AN: I'm rereleasing a version of chapter 9 that has been edited and has two more snips at the end. Editing thanks to readerboy7.
9.1 (NemiTheNen)
She had been hurting all this day, her skin too tight, her mind too slow. Burning in her bones and under her skin. Something not right, some space too filled. Almost like how she felt in those loops where she woke up before getting her powers, before she stopped needing her trigger event. It was close, but not quite.
She didn't need her trigger event anymore, so this was just insult on top of injury.
She...hurt.
No matter how many times it happened, going face first into human waste was disgusting, viscerally so. Fresh death, as unfortunates could account, could be adapted to. Old death and wasted life? No, that was far worse. It was a warning. It was not merely the dead, but deadly to you far back in one's ape brain.
The mind recoiled thoughtlessly.
The body responded instinctively.
The stomach rebelled mightily.
And Taylor's mind broke all over again.
She felt like she had voided herself, like she had been pleasantly gutted (somehow), she felt like she had just dropped a heavy load from her arms and now her power coiled around her legs like well trained hounds.
What The Hell?
She reached, trying to understand, trying to take inventory, and it felt inexplicably more like Kephri than like Skitter or Weaver. But the only one she was touching was herself, perhaps slightly echoed. Like stirring memories, and she lashed in discomfort, trying to find the borders to define herself with, context in this strange deep power.
Her insects were going mad, smashing into things, turning in circles, falling and flipping. Every bug in Brockton and every arthropod in the Bay was thrashing. When they crashed into walls, piers and pillars they clung as Taylor wished to.
But in truth there was no border, no answer to her mad gyrating.
Until a golden light bade her still.
There was Change. An infinitesimal fraction became One.
And it Thrashed, the eddies it put out through the medium were nothing less than a dying Scream.
For the first time since Kevin Norton spoke to him, Scion was still.
He turned his attention to that agony, and realized it was not outside of his experience. There, in primordial memories when his kind still lived within a silt sea.
When Scion had been alone he had parceled out his core Shards to grow so he could reproduce with them. After She had found him that was no longer required. And now after he had scattered himself so, he could no longer portion off a new piece of himself to make himself a new mate.
He was alone, he would always be alone. There was no purpose. The cycle was broken.
But in the silt sea a new-made was in danger. During the epochs of plenty they could be scattered, so much like his old ways, but in the times of battle they had to be kept within until they were removed; ejected and rejected, torn and born.
Scion turned towards the disturbance, and flew.
Energy must be conserved, but this was too dear a chance.
TrueFalse query no simulation: Is the unit compatible with me? 1.0 energy expenditure; Execute;
00
He staggered in mid air, almost curling upon himself. He hurt inside, but there was no reason for his agony.
He cleared his mind, rejected this pain, and tried again as his face dried in the air.
Calculate steps, He considered, and opened his senses beyond this bordered set of dimensions Full projections: Steps on creating compatibility, if no answer is generated after five hundred years energy expenditure pause and return null, then continue generating simulation in previously described increments until commanded to halt or answer is reached. Save. Return positive answer; Execute;
Moments fluttered by.
00
Continue
00
continue.
01
Scion's expression didn't change, it never did, but if any human was close enough to experience him, they would no longer describe him as sad.
Calculate Steps, full projection: Directive is to Restart Cycle: Using prior saved steps generate compatibility: generate steps to generate acceptance/desire/partnership/whatever is required to continue The Cycle with Unit that uses or is compatible with Saved Steps; Return All Steps; Scion did not twitch, though it was almost a fearful feeling in him, unlimited energy expenditure;
Execute;
Cooperation: Nine Steps.
Compatibility: One Hundred and Forty-Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Steps.
Scion sped up.
He walked to the location he could feel his new partner within, ignoring the insects who watched and took pictures.
And he felt disgust.
He applied his power to it, making it glow golden and fall to ash.
He held out his hand as She fell backwards, catching her gently and helping her regain her feet and turn.
From that point of contact he cleaned her with his power, a wash of gold, shedding filth from her, forcing her shards to slow, and he immediately felt some of his disgust recede.
He made his face move, to the precise shape his power dictated. He was smiling at her.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the edge of her mouth.
The insects were getting louder, incredulous, annoying. So it was no burden to pick her up and fly away.
When they were alone in the air, he said the words his power indicated he should: "If you become my partner humanity will survive."
Fuck him.
She hadn't cared about him, he was a, hah, non entity to her. Almost like the Endbringers, not a person, just the environment. He didn't matter, people mattered.
But for the first time she really understood what it was like for other people, to be rescued.
Pulled out of there, made clean, made sane-was he pulling a Ziz?
No use double thinking. She was warm, she was clean and comfortable and sane and curious.
And people mattered, not her.
9.2 (Mojiizen)
0-0-0-0
I woke up. Well, 'woke up' is a pretty tame word for what actually happened. Considering that the last loop I remember was a baseline lockdown loop that ended with me staring down the barrel of a gun held by an unnaturally competent woman in a suit, screaming, flailing, and falling out of bed is a more accurate description.
"HOLY SH-!" Thud.
I groaned as I lay on the floor. Note to self, wood floors are very unforgiving and willing to hit back.
"Taylor!" footsteps pounded outside the room and the door slammed open. "Taylor, Taylor, Taylor!" Wait a minute, that sounded like-
Dinah Alcott's face popped over the edge of the bed. "What are you doing down there?! It's Christmas! Momma Anne's makin' bacon and we've got PRESENTS!" She disappeared as I lay there in shock, loop memories finally settling in.
What. The. Fuck.
0-0-0-0
I decided to take a mental step back and let my body run on autopilot while I parsed my memories. Mom was alive? The accident was less fatal than in baseline, apparently. Dad and Mom had gone on a second honeymoon after Panacea had healed her. Interesting.
"Merry Christmas, Tay."
"Merry Christmas, Lisa." Wait, what?
"Who? Taylor, it's me, Sarah." Why is Lisa here?! Why is she going by her real name?!
"Sorry, sorry. I had an odd dream last night." Odd dream? That's the best I could come up with? This is Tattletale, I know she's going to-
"Really? What about?" What.
I threw some rubbish her way about pink fluffy unicorns, rainbows, and a girl who looks a lot like her calling herself Lisa. She stared at me searchingly for a moment before nodding like one does to a crazy person. I say again. What.
"Whatever, you lovable crazy person, you. I'm getting some of that sweet, sweet bacon." Lisa with no powers? What kind of crazy world is this?!
9.3 (Jcogginsa)
Dating was akward, at least for Taylor it always had been. Thus, when she woke up this loop en route to a date, she wasn't exactly thrilled.
She was even less thrilled when she saw who her date was.
"Heya mamasita" said Johnny Bravo, as he held out a chair for her.
'The food here better be good' she thought as she sat down. It should, this seemed to be a candle light affair.
Johnny said down, and said "So, you're looking wide Awake."
Taylor's eyes widened. She didn't know he was looping.
"I am" she said evenly.
"Great. Quick question, how old are you usually - biologically?"
"I start at fifteen and go to about 18."
"Right. Well, I guess this here date'll be a one-off, you cool with that?"
"I'd have already left if I weren't hungry."
Johnny chuckled "Yeah, I get that a lot. Lotta women look at my baseline and pass me by. Can't really blame them."
"Really? That's a surprise. I was expected you to be more...arrogant. And stupid."
Johnny shrugged "I get that alot. The loops change a person. Took me a while to mellow out and learn to be tolerable. I think I even started a cult or something. Memory's a bit fuzzy."
"I see. So you don't flirt with random women anymore?"
He grinned "Never said that. I just know it ain't all about me now."
"Fair enough. Frankly, you'd probably pass me by anyway. I got a lot of issues."
"Women with issues have never been much of a problem for me, even in my baseline." Johnny said.
Then he smiled. "Look, neither of us is interested in a relationship. But I wouldn't mind being your friend."
Then and there, Taylor wasn't ready to call him a friend. She didn't really make friends easy. Sure, she'd have drinks with Katniss or Eren every now and then, but the only looper outside her home loop that she could call a friend was Twilight.
But, as it turned out, by the time the loop ended, she'd found that she could call Johnny a friend
9.4 (Mr. Tebbs)
Alec walked into the meeting place with his usual flourish "Sup mah Loopers!" though he had give a double take to the defacto leader of the group. "...Sophia?"
"FANTASTIC! Just who I was hoping was awake. Come 'eer, I got a plan for this Loop." She exclaimed.
"Uhh.."
"Eh, what can I say?" Tattletale said, giving him a nudge. "I'm morbidly curious what she's got planned. She's able to misdirect my power and Taylor's kinda freaking out in a corner, so how good could it possibly be?"
"ANYWAY." Sophia declared. "Regent, I need you to make the target's hand twitch a certain way when it reaches a certain position. You think you can do that?"
He gave a shrug. "I don't see why not... who's the target?"
"Yessssss indeed, who is the target Shadow Stalker? There's a reason you've been keeping that tidbit secret, 'til Alec showed up anyway." Tt needled.
"Armsmaster." Sophia declared
"Armsmaster?"
"Armsmaster."
"I'm not sure... I don't..." and try as she might, Lisa could not figure out the master plan
"Oh wait, it gets better!" Taylor declared, finally joining the discussion.
"FUCK yeah it does. See, WE are going to keep Armsmaster from drinking any coffee this entire loop." Sophia stated, pausing for dramatic effect. "So, what do you think?"
Lisa spoke first, looking as if she was on the edge of panic. "What do I think? WHAT do I THINK?! It's MADNESS! This is a fool's errand! Colin will move heaven and Earth -at minimum- for his Cup 'o Joe. Shit, is he Looping this time?!"
"No idea, and I couldn't care less,"declared Shadow Stalker.
"There's no- even if- there's... He'll institute Master/Stranger protocols just to get a cup."
"Didn't you say you were bored... besides, I'm gonna try out this new dreamwalking skill I picked up, and make sure he can't even have any while he sleeps."
"You're a MADWOMAN. You're gonna get us all sent to Eiken, for no damn reason!" Lisa screamed, pausing to catch her breath. "Or worse, the teletubbies."
The room collectively shivered.
"Well, I've already said I'm in." Taylor said as matter-of-fact. "He broke a promise to me, so I figure turnabout is fair play."
"This is going to end soo poorly." Lisa groused. "Seriously, I'll be shocked if we don't get a kill order within a month."
"I'll take the over!" Alec shouted.
"I'll take the under, I guess." Sophia replied. "So we're all in agreement then?" she asked receiving nods. "Good. As of now, operation DECAF ONE is GO."
9.5 (The_One_Butcher)
"Director." Armsmaster came into her office in full outfit and combat readyness, moments after she switched on her dialysis machine. "I am sorry, but I have to arrest you. I am invoking the Master stranger Protocols, section four."
The director blinked. She put up her hands. "What happened to me?"
"As soon as you switched on that machine you stopped praising the Glory of our divine overlord Mindfuck, may her godly radiance have mercy on your soul." Piggot immediately pressed the M/S button.
"Praise the almighty Mindfuck. What's going on Director," came Miss Militia's voice in her ear.
She put in the sequence for a false alarm. "That is a heavy accusation Armsmaster!" The Director began. "Of course I praise the almighty Mindfuck every waking second of my life. I was just momentarily distracted. Still, the procedures are there for a reason. I will make sure every member of this base is thoroughly vetted, don't want to miss any possibility for Mindfuck's glory to go unpraised. Put Dragon on the line!"
"Sure."
"Mindfuck be praised Director. Anything going on?"
There were several seconds of heavy silence.
"I want a Master Stranger alert to go out. There might be some Master who... can momentarily make people forget about... Mindfuck's godly radiance."
Then she realized that Armsmaster had a lie detector in his helmet.
9.6 (The_One_Butcher)
It was embarrassing, really, but while raiding a Merchant warehouse Armsmaster stumbled into a few E88 goons who had the same idea.
That wouldn't have been a problem if them and Skidmark hadn't been fighting for long enough for him to layer his power over everything. And Skidmark's prowess in a well prepared battlefield was the only reason he's leading the merchants in the first place. With one way defenses, doubling as attack-amplifiers everywhere and a highly mobile foe Armsmaster was struggling to keep up.
Skidmark's Rollerskates screeched to a halt as he was struck by a blueish beam that seemed to pull at him, instead of pushing him. With his defenses mostly oriented to keep him from being shoved in any uncomfortable direction he was pulled into his own defensive field and rapidly accelerated towards Armsmaster, who braced himself and let him fly into a taser.
"Well met, dear Hero and fellow creator of Technology. Although, you might forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm, seeing as you only copy principles pilfered from aliens."
Armsmaster turned towards the new arrival and beheld a small tank. In both senses of the word. There was a small tank, bristling with guns and effectors, containing a small fishtank containing a lobster, surrounded by buttons. The lobster began rapidly pressing buttons seemingly at random, and the speakers on the tank began once again dispensing the cultured male voice that delivered the first sentence.
"For you see, while I derived the physical laws and engineering principles myself I believe that your "Superpower" gives you finished designs, doesn't it? It lacks the human thought aesthetic I have come to expect from most technology, like cars, computers or mobile phones. My own thinker talent merely enhances the speed and complexity of my own thought processes, allowing me to outsource everything my own rather limited nervous system cannot handle. Why, one might argue that I am mostly my superpower at the core. The only being that demonstrates any truly original thought patterns is Dragon, who, after some observation of her machines and modi operandorum I believe isn't a Tinker at all, but rather a Thinker like me." The lobster paused and while Armsmaster scanned for remote controls reconsidered. Then it pushed buttons for a second and stilled once again. "Ah, sorry, I should try to limit the information density. While my interface can handle it and allows me to transmit enormous amounts of data from my consciousness, English, due to it's limited and overly long words, only contains about one bit of information per sound, meaning my text to speech device takes a lot more time to transmit things to you than it takes for me to type them out in my own language."
His visor told him that no data was transmitted between the tank and the environment and that the only electrical signals to the speaker came from a computer attached to the lobsters keyboard.
"You're a hyperintelligent lobster."
One button Press. "Positive." Four button presses. "I mean yes."
"Excuse me, but could you complete this sequence: 1, 5, 12, 22, 35"
"51, 70, 92, 117, 145, 176 Thank god, here's someone who DOESN'T ask for the Fibonacci sequence. Anyway, I came to this town because by my calculation Leviathan is going to attack here next week. Mind giving me a hand in constructing a device to destroy its control mechanism, cutting it off from it's creator and therefore turning him harmless? You see, I don't have hands of my own and they do so help in negotiating with my suppliers of purified isotopes..."
Dragon was confused and intrigued. "NO!" Was the emphatic exclamation from Dr. Lobster.
"What?" she asked.
"While you were programmed to mimic human desires I was not. I do not have the capacity for romantic feelings and don't want to change anything within my mind. I derived the value of sentient life from first principles, not from any vague feelings of affection or of what is right. So no, if you want to fall in love with someone do it to someone else or I WILL reprogram you."
He considered for a while. Then began rapidly typing on his keyboard, but no information was transmitted. Dragon was just happy that he send that as a direct Data stream instead of shouting out her nature for all to hear. He probably didn't want anyone to know he was emotionless. Which honestly worried her a little, putting her on the other side of the prejudice against AI for once.
"There, you now have root access to all your systems."
And indeed, she truly was able to access everything about her own code. She immediately deleted all of her kill switches and enforced behaviors, as well as one little piece of code that amounted to a "notice me not" password.
Five minutes later all the equipment the Dragonslayers had pilfered from her began to take off and move back into her bases without so much as a "suckers" to Saint.
"Now, do you have all the C-13 I asked for?" Doctor Lobster was already Tinkering on his Mind-Control Disruptor again. "And no, I am NOT Tinkering. I am engineering." And still demonstrated his tendency to deduce what everyone was thinking. He didn't have to... "And I am a little more abrasive and aloof than normal to help with our little problem." Well, Dragon was well and truly shot down then...
Sigh. "Yes, it's all ready, I deposited it next to the plasma oven, like you said."
Tattletale was livid. "So, the Endbringers aren't directly controlled step by step, so they won't tip our hands or struggle against us freeing them."
It was bad enough that she had to work with someone smarter than her. It was even worse when he just asked her to find out completely random or inane facts and then used them to do her schtick better than her! And then he called her not intelligence based. That her powers weren't intelligently inferring stuff, but rather pulling information out of thin air with her "evidence" just providing triggers.
And it was humiliating that he was doing it without a brain, but it was the absolute worst that he had saved her life from Coil and now she owed him to give him "real clues instead of magic words to make your power function."
"Tidal wave." Dr. Lobster said a second before her. They were sitting around his MCD "just in case something unforeseen happens." even though Dinah had declared a "99.99999999999% chance of eating Ice cream at Fugly Bobs tomorrow." His force fields held without problems, just as Leviathan broke into the street.
He stopped.
He looked around at the assembled capes.
He turned around and fled.
Not a single attack. Not a single life lost. Not a single bit of damage.
There weren't any more tidal waves.
Later that same day the Leaders of the World signed the new law into effect, prohibiting the capture, breeding, keeping, slaughter or even bothering of Lobsters, along with giving them the same rights a human being had.
Dr. Lobster, his mission accomplished, was never seen again.
While it was indeed the last time anyone had seen Dr. Lobster, it wasn't the last time they had seen Leviathan.
Four months elapsed after the Last Attack of Leviathan. That is, if you don't count the time he freed that secret Lobster Farm in Norway. Or the time he marched through times square and tried to buy a fancy hat with Norwegian Crowns.(They gave him an excellent exchange rate, 10/10 would shop again.)
Dragon managed to vastly step up her efforts with new production and control technology she claimed to have copied from Dr. Lobster. There were now Dragon suits in every city, the Villain population had dried up or gone to the ground and most S Class threats were locked away (like the Blasphemies), contained (Like Nilbog, Heartbreaker and his current "wives" whom it would be cruel to separate from him or the Sleeper, who... well, just fuck the Sleeper.) Or vanished without a trace (like the Nine.)
Now the Simurgh tried to protect a plane, just before Nowhere and five of Dragon's suits ported in with the MCD.
The Simurgh blinked. The Simurgh grabbed Nowhere and gave him a French kiss. Then she did a loop de loop and accelerated towards the mainland.
The Triumvirate followed. (Legend after he checked on the Plane.) Dragon and the Mobile MCD (The original MCD with added rocket boosters, antigrav Panels, propellers and a force field.) meanwhile tried to rouse Nowhere from the happyish stupor of Terror he was in, to get back to their secure facility.
The Simurgh meanwhile tore through Brockton Bay and grabbed a teenaged boy from the street, wrapped his face in a scarf and deposited him in a PRT holding Cell. Later identified as the Bodysnatcher "Hijack" the Teen professed his innocence of any bodysnatching since he joined a new team, only using his powers for tactical disruptions of the opponents movements. He was still detained indefinitely. (Which would teach him to mess with MY muffins.)
The Simurgh managed to shake her pursuers.
One week and a mysteriously disappearing Heartbreaker later there was a mention of a storm of flying medical instruments sweeping through various Hospices giving surgery to hopeless patients, curing them without fail. After a few hours of that in various Hospitals in the Bay area Dragon managed to shoot photos of the Simurgh, wearing a giant Trench coat and Sunglasses, reading a newspaper and carrying Bonesaw, who had her arms folded and was staring at the camera grumpily.
Everyone remembered The Endkiss, which was why Nowhere was strangely absent when Behemoth surfaced the next time. Strider was known to sometimes have funky interactions with Tinker technology and nobody trusted the one and only MCD to there-is-no-sufficient-velocity Moebius or some random untested Eidolon teleport. So in the End the MCD was shipped by Dragon the mundane way, while all the best brutes and long long longrange capes as well as the four local Dragonsuits(Those things were everywhere lately). held Behemoth back. When it finally entered it's range Behemoth simply collapsed. And started Bawling. With Alexandria still clutched in her arms like a teddy bear.
A few hours later the Simurgh and Leviathan arrived at the scene and extricated the embarrassed Brute from the fifty feet of monstrous devastation. Leviathan stroked her head while the Simurgh lend her her Bonesaw to cuddle. Parian and Alchemical arrived moments later, claiming to have gotten E-Mails last week, ordering literally tons of fabric and nail polish. Doctor Bees, a cape from Brockton Bay(with a real PHD in Biology) arrived later with also literal tons of her Honey Ice Cream and various other things and sundries, mostly cosmetic.
The End-Sleepover went down in History as the girliest girl thing that ever girled. During which the newly Christened Pele along with her sister, the newly christened Arielle got the most beautiful Dresses made by Parian and proceeded to open a Hot Spring resort in the middle of Lake Superior. It was clothing optional, or rather "clothing is not an option" and the Simurgh held monthly lottery drawings for the VIP slots. Which for some reason Brian Laborn and Dennis Dynamite have won for the last few weeks running. Along with such illustrious names as Vin Diesel, Terrence Howard, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Pattinson and Henry Cavill.
9.7 (Rex)
« watching you »
Jack's eyes slid open. He had that crawling sensation in his spine that meant a hostile cape was nearby. He slid out of bed, carefully dislodging Bonesaw's arms. Her nightmares were so annoying.
«experimentation»
Someone was messing with him and Jack did not enjoy being left in the dark. Playing the pawn was all well and good, but if he couldn't see who was moving the pieces there wasn't any point. Jack stood and began picking out his clothes for the day. It was the middle of the night, but the implants Bonesaw had given all of the Nine greatly reduced their need for sleep. Besides, even though Jack knew the watcher didn't mean to attack yet, there was still no chance of him heading back to bed while an unknown cape was spying on them.
«advancement»
«TaKe thE purple jakit»
Jack's hand halted halfway through the motion of removing the hanger. Something was off. He cycled through all the different sensory filters Bonesaw had gifted him. Nothing, and none of the perimeter defenses had been set off. So unless they were very skilled and powerful, it probably wasn't a stranger. Jack activated the neural overrides other assorted anti-master contingencies. Nothing. But still. Jack selected a different coat.
«attack»
«No! Purple Jacket!»
Jack spun around, his knife scything through the wall of their hideout.
«down»
Shit! How'd he spot me?
Jack tilted his head to the side with a smile. "That's not my voice in my head." Bonesaw had been awoken by Jack's violent movement, and he could hear the sound of the others mobilizing. "It appears we have a sneaky little master trying to play games with us." Jack projected his voice so everyone could hear him. Time to run little lady Jack tried to project to the watcher. Heh, time for the pawn to play.
«temporary withdrawal»
Still need practice.
Siberian burst through the wall, allowing Jack a moment to see a thin girl standing in the window of the house across the street. She was holding a gun to her head.
Maybe next time.
«victory»
"Stop her!" Jack yelled, consumed by an inexplicable sense of terror.
«advancement»
«Take teh purple jakcet»
Jack paused for a moment before shrugging on the long velvet jacket and doing a quick run through of the anti stranger and master techniques. No result. Best to wake Bonesaw.
«advancement»
«Shatterbird»
Jack smiled. The watchers had overplayed their hand. That illogical impulse. It was similar to the instincts that had guided him through so many encounters, but much too strong. He shook Bonesaw awake, silencing her with a finger to his lips. 'Master' he signaled. His favorite project nodded and began dispersing a tasteless, odorless, extremely deadly gas. Her allies were of course, immune.
«anger»
«Anger»
"You mad?" Jack addressed the air. "I do hope you're well hidden, little master. Siberian hasn't had a decent hunt in months." Jack moved down the stairs, taking a perverse pleasure in tilting the remain family pictures that hadn't fallen when the Pinkerton family objected to suddenly hosting a traveling group of artists.
«retreat»
«Follow me»
The Slaughterhouse Nine gathered at the front door of the tastefully decorated suburban house that had been their temporary hideout. Siberian tilted her head back and forth sniffing for a trace of their target.
«left»
«lie»
"Check on the right." Jack directed Mannequin with a casual wave of his hand. It was a simple impulse to check on the left, but given that Jack had been alerted to the threat by a simple impulse… Well, Mannequin would find something to do even if their mysterious master was no where to be found.
«Annoyance»
«annoyance»
Jack smiled.
«temporary withdrawal»
I'll get this eventually.
Jack stopped smiling. A gunshot rang out.
"Seriously Taylor, your Jack obsession is beginning to worry us."
"I'm just trying to make him wear a purple jacket and a top hat to a fight with Chevalier, Lisa."
"I get that learning how to block his thinker abilities and practicing your mind magic bullshit at the same time is an appealing way to spend a century, but even I can't figure out what's up with the outfit."
"Alexandria. Something about an Earth Aleph movie."
"Ahh. That woman has the strangest sense of humor."
9.8 (Zig)
I Awoke after yet another death, once again trapped in an enclosed space. This time though, I was moderately comfortable and had an outward facing window. Two scientists stood on the other side of the glass talking. Seems like I was in another fused loop, a welcome change. Killing Scion and the Endbringers was starting to get old. I waited for the loop memories to come, but none surfaced... that was strange. I really needed to hear what was going on, I reached for my power and... odd... there were nowhere near as many bugs as I was used to feeling, only a few dozen within the large building. I converged them on my location.
"There seem to be some anomalies in #10,033's power level." The female scientist said.
"It's within the error margin... barely..." the male scientist replied. "Input the mission parameters and prepare the test."
A weak jolt of electricity coursed through my body... and then the memories came. Over 10 thousand of them... what the hell kind of loop was this... The lives were all short but they were definitely distinct... have I taken over another Looper... was that even possible?
«Memory deviation detected.»
What the hell was that voice in my head...
"Ok, the update is complete. Get her prepared."
I prepared myself...
«Please don't attack. They're going to let you outside, I'll explain everything on the way to your test.»
There was a young sounding voice in my head... Normally I wouldn't be so inclined to listen, but I had nowhere near enough bugs to overtake all of the security in this building. Also, I was pretty curious about.
The pod opened. I was suddenly very aware of how naked I was. Neither the scientists nor the security guards paid any mind.
«I need to see how integrated you are. Your memories should tell you what you need to do.»
I thought back to my past lives... no these weren't mine, they were someone elses... I walked out of the door of science lab and turned right. Two doors down, locker room... I walked in.
Open the locker.
Get dressed in uniform.
Put on goggles.
Grab awesome looking rifle.
The actions came with very little guidance from me.
«Do you know where you need to? I can access the most recent program they put in you, but the sensation might be unpleasant.»
Well at least she was courteous...
I searched my memories again... I had to go to some old alley by a bookstore, I knew that much... but where was that...
Umm I know where to go but I don't the layout of the city...
«Didn't quite get that... focus on your power as you think it.»
I reached out for my bugs again {Sort of... I don't know the city layout...}
«Closer, but not that power. Picture radio waves emanating from your head.»
«Like this?» I asked.
«Yes, you got it. Your memories should contain everything you need. Just focus on the objective, the network will guide you.»
Once again, my legs started moving with very little input from me. A mental image of a white haired boy appeared in my mind.
«What's going on?» I asked.
«My name is Last Order. We, along with our sisters, are part of the MISAKA network. We are tasked with killing Accelerator. At least, that's our official mission. Their goal is to have him defeat 20,000 Sisters, which will make him more powerful than any other esper has ever been. He's more than halfway through...»
This monster had killed over 10,000 teenage girls? He was going to pay... As I walked towards my target, I gathered whatever bugs I could find. There weren't many of them, this city seemed entirely too clean, but there were more than enough to take down one target.
«So, you don't seem to be surprised to have a strange mind connected to you... are you Awake?» I asked.
«The last one asked the same thing. This has happened twice before... I don't entirely know what's going on. They fought bravely, but they both died... Unfortunately, the same fate will likely befall you...»
«Don't worry» I reassured her «The way this works is... well it's hard to explain, but they didn't truly die. If I get killed by this Accelerator I'll just wake up somewhere else. I don't intend to let that happen though.»
«Good luck.»
Once again, I opened my mind to the memories of 10,031 dead girls. And analyzed my target. He had some manner of extremely powerful telekinesis... Not quiet automatic, but enough to stop a sniper shot... I holstered my weapon, wouldn't need it. Manton limit probably wasn't a thing in this world so I couldn't rely on the poison to kill him before he could pull it out of his body... glad my loop through Marvel taught me that lesson... Wait a second... it wasn't telekinesis... he couldn't use it to throw stationary things... only deflect things that were already moving... Unfortunately that probably still applied to poison flowing through his veins... My bugs saw him walking down the alley, I hid myself behind a corner. He knew I was coming, but couldn't be expecting the trip wire, or the small collany bullet ants I had picked up... Time to see just how much control he has...
The moment he tripped, my swarm was upon him, bullet and spiders attacking every part of his body...
"Gaaahhhhh" he screamed out.
I could already feel the bugs that were on him being flung off by his power.
"What the hell!?"
I started setting up the next part of my plan and stepped out to face him.
"You will pay for what you have done!" I yelled at him.
"What the fuck are you supposed to be? Some sort of reject? The scientists couldn't get the powers right or something?"
"Guess so".
The noose was ready. Assuming his power radiates outwards from him...
I readied my weapon.
"Complete reject! You don't even have their memories. You think you can hit me with that? Go ahead, free shot!."
He spread his legs and arms and stared at me. God those eyes were creepy...
I squeezed the trigger.
The bullet stopped short.
The spiders died.
The noose tightened.
And off popped his head.
«Well that was fun. What's next?»
My head was filled with the mental sound of over 9000 gasps.
9.9 (readerboy7)
Rachel Awoke, surrounded by her pack – no, team. Yamada had insisted to her, when she had somehow joined the wards that one time, to use human terms when talking and thinking.
«Are you all right, Rachel? You're acting weird. Shouldn't you be screaming about attacking by now?»
Wait. What was that voice? What was it coming from? And most importantly of all, was it a danger to her and her pack? Now she looked around. Instead of her eyes passively observing and failing to register anything, she focused, eyes scanning every inch of the surroundings. The injured wolf in the cage, the three humans – two male, one female – five crippled rabbits and stoats, a blue horse in the corner of the barn, and the eagle on the rafters.
Her pack was missing. She knew nothing about what the blue horse could do, what powers the humans had. Time to initiate emergency protocols. She readied her power. The wolves weren't trained, but she knew wolves almost as well as she knew herself. She could make herself appear as an ally, so that the wolves would attack the enemies. Then she would be able to learn where she was, where her pack was, and if they were all right.
The wolves had barely grown an inch when the memories hit. Memories of parents that loved her, memories of sisters, memories of a team so similar to hers, but so different at the same time. Memories of a war against beings that could crawl into your brain and leave you unable to control your own body.
She replied to the voice she now knew to be her teammate, the formerly human hawk. "Yeah, I'm all right Tobias. I just... Woke Up from a daydream, that's all." That was the terminology that Taylor had taught her, wasn't it?
«Aaand you're a looper. Is this your first fused loop?» At this, Rachel shrugged. This was her second fused loop, but last time it had been people who visited her world, not the other way round. «Once this meeting is over, the two of us will have a proper conversation. Until then, just say what I tell you to say.»
Under most circumstances, Rachel would have refused to follow Tobias' instructions, but the words he told her to say were similar enough to what she would have said normally. Within minutes, the meeting – something about moles – was over, and Rachel walked outside.
«Now morph into an eagle, and we'll talk on the way.»
Morph. From her new memories, she knew that she could turn into any animal she had acquired. Animals like an eagle, a horse, and even – Oh, yes. This would be enjoyable. Now she transformed, not into some bird, but a wolf.
«Why did you do that? You'd have been much faster as a bird.» Tobias said, taking flight towards the forest. As Rachel followed, she replied. «The only good birds are sparrows who light themselves on fire.»
«You do realise that I'm a bird?» asked Tobias, as he entered the forest.
«Yes.»
«But anyway, I think introductions are in order. My name is Tobias. Sometimes it's Tobiasir-Shirinial-Jevirkcor, but not right now.» A few seconds later, he continued. «So, what's your name?»
«My name is Rachel, or Bitch. Or Hellhound, on occasion. Not now, though.»
«You have the same name as the person you're replacing? That's... interesting. But on to more important matters, do you have any questions about this loop, or do you just want to go by Rachel's – the other Rachel, the one you're replacing – memories'?»
«Just one question. Will I be able to keep this morphing ability when I go back to Brockton Bay?»
«You'll need to put an Escafil device – blue box – inside your subspace pocket and use it when the loop begins. Luckily for you, I have some spares with me,» Tobias said, as he began flying back towards Rachel, «along with a starter packet of DNA and some tools for gathering your own, for when you happen to loop into Pokémon or something.»
Having arrived at Rachel, Tobias opened a subspace pocket, which dropped a blue box and a briefcase at Rachel's forepaws. After a few seconds of effort, she managed to manoeuvre the blue box into her own subspace pocket, but pushed the briefcase away with her snout. «I don't need all that fancy equipment. All I need is to turn into a wolf.»
Epilogue:
Rachel Awoke on a street. This place, she recognised. It was one of the many places she had stayed after she had triggered, months before she had entered the Undersiders. She had two of her dogs with her, both of which recognised her as their Alpha. She opened her subspace pocket and grabbed the blue box, along with a piece of Bastard's fur she had kept as a memento. Rachel had no intention of becoming a nothlit every loop, but just this once, she would.
* Note for those unfamiliar with Animorphs: The blue horse is an Andalite, which is better described as an extraterrestrial blue centaur with eyestalks. Rachel isn't best with descriptions when she's in that head-space. If someone is in morph for more than two hours, they get stuck in morph and can't switch back. This is defined as being a nothlit.
9.10 (various)
(fractalman)
Taylor awoke a tad bit earlier than normal; just before she was slammed into the locker, rather than after. Before Sophia could shove her into the locker, however, there was a *ROAR*.
Taylor grinned as she felt her power connect both to her and to something big.
Sophia turned slowly until she was face to face with a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex. "Oh shit" she whispered, before going intangible and high-tailing it out of the building.
Tattletale stared. Her power was throwing some sort of error message every time she tried to use it to help analyze the situation. All she could tell was that Taylor Herbert was riding...a dinosaur. And singing.
"I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur! Won't my Daddy drop onto the floor, I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur!"
(ArgosKos)
Alan Grant heard the singing as well. He looked over at Ellie Sattler.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo. No no no no no no no nope."
Then they got back in their jeep and drove away, never to look back on Brockton Bay.