Chapter 2
Today is Monday.
Taylor hates Mondays. Mondays mean going to school, and going to school means dealing with Emma and her friends.
She really hates Mondays.
Entering the halls of Winslow High, she can already feel the stares of her tormentors, her bugs alerting her of their presence.
She had to make this trip quickly.
Going to her locker immediately (a different one from her previous locker), she took everything necessary for the morning classes. Looking at her previous locker in the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but feel anger and acceptance.
Anger for what she had suffered, acceptance for getting her powers.
Taking her books in her bag, she was about to leave when Sophia's voice called her out.
She is caught.
"What's the hurry, Hebert!?" Sophia called her out in a cocky tone.
Following them are Emma and Madison, both girls encircling her and trapping her.
Taylor is a tall girl, but people are surprised at how someone can make themselves appear shorter in front of their tormentors.
"Ew, she still came back after the dumpster diving she did." Madison said with disgust directed at Taylor.
"That's how she is, girls. I bet she enjoys everything that's trashy. How low can you go?" Emma, her once best friend who had now become a tormentor, jeered at her.
She didn't know what had happened, but her once-upon-a-time friend had become the worst enemy of hers. Taunting and using everything from their previous friendship to humiliate and hurt her where it truly hurts.
"Ew, do guys even find you attractive enough?! Even the merchants wouldn't want your ugly mug sucking their dicks off." Sophia said.
The ringleader, and in her theories, the one who turned Emma into whatever she is now: beautiful, athletic, and famous, she's everything Taylor isn't.
Together, this trio of girls has been tormenting her ever since.
Sophia's words cut her deeply. She knew she wasn't beautiful, but it hurt when they were pointed out. She could only look down and take it.
She hated it.
Even with her powers, she is still helpless.
"Can you bitches move out of the way? Thanks."
The trio stopped in surprise. Even Taylor was stunned. All activity in the hallway came to a halt upon the new arrival.
Who had the sheer balls to say that to the Golden Trio of Winslow?
Looking up, Taylor took a look at who it was.
It was a boy of her age. A blonde-blue-eyed boy. Tall and handsome, he was like your typical prince charming.
However, she's reminded that this is Brockton Bay, home to Nazis.
This is a weird day if an Empire member saves her from the Trio.
Seeing her looking at him, he winked at her before jerking his head slightly to the side to escape.
Taylor took the chance. Mouthing a quiet "thank you," she slipped away, pulling her hood up to obscure her presence from the trio.
As she left, she smiled.
Maybe this day won't be so bad, either.
Cute kid, it's a shame she's in this toxic environment.
"What the hell did you just say to us?!" the dark-skinned girl snarled. like absolutely snarled like an animal. Yikes.
I can sense her male cronies trapping me in a circle. It's time to work my magic.
Putting an arm on my hip, I started talking in my second persona.
"Are you deaf, sister? I said move it because you're blocking my locker. Bitch."
The bitch trio was stunned and recoiled in disgust. How could they, though, when such a handsome man appeared before them only to turn out to be gay.
Disguising as gay is just one of the tools I employed in working with the guild. Love it or hate it, my students gradually accepted its effectiveness in certain situations.
especially to my female students, who helped me out in creating the persona.
"What the fuck! You're gay!" One of the boys encircling me screamed in anger. An Empire Goon. Perfect.
His scream of anger took all the attention away from the girls to him and his empire's wannabe goons.
"Is there a problem, brother?" I said to him, batting an eyelash for extra effect.
"Motherfucker! You're a shame to your family!" He pointed at me, and the rest of his goons jeered while surrounding me. There were eight of them.
"Oh, my! All of you are against dear old me. I like these odds." One of them shudders in disgust as I lick my lips.
Suddenly, the bell rang.
"Tsk, you'd better watch yourself, B*tch!" With one last warning, he left.
"Call me." I mouthed and signed to one of his cronies, who looked like he was about to vomit.
I loved my new look in this world.
The bitch trio are also gone; it's time for me to skedaddle.
"Class, we have a transfer from Canberra today, so take care of him and don't ask any questions."
Mrs. Knott announced to her class before letting the transfer in.
Taylor gasped when she saw it was the guy who had bailed her out.
"Would you care to introduce yourself, young man?"
"Sure."
With everyone's attention focused on him, he suddenly did something unexpected.
" I'm the majestic, splendid, charming, amorous, charismatic, beautiful, romantic, stupendous, amazing, awesome, DARYL SIEGHERT!!!!"
The entire classroom fell into shock at such an introduction. The effeminate boy introduced himself in a boisterous manner, posing in various different poses at each word he uttered.
Taylor can feel herself dying in second hand embarrassment.
Meanwhile, some of the boys and closet gays saluted the guy mentally. It takes some serious balls to do such an embarrassing intro and look cool at the same time.
Mrs. Knott made him sit by Taylor.
"New Bestie." Taylor ignored him.
Whatever image she had of him as an Empire member was shattered, but her self-esteem would die in embarrassment at associating with the guy.
Unknown to her, she is now a target of interest to him.
They both have it.
Researching and studying capes led me to the discovery of who sees a cape and who doesn't.
Using my En, an application of my Reiatsu or Soul to expand its range around my body, I can detect any living being or beings with energy under it.
For now, I can only cover the entire school (in contrast to my previous range which covered the entire Battleon City) after training a few weeks in secret under the care of that strange woman who is named Contessa.
We struck a deal: a simple one.
She would help me regain my strength in exchange for helping her fight Scion.
Why is such a simple deal?
Because I have nothing to deal with, I'm now a hobo in this world if it weren't for Contessa, who took care of the paperwork.
My dead clan (rest in peace) in this world had left a substantial amount of money in their death, which Contessa took from me.
After that, I had her thrown into a place with the most cape conflicts to train myself.
That's how I found Brockton Bay.
Now back to my En. While under my En, I can sense a person's soul and see their state via instinct. Sensing capes is different from sensing normal people. Capes are different from normal people under my En.
They are still like beacons for me like a normal person, but with one glaring difference: they have an entity latching on to their heads.
Contessa explained to me that they were the passengers, shards, whatever she called them, that gave capes their powers. Scion had spread them all across the globe on his first appearance apparently.
For me, they're parasites.
Looking at them, I can't help but compare them to the Arcana Gods. They are completely alien and incomprehensible to the human mind.
Unlike the Arcana gods, who will drive you mad by merely looking at them, I can understand these shards.
I can see their connection to Scion. It was thin and invisible to the naked supernatural eye, but I could see it. If I were an Arch Mage, then I would be able to see it clearly as day. It was like a network akin to a fungal underground network. All leading to Scion.
Scion is being fed by these shards, but with what? This kind things always have some caviat in gaining powers.
Contessa can't answer me, but she did ask me if I could kill Scion.
I snorted at the question.
Scion is not an Arcana God. Yes, he is powerful, but I've fought gods and other horrors in the multiverse for six years.
Scion is just another boss to kill. I bet I can kill him in my shikai state only.
But for now, let's investigate this.
Sophia Hess and Taylor Herbert.
chapter end
