I apologize in advance for the deceiving chapter length- this is a ten-pull chapter, and I said I would do an explanation for each one, so yeah. (Also I talked about random stuff too.)
Also, for FFnet Users: I just realized that I didn't upload chapter 7 on FFnet last week. Whoops. At least you get a double drop now?
GeoFitFX on AO3: GASGASGAGAS- great meme. The car's kinda bland though… might use another Toyota. Great idea for a crack section. As for the other places, I use and AO3 the most, so sorry, but I'm gonna stick to these platforms for now.
SpiritOfRevolution on AO3: For the power-nullfiying rounds… There aren't any. It was a "Projection Nullifier". If it makes you feel any better, I think I was going to give myself a power-nullifying ability, but that would've made Crawler a stomp, which is kind of bad writing (not that this is good lol) But the Projection Nullifier was from the Siberian, and I got an Axe Launcher from Hatchet Face.
The rest of your comment is dead on though. The three-chapter arc, with the battle royale as a climax? Sounds amazing, and I agree, the Crack potential is over 9000. Charging in headfirst into the Nine without a plan?
Very stupid, but that part was because I was trying to follow the timeline, and according to the Worm Wiki, at this point, Bakuda had already started sticking bombs in people's heads. So pick a reason- Sunrise was cocky, feeling rushed, or wanting to bury the 9 in a shallow grave, early.
I think I'm gonna make a policy of ignoring the timeline. Not too much, but throwing it out the window in this case would've made for a much better story Spirit. So thanks; very constructive!
Lex Qing/Sunrise
I send a ping out to Taylor's armour, which has an incognito mode so she can be tracked, and wear it. She's at Winslow, the south side. That's good; there's a street right next to there so I can pick her up.
By the way, speaking of pings…
Variable Pitch Arsenal
Standard
Explosive
Smokescreen
Cryobeam
EMP Shot
Net Launcher
Min-Max Rifle
Foam Sprayer
Naseua Shot
Tazer Shot
Projection Nullfier
Restoration Blast
Soundwave
Axe Launcher
Sphere Bombs
Flamethrower
Soundsorber New!
S.M.A.C.K. New!
You might be asking what SMACK stands for.
Selective Matter Annihilation Casting Killshot.
… I don't even know why Casting is even in there. How does this make the name make sense?
This is definitely an instance of someone making the acronym before deciding what it actually means.
That brings us to how I got SMACK.
Crawler is a mindless brute (pun!) who has the tactical skills of Jatler in FGO World Two. He still put me into an hour-long recharge period- apparently, Mannequinn had jammed comms, so New York PRT was nowhere to be found.
The Endbringers are advanced killing machines who are bulkier, faster and have weird-ass exotic powers the black, quadruped disaster of genetics would maim himself for.
… there's a joke here about Crawler wanting to maim himself, but I can't make one right now.
The point is, if I want to make a difference at an Endbringer fight, I'm gonna need a lot more power. And an actual plan, that isn't "throw everything I have at them and hope they die."
The only good thing the Nine have done?
Giving me a ton of rings.
Actions Log
Met A-Class threat (William Manton) +30 Rings
Defeated A-Class threat (William Manton) +90 Rings
Met A-Class threat (Bonesaw) +30 Rings
Defeated A-Class threat (Bonesaw) +90 Rings
Met B-Class threat (Hatchet Face) +20 Rings
Defeated B-Class threat (Hatchet Face) +60 Rings
Met B-Class threat (Mouse Protector) +20 Rings
Met C-Class threat (Jack Slash) +10 Rings
Met B-Class threat (Mannequinn) +20 Rings
Met B-Class threat (Burnscar) +20 Rings
Met S-Class threat (Crawler) +50 Rings
Defeated B-Class threat (Mannequinn) +60 Rings
Defeated B-Class threat (Burnscar) +60 Rings
Defeated C-Class threat (Jack Slash) +20 Rings
Defeated S-Class threat (Crawler) +150 Rings
Achievements
Slaughteredhouse 9 (Gold) +30 Rings
End the Slaughterhouse 9.
Blood and Bones (Bronze) +10 Rings
Torture someone.
Take an extra 50 rings, champ. Fuck Jackie boy. If you wanna learn how to properly torture an asshole, I'll be giving lessons after you beat Worm. :) -Boss
Current Currency Total: 850 Rings
That should make me feel really happy, but I'm currently scared shitless. If Crawler is S-Class, I don't even wanna know what's above S-Class.
Also, Boss… you're kind of creeping me out.
As for the whole torture thing, I'm sorry guys. I can literally not will myself to feel any remorse about that shard-manipulating, child-grooming bastard who had permanently ruined Pirates of the Caribbean by looking like Johnny Depp.
I'm gonna get road rage doing this right now.
Let me drown my sorrows in Gacha.
I'm gonna burn ten pulls, here, and save the rest for in case I need to millions. I have big plans!
10-Pull Detected! Compact Styling Activated!
Kevin Huerter
Red Velvet
You are now a world-class baker, far surpassing what you would be able to get to with Film Study.
Brian Dawkins
Weapon X
You now have an alternate form that can be based on fauna.
Robert Horry
Fortune Favours the Bold
You are now extremely lucky in non-life-threatening situations.
Bartolo Colon
BIG SEXY!
You are now a 15/10 in terms of attractiveness.
Mariano Rivera
Sandman's Cutter
You gain a blade that can be deployed in your base form, or Cybertronian form. It is indestructible, and can be imbued with the properties of the shard "Sting". The Blade cannot be longer than 40% of your current height.
Marcus Smart
Switchable
Can shift your size to match that of your opponents.
Tanner Jeannot
Reputable
People are more likely to overestimate you.
Kevin Garnett
Clairvoyance
Can give you precise knowledge of where anything or anybody is. Does not work past secret identities; asking for Kaiser wouldn't show where Maxwell Anders is, and vice versa.
Help Defense
You can teleport anywhere as long as you have been to the location before. Can rip holes through dimensions on demand, with no risk of a Convergence!
Mitchell Schwartz
Mismatched?
You will know when you are physically inferior to an opponent you are fighting.
James Neal
The Real Deal
People will be more likely to believe what you say.
Holy shit.
Sandman's Cutter gave me a way to actually fight the Endbringers. Seriously. I'm going to have to badly bulk up Betty if I want to take a hit and not die, though.
Also, KG, thanks for being able to fucking teleport to any threat that appears. I got a discount "Door Me!" now!
I try out Clairvoyance.
In the words of Keanu Reaves: Woah.
Imagine being everywhere at once, yet knowing the exact spot where you are.
It's trippy. I'd liken it to drugs if I had ever taken any.
… Taylor won't mind if I test my new ability on her, right?
My thoughts carry me to the south end of Winslow High… where Taylor is getting harassed by a ginger bitch, her blonde bestie, and the rest of their groupies. I catch a smidgen of their conversation.
"... and cry for a week?" Emma Barnes asks.
Was that a reference to her dead mother, you bitch?
Oh, who am I kidding, of course it is. Anybody who read Worm, even fanfics of Worm knew that Emma would be the exact type of girl who dive so low that Jack Slash would've given her a nod of respect.
How the fuck hadn't Taylor snapped at this point?
I really want to hurt that disgrace to beautiful redheads everywhere.
As I pull into an alley to ditch the black, incognito R-32 Skyline shell, I guess I'll settle for scaring the shit out of her.
Taylor Hebert/Yellowjacket
The sun is shining. It's a beautiful day.
Lex got me a phone. A custom one, he said. Made it himself with his tinker power.
Technically, it's a thinker power, but as Lex himself said, details are unimportant. Sometimes.
You also have a new friend! Online buddies, sure, but AllSeeingEye has shown her more kindness than literally everybody in her life aside from her dad and Lex.
We were going to meet today. He's gonna show me his new home, which he somehow got thanks to, I quote, "Supershenanigans," and then we're gonna patrol. He jokingly called it a date. My heart did not flutter at all.
Soon, I wouldn't ever have to come back to Winslow ever again. This was just to file paperwork to transfer me to Arcadia. This shithole is firmly in my rearview mirror.
Think of the positives, Taylor. Distract yourself, Taylor.
Because if you don't, and blast a hole in Emma Barnes's chest, then all of those good things are going to go away.
You know what? Fuck her, and fuck those good things. Lex taught me how to throw a punch, and-
Then I hear a demonic howl. As if the wrath of hundreds of angry dragons were converging on our location. Emma jumps. Madison screams.
I'm friends with Lex. So I'm slightly more aware of what may be happening.
Lex dragged me into a crash course of car brands when I got him talking about his hobbies. I still can't recognize most cars at a look, but I did remember something Lex said about engines.
Combustion engines are louder when they have more cylinders, and when they are naturally aspirated, meaning that the engine isn't turbocharged.
This means that they don't have a spinny thing in them that helps make cars go faster, sound quieter, and saves some gas… I think.
But holy crap.
This engine was loud.
I see a Lamborghini roll to a stop on the sidewalk, revving with what feels to be anger and venom.
The doors open, and Lex, dressed in a t-shirt that's probably a size too short, standing taller than even me, walks over.
… Lex was always hot before, but he looked stunning in that shirt. Were his arms always that big?
I hear Madison quietly lick her lips.
Emma approaches him with a smile.
Lex smiles back. My stomach twists.
Then he opens his mouth.
"Fuck off."
I desperately try to hide my wheezing over Emma being absolutely rejected before she even asks.
"Hey, Tee."
God, his voice is criminally smooth. Don't stutter Taylor!
"U-um, hi Lex."
Good job, Taylor.
Lex makes a show of judging the girls around her.
He then grabs my hand and kisses it. I'm going to combust.
"Let's get out of this dump, yeah?"
He guides me to the passenger seat of his car. Leather and carbon fibre surround me, as I watch bullies stare with a combination of jealousy, wrath, and envy. Sucks to be them.
Lex returns to his side of the car. He slows before he gets in, and stops.
"The thing about month-old waste is that it's considered a biohazard by OSHA," he says out loud to no one in particular.
He turns and glares directly at Emma. I wish I had popcorn.
"Willingly exposing somebody to a biohazard is at the very least, assault. At worst, it's attempted murder," he continued, looking my former best friend dead in the eye.
Bug sense may be shit, but I can feel the smugness radiating from his holoform, so I know he's smirking while finishing his monologue.
"I wonder what your prospects in the fashion industry will be when I call some friends for a favour that is sorely owed. Maybe even telling some people about what horrific bitch you are."
Emma was hyperventilating. I loved it. I wanted more.
I, unfortunately, would not get more.
He goes back to a polite tone. "Good day, Miss Barnes."
As if he didn't just threaten Emma's career. He takes a seat in the Lambo and drives off.
After making sure Emma's posse is behind him, he groans and slumps into his seat.
"Please don't put yourself in a situation where I have to do that. When I try to act cooler than I am, I cringe myself to death."
"Uh, sorry."
There is an awkward silence before I break the ice.
"So… which Lamborghini is this?"
Lex's face, which had been nervously glancing at me, lights up.
After about four minutes of motor babble, I think I'm able to follow, and I remember that behind that very pretty face is a nerd whose idea of a good day is spent driving really fast cars, playing video games all day, and getting mad over athletes screwing up their mental processes.
I could honestly see the appeal.
He stops his talk about the rivalry between Italian car companies as he pulls up to a red light.
"... I was thinking of making our little partnership a proper team."
I glance over, curious.
"There's a pretty experienced cape that owes me a favour, and I found another cape should be willing to join, or at least be a consultant if we help her out with her… situation."
The selfish (and desperate) part of me wants to keep Lex all to myself.
The reasonable part smiles and nods.
Lex becomes even more fidgety. Apparently, he has a minor case of ADD. He almost always has a stress ball with him, just to squeeze, when he's actually human.
"So… wanna go on a date this Sunday?"
My heart jumps into my throat. I dump my emotions into my swarm.
"Why?"
Lex looks like he's been punched. Taylor, could you not fuck anything up this once? I reel some of my emotions back into myself.
"I-I mean, why me?"
Hurt Lex transforms into baffled Lex.
"Well. You're cute. You're really strong; I definitely wouldn't be able to keep my head down against bullies like that and just take it. Oh! And you're really kind. I mean, I saved your bacon, but letting me into your house goes beyond a little gratitude. Why wouldn't I want to ask you out?"
His face isn't turning red, but the engine is revving very loudly, giving away his true emotions.
"Sure," I say as casually as possible. I think my face is as red as a tomato.
The rest of the drive is an awkward silence, with occasional smiles sent each other's way.
"S-so do I get to call you my girlfriend now?" he asked with a stutter. (He denied he had one later.)
…
My face is turning red despite the embarrassment I'm pushing into my bugs.
There is a squealing sound coming from the engine.
"Y-yeah. That sounds great."
The car ride is sweetly awkward. Is that a thing?
After about 15 minutes away from Winslow we pull into Downtown. The rich part of downtown.
We pass Arcadia, and about a block later, we pull into an empty underground parking lot.
As Sunrise parks, I step out, and then he transforms back into his base form.
It looks like he finally has a costume now. A sleek red and gold power armour, with a digital screen on the faceplate that currently shows a smiley face in 8-Bit. A blue circle rests on his chest, humming with power.
"Okay! Let's meet the new kid!" he exclaims, probably trying to put the awkwardness of his confession behind us.
He starts walking in the direction of an elevator.
I follow him, disappointed that his ass is cove- NO- BAD TAYLOR.
At the elevator, his armour retracts to reveal his hand, and he presses it against a black screen where the controls for the elevator should be.
The door opens… revealing nothing.
No elevator; just the shaft.
"Safety feature; I'm giving anybody who joins flight, or a one-way teleporter up to a room here," Lex explains.
That's great.
Just one problem.
"How do I do that?"
His faceplate changes to a large question mark.
"What? You did it when we first met the Protectorate."
The landing thing?
"The… screen thing inside my helmet-"
"Heads Up Display."
"Heads Up Display- wow. That's a mouthful. Uh… can I just call it HUD?"
"That… is exactly what it's called."
"Why didn't you just say that first?" I ask.
"Because you would've asked me 'What does HUD mean?' and we would've had a conversation that's basically the same length."
That makes sense. Where was I?
Oh right.
Glide mode.
"The HUD said I was in glide mode. You told me that was going to auto-trigger when I launched!"
Silence.
Lex's smiley face has returned. There is a digital sweatdrop slowly rolling down his digital face.
I remain unimpressed. And I did not snicker at his antics whatsoever. Nope. Definitely didn't.
Anyway, Lex offers me a ride up. I agree to a princess carry (which was both nice and embarrassing at the same time, but that's not important) and what the fuck.
My eyes are resting on a luxury penthouse. I'm staring at a living room with a TV that is a greater size than the floor of my bedroom, multiple couches and armchairs that I would learn cost more than Dad's (admittedly, old) pickup. Each.
Then Mouse Protector greets me. My second favourite hero after Alexandria.
Then Sunrise says he killed the Slaughterhouse 9.
Then Sunrise says he's a multimillionaire.
Then I decide I think staying awake is for crazy people, and pass out.
Help. I'm crushing on someone who adds fuel to insanity like a pyromaniac adds gasoline to a flame.
AN: First off: I'm starting college in a day or two, which is why this is coming out on Sunday, and not Thursday. In my timezone at least. I don't know if I'll ever have a normal upload schedule again, but I will try and complete this fic.
The Unreliable Narrator showed her head here- Emma was putting on a fake smile because nearly getting mutilated by a bunch of Asians, gives you a healthy fear of them, which is kind of illogical, but understandable. I think. That's how I justify it.
You get my house tour/new team base tour/MP meets Taylor scene next chapter.
So. Powers! Oh dear lord this is gonna be long.
Kevin Huerter - 1 Star
NBA Shooting Guard for the Sacramento Kings. Nickame: Red Velvet, due to him being a Ginger and also having smooth playstyle. I just got a cake, and was eating it when I came up with this one, okay?
Brian Dawkins - 2 Star
NFL Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles. Nickname: Weapon X. Yes. Like Wolverine. He was awesome and violent. Well, on the field at least, idk about his off-field antics. Anyway, instead of giving me some BS healing factor, I finally have an excuse to grab an animal form. Just gotta pick an animal though…
Robert Horry - 1 Star
NBA Forward for… a bunch of teams. Has 7 championships, more than Michael Jordan. Not because of him, he was a good role player, that happened to be part of the Hakeem Rockets, Kobe-Shaq Lakers, and Big 3 Spurs. Sometimes being lucky is better than good, which results in this!
Bartolo Colon - 2 Star
MLB Pitcher. Not even going to bother listing all the teams he played for. He was nicknamed "Big Sexy" by his teammate, Thor- I mean Noah Syndergaard (another nickname sorry), and it stuck.
P.S. If you wanna know why Syndergaard is nicknamed Thor, just Google a photo of him.
Mariano Rivera - 3 Star
An MLB Pitcher, famously for the New York Yankees. Rivera's thing is that he has a weird pitch arsenal. Unlike most pitchers, who throw at least 2 different pitches with regularity, Rivera only threw one pitch- known as a cutter. How good was this pitch? The short answer is very good. The long answer; there are more people who have touched the moon, than there are people who scored off Mariano Rivera in the post-season. He was that good. That's why it has the properties of Sting- it was unhittable. Oh, and he also had a sick entrance song- Enter Sandman by Metallica. So, Sandman's Cutter.
Marcus Smart - 1 Star
NBA Guard, Memphis Grizzlies. Basically Andre Iguadola, but smaller. He's strong enough to not get overwhelmed by players with 50 pounds on him, so I associated this with the ability to take on foes that far exceed his weight class.
Tanner Jeannot - 1 Star
NHL Forward, Tampa Bay Lighting. He's on the Lightning now, because Tampa Bay overpaid for him to be traded there. Thus- he sounds better than he actually is. It's the only explanation why he got an All-Star player-level haul.
Kevin Garnett - 3 Star
NBA Center/Big, most known for his stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. Why is he basically Doormaker? When he played, his best traits were his defence where- One: He recognizes a threat to his team, sometimes without looking, and Two: Appears at the exact spot to negate the scoring threat. It's bullshit, like watching Tattletale play basketball. While also being 7ft tall. I tried to limit the whole teleportation thing because I have cars, planes, and now animals to show off, but it's still a really useful timesave.
Mitchell Schwartz - 1 Star
NFL Offensive Tackle, KC Chiefs. Unathletic compared to his peers, he used technique and brains to wrangle opposing threats to his quarterback. I loved watching him go up against Von Miller before his injuries. This ability to take on people who were twice the athlete by being a better football player gives him a minor thinker ability to let Lex know when to play it smart.
James Neal - 1 Star
NHL Forward - Played for a bunch of teams, currently a UFA. His nickname is "The Real Deal" because "The Real Deal James Neal!" is fun to say when he scores. Another nickname is taken literally.