Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower 6.2

Taylor found herself in Alexandria's office with, well, Alexandria. The hole in the wall where the window used to be currently had a large pane of glass Alexandria had picked up, literally picked up, on the way back leaning over it.

"I'll have to get that installed sometime soon." Alexandria spoke, leaning against a wall while looking at the pane of glass, before turning to Taylor. "Anyways, Buster, are you feeling well?"

It was obvious what she was asking. "I can't feel anything from the 'Combat Protocols'." Taylor replied.

Alexandria nodded. "Good. And how are you feeling about all of this, Buster?"

"I'm... not sure, honestly. How does one react to something like this?" Taylor answered after a moment's thought. "It at least answers some questions I had been having. Like, where all of that information upon what to do during the Leviathan fight came from."

"It's been around since the Leviathan fight?"

"Way longer than that, since Lung, at least." Taylor clarified. "That was the first time something happened where I fully lost control, although I've started remembering the Combat Protocols activities only recently."

"So the first time you get into a fight, is the first time these 'protocols' show up." Alexandria stated. "Interesting implications, is the power summoning up new ones as required? If it is that, perhaps it was creating something that would enable you to use them to their fullest extent."

"Clockblocker was suggesting super-adaptability as far back as the bank robbery." Which wasn't actually that far back now that Taylor thought about it. "And I'll answer with the same I said to him; I had the lasers and durability from the beginning, no adaption involved. And, as bad as the Locker was." Taylor let out a slight shudder at the memory. "It didn't require such an overt amount of firepower and durability. I didn't even use them to get out of it; a janitor came by and let me out while I was unconscious."

Alexandria rubbed her chin. "Perhaps you're summoning up entire power sets? You brought up something that would allow you to survive your Trigger event, the durability, and the lasers just came along with it."

"Maybe." Taylor conceded. "But how does the whole robot thing figure into that?"

"I am not sure." Alexandria admitted. "However, there are a few people I can ask that may be able to shed some light upon the subject. In the meantime, there are more important topics. One of which is, unless you become a blatant hedonist, you will never have to worry about money for the rest of your natural life."

"And how long that's going to be, who can tell." Taylor remarked, ignoring the thought that there might not be a natural limit on her lifespan, before pausing. "Wait, why?"

Taylor couldn't see it, but she could bet Alexandria was raising an eyebrow at that. "You just killed almost every member of the most infamous group of Villains ever; do you really think there were no incentives involved for their deaths? Bonesaw's bounty alone would let you live comfortably for... quite a while." Alexandria spoke.

Taylor, as with many things lately, wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Well, Dad will be happy college is taken care of at least."

"Quite." Alexandria remarked. "Well, we will communicate with your father on what, exactly, will be done with it. In the meantime, I must ask how much of these events you want to be known. Currently, the only ones who know of your trigger event apparently turning you into an android of some sort are Clockblocker, Vista, Browbeat, myself, and maybe Armsmaster. I can have this information sequestered if you want, I would understand if you desired this to be left relatively unknown." She frowned slightly. "I suppose it's a good thing Miss Militia dragged Earthshock out of there, he has... authority problems." Alexandria finished.

Taylor hummed in contemplation. "Probably for the best that it's just let out. Whatever could possibly go wrong with doing so, having it found out that we had kept it a secret would be far worse."

Alexandria frowned. "I assure you that if I wanted it to stay secret, it would."

Taylor shrugged. "Shit happens, and besides, I just don't see the big deal here. My powers turned me into a robot for... whatever reason. Meanwhile, Aegis can breathe out of his toes, Legend can literally turn into a stream of light, and Crawler is... Crawler. Being slightly more mechanical than the average person seems so minor in comparison."

"If you really think that's what people will think, you're quite frankly naive." Alexandria stated. "The concept of the 'Robot Rebellion' might not be as culturally ingrained here as it is in Aleph, but it's definitely there."

"I'm quite aware that the overall public reaction is unlikely to be quite as blasé as I am." Taylor answered. "But I'm sort of seeing that as an advantage; blunt some of the hero worship I'm likely to get from Leviathan and now the Slaughterhouse Nine."

"And if you think that will happen, you're even more so. Those who will praise you will do so regardless, and those who won't will merely latch onto this as justification. You might bounce a few people from one side to the other with it, but you're unlikely to cause a serious change." Alexandria bluntly replied.

"Fine then. If it's unlikely to cause a serious effect either way, better to have one less secret kept." Taylor finished.

Alexandria shook her head. "You're not a person I'm ever likely to understand." She nodded after a second. "Very well, I will release the full information upon what happened during the Slaughterhouse Nine incident, and will make no attempt to keep it quiet."

Taylor nodded in turn.

"Now." Alexandria began to speak. "I have a great deal of work to do, both the transfer of power from Armsmaster to myself, and dealing with the repercussions of every member of the Slaughterhouse Nine dying at once. And you, I imagine, would like to see your father after all of these events."

Taylor took the hint, moved for a farewell, and then paused. How does one say goodbye to a member of the Triumvirate?

Alexandria appeared to notice her hesitation. "Goodbye, Buster." She stated with a slight bit of humor.

"Uh, bye." Taylor replied. And on that awkward note, left Alexandria's office, while the named woman sat behind her desk and began to work.

Taylor sighed upon leaving the office. Now, to find her Dad.

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