"Brace yourselves," Strider called out. "We're teleporting directly to the grouping area."
Taylor felt a strange sensation as they teleported. Suddenly, a huge force knocked her to the ground. She landed face-first, feeling the odd squishiness beneath her.
She looked around, horrified to see blood and viscera everywhere. The air was thick with dust and debris. Bodies, or what remained of them, lay scattered around her.
Taylor struggled to her feet, her heart pounding. She called out, "Miss Militia? Dauntless?" but there was no response.
She looked around and saw squished heads and dead bodies. She didn't know what happened to her. What the fuck? She suddenly froze on her legs.
Panic set in. Her friends, her allies, were gone. Only fragments remained there. Their intestines, blood aur dismembered body was the only thing, she could see.
Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled through the wreckage. She had never imagined something like this. The air suddenly thickened with power and she heard a gong. She looked sideways to see a building which had been coming for her knocked out by her sheer aura. She looked and froze.
The Simurgh was there, 300 m above her. She was directly looking at her. Fucking hell! She suddenly realised it more clearly. The Simurgh was there. And for some reason, she was directly looking at her. Taylor would have gushed at the angelic face, if it's attention wouldn't have been on her.
Suddenly, she heard a distant bang. The ground trembled a little. She knew she had to move. Looking from the corner of her eyes, she spotted Legend blasting at Simurgh who intercepted the blast as usual with her floating debris around her.
Suddenly for some strange reason, her mind told her to stay and help the others. Taylor didn't know but she really wanted to fight the Simurgh too. The choice was really hard but she wanted to do the both at the same time. She wanted to fight and she wanted to help. As if the cosmos wanted, her body started to feel odd. She felt an odd squelch in her stomach and a little disorientation suddenly in her mind.
When the odd feeling disappeared. She was stunned. Her eyes widened as she looked around herself. There were three identical copies of herself. They all were looking at each other and smiling at her.
One of them looked at her and around her. She winced a little and turned to a pink goo. The other two also formed the same goo like substance. They moved through the debris and attached themselves to the visceral matter, dismembered and squelched bodies. It was like they were covering the entire floor and debris. The goo covered everything and seemed to swallow everything.
Taylor watched as one of the goo joined together. The resultant looked like Panacea, except she was completely pink. The goo left and joined the floor and a naked Panacea was revealed to Taylor. She was unconscious but Taylor could see the chest rising up and down on her. She was breathing. Taylor was mesmerized. Was it really one of her powers? She thought amazed by the miracle she was seeing in front of her.
She wasn't alone. Besides Panacea, more people were suddenly starting to form in pink gooey humanoid shapes, all of them naked as the goo left them devoid of any clothes. Taylor recognised Brandish, Lady Photon, Manpower and Flashbang. Well, they didn't wear masks, so they were easy to recognise. The others were probably more capes. Though, she couldn't recognise them due to their absence of costumes.
The goo swirled and reached to her. Taylor could strangely feel its urging to join her. There was this strange connection with it. It was like the goo was part of her and she could feel everything. The goo swirled and joined her and Taylor could feel a strange swirl of knowledge in her head. She knew about teleporting. She knew about forcefields. She knew about blasting energy. She knew everything about human biology and to alter even a cell to the smallest bit.
Taylor stood amidst the chaos, looking at the unconscious people regenerated by her goo. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened. To see people who were formed back due to her powers. That along with their collective knowledge which was in her head for some strange reason.
A sudden rush of air caught her attention. She turned to see Alexandria landing gracefully beside her. The imposing figure of the hero, usually a source of awe, now filled Taylor with a mix of relief and anxiety.
"Are they... real?" Alexandria's voice, though calm, carried an edge of urgency as she looked at the mass of naked peoole.
Taylor swallowed hard, glancing at the reformed bodies. "I think so. They look real, they feel real. I mean, they still breathing."
Alexandria's visor hid her eyes, but Taylor could sense the intensity of her scrutiny. "We need to move," she said after a moment. "The Simurgh is... watching you."
Taylor's heart skipped a beat. "Watching me? Why?"
"I don't know," Alexandria replied, her tone serious. "But we can't stay here. It's too dangerous. Legend is doing his best, alongside Eidolon. We believe, it's after you. It has happened before too. She had targeted people before, but not at this level."
Taylor nodded. Wait! What did she meant that it had happened before? Was it the reason, the building in which they had arrived was suddenly squeezed upon them. "Alright. What do we do?"
"We regroup with the others and get to a safer location," Alexandria said, placing a hand on Taylor's shoulder. She turned to see Legend and Eidolon dealing with Simurgh. "Stay close to me."
As they moved, Taylor glanced back at the people she had regenerated. Panacea was beginning to stir, as were others. She felt a strange connection to them. Maybe, because they were just formed by her. Still, she couldn't lose control now. She had to go to a safe place.
"Taylor," Alexandria's voice cut through her thoughts. "Keep focused. We're not out of this yet."
Taylor nodded, steeling herself. She had discovered a new aspect of her powers. It was frightening, but it was hers. As they moved away from the area, Taylor couldn't help but glance up, her eyes searching the sky for any sign of the Simurgh. The realization that the Endbringer had taken an interest in her was terrifying. But she pushed the fear aside, focusing on the immediate task of survival.
Alexandria led the way, her presence a reassuring anchor amidst the chaos, she had found herself in. Taylor followed her. She knew that whatever came next, she had to be ready. The battle was far from over.
Taylor followed closely, her mind still reeling from the revelation of her new abilities. She could freakin heal people. And not like Panacea, but even far greater than her. There were the other things too like teleportation, blasts. Stuffs which her mind strangely felt natural to her.
The air was thick with dust and tension, and the distant sounds of battle echoed around them. Suddenly, a whistling sound cut through the air, growing louder by the second. Taylor's eyes widened as she spotted a massive chunk of debris hurtling towards them at an alarming speed. Time seemed to slow, and her mind raced for a solution.
Without thinking, Taylor grabbed Alexandria's arm and focused on the space just a hundred meters to the side. The sensation she had felt earlier when Strider teleported them surged through her once more. She closed her eyes, willing the teleportation to happen.
In an instant, they were no longer in the path of the debris. Taylor felt a rush of air as the huge chunk flew at the distance, crashing into the ground with a deafening impact. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the dust and debris from her vision.
Alexandria stared at her, a mix of surprise and shock evident even through her visor. "You teleported us," she stated, her voice filled with a rare note of astonishment.
Taylor nodded, still catching her breath. "I guess I did."
Alexandria placed a hand on her shoulder, her grip firm but reassuring. "That was quick thinking. You might have just saved us." It was clearly a lie on Alexandria part. While she could have survived that, she didn't think Taylor could have. But then again, the girl had survive a buildings being crushed from inside of it.
Taylor managed a shaky smile. "Thanks. I just... reacted." She returned nervously.
"Good instincts," Alexandria said, her tone approving but quick as usual. "But we need to keep moving. The Simurgh isn't going to wait for us to regroup."
They flew through the battlefield, moving through the devastated landscape, Taylor's thoughts kept returning to the moment she had teleported. It felt instinctual, like an extension of herself.
"Stay close," Alexandria's voice brought her back to the present. "We're almost there." They dodged other debris sent their way from the Simurgh.
Taylor's mind raced looking at the scene around her. But something felt off. She frowned, realizing with growing dread that the Simurgh's focus seemed to be on her even now.
The Simurgh was attacking her. She seemed to be focused on her. Everyone knew how Simurgh was bad news. The longer she stayed on the battlefield, the worse the situation became. If she could make the simurgh follow her or damage her, they could actually do good something
Without a word, Taylor made a decision. She broke away from Alexandria, flying directly toward the Simurgh. Her heart pounded in her chest as she accelerated, determined to draw the Endbringer's attention away from the main battle. She couldn't let this area become a quarantine zone, trapping everyone inside with the Simurgh's influence spreading. It would be damning everyone a future.
One thing was sure. Taylor had always dreamt of being a hero. She had finally got powers and a chance to prove herself. The least she could do was try. She had lifted more than two hundred thousands ton weight alone. She could absolutely survive debris coming at her in high speeds.
"Taylor!" Alexandria shouted after her, but Taylor was already too far ahead.
As she flew, Taylor saw the Simurgh redirecting her attention. The Endbringer's angelic visage was focused entirely on her, and Taylor's heart pounded in her chest. Debris mounted in the air, hurtling towards her at frightening speeds. Taylor's instincts kicked in, and she used her telekinesis to counter the attack. The debris stopped midway, suspended in the air as the two forces clashed.
Taylor gritted her teeth, feeling the immense pressure of the Simurgh's telekinetic strength. But she pushed back, refusing to yield. She couldn't afford to lose this fight. Not now. She needed to protect everyone.
Drawing on her memories of Lady Photon, Taylor outstretched her hands, energy condensing angrily within them. She could feel the power surging. With a burst of resolve, she released the energy towards the Simurgh.
For a split second, Taylor saw something unexpected. The Simurgh's usually calm and angelic face showed a flicker of fear. The blast hit her spot on, and in a desperate move, the Simurgh used her wings to shield herself. The energy tore through her wings, burning them and scorching her side. Taylor could see hollow cavity inside her body too. The damage was severe, and if the Simurgh hadn't moved sideways at the last second, the blast might have destroyed her completely. Well, she hoped that. She wasn't sure how powerful her blast was. But they were bound to be powerful, seeing the effect of her blast on Simurgh.
Taylor didn't stop. She flew closer, firing more blasts of energy, each one pushing the Simurgh back further, despite not hitting her. The Simurgh seemed to dodge everything at the last moment. Yet, her blasts were enough to maintain her attention only on her. She had to keep the Simurgh occupied, to give the other heroes a chance to regroup and strike.
Behind her, she heard Alexandria's voice shouting, but the words were lost in the roar of energy and debris. Taylor couldn't afford to lose focus. She had to keep fighting, had to keep pushing the Simurgh away from the others.
The clash of telekinetic forces intensified, the air crackling with energy. Taylor's mind was a blur of concentration and determination. She could feel the Simurgh's power pressing against her, but she wouldn't let it break her. She had to protect everyone, no matter the cost. The power continued to intensify and Taylor continue to match it equally.
"Come on," Taylor muttered to herself, her voice strained. "Just a little more."
With one final burst of energy, she pushed the Simurgh back even further with her blasts. The Endbringer's body wavered, and for a moment, it seemed like Taylor might actually have the upper hand. But the Simurgh quickly regained her composure, her eyes locking onto Taylor with renewed intensity.
To everyone's surprise, the Simurgh abruptly opened a portal near her and vanished through it without warning. The battlefield, bustling with chaos moments ago, fell eerily silent as Taylor halted her energy blast mid-air, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. The huge amount of debris suddenly fell to ground with a loud 'thud'. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the portal disappear, leaving a lingering sense of unease among the gathered capes.
Taylor landed softly on the ground, her gaze locked on the spot where the Simurgh had been just moments before. Beside her, Alexandria and a group of other capes swiftly approached, including Legend, who was still glowing.
'Could she really do that?' Taylor thought. Never had she heard in the PHO or news that the Simurgh was capable of opening portals.
"How are you feeling, Taylor?" Alexandria asked, her voice muffled slightly by the visor of her iconic helmet.
Taylor suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion wash over her. Her limbs felt heavy, and a deep weariness settled into her bones.
"I... I feel... tired..." Taylor managed to murmur, her words trailing off as her eyelids drooped.
Before she could finish her sentence, fatigue overtook her, and Taylor collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Alexandria quickly knelt beside her, quickly checking her pulse and assessing her condition with practiced efficiency. She frowned when she didn't found any pulse. Even her heart didn't seem to be beating. Neither, her chest was rising or going down for breath.
"We need to get her to the medical team immediately," Alexandria announced firmly, her voice carrying no foom for argument. She picked Taylor in a bride style and flew towards the medical area.
Legend's gaze lingered for a moment where the portal had appeared, a frown creasing on his brow.
"Secure the area," he instructed the other capes. "We can't be sure if the Simurgh will return."
Alexandria arrived at the makeshift medical area cradling Taylor in her arms. The room, filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and murmured conversations, fell momentarily silent as all eyes turned towards the iconic hero carrying an unconscious Taylor Hebert.
Panacea who was already tending to several wounded capes, looked up in surprise at their arrival. She was wearing a pink hospital gown now, unlike her previous naked form. She quickly moved towards Alexandria, concern etched on her face. "What happened to her?" Panacea asked, her voice edged with urgency as she began to assess Taylor's condition.
Alexandria gently laid Taylor down on one of the beds, her cape billowing around her. She watched with furrowed brows as Panacea checked Taylor's pulse and vitals. "I couldn't detect any signs of life," Alexandria explained, her voice tense as she watched the unconscious and unbreathing figure.
Panacea nodded. "I don't know. It's just. Her body has no organs. It is hard to say if she's alive or dead due to no heartbeats or breathing." She muttered angrily. She was really annoyed by this continuous failure on the girl's body. No matter, how much she tried. The girl always defied her powers.
Meanwhile, a second Taylor, identical to the first but with a pink, bubblegum-like appearance, had quietly approached Alexandria's side. Her presence was uncanny, a perfect doppelganger of Taylor Hebert, yet visibly different in form and demeanor. For instance, her gown was full pink and had a streak of red. Unlike the real Taylor who was wearing tattered jeans and a torn blue shirt.
Alexandria glanced down at the pink Taylor. The girl was a copy of Taylor down to the last bits. "Who... are you?" she asked cautiously, unsure of what to make of this unexpected development.
The pink Taylor regarded Alexandria with calm certainty. "I'm Taylor," she replied simply. "But not the one you know. Mother made me to help people while she fight." Her voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, contrasting with the gravity of the situation around them. She pointed to Taylor as she referred to her as mother.
Alexandria nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. So the girl could make clones. That was a terrific power in itself. That coupled with her super-strength, telekinesis, healing powers and blasting power equivalent to hurt an Endbringer. Well, she really was packed. Eidolon was the most powerful of them due to the sheer versatility of his powers. But Taylor had surely secured the next spot after him from today's performance.
"Is this related to her powers?" she asked, turning her attention back to the pink Taylor, who seemed to exude an air of understanding beyond her years.
The pink Taylor nodded solemnly. "Yes," she explained. "Mother's powers allow her to enter a state of sleep when she needs to recover or it happens just out of blue. She'll wake up when she decides it's ready."
Alexandria exchanged a glance with Panacea, both heroes grappling with the implications of Taylor's abilities. "Can she be moved?" Alexandria asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Should we keep her here?"
Panacea hesitated. "She should remain under observation," she advised carefully. "I'll monitor her closely. If there are any changes, we'll know immediately." It was better that way.
Alexandria turned her attention back to the pink Taylor. "And you?" she asked gently. "What should we call you?"
The pink Taylor smiled faintly. "I'm Taylor," she reiterated. "Just... a different version. Call me Taylor - 2."
She raised her hand towards Alexandria's face. Alexandria immediately tensed. Her body reacted on instinct, but was surprised when she felt an odd heat in her eye socket.
She immediately clasped her eyes, lifting the visor a little. She was careful though. She didn't want to tell her identity to other people. It would be foolish, and will completely destroy the PRT. She frowned when her eye socket automatically pushed out the glass eye she used. She caught it in her hands and was surprised to feel that her right eye was there in the place of her empty eye socket. She took out the glass eye in her hands and frowned when she realised that she could see through both of her eyes.
Immediately, she looked at Taylor II who was looking at her with a smile. "Mother wouldn't have wanted to not heal you if I could." She told politely. Alexandria nodded, too confused and surprised to say anything. She crushed the glass eye in her hands. There was no need for it now. Taylor Hebert had restored her eye.
She left the tent to focus on other duties. Her mind was already racing. Taylor had damaged the Simurgh enough that the Endbringer had fled. The battle had hardly lasted 30 minutes this time. If she was right, the whole fight had lasted around 20 minutes or something.
Canberra was safe. Safe from Simurgh and from becoming a quarantined zone. She still had to check for the latter, but the chances were heavy that this city wouldn't join the others in becoming a quarantine zone. She smiled beneath her visor. Maybe, they did had a chance against Scion and the Endbringers.
Panacea sat on the edge of a cot in the medical tent, her eyes darting between the unconscious Taylor and the pink clone standing nearby. The clone had an eerie calm about her, a stillness that seemed almost otherworldly. Panacea couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that came with looking at this version of Taylor Hebert. She was so unreal.
"So, how did you do it?" Panacea asked, breaking the silence. The medical tent didn't have many people. There were few of them. There was a girl called Fletcher who was guarding them alongside two or three more capes. Capes whom she didn't know. Well she did knew Chevalier. He was famous afterall.
The clone looked at her, tilting her head in confusion. "Do what?"
Panacea's voice was firm but tinged with disbelief. Was the clone really that daft? "How did you restore me and the others from the dead? We were crushed when the Simurgh destroyed the building."
The clone's expression softened as her eyes looked at Panacea strangely. Panacea knew that gaze. It was as if she was stupid for asking that question. "That was mother's power."
Panacea's curiosity piqued up. "You mean she can actually revive someone from the dead?" If there was such power, that was absolutely the most bullshit of the bullshit powers scale she had made up during her time.
The clone nodded. "Mother's power is magic. She can do it, but she doesn't fully understand it consciously. Though raising the dead isn't the correct explanation. Your souls were tethered near to her, not passing to afterlife, as she was there. Since your souls were still tethering due to her presence in that area, it was possible for her to raise you."
Panacea scoffed, crossing her arms at the clone. "Magic? Really? That's the explanation?" She couldn't help but wonder the clone. She was absolutely bullshitting her way here. She even knew that the other people too were listening to their conversation now.
The clone's eyes met Panacea's steadily. "I am an iteration of my mother's subconscious wish—a desire to heal and help others. When mother wakes up, I will automatically join her."
Panacea and the others in the tent exchanged uneasy glances. There was something profoundly unsettling about the clone's calm certain voice. The declaration that she would cease to exist with such passive intone, it was unnerving to most of them.
The clone's gaze shifted back to Panacea. "You should quit smoking and use your powers more freely."
Panacea froze, her eyes widening in shock. Noone apart from Vicky knew that. Thankfully, her sister even hid it from the rest of the family. "How do you know that I smoke?"
The clone's expression remained serene as she looked at Panacea calmly. "Mother gains the knowledge of the people she absorbs."
"Absorbs?" Panacea echoed, her voice rising with anxiety. Was it what had happened then?
"Yes," the clone explained with a nod. "Mother can absorb any being into her body. Their knowledge becomes hers. She can then release the person, and they will be okay mentally and physically. They will even be better than before, as mother's magic removes all mental strain or influence."
Panacea's face paled, and she looked horrified. "You did that to me?" She knew deep inward that she was a biotinker. To think that she could have been mastered during her brief regeneration. She didn't want to think on the options. She knew how much havoc she could let loose.
The clone nodded. "Yes. Your long-term closeness with Glory Girl had influenced you."
Panacea's expression hardened. "Victoria is my sister! She's not influencing me." She immediately protested.
The clone's gaze was unyielding. "You're deluding yourself. Every psychiatrist knows that continued exposure to mental influences, even if it's only for short periods daily, can shape a person's psyche. You are the closest to her. Are you sure?"
Panacea bristled. "Victoria would never do that to me. She loves me."
The clone's voice was gentle but firm. "It's not about love. It's about the nature of her power and its effects on those around her. Mother's magic freed you from that influence."
Panacea rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. So now I'm supposed to believe in magic and that my sister's been brainwashing me?"
The clone's expression remained calm as she looked at Panacea oddly. "It's not brainwashing. It's subtle, unintentional. Yet, that exposure, added to the amount of time. It shaped your psyche. Mother's power just removed that influence."
Panacea sat back, feeling a mix of anger and fear. The clone's words felt like an intrusion into the deepest parts of her mind, into places she hadn't even acknowledged herself. Yes, she was in love with Vicky. Was it true? Yes. Absolutely yes. However, the clone's words were like a dagger to her heart.
"Why should I believe you?" Panacea demanded, her voice trembling a little now. She didn't want to believe it. It was impossible.
The clone's eyes softened. "Because mother's power is real. It's not something that fits neatly into your understanding of the world, but it is real. And it's here to help."
Panacea looked away, her mind racing. "You know, it's really convenient to blame everything on magic. What's next? Unicorns and fairies?"
The clone smiled faintly. "You don't have to believe it. But the evidence is in front of you. You're here, alive, because of mother's power."
Panacea glanced back at the unconscious Taylor, wondering what kind of power lay dormant within her. "So, what now? We just wait for her to wake up and everything's fine?"
The clone nodded. "Yes. When mother wakes up, everything will be clearer. And she'll be able to explain it better than I can."
Panacea sighed, feeling overwhelmed at the information. She really needed a strong coffee at the moment. "Great. I'll just be here, waiting for the magical explanation from the girl who can do the impossible."
It was evening.
Danny and his coworkers were gathered around the television set. It was late evening, and most of the men had long since finished their shifts, but the gravity of the situation unfolding in Canberra had kept them from going home. The tension in the room was palpable as they awaited updates from the Endbringer fight.
Danny sat on the edge of a worn-out sofa, his hands clasped tightly together. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in his chest since Taylor had left. The room fell silent as the news anchor spoke in urgent tones.
"We have just received an incredible report from an inside source at the battlefield in Canberra," the anchor announced. "It appears that the Simurgh has been forced to retreat after an intense confrontation with a new cape, identified as Taylor Hebert, also known by her cape name, Majin."
The room erupted in murmurs. Danny's heart pounded in his chest. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. His little girl was facing one of the most feared beings on the planet. And if the reporters were right, she had also been able to make the Simurgh retreat.
The news anchor continued, "We have obtained exclusive footage from the PRT, which shows the moment Majin confronted the Simurgh. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's take a look."
The video cut to a chaotic battlefield. Dust and debris filled the air as heroes and villains alike fought against the monstrous Endbringer. Then, amidst the chaos, the camera zoomed in on a figure that Danny instantly recognized: Taylor. There she was, fighting in jeans and a shirt.
"Holy crap," muttered Bill, another coworker, leaning closer to the screen. "That's her, ain't it?"
Danny swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the screen. In the footage, Taylor flew defiantly against the Simurgh. Her hands glowed with an intense pink energy, and in an instant, she released a blast that tore through the air, striking the Simurgh with a force that seemed impossible for one person to muster. The Simurgh's wings burned and a side of her body was nearly obliterated.
Gasps filled the room. "She's... she's actually doing it," whispered another worker, awe in his voice.
The video continued, showing the Simurgh expertly dodging Taylor's relentless attacks, but it was clear that the Endbringer was being pushed back. The tension in the room was palpable as the men watched in stunned silence. Finally, the Simurgh opened a portal and retreated, leaving behind a battlefield littered with debris and the stunned figures of heroes and villains alike.
The footage ended, and the anchor reappeared on the screen. "Experts believe that due to Majin's efforts, Canberra may not become a quarantine zone. This is a significant victory against the Simurgh."
The room erupted in cheers and applause. Men clapped each other on the back, their faces alight with relief and pride. To think that a teenager who had done it, who was also cradled by nearly half of them in her childhood, surely lit the mood up.
"Your girl's a hero, Danny," Jim spoke up with a smile. "A real damn hero."
Danny nodded numbly. He still was finding it hard to believe. "Yeah, she is," he said softly, his voice trembling with emotion. "She really is."
Bill chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Never thought I'd see the day an Endbringer gets its ass handed to it by a teenager. That too by our little Tay Tay."
Paul grinned cheshirely. "Looks like we got ourselves a legend in the making."
As the men continued to talk excitedly about the news, Danny sat back, allowing himself a moment of quiet reflection. He thought about Annette, about the promise he had made to keep Taylor safe, and about the incredible young woman his daughter had become.
For now, he was content to bask in the pride and relief of knowing that Taylor had not only survived but had emerged victorious against one of the most fearsome threats in the world. The news continued to play in the background, but Danny's mind was already racing ahead, thinking about the moment when he would finally see Taylor again and tell her just how proud he was.