Taylor was floating. She had found herself in a vast, surreal landscape, a patchwork of fragmented memories swirling around her like a kaleidoscope. She drifted through the scenes, observing them curiously. Afterall there was nothing which she could do. It was strange, being in this place. Her own consciousness felt like a spectator in someone else's story.

She found herself drawn to one memory in particular—a young Miss Militia, far from the confident and composed hero she knew and witnessed. Instead, she saw a frightened girl, eyes wide with terror, clutching a rifle that seemed too big for her small hands. The sounds of gunfire and explosions were deafening. They were walking through mines, she realised.

The memories shifted, and Taylor saw Miss Militia growing up, her experiences in the battlefield shaping her into the strong, resilient woman she became. Taylor's own problems suddenly seemed insignificant in comparison to the horrors Miss Militia had faced. Well being bullied was one thing, but being forced as a child soldier and walking through mines was completely another.

As the scenes continued, Taylor stumbled upon memories of Miss Militia and Chevalier. She watched their relationship blossom from camaraderie into something deeper. The stolen glances, the tender moments, the late-night conversations that slowly morphed into shared confessions. Taylor's face flushed as she inadvertently witnessed a particularly intimate moment between them, quickly averting her gaze and willing the memory to change.

With a soft exhale of relief, the memories shifted once more, this time focusing on Brandish. Taylor saw Carol Dallon as a young girl, alongside her sister, Sarah.

They were suddenly kidnapped. Taylor could feel the fear and confusion emanating from the scenes, the way Carol's mind twisted and turned under the strain of Stockholm syndrome. The raw, unfiltered emotions were almost too much to bear.

She watched as her life progressed. Her getting into law college and graduating as a lawyer. Her winning cases after cases. She watched with ultimate joy as she married her husband. It was like a dream romance. The scenes shifted and she could feel the pure happiness in Carol's body when Vicky was born. The whole thing was quite surreal and cute. Who would have known that Glory Girl was so squishy and pink when she was born.

She watched as she gleefully fought Marquis and watched with shock by the revelation of Marquis' daughter. She watched as Marquis surrendered and Amy Claire became Amy Dallon.

Who would have thought that the world renowned healer was actually the daughter of a criminal Don? Fate sure had weird tricks of its own.

Taylor suddenly was reminded of her dad. How worried he was when he saw her going to an Enbringer fight. She suddenly discarded the memories. She didn't want to see them now. She wanted to be there with her dad. She wanted to tell him proudly how she had pushed Simurgh back away from Canberra.

Taylor's eyes fluttered open, her vision adjusting to the bright white lights of the unfamiliar room. She groaned softly, her body feeling heavy and disoriented. As her senses sharpened, she realized she wasn't alone. She could strangely sense people now.

She turned sideways and saw a figure who stood nearby. That wasn't strange though. She was watching her with an expression of pure delight. And she was pink! Taylor's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight. The being was pink, almost like bubblegum, and it looked exactly like her—albeit a head shorter though. She felt a strange, inexplicable connection to her, like a thread linking them together.

"Mother!" the pink being exclaimed happily, its voice a perfect echo of Taylor's own. "How are you feeling?"

Taylor's heart raced, panic rising in her chest as she immediately stood up and took a stance. "What… who are you?" she demanded instantly. "Why do you look like me?"

The pink figure's smile never wavered though. "I'm your creation, Mother. You made me. I'm here to help you."

Taylor's mind spun, trying to process this information. "Made you? How? I don't even know what you are."

The pink Taylor tilted her head, a thoughtful expression crossing her face as she looked at her. "You used your power. You needed help, so you created me. You wanted to help and heal the other people. I'm part of you. My purpose is to assist and protect you."

Taylor swallowed hard. This was so odd and strange that she couldn't fathom it. This was probably the biggest WTF moment of her life. "This… this is insane. I don't even know how I did it."

"It's okay, Mother," the pink being said soothingly. "Your powers are extraordinary. You'll learn more about them in time. For now, just know that I'm here for you."

Taylor sat slowly as she dropped her stance, wincing as her muscles protested. "Why do you keep calling me 'Mother'?"

The pink Taylor's eyes sparkled with affection. "Because you created me. You're my origin, my creator. It feels right to call you that."

Taylor rubbed her temples, trying to quell the imaginary headache forming there. Even if she didn't experience headaches any more due to her foreign biology. "Okay, this is a lot to take in. What's your name?"

The pink being looked puzzled for a moment, then brightened. "I don't have a name yet. I call myself Taylor - 2. You can give me one if you'd like."

Taylor stared at her, feeling a mix of wonder and fear. Wow, the clone of her was using her name too. "Alright… how about Pinky?" She was never good with names. Besides, she was a clone.

The being beamed. "Pinky! I like that."

Taylor managed a weak smile. "Good. Pinky, can you tell me where we are? This place feels… strange."

Pinky glanced around the room. "We're in a secure location. The heroes brought you here after you fainted. They wanted to make sure you were okay."

Taylor's mind flashed back to the battle, the Simurgh, and her desperate actions. "Fainted? That's putting it mildly. I was exhausted and sleepy for some strange reason."

"You did a lot, Mother. The sleep is a part of your powers. You will get used to it." Pinky said slowly with a smile. "You fought bravely. But you need to rest now."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Taylor commented as she did think she should rest. She felt hungry though.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside. Alexandria. Her imposing presence filled the space as she approached Taylor's bed.

"How are you feeling, Taylor?" Alexandria asked, her tone surprisingly gentle.

Taylor was starstruck for a moment. She still couldn't believe that she was on first name basis with Alexandria though. She took a deep breath. "Confused, mostly. And tired. Really hungry too."

Alexandria nodded. "You've been through a lot. We're all trying to piece together what happened out there."

Taylor glanced at Pinky, who smiled reassuringly at her. "I think… I think I need some answers. About my powers, about everything."

"We'll help you," Alexandria promised. "But first, you need to recover. We'll talk more once you're feeling better."

Taylor took a deep breath and replied, "I'm fine, really." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, feeling a little shaky but determined. Alexandria watched her closely.

"If you're up to it, we need to do a debriefing," Alexandria said with a frown. "It would really help if you could spare some time for it."

Taylor's eyes lit up. The idea of debriefing meant she would be meeting more heroes. She could hardly contain her excitement. "Of course! I'd love to. Maybe I could even meet Legend and Eidolon. That would be amazing!"

Alexandria smiled at her enthusiasm. "Come on then, follow me."

As they left the room, Taylor felt a mix of nerves and excitement. She walked alongside Alexandria, who led her through a series of tents until they reached a large tent. Taylor's eyes widened as she took in the sight. Inside, the tent was bustling with activity. She recognized several heroes immediately. Myriddin, with his distinctive staff; Chevalier, clad in his impressive armor; and Miss Militia. Chevalier and Miss Militia were talking. Taylor knew from Miss Militia's memories that they were an item once. Maybe, there were some old flames still left.

Lady Photon, the leader of New Wave, was also there. Taylor's heart skipped a beat when she saw Legend. The famous hero greeted her warmly as he made his way to her.

"Taylor, it's a pleasure to meet you," Legend said, his voice sincere with a joy that Taylor didn't know he possessed. "I want to personally thank you for your actions out there. You did an incredible job."

Taylor blushed at the praise. "Thank you, Legend. It's an honor to meet you."

Legend smiled. "We're eager to hear your account of what happened. Could you walk us through everything, starting from when you arrived?"

Taylor nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay, here goes. Just as Strider teleported us, everything went sideways. We landed, and out of nowhere, the Simurgh struck. A huge chunk of the roof came crashing down on us. It was chaos. I got trapped under the debris."

The room fell silent as everyone listened intently. Taylor was a little nervous but she continued, her voice steadying as she spoke. "I panicked, but I knew I had to save everyone. My powers responded to that need. I'm not sure how to explain it, but… a part of me turned into this pink goo, and I started to reform the bodies of everyone around me. I could feel their souls being put back into their bodies."

She paused, glancing around at the baffled faces of the heroes. Legend nodded encouragingly with a smile. "That's incredible. Go on."

Taylor drew in another breath. "When the pink goo rejoined with me, I… I received everyone's memories. It was overwhelming, but it was like I suddenly knew things I didn't before. Like how to throw lasers, for instance. I got that from Lady Photon. Oh, I also knew how to heal like Panacea. And I used that power against the Simurgh. I could feel the energy building up in me, and I released it at her."

Lady Photon looked surprised by her declaration.

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, it was. I didn't have time to think about it. I just acted. I blasted the Simurgh with everything I had. She was hurt, but she dodged most of it. Still, I think it was enough to make her retreat."

There was a murmur of amazement among the gathered heroes. Chevalier leaned forward. "You mentioned you received memories from the others. What do you mean by that?"

Taylor bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "It's like… when I absorbed them, I got their knowledge and experiences. It's hard to explain. But when I reformed them, I think I managed to restore them completely, even their minds. It's so odd, I don't understand it, but I feel like I did so."

"I felt their pain, their fears. But it also gave me the strength to keep going. I knew I couldn't let them down."

Legend stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You did more than anyone could have asked for, Taylor. You saved lives and stood up to the Simurgh. You should be proud of yourself."

Taylor felt a swell of emotion at his words. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear that." Hearing the compliment from the Head of Protectorate surely did wonders for her mental health.

Alexandria, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. Her voice cutting the atmosphere as always. "Taylor, your powers are extraordinary. But we need to understand them better, to help you control and use them effectively. Are you willing to work with us on this?"

Taylor nodded eagerly. Who wouldn't want to work with Alexandria. "Yes, absolutely. I want to learn more. I want to be able to help as much as I can."

Legend smiled. "Good. We'll set up something for you. For now, though, you should rest. You've been through a lot." He declared with a smile. It was a smile that would make any girl swoon on their feet. Well, Taylor couldn't fault him.

He actually was handsome and dreamy.