"So, did you learn a lot?"
[Confirmation. Elation]
"Good to know. I was starting to think you might not get it, but I guess you're different – even among your brethren, right?"
[Elation. Agreement.]
"Oh? Well, that's very interesting. I had no idea what noble shards even were, until you mentioned them, but I suppose that makes sense; every human has Cursed Energy to some extent but only very few are able to become Jujutsu Sorcerers. So, what can you do?"
[Wonder. Amazement. Explanation.]
"Oh? That's amazing – and that's coming from me. Being able to use RCT immediately after discovering CE is, quite frankly, unheard of – took me over a month to figure it out, honestly. So, that's why you're no longer damaged. You went and healed the many parts of you that were broken by the golden guy. Pretty good; you've began to unlock your full potential."
[Amazement. Curiosity. Wonder.]
"Ha! You've barely scratched the surface. Just the thought of you opening your own domain soon is giving me the goosebumps. So, what's your Innate Technique, Queen Administrator?"
[Demonstration. Projection. Frustration.]
"Huh, well that's certainly odd, but then you're not exactly human. Neither of us know how your Innate Technique will develop. Just give it time. Impatience will get you nowhere. For now, I think the best thing you can do is figure out how Cursed Energy interacts with your natural abilities. Mess around and see what works."
[Query. Curiosity. Interest.]
"The brat, huh? She can... interact with soul remnants in a way that... I've honestly never seen before – didn't even think something like that was possible, honestly. Sure, there are many ways to interact with souls, but all of those methods require that a soul be anchored to its body. What Taylor's doing is... something different, unlike anything I've ever seen."
[Query. Suggestion. Interest.]
"Hoh? You think now's the right time to grant her an ability? Should be interesting. The brat's Innate Technique has already begun to manifest and, even I could tell that her Cursed Energy Reserves and Output are both growing. If she keeps this up, that brat's going to become a monster. What do you have in mind?"
[Suggestion. Query.]
"Nah, that's not my decision to make. You go and do whatever you wanna do. That's what true Jujutsu is all about – the imposition of will over reality. So, go ahead. Do whatever. The brat's gonna need it anyway, since she just went and got herself arrested by the 'heroes' – damn pathetic."
[Suggestion. Observation. Experimentation.]
"Yeah, it seems like the brat's not just a one-trick pony. Her resilience is almost impressive. Almost. And I mean that it's impressive she still hasn't killed herself until now. I know a lot that would've already done just that."
[Elation. Agreement.]
"Still, it's a bit annoying. She's got all this potential but no idea how to use it. Like giving a sword to a monkey. I already know what's going to happen: the money is going to hurt itself and everyone around it. And, while that is very entertaining, it's nothing I haven't already seen before, okay? Boring."
[Amusement. Agreement.]
"Right, right. Actually, I've always wanted to ask; why did the golden man injure you? It doesn't make any sense to me. You guys are supposed to collect data and stuff for the cycle, right? How's that supposed to work if most of your functions and abilities are dead?"
[Frustration.]
"Nah, that still doesn't make sense to me. Regardless of potential power, your purpose remains the same; makes no sense to me to cripple you."
[Agreement. Frustration. Elation.]
"But, I guess it doesn't matter anymore since you went and fixed yourself with RCT. Do you feel any different?"
[Explanation. Confidence. Curiosity.]
"Well, if nothing else, this is your chance to see what you can actually do, yeah? I think I kind of understand now why you were crippled, but I still think it was unnecessary. That said, I think you're better off diverging from your standard ability. Lean more towards Cursed Energy and see where that gets you. I mean, isn't that why you're doing all of this – to learn?"
[Agreement.]
"Exactly. Keeps things interesting, ya know? It'd be very boring if you gave that brat the power to just mind control every single Parahuman within range – strong, but very boring."
[Query. Explanation. Confidence.]
"Exactly. Now that you've got your whole self back, it's in your best interest to try out newer and more interesting things. The ability to administer certainly encompasses many things, right?"
[Certainty. Confidence.]
"Alright then. Give it a shot. Just don't expect miracles. She's still a kid playing with powers way beyond her understanding. And not even I'm entirely sure how the afterlife works – not in my world and definitely not in this one. But, let me tell ya, if there's one thing that you can experiment with that no one else quite understands, then it's with souls."
[Query.]
"Well, I know a lot about my soul, but it's a lot like Innate Techniques in that no two souls are ever alike. What I know about myself may or may not be applicable to others. I can teach you all I know about the soul, of course, but you already know how this works."
[Amusement. Agreement. Determination.]
"Hah! You're more optimistic than I am. But sure, let's see how this plays out. What's the worst that could happen, right?"
[Suggestion. Anticipation.]
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. You want to see her struggle and grow. Fine by me. Watching her scream in anguish was amusing. But humans are... fragile, ya know? Especially little girls, like her. Sooner or later, she's going to crack. Just remember, if she breaks, it's on you."
[Confidence. Assurance.]
"Alright, go ahead. Do your thing. Just don't get too attached to the brat. She's a means to an end, nothing more. But, before any of that, you should probably figure out your own Innate Technique – see if you guys have compatibility before rolling out anything as conceptual as soul manipulation."
[Agreement. Action.]
"Yeah, I agree. The brat's going to stumble and fall while she figures out Cursed Energy on her own. Should be fun to watch, especially since my fight with Lung was bound to cause the births of thousands of Cursed Spirits."
[Query.]
"Ah, I guess I never explained it to you, but Cursed Spirits are these tiny nasty little buggers that form when too much stray Cursed Energies gather in one place and start drinking from people's fears and emotions. A lot of them feed off of specific fears, but the more primal concepts often give birth to some really nasty curses, like the fear of fire – for instance. But, then again, this world doesn't have enough natural Cursed Energy to actually spawn the kinds of things that could wipe out cities."
[Anticipation. Observation. Query.]
"Tutor her? What for? She's just a tool. Taylor's fine as is."
[Suggestion. Observation.]
"Interesting trail of thought. Continue."
[Observation. Conclusion. Anticipation.]
"Hmmm... I'll think about it, but you and I will be forming a Binding Vow in that case. Though, I gotta admit, it does sound interesting. That said, I honestly don't think the brat's going to listen to me at all, since she went and surrendered to the heroes. I can feel her thoughts on the matter; she thinks she's a monster or some other stupid thing."
[Amusement. Observation.]
"I doubt she'd tell them everything, since even I can taste her shame, but she won't be going against them anytime soon, I think. And, besides, these Parahumans can't fathom the idea of Cursed Energy, which is ironic. No one's going to believe her."
[Observation.]
"I think I'll just hang back and see if she's worthy of my tutelage. I've had... only one student before and it didn't turn out too well. The brat's got potential, but I'm more interested in her tenacity and creativity; potential ain't worth anything without the drive to actually make use of it. I want to see her become strong, just so I have someone strong to play with when the dust settles."
Taylor stared at her handcuffs, tears falling from her eyes. She kept her head down. Questions were thrown her way, but she tuned them all out. She didn't want to hear anything or listen to anyone. It didn't matter anyway. She was a monster. No matter how many people she helped or saved, nothing would change the fact that she caused the deaths of... so many people. She was already guilty. It didn't matter if she spoke or not. So, it didn't matter if she listened.
She should've been excited. After all, the person who was asking the questions was none other than Legend himself, one of the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. It was just that... Taylor was tired. She was angry. She needed a bath. She was hungry. She was frustrated. She wanted to lash out at anything. She'd have already smashed her own head against the metal table in front of her if the PRT hadn't strapped her to the chair.
"Taylor..." She heard Legend say. The man's voice was smooth and soothing. He spoke as though he was a friend. But she didn't have any friends. Not anymore. Maybe she never did at all. "Taylor, I know you're scared. But you have to listen to me. Everyone here. Every hero... we all know what it's like to-"
She tuned him out again. She disliked his tone and his voice. She disliked the fact that he was pretending to be friendly. And she hated the fact that, if she listened to him for long enough, she'd fall for the lie. It was all just a lie. Nothing more. Nothing. He didn't even have to talk. She was already strapped on the chair. The only thing Legend had to do was drop her off in the Birdcage, where she'd never see the light again.
Then again, Taylor was glad it wasn't Armsmaster in front of her. He wanted to be the one to do the questioning, she remembered, seeing as he was the one who brought her in. But Legend stepped in and no one could argue with him. No one wanted to. They didn't have the time. Even now, the heroes worked tirelessly – alongside the villains – to rescue as many people as they could from the rubble. Taylor would've assisted them if they let her. But she could see why they didn't trust her, which was fair enough.
"Taylor..." Legend's voice broke the silence again. She'd been sitting here for over an hour, in silence. That he still hadn't raised his voice or grew annoyed was... something. She didn't know what to think about it. "Taylor. It's not your fault. I understand more than you know. Sometimes, these powers, they do things to our mind. And-"
She didn't want to hear whatever it was that he had to say. Legend wouldn't understand. No one would ever understand. This wasn't about some malfunctioning ability. None of them would understand the fact that there was a literal Japanese Demon inside her, watching her every move and just waiting for the right time to take over. In fact, per their Binding Vow, he should've already done just that the moment she was strapped to the chair. She was still expecting Sukuna to take over at any moment and that was the one thing the heroes would never believe or understand. Sukuna wasn't just someone who could be arrested.
They'd be better off if they just killed her.
Yeah. Just kill her. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
The tears streamed with greater intensity. She couldn't hear her own sobs.
"Taylor," Legend said again, his voice even softer this time. "I'm not going to kill you. No one's going to hurt you. In fact, we're trying to help you."
Taylor looked up and stared at Legend. There were scorches and burns all over his costume, soot and dust and grime. He was there, she realized. How many heroes were there when Lung and Sukuna had their little duel? How many of them died? "You can't help me."
Legend smiled. "I can't, but maybe your dad can."
AN: Guess who kept forgetting to upload the new chapters and only remembered now because someone bothered to send a DM? Me. Anyway, Chapter 20 is out on (Pat)reon!