She screamed when she first opened her eyes. She screamed and screamed, and pulled her hair from her scalp, drawing blood and pain. Taylor screeched and wailed until her throat burned and she tasted copper. No. No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. She held herself tight and backed off to a wall. Still, from where she was, atop a building, the view of the ruins Sukuna left behind was plain to see. The ambient heat hurt her bare skin. And Taylor became distantly aware of the pile of clothes in front of her - the same clothes she'd worn when she went out a few hours ago. This was all her fault! This was her fault!

Hers! Hers! Hers! Hers!

Tears streamed from her eyes as she buried her face in her lap. The distant sound of sirens and the crackling of dying flames filled the air, but all Taylor could hear was the pounding of her own heart and the echo of Sukuna's laughter in her mind.

She forced herself to look up, to confront the hellscape that had once been a huge part of her city. Buildings reduced to skeletal frames, streets littered with charred debris and the lifeless bodies of those she had known and those she hadn't. She spotted the remains of a playground where she used to play as a child, now twisted and blackened. The swings were melted puddles, the slide a jagged remnant pointing accusingly at the sky. The Docks and the Trainyard, Taylor realized, no longer existed.

Her breath hitched as she caught sight of a family in the playground, or what was left of them, huddled together in death. The mother's hand still clutched at the charred remains of her child, as if trying to shield them from the flames. Taylor's stomach churned, bile rising in her throat. She turned away, only to see more bodies, more death, more devastation.

"No…" she whimpered, her voice a broken whisper. "No, no, no…"

Her legs felt like jelly as she stumbled to the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the streets below. The air shimmered with heat, making the ruins seem to dance in a macabre celebration of destruction. She could see emergency responders moving through the debris, their faces grim and weary. Some were pulling survivors from the wreckage, their expressions haunted by the horrors they had witnessed. A part of her realized that these people were just as shocked as everyone else and were likely just acting on their instincts and training.

Taylor's vision blurred with tears as she clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. She wanted to scream again, to tear at her hair until she felt something other than this overwhelming guilt and sorrow. Sukuna had done this, but it had been her body. Her hands. Her hubris.

She sank to her knees, the reality of it all crashing down on her like a wave. Sukuna had used her to goad Lung into becoming a weapon of mass destruction, a hurricane of fire and death. She'd been helpless to stop him. She had been a puppet, and now the strings were cut, leaving her to face the aftermath. Even now, it still felt as though she'd awakened from a nightmare.

"This is my fault," she whispered, rocking back and forth. "All my fault…"

She remembered the sensation of being pushed to the back of her mind, of watching helplessly as Sukuna took control. His laughter had filled her ears, drowning out her screams. She had seen everything through her own eyes but had been powerless to stop it. Every life taken, every building destroyed, it was as if her hands had done the deed.

Her sobs came in wracking waves, her body trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't escape the images burned into her mind: the young mother incinerated in an alley, the brave firefighters melting as they tried to fight the flames, the Parahumans who had fallen trying to protect the city. Many of them, Taylor recalled, hadn't even been in-costume. Neither heroes nor villains, just people who wanted to do the right thing.

"Please, no more…" she begged, her voice hoarse. "I can't… I can't take this…"

The skies above had turned a verdant crimson, casting a blood-red glow over the city. The flames had mostly died down, but the smoke still lingered, rising far above the flames and blotting out the stars. Taylor forced herself to stand, her legs shaky and weak. She had to get away from here, had to find somewhere to hide, to think. But no matter where she went, she knew she couldn't escape the guilt, the horror, the blood on her hands.

As she turned to leave the rooftop, she caught sight of her reflection in a broken window. Her face was streaked with soot and tears, her eyes hollow and haunted. She barely recognized herself. The girl she had been was gone, replaced by someone she didn't know, someone who had seen too much, done too much. Standing there was a criminal... no... something even worse than a criminal. For how many people were dead because of her? How many people died because Sukuna had taken over and took advantage of everything she'd failed to foresee when they created that Binding Vow?

Thousands? Millions? She didn't know. She didn't want to know.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn't let Sukuna win. She couldn't let him destroy what little was left of her. She had to find a way to make things right, to atone for the destruction he had wrought through her. But how? How could she ever make up for this? The best thing to do was to turn herself in and face whatever judgment is imposed on her. She was responsible for all of this, was she not? They'd throw her into the Birdcage and she'd never see the light of day again. She'd never see her father again. No school. No future. No hope.

"No!" Taylor screamed, a flicker of something dispersing the ashes and dust around her.

Taylor donned her costume once more and stumbled down the stairs of the building, each step feeling heavier than the last. She had no plan, no idea what to do next. All she knew was that she had to keep moving, to find some way to keep going despite the crushing weight of guilt and despair.

As she reached the street, the full extent of the devastation hit her anew. The air was thick with ash, the ground littered with debris and bodies. She forced herself to move, one step at a time, each movement a battle against the urge to collapse and give in to the hopelessness. There were others moving about as well, dead-eyed and ghastly.

She had to keep going. For the people who had died. For the city that had been destroyed. For herself.

And as she walked through the ruins of Brockton Bay, Taylor Hebert made a silent vow. She would find a way to fight back against Sukuna. She would find a way to reclaim her life, to make up for the horror she had been forced to witness and the destruction she had unwillingly caused.

No matter how long it took, no matter what it cost, she would find a way to set things right.

She had to.

Taylor walked through the ruins, her footsteps crunching on debris, her eyes darting from one scene of devastation to another. Each step felt like a penance, a reminder of the horrors she had been complicit in. She wrapped her arms around herself, her costume feeling like a shroud of guilt and shame.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached her ears, a soft, weak cry. Taylor froze, her heart skipping a beat. She strained to hear it again, and there it was—a child's voice, crying for help. Without thinking, she ran towards the sound, her heart pounding with a mixture of hope and dread.

She rounded a corner and saw a small figure trapped under a pile of rubble. The child's delicate frame was barely visible amidst the debris, but her soft whimpers pierced through the chaos. Taylor's breath caught in her throat as she rushed forward, her hands trembling as she began to lift the heavy pieces of concrete and twisted metal, something she should not have been capable of doing. But there it was again, the strange feeling that had started appearing ever since Sukuna awakened within her. Taylor didn't have time to ponder anything as she pulled away as much of the debris as she could.

"It's okay, I'm here," Taylor murmured, her voice shaking. "I'll get you out, I promise!"

The girl's eyes were wide with fear, her face smudged with dirt and tears. She couldn't have been more than six or seven, her small body dwarfed by the wreckage around her. Taylor worked frantically, her fingers scraped and bleeding as she pulled away the debris. She didn't care about the pain; she only cared about saving this child, about doing something right for once. As she did, flickers of blue and black would, once in a while, flash from her limbs. She ignored it and focused on the one life that she could still save.

After what felt like an eternity, Taylor managed to free the girl. She gently lifted her into her arms, cradling her against her chest. The child clung to her, her tiny hands gripping Taylor's costume with surprising strength. Taylor also noted the fact that both of the girl's legs were bent the wrong way. She gritted her teeth. Sukuna, heal her!

She's already dead, brat. Came Sukuna's maddening reply. Oddly, he wasn't laughing and there was an... edge to his tone.

What are you talking about? I'm holding her, right here!

No reply.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, her voice barely audible. "I was so scared…"

Taylor's eyes filled with tears as she held the girl tightly. She had to find help. Surely, this place would be swarming with ambulances and firetrucks soon. She just had to reach them.

"You're safe now," Taylor said, her voice almost breaking. "I won't let anything happen to you."

As she carried the child away from the rubble, Taylor's mind raced. She had to find help, had to get this girl to safety. She scanned the ruins, looking for any sign of the emergency responders she had seen earlier. But the streets were empty, the silence oppressive. The very air itself cackled with still-roaring flames.

"Can you tell me your name?" Taylor asked softly, trying to keep the girl calm.

"Alice," the girl replied, her voice trembling. Her skin was growing cold, Taylor noted. "My name is Alice."

Taylor smiled through her tears. "Hi, Alice. My name is Taylor. I'm going to take care of you, okay?"

Alice nodded, her grip on Taylor tightening. Taylor continued to walk, her eyes darting around for any sign of life. She felt a pang of guilt as she realized that this little girl was probably alone, her family likely victims of the destruction Sukuna and Lung had caused, like so many others. She had only herself to blame.

As they walked, Alice's breathing grew more even, her body relaxing slightly in Taylor's arms. Taylor glanced down at her, feeling a surge of protectiveness. She couldn't let this child down. She had to keep her safe, had to find a way to make up for the horrors of the day.

But as they moved further from the site of the collapse, Taylor began to notice something strange. Alice's weight seemed to lessen, her form growing lighter in Taylor's arms. She frowned, her heart skipping a beat as she looked down at the girl.

Alice's eyes were closed, her expression peaceful. Taylor's breath caught in her throat as she realized that the child was fading, her body becoming translucent. Panic surged through her, and she tightened her grip, desperate to hold onto the girl.

"Alice?" Taylor whispered, her voice trembling. "Alice, what's happening?"

Alice's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at Taylor with a serene smile. There it was again, Taylor noted, that energy. It felt so much stronger now, its presence lashing and surging within her. She ignored it, her eyes glued to the child in her arms, fading.
"Thank you," Alice said softly, just before disappearing entirely. "You saved me."

AN: Chapter 14 is out on (Pat)reon!