Institute 9.2
Taylor flopped backwards onto her actual goddamn mattress and stared up at the ceiling of her Workshop.
She took a deep breath and consciously relaxed all of the muscles she could, letting the tension leak from her iron bones.
If they were even still bones at all. She never actually got a comprehensive breakdown of what Amy had done to her.
It didn't really matter.
This weekend had been… a rollercoaster ride, from start to finish. It felt like a lot longer than forty eight hours had passed since she slaughtered the Empire.
It was also hard to believe that three days ago, she had never kissed anyone, never even considered it a possibility. And now she had this… whatever she and Amy were doing. Girlfriends seemed… shallow, with all the twisted and broken and wonderful things between them.
The heartbeat of the Labyrinth thudded slow and steady, a constant reminder of Amy's presence. Each ponderous double-thump was just far enough apart that she almost thought it had gone silent, before the next inevitable metronome struck again. It only beat once every five or six seconds, if she had to guess.
Part of her was well aware that Amy's powers were dangerous in so many different ways. That even her own ability to be reborn anew may not necessarily fix her, if Amy decided to fuck with her brain.
Taylor couldn't quite bring herself to care, though. If Amy had messed with her mind and made her feel the way she currently did, it didn't really matter. She liked how she felt, and the nature of the feeling's origin was irrelevant.
"Take what you want, and make no apologies, right?"
Taylor had certainly gotten what she wanted. Things she hadn't even thought to ask for.
And she wouldn't trade it for the world.
For now, though, she needed to sleep. Today had been the best day she'd had in… definitely since summer camp, so long ago. Maybe since Mom died.
And her sleep schedule was still all out of whack. Spending the days with Amy had thrown off her nocturnal pattern, and now she was pretty much back to a 'normal' sleep cycle. She deserved to get an actual night's sleep, for once.
She still wished Amy were here, though.
Taylor rolled over and buried her face in the blankets. At least they still smelled like her.
Sighing and finally letting herself relax, Taylor drifted off and allowed the tranquil silver light to carry her away.
…
It wasn't exactly a novel feeling, but school felt especially pointless today.
Amy resisted the urge to groan audibly and let her chin rest on one hand while her English teacher droned on and on about the section of their current project that Amy definitely hadn't read.
Luckily, most of the teachers were willing to give the city's one and only miracle healer (as far as they knew) a break. They were all aware that she had better things to do than homework.
They would probably change their minds if they knew what she actually got up to outside of school hours, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt her.
In the back of her mind, she swore that she could still feel the heartbeat, deep in the Labyrinth.
It occurred to her that she should have Taylor open a door in Arcadia, just in case. It was unlikely that anyone would be crazy enough to attack the school, but she didn't like the idea of being disconnected from the Workshop.
Amy knew that it was a bit crazy to be this reliant on her theoretical escape routes, but she couldn't help it. She had been trapped with no way out for so long… The idea of always having the option to just leave and never look back was irresistible.
Still, she wouldn't do that yet, if she didn't have to. The longer that she somehow got to keep both Vicky and Taylor in her life simultaneously, the better. Even if it was all doomed to collapse eventually.
Thankfully, the lunch bell finally rang and cut the mind-numbing lecture short. The teacher reminded them about homework that Amy wasn't going to do, and then she was free.
She couldn't help but smile slightly as she caught up with Victoria's group in the hall. Even when she wasn't resplendent and floating dramatically as Glory Girl, Victoria lit up any room she entered. There was a reason that her sister's clique revolved around her like planets orbiting the sun, and it wasn't just because of her aura or her fame. Just being near her pushed the rain clouds away.
"Hey, Ames!" Vicky called, her smile making Amy's stomach flip before her sister returned to her previous conversation with one of her actual friends. Tracy? Maybe? Amy didn't really bother to pay attention to them. They didn't matter.
They arrived in the cafeteria and Amy mindlessly filled her tray. Another wave of nearly overwhelming apathy hit her and part of her itched to just call Taylor for a door. What was she even doing here, when she could be tinkering or doing… other things… with Taylor instead?
Amy followed behind Victoria automatically, making her way over to their usual table.
With the exception of Dean, the Wards didn't eat with Victoria's group. It would be a bit too obvious if they all spent that much time together publically, and then all disappeared every time the Wards were needed. There were multiple fail-safes and random changes to the schedule in order to make it difficult for anyone to catch on, but all of that would fall apart if the Wards were constantly seen together.
Still, Amy couldn't help but locate them in the crowd. The heroes who thought she was one of them.
Dennis, the gangly redhead with an easy smile who was also Clockblocker. His power was one she and Taylor would actually have to watch out for, since she didn't think anything in Taylor's arsenal would help if he managed to freeze her.
Carlos, taller and more fit than most high schoolers. She wondered if anyone had made the connection or if they just thought he spent way too much time in the weight room. As Aegis, he wasn't a threat to them. Adaptability wouldn't do shit against Taylor's sword or her power.
Chris, normal and unassuming by anyone's definition. Kid Win may have some useful gadgets, but nothing that would even slow Taylor down. His long range weapons and maneuverability wouldn't be an issue.
Between them and Gallant, Amy wasn't really concerned about the Wards causing any problems for Taylor. Maybe Vista, but the PRT wouldn't actually let her pull out all the stops. The bigger threat was definitely Dean or Victoria putting the missing puzzle pieces together at an inconvenient time. It wouldn't be a tough leap for them to realize that the skinny, one-legged villain with long black hair was probably one and the same as the other skinny, dexterous, one-legged girl they knew. Which would be… bad.
At least both the Wards and Victoria were under a general 'stay away' order when it came to Hunter, from what Aunt Sarah had said. The odds of them running into each other by accident had to be pretty low…
That's what Amy would keep telling herself, anyway.
Honestly, though, the idea of Vicky or Dean or anyone discovering her secret was becoming less and less worrisome, in general. The only person Amy really cared about was Victoria, and her sister would probably forgive her. Eventually.
Hopefully.
And if she didn't…
Well, it was still probably better for Victoria than the alternative.
…
Taylor leaned back from the workbench and rolled her shoulders.
Her muscles couldn't really ache in the traditional sense anymore, but she got a weird, vague feeling that they should. Almost like a phantom pain, as if something within her body knew that her strength and durability was unnatural.
It was still preferable to actual pain, but it was interesting.
It was… satisfying, to return to her Tinkering. Things had been in free-fall since the Empire's broadcast, but now it finally felt like she was settling into a new kind of routine.
Amy was at school, and it would still be several hours before she arrived at the PRT. Taylor checked her location with the lantern, every so often. Just in case.
In the meantime, Taylor had plenty of work to keep her busy.
She had already finished another injector syringe for Rachel, along with a bandolier to hold extra quicksilver bullets. Additionally, Taylor had also finally gotten around to making the quick extractor that her power had offered up way back in her original workshop, in her father's basement.
The quick extractor was a double-edged sword, metaphorically, but it would allow her to make more quicksilver bullets on the fly, in the event of an emergency. The extraction needle led straight into a bullet mold, and the plunger would also apply the necessary pressure to form the bullet itself. The only downside is that it would quickly drain her dry if she didn't use it in tandem with her regeneration solution.
A trade, for more quicksilver in a pinch.
Now, though, she was finally working on a project she was actually excited about. A new design, a weapon that wasn't available to her before her recent slaughter.
Taylor couldn't deny that she had a preference for larger, more dramatic weapons. Her Kirkhammer was extremely satisfying despite its drawbacks, and her holy blade was brutally designed with the intention of tackling larger, more powerful foes.
Why should her firearms be any different?
Her newest creation would definitely be inefficient against the average human, but…
Now that the design was available to her, Taylor just couldn't resist the temptation to build a fucking cannon.
…
"Amy! Where're you going?" Victoria called after her as she walked across the courtyard of Arcadia.
Amy turned around and raised her eyebrows.
"I'm going to the PHQ. I told you yesterday," Amy said as Victoria casually flew over, ignoring the multitude of stares.
Being a public parahuman wouldn't be nearly as bad if she could fly.
"What? No, you didn't," Vicky replied in confusion. "I'd definitely remember. I thought I was flying you home?"
It wasn't until Victoria said it that Amy realized she told Taylor, but not her sister.
Shit.
She didn't have time to unpack that right now.
"Oh, sorry. I meant to," Amy said. "They asked for my help checking the sample of Hunter's Tinkertech they got last week. Want to make sure it's not radioactive or poisonous or whatever."
"Huh. Gotcha. Do you want a ride, anyway?" Vicky asked. "It's not like I have anything better to do."
Amy glanced at the waiting van and the squad of PRT agents. It felt rude to waste their time…
Her own thoughts caught up to her and Amy snorted to herself. She was actively planning to betray the heroes and join a murderous vigilante gang, if the Hunt could really be called a gang at all. More of a cult, what with the blood drinking. Inconveniencing the PRT wasn't exactly something she should really be worried about.
Besides, she hadn't called them. Carol was the one who decided that she was taking the transport van rather than the Vicky Express, and Carol was a bitch.
So, Amy walked over and knocked on the front window, ignoring the open van door to the back seat.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Dallon-"
"Hi! Sorry they made you drive all the way out here, but I'm just going to fly to the PHQ," Amy did her best to sound like a confident combination of Taylor and Vicky. She didn't really care if it worked or not. "Might get some coffee on the way. Feel free to go get some for yourselves, or whatever."
She turned on her heel and headed back towards Vicky.
"Ready to go?" Amy said to her sister.
"Well… I mean, fuck, yeah, Ames," Vicky grinned at her incredulously. "What's gotten into you?"
Amy's only excuse for what came out of her mouth next was that she was still riding the high of indirectly calling Carol on her bullshit. That, or Taylor's insanity was rubbing off on her.
Probably both.
"I told you last week, Vicky," Amy smirked. "I don't kiss and tell."
The shade of red that Vicky turned was fucking hilarious.
…
Amy sipped her coffee while she followed her assigned agent to the testing chamber.
So far, nobody had mentioned her going off script. Had that always been an option, and she'd just gone along with everything unnecessarily?
Putting on her robes again did feel a bit… sacrilegious, when she could still feel the echoes of the slow, monstrous heartbeat in the Labyrinth.
But, for now, she was still technically Panacea.
Whatever she was expecting to find in the testing chamber, it wasn't… this.
At one end of a long room, easily the length of a football field, a single hospital gurney sat locked in place, IV's and other machines blinking idly.
Between the bed and the complicated bank of monitors and computer equipment at the other end of the space, several large concrete barriers had been set up. Thick panes of safety glass allowed the researchers to see the test subject, and a long hallway with several doors and additional barriers ran down the far wall to access both rooms.
"Is all of this… necessary?" Amy asked her guide uncertainly.
"Hopefully not, but we prefer to err on the side of caution," a familiar voice answered from behind her.
Amy turned to see the armored form of Armsmaster striding towards her.
The overly-driven leader of the local Protectorate had never been her favorite person. Now, given her… recent activities… he set her teeth on edge.
He looked every bit as heroic in person as he did in his advertisements. His iconic dark blue power armor was trimmed in silver, with a sleek and professional visor over the top half of his face. His beard was sculpted to perfection and even she could tell that his expression was carefully calculated to be personable while remaining aloof.
"Thank you for coming, Panacea. We appreciate your assistance," Armsmaster said, falling into step beside her as they walked down the hallway towards the testing chamber.
"You're welcome," Amy said, for lack of anything better to say. "So, what's going on with… well, everything?"
She gestured vaguely at the blast shields and the patient on the other side of the glass.
"We're planning to administer Hunter's experimental healing serum to the patient. Dragon and I have determined that there is a non-zero chance that doing so will cause a dangerous anomalous effect, although it is unlikely," Armsmaster replied. "We're hoping for your professional expertise and insights regarding the patient's prognosis before and after the serum is applied."
Amy wanted to face-palm at the ridiculous waste of resources being used to test a basic blood vial that Taylor used on both herself and Bitch on a regular basis. If it was actually causing a 'dangerous anomalous effect', Taylor probably would have already noticed.
Although, maybe not. Taylor had a bit of a blind spot when it came to her self-destructive tendencies.
Pot, meet kettle.
Regardless, she had a facade to keep up.
"I can definitely do that. What's the patient's deal?" Amy asked.
"A brain hemorrhage stemming from a TBI," Armsmaster said. "He was not considered a viable candidate for your abilities, but we're hoping that Hunter's serum will prove effective. Regardless, the prognosis is… grim, without parahuman intervention, so his next of kin were more than happy to take advantage of the trial."
It wasn't exactly anything Amy hadn't seen or heard before.
"Alright. Let's get this over with, then," Amy said.
…
Taylor carefully opened a door, making sure to stay inside the Labyrinth as she peered out into the PHQ.
The room on the other side looked like any other generic maintenance hallway. Exposed pipes lined the ceiling and the low hum of unknown machinery echoed off the concrete walls.
As far as she could tell, her own desires had a limited effect on where and how she could open the Labyrinth doors. Even now, she knew that she could feasibly open a door directly to Amy, but she didn't actually want to do that. So, similarly to when she opened a door to Brockton General, she opened a door to the overall concept of the PHQ, which apparently spat her out in the basement.
Perfect.
Still, she wanted to make sure Amy was okay.
Staying within the Labyrinth, Taylor retreated from her current door and went two broken exam rooms over, up a flight of desolate stairs, and opened another door.
This one, she also lingered behind. She just wanted to keep an eye out, after all.
Taylor saw Amy stiffen the moment she noticed the sudden appearance of the eldritch fire, but she did an admirable job of not looking at her.
With a jaunty wave, Taylor retreated again.
She hadn't originally planned to cause trouble while Amy was here… but her girlfriend had given her permission to haunt the shit out of them…
There were a couple more designs that she really liked the idea of, but didn't currently possess the necessary components to assemble.
Components that she could definitely find in Armsmaster's lab.
And since he was otherwise occupied…
Well, it presented a convenient opportunity.
His lab couldn't be that hard to find, right?
Taylor decided not to second-guess herself. Reaching into her coat, she popped the lid of a blue elixir, chugged it, and went for a walk.
…
"All monitoring programs are active. Vitals are stable," one of the technician's narrated. "Administering 45% of the sample by volume per current directive."
Amy, Armsmaster, and several unpowered doctors and technicians waited with baited breath.
Well, the rest of them baited their breath, or whatever. Amy was already bored with this, and stressed about whatever Taylor might be up to.
Her girlfriend looked just a bit too mischievous when she waved and walked away. That wasn't an 'I'm going back to the lab, see you later!' kind of wave. That was definitely an 'I'm off to do something insane and risky that I haven't bothered to tell you about,' kind of wave.
And Amy was sure that it was going to come back to bite her, somehow. Generally, she preferred to be the one doing the biting.
Dammit, Taylor.
This must be some kind of divine punishment for throwing caution to the wind. Or, maybe, it was just the easily foreseeable consequence of dating an insane blood Tinker.
"Vitals are improving rapidly. No anomalous reality fluctuations detected," the tech continued.
Amy resisted the urge to snort. Reality fluctuations, indeed.
"Should I go see how his brain looks, then?" Amy asked.
"We're planning to give the patient a five minute reprieve-" Armsmaster started.
"Um… hello? Is anyone there?" A voice said through one of the speakers.
The patient sat up and looked around in confusion.
"Or… I suppose we could go now," Armsmaster said bemusedly.
They made their way down the hall, past the barriers and into the test chamber itself.
"Good morning, Martin. My name is Armsmaster, and this is Panacea. You were severely injured and have been administered an experimental treatment as part of a PRT trial program. I know this is probably disorienting, but I hope you'll be willing to allow us to assess the status of your recovery," Armsmaster said in a professional tone.
His bedside manner was better than hers, even if it still left something to be desired.
"I… um… I mean, sure, I just… where's…"
"Your wife is just outside the testing chamber in the nearest unsealed area, enjoying what I've been told are sub-standard coffee and refreshments," Armsmaster said with a smile that Amy was sure he practiced in the mirror.
Amy sighed and walked forward. She was already over this, and the stress of not knowing what Taylor was up to was starting to grate on her.
"Do I have permission to heal you?" Amy said.
"Yeah, I… I guess…"
Good enough for her.
Amy reached out and laid a hand on the patient's bare arm.
His biology looked almost painfully mundane, compared to Taylor. She was getting spoiled.
Still, she could feel the slightest echo of Taylor's blood vial in him, similar to what she felt in Bitch's dogs. Nothing that would actually have an effect, but… a reminder, nonetheless.
Other than that, he was in perfect health. Some scar tissue on the inside of his skull, but nothing that would cause any issues.
"There's some scar tissue at the original injury site, but nothing concerning," Amy said. "The injury seems to be completely healed and the brain restored."
"Excellent," Armsmaster said, making a note on the screen built into his left gauntlet. "Any sign of lingering anomalous effects or residue from the serum?"
"Not that I can see," Amy lied. "It seems just as safe as natural healing or any other type of medicine."
Armsmaster's head snapped up to look at her with a strangely intense expression.
"Can you repeat that, please, Panacea?" He said carefully.
She had a bad feeling about this.
"I don't-" Amy started.
For better or worse, that was the moment that the main security alarms went off with an ear-splitting blare.
Amy honestly didn't know if she should be thanking Taylor or not. This was obviously all her fault, somehow.
…
They really should put up more signs around here. How are thieves supposed to find anything in this fucking maze?
Taylor walked with a steady and deliberate step, just slow enough for the elixir to work while still allowing her to cover ground in an efficient manner.
Still, it's not like the PHQ had an arrow pointing to Armsmaster's lab. That would be too easy.
Unfortunately, her Labyrinth didn't seem to be overly helpful in that regard. Unless she had a specific connection to Armsmaster's lab, she couldn't just ask for a door there. Her door options were either 'wherever Amy was' or 'The PHQ' as a whole.
She made her way down a few corridors, trying doors at random, until she saw a pair of wide double-doors with a familiar blue logo on them.
It couldn't possibly be that easy, right? Armsmaster wouldn't… brand his own lab…
Well, maybe he would.
Now… how to break in? He definitely wouldn't leave the doors unlocked. They didn't even have traditional handles.
In theory, the blue elixir would keep anyone from hearing the sound of a gunshot…
No, that probably wouldn't even work on Tinkertech doors. It's not like they had locks from Home Depot to shoot out.
Taylor drew her silver sword instead.
She could see this very quickly becoming a repeat of Medhall, but the possibility of valuable tools and rare materials was too tempting.
At least she brought a duffel bag this time. She did manage to learn from some of her mistakes.
Holding the blade in both hands, Taylor called to the beyond and willed the blade to cut with supernatural finesse.
White fire and spiraling stars engulfed the silver sword, and Taylor cut through the crack in the middle of the doors with little resistance.
Surprisingly, no alarms went off. Fantastic.
Still, her time was limited, so she dashed inside and closed the door behind her.
The room was big, and organized, but also somehow cluttered. Every workbench had some kind of project in progress, and the sheer variety of different machines and computer screens was mind boggling. It was a hilarious contrast to her own workshop, with the candles and the blood.
Taylor moved quickly, grabbing any materials or equipment that her power indicated could be useful to her.
"Good afternoon, Hunter," a disembodied female voice said.
Taylor froze.
"Good… afternoon. You seem to have me at a disadvantage…" Taylor said, eyes flicking around for the source of the voice. How were they able to perceive her through the elixir's effects?
A monitor flickered on, and a familiar logo appeared on the screen.
Dragon.
Fuck.
What the hell was Dragon doing here? Didn't she have better things to do?
"I'm very curious to know how you managed to bypass the exterior shields, especially since the PRT borrowed one of my drones to monitor your Hospital," Dragon said in a deceptively casual tone. "And the last time I saw you outside was during the events of Friday evening."
"The extent of my captivity may have been… exaggerated," Taylor said, backing slowly towards the exit. "I don't suppose I could persuade you to let me go? Just to keep this from getting unnecessarily messy, you understand."
"I'm afraid… how did you put it to Assault?" Dragon said. "Ah, right. I'm afraid I'll have to politely decline."
Alarms blared overhead.
Taylor spun towards the exit just in time to see the two automated turrets mounted over the doors come to life.
Oh, God dammit.
This really was going to be Medhall all over again. She should know better than to listen to the little voices that whispered about how easy it would be to just slip in and steal some Tinkering supplies.
Unfortunately, the lantern didn't allow her to open doors into the Labyrinth. She could open doors from within it, but she couldn't just force a doorway into existence from this side.
Which meant she had to get back to her door. If she got captured, her only option would be to trigger her Hunter's Mark, and she would really rather avoid giving away the game so soon. Besides, the next full moon was still weeks away. It wouldn't be fair to Amy and Rachel to abandon them for so long after she promised to take care of them.
It didn't help that her mind was still numbed from the anesthetic. Only her ridiculous fucking power would make a Master/Stranger effect that also got her high.
The turrets spewed a thick spray of containment foam, and Taylor was forced to quickstep forward to avoid it.
She reappeared from the shadow and raced through the door and down the hallway as fast as her prosthetic would carry her.
A squad of PRT agents rounded the corner ahead of her, standard white plated combat armor reflecting the flashing amber alarm lights.
The two soldiers at the back of the group raised their containment foam sprayers, while the others charged forward with shock-batons at the ready. It was pretty clear that the soldiers in front were more than willing to get trapped in some foam if they could keep her still long enough to get stuck with them.
Oh, this is going to suck.
At least the PRT seemed to be upholding their gentleman's agreement to stay non-lethal. Not that that actually helped her. In fact, it hampered her quite a bit, and they probably knew it.
Following conventional morality was bullshit. Still, she had told Assault she wouldn't kill his friends, and Amy would probably be disappointed if her 'haunting' ended with a bunch of dead heroes.
It didn't mean she couldn't complain about it, though. Things were so much easier when she could just slaughter her way to freedom. Less complicated.
Taylor armed her stake driver and immediately slammed it into the floor at an angle. The force of the impact left a deep dent in the metal and threw her body down the hallway as fast as her augmented strength would allow, parallel to the floor and over the approaching agent's heads.
She still had to twist sideways with supernatural dexterity to avoid the swinging batons. The PRT was not messing around.
An incoming spray of liquid containment foam greeted her on the other side.
I really hope containment foam isn't considered a solid object to Sophia's power.
Taylor quickstepped forward midair…
And appeared directly above the firing agents.
Score.
As she landed behind them, Taylor drew her sword and swung very carefully to pop the foam tanks on their backs without cutting their spines.
She sped away from the cursing agents before the rapidly expanding foam could catch her.
Taylor took the next turn at maximum speed, pushing off the wall with her good foot to round the corner at a dead sprint.
The maintenance area that held one of her Labyrinth doors was just ahead, one floor down. If she could just-
A bright red costumed knee hit her from the side at something dangerously close to terminal velocity. It was certainly moving fast enough that she didn't see it coming until it was too late, even with her enhanced senses.
Taylor felt her indestructible bones creak with the strain as she was thrown clear through the metal wall of the corridor. She bounced across an empty conference room before smashing into the far wall hard enough to leave a Hunter-shaped dent.
Out of habit more than anything else, she injected a blood vial. The pleasant buzz definitely took the edge off.
Two heroes approached down the hallway, one familiar and the other less so.
"Assault! I thought we were friends," Taylor grinned behind her scarf. Out of all the heroes to find her, she was happy it was him. At least this had the potential to be interesting, and there probably wouldn't be any hard feelings. "I have to say, I like this present a lot less than your last one."
"I did say we would try to catch you next time," Assault replied as she pulled herself out of the wall. Battery stood stock still next to him, staring at Taylor warily.
"I'd still prefer if you didn't kill us, though," he continued. "Any chance you'd be willing to come quietly? That offer is probably still on the table."
Taylor shook the residual ache from her bones and bounced on her toes.
"I think I'll take my chances," she said.
Sadly, Assault didn't wait for any more banter. With practiced efficiency, Battery jabbed forward with a precise push and Assault rocketed towards her.
This time, though, Taylor was ready.
She wasn't entirely sure what his actual power was, but given the interaction with Battery and his claims of being bulletproof, it probably had something to do with redirecting energy. That suited her just fine, since she would rather redirect him than block him outright.
Taylor dodged sideways and into him, spinning with impossible precision to grab his wrist in her indestructible grip as he sped past.
She planted her good foot and pivoted, spinning him around and slamming his back into the already dented wall.
The result was a decidedly bizarre experience.
Taylor knew that she smashed him into the wall at a speed that would have been almost incomprehensible to mundane eyes, and yet there was no feedback at all. No impact. It was like he touched the wall and all motion just… stopped.
Assault's grin was entirely too smug.
"Ow," he deadpanned. "My turn!"
Then he flicked her in the chest, and all the force she used to slam him into the wall was redirected back into her, throwing her unceremoniously through three more walls and at least two heavy wooden conference tables.
Even with indestructible bones and reinforced organs, that shit hurt.
I'm definitely going to shoot him.
Taylor injected another blood vial.
She should have brought her cannon.
"Offer's still open, Yosemite. Although, I think they'll dock your potential pay for all the property damage," Assault called as he bounced through the holes after her.
Yosemite?
Taylor didn't get the joke, and she wasn't exactly in the right mindset to figure out what he was referring to.
Which was probably a good thing, since she was already having trouble resisting the urge to shoot him as it was.
Instead, she slashed her sword into the already damaged floor underneath her and rode the wave of broken debris down into the maintenance areas below.
On the right side of the hallway immediately to her left, Taylor could see the ethereal flames that marked the door into her Labyrinth.
I can make it.
Taylor pushed off the falling debris and landed lightly on her feet, springing forward to sprint down the maintenance hallway. Her duffel bag full of ill-gotten gains was a bit banged up, but she managed to keep it over one shoulder.
She heard the air move behind her, felt the subtle change on the back of her neck, and threw herself forward into a low roll.
Assault flew overhead in a blur of crimson, missing her by inches. He hit the far wall hard enough that it should have crumpled under him, but it didn't.
Taylor stood tall and faced him.
Despite the gravity of the situation, she just couldn't help herself.
"You know, the Hunt is also looking for exemplary candidates, if you ever get bored of being an underpaid government stooge," Taylor said. She meant it as a joke, but it came out strangely serious. "Benefits include medical, dental, housing, and a cool hat of your choice."
He stopped and stared at her for a long moment.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said. She honestly wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. Maybe he wasn't sure, either.
Then he kicked off the wall and shot towards her, arms outstretched to grab her instead of just hitting her again.
He wasn't quite fast enough, though.
Taylor sidestepped through the unknowable doorway in the wall next to her, and closed the door behind her.
…
Amy had no idea what Taylor was up to, but it seemed like a good time to leave. Just in case.
Generally speaking, when one's girlfriend was actively committing some kind of badly-planned parahuman crime, it was better to simply not be there.
It was extremely tempting to just walk through the Labyrinth door in the test chamber, but that would be a dead giveaway and she wasn't quite ready to give up on her cover yet. Whatever had drawn Armsmaster's suspicions, it couldn't be anything provable.
Luckily, no one seemed to be paying attention to her in the chaos, so she just… walked away.
Amy pulled out her phone while she strolled back towards the main entrance areas of the PHQ.
A: Hey, something's going down, alarms and shit. Armsmaster ran off. Can I get a pickup?
V: Shit! Yeah, are you in trouble?
A: Whatever's happening, it's not near me. Heading to the front entrance now.
V: Cool. 2 min
Amy continued making her way upstairs in what she hoped was an unassuming manner. She was just the squishy, independent healer who happened to be present for a consult, innocently running away when things went off the rails. Nothing out of the ordinary.
She even stopped at the front desk on the way out.
"I was here to do some testing with Armsmaster, but he's busy, so I'm just going to go…" Amy said as casually as she could.
"The procedure-" the beleaguered agent at the visitor's counter started.
"Amy!"
Victoria landed in front of them.
"Right. I'm taking my sister home. I don't know what's going on, but we aren't putting Panacea in danger," Victoria said authoritatively. "If you need anything else, contact Lady Photon."
Hell yeah. Go Vicky go.
Amy didn't even complain when her sister scooped her up without asking and shot back out the front doors, through the gap between the energy shield and the light bridge, and up into the sky over the Bay.
Whatever questions the heroes had for her, they could wait. Hopefully forever.
…