Balanced Bladework

(Witchblade/Worm fanfiction)

The Witchblade is a conscious, intelligent, and ancient weapon with supernatural origins. It is one of 13 mystical artifacts, of which several have been revealed: the Witchblade, the Angelus, the Darkness, the Ember Stone, the Glacier Stone, the Rapture, the Blood Sword, the Spear of Destiny, and the Wheel of Shadows.

It is the offspring of the universe's opposing aspects, the Darkness and the Angelus. The Witchblade is a male aspect created to act as a balance, which must have a female as a host.

Chapter 1

November 4th 2010

Life had never been easy for Taylor Hebert, she had lost someone she considered her friend and a sister. It had affected her and she had found herself changed by her loss. As she remembered standing before the grave of Emma Barnes last night, Taylor asked herself when did her life go wrong? Was it when the Empire had killed her dad to make him an example? Or when Emma had told her to leave when she met her at her home after summer?

She shook her head to stop thinking about such depressing matters, she was still grieving and recovering from what she had done as revenge. She had killed all the merchant leadership two days ago. Blood was on her hands, but she didn't feel anything about the act. Was it normal? She needed to tell her mother, but how would she look at her daughter after such a confession?

Taylor watched herself in her mirror and didn't recognize the shapely body of the person looking back. She had unblemished skin, had become more voluptuous and had more consequent assets on her chest. They were bigger than before yet not too big, she would never have thought that she would become a C cup when she woke up after her supposed trigger some months ago. Her mother had described her as a stunning beauty and treated her to a round of shopping with Zoe Barnes to help get her a new wardrobe.

She shook her head again, all that was due in part to the weird artifact that was on her right arm; an ornate, jewel encrusted silver bracelet that was impossible for her to take off. It was basically part of her body at this point. The entity that had given it to her, had deemed her worthy of wielding it and had told her to always use the Witchblade to mete out justice.

The Witchblade was sentient and sassy, the entity had warned her that it formed a symbiotic relationship with the host (her) and that it would educate her on how to use her new powers diligently. What Taylor knew was that she had super strength, endurance and shape changing adaptive armor. It had proven itself in her fight against the Archer Bridge Merchants.

Still, Taylor lamented the fact that the entity changed her body to be more appealing because the Witchblade usually took the form of a metal-like bikini and only adapted to the full armor depending on how much damage the user was receiving, until she became worthy enough to take complete control of it. Taylor was also pleased to have discovered that she had a brute rating and was impervious to most physical attacks; including bullets and intense trauma.

The Witchblade rendered its hosts immune to heat and fire. *There's a rage dragon in town.*

"Taylor breakfast!" The voice of her mother rang as she called her out.

"I'm coming mom!" Taylor shouted back and began to put on her white top and skinny jeans, confident in showing more of her body. Another homage to Emma, Taylor had sworn on the redhead's tomb that she would take care of herself and live her life for the two of them.

Taylor applied hydrating lotion on her skin, put some vanilla scented perfume on and took her brush and comb with her. She went down the stairs of their house and smelled the delicious waft of bacon and eggs.

"Food!" Taylor said loudly as she strode toward the breakfast table.

Annette looked at her daughter from head to toe, still weirded out by the sudden change Taylor had gone through. The simple fact that she had triggered for her to look like that didn't seem worth it. When she had her stint with Lustrum, she was made aware of what it took for someone to develop powers… she had cried at night about the fact that Taylor now had invisible scars that she couldn't smooth out and a fake smile she put on to cheer up her own mother. Annette felt like a failure as a parent. "Yes, food Tay. Now come sit, I will brush your hair for you. Same loose ponytail?"

Taylor shook her head and said happily, "Hmm, no. I want something different today."

"What do you think of an Updo?"

Taylor eyed her mother. "Like yours?"

A patronizing smile spread on Annette's lips. "Yes, exactly like me."

"Have at it!" The curly haired girl nodded, she admired her mother's grace and sense of fashion.

Five minutes later, Annette finished Taylor's elegant updo and let her eat while watching the TV screen set on Good Morning Brockton News. It was the usual, the news forwarded a PRT announcement about the new Cape in town who had decimated the merchants, the empire encroaching on the ABB territories and the mayor's gala later tonight.

Taylor finished eating, and got her school bag ready for her first day at Arcadia high. Annette was doing the same, she had finished grading her students' work last night and was reviewing it. Taylor admired her mother; Annette wore a white shirt and long black skirt and heels, and waited for her daughter to be done. Once Taylor was ready the teacher looked at herself in a pocket mirror and was satisfied with her current makeup.

"Let's go."

~o0o~

Arcadia high

It was 08:45 and Taylor was ushered in the principal's office by the polite and professional secretary. The principal, a man twice the age of her late father, asked about her previous school.

Taylor looked at the man with a sad expression. "Well, let's just say that I didn't like the climate in Winslow. Originally I went there to follow my best friend, but she was killed by the merchants. I didn't feel safe in Winslow because of that." She put her arms around herself, a sign of nervousness.

The principal leaned in his office chair and looked at the attractive young woman, he knew she was going to be in trouble with the male student body. He asked himself if her mother had prepared her for such attention. She was clothed conservatively, he might need to have her integrate into one of the 'cliques' that were safe to be in. Victoria Dallon might be interested in taking a protégé.

"You changed school because you felt that the staff is not able to protect or control the student body?" The principal asked the young lady.

Taylor put a lock of curly hair behind her ear. "Yes, sir."

"I can assure you that it is different here, miss Hebert. I hope that you'll feel secure and enjoy your time here in Arcadia." The principal told her with decisiveness. He stood up and smoothed out his dark blue business suit; walked up to the window behind him letting him overlook the football field outside.

For the first time he heard the young lady laugh. "So far you win hands down that bet, sir. The walls are clean and the students smile and don't sport any hidden weapons or gang tattoos."

The principal turned to Taylor and raised an eyebrow at her, adjusted his glasses and said, "I am almost afraid to ask you if you are joking young lady. "

With a serious expression Taylor answered, "I am not, sir."

After that, Taylor was given her class schedule, locker number and the rule book of Arcadia. The principal wished her a good day and that was that. The young woman was surprised to be accosted by a tall leggy platinum blonde haired girl with blue eyes and an easy smile. The Witchblade reacted to her and told Taylor that she deflected a mental effect that would have made her become starstruck by the blonde.

Taylor instantly remembered who she was. "Victoria Dallon."

"A fan?" The beautiful girl smiled.

She wore a cropped white top with a red cardigan, pale blue jeans and tasteful red and white sneakers. Taylor was reminded of a fashionable Emma but with a more outgoing personality.

Taylor tilted her head. "I like what you do, but me being a fan? No, a hero's life isn't that glamorous for me to do anything other than respect those who have chosen to protect the little people."

Victoria blushed embarrassingly because of my rebuttal. "Oh. Well, I meet a lot of those. And how would you know about being a hero…?"

Taylor put her hands in her black leather jacket's pockets, thinking if she could trust the blonde. The Witchblade warmed and feelings of agreement surged forth in her mind. Even if they were bonded for a limited amount of time, she trusted it completely. "Huh, technically I would count as a parahuman too. I've come to this school because you and most of the wards are here."

Victoria stepped back slightly and looked at Taylor from head to toe, assessing if she was a threat. Witchblade seemed to laugh at her reactions as if to say 'You have no idea who you are messing with'; I was happy that it felt more talkative than this morning but it was kind of bothersome.

"Hm… shouldn't you be more wary of divulging your identity? I mean what if I was an empire villain?"

Taylor made a condescending laugh. "Like I told you I came to this school because you are here, and I am upfront with what I am. I don't believe in those…" Taylor chuckled. "Unwritten rules."

The notion was silly to her that silly masks stop anyone from finding out the identities of Parahumans and that they could only be convicted in their alter ego. There were so many things wrong with that.

Victoria frowned. "That's kind of bad ya know? We still need those…" The blonde girl was suddenly reminded of her aunt, Fleur had died because she had the same opinion. And now she was buried six feet under. The blonde felt that she had to dissuade Taylor from this course of action.

Taylor put on a thoughtful expression, tightening the hold on her grey messenger bag. "I guess I will try to live by them when it's applicable. But I don't think the villains care. Anyway, why did you come here?"

Victoria visibly relaxed, exhaling a tense breath. "The principal asked me to show you around." She answered with a tentative smile.

For the first time, Taylor smiled genuinely. "I like that guy, better than principal Blackwell from Winslow."

After this comment, Victoria couldn't help but ask, "Is it as bad as everyone says it is there?"

Taylor looked at her and nodded with a serious expression. "Worse."

"Damn."

Victoria or Vicky to her friend showed Taylor around just like she said she would, the cafeteria, the lab class, the gym and the gardens. There was also the auditorium but it was closed and they couldn't enter. Taylor smiled all the while, happy that the school was completely different from Winslow, there were smiles on the students face, no obvious gang members.

"I am glad mom decided Winslow wasn't for me." Taylor said aloud as she acted like an obvious tourist and looked everywhere, not finding any gang slogans painted on the bank of lockers in the school's main corridor.

"You have a hate on for it." Victoria smiled

Taylor tucked one of her locks of hair behind her ear. "You have no idea, there were guys trying to kill me because they thought I was jewish."

Taylor remembered that event like it was yesterday. They had called her a heeb or some such and tried to stick a knife in her. Greg Veder of all people had saved her by throwing a trash can at the guys surrounding her in the deserted hallway and screaming for help. The three boys had fled not wanting to be caught. Since then Taylor had decided not to stay in that school for one more minute.

Last thing she heard, the superintendent had cleaned house in Winslow a month ago. Emma died in October. Victoria Harrumphed, and had a disgusted expression on her face. "Empire88 junior members, typical. We have some of those here, but they know no one wants their shit here, so they do it on the down low."

"They are animals, I don't consider them worth talking to." Taylor casually said, she walked slower as she remembered what she did to the merchants and what she might have done if she met those boys again.

Victoria nodded to Taylor, unaware of the thoughts of her new friend. The tour ended ten minutes later and Taylor was ushered into her French class.

~o0o~

Cafeteria

"Wow, she's tall." Someone mumbled.

"Damn, how did she get her hair to be like that?" A girl gasped as Taylor passed by her table.

"I'm going to ask her out."

The boys' gaze was becoming rather uncomfortable, Taylor wasn't used to being lusted after, nor being complimented by other girls. It was lunch time and she looked for a table to sit and eat at, and maybe observe the people. However, that plan was foiled when Victoria Dallon hollered Taylor's name and made gestures to come to her table.

Taylor thought about brushing her off but dismissed the idea, this was a direct path to get ostracized by the student body and she didn't want it to happen to her. She sighed and walked toward the table of the "cool people" with a sigh.

She strode with a confident gait to them, zipping past the two tables between her and Victoria's table. There were a lot of girls there, some boys. Taylor recognized the brunette Amy Dallon aka Panacea looking at her with feigned disinterest. There were some blondes, two Asian twins and buff guys with them who seemed to be their boyfriend by how close they were seated from each other.

"Hi, I'm Taylor Hebert." Taylor waved at everyone.

"We know, Vicky told us about you." The asian girl with a short pixie cut hairstyle said. She had brown eyes and punk rock like clothes with a huge jacket.

Taylor smiled at Victoria who winked at her. "She has been a great help this morning."

"Yeah, the staff always throw her at new students…" Amy Dallon, was a sarcastic kind of girl, Taylor observed her and saw that she looked exhausted with bags under her eyes. She didn't look that healthy for a professional healer…

As she sat, everyone introduced themselves. The twins were named Motoko and Arisa, the two other blondes beside Victoria were named Trixie and Helen and the two jocks Dean and Frank. They were fun to talk with, they mainly asked her about her time in Winslow. The only person keeping silent was Amy Dallon, it annoyed Taylor that the mousy girl could look that disdainful.

Lunch time quickly passed and Taylor went to her Parahuman study class and got bored. They mainly studied NEPEA-5, that unjust law making life hell for everyone with super powers, taking their choices from them, forcing them to either work with the Protectorate or be classified as rogues or villains. She listened as the teacher was expunging its virtue and how it helped protect people's jobs.

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction" Taylor recited the 13th Amendments under her breath as she listened to that drivel.

As her desk was in the middle of the room, Taylor was heard by their teacher who stopped talking and asked in a derisive tone, "Yes, Miss Hebert? Do you have anything to say?"

Taylor looked up at the asian man with slicked back hair and thin glasses; he wore a trendy grey suit with a blue shirt and grey tie; he was tall for an asian man and certainly looked handsome. In a sense, he reminded Taylor of Gladly, that teacher at Winslow who was an attention whore. She had disliked him tremendously.

She wanted to fuck with him on principle. "Yes mister Rentaro, I was thinking that every problem in our country seems to stem from this bill passing."

There was a glint in the man's eyes that Taylor couldn't guess at. "Can you develop and explain your opinion, miss Hebert?" The man asked with a saccharine tone.

*Oh, I see that I've evaluated you somewhat too favorably…* Taylor thought the man was actually worse than Mister Gladly, he actually loved the attention of people too, but only loved the sound of his voice and put down people.

It didn't bode well with the young woman.

Taylor gave him her brightest smile and nodded, leaning forward in her desk. "Sure, sir. Okay, this is what I think: NEPEA-5 is a bill that seeks to limit parahumans from using their abilities to control business and media. Forcing newly triggered parahumans to be unable to profit from their powers. As a result we now have to deal with the Elite in the west coast that literally took it over. Our little Nazi problem also worsened because of that Bill and the state of our city..." Taylor added as she looked at everyone around her who listened in rapt attention.

She ignored the lust filled gaze of the boys and some of the jealous ones from some of the girls, but the majority listened to her.

Mister Rentaro decided that he didn't like the way Taylor took control of the discussion and the class and was about to stop her from her discourse. "Taylor you can sit b-" The man was about to say but she ignored him.

Taylor looked around and focused on her schoolmate. "Considering that the bill passed in the 1990's, the time period where parahumans were relatively rare… I would support that bill wholeheartedly. But then the Endbringers appeared, while it would be important to prevent job loss, Capes are capable of monumental resource creation. In the advent of Endbringers, those resources could be vital. But that's not what's happening, right?"

Some people didn't realize what Taylor was saying, some did and they cursed loudly. Yes they were failing to save everyone because some businessmen and rich people got scared and the world was slowly ending as a result.

The teacher sighed and decided to play along, after noticing that the students were now interested by what she had to say. Aloud he asked, "Then what would you do if this bill was repealed? Do you have any solution?"

After ten second of thinking, Taylor answered, "I'd support taxing paras heavily and put a great deal of regulations around masters and biotinkers." Taylor said as she leaned into her seat and looked at her teacher. "I oppose that bill, because 'some people can do things cheaper/better/faster than others' is called competitive advantage and is basically the reason I have nice things that I did not make myself. It's a dumb as fuck bill that massively hinders overall productivity and incentivizes Capes to turn villain. It's purely populist. If Parahumans are simply better at a job, then let them go ahead, provided the rest of us can get a decent standard of living rather than becoming obsolete."

"You don't agree with me." Rentaro said, dejected.

Some guys snickered at him and some girls glared at Taylor for making the teacher sad, *Fuck them.*

The teacher sought another lesson and the class went back to normal. Taylor began to play with her pen, she started to doodle ideas of masks for when she would be out as Witchblade, the new vigilante in town. She settled on a mix of an italian carnival mask called medico della peste and a colombina mask that were truly half masks, but hers would be made of metal with blades extruding from it.

"No, I'm bored now…"