Providence 11.3
Taylor couldn't stop the satisfied smile that snuck onto her face when Brian's last rune was finished.
It was only a small step in the grand scheme of things, but she was happy with the progress the group had made as a whole. The former Undersiders had all willingly taken communion. They, along with Dimitri, had all undergone the basic rune enhancements currently available to Amy with the remnants of Othala's power. All except Lisa, of course.
Taylor knew better than to let Amy anywhere near Lisa with a knife.
Hopefully, her girlfriend would let go of her grudge eventually, but Taylor wasn't going to push the issue more than she already had. Amy wasn't a rune machine any more than she was a healing machine.
At the very least, they would all stand head and shoulders above a normal human in the coming conflicts. It may not be much compared to an actual Brute rating, but it could make the difference between injury and death when pitted against powerful enemies.
Taylor had no idea how long the Deep Sea runes would hold up against a Master like the Simurgh, but it had to be better than nothing.
"Well done, everyone," she said, letting one hand idly trail down Amy's spine before taking her place at the front of the group once again. "We have one more order of business to discuss."
Taylor glanced over and met Amy's eyes under her hood. They had already discussed this, but she wanted to make sure.
Amy still looked excited from flexing her runic enhancements, the involuntary gratification of using her power swimming in her gaze. She nodded with far less of the conflicted indecision that had been present earlier, despite her prickly attitude.
"There are further enhancements available to you, but they are significantly more… involved. Amy's power is far more versatile than just healing, and she can directly manipulate your natural biology in order to enhance you in a variety of ways," Taylor said. "I certainly won't expect this level of commitment from anyone, but the option is open. I have personally received significantly more adjustments and enhancements than will be possible for you, but know that I wouldn't offer anything I hadn't tested on myself first. I take care of what's mine."
It was easy to tell who would take her up on the offer. She could see it plain as day in their expressions.
"Who is willing to place their lives in our hands, to be enhanced?" She asked in a serious tone. This wasn't the time for levity. Allowing Amy complete control over their physical bodies was different than just getting some runes carved into their skin.
Taylor could tell that Alec was about to say something, but he hesitated just long enough for Rachel to beat him to the punch.
She didn't say anything, though. Rachel nodded to Taylor as she strode confidently forward and held out a hand to Amy.
Taylor felt a strange warmth in her chest. The others were valuable, and Amy was special, but Rachel was… different. Taylor could trust her in a way that was above and beyond any of them.
Rachel wasn't capricious. She didn't have the same complicated turmoil that burned under Amy's skin, or the constant awareness that kept Lisa from being able to truly commit, despite her assurances to the contrary.
For all her acid and prickly shell, Amy wasn't a warrior. Taylor didn't want her to be. The idea of Amy being directly in the line of fire was… intolerable. If Rachel died in the battles to come, Taylor's fury would lay waste to those who took her, but it wouldn't destroy her the same way losing Amy would.
In an actual fight where death was on the line, Rachel was the one Taylor wanted at her back. Taylor knew that she would kill without hesitation or remorse, if the order came.
It was immensely satisfying to see her coming into her own.
Amy reached forward and took Rachel's offered hand, and her first soldier stiffened as the enhancements took effect.
It didn't take long. Taylor watched to see if she could see Rachel's bones and organs being rearranged from the outside, but there was no exterior change to indicate the enhancements taking place within.
And then suddenly, it was done. Amy pulled back, and Rachel rolled her sturdy shoulders reflexively and looked down at her hands.
She didn't smile, but Taylor knew her expressions well enough to recognize that she was excited, under the gruff exterior.
"Good," Taylor said. Rachel didn't need any more words than that, and wouldn't appreciate them even if she elaborated.
She glanced between the others, waiting to see who would volunteer next.
"Hell yeah, fuck me up, Doc," Alec smiled widely. "Don't have too much fun messing around inside me."
Taylor couldn't help but grin crookedly, even though Amy looked annoyed.
"Careful, Regent. She has to pull the extra body mass from somewhere," Taylor said.
"My sincerest apologies," he smirked, and Taylor could tell that he did actually mean it, in a way. His attitude wasn't intended to belittle Amy's efforts; it was just his way of navigating the world. "Just try not to mess up my face too much, please. I've been told it's my only redeeming quality."
Amy rolled her eyes and took his hand anyway. Taylor was reasonably sure she wouldn't do anything serious to him just because he couldn't keep his snark in check.
Maybe. Sometimes, Amy still surprised her.
But the enhancements seemed to go smoothly, and Alec bounced on his toes once he was free of her grip.
"Wowza, that's a hell of a rush. I bet I could bench press Grue. Wanna do a plank for me, big guy?" Alec strode back to his spot in the circle with a spring in his step.
Brian looked unimpressed.
"Jesus, he's going to be insufferable for weeks," Lisa sighed. "Well, even more insufferable."
"You know you love me, Tats. And now, you're stuck with me forever," Alec grinned. "Only way I'm going out is if the Doc finally snaps and kills me."
"It's getting more tempting by the second," Amy grumbled, and Taylor couldn't help but laugh.
"Enough, Regent," Taylor's tone was still light, but Alec would know that she was done humoring him.
Sure enough, he snapped an overdramatic salute and stood at attention, capitulating despite being ridiculous about it.
Good minion.
"Any other takers?" Taylor said, glancing between Emily, Brian, and Dimitri.
She was reasonably sure that Brian and Emily weren't ready. Most normal people had understandable concerns about a virtual stranger making direct changes to their bodies.
Dimitri took a deep breath and walked forward.
Lisa had chosen well. He would be an excellent example for the other mercenaries, a target of both their envy and grudging admiration. All he had to do was excel, and it would be easy to drip enhancements slowly to the rest of them until all were unflinchingly loyal.
Taylor was cautiously optimistic about the idea of having hunters who weren't actually parahumans. The PRT had their troopers, why shouldn't she have her own soldiers?
They would be significantly more enhanced than any trooper, of course. It would be wasteful not to utilize their full potential.
She just had to make sure they were trustworthy, first.
The hired soldier shivered when Amy touched his hand, but he took the enhancements as well as the rest. When Amy finally pulled away, his serious expression broke for just a moment and Taylor saw the excitement and satisfaction bleed through.
"Well done, Dimitri," Taylor said. She knew that she was an enigma to the mercenaries; despite their decision to stay and work for her, they were undoubtedly unsure about their new, potentially unstable boss. Dimitri may not admit it, but even he desired recognition for his service.
The professional mask snapped back into place and he nodded to her before returning to his post behind Lisa.
"We'll meet again in the next couple days to discuss weapons and costumes, as well as our next steps," Taylor said to the group as a whole. "In the meantime, don't cause too much trouble, and let me know if you need anything. Remember, the Workshop is also our home, so give us a heads up before you wander in uninvited."
"Vampire rules, got it," Alec said with a lazy grin.
Taylor smiled back and rolled her eyes. It would be good for them to become comfortable around her, despite the serious atmosphere. She needed to remember to alternate between commanding and familiar gestures.
"Anyone want to check in about anything?"
No one did.
"You all know how to get home on your own, now," Taylor said. "I'll see you soon."
She held out a hand and grinned when Amy took it automatically, warmth flaring in her chest at the touch. They walked back into the Workshop, leaving the former Undersiders to find their own way home.
The doors closed behind them and Amy let out a long exhale in the familiar candlelight.
"That was… a lot," Amy said in a tired voice. "Are you sure about this? Running a gang, or whatever?"
Taylor took off her coat and wrapped Amy in a tight hug. It took a solid five seconds before her girlfriend finally relaxed and melted into her.
"Yes," Taylor said softly as she used one hand to pull Amy's hood down, gently tugging the cloak off her shoulders. She ran her fingers gently over Amy's frizzy hair. "It's different, but it's worth it. We can't… we can't last forever, all on our own."
She pressed a kiss into the top of Amy's forehead.
"I want to keep this for as long as possible, and… I want to help people, too, as crazy as that sounds," Taylor admitted. "I knew from the start that I couldn't be a real hero, but… maybe we can make the world a little bit better, even if we're monsters."
"Don't want you to leave," Amy muttered into Taylor's vest. "Can't we just… build a Workshop in the middle of nowhere? Kidnap the really bad villains for Tinkering and just…"
Part of Taylor wanted that more than anything in the world.
"We can't," she whispered.
Amy leaned back and stared at her for a long moment.
"Why?" She asked warily.
Taylor didn't want to talk about it, but Amy deserved the truth. She wouldn't lie to her, not about this.
"The Simurgh."
Amy's expression slowly fell slack and her eyes widened in horror as the understanding soaked in.
"No. No, no, no, no-" Amy didn't seem to even notice she was speaking.
Taylor knew that her expression probably wasn't encouraging, but she couldn't hide her apprehension. Not from Amy.
"That's what Dinah and I have been working on. Dinah's a precog, a pretty damn powerful one, and we've been trying to find a future where…" Taylor trailed off. She didn't know how to explain.
"She's coming here?" Amy said in a broken voice.
"She's coming for me," Taylor said sadly. "Something about my Tinkering, my power… Dinah said we have to thread the right needle, at the right time, or…"
"Or?"
"Everyone dies," Taylor closed her eyes. She didn't want to see Amy's expression.
"I don't care about everyone!" Amy yelled. She tried to pull free of Taylor's arms, but Taylor held on tightly, a comforting cage of iron. Amy didn't seem to mind too much. "I just want… I just…"
"I know," Taylor's voice was quiet. "That's why I'm doing… all of this. So that we can carve out something that can last, even if things go… badly."
Amy met her eyes and Taylor was happy to see the despair replaced by the usual contrary fire.
"You are not allowed to leave me alone," Amy hissed. "I don't care-"
"I'm not going anywhere," Taylor said seriously. "Nothing can keep me away from you, not for long. I promise. Not even her. No matter what. Okay?"
Amy just stared for a long moment, and Taylor was lost in the warm chocolate just as it seemed like Amy was lost in the stars.
"Okay," Amy breathed eventually, the panic and the helpless anger slowly draining away.
Taylor kissed her. Not the usual frantic, almost involuntary fire, but slow and careful, reassuring in the aftermath of so much upheaval.
Amy's life may have collapsed from under her, but Taylor would always be there to catch her.
Another collapse of a different kind may be imminent, but they would find a way to make it through.
It will be okay.
Despite Dinah's worries, Taylor had no intention of ever waking up or ascending from this Dream. All she wanted was to keep this forever.
But she could worry about that later.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to be lost in her Dream.
Amy suddenly pulled back, and Taylor opened her eyes to see a strange expression on her face.
"You said the Workshop was our home, before," Amy said, her tone unplaceable.
Taylor's brain was still a bit scrambled, and the change of subject was jarring.
"I mean, yeah, you live here too, now, right?" Taylor said dazedly. "It's yours. I'm yours. Why wouldn't it be home?"
Amy seemed strangely awestruck by that revelation.
Then she was kissing Taylor again, and thinking became incredibly difficult.
Luckily, her mind was expanded and her body enhanced, so she was more than capable of carefully carrying Amy over to their makeshift nest without breaking their kiss.
And then nothing else mattered. Just her, and the fire, in the candlelight.
…
It always felt strange, leaving the Workshop without her coat and hat.
"Any chance you want to come with me and meet my Dad?" Taylor said, looking down at the lump of blankets and pillows that was her girlfriend.
A gap appeared and all she could see was a single chocolate eye and a mess of overflowing curls.
"I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I would rather drink battery acid," Amy said from within her cocoon.
Taylor laughed and shook her head. Amy definitely wasn't a morning person, but it was kind of cute.
"I'll bring you some coffee when I come back," Taylor grinned and headed out the door.
…
"If you're up to anything particularly horrifying, please don't stop on my account."
Taylor rolled her eyes and pushed the Workshop door open.
"Good afternoon, Alec," she said.
She was meeting with everyone to start outfitting them; Alec was just the most… enthusiastic.
He wandered into the Workshop and immediately started touching things he shouldn't.
"Sup, Blood Queen? What can I do you for today-"
Taylor grabbed his wrist right before he would have touched a very hot crucible that had been in a Bunsen burner flame just minutes before.
"You can start by not fondling all my lab equipment," she said dryly.
He raised an eyebrow but didn't bother to remove his hand.
"I was aiming for more of a romantic caress, but I suppose it's a matter of reception," Alec replied.
Taylor snorted and let go of his hand.
"Here, I have more exciting things for you to practice your feminine wiles on," she tossed over her shoulder as he followed her to the forge.
And the wall of hanging weapons behind it.
"Pick your poison. That fancy taser of yours won't be following you down this rabbit hole, so you'll need a new look," Taylor said, giving her new hunter a once over while he perused the weapons on display.
The enhancements didn't change much in the way of physical appearance, but the additional strength and dexterity lent a dangerous edge to Alec's wiry frame. Lean, instead of just skinny. He reminded Taylor of herself, in a way, although a bit shorter, with his curly midnight hair and lanky limbs. Unlike her, though, he had pale gray-blue eyes that gave his face a somewhat ethereal look.
A past version of her may have been irritated that his delicate features were prettier than hers. Now, though, she only found it mildly interesting.
He had the potential to be a truly dangerous hunter, once he got the hang of things. He had many of the same jagged edges that she saw in the mirror, the first night she returned home with Victor's corpse.
Alec had killed before. She was certain of it. She doubted that he even felt bad about it.
He reached up and took the threaded cane from the wall, spinning it idly in one hand.
Taylor grinned. She should have known.
The cane wasn't quite her style, but it was certainly Alec's.
"It suits you," she said approvingly. "Very refined."
"We both know I'm a gentleman at heart," he shot her a crooked grin.
Sometimes, the height of civility hid the most monstrous depths.
"Lisa already ordered some new costume elements, so everyone can-"
She cut off when he started laughing.
"Oh, no need, this is fucking perfect," Alec announced from behind her.
Taylor turned and groaned.
He was holding the ridiculous, stereotypical top hat she had bought for Amy as a joke, way back before their first not-date to the Hospital. She had grabbed it from the parking garage to mess with Amy later.
Alec put on the top hat, and did an overdramatic spin with his new cane.
It was a stupid look, all things considered, but…
The silliness contrasted sharply with the barely concealed void of murderous apathy hiding in his pale eyes. It almost circled right back around to being threatening.
Almost.
Still, she could put up with it, if he enjoyed the aesthetic.
Taylor made a mental note to have Lisa order him a suit to match.
She shook her head again.
"You're truly living up to the name now, Regent," Taylor grinned.
"Well, it's very fitting, since we both know I'll never be the Queen," Alec said, leaning casually on the bladed cane.
"I may be the First Hunter, but I'm not the Queen of anything," Taylor said. She was a monster, a hunter, a killer in the night. Despite her plans to rule her new organization, she wasn't that kind of leader.
"Wasn't talking about you," Alec smirked, shooting a wink at where Amy lounged in their nest and scrolled aimlessly on her phone.
Amy flipped him off without looking up and Alec smiled even wider.
Taylor rolled her eyes.
"I think I've hit my smartass quota for today, minion. Go bother Lisa or something, before Amy turns you inside out and leaves you for the dogs. And tell Lisa to order you a new suit, with a vest and tie. You have to look the part, after all," she said.
"Right away, your Bloodiness," Alec quipped with a deep bow, sweeping off his new hat in the process.
Taylor chuckled as he left, striding through the double doors with his cane in hand.
"He's such an asshole," Amy grumbled from the nest.
"I like him," Taylor admitted.
She actually did. Alec had a lot of the same broken razor blades that she did, and talking to him felt… natural. There was no actual attraction there, so it wasn't the same as her charged banter with Amy. It was a different kind of comfortable.
Besides, she needed more friends. Even if they were monsters.
"You would," Amy snorted. "You're both insane."
"We're all mad, here," Taylor quoted quietly.
"Some more than others," Amy snapped.
Taylor glanced over at her girlfriend with a raised eyebrow. There was something about the petulant nature of her frown…
"Are you… jealous?" She asked shrewdly.
It hadn't actually occurred to her that Amy could even get jealous, before now. It seemed so silly, when Taylor so obviously belonged to her.
"No," Amy snapped.
That's a yes, then.
"You are! Oh my god, that's so fucking cute," Taylor grinned widely, flopping down next to Amy on the mattress.
She knew that being called 'cute' would just annoy her girlfriend even more, but it wasn't her fault that Amy was, apparently, adorable when she was needlessly worried.
"I hate you so much."
"No, you don't! You're jealous. That's a sure-fire sign that you actually like me," Taylor shot back.
"Lies and deceit. And slander. I'm not fucking cute," Amy protested, but her grumpy facade was already breaking.
Taylor rolled over and flopped halfway on top of her, forcing Amy to put her phone down to keep from getting knocked off the bed.
"Jesus Christ, you're heavy. Why are you so fucking heavy?" Amy complained.
"You literally made me this way," Taylor smiled, rolling again until she had Amy pinned under her.
"I made a terrible mistake," Amy deadpanned.
"You're a shit liar," Taylor leaned down and kissed along Amy's jaw to the base of her ear. The noise that slipped between her teeth was intoxicating.
"I created a monster," Amy groaned.
"I was a monster long before you got your claws into me," Taylor whispered.
She bit Amy's ear. Very gently. Only Amy had the luxury of biting as hard as she could.
"When's your next meeting?" Amy breathed, squirming under her.
"Not for a couple hours," Taylor replied into the mess of chocolate curls.
"Good," Amy said.
Then she tangled her fingers in Taylor's hair and dragged her lips back up to hers, and Taylor decided that she liked jealous Amy, even if her concerns were completely unwarranted.
…
Brian crossed his arms and eyed the wall of weapons with a dissatisfied expression.
"I know it's a long shot, but have you got anything… non-lethal?" he asked.
He was tense, although he was doing a very good job of pretending otherwise. Taylor recognized the occasional, automatic glance at the only exit, though.
"Yes, actually," Taylor said. She had kind of forgotten, what with the excitement of Saturday night, but her newest project fit the bill nicely. It wasn't a weapon she planned to use herself, and it was light enough for Brian to wield without the additional enhancements.
Taylor pulled down the Tonitrus and activated it with a quick swing. Blue-white lightning crackled around the sphere mounted to the end of the baton.
"It still packs a hell of a punch, but one hit shouldn't kill a normal human. I used a miniature Tonitrus sphere on Oni Lee, and I'm pretty sure that he was still alive when I stabbed him," Taylor shrugged.
Brian raised his eyebrows at her.
She wasn't sure why.
"I don't know how I feel about 'pretty sure'," he sighed.
"Maybe don't charge it, the first time. The passive voltage is still nothing to sneeze at," Taylor said. "I can also give you a couple of my reusable mini Tonitrus grenades. I might even be able to whip something up to give you more versatility, like an electrified trip wire or something. It might take a little while, though. The parts are pretty complex, and I might have to steal more of them from Armsmaster."
Of course, he would probably just give them to her for now, but the rest of the Hunt didn't need to know about her deal with the local Protectorate leader.
"You stole these from Armsmaster?" Brian asked incredulously.
"Just the gyroscopes and the capacitors. It wasn't like he was using them," Taylor grinned. She hadn't actually told them about her escapade into the PHQ. Lisa probably knew, but it seemed that she hadn't shared with the class.
Brian shook his head.
"I don't know how you don't have a Kill Order yet. Or at least a Birdcage sentence," he grumbled.
Taylor could guess why, but Brian didn't need to know about the woman in the fedora either.
"I guess they prefer my brand of madness over the Nazis or sex slavers. As long as I don't start killing off heroes, they're probably willing to put up with me," Taylor said. "I did expect a Birdcage sentence by this point, though. I'm sure they'll get around to it soon."
"And that doesn't concern you?" Brian asked. "I don't want to throw in with you just in time for you to get tossed in the Cage."
Taylor glanced over at him and smirked.
"The Labyrinth is more than capable of reaching the Birdcage. Even if I do get tossed in, I'm sure one of you will come get me. And if you don't, I'll just have to break out on my own and give everyone a stern lecture on the importance of taking initiative in my absence," Taylor said.
Brian's eyes widened slightly before he finally gave in and chuckled.
"Sometimes, I can't tell if you're joking or not," he said.
"I never joke," Taylor deadpanned. "Why would I, when the truth is so much more fun?"
Brian looked concerned, and Taylor laughed.
He was already acclimating nicely. It wouldn't take much before he stumbled down the rabbit hole with the rest of them.
"Now, before you go, I have a question for you," Taylor said.
"I'm scared already," Brian replied dryly.
"How do you feel about the Merchants?"
Brian's expression darkened and she caught the edge of something dangerous in his eyes.
Good.
"They're scum. Drug-dealing assholes who ruin people's lives and don't give a fuck," he said.
She hadn't expected such a strong response. Maybe there was some history there?
Taylor had seen first hand what hard drugs did to kids at Winslow, so it wasn't hard to imagine that the Merchant's peddling had impacted him.
"They wouldn't happen to have anything to do with why you're so adamant about getting custody of your sister, would they?" Taylor asked casually.
Brian shot her a glare but didn't answer. Not that he needed to.
"Well, how do you feel about helping me wipe them out so I can drain and tinker with their corpses?" Taylor said with a grin.
He looked conflicted, but eventually nodded anyway.
Good.
…
Taylor sat in her makeshift testing room and turned Lung's blood vial over in her hands.
A bestial concoction, to be sure. Violent in nature, with unknown effects.
It begged the question: how should she distribute her blood vials to her Hunt?
She wanted to encourage them. Empower them. But… just giving away the powers felt… cheap.
They need to earn them.
How to determine that though? She didn't necessarily want it to be an indicator of her favor, either. Some wouldn't care about that, and others would care too much. It almost felt like it couldn't be her choice, even though it obviously was.
What if… they earned their own kills? Their own prey?
That had its own problems, but it appealed to her more than any other system of distribution she could think of.
Taylor nodded to herself as the pieces started to fall into place.
The Hunt would operate at her behest, but she would provide her hunters with new powers distilled from the enemies they defeated on their own merits. It would encourage them to pursue their enemies with more enthusiasm, if they knew that they would be rewarded.
She wouldn't always be there to hold their hands.
It would also allow her to remain consistent. Rachel had helped her take down Hookwolf, fought him to a standstill while Taylor was busy with the rest of the Empire. Rachel's loyalty and willingness to fight for her deserved to be rewarded.
Amy had provided the augmentations that allowed Taylor to slaughter the Empire in spite of Othala's own enhancements. She had proven herself willing to do what was necessary to keep Taylor alive, to improve her, even if it was for selfish reasons.
Taylor very much enjoyed Amy's selfishness. It was… exciting, to be wanted by someone so willing to take. Even if it had taken a while to break through Amy's self-doubts.
Dinah had been the one to defeat Coil. Taylor had simply been a weapon in her capable hands, sculpted and molded by her hints and foresight. Taylor trusted her to path their uncertain future, if for her own good if nothing else. Taylor just had to hope that when the time came, she would make the right choices.
By that logic, Lung's vial could go to Taylor herself, or Colin.
Colin hadn't earned a new power. Not yet. He hadn't fought Lung for her, but for his own pride, and he had ultimately failed to do more than stall the beast. He would need to show his loyalty, his camaraderie, before she handed him a new parahuman ability. He was still an ally of circumstance, not truly one of them.
Taylor decided then, that she would take this last vial. There may be more, eventually, but this would be the last of the currently available villains that she would imbibe. After this, she would lead her Hunt to success of the whole, rather than her personal power.
But she would always be there, if they needed her. The cavalry, if they ever fell short.
Taylor took a deep breath to center herself, then slid the bestial vial into her bloodstream.
The bloodlust once more coursed within her, but she was not the same nascent hunter who once clawed furrows into her own face at its behest.
She understood the beast within better, now, and how it balanced with her ethereal eyes.
Both were necessary. Both were required.
Equilibrium, within and without.
Our eyes are yet to open.
The beast howled, but Taylor stood still and silent as it raged within her.
She had plunged the cursed blade into her own heart, and returned without being consumed. This was nothing, by comparison.
The beast was just another tool to be commanded. She would not allow it to control her. Would not allow it to chain her to her baser instincts.
Her fury settled to a full simmer, and Taylor smiled.
She held the power of the raging dragon in the fist of her will, and consumed it.
Fear is not weakness, so long as it does not engender passivity.
Taylor knew what she feared, and it was not death, or even non-existence.
She feared only an empty eternity, and she would work tirelessly to avoid it.
The unnatural rage finally faded, and Taylor once more stood alone in her Labyrinth.
Lung's fury and fear remained within her, though, and she knew that it would fuel the fire of her determination in glorious violence. It would empower her, heal her, embolden her, with every swing of her sword. A constant temptation, to seek conflict even when peace was available.
She would always have to balance the rage and the bloodlust, but she would be better. Eventually, she wouldn't be weak.
…
"I have some special costume attachments in mind for you, but I need to determine exactly how your power actually works, first," Taylor explained while she walked through the Labyrinth.
Emily did her best to look confident in step beside her, but Taylor could practically feel her apprehension.
"It's not that complicated," Emily said.
"I mean, you obviously aren't always drooling napalm, though. And you can clearly project it farther than any normal human could spit, so there's gotta be something going on behind the scenes," Taylor said. "I'm hoping to make you some kind of device similar to my flame sprayer so you can fire it with more precision, or activate it within the combustion chamber of a weapon to turn it into a flamethrower."
That seemed to help cheer her up.
"Oh, yeah, that would be awesome," Emily said. "Spitting explosive goo isn't really the… nicest… power."
"I get it. Even if my power is less… direct, I suppose. What does that even feel like?" Taylor asked out of idle curiosity.
"Kind of like throwing up, but not… unpleasant? I don't know, powers are weird," Emily sighed.
They arrived at the northernmost Labyrinth gate, on the now bare mountainside.
Emily stopped and stared out over the snow-capped peaks and quiet forests.
"This is… nice, actually," she said in a strange voice.
"Yeah. Amy and I come out here occasionally, just to exist for a bit," Taylor said quietly. "It's easy to forget how big the world is, sometimes."
They stood in silence for a moment longer.
"Okay, ready to throw around some napalm?" Taylor grinned over at her newest recruit.
Emily actually looked a bit excited, for once. Maybe it was that there was nothing valuable here to burn by accident.
Taylor watched closely as the otherwise unassuming girl convulsed spastically and vomited several gallons of gray-green gel in an arc over the rocks and snow.
That was… neat, but also bizarre.
She should have brought Amy along. It might be important to know exactly how the hell Emily did that. Where did the napalm come from? Clearly her body didn't have that much biomass available. It had to come from somewhere.
The fluid splattered over the rocks and ignited, the intense inferno warming Taylor's face even from thirty feet away.
Apparently, the flammable gel was more than capable of melting stone. Interesting.
"Wow," Taylor said.
Emily looked embarrassed.
"I know it's… um…" she trailed off awkwardly.
"Look, I know it's not the same, but I understand what it's like to have a power that's unpalatable, and lethal," Taylor said. "I have to be careful every time I hug my father, so I don't break him. My lab is the stuff of nightmares. It's different for everyone, and it doesn't make your experience any easier, but… no one is going to judge you, here, least of all me. No matter what, or who, you burn."
Emily nodded slowly, still staring at the fire.
"Now, let's try that again. Clearly, the gel doesn't ignite until it makes contact. Is there a limit to how much you can produce? Can you, like, bottle it, or anything?" Taylor asked.
"Uh… no, and no," Emily said. "I haven't ever hit a limit to how much I can… spit… but it always ignites as soon as it hits anything. I don't know if it even needs air. I tried to fill a canister for Lisa, last week, but it didn't… go well. So she got me the gas mask instead, with the release valve so I can spit without setting my face on fire by accident."
Taylor bit her lip as she considered.
Emily clearly had some kind of extremely selective Manton limitation. The gel didn't ignite inside her mouth, so it only became active after it exited her body. But, if just having Emily spit into a metal straw would work, Lisa would have already thought of it.
Taylor could guess how that 'went badly'.
But, if the explosive goo was still technically inside Spitfire's body…
They melted some more rocks while Taylor finalized her design plans in her head.
"I have an idea, but we'll need to go see Amy. You don't need to let her adjust you directly, but we're going to need some… creative… storage and firing mechanisms," Taylor mused.
Emily looked like she couldn't decide whether to be excited or nervous, which was fair.
…
Taylor stepped out of the Labyrinth and into Armsmaster's lab at the PHQ.
It looked much the same as her last visit, minus the active containment foam turrets.
This time, she was actually invited.
Not that anyone but Colin knew that.
"Are we secure?" Taylor asked.
Colin glanced up from his workbench.
"Yes. All security cameras and monitoring equipment in this room are temporarily disconnected for a routine software update," he said.
He could be lying, but he had no reason to. The lack of surveillance was for his benefit, not hers.
If this was a trap, so be it. She would kill him as a warning to others who thought to double cross her.
She didn't think it was, though. Colin hadn't benefited from their arrangement, yet. Taking down Lung didn't do much for his career, since he didn't exactly get credit. Plus, murder was generally frowned upon by the PRT.
What it did do, though, was solidify Hunter as the primary local threat.
Someone who Armsmaster could be seen to oppose.
"I come bearing gifts," Taylor said, setting a leather wrapped bundle and a long steel pole down in front of her ally of convenience.
Colin's eyes flicked up to hers warily before he carefully unrolled the padded organizer to reveal a variety of blood vials.
"I included a little bit of everything that isn't in extremely limited supply, along with a rapid injector," Taylor said. "The standard blood vials are fast acting, but only partially regenerate lost tissue. It's a bit inconsistent, but generally in a favorable direction. The blood vials regenerate organ tissue without too much difficulty, but not limbs. I was able to repair my lung after getting shot by Victor, for example, but my foot was a lost cause."
Colin picked up a vial and stared at the blood inside with a slightly hungry expression.
Excellent.
"That explains our test subject, then," he said idly. "The vial repaired the brain damage, but left minor scarring."
"Right. Now, the next solution that I haven't shared before is my regeneration vial. It's slower to act, but it fully regenerates damaged or missing tissue back to its natural state. It doesn't work well on old injuries, or wounds that have already been healed by the standard blood vials, but it's still extremely useful to keep around," Taylor explained. "I use an apparatus built into my prosthesis to keep a constant supply looping through my bloodstream. Since you aren't missing any convenient limbs, I've included a basic version of the device that you should be able to integrate into your armor somewhere."
Armsmaster carefully prodded at the metal contraption that combined her mobile harvesting, processing, and injecting apparatuses.
"You'll need one regeneration vial to kick start the process, but after that it will gather and consolidate your blood to fuel the interaction. I haven't had to replace the original vial, but my blood might be special, so you'll have to test it," Taylor said.
Colin looked like Christmas had come early. Maybe, in some ways, it had.
"And finally, my newest concoction. I can't take all the credit, though. Amy helped with this one," Taylor enjoyed the way Armsmaster twitched at the reminder that she'd stolen the heroes' healer. "It provides a minor regeneration effect similar to the previous vial, but its true purpose is to invigorate and restore the… vitality? Stamina? Of the user. It can act as a substitute for a few hours of sleep, a couple missed meals, and rapidly break down and process lactic acid to restore muscle functionality. It's more difficult to make, though, and I haven't found a way to infinitely cycle it without drastically diminishing returns."
"That will certainly be… helpful," Colin said after a moment, turning the vial over in his hands with a slightly manic intensity.
It felt good to talk about this stuff with someone who appreciated her work. It was one thing to ramble about it to Amy, but it wasn't the same.
Colin ran his gaze over the unrolled line of vials and took a deep breath before moving on, even if it seemed like he wanted to start tinkering with them right now.
She knew the feeling.
He picked up the eight foot long hollow metal cylinder and looked at her questioningly.
"I don't have a true weapon for you, yet," Taylor said with a shrug. "Plus, it wouldn't do any good for you to be seen obviously using my designs against anything except Endbringers. But, I know Lung destroyed your halberd, so I thought you might be making a new one. That's blood-forged steel, and nothing short of an Endbringer will so much as scratch it. It's also lighter than any mundane metal, so it shouldn't make the weapon unwieldy."
Colin idly tested the balance and checked for any warping while she talked.
"The other benefit, of course, is that it won't be cut by my silver sword. That could come in handy, for… reasons," Taylor said.
She sat down across from the leader of the local Protectorate and crossed her legs.
He sighed and put down the unfinished haft, eying her in silence for a long moment.
"We have decisions to make," she said eventually. Refusing to speak first might be a power move, but she didn't really care.
"Yes," Colin said neutrally. "The Director is working on a PR campaign to highlight you and your Hunt as the new and highly dangerous villain threat in Brockton Bay. Ironically, her goals are similar to ours, although with a slightly different flavor."
"She wants to capitalize on my lack of direct antagonism towards the PRT," Taylor nodded. "If I'm painted as a threat, and the heroes manage to 'contain' me, they come out looking stellar without actually doing anything."
"It's not necessarily ideal for us, but it's not a terrible plan. We could just go along with it, avoid direct conflicts, and work on building up our arsenal in the meantime," Colin said.
"That's all well and good, but it does little to deter other villains from causing problems, and I can't exactly deploy my Hunt in force without the Protectorate being forced to intervene. If my organization is visibly hunting the remnants of the gangs and the remaining villains, the Protectorate must be seen opposing me or the whole charade starts to fall apart," Taylor pointed out.
"The lack of direct conflict might also give out-of-town organizations the false impression that there's room to move in," Colin mused. "You can only fill the power vacuum if you are publicly active.
"And," Taylor smirked ever so slightly, "it does very little for the Protectorate leader's reputation if the highest praise available is limited to 'didn't get into any fights'. That may be the objectively ideal situation for the PRT and the general public, but what people need and what they want don't always line up. They like the sensationalism of cape conflicts."
"I'm assuming that you have a better idea, then?" Colin raised an eyebrow.
"Possibly," Taylor couldn't help but grin. "I was thinking about taking a page out of Lung's playbook, actually."
She saw the realization spark behind his eyes and her smile widened.
This was going to be fun.
…