"Everything's going to be okay, Taylor."
"I promise."
She bit down.
And Verity felt her fangs release the second type of venom, the one that contained the CRISPR virus.
And a few seconds later she released her grip.
Verity stared down at Taylor, the girl looking dead to the world, and for a moment she felt her world about to shatter….
She was going to turn this worLD TO STO-
Taylor took in a large breath of air as she seemingly came back to life, and began to breathe in and out quickly, and suddenly everything was okay again.
"Verity?" She asked in between breaths.
"Hey Taylorgator." Verity said, feeling hot tears rolling down her face. "I told you, right? Just like I promised, everything's okay."
"What? What happened? I remember talking to the Undersiders and then… Pain?" Taylor asked.
"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry, everything's fine." Verity said as she carefully checked Taylor's midsection, peeling away the bloodstained costume to see newly healed flesh, causing a second wave of relief to wash over Verity that whatever she just did worked. "Everything is okay. Just had a bit of an incident with a very bad dog."
"...Oh," Taylor said as she seemed to remember what had happened. "How am I?" The 'alive' part of the question went unsaid.
"That's… we're going to check in with a, a friend of mine, Panacea, about that, but I told you I promised you you would be okay and I keep my promises." Verity said, internally berating herself as she realized she had a GPS strapped to her arm. "Computer, plot course to BB General."
"Please head south for one mile then turn left," It replied.
Verity immediately followed it's instructions while cursing the fact she had apparently been just one turn from getting there in time. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she began to move.
"I am feeling pretty damn fine actually," Taylor replied. "Like I could run a marathon, but uhm, can I have my mask back? I don't want my identity exposed?"
"It's in here… somewhere, but that's good, that's good." Verity said, not having actually been paying attention where the mask went in the sort of cocoon of hair she'd made around Taylor. "Feeling good is what you should be feeling, that's good that's good."
"Yeah, I am glad too," Taylor replied. "...Oh you just turned it." Taylor said as her hand went to the side of her head where her mask was and turned it back to fit on her face.
"Careful, there's a lot of, uh, b-blood on it." Verity said, the hospital now in sight, her adrenaline still pumping like crazy. She needed to make sure she hadn't just done something worse to her baby, she had to make sure.
"Yeah, ergh, I can taste that, wargh," She replied.
"Sorry, I probably should have taken that off you first but… I wasn't exactly thinking." Verity said as she approached the hospital, ignoring the stares she was receiving. "Yes, hi, excuse me, need to talk to- Panacea!" She called out upon seeing the familiar white robes.
"Medusa?" She asked in surprise as she dropped her cigarette and quickly stomped on it. "What happened- What happened to you?"
"Me? No, I'm fine, uh, but I need- we need, we need to go somewhere secure." Verity said, assuming Panacea noticed the blood she could feel on her. "Injured independent."
"Hey," Taylor said from inside of her cocoon of hair.
"Yeah sure, but your legs," Panacea stated as she pointed at her lower half.
Verity looked down for just a moment, but all she could see was Taylor, so she immediately pushed that thought aside. "I don't know what you're talking about, but it does not matter." Verity stated. "We need your help now, please." She begged.
"Follow me," Panacea responded as she walked first into the Hospital. "Injured Independent Hero, is there a room we can use?"
"The operation room on the first floor is currently empty, Miss Dallon," The receptionist stated.
"Thank you Trisha," Panacea replied. "Just follow me."
"Yeah, right, yeah." Verity said, still rather freaking out on some level as she followed, ignoring the stares of anyone they passed, focused entirely on following Panacea to make sure Taylor really was okay, she needed to make sure, she needed to.
"So who is the patient?" The healer asked as they entered the clear operating room.
"Did you decide on a name yet, sweetie?" Verity asked softly.
"I think I am going to go with Weaver for now," Taylor replied.
"Patient is Weaver." Verity repeated. "Can I set her on the table?"
"What do you think it's for?" Panacea asked in a deadpan tone of voice.
"Listen it's a miracle I'm able to even remotely coherent right now, don't sass me." Verity said as she carefully, carefully, carefully set Taylor down on the table, maneuvering her hair around to gently deposit her with nary an 'oomph' as she took a step back to let Panacea get a clear view.
"So what happened? Cause I don't see anything wrong besides the copious amount of blood?(Seriously how is she not out from blood loss) I see nothing being added to it?" Panacea asked.
"Well I am feeling better than ever, but I remember being gutted by a dog, now I don't know how I got fixed," Taylor said.
"Which is why I brought her to you." Verity said, voice wavering. "Because she stopped breathing, and I need to know if there were any side effects of what I did to fix that."
"...Oh!" Panacea said in realisation. "You used that?"
"I had no other choice, yes." Verity confirmed. "And I need to know if I've made things worse or not. You're the only person I know who could tell either way."
"Erhh, I am lost. What did Verity do?" Taylor asked.
"Well, Medusa here has a second venom gland, one that doesn't produce a paralytic like she mentioned in her interview, but a CRISPR Virus that she just injected into you, that has apparently healed you," Panacea explained in her deadpan tone of voice, her eyebrow twitching a bit. "Which apparently healed you." She repeated.
"Oh…"
"I'm sorry, it was the only thing I could think to do." Verity apologized as she trailed off.
"...Thank you Verity," Taylor stated. "You saved me."
"I'm hoping I did." Verity said. "Which, is why we're here, Amy, just do your thing and make sure I didn't give her cancer or something, I'm about to pop a blood vessel."
"Yeah, good idea you came to me," Amy said. "So can I use my powers?"
"Yeah sure," Taylor said with a nod.
"Okay, just let me," Amy said as she placed her hand on Taylor's blood coated stomach. "...Oh."
"Oh what?" Verity immediately demanded worriedly. "Good oh? Bad oh?"
"Weird oh," Amy replied.
"Of course," Taylor stated.
"Well good news… she is fully healed, like she had never been injured in the first place."
"Ok, good good good that's what I was hoping when I did, that's why I did it." Verity said frantically. "But it sounds like there's a but, where's the but? What's the bad news?"
"Well not necessarily bad news, just other news, strange news, Florida news," Amy stated.
"So doc," Taylor said. "Will I turn into a fly? For I do know what CRISPR is."
"Maybe," Amy replied.
"What do you mean, maybe?" Verity asked. "Please stop beating around the bush." Please be something stupid like a thrussy, went unsaid.
"Well like I mentioned before, I have a hard time reading this thing as it is so compact with information, but in the most basic sense is that Weaver here got gifted with parts of your biology, which is how she healed so fast from a deadly wound. But its not exactly the same its interacting with her Corona Pollentia and Gemma in weird way, well basically it's mutating so I have no idea what the fuck is happening with her biology. Which is a first," Amy explained.
"Oh god I am going to turn into a fly!"
"Uhhhhh? I don't know?" Verity said at a high pitch with the most worried shrug of her life. "Does- does that- does that mean we, we should, should we stay here? In case something gets weirder?"
"No clue, I don't know if there is a procedure for this, and I know a lot," Amy stated. "So the best bet is just to go home and see if you grow new appendages or something like that."
"...How am I going to explain that to my dad if that happens?" Taylor asked.
"No idea, not my problem," Amy stated.
"It might just be best to tell him everything as soon as we get home." Verity suggested. "Probably best not to lie about this."
"...Yeah I can't argue with that now," Taylor stated.
"Well glad you got that sorted out, now what the fuck is up with your lower body?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, I am curious too, how did you do that?" Taylor asked.
"What are you talkin-" Verity asked as she looked down at herself, only for her cognitive functions to once again crash as she observed she no longer had legs, so much as a giant singular snake tail, having apparently turned into a full lamia at some point. "...You know, it probably says something about me that this isn't even registering as weird even while I'm looking at it." She stated. "In other words, I have literally no idea, I'll deal with it later." She said as she refocused on Taylor. "For now, Amy, you said she should just rest and see what happens?"
"Best advice I can give, because Independents aren't allowed to stay for observation like a normal civilian, bullshit rules and all that," Amy explained.
"Okay, thank you so much Amy, if this costs anything just send me the bill."
"I just added to my people healed number for today, because my contract says I get paid for every person I heal on site," Amy replied with a smug smile.
"Yeah thank you, so if I do start mutating do you think you could reverse it?" Taylor asked.
"Do I look like a Biokinetic to you? My power is just a medical scan and reversal of wounds via using the body's own biomass," Amy stated.
"...Isn't that, by definition, a Biokinetic?" Verity asked, head tilting curiously. "Just a hyper specialized one?"
"A kinetic is defined as any having complete control over what their powers interact with," Amy stated. "Then it's just a matter of reach and mass."
"Oh okay sorry, I'm still not completely up to speed on all the terms." Verity apologized. "But, you say we should just go?"
"Yeah," The healer said back in a deadpan tone of voice, which Verity was now noting to be her default.
"Okay, thank you again. I really wish I could have got here in time so you could do it, but thank you for- thank you for- thank you for-" Verity's brain seemed to be caught in an error loop for a moment as she stumbled over what she was trying to say. "Thank you."
"...Just doing my sworn duty," Amy replied. "Now get out so I can get to sterilizing the place."
"Thank you." Verity repeated, before turning to Taylor and immediately picking her up again, again forming the cocoon (oh god, she had so much blood in her hair, it would take forever to wash that out) around her to protect her identity, having thought of doing the piggy back version gain but then remembered her tail was her legs now. "Do we leave the way we came in?"
Amy just gave her look as that said 'The fuck do you think?' As she held out some wipes for them to clean themselves up a bit.
"Oh, uh, thanks."
Xxx
"Medusa this is Aegis on console, we got reports of you running through town at high speed and entering BB General, over." Came the voice of Aegis from her armband as she and Taylor were leaving the hospital stares all the way.
"This is Medusa, ran into the new independent being attacked by the Undersiders, badly injured. I rushed her to get medical attention." Verity said truthfully.
"What is their current status? Did you have Panacea heal them?"
"Yeah," Verity lied. "She is a miracle worker. I'm leaving the hospital now to deposit the independent, who has stated to go by 'Weaver', in a safe location. Am I needed for anything?"
"No this was just a check up as we got a few calls, and that she is. Aegis out."
Verity waited a beat, before continuing leaving, immediately heading for the backroads and out-of-the-way spots to hopefully lose any prying eyes. "Okay, let's get you home, explain things to your dad, get cleaned up, and probably just relax for the night, okay?" She asked softly.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Taylor replied, coming down from the high the injection had given her.
"You feeling okay?" Verity asked worriedly.
"I am fine, just hungry and tired now," She replied.
"Well when we get back home, you can definitely eat the rest of that cake, and whatever else you want that I can make." Verity said, deciding that proper nutrition could take the backseat to celebrating not dying.
"I would like a lot of cake now, that was miserable, I didn't think she would do that," Taylor stated.
"It didn't sound like they did, either." Verity said, the words of the one she was pretty sure was called 'Tattletale' easily coming to mind, the entire scene having been burned into her mind. "Didn't seem very cohesive, that group."
"Though I probably should have, I read up on them on the internet, and they had a lot of information on Bitch, due to her identity being public and she seemed to be a very violent person," Taylor stated.
"Yeah, she did." Verity agreed. "Probably going to have to put some dogs down in the future."
"Aww don't do that, they just followed orders," Taylor said.
"...Okay." Verity said, unable to say no to that, the still broiling rage within dying down more. "Hey, I said we would get ice cream after we were done, right?"
"Yeah… But I think we should just buy, like, tubs, instead of cones."
"I've got some vanilla at home, do you like vanilla?"
"I can take that," She replied.
"What's your favorite flavor, for future fun?" Verity asked alliteratively.
"I like banana," Taylor answered.
"Noted."
"So at least now they know I won't be working with them… ever."
"Ahaha, yeah, no." Verity laughed a laugh with very little mirth. "They also won't be existing for much longer."
"...You do know that you aren't allowed to go after villains in their civvies right?" Taylor said. "They explained the unwritten rules to me when we first met, like how it all was like cops and robbers… Doesn't feel like that right now."
"Oh, I know, but the literal second they show up again…" All mirth left Verity's voice. "I'm going to come down upon them like the fist of god."
"And suddenly gained sympathy for them… and it's gone now," Taylor said.
"So, anyway, to completely change the topic." Verity said. "You're probably going to call off sick tomorrow just in case, right?"
"Yeah, don't know if I am going to wake up with a tail or an extra arm," Taylor said with a dead chuckle.
Verity flinched at that. "Hopefully that doesn't happen."
"Yeah, let's hope, though… though If I ended up looking like you a little bit… I wouldn't mind that," Taylor stated her very tone of voice blushing.
"Leeet's just hope it's nothing too noticeable." Verity said. "There'd probably be a few questions if that happened, that would maybe make you public?"
"Shit that would be bad."
"Yeah."
"...So let's hope that doesn't happen," Taylor said.
"Yeah." Verity agreed. "...So, how are we going to tell your dad about this?"
"...I have no clue."
Xxx
"So how you feeling Taylor?" Verity asked after getting the entirety of her now significantly longer tail inside the Hebert house and putting the other half of the cake and the tub of ice cream on the table, both capes having taken an hour or so to get cleaned up.
There had been a lot of blood in her hair.
"I feel tired and hungry but besides that, nothing besides the usual," She replied as she sat down on the couch.
"Well, I brought the cake and stuff like I said." Verity said. "Do you need anything? Other than the sweets, obviously."
"I don't," Taylor replied.
"Well, in that case." Verity said, handing Taylor the entire tub and the spoon she'd brought from her own house. "Bone apple tea."
Taylor didn't respond as just began to consume the vanilla ice cream. "Standard but oh so good right now."
"Mhm hmm, that's the power of 'nilla." Verity said in a strange southern accent. "But you're still feeling okay, right?"
"Yeah, I just need more sugar right now," Taylor responded.
"Good, good." Verity said, most of the adrenaline having faded by now but still filled with burbling anxiety. "If you suddenly start feeling like your sense of smell gets better or something like that, please say something okay?"
"I will," She replied.
"Taylor I am back," Came the voice of Danny Hebert as the door to the house opened and closed. And a few steps later the man came into the living room. "Well you two seem to be...What happened to your legs?"
"Uh, it kinda happened while I was running to the hospital." Verity said, still not really sure what the fuck was going on there herself.
"Huh...powers are weird, well I assume the one needing medical attention wasn't you, or else you wouldn't have been running or rather slithering," Danny corrected himself, seeming to take the situation in stride.
"Ahaha, yeah, I uh actually heal really fast." Verity said, looking to Taylor, as that was more or less her cue. "And it uh, turns out not just me."
"Ah, dad the one that she was taking to the hospital was me," Taylor said which made Danny instantly drop what he was carrying, and second later he was giving his daughter a hug.
"Taylor what happened? How did you get hurt?" He asked.
"Dad, I am a cape," Taylor stated. Which made Danny's face freeze. "And I got attacked by the Undersiders when I told them I didn't want to join their group. I would have died if it wasn't for Verity."
At that the Father turned his head to look at Verity, his face now one of pure gratefulness. "Thank you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't prevent her from getting hurt in the first place." Verity said somperly. "Cause, there uh. There are kind of some side effects?"
"Side effects? You didn't get her to Panacea? I might not be up to date on the cape scene of the city, but I know that girl's healing doesn't have any side effects," Danny stated, the harshness of his tone steadily rising.
"We were too far, and she had lost so much blood, I… she stopped breathing and I…" Verity trailed off. "It was the only way I could save her. The good news is that Panacea said it's basically that she got some of my powers?"
"Well, that doesn't seem so bad, Taylor is alive and okay now that is all that matters," Danny said as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, it is." Verity agreed immediately.
"Yeah, I am glad to be alive, though dad don't be surprised if I suddenly grow some extra appendages," Taylor said.
"Huh?"
"Please stop saying that, don't speak that into existence." Verity pleaded. "But… she does have a point that her body may change, we don't know how much of my powers she has. Hopefully it's just that she heals like I do, might end up with some scales though. Everything's up in the air right now."
"...Well, better than dead," Danny said as he ended the hug. "Well you being a cape explains why you got home so late two days ago."
"Yeah she's the one who actually took down Lung, she is awesome."
Danny began to cough heavily at that. "What? You fought Lung?"
"He was going to kill kids… But they just turned out to be Undersiders, so I slightly regret that decision now," Taylor said.
"Considering you were unharmed, you did the right thing, but never engage with someone of that power level without backup again please thank you." Verity said.
"I completely agree with that," Danny said. "Which means you're going to join the Wards, because I can't have that happening again."
"Do I really have to?" Taylor asked.
"That is what I've been recommending."
"...Oh that was what you were talking about during dinner, yeah I think you should Taylor, you need friends your own age, and the pay should be decent, though I am going to have to look over the contract before you sign anything," Danny stated. "Not going to have my daughter locked in by some legal bullshit."
"Smart man." Verity agreed with a nod. "There are other outlets for her to use her powers outside the Wards, Taylor can also probably use her powers in all sorts of ways, you wanna explain what you do Tay?"
"Well I can control every single 'bug' within two city blocks," Taylor stated.
"All of them?" Danny asked.
"All of them." She confirmed.
"Yeah, I can see you being able to put that to good use, can charge people out the ass for a quick extermination and probably also rat elimination as they are often grouped together," Danny stated.
"Yeah, I can do that, already removed all the termites from Verity's house," Taylor said.
"Wait, you did?" Verity asked. "Wait, there were termites?!"
"Before you moved in," She explained.
"Oh okay, okay, thank you for that, that's probably the reason the PRT got it for me." Verity guessed. "Easier to renovate and all. But… yeah, I uh, Danny I'd recommend calling her in sick tomorrow in case something happens, hopefully nothing does but this is… it's superpowers, man, I have no idea."
"Yeah, I am going to do that, and if anything does she is going to call me then you, as I have a meeting with the Mayor the entire morning and early noon alongside my normal work," Danny stated.
"Uh, I can be here for the morning, but I have a patrol from 1-7." Verity said apologetically. "I will come running at the speed of snake if she calls no matter what, but I'll be in the commercial district around then… but, if you're fine in the morning you should be fine for that time period, right? Most changes happen when you sleep."
"Well I don't know," Both Danny and Taylor said at the same time. "Do they?"
"I don't know, most of my biology knowledge doesn't include parahuman stuff." Verity admitted. "I'm just trying to make a nice hopeful statement, to be honest, speak it into existence, y'know?"
"Ah," They said at the same time as well.
"Well I am going to continue eating my ice cream before it melts," Taylor said as she continued to eat her sugar filled vanilla ice.
"Yeah, do that, if the regen works the way I think it does, you should get as many calories as you can." Verity said. "And in general, you are stick thin, have you not been feeding this girl Danny?"
"That is just Hebert metabolism at work," Danny responded.
"Pfft, lucky." Verity said under her breath.
"You're the one to say that?" Danny said. "For I saw how much you ate at dinner."
"I weigh more than three of you, dude." Verity stated plainly, before looking down at herself, in particular at what used to be her legs, which didn't feel unnatural in the slightest. "...Maybe more now, I… god, this is weird."
"Yeah it is pretty weird, goes right into uncanny territory," Danny stated. "Though that is only the bottom half, the rest is some of the best I have seen in a long time."
"...Dude, you are, like, way too old for me." Verity said, just barely able to pick up that she was technically being hit on.
"Are you not like in your thirties?" Danny asked.
"...I know I've always been told I look older than I am, but damn, no, I'm just barely 21. You're probably old enough to be my dad."
"...Oh," He replied with a slight amount of shame.
Meanwhile Taylor was cackling like a loon beside her.
Verity took the moment to just enjoy Taylor laughing, because that was the most she'd heard her new favorite human laugh at all. And laugh a little herself, it was kind of funny.
"Well, this is embarrassing," Danny said as he scratched his neck. "Well I am going to start making dinner now because I think that Ice Cream and cake is not going to be enough."
"Yeah, I am still hungry," Taylor said, about to empty her tub.
"And speaking of cake," Danny said as he went into the kitchen and came back out a second later holding the now empty tupperware container. "It was great."
"Did you just compare my gramma's creme de meth brownies to cake? You heathen? You philistine?" Verity's tail gave the floor a light smack for emphasis on both insults.
"He is sadly a lost cost, every single baked confectionery is cake to him," Taylor said.
"It is not," He defended himself but it sounded rather hollow.
"I'm going to be making cookies, if you call those cake I will make you regret it Daniel." Verity threatened jokingly.
"Oof," The man responded. "Haven't been called that in years. Well again thank you Verity for saving my girl's life."
"How could I not have?"
Xxx
After a few hours vibing at the Hebert home Verity went to bed hoping that Taylor would not change.
Though it was a bit difficult as she had still not figured out how to change her legs back.
She didn't even have time to have the breakdown that she could feel coming, she literally entered her room and lost all will to move.
And that night Verity had her first proper dream since she had arrived.
Xxx
The ***** ************* has been conquered.
The seed has been planted.
*** ****** shall lose.
******* us.
My *****.
The XVII.