Crisis 1.2
She was drawing.
Her hand finding unfamiliar grace as she traced and outlined a nightmare, a picture of a room with walls made of cold metal so high she could barely see the ceiling. A room filled with filth and horrors.
She could almost smell the rot of which she drew as she tried to force conflicting emotions out of her body. How she felt trapped, unable to escape, she drew it.
She drew a girl trapped within a sea of insects unable to get away, "Oh god, they're everywhere! Oh god, please, Emma!"
Where, in that twisted world, eldritch things reached out for her with countless limbs, "Please, someone, anyone! Help!"
Long finger were drawn reaching out to find a way out of the unescapable room, "Think Taylor, you have to think. There has to be a way out! There has to!"
The girl's eyes drawn in a wide shifty manner, like light in a broken glass, showing that she would break, "Let me out! Let me out! Lemme out! Lemme out!"
Wide lips were drawn to be sewed shut, as her voice could be heard by no one. "My throat hurts. It burns… *hack*"
She looked at the finished product, giving it a scrutinizing gaze before turning to the girl next to her, "What do you think?"
The other girl did not answer, she could not answer. Her all too familiar features drooping and melting from her face as something else began to take shape.
-0-0-0-0-
Taylor woke with a strangled gasp and a cough, as if her lungs were confused whether or not they wanted the air. The strange action was doing nothing to help the pounding in her head.
What had happened?
She remembered Lisa screaming something at her and then... nothing, just a big old void in her memory and a strange dream.
What was with that anyway? She hadn't had a nightmare, much less a dream, about the Locker in what had to be months now. And it was so vivid too, every disgusting horrible thing crisp and clear in her mind.
She tried to rub her temples, hoping to rid herself of the last bits of the thankfully fading dream, only to find her hands bound.
"What?" The word came out as a tiny whisper of a mummer as she shifted her position to see her hands tied tightly in zip ties along with her feet and legs. She did not like the looks of that, or the beaten down warehouse she was apparently in.
How did she get there? Why was she brought there?
And then there was the ever important who?
As in, who had brought her there and who was the girl mumbling not too far from her?
The girl's body was mostly engulfed by a deep red cape with only her bound limbs and what looked like a stylized motorcycle helmet sticking out. So, more than likely another Cape.
Another Cape tied up and tossed into a strange warehouse with no rhyme or reason to be seen. Exactly what had happened while she was unconscious?
"And they're up," a familiar voice said from above. Craning her neck up she could see Regent leaning against the second floor's railing, scepter in one hand and a strange gun in the other. "Have a good nap?"
Taylor swore to herself. If this was another one of his stupid pranks she was going to make his life a living hell for the foreseeable future. She was debating breaking character just to yell at him but the other girl spoke up before she had the chance to really debate the idea.
"You fool!" the other girl bellowed as she struggled to her knees, "You think you have fooled me! But you haven't!"
Regent let out an amused "Oh?" and leaned just a smidge more on the railing, as if he was getting comfortable to hear an interesting story.
"Yes! I know your true identity." In lieu of using her fingers, as they were currently bound with her hands behind her, she pointed at him triumphantly with her chin. Meanwhile Taylor had to blink at the other girl's audacity and the fact she seemed to be all too willing to out a Cape. Even as much as she planning to make Regent suffer for whatever weird prank he was trying to set up she did not want to see him lose the peace a civilian life offered.
But, again, the other girl spoke before she could even debate speaking out. "You're a hero!" And with an answer she did not see coming. "A most cunning plan indeed, a classic one even, dressing up as one of my minions like that but you cannot fool me. For I am, THE TECHNO QUEEN!"
There was an awkward pause at the girl's, the Techno Queen apparently, loud proclamation. The increasingly uncomfortable pause went on for a few more seconds, with each second the Techno Queen's posture growing a little more brittle. Finally she slumped down with a barely audible mumble, "Did someone unplug my machine again?"
"Ooookay, if Ms. Crazy is done I'm going to make a call. That is, unless you have something to add Mr. Mime?" Regent, or the Regent look alike, said. Pausing for a half second waiting for an answer he obviously didn't expect to come. "I didn't think so. Be back in a min."
As Regent left, Taylor was left with an ever growing assumption that what was going on wasn't a prank. At the very least it was nowhere near his usual flavor of joke. She was tempted to think of evil clones, mostly because of recent experience, but the other girl's idea on the disguise made sense. Even if the way she said it didn't
Honestly not wanting to deal with either option, Taylor twisted her fingers in a motion reminiscent to a pair of scissors and cut her way out of her bonds. Rubbing her sore wrist, Taylor stood and did a quick look around of the warehouse.
Her earlier assumption of old and beat down still stood but now she saw something similar to the set up. It was like her lair, but she could spot and name a number of differences between the two locations, a mild relief if anything. Maybe a nearby warehouse? There were certainly enough of them for some crook to use.
As she tried to puzzle through the mystery of where she was her eyes landed on the still struggling Techno Queen. She didn't know if it was because she felt bad for the other cape or if it was because she was really growing into her heroing role. Either way she found she couldn't stand the idea of just leaving the other girl there.
So, moving with the silence granted to her by her Silence Field, she moved towards her fellow prisoner and tapped the Techno Queen on the shoulder. The girl jumped at the touch and was about to shout, if not for realizing who touched her and the silencing finger Taylor kept over her lips.
Using her powers she quickly removed the binds and pulled the girl to her feet. Taylor had a momentary bout of surprise as she noticed the other girl was actually her height, a rare thing. A stupid thing to pause over but she did.
"Thanks." The other girl said with a smile, voice surprisingly quiet. "Now let's get out of here."
Taylor flinched as the girl clasped onto her shoulder and twisted her wrist. There was a pause and the Techno Queen twitched her wrist again, and again. "Is everything down!?" she yelled out in frustration, something Taylor did not appreciate.
So she held her finger up again to her mask's faux lips, demanding silence.
The Techno Queen had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry." Taylor waved her off and pointed to a rusted looking door at the far wall. After receiving a nod Taylor ushered the two of them quickly towards the target.
But before they could even make it half way to their target their way was cut off by the impact of a trio of monsters. Very familiar monsters.
"Told you I'd be back in a minute."
Well, there went near any chance that they were dealing with someone posing as Regent. There was still a hope but she doubted it. Especially when Bitch's dogs were standing in their way with the rest of the Undersiders were standing at the balcony, looming over them with an intense air.
Grue's leather clad body hidden within his darkness with only skull design of his mask showing.
Tattletale in her tight purple jester outfit, staring down at them through her domino mask with a curious expression on her face.
Bitch, sans the plastic dog mask, eyed them intensely with a growl on her lips. Her dogs circled around them, sniffing the air in a confused manner as they trapped the girls in their routine.
And then there someone else, someone she didn't recognize. A girl with long curly hair dressed in a charcoal black costume that clung to her skin with grey bits of stylized armor protecting her vital areas, her yellow tinted lenses and lanky form giving her an almost inhuman look. The ever growing mass of writhing bugs behind her didn't help the image.
Tattletale whispered something to Grue, something that made him stiffen a bit before returning to his usual posture and stepped next to Regent at the railing. He looked like he was ready to say something but Taylor's companion seemed set on getting the first word in.
"TECHIES! What is the meaning of this betrayal!?" While Taylor was thinking the same thing, or something similar, she once again wondered the sanity of the girl next to her.
"Does anyone have a clue what this girl is talking about?" Regent asked, turning his head to regard his teammates. He was probably looking at Tattletale, who was giving a 'so-so' gesture with her hand, for answers.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Grue's distorted voice answered the Techno Queen's question, ignoring Regent's comment as he got straight to business. "We have a few questions for you two to answer."
"A few blanks to fill in," Tattletale added, using that overly cheery tone she used when she was piecing something juicy together.
Not something Taylor ever liked being on opposing end of.
"What were you doing on Fifth Street?" Grue demanded.
Fifth Street? Taylor had no clue what he was talking about. Last thing she remembered she was getting in costume to meet… Parian? Maybe? Things were cloudy. Still didn't mean she knew what he was talking about.
So, with a wave of her hand she transformed her mask into frown to convey her confusion. Hopefully. She didn't know what was going on but it seemed like her teammates didn't know who she was. Was this what Aisha felt like every time she used her powers?
And if it was, did that mean she and her friends were under some Stranger's or Master's powers?
And how did the girl in the red cape fit in?
"Fifth Street? Today's scheme was supposed to be the Jewelry store on Oak." The Techno Queen mumbled. She seemed to a very audible girl. "What type of game is this Grue!? A coup?! You would dare!"
"Seriously, what is she on? It seems fun." Grue sent Regent a look that made the younger boy hold his hands up in surrender.
"Why did Bitch's dogs pick you up?"
"And drop Skitter every time we told them down." Regent received another glare.
Taylor didn't even have an idea on how to answer that, nor did she appreciate being interrogated by the people she considered her friends. Luckily she didn't have to. "It's because they smell like her, and us. They smell too much alike. It confused the dogs."
"My dogs aren't stupid." Bitch growled out in response.
"I'm not saying they are." Tattletale said with an easy, and excited, air. She was getting close to finishing her puzzle. "I'm saying that they smelled too much like Skitter… Too much like us, enough so to confuse them. Both of them consider us friends even though we haven't met yet…" Tattletale gave a hum as her eyes flashed intensely and her power seemed to go into overdrive, "Let's play a game of name association. If I say the name 'Danny' who does that make you think of?"
Oh, she was not playing this game. She was not going to reveal her identity to two strange capes. One of which who may have been messing with their heads.
"Stop it." Her voice a forced growl, breaking character so she could protect her last bits of family.
Tattletale ignored her words and Regents statement about mimes talking, "Someone close then, someone personal. Not a friend, he's more than that. If I had to guess I'd say, your father?"
The sound of bugs buzzing became louder and agitated, fitting her mood just fine. She was very tempted to mime a bow and arrow at the moment. What the hell was Tattletale trying to do?
"Let's try some other names. How about Winslow?" She heard the sounds of a fist tightening, knuckles cracking, and it wasn't her. Looking to the side she could see the Techno Queen shaking. Somehow whatever she was saying was affecting the other girl too.
"A mixed bag of feeling there, resentment but… moving on. For the both of you, one like it's a distant memory. That's good. Now let's try another!"
"What do you think you're doi-"the Queen was interrupted.
"Annette, does that ring any bells?"
"Tattletale." The words sounded like it came from everywhere, the voice coming off in an odd buzzing tone that shook the air with its angry hiss.
Tattletale was unbothered by the voice; she just turned and smiled at the bug girl behind her. "Thanks! You just gave me the last bit I needed!" What did that mean? "I'm pretty sure I know what's going on now. But first, introductions!"
With a twirling grand gesture she pointed to her two prisoners. "Taylor Hebert and Taylor Hebert, meet Taylor Hebert."
-0-0-0-0-0-
THE TECHNO QUEEN
She had never been there before, the original Undersider base. It was… smaller than she had thought. Nowhere near as grand as the home she had set up for them in her reality.
And wasn't that a trip! Alternate realities!
It was obviously possible, shoved in their face by the Aleph Media Trade companies, but theoretically alternate realities as close as the one she was in shouldn't be possible to communicate with or travel to. Her very presence there ripped apart a number of Dr. Haywire's early papers to shreds.
She had read more than a few to see about crossing into a reverse reality.
She really wished she had some of her equipment so she could test a few things, like how her two counter parts had such differing power-sets from her own. Bug control and telekinetic shaping? What could have caused such a divergence from her own Tinker powers?
According to a number of papers and databases (that really should have been more secured) owned by the PRT, it all came down to the Trigger event. Something about that moment in their lives differentiated from the others. What could it have been?
She could guess, what with a Master power and a Shaker/Blaster combination, but it would be much more efficient if she asked.
But that was rude, wasn't it?
Breaking edict in the unwritten rules of Capes, not that she ever put much weight into those herself.
"Techno Queen?" A familiar voice but she knew it belonged to a stranger. It was almost depressing to look up at Brian and not truly know him, depressing enough she couldn't even pretend she cared about the proper pronunciation of her Cape name. She would have killed for a Queenie in this foreign environment. "Here."
"Thank you," she said as she took the cup of hot chocolate. It was a bit too hot but she would take its comfort for now. Looking around the room she almost wished she'd kept her mask on, even as much as it was needed to clear things up. Things were blurry without her mask's lenses.
Sitting on the sofa with her, shifting rather uncomfortably, was the Taylor who apparently liked to cross dress. A decent disguise but it hurt the Taylors' collective pride that they were so easily confused for a man, even if it was by design. She called herself Marceau in costume.
A name she was going to have to get used to without her mask. Yelling out "Taylor" was now just a recipe for confusion.
The other Taylor, Skitter, was sitting on a arm chair further away from them. She didn't blame her; it was disturbing seeing your near identical twins looking back at you. It made for a rather awkward silence.
One she couldn't stand and decided to break with her observations. "So where's Imp?" She was tempted to add Jailbird into that question but she knew these other versions of her weren't her and that they more than likely didn't save Paige.
They were still low class villains who didn't know how to enjoy the game. Which was to be expected, since they still worked for Coil. Probably. She wasn't sure just how different the worlds were yet.
"I don't know any Imp, do you guys know an Imp?" Regent said from where he was lounging, shifting his head towards his other teammates. He got resounding 'no's from them.
"Maybe she didn't Trigger here," Marceau suggested, intriguing and relieving her with information that Imp didn't belong singularly to her reality. This spoke of constants that existed in the different realities despite the differences, like the Undersiders seemed to be. Things that appeared and interacted no matter how many of the variables changed.
"Okay, now I'm curious, who's Imp?"
"Not important," Tattletale said with a wave of her hand, dismissing Regent once again. "Interesting and something to ask later, but right now I think we have more important things to think about."
Like how they got there.
The Undersiders had given her and Marceau a brief run down earlier, a job ending with a piece of Tinker tech overloaded by Parahuman generated electricity. Was it the device's intention to create such an effect, or was it the abnormal electricity from Dauntless's spear?
If they let her look at the device maybe she could figure it out, find a way to get home. Her real home, her Brockton Bay. But there were more than a few trust issues in the room.
"I don't think you two were the only ones that got dropped off here."
"What!?" She found herself yelling, her Cape persona naturally leaking into her voice. And, luckily, Techno Queen wasn't the only one surprised by the news.
That was something she really should have mentioned earlier. Something the local Grue was more than willing to point out.
"Yeah, sorry. Things are just starting to piece themselves together, you know?" She explained with a shrug, as if it wasn't a big deal. "There are at least one or two others here, I think. One of them flew away and another one was dragged away by what sounded like a dog. Maybe one of Bitch's dogs from wherever that other Taylor is from."
A few glances went towards Bitch, everyone in the room wondering how she would respond. They weren't disappointed with the way she seemed to straighten up and her eyes seemed to narrow. "We are finding them."
"That would be the intention," Lisa said. "We just need to figure out how. Like where they would go." She gave a very pointed look towards the three Taylors in the room.
"I'd usually be here…" There was a pause, as if she was debating something. Eventually she seemed to drop it. "Or home."
"Same, except my own base or lab."
The local Taylor, Skitter, was silent for a long moment. Finally she stood up, bugs buzzing in agitation, "I need to make a phone call."
As she rushed into the kitchen the dots started to connect for the rest of the room.
The first place any other version of Taylor Hebert would go to would be home, where their dad was. Where the local Taylor's dad was.
The ringing of the cellphone was almost deafening as they all waited for her dad to pick up. "Dad! Dad I need you to listen! There…" There was a shout on the other end, one that interrupted her mid-sentence and forced her to pause. "… What do you mean you're daughter is already there?"