Taylor hung over the city, a silent and unseen Sword of Damocles.
She watched from above the clouds, as the news anchor finally finished with her makeup. Her vision unimpeded by walls or distance. Taylor could feel the anticipation rushing through her veins as the unaware news anchor sat before the camera, waiting for it to go live.
Today was the day. Today was the day that everything changed.
When the blinking red light flickered to life, she descended, the sonic boom was heard all across the bay. Her immense speed coming to an impossibly sudden stop mere inches above the sidewalk.
With a smile, opened the door and floated gently into the news station, with her X-Ray vision she walked confidently and unerringly towards the Newsroom. The Security at the entrance tried to stop her, she paid him nor his frantic calls for backup any mind.
He couldn't stop her, no one could stop her. Not anymore.
When she finally arrived at the Newsroom, it was to the sight of a pale but still sitting Anchor woman. Taylor smiled at her reassuringly, she need not fear her.
"Don't worry, I am not here to harm anyone. I just need to borrow your camera." Everyone in the room relaxed ever so slightly at that.
With a less fearful audience she floated forwards until she was in front of the Anchors desk, facing the camera. Happily, she noted the red light was still flashing.
"Citizens of Brockton Bay, my name is Taylor Hebert and I am here to give an ultimatum to the criminal elements of this city." Her inviting smile and tone at odds with her next words. "You will have a 24-hour grace period to place yourself in police or PRT custody. Any that I find outside of a cell after those 24 hours have passed, I will kill with extreme prejudice."
Taylor tilted her head consideringly before shrugging nonchalantly at the camera. "I know that you will not believe me, that at this very moment, most of you are probably thinking me to be a fool or a liar. That I am toothless ." She spat the word, "But know this, my word is my bond. You have 24 hours to comply, you have been warned, and I shall draw no quarter."
Taylors smile never once slipping even as she continued. "To the Heroes," She stressed the word, " Anyone or anything that gets in my way, I shall consider to be working with the villains and will deal with them accordingly. Please, do not test me, I have given my word and my word is my bond."
"For too long, these criminals with powers have run amuck, I am putting a stop to it. After today, there will be no more Supervillains."
Taylor started to turn away, but she paused looking over her shoulder back at the camera. Her smile dropping for the first time, her green eyes turning red and glowing with a fiery light. "And to any of you who try and take a hostage as a shield, know this, I will not stop and you will die screaming. I will not negotiate, not now, not ever. You either face the court's Justice, or you face Mine ."
With those last words, between one frame and the next, she disappeared in a crack of displaced air and flying papers.
/
As she hung over the city once more, she smiled down at the buzzing city. Her ears picking out the thousands of voices saying her name.
The city that had taken her Mother from her.
The city that had taken her Father from her.
The city that would be the first to feel her pain.
With her power, it would be the first of many.