Chapter 1: It All Starts with a Locker
Today was a horrible day.
For someone like Taylor Hebert, that seemed to be most days. Having a good day was a rare commodity. On those good days however, she could say that they were only moderately decent at best. But today was not one of those days. And although many days were bad for her, this may have just been the worst one yet.
"LET ME OUT!"
Her day has started off like normal. Go to school, avoid the trio, begrudgingly work through her classes, avoid the trio, go to lunch, avoid the trio, and her FAVORITE part of the day... avoid the trio. Although they hadn't bothered her much lately, it was instinctual for her. So she just went with the motions.
When you're subjected to constant bullying by three girls who are needlessly cruel and get off scott free because of their popularity, you tend to adjust your schedule to save your own skin. Of course, that hardly ever worked. They always found her. Each 'prank' was worse than the last, always escalating. Hell. Some of the other students would join in on the torment too. Probably to appeal to the girls. To Emma.
It wasn't like she could go to the school staff, either. She'd tried that already. It didn't work. They didn't help. Sure, they'd probably give Emma, Sophia, and Madison a scolding, along with their little posse, but they never took it to heart. Their actions got swept under the rug, and the next day it was back to suffering under their reign of terror.
At that point, Taylor had stopped going to them for help. It wouldn't do her any good. Nobody tried to help her - either because they were scared of the trio targeting them next, or because they saw it as a harmless prank. A fun little 'joke'.
This. This wasn't a joke.
*BANGBANGBANG!*
"P-PLEASE! LET ME OUT! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!"
They'd lured her into a false sense of security before this. They'd actually dropped their bullying act for the most of November leading into December. Taylor was initially suspicious about this, but internally was glad. Was she finally being given a break? She thought so. For the first time since she started high school, she felt that her school life could be somewhat bearable.
Winter break went by quick. Taylor had made the mistake of letting her guard down upon arriving at school. She should have known things were too good to be true, but was it so bad to hope?
When she came to her locker this morning, she was met with a horrifying sight. Her locker was filled to the brim with used tampons and sanitary pads. Blood stuck to the metal and maggots squirmed, followed by the rotting smell and scent of tangy metal. She'd emptied her breakfast the moment the scent filled her nostrils. That's when they struck. Sophia, the bitch, had shoved her into the locker and locked her inside.
She was stuck in a confined space, trash and refuse clinging to her clothes and hair. The smell was even worse with her vomit thrown into the mix. Something bit at her skin, likely a bug that worked its way inside the filth, but she was too scared to properly assess. Each breath she took made her eyes water and it took all her strength to not upchuck anything else, unless she wanted to make her current predicament even more vile.
She focused on screaming until her throat had gone hoarse, banging against the door, pleading for help. It was hard to breathe. Her stomach twisted painfully, filling her with nausea. Her panic continued to fester, mounted with raw, white hot rage at the laughter and jeers from outside the locker.
Nobody was going to help her. No matter how hard she pleaded. But it was all she could do.
'Why me?' her thoughts ran rampant, her glasses growing foggy from her heavy breaths and tears. What did she do to deserve this? She didn't do anything. She never understood why Emma had switched up on her; she supposed friends drifted apart after the years, but this? This was too cruel.
She hated Emma. She hated Sophia. She hated Madison. She hated all the jerks that followed their every whim like sheep, adding to her torment. How she wished she could dish out twice the punishment that they dealt to her. But she couldn't. She was weak. Despite her fury, she knew she couldn't do anything.
For once. Just once, she just wished someone would help her. One person in this shithole.
'Please...'
Taylor, so caught up in her emotions, didn't register the commotion outside. It was only when she felt the door shudder from the other side that she was snapped out of her deteriorating mental state. Her eyes snapped open wide and the brief spark of hope fluttered in her chest. She latched onto it like a lifeline and kept pushing against the door.
"H-HELP! Get me out! They forced me in here-!"
She pounded harder. She saw a silhouette through the grills on the locker door. As she punched the door, it shuddered again from the other side as she felt them tug at it. There was a cursed of frustration, but Taylor didn't care. She did anything she could to help quicken her escape.
That hope in her chest, that desperation pushed her forward. A warm sensation spread throughout her body.. and she grit. her. teeth. She felt reinvigorated, as the door began to break. The action was almost instinctual; where before she had no hope of getting out, now she felt like she could. So she kept pushing. Her combined efforts with the person on the other side finally proved fruitful.
*BANG!!*
The door was wrenched out open with a violent screech, torn off it's hinges. Taylor yelped and tipped forward, her efforts in pushing against the door and it's sudden opening off shooting her momentum and sending her sprawling. The trash and refuse tumbled out due to her fumbling, and she fell into a pair of firm arms.
"I got you."
Taylor blinked past the tears, looking up towards her apparent savior. Her brain paused as she locked eyes with the young man; who she recognized. The boy that did a front flip over her at the school entrance after almost crashing into her. She wasn't paying much attention at the time, mostly due to the shock, but now she got a real good look at him.
He was a tall young man, standing at a solid six foot one, and appeared to be of mixed descent. If Taylor had to wager a guess, he was African-American and Asian, judging purely by his facial features alone.
He had dark skin and thin lips, with a small nose and expressive black eyes. His hair could only be described as "unruly". A mess of spikey dark locks that appeared to be a dark blue but were dark enough to pass off as black. He wore a simple blue leather jacket with a grey under shirt that depicted a band called... 'ONE OK ROCK', she thinks. She didn't really know. Denim jeans and black sneakers with red laces.
The most eye-catching thing about him was the pair of goggles fastened over his head and the odd looking drill-shaped necklace dangling around his neck. Taylor found her gaze momentarily fixated on the drill. It was probably her imagination, but she could have sworn that it flashed green for a moment.
Really, aside from those two things and his hair, there was nothing noteworthy about him. He came off as a bit loud and abrasive upon his introduction, and was quick to hit it off well with the other students. It appeared as though Winslow would have another popular kid. Another person to add to her list of tormentors. That's what Taylor thought, at least.
She didn't expect him to be the one to pull her out of that... that locker.
In a moment of vulnerability, Taylor broke down crying. The stress far too much for her to handle, followed by her overwhelming emotions, all she could do was cry. She felt the boy pat her back comfortingly as she broke down in front of everyone. He didn't seem to care about the blood and muck sticking to him. Or the smell.
She wanted to go home. She didn't want to be here anymore.
X-X-X-X-X-X
A Few Hours Prior...
The Giha Estate.
I awoke to the lyrics of Journey through the Decade from Kamen Rider Decade blaring in my ears. The personal alarm that I'd set ever since I'd woken up in this, and I'm going to be frank when I say this, shithole. Yes. Woke up. As in I wasn't here initially. At least the current me, anyways.
I won't go into the specifics and drone on about isekais and transmigrations, just know that my badass self had awoken in the body of my alternate counterpart in what could only be described as hell on Earth... Bet. Heh.
I stared at the ceiling and groaned, tiredly palming my face to muffle my dismay. I hated mornings so much, man. But I couldn't stay in bed forever. I had to get ready for my first day of school. Which would be fun. Probably. School usually sucked, but you had to be positive about these things.
I sat up, my mattress creaking under my weight as I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, yawning in my hand. I checked my clock. It was currently five in the morning, I usually woke up early around this time. I'd say I conditioned myself through training, but really, I used to wake up at five due to night terrors. They went away as I got older, but I just got used to waking up at this time.
I took a cold shower to wake myself up, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and went out for my morning jog. Which involved me running through the Boardwalk and back to my house. Winter break had finally finished, so it was chilly outside. My breath formed into frost with every exhale as I passed by the beach and port of the bay.
This was my routine. Get up, get dressed, run through the neighborhood, head back home, prepare breakfast, then get ready for the day. I'd take a minute to take in the view of the horizon, watching as the sun rose past the endless waters, casting it's radiance across the city, letting the crisp morning breeze lick at my skin. This also gave me time to think.
Brockton Bay. The best way I could describe this place was the city of conflict. Why was that? Because we had superheroes and supervillains. Parahumans and capes. It didn't help that our city was in the top 10 in the US for having the most parahumans, and the supervillains typically had the numbers and resources advantage over everything.
Normally you'd think that's cool and all, but that's only until you realize that this place, and by extension, the rest of the world, was completely loco coco. I'm genuinely surprised this place was a complete and total warzone.
I'm serious about all this, by the way. They made my world seem like nirvana in comparison, and my version of Earth was pretty shitty on it's own. When I woke up on Earth Bet, first, I was shocked, because I had absolutely no idea where the hell I even was, and then, as I accimilated to this place, that shock and awe evolved into dread, horror, and disappointment.
Sure, the superpowers were cool. Until you realized they were unlocked from trauma. Sure, the heroes were cool until you learned most of them tended to be morally grey; with only a good handful fitting the bill of putting the hero in superhero. And then there were the Endbringers. I could only describe them as natural disasters given physical form. Creatures of pure, wanton destruction and chaos.
They had no true goal beyond causing destruction. Their appearances were sporadic. But when they appeared, you knew shit got real. They were so bad that it was practically mandatory for heroes and villains alike to hold a temporary ceasefire to drive them off.
Because it didn't matter them. It didn't matter if you were young or old. Sick or healthy. Good or bad. Hero or villain. We were mere obstacles in their playground that got toppled over during their rampages. The thought of them sent a tingle up my spine.
Oh. And don't get me started on the fact that my city has Nazis. Yes. Nazis. As if things couldn't get any worse. If you were to tell me Hitler came back from the dead the goal of global domination through the use of roided our pit bulls with laser eyes I probably wouldn't even bat an eye.
Yeah, Brockton Bay wasn't the nicest place to live in. So to say that at first I feared for my life was an understatement. It was the reason for my old night terrors as well. But I got over it, because I'd realized I didn't arrive here empty-handed.
Through some blessing by some otherworldly force, I'd been gifted power. Power beyond my wildest dreams.
Briefly, I held out my hand and exhaled, digging deep within myself and smiling as a soothing warmth spread over my body. Sparkles crackled over my palm, burning with a fiery emerald green that twinkled like miniature stars. Even with this miniscule amount that I'd exerted, I could feel the raw, untamed energy of the universe buzzing at my fingertips.
The power of evolution and progression - Spiral Power. Limitless potential at my beck and call. It was a source of energy from an old show I watched on my old Earth called Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann; following the adventures of a shy boy from an underground village, who eventually became a man, rallying allies on the surface as they fought against foes that threatened to oppressive them and strip them of their freedom. With kickass mechas, hot-blooded machismo and fighting spirit, and a giant ass drill, they pierced through the heavens and beyond, going as far as to clash with godlike beings in a battle of epic, over-the-top nonsensical proportions!
And I had that power.
When I realized this, it was a wake up call. I couldn't sit around twiddling my thumbs and whining like a bitch. This world was a hellhole for sure, but did that mean I should keel over and let it trample all over me?! HELL NO! I need to grit my teeth and break past all of it, damn it!
Simon, Kamina, and the Dai-Gurren team's struggles and victories had inspired me and uplifted me in my lowest of lows before I ended up here. And if they could surpass all those odds and make the impossible possible, then so could I!
So I got my shit together.
That was what stirred the desire in me to become a hero. Cape. Whatever. And shit, the world was in desperate need of one. This wasn't some Messiah complex kicking in or anything, it was just... straight facts. Earth Bet was quite frankly depressing, and was balancing itself on a tightrope.
Really, did you expect a world where people gained supernatural powers through traumatic experiences to be anything BUT unstable? Because if you thought otherwise, you're straight up delusional. But it's good to be hopeful.
I wouldn't deny that there were genuinely good people that wanted to help and make a difference. I had no doubt that there were people with sincere and noble intentions, but the world was often cruel - this one especially. And some would crack under the pressure.
Would I crack under the pressure? Who knows. The cape business isn't easy. It's life-threatening. It can be overwhelming. You're under the scrutiny of the government and the public eye. One wrong move could lead to your downfall. But I had to try. I didn't have a death wish, but it felt wrong to sit on the sidelines and let all this bad stuff happen.
And Momma ain't raise no bitch.
The issue with my little plan to become a cape, though, was spotty. I'd only unlocked my Spiral Power a few months ago after a mugging attempt by a druggie. I was still learning how to harness and control it. My first real success was creating my own little Core Drill like Simon's, it was a bit longer and thinner, and the drill itself was black in coloration instead of gold. But I still made one!
I wouldn't be entering the cape scene just yet. Wasn't ready. And I had to weigh my options. But that didn't matter. I had more pressing matters to worry about... namely high school.
Yippee.
After taking in the scenery, I hurried back home to start making breakfast. I went with something simple. Bacon, eggs, and toast. I made enough for two and placed the second plate in the microwave. Then I started to boil some water for some tea. While the water began to boil in the kettle, I walked into the living room and turned on the television, pulling a case from under the shelf. I pulled it open to reveal several blu ray sets of varying Tokusatsu media.
I pulled out a set for Kamen Rider OOO, placed the DVD in the DVD player, and let the episodes run in the background. The kettle began to hiss, and I stood up to turn off the stove, preparing the tea with practiced ease.
I worked in silence, setting one of the cups next to the microwave while taking my own cup and plate and walking over to the couch to watch OOO while I had my breakfast. Shockingly enough, Earth Bet didn't have Tokusatsu. Actually, that'd be wrong, they did, but it was basically an offbrand version of the various franchises that came from the genre, such as Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Godzilla to name a few. Yes. Godzilla counted as Tokusatsu. At least the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium Era counted, since they used suits to film their movies.
I was disappointed. They were actually pretty good. But they'd fallen out of popularity with the rise of parahumans and real life superheroes, effectively considered 'ancient'. The stuff I was familiar with, such as Kamen Rider, came from our neighboring parallel Earth, Earth Aleph. Which was essentially the closest thing to my original Earth. Naturally, I saved up money to get that stuff. Had to satisfy my desire for Tokusatsu media. I was a nerd and had no shame in it.
Still wild we had contact with alternate Earths, though. Much less knew of them.
An incoherent groan made me perk up, and I peered over the couch to see my older sister walk downstairs. She was a young woman in her early-to-mid 20s with dark reddish-brown hair and a dark complexion like one, though you could argue that she was a shade lighter, with a round heart-shaped face, button nose, thin lips, and black eyes. And her name was Aoko Giha.
Kinda ironic, considering her hair color.
"Mornin'..." she gargled tiredly, shambling through the house like a walking corpse.
"Food is in the microwave. Your tea should be cool by now."
"Thank yew..."
I huffed with a chuckle, shaking my head. We lived on our own. Our parents had died tragically in an Endbringer attack, so it was up to Aoko to take care of me during my younger years. She was constantly switching between jobs to make ends up, but had managed to score a solid job at a medical clinic here in Brockton Bay; which was the main reason we were even here in the first place.
That, and the rent was cheap. Managed to snag ourselves a nice house in Downtown. It was close to the school I was heading to as well, which was mainly why I had enrolled there. Despite the dangers Brockton Bay held, we kept to ourselves and managed to live a moderately peaceful life.
Aoko was always working hard for me and constantly working overtime. At those hours, I didn't particularly like it, considering the rampant gangs that would occasionally patrol the area, but I trusted her to handle herself.
She plopped down onto the couch right next to me, and we ate in silence for a while before speaking up. "Excited for school?"
I shrugged. "Eh. Not really," I answered honestly, scratching my chin. "I've heard that Winslow is like one of those ghetto schools, hotspot for potential gang recruitments."
I feel like I was understating it. I did some research a few months prior, and Winslow seemed more like a prison than a school. Which was all sorts of... er, off. I'd brought this up to Aoko before. There WAS another school, Arcadia, which was objectively the better school, but getting admission into that school was... pricey, and way out of our paygrade.
Coupled with the fact that everyone wanted their kids to go there, and, well, it made things significantly harder.
Only way I was going to get into Arcadia was to thug it out for about half the year, make sure my grades were exceptional enough for them to let me slip on by for next semester.
For now, I'd remain reserved about it. I hadn't even gone to Winslow yet. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad?
Aoko grimaced, pausing mid-bite into her toast. "... Right. Well, I know you aren't going to affiliate yourself with those junkies, but still." she glanced at me with a frown. "Try not to cause too much trouble. It might not be the most ideal school, but you could make some actual friends here."
She leaned back against the couch, sighing tiredly. "I've robbed you of that chance a lot because of our constant moving..."
"I don't blame you for any of that. You had to do what you had to do." I frowned.
"I still feel bad about it."
I stared at the TV blankly, watching as Eiji Hino transforms into Kamen Rider OOO for the first time. For me, I'd already watched this scene several times over; but it was still enjoyable. Huffing, I smirked and thumbed my chest confidently. "There's no helping it, I guess. If it'll get you to stop worrying, I'll just befriend the whole damn school!"
Aoko snorted, coughing her mouth with her fist. I frowned. "Oi. You don't get to laugh after a manly declaration like that! You're supposed to agree with me or something!"
"I-I'm not laughing AT you, just-" Aoko sighed softly, a warm smile gracing her delicate fearures. "-you remind me a lot of Dad. I guess I should've expected that, but still. You're really growing up, huh...?"
I blinked and avered my gaze, frowning. The Old Man... he was a real man alright. He was big, strong, always had a big grin on his face and people seemed to gravitate towards him. You'd never expect for him to kick the bucket, but then, that sentiment goes for most people you're close to. You often take life for granted. You never know when the person you love will be taken away.
While this may not have been my original home, I'm still me. This is still my family. The dynamic will never be the same with Mom and Dad gone, but life doesn't wait for no one, even if you're grieving. You have to grit your teeth and keep moving forward. Yeah. Things have been pretty rough, but I wouldn't let it bother me.
"With the Old Man gone, someone has to be the man of the house," I muttered calmly, looking Aoko in the eyes. "So I have to step up. And you've done a lot for me to get this far. So the least I can do make you happy, right?"
I have to protect what little family I've got left. And the first step to that is becoming a proper hero. Brockton Bay was a complete and utter shithole, but it didn't have to be. One good act can go a long way. And while I can't guarantee that I can save everyone here, that shouldn't stop me from trying to make this city a better place.
Not just for Aoko, but for others too.
"Idiot."
I blinked. 'Ah?'
Aoko wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a side-hug, pressing my face against her bosom. I furrowed my brows, tilting my eyes up to look her in the eyes for an answer, only to find that her eyes were closed, a content smile on her face.
"You being my dorky little brother already makes me happy." she whispered softly.
I bit my tongue and withheld a reply, instead closing my eyes and leaning into the embrace. This was nice.
...
"Wait, what time is it?"
Aoko blinked and fumbled around, searching for her phone. She found it and checked the time.
We stared.
7:40 AM.
...
"SHIT!"
Aoko and I tried leaping off the couch in unison, but since we were still huddled up, we only managed to tumble onto the floor with a violent crash in a tangled mess of limbs. Unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of simply lying there in pain. We were late for work and school respectively, which meant we need to hurry up.
"I already made you lunch ahead of time for school, it's in the fridge!"
"Got it!"
"Do you need me to drive you to school?!"
"I'll take the bike!"
The house was a flurry of chaos; which was honestly normal for us Giha. I got dressed properly, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and stumbling towards the front door as I slipped my sneakers on.
"Nikko!"
I whirled around and instinctively held up my hand, feeling a familiar weight land directly in my palm. I gripped the item and eyed it. It was a thick pair of black goggles with pale red lenses. The corner of my lips curved upwards.
Dad's goggles.
"Thanks!" I nodded as Aoko rushed past me in her nurse uniform, I burst out the door a second after she did. While she ran towards her car, a red 2008 honda accord; I bolted towards the bike leaned up against the garage door and mounted it.
Something inside me twisted. A motorcycle would have been so much cooler than this.
The car's engines roared and Aoko poked her head out of the window. "Knock 'em dead! Love you!"
"Love you too!"
I watched her pull out the driveway and drive off for a moment before taking in a deep breath and slapping my face. "No time to dawdle! WE'RE GOING FULL THROTTLE!"
Fastening my goggles onto my face, I slammed my feet on the pedals and went in the opposite direction. I was absolutely confident that I could make it to school on time if I hauled ass. Winslow High was about an hour and a half away from my house in walking distance. I should cut that time in half with my bike.
A bead of sweat rolled down my chin and I looked around, narrowing my eyes. At the speed I was rolling, I'd get there in my 15 minutes. But that was a little to long for my liking.
'I need to be faster.' which was easier said than done. This was my current limit unless I really pushed myself.
I found myself smirking. Ah, what the hell. Limits? I don't have those! This could serve as good practice, anyways. And if I did this right, I'd make it to Winslow in... 5 minutes tops.
I took in a deep breath and focused. My eyes were set on the rode ahead of me. But I wasn't really all there - rather, I wasn't specifically focused on the road, and moreso giving it enough attention as to not crash into anything. What I was focused on was within.
Spiral Power was a finicky thing. I learned that you couldn't just force it out. It wasn't something to force or bend to your will. Spiral Power was the embodiment of growth, progression, and life above all else. Freedom went hand in hand with that concept. Spiral Power was free; and therefore you simply could not exert it effortlessly. At least, not at the base level.
It functioned on belief, conviction, and will. If you didn't believe in yourself; or at the very least what you believe in, what was the point? If you had no conviction to stand by your ideals, why stand in the first place? If you didn't have the will and grit to stand against opposition, you might as well give up.
You needed to have at least one of those things down pact to conjure Spiral Power.
For me? I wanted to go faster. I was determined to not be late. This was a fresh start. Something that I couldn't screw up under any circumstances. Didn't matter if Winslow was a shitty school or not! You either give it your 100% or none at all!
So I willed it into existence.
A comforting warmth bloomed in my chest and spread throughout my body. I grinned softly. My body felt stronger, it felt energized; like I'd downed five sets of coffee in one sitting. I felt like I was on top of the world! And that was Spiral Power! Using my force of will to reinforce my body. My sight became sharper and I was more aware of my surroundings.
Now stronger and faster, I put the pedal to the metal and rocketed down the street with newfound speed. I couldn't help myself from letting out an excited holler. This was awesome! Overall a successful use of my newfound abilities. And I was using it in a fun way!
I managed to reach Winslow in under five minutes. Far faster than I would have normally. I could see students still pouring into the school. Some of them were hanging around outside and talking to each other. They had time to kill before class started anyways. No problem with that.
I started to slow down, cutting off the flow of Spiral Power coursing through my veins. There was a sense of disappointment, not from me, but the power itself almost. But alas, it had to be. For one, I didn't want to expose myself as a parahuman in front of the entire student body, and two, I was THIS CLOSE TO RAMMINGINTOAPOLE!
"CRAPBASKETS!" I barked, swerving to the side and narrowly avoiding a headlong collision. My problems didn't end there, though. Just up ahead, I saw a tall girl with long, messy brown hair making her way towards the school entrance in a hurry. She looked like she was trying to curl in on herself and not attract any attention.
... so much for that.
"MOVE OUTTA THE WAY!"
She jumped in fright, whirling around and freezing like a deer in headlights. Her eyes locked with mine, wide with horror. She wasn't moving. I bit back a curse and improvised. Twisting to the right, I pushed off the bike I leapt over her. I was athletic to be sure, but normally I wouldn't be able to make such a long jump without reinforcing myself with Spiral Power. Especially with a girl as tall as her.
Thankfully, I had my rampaging bike as leverage. I sailed over her head as my bike zipped past her and bumped against the railing of the staircase and clattering to the floor. That just left me. I curled my body in on myself briefly, flipping through the air like a cannonball before shooting my legs out and catching myself on the bottom of the stairwell.
I nearly tripped up. However, being the natural badass that I was, I quickly corrected my positioning and stood ramrod straight until I regained my balance.
"...phew! That was close..." I sighed in relief, placing a hand on my racing heart. Then I blinked.
Everyone was staring at me.
Ah.
...
"Nice weather we're having?"
X-X-X-X-X-X
The school bell rang and I let out a sigh, scratching the back of my head as I stepped out of my history class. Grand entrance aside, Winslow really was a prison inside and out. Or well, it gave off the vibe of one. Like something straight outta Beyond Scared Straight. As I walked through the halls, I could see various students wearing gang colors. Predominantly red and green - the colors of the Azn Bad Boys, otherwise referred to as the ABB, along with some other small time gangs around town.
Like I said, it was a breeding ground for gang recruitments. The only saving grace was that no shootouts have happened, but it got close. I saw a few kids beefing outside, but they were mainly instigating. None of them had the gall to attack the other; so I didn't interfere. Especially since a teacher broke them up about five minutes later.
It was no wonder parents wanted to send their kids to Arcadia instead. This wasn't the sort of environment a kid should be placed, especially when we're still at the age of, y'know, developing. Probably why the gangs have so many numbers to begin with. It was sad to see. You'd think to solve the issue, the police would get involved, but not only were there corrupt officers in the force - as expected - due to the rise of parahumans and the foundation of the PRT, they became... lackadaisical.
In other words, they didn't really give much of a damn. It wasn't like they could do much in the event a parahuman is associated with the gangs and decides to tussle.
And the PRT isn't much better. I don't hate them or anything, they do their job, and I can say with confidence they do their best, but they don't really seem to focus on street level stuff. At least around the boonies. They're moreso focused on the big cape fights and actual threats. But by neglecting the smaller towns, you're just leaving them to the wolves.
It left a bad taste in mouth. Made me appreciate street heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil a lot more. Also made me wish I woke up in Marvel or DC instead, but beggers can't be choosers.
The students were nice enough. I got a lot of questions asked by my class; like where I from, if I liked any sports, if I had a favorite superhero, things like that. I answered to the best of my ability with equal energy. No grandiose speech, though. I already attracted enough attention with that stunt outside the school already...
I perked up at the sound of banging, followed by several 'ooh's from the crowd of students that I... hadn't even noticed form. There was a round of condescending snickers and laughter from some of the students.
"The Trio is at it again..."
"They don't give up, do they?"
"I almost feel bad for her..."
"Nah, I wouldn't worry. She must've done SOMETHING to get their attention. Probably pissed Sophia off or something."
I maneuvered through the crowd with a frown, my face twisting in confusionr. I muttered quiet apologies when I bumped into someone or stepped on their shoes on accident. I eventually reached the head of the crowd, eyeing a locker door with a sticker of one of the Triumvirate, Alexandria, plastered on the door.
"LET ME OUT!"
Someone was in there, much to my shock.
"What the hell is going on?" I felt myself blurt out before I could catch myself.
"Hebert got shoved in that locker there by the Trio." a blonde haired jock chuckled, smirking. "Just... damn. Didn't think they'd go that far."
Who the hell is the Trio? And why would they throw someone in the locker?
I looked around, eyeing the faces of the crowd. Someone chuckling and smirking, while others were adverse to the situation and clearly looked uncomfortable, but made no move to step out and call out any of this. Off to the side, I saw three girls. A short girl with brown air, a tall athletic African-American girl with braids, and a curvaceous red-head. All three of them were exchanging satisfied smirks.
I noticed something darker behind those smiles.
"P-PLEASE! LET ME OUT! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!"
Why was nobody helping her?
I felt a distant hum. I looked down to see my Core Drill dimly glowing. It wasn't bright enough to catch the attention of anyone else's gaze, but I could feel it. Sense it. It was reacting to Spiral Power. I found my gaze trailing towards the locker, where a girl desperately pleaded for help.
It was faint. But I can feel it, just a bit. From this proximity, anyways. The faintest trace of Spiral Power.
I didn't care about that revelation, though. Someone needed help, so I was going to help them.
I pushed past the crowd of students and rushed towards the locker, sliding in front of the door and pulling at it. It didn't budge, naturally. There was a lull in the frantic hanging from inside, before it picked up in fervor.
"H-HELP! THEY LOCKED ME IN HERE! GET ME OUT!"
The Core Drill flashed brighter this time. I narrowed my eyes.
I eyed the locker and noted a lock on it, just like everyone else. It was those type of locks where you needed to put in a code to take it off and open the door. Padlock. I didn't know the combination, though. I briefly tried tugging at the door again, my frustration mounting as I punched the locker next to it.
Fucking...! Okay. Screw it.
I eyed the lock and made a show of frantically messing with the combination lock. But I wasn't doing anything of the sort. On the sly, I channeled Spiral Power into my hands and gripped the lock, crushing it under my reinforced grip and tearing off before tossing it to the side. With that inhibition out the way, I grabbed the door handle.
'Get her out.' that was all my mind focused on, gripping the handle hard enough to warp the metal as I grit. my. TEETH!
There was a loud 'BANG' as a slam from within collided with the door just as I swung it open; followed by the grating sound of scraping metal. I withheld a grimace as the door was torn completely off of it's hinges. That was the least of my worries.
"Urgh...!" I grimaced at the putrid smell that came from the locker. It was filled with trash, blood, and various maggots and other bugs that buzzed out. Then a girl fell out.
Instinctively I caught her in my arms. Her clothes were covered in blood and trash, and sweat clung to her hair. She was covered in the stuff, and the smell followed her. My eyes briefly watered before I blinked the tears away and focused.
'...wait a minute.'
As the she looked up, I locked eyes with a Caucasian girl with pale white skin and a roundish face - freckles dotting her cheeks. She had big green eyes with a pair of round glasses and her messy was long and unruly. It was the type of hair that, even if it were to be brushed and combed, it'd retain the same messy consistency.
This was the girl I nearly crashed into at the entrance.
I blinked in surprise before offering words of assurance and a determined frown. "I've got you."
She stared at me in shock, and then her gaze drifted to the Core Drill. I swallowed a lump on my throat as the drill flashed once more before finally going dark. I felt her shiver in my arms before she finally broke and started bawling her eyes out into my shirt.
I rubbed circles around her back in an effort to comfort her. All the while, I stood there in silent contemplation. The silence in the hall was deafening and the tension thick. Taylor suddenly stopped crying and paused, a spike of worry shot through me as I looked down at her.
Ah. She was still breathing. Just passed out. That was understandable.
I tucked my arms under her legs and lifted her up into a bridal carry, my gaze sweeping the crowd. "Where's the nurse's office."
It wasn't a question. It was a demand.
A bunch of students shuffled awkwardly, or kept silent. My face twitched, threatening to break out into a scowl until a pale hand shot up from the back of the ground. A short figure pushed through, revealing a short term that was almost mousy-like. He was a pasty-white, almost like snow, thin as a toothpick, with blonde hair styled in a bowl cut that felt like it would have fit the aesthetuc of a 90s highschool movie than the current 2000s; dressed in a baggy black hoodie, blue jeans, and white sneakers.
"I know where the nurse's office is! I can show you," he spoke up earnestly, his face scrunching up in determination.
I attributed the look to a golden retriever trying to look stern.
Grinning, I nodded. "Alright, lead the way!"
He nodded frantically and stumbled over his feet, bursting through the crowd. I eyed them sternly as I walked past them and followed the scrambling blonde. "The hell are you guys staring for? Go back to what you were doing."
There was a spark of hesitation before the crowd began to dissipate. I felt a pair of eyes boring into me, but I ignored it in favor of finding the nurse's office in order to get this girl the help she needed. I noted that this kid seemed to have a bad sense of awareness, from how he looked to nearly bump into every little thing, from lockers, doors, walls, and trash cans. It certainly didn't help that we were in a rush.
The nurse's office was up ahead. I didn't bother to lock up at the sign before we burst inside. A short of alarm brought the nurse to attention. She was a slightly overweight African-American woman with her hair styled in a ponytail. The blonde nearly tripped over his feet again. "Ms. Tori, we've got a problem!"
The woman sighed. "Greg, for the love everything holy, please don't tell me you aggravated another--OH MY LORD!?"
She saw the girl in my arms.
"Hi, can you call the paramedics?" I spoke in a fast string of words, my lips peeling back into a tight frown. "I don't know how long she was in there, but someone threw her into a locker filled with used up tampons, trash, and other shit I couldn't identify."
The nurse, or Ms. Tori, as I came to find out, was already in the process of dialing them by the time I finished speaking. I nodded in satisfaction and went to set the girl down on one of the beds. Ms. Tori sighed and set her phone down, rushing over to check on the girl and bringing a bag of wipes in effort to at least clean her up. "They're on their way. Lord, what happened to you, Taylor...?"
So that's her name. Taylor. The jock referres to her as "Hebert", so that must be her last name. Taylor Hebert.
It's a nice name.
"It was The Trio again. I mean, I didn't see it for myself, I kinda only saw the aftermath of everything, y'know, but everyone was watching on and apparently Sophia pushed her inside and they locked her in there-" this kid, Greg, has quite the motormouth.
I placed a hand on Greg's head to shut him up, staring at Tori. "Is it always like this? Cruel pranks like this?"
Tori's frown pretty much gave me all the answers I've needed. "You're new here, I assume?"
"Today's my first day."
"Well, kid, welcome to Winslow." Tori quipped, but there was no humor in her tone or eyes. "Those girls... they would usually play pranks on Taylor, tripping her feet, pulling her hair, dumping water over her head. That's only to name a few of the things they've done. I let her hide away here on occasion to escape the stress, but as you're probably aware, that didn't deter them."
"But to pull a stunt like this...? This is going too far."
"I'm guessing the staff are being useless sacs of shit." I bitterly remarked, before blinking and grinning sheepishly. "Except you, of course."
Tori snorted in amusement, wiping the muck and grime off Taylor's face. "How charming. Yes, there is a certain... bias amongst the teachers and principal. Believe me, Taylor has went to them several times already. The best that's happened was those girls getting let off with a warning. Nothing ever comes of it, so she just stopped and took it."
I narrowed my eyes. That was an easy ticket to getting sued. I had to assume there was something else at play here - why wouldn't Taylor's parents sue them? Either her home life was very neglectful, or she didn't tell them about what's been going on at school. Both are plausible, and I don't know anything about the girl, so I couldn't make baseless assumptions off of anything.
The best course of action would be to sue the school or those girls, and then enroll Taylor into another shit. But who knew how long that could take with the bullshit legal system. This made avenues pretty slim, which was frustrating to think about. And I was still making assumptions trying to piece things together.
My eyes focused on Taylor, and I sighed through my nose.
... well. There was only one option to do now. If this girl was subject to a whole lot of bullying, then there was only one thing I could do - and that was look out for her. It's what a man would do, right? My parents would do the same thing if they were in my shoes right now.
I didn't have an obligation to do this. But most heroes don't start out with an obligation. Sure, some have a sense of justice or a goal that pushes them forward, but they have that one thing in common that sets them apart from the rest.
True heroes help anyone and everyone, even when they don't need to. Or at least, that's what I want to believe. So I'm going to help this girl out first and foremost. You gotta start small in the road to being a hero, after all.
... haah, guess I'm playing the role of white knight. There's absolutely no way things can go wrong!
...
Things could, in fact, go wrong. I simply didn't realize it until I was knee-deep into this shithole.
A/N.
I have this little disease called creativity. It can somehow be VERY helpful unlike most diseases, but on the other hand, it's a detriment because I can be TOO creative~!
In short, I have too many ideas and I can't focus on anything unless I write them out. So here we are.
I've been fixated on Worm for a while, I like the charactes and concept of the world itself. I wanted to write a Worm fic for a while but didn't have the courage to because I was afraid of not doing the characters justice and creating SLOP.
But like Nikko said, Momma ain't raise no bitch!
This was inspired by How to Drill Your Way Through Your Problems. Another SI Worm/TTGL fic that unfortunately went away too soon. I NOW RESOLVE TO PICK UP THE TORCH~! Go read it. Its on Spacebattles.
So now we're here. Updates won't be super fast, since most of my knowledge of Worm has been gleamed through fanfiction and the wiki. I am currently reading through the actual series as of typing this, because I don't like going into these things half-cocked with pure fanon. And there are a LOT of characters. So I have my work cut out for me. But I wish to devour the meal Wildbow laid out, so I will do just that.
I'm in your care, Worm community! I hope you stick with me for this journey. I have a lot of ideas, it's only a matter of executing them properly. Feel free to correct me if I make a continuity error or mistake, just don't be toxic about it. We're all friends here. :)
Hell! PM me if you wanna discuss stuff. I'm all ears. Anything to make this enjoyable for everyone - and myself -!
This is getting pretty long, so I'll be wrapping stuff up. To clarify, Nikko has no knowledge of Worm itself, so he's going in blind. Yes, he's an altruistic goober and dumbass, expect him to saturate this grimdark world in munchkinry. Yes, Taylor didn't trigger.Yes, she DID awaken her own Spiral Power. That'll be expanded upon later.
Was giving Spiral Power to the Queen of Escalation a bad idea? Probably. Will Nikko be enabling this? Certainly! Is Brockton Bay cooked?
... rain check on that.