all turned to me. "How are things?"

Before anyone could answer, a multilimbed monstrosity exploded out from one of the nearby buildings, several people in its grip. "Crawler!" Armsmaster shouted, aiming his halberd.

"No, no! He goes by Mars, he's a Changer!" I shouted, trying to keep a fight from breaking out with the Protectorate. I didn't want to have one on the first day that we had made ourselves public. That would be all kinds of awkward.

"He's on our team," Aphrodite added.

Armsmaster paused and lowered his halberd slightly. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked.

"We're attacking a Merchant's base," Aphrodite explained. "We were hoping to catch one of their parahumans, but I'm not sure that's happened."

At that moment, Morrigan chose to leapt through a wall – leaving a her-shaped hole in it – to join the conversation. "Hello, Morrigan," I said. "Did you find Skidmark?"

She nodded and pointed inside. I could make out a groaning form on the rubble-covered floor.

"Right." I turned to Armsmaster and gestured towards the fallen villain. "One villain, ready to face justice."

He nodded brusquely before looking around at the warzone which the whole block had become. It hadn't been in good shape before, and now most of the Merchants had either been chased off of incapacitated, so it was probably an improvement. "Given the level of collateral damage your team has caused, I'd recommend you visit our headquarters today."

I nodded agreeably as Mars casually dropped the Merchants had had been holding onto the pavement. "We'd be happy too, but right now some of our members are a bit busy."

"I only heard of one massive cape fight today," Assault said.

"Yes, well, they're off in another city actually," I explained. "They aren't here because most of them are somewhat more destructive in their methods."

Assault looked around and then back at me incredulously. "Will the city still be standing afterwards?"

"Most of it will; they're only after the Nazis after all."

"Who are they attacking?" Miss Militia asked concernedly, likely hoping to alert the local authorities so they could help stamp out the acceptable targets.

"Gesselshaft."

"In Germany?" she asked incredulously.

"I can teleport groups," I said by way of explanation.

"Well," Assault said exuberantly, "I guess they did Nazi it coming." He then cried out when Battery hit him.

"No," I said. "No, that was terrible. I'm sorry, but that was physically painful to hear. Frankly, after hearing that I'm Fuehrerious."

Battery groaned. "Not another one, we already have two of them."

"Really?" Aphrodite asked incredulously. "I thought it was Hitlerious."

"Damn it."

+S&B+

A/N: I'm using the name Elohim for Jack Slash Insert's "hero" team. It reflects his incredible humility.

+S&B+