Taylor took a deep breath of morning air once she'd stepped out of the cab that had brought her to Excelsior's Brockton Bay offices, smoothing out the very nice and expensive business outfit her father had insisted on dipping into their savings to buy her and making sure she had the backpack containing her costume secure.
It was her first day of work, and she was feeling understandably nervous, for multiple reasons. She was about to begin her career as part of a superhero team, meet her new teammates, and hopefully start making a difference in the city, if not the world. It was a big step, and she could feel her heart hammer in her chest as her excitement and fear practically paralized her.
After a moment she took several more deep breaths to settle her nerves before focusing on what she needed to do, beginning to make her way into the expensive office building.
Walking into the lobby she glanced around, finding it to be richly decorated without being ostentatious, various people in suits dotted about, likely there to do business. She adjusted her glasses and tried not to look like she didn't belong, some of her bugs noting the glances she was getting from some of the people there.
"Taylor! You're early." Lara said as she approached from the elevators with a smile.
"I figured I might as well, Miss Croft." Taylor said with a nervous smile.
"I told you to call me Lara." Her employer chided her gently before motioning for her to follow as she moved over to the front desk. "We'll go ahead and get you set up, then." She moved over to a small security lockbox sitting at the far end of the desk, near one of the receptionists greeting the visitors. Lara pressed her thumb against the box's fingerprint scanner before opening it and pulling out a security badge, which she handed over to Taylor. "Here you go. This will let you into the building proper and the office you'll be working from." Once Taylor had clipped it to her lapel the older woman motioned for her to follow again as she began to make her way towards the elevators. "Come on, let me show you the way to where you'll be working."
Taylor followed quickly, her flats tapping against the floor. "I'm guessing you'll be introducing me to my, ah, fellow employees?" She asked.
Lara didn't answer till the doors to the elevator had closed and they were alone. "Yes. You'll be introduced to them, and see the Unbound's base of operations." She studied Taylor for a moment. "Are you sure you want to let them know your identity? You don't have to, you know…"
Taylor nodded slowly. "I am." She'd agonized over the issue endlessly for the week since she'd been hired, even writing out a list of pros and cons, but in the end it came down to the simple fact that the Unbound already knew who she was. Cortana and Lara were well aware, as was likely Nevermore, as the leader. If they wanted to doublecross her, they already had all the information they needed. So letting the rest of the team know likely wouldn't affect things too much more.
Part of her was terrified of doing it, of extending that trust. Trusting other people had been pretty much beaten out of her by the bitches at school. But that was what had driven her initial decision to tell Cortana and, by extension, Lara. Letting her fear control her would just be letting the trio beat her in another way. And she refused to give those bitches any victories she didn't absolutely have to.
"Alright then." Lara said with a soft smile. "For what it's worth, I promise that all of your teammates are trustworthy. They will do everything they can to help you."
Taylor gave her a somewhat shaky smile, but before she could say anything further the elevator stopped and the doors opened to a hallway with several doors on either side. As Lara led the way Taylor followed, glancing at the placards beside each door indicating who each office was for, which included Cortana Halsey, Head of Operations, and Weiss Schnee, Head of Finance. "Cortana is Head of Operations?" She asked in surprise.
"Cortana runs about ninety nine percent of the company, actually." Lara said with a smile. "The rest of the positions are simply because we needed names to fill the paperwork. We rarely have to do anything. I'm actually the public face of Excelsior, at least in Brockton Bay." When she reached the office with her name on it, her title being Head of Special Projects, as she'd informed Taylor's father, she opened the door and ushered the teenager through it. "Through here."
"The Unbound's base of operations is in your office?" Taylor asked, a bit confused as she walked into the large, tastefully decorated office, seeing several antiques and artifacts decorating the place, leading Taylor to assume her public employer had a taste for history.
Lara chuckled. "You've seen Nevermore create portals, haven't you? Not all of them are temporary. There is a permanent one in my office that leads to the base."
Taylor let out a sound of understanding before her brow furrowed slightly as she considered that. Depending on where the portal led, it was likely that she wouldn't be able to keep control of the swarm she currently had gathered around the building in case she needed it. At that she began to reluctantly disperse it with care so nobody would notice anything.
"Is there a problem?" Lara asked as she moved over to her desk, moving a hidden panel in the wood to reveal a hidden panel which took her handprint and a code. Once that was done a hidden door in the wall opened, revealing a portal like the one Nevermore had created sitting inside of it, ready for them to step through.
"I just realized I won't be able to bring my swarm with me, so I'm letting them disperse." She told Lara, hiding how much the idea of being without a swarm to defend herself worried her.
"Ah. Good point." Lara murmured. "We'll need to figure out some way for you to move your swarm with you rapidly, then, as Nevermore's portals are our main method of transportation, especially in emergencies. I'll discuss it with the others. For now, let me know when you're ready so we can head on through and introduce you to the rest of the team."
Taylor nodded, and after another thirty seconds she stepped forward, ready. "What do I need to do?"
"Just step through the portal." Lara said. "I'll go through first so you can see that it's safe." She began walking towards the swirling patch of darkness. "See you there." She said with a smile before vanishing.
Taylor took one more deep breath, bracing herself for whatever may come, before walking forward with as much confidence as she could. She hesitated briefly in front of the portal, watching it move, marvelling at the way she could tell it was swirling about even though there weren't actually any differences in the texture. Then, determining that she'd stalled long enough, she closed her eyes and stepped through it.
The sensation was odd, defying description. Cold, would probably be the first thing to come to mind. But it was all over before she could register too much, and she found herself in a relatively large room full of various other portals along the walls, signs set above them indicating where they led, such as Paris, Los Angeles and Moscow.
"See? Nothing to it." Lara said with a smile near the door leading out of the room. "Are you ready to meet the others?"
Taylor nodded hesitantly. "I think so, yeah."
"It'll be fine, I promise." Lara said reassuringly as she opened the door, letting the sounds of people yelling and laughing come through.
Taylor followed Lara out of the room and down a hallway into a large open space. To one side was a nice kitchen like something a celebrity chef would have in their house, a variety of breakfast foods currently piled on the countertop. A handsome man dressed in dark clothing with black hair and facial hair was eating some waffles, occasionally dropping a piece of bacon down to a bull terrier that was sitting at his feet, panting happily. A very pretty, aristocratic looking ravenette sat nearby, reading a book in between bites of her own breakfast of an omelette, her green eyes scanning the page of a psychology medical journal with interest.
Working at the stove, wearing just sweatpants and a frilly pink apron which allowed a pleasant view of a toned torso lined with various black patterns, Nevermore was humming as he made another omelette, lightly sprinkling some seasoning as she watched.
There was another burst of noise from nearby, and Taylor turned to see the other side of the room was a living area, a massive 4K television set up in front of various couches and seats. A mass of teenagers were playing a kart racing video game on a console she didn't recognize, a girl she recognized as Snapdragon due to the gorgeous hair playing against a shorter girl in red with dark hair and silver eyes, a relatively tall blonde boy, and a boy with green skin and hair. Six other teens were scattered about, watching and cheering them on, though she could see that Shadowcat was trying to read through the noise.
A corgi perked up from where it sat among the teens and bounded over to sniff at Taylor, barking lightly.
"This is Zwei." Lara said with a smile.
"Hello Zwei." Taylor said, leaning down to pet the adorable animal, receiving a doggy grin in return, tongue out and all.
"Imperatrix, good to see you." Nevermore said as he plated the omelette he'd been working on. "Come, feel free to grab some food."
Taylor hesitated before making her way over to the counter, setting the backpack with her costume aside. "T-thank you, sir."
The young man waved the thanks off with a smile. "No need for sirs. Call me Harry."
"Taylor, then." She said as she debated what to grab. There were the omelettes, pancakes, waffles, fruit, bacon, sausage, tea and coffee. She felt her stomach rumble slightly. She'd been too nervous to eat much before leaving home, so the enticing aromas were very attractive.
Feeling like she was being watched she turned to see the man that had been eating the waffles observing her as he sipped some coffee. "Uh, hi?"
Rather than answer he nodded to her as he set the mug down once he finished and moved to leave, his dog following along as he grabbed a leash, apparently intending to take him on a walk.
"Don't mind John." The woman that had also been sitting at the counter said. "He's not too sociable at the moment. He's still grieving his wife. He's reliable though."
"Oh, I see." Taylor said with a soft frown at finding that out.
The woman reached over, offering her hand. "I'm Alice. I'm the Unbound's therapist, and I'll be yours as well, if you want me to be."
Taylor hesitated before shaking Alice's hand. "Thank you. I haven't decided if I want therapy yet, though…" She glanced around. "Is every member of the Unbound seeing you?"
"Yes." She said. "I can't give specifics, obviously, but all of us have our issues, and most of us have seen some truly horrifying things. Talking helps. I'm sure you've got some issues of your own, from your Trigger Event if nothing else. I can help you deal with that, and I'm licensed to prescribe medication if necessary."
Taylor's mind went back to the locker, to screaming her throat raw, crying, begging for anybody to save her…
She took a shuddering breath. "I… I'll consider it."
Alice nodded, smiling gently in understanding. "That's all I can ask." Then she motioned to the food. "Now go ahead and grab something to eat. You'll be going on patrol soon."
Taylor nodded and grabbed some bacon, sausage, waffles, fruit and tea, figuring she'd need as much energy as she could get.
"People really like to stare." Taylor muttered as she walked along the Boardwalk on her first ever patrol as a member of the Unbound. She could see the people staring at her with her swarm when they thought she couldn't see as she passed, and it was making her self-conscious.
"It's not surprising." Weiss, one of the girls she was patrolling with, said. Of course, Taylor had to remind herself that the girl's cape name was Whiteout. A fact that apparently irritated the girl, as it had been Snapdragon's idea. "You're a new cape they haven't seen, and your costume can be rather intimidating."
"You mean cool!" Ruby, aka Rose (Taylor had wondered why they used the girl's last name as her cape name, but it seemed to work well enough), said as she bounced along, her red mask, which appeared to be made of multiple loose rose petals to interesting effect, doing little to hide her grin. "Seriously, I can't believe you made it yourself!"
Taylor shrugged, blushing lightly. "I just used what I had. Just so happens what I had was spider silk and beetle chitin."
"It was quite resourceful of you." Whiteout admitted. "How long would it take you to make several bolts of spider silk if we got you the spiders for it?"
"Depends on the amount of spiders." Taylor admitted. "Why?"
"I can think of several people who would like to have a silk so high in tensile strength for outfits and costumes." The white haired girl said. "We'd have to ask around, maybe check with Parian, but I'm sure it could be quite the luxury good."
Taylor got the impression that the other girl was quite business minded. Still, she couldn't say that the idea didn't have merit.
"We should ask Cortana about getting some Darwin's Bark Spiders." Rose said from where she was looking at her holographic cell phone, which more than a few people were staring at. "They were recently discovered, and apparently have the strongest silk, twice as strong as the next strongest." She turned to grin up at Taylor. "You could really upgrade your costume if we could get enough of them."
"Sounds interesting." Taylor admitted, considering how much safer she would be with a costume that was twice as strong as the one she currently wore.
"Hey Rose, Whiteout!" A kid's voice called, and the three heroines turned to find a blonde girl of about twelve in a white and green costume, a green visor over her eyes helping to hide her identity, making her way towards them, each step she took covering at least a dozen feet as space warped dizzyingly at her command.
"Vista, hi!" Rose said with a wave as the Ward approached. "You here alone?"
"Nope." Vista said with a smile. "I'm patrolling with Kid Win." Indeed, as they watched a figure in red and gold armor approached on a hoverboard. "Who's this?" The Wards' youngest and most experienced member asked as she looked at Taylor.
"This is Imperatrix." Whiteout said, introducing Taylor as she waved a bit nervously. "She's recently joined the Unbound. We're introducing her to patrolling as part of a team rather than solo."
"Aren't you one of the people who brought down Lung?" Kid Win asked once he'd reached them.
Taylor did her best to project confidence, but couldn't help but shuffle slightly. "Yeah, that was me, along with Snapdragon and Shadowcat."
Vista grinned widely. "That's so cool! And your costume is so badass! Sure you wouldn't rather come join us in the Wards? It sucks being the only girl in the team."
Taylor was taken aback. "Don't you also have Shadow Stalker?"
"She doesn't count." The young girl said firmly, no small amount of venom coating her words.
"Sorry, she's ours." Rose said with a smirk. "You could join the Unbound instead, though. We have cookies!"
Vista perked up, playing along. "Cookies? What kinds?"
"Any kind you want. Nevermore is amazing in the kitchen." Rose stated firmly. "I think I've gained five pounds since he took over all our meals."
"He is quite accomplished." Whiteout admitted. "He could give some of the professional chefs I've met a run for their money."
Taylor remembered the breakfast she'd had a few hours ago, and couldn't help nodding in agreement. Damn that had been some good food.
"Ugh, don't talk about food, please." Kid Win said, clutching at his stomach. "I'm starving. I need a burger, stat."
Vista glanced at her watch. "Well, it is lunchtime. We should probably get something to eat."
Kid Win perked up. "Fugly Bob's?"
"Fugly Bob's." Vista said, nodding decisively.
"Umm, what?" Whiteout asked unsurely.
"You have got to be joking." The white haired girl said flatly as she stared at one of the burgers that were being served, her nose scrunching up delicately under the mask that appeared to be made of a multitude of glittering snowflakes. "That looks like it's made of seventy percent pure grease."
"I know! It's sooo good." Kid Win moaned as he accepted his order of a huge burger literally dripping with grease, alongside large fries and a jumbo drink.
"It's what Fugly Bob's is known for." Taylor assured Whiteout. "They're really tasty, even if they're horrible for you."
The girl she was addressing gave her a flat stare before looking back at the burger Vista had just received with thinly veiled contempt.
Taylor's attention was drawn away when he felt a mass of fleas, lice, crabs and other nasties approach the restaurant. She turned her head to look at the door, mind quickly making connections. "Uh, guys? We're about to have some company."
The others were just turning to her when the door was kicked open and a filthy, strung out junkie stumbled in. He had the shakes, and his eyes were slightly glazed, which, coupled with the shaky grip he had on an old, rusted pistol, spelled bad things. "I want all the cash you all got!" he screeched, aiming the gun at the heroes standing in front of the cashier.
There was a moment of silence as everybody in the restaurant, from the employees to the patrons all looked from him, to the group of obvious capes, and back, the collective question in even the children's minds being how stupid this guy could possibly be.
"Well?" He yelled, still apparently unable to comprehend what a monumentally idiotic fuckup he'd just commited.
The heroes glanced at each other, honestly baffled at how to respond to such a blatant display of stupidity. Then the space in front of the Merchant ganger warped, and a dainty hand plucked the gun from the junkie's slack grip.
"Imperatrix, if you would?" Rose asked with a sigh.
Taylor immediately made every single one of the many vermin infesting the Merchant start biting him in his most sensitive areas all at once and with as much force as possible. The man began to jerk and yell, scratching himself all over in a frantic attempt to make it stop, which kept him distracted as Kid Win put him in cuffs, doing his best not to actually touch the idiot, a look of disgust on what was visible of his face.
As Vista called the attempted robbery in Rose opened the door as Whiteout drew her rapier. Then, with a precise thrust and an effort of will, a small gust of wind left the tip, making the junkie tumble off his feet and onto the sidewalk outside to no longer infest the restaurant.
The gathered patrons politely clapped at the capture as one of the employees lamented the fact that they were going to have to disinfect the entire place to make sure he hadn't tracked anything in.
Once the excitement was over the group went to start eating. Taylor was about to lift her mask enough to expose her mouth so she could eat when Cortana's voice came over the earpiece she'd been given. "This is Cortana to Rose, Whiteout and Imperatrix. The Undersiders are currently robbing Brockton Bay Central Bank. You're the closest people we have to the scene. Go find out what's going on. We'll get backup to you if needed."
Taylor glanced at her teammates to see Rose pouting and Whiteout looking relieved that the meal had been interrupted. Glancing at the Wards she saw that they were listening to something in their headpieces, likely the same information they'd gotten.
Kid Win quickly began wolfing down his burger as Vista acknowledged the message and got up and out of the booth. "Guess we should get going, then."
The others nodded and did the same, preparing themselves for a possible fight. Rose seemed thoughtful, however. "Something's off. From everything I've heard, this is way outside of the Undersiders' usual wheelhouse."
"Maybe they're trying to go for bigger things?" Kid Win suggested.
"Bigger than robbing Lung?" Taylor asked in disbelief, receiving a shrug in return.
"Well, we'll find out once we bring them down." Vista said firmly as she warped space to let them walk half a city block in a single step.
As they left Taylor couldn't help but think that Rose was right. Something was off. Still, she figured she'd find out soon enough.
Yay! I made it!
I really wanted to put this chapter out before the year ended, and as long as FF dot net doesn't fuck up, I'll have done so.
I think it's appropriate that my primary and biggest story be the last one of the year to be updated. Wrote this all out in two days, hopefully it doesn't show in the writing itself too much.
Not much happened in this chapter. It's mostly setup, at the moment. I have plans for the next one, however. Things won't be going the way Coil wants this time. Mwahahaha.
Someone recently asked if they could do a reaction fic for this and/or Hunter in the Darkness, and I figured why not. So if anybody else wants to do something similar with any of my stories I have no issues with it. I just ask to be informed you're doing it beforehand, so I can see how it goes.
Someone noted that at the pace this world is going we're going to be here for a while, and that's true. There's a lot going on during Worm, and lots of things I want them to get involved with. Not everything will be glacially paced, though. I do plan on a few minor timeskips when not much is happening. Canon will be getting derailed relatively soon involving a certain group of murderhobos, so that should be interesting. Likely after Bakuda's bullshit. And no, I don't intend to be predictable about it.
I can't think of anything else to say, so time for the usual reminders.
The first is that you can have a say in what I write when you donate to my Pat A Ron. Every dollar donated equals a vote in my monthly poll, and now I've made it so that the votes for the things that don't win in a given month roll over into the next, which is why some fics that haven't gotten much love for a while have been updated recently. So if you want to donate and see your favorite stories of mine updated more often, go to Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis. The current poll closes on January 5th.
The next two reminders are more important to me, however. First is that my best friend has a Pat A Ron for their original fiction. Donate any amount you want and get access to some objectively excellent writing (far better than mine, if I'm being completely honest). Their first story, which is a supernatural steampunk detective thriller that I very much enjoy called 'The Curious Investigations of Mister Jonathan Scott', is currently at 18 chapters, the first of which is free, so you can see what his style is like. So if you like, say, The Dresden Files, but want it more steampunk, this is for you. And they've now started another story that will be updated while they build up more Jonathan Scott chapters, this one being a cyberpunk (the genre, not the game) story called 'Tales of Luminous City'. You can find their stuff by searching for Grimm Tales in Pat A Ron.
I would appreciate it a lot if you could help them out, as unlike me they've had employment trouble due to some disabilities, which this pandemic hasn't helped.
Second, my sister has also begun a Pat A Ron. She recently got her Bachelor's in Digital Animation. She's trying to make her own series to post on Youtube, but needs money, so she's making art and plans on accepting commissions. She primarily does tokusatsu themed fanart (Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Power Rangers, etc.), and she plans to let people have a say in what she makes, much like I do. That's at Pat A Ron dotcom /linduarte. (Oh no, now you know my last name! The horror!)
Please keep in mind though that we've been made aware of a bug with the site that makes it seem like you can't donate less than $5. If you don't want to donate that much, to any of us, just put a zero before the number you want to donate, such as 03. That should get you going.
That should be all for now. Here's to everyone having a great New Year. May 2021 be a damn sight better than 2020, and may we all find what we need to make us happier, more fulfilled people. See you all next year. Bye!