Providence 11.1
Taylor kept her cannon trained on the largest group of mercenaries and her pistol aimed at the agent beside the console.
Her Mastered thralls guarded Dinah and Lisa, respectively.
The air was charged in the underground control room. Any unfortunately timed spark of violence could set off an explosion that would leave a sea of bleeding bodies.
But Dinah said it wouldn't, if they did this right.
Taylor was willing to give the unusual child the benefit of the doubt, for now.
She may not know Dinah Alcott personally, yet, but in a way, part of her felt like she already did. The diminutive precog had already seen countless futures and interactions. She knew what Taylor was going to say before she said it, and she knew how to get what she needed. There was a strange kind of trust that was required, when that sort of power was in play. Suspicion was, at best, useless, and at worse, debilitating.
Besides, Dinah had set her on this path. Taylor couldn't exactly fault her for it, when she now had so much that she never even thought to ask for.
Like she told Amy, she wouldn't trade this road of freedom and blood for a painless life.
"Woo!" Lisa cheered suddenly from the console, leaning back and spinning in the comfortable-looking desk chair. "That's why they pay me the big bucks. You are paying me, right?"
Taylor ignored her and looked to Dinah.
Her serious expression and cold eyes looked out of place on her face, framed with straight brown hair that reached just below her shoulders. The colorful pajamas also clashed with the severity of the situation.
Dinah nodded.
"Gentlemen," Taylor called with a confidence that was only slightly forced. "Your former boss was more than willing to throw your lives away to spite me, and I could have easily left you to your fate. I'm not asking for a 'thank you', but I'd like to think I've earned a few minutes of your time."
The silence stretched, so Taylor continued.
"The Hunt now controls Coil's assets. None of you have the ability to kill me, and doing so wouldn't get you any closer to being compensated for your efforts."
Taylor saw one of the mercenaries' fingers tighten around his gun barrel. She heard his heart rate quicken and tracked the trajectory of his Tinkertech laser rifle.
She tilted her head sideways just before he fired, letting the white-blue laser pass right next to her left ear and sear a blackened crater into the wall behind her.
Then she shot him in the head with her pistol.
The gunshot echoed deafeningly in the confined space, but no one else fired on her as the corpse fell bonelessly to the floor.
Taylor let the beast enter her voice, her words scraping over the walls.
"That… is certainly one option you could take," Taylor gestured to the now headless body with her gun. "I like to think I have a better offer."
The silence was even heavier now, but she continued nonetheless.
"You can walk away, and I will not hunt you. Leave; wander aimlessly in the vain hope that your next employer is not so foolish. Or… you can work for me. I find myself in need of competent assistance, and I am willing to pay out your previous contracts for comparative work," Taylor said levelly. "With the untimely demise of Kaiser, Lung, and Coil, we have the opportunity to unite Brockton Bay's criminal elements and hold them, for the first time in decades."
Taylor slowly lowered her cannon and began to walk between the men.
"I may be strong, but I can't be everywhere. I need soldiers to execute my plans, protect my interests. In return for your work, and your loyalty, I can offer you wonders available to no one else."
She was definitely playing it up, but it was necessary. She wanted foot-soldiers to help realize her plans. It hadn't occurred to her until after her meeting with Colin, but she didn't currently have the means to hold the Bay's underworld, even if she had the power to claim it.
"I'll pay you, of course, but that's just so… boring. Does your mother have arthritis? Cancer? Heart problems? I can fix it. Do you want to be stronger, faster, better? I can enhance you. Do you want to fly, toss around lightning, lift cars? Impress me, and I can awaken you."
There were many that looked nervous. They would probably leave, but even more looked intrigued or excited.
"The Hunt is your opportunity to become something more, if you are willing to reach out and take it."
Taylor leapt up and stood on the railing behind the console, looking over the crowd. She glanced down and met Lisa's eyes, smiling at the conflicted expression.
Even Lisa wouldn't be able to help herself.
"There is more to this life than just suffering until the nightmare ends!" Taylor felt the waning moon shining high overhead as she spoke. She let the starlit fervor leak into her words, a call to draw in the lost, excite the downtrodden, and fascinate the disenchanted. "There is more to this world than the endless spiral of decay. I have seen it. I have known it. Join me, and I will not let the world crumble from beneath your feet. Join me, in my wondrous Dream!"
She could feel their enthusiasm growing despite their mundane incredulity.
"In one hour, I will return with a contract. Stay, or don't, but do not let inaction be your downfall," Taylor hopped down and tossed Coil's corpse over her shoulder before striding back to her doorway. Lisa and Dinah followed automatically at her heels.
Taylor looked back at the unsure group of recently unemployed mercenaries, and smiled.
"Take what you want, and make no apologies."
Then she took Dinah's hand on one side and Lisa's on the other, so that they could see the door, and stepped back into the comforting dark.
…
"Okay. I have to ask. Since when did you become young Napoleon, or whatever the hell that was?" Lisa asked while they walked.
Taylor glanced over at her and shrugged.
"I recently realized that I needed more people to actually do anything that wasn't just killing Nazis or Tinkering in my Workshop. I'm starting something new, here, and I'll need all the support I can get. I wasn't lying, in there. My blood vials have so much potential, if I can get the right systems in place."
Lisa blinked.
"Holy shit, you're actually starting a cult on purpose!" Lisa exclaimed. "I thought you were doing it by accident!"
Taylor wouldn't have called it that, but Lisa wasn't exactly wrong.
"Loyalty is important. And what better way to ensure it than the offer of something they can't get anywhere else? Faith is a powerful motivator. How long has it been since anyone offered them any real hope?" Taylor said. "The same goes for you, Lisa. I'm not going to stop. I'm going to build my Dream, and I want your help to do it."
"I'm on to you," Lisa grinned. "You just want to figure out how to keep Tinkering and making out with your crazy girlfriend forever."
She still wasn't wrong, but Taylor wasn't ashamed of it.
"I can think of worse reasons to take over a city," Taylor said.
"Wait, wait, I-" Lisa stumbled and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit, my power does not like thinking about that. What the fuck?"
Taylor raised an eyebrow and slowed, Dinah remaining silent beside her.
"You're actually fucking immortal, aren't you?" Lisa breathed.
Taylor pinned her new recruit with a cold glare.
"I would prefer it if you didn't spread that around," Taylor said, letting the beast enter her words.
"Are you kidding? This is awesome!" Lisa cackled madly. "Fuck it, I'm in. Let's take over the fucking world and live forever."
Maybe Taylor wasn't the only insane one.
She shot Dinah a look.
"You sure about this?" Taylor asked. It was a bit of a silly question. Dinah was a precog; of course she was sure.
"Yes," Dinah said flatly, but her lips rose just slightly at the corner.
Progress.
"Let's go check in with the rest of our new recruits, then," Taylor sighed. She still had so much to do.
"After you, oh fearless leader," Lisa grinned.
Taylor ignored her.
She had a vague feeling that was going to become a habit, unfortunately.
I can't let her and Assault meet. Ever.
…
Amy stood with her arms crossed and stared down the intruders in her Workshop.
She objectively knew that Taylor was busy with important shit, but she did not want to deal with this right now. She just wanted to find Taylor, maybe kiss her until her brain stopped working correctly and she forgot that everything was falling apart, and then sleep. Was that too much to fucking ask?
Instead, her new home was filled with Undersiders.
"Um… sorry, about all this," the tall guy with cornrows said. Grue, probably, given his height and road leathers, although none of them wore masks. "Rachel kinda just dropped us off here and we can't really leave."
"I'm digging the vibe, though," Regent said, sitting on one of the lab tables and looking around at the hanging bodies. "It's not exactly stale pizza, but it'll do."
Since Rachel brought them to the Workshop, they obviously had Taylor's permission to be here, but still. The ever-growing part of her that gave zero fucks about things like 'consequences' wanted to lock down their nervous systems and leave them with Alabaster in the Tonitrus room.
That would probably annoy Taylor, though, so she could put up with them for a little while longer.
Besides, they might know just what the fuck was going on.
"Where's Hunter?" Amy demanded, glancing between them.
"Killing Coil, I think," Grue said. "It's… Panacea, right?"
"Not anymore," Amy said coldly.
"Oh. Well… um… Hunter offered us a place with the Hunt, and I think we're going to accept. I don't know… are you…" Grue didn't seem to know how to ask whatever he wanted to know.
Amy didn't care.
She wished that Taylor would tell her before she pulled stunts like this, but it had been a hell of a night, and there hadn't exactly been a lot of time. She could forgive her insane girlfriend, this time.
"You're… with… Hunter, right?" A woman Amy didn't recognize said nervously. "Tattletale said-"
"Hunter is mine," Amy cut her off with a glare.
The silence was definitely awkward. Amy still didn't care.
Luckily, she could hear the familiar sound of Taylor's prosthesis against the tile hallways, so the Undersiders would live to be irritating fuckwads another day.
Amy was well aware that she was being uncharitable, but dammit, she was allowed to be bitchy about this. It had been a long fucking day. And they'd interrupted her date. And, by extension, ruined her life. Even though that part wasn't exactly their fault.
The doors opened and Amy turned just in time for Taylor's arms to crush her against her girlfriend's wiry frame.
Taylor's thin fingers gripped her chin and suddenly she was kissing her, lips searing and urgent against her own. Amy felt herself relax unconsciously as the tension and the pain drained away and she lost herself in Taylor's impossible galaxy of stars and the taste of iron and-
She didn't even care that Taylor was covered in blood. What else was new?
Taylor pulled back and smiled down at her.
"You came back," Taylor whispered as she stared reverently into her eyes. "I was worried..."
"See? I don't need you to save me every time," Amy grinned.
Taylor's black eyes softened and her blood-stained fingertips left burning trails down Amy's cheek.
"Will you be alright if I finish up here, or do you need me now?" Taylor said with almost painful sincerity.
Amy had managed to completely forget that they had an audience. Sometimes, nothing seemed to matter except for Taylor.
"Do your thing, Hunter," Amy said. She wanted Taylor all to herself, but it would be better for everyone to resolve this before they went to sleep.
Taylor's smile widened and she kissed her again, just a quick flash of fire, before she stood tall and faced her new recruits.
"Coil is dead," Taylor said, looking around at each of the Undersiders in turn. "Lisa has control of his finances and resources. The Hunt will be re-hiring the majority of his mercenaries. I'll make you the same offer I did them: Join me, and I will fight your battles and help you realize your goals. You will have somewhere to belong, with me, and a purpose that is worthwhile."
"What are your goals, then? You've been a bit vague," Grue asked, staring at them warily.
"My goals are pretty simple," Taylor shot Lisa a knowing look, and something in Amy's stomach twisted. She knew that Taylor had a strange sort of friendship with Tattletale, but that smug bitch tried to kill Victoria. "I want to expand the Hunt's influence until we control the criminal element of Brockton Bay. From there, I want to establish and entrench our organization until nothing can take our sanctuary away from us."
Taylor started to pace in front of them, her tone growing more serious as she spoke.
"The world is slipping away, piece by piece. The Endbringers, the warlords, the gangs. The only way we can have a place to be safe is if we make one. I'd probably be able to do that for myself, on my own, but I don't want to do this alone," Taylor said, glancing over at Amy and smiling. "Carving out a Dream for ourselves won't be easy, but I wouldn't trade any of my scars for an easy life. It will be worth it, or everything will end anyway… so we might as well give it a shot."
"It's definitely easier said than done," Grue replied skeptically.
"Everything is," Taylor agreed. "Think it over and decide in the morning. Now that Coil's gone, there's nothing stopping you from returning home. Lisa will handle the finances until we restructure and subsume Coil's organization. I'll meet with you all tomorrow and we can discuss your goals, and what I can do to help realize them."
Taylor could be pretty damn persuasive when she wanted to be.
Her girlfriend squeezed her gently with one arm and leaned down to whisper in Amy's ear.
"I'm going to lead them through the Labyrinth, finish up with Coil's mercenaries, and have a chat with Dinah, but then I'm all yours, okay?"
Amy grinned and twisted her head to bite the indestructible skin of Taylor's neck. One of the benefits of the upgrades was that she could bite as hard as she wanted without actually hurting her.
From the sound of the breath that slipped between Taylor's teeth, she definitely didn't mind.
"You're all mine, all the time," Amy whispered back. "And don't you forget it."
Taylor shivered and Amy enjoyed the sight of the chemical fireworks in her brain.
"I'll be back soon," Taylor said, black fire burning behind her eyes.
It had been a long night, and Amy desperately wanted to ask Taylor to just stay with her, but she pushed back the shortsighted desire. Taylor was working hard to carve out a place for them, somewhere safe from the world and the bullshit. Amy didn't want to make that any harder than it needed to be, especially since she was reaping all the benefits.
"I'll be here," Amy replied.
She would always be here, now. She didn't have to leave, didn't have to go back to the house that wasn't home.
It was a relief, despite how much she had dreaded the collapse, before.
She was officially a villain, a criminal, at least by association. There was no more facade to maintain.
Her only possessions were the clothes on her back.
And she felt lighter than she had in years.
Taylor would steal new clothes for her, or buy them with the money of dead men.
It didn't matter whether the heroes hunted her, because Taylor would kill them if they even dared to touch her.
She had a new home, now, and it was wherever Taylor was.
She was free.
…
"We have a lot to talk about," Taylor said as she and Dinah made their way back through the Labyrinth.
"Yes," Dinah said simply.
Recruiting Coil's men had been a mixed success, as Dinah predicted. More than half stayed and signed a new contract, which was… acceptable.
Lisa and the rest of the Undersiders had been returned to the Loft. Taylor made a mental note to figure out how to protect more places without keying everyone into the Labyrinth. She trusted her new recruits to an extent, but wasn't quite ready to just hand them the keys.
Speaking of trust…
Taylor turned and eyed her newest… friend? Ally? Puppeteer?
She and Dinah stood in one of the many endless hallways of the broken Hospital. Tall, tattered, and blood-soaked facing short, clean, and clad in colorful pajamas.
Dinah probably knew what she was going to say, but it needed to be said anyway.
"You left the notes for me," Taylor said. It wasn't really a question.
"Yes," Dinah said.
"You told me where to find Victor," Taylor continued.
"Which also ensured that you encountered Shadow Stalker at the correct time," Dinah confirmed.
Her attack on Victor had set everything in motion. Without it, she wouldn't have killed Sophia, gone to Amy for healing, moved to the Hospital, met Rachel, fought Hookwolf, killed Purity, or any of the other resulting conflicts with the Empire, not to mention her relationship with Amy. Her friendship with Lisa, and the subsequent chaos this evening, was the result of needing papers for Anne, which only came about because Victoria found her in Amy's bedroom. All of it had been orchestrated by the hands of this child.
"Why?" Taylor asked. She knew that it was a bit pointless to ask why a precog did anything, but she was desperately curious.
"Your future is far more complicated than you realize. Your path is being manipulated to the point that it looks like Swiss cheese, and your other unseen guides don't have to resort to leaving notes," Dinah said with a tired sigh. "We're trying to thread the eye of a cosmic needle here, in an infinite haystack made of needles."
Dinah looked strangely fragile, in the lantern light.
"We could have killed Coil a long time ago, couldn't we?" Taylor realized.
"Yes," Dinah admitted. "I needed him to enable the Empire's assault and tonight's events. He was also responsible for hiding much of your early progress from the PRT, among other things. It was the most straightforward way to reach this outcome at the optimal moment."
That was… mildly concerning.
"Amy's family…"
"They needed to find out, and this was the least damaging shatter-point. There are other reasons, but I can't share them, yet. I will only tell you things that improve the numbers."
Taylor stared at the overly serious child for a long moment.
She had to decide whether or not to trust her. Either she followed this path that Dinah had foreseen for her, or she fought against it.
But Dinah had probably already seen what she would pick, regardless. So, ultimately, she already knew what she would do.
"Can you tell me how your powers work? Would my knowledge be helpful?" Taylor asked carefully.
"No. Not yet, anyway," Dinah said.
"What about the other precogs that are messing with my future?" Taylor asked.
"One, I don't recognize, and I can't see her. It's like trying to guess a word based on only missing letters. She controls the PRT, but that's only a small sliver of her true resources. I may very well be a part of her plan. I don't know if she can foresee my actions or not," Dinah said. "The other is also a blind spot, but… well, you already know about her. Everyone hopes she won't turn her eyes on them."
Taylor's blood ran cold.
"The Simurgh."
Dinah nodded.
"That is the needle we are attempting to thread, Taylor Hebert. The woman in the fedora stands on one side, and the fallen angel on the other. Your eyes are in the process of opening, and we have a very slim margin of error," Dinah said. "Abandon your humanity, and ascend… we all die. Remain blind, and awaken from your Dream… we all die."
Well… fuck.
Taylor pushed away the morbid thoughts. She would process all of this… later.
In the meantime, she smiled.
"Wait, the 'woman in the fedora'? Is that why you got me the hat?" Taylor laughed.
Dinah smiled, too. Not a big smile, but it was an improvement. She was too serious to be that young, and it was… sad, in a way.
"Yes. I thought it would be amusing, and it improved the numbers marginally. Coil and Lung both subconsciously reacted to it, along with unseeable elements within the PRT. It was my way of telling them that your future was not only theirs to shape," Dinah grinned up at her.
"I think I might need a new one," Taylor said. "Lung got a hold of this one, unfortunately."
"I already bought one for you last week," Dinah's expression was much more self-satisfied, now. It was nice. "I thought about bringing it along, but it would have caused Coil to misbehave."
Taylor laughed again. Dealing with the diminutive seer was going to be interesting, but she could get used to it.
It was reassuring, to know that someone seemed to know what she was doing. Even if she was an excessively grim child.
"I'm going to trust you, Dinah Alcott," Taylor said, even though she knew Dinah already knew. "Just… give her a happy ending, please. For me."
Dinah regarded her seriously for a long moment.
"I won't make any promises I can't keep… but I'll do my best."
That was… morbid, but Taylor would take it.
"Let's get you home, then, and you can give me this new hat that's so important to saving the world," Taylor said.
Then she could finally return to her Workshop, hold Amy tight, and sleep.
And maybe, her dreams would be less complicated than her waking world.
…
Taylor couldn't help but chuckle when she walked back into the Workshop.
"You aren't allowed to laugh at me," Amy glared at her from the very small opening in her blanket cocoon. "My life fell apart today, in case you forgot."
"You shouldn't be so fucking cute, then," Taylor shot back as she finally pulled off her blood-soaked coat and formalwear. "I'm sorry for taking so long."
"Shut up. I don't want to talk about shit right now, or maybe ever. Whatever you're planning with the creepy kid or fucking Tattletale, it can wait until tomorrow," Amy grumbled.
Taylor finished rinsing the worst of the blood off at the living water hookup station on one side of the lab. Tossing the damp towel over by the forge, she flopped down on the mattress next to her girlfriend and started trying to work her way into the tightly wrapped burrito of blankets. It was not an easy feat.
Amy hissed involuntarily as Taylor finally managed to slide in next to her.
"Fuck, you're cold. Why are you so cold?" Amy complained.
"You've been bundled up next to the space heater while I've been out wandering the city," Taylor justified. "Plus, we don't have hot water yet."
"Excuses," Amy shot back, but she curled up against Taylor's side anyway.
Taylor finally let her iron muscles relax, and felt Amy start to melt into her, too.
It was quiet, for a while.
"Everything's kind of fucked, isn't it?" Amy whispered into her chest, eventually.
"Maybe. But I think it will be okay," Taylor said. "It's… a lot, obviously, but… we can do this. I know we can. In the meantime… I'm really happy you're here."
Amy burrowed deeper into her side and kissed her collarbone. Taylor couldn't quite repress a shiver as the fire flowed under her skin.
"You're a sap," Amy muttered, but Taylor could tell she was smiling.
"I'm your sap."
"You're insufferable."
"You like it, don't even lie," Taylor grinned.
"Yeah."
Taylor summoned the most controlled whispering wind she could manage to blow out the remaining candles, and let herself enjoy the slow, steady heartbeat in the deep until Amy drifted off in her arms.
She could live with this, forever, and never ask for anything more. She just needed to figure out how.
"Give her a happy ending, please."
"I'll do my best."
Taylor would do her best, too.
Hopefully, it would be enough.
It had to be.
…
Taylor sat in the Undersiders kitchen and sipped her tea.
Lisa walked in and made a beeline for the coffee maker. Taylor couldn't help but grin, since it didn't even seem to occur to her that someone had to be there to make a fresh pot, and no one else was awake.
Maybe Lisa's power wasn't really awake yet, either.
Lisa poured herself a cup and took a sip.
Then she saw Taylor, and jumped so violently that she almost spilled her freshly poured brew.
"Shit! Don't do that! What the hell, Hunter?" Lisa griped, clutching her chest dramatically.
"It's not my fault you're exceptionally unobservant," Taylor said teasingly.
"Fuck you and your stupid pocket dimension."
"That's not very nice. I made you coffee," Taylor frowned. Lisa would probably know she was joking, though. Hopefully.
"After breaking into my house. Kinda loses its appeal," Lisa said, but she sipped her coffee and sat down anyway.
They drank their respective beverages in silence for a while. Lisa opened her laptop and idly scrolled through some reports that Taylor couldn't begin to parse. Taylor enjoyed her tea.
"What's next on the agenda, Boss?" Lisa finally said, leaning back and stretching.
"I need you to reorganize our remaining mercenaries. Figure out what they want, and how we can ensure their loyalty. I don't want anyone buying them out from under us," Taylor said. She had brooded over this for a while after Amy went to sleep. "We also need to establish ourselves; increase our presence in the city. I'm going to talk to Rachel about organizing patrols."
Seeing great beasts patrolling the streets would be a hell of a way to flaunt their power to the general population, while also starting the process of bringing the unpowered remnants of the Empire and the ABB to heel.
"I'll work on meeting with any businesses that could be useful to us," Lisa commented as she clicked away. "Coil has a number of shell companies, but we can never have too many working relationships."
Taylor nodded and took another sip of her tea.
"What about the other villains?" Lisa asked after a moment. "We've still got the Merchants running around, although they don't have any official territory, along with Uber and Leet. Chariot is actually one of Coil's, so we'll need to get in contact with him."
Taylor hummed while she considered.
"The Merchants will die, unless any of them turn out to be salvageable. Uber and Leet… I'll have to talk to them. They might be useful, and they can stay independent as long as they don't cause problems for us. Give the Wards someone to play games with. There's also Faultline's crew to consider…"
Lisa's face twisted and Taylor raised an eyebrow.
"Faultline thinks she's so fucking smart," Lisa sighed. "She'll try to manipulate you for her own ends, and she's irritatingly good at it."
"Don't worry," Taylor grinned at Lisa's discomfort. "It will take more than some careful words to manipulate me."
Especially with Dinah at her back.
"You could just kill her," Lisa suggested innocently.
Taylor chuckled.
"No, I don't think I will. She and her crew seem much more useful alive," Taylor said.
"Fine. But I'm definitely going to say 'I told you so' when she screws us over," Lisa grumbled.
"I look forward to it," Taylor replied wryly. "In the meantime, how are things with the Undersiders?"
Lisa shrugged.
"Not… terrible? I guess? Grue isn't happy about the turn of events, but he knows there isn't anything he can really do about it. He needs Coil's connections and money. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it. Regent is all in, again for multiple reasons. Spitfire is less sure, but she'll join up because there isn't really anything else to do," Lisa rattled off.
"What about you?" Taylor asked. "Any second thoughts in the morning light?"
Lisa raised an eyebrow.
"Nope, my feet are toasty warm over here," Lisa grinned crookedly. "You're totally insane, but I can't really ask for more than an interesting, immortal, stupidly powerful patron who lets me do whatever I want as long as it's not straight up murdering babies."
Taylor nodded, but her expression turned serious.
"Speaking of murder, you should probably avoid Amy for the foreseeable future. I know you were in a difficult situation, but I doubt I need to tell you how she feels about you," Taylor said.
"Noted. I'll try my best not to tempt her darker urges," Lisa rolled her eyes. "No promises, though."
"Your funeral. Or not, since you'd beg for death long before she finished with you, and I don't think she's kind enough to let you die," Taylor replied casually.
"Great. Real nice girlfriend, you got there," Lisa grumbled.
"Don't forget, Lisa," Taylor's stare suddenly bore deep into her new lieutenant's green eyes. The lights of the shabby kitchen seemed to dim and the nightmare whispered beyond the walls. "The thin veneer of civility is as much a mask as anything else. We're all monsters, here."
Taylor saw Lisa swallow reflexively, and the cold retreated. The lights shone as they always did, and the only sound was the low hum of the refrigerator.
Lisa took a deep breath.
"Well, the devil you know…" she muttered.
Taylor smiled widely and Lisa flinched.
"That's the spirit," Taylor chirped lightheartedly. "Now, where do you think Grue is at this hour?"
…
Taylor wheeled herself across the lobby of the run-down gym. She hoped that meeting Grue like this would help put him at ease, compared to his apprehension last night.
He wasn't vital to her plans, but the more loyal parahuman support she could muster, the better.
She approached the free weights section, working her way down the open aisles.
The gym was deserted except for her target and a couple members of the staff. Convenient.
Grue glanced her way from where he sat on one of the benches with a water bottle. At first, his eyes slid away from her without a second thought.
Then he stiffened dramatically and his stare snapped back to her with worried intensity.
That never got old. People were so easy to impress.
Even out of costume, Grue cut an imposing figure. Tall and well-muscled without being clumsily bulky, his dark eyes naturally exuded a wary confidence that most men only postured and pretended to hold.
He had the potential to be a powerful asset to her Hunt, if she could find the right pillars to fortify.
"Good morning," she said carefully, parking her wheelchair a few feet away.
"Morning. I don't think we've met," he said with equal caution.
"My friends call me Taylor."
"Are we? Friends, I mean?" He asked.
"I'd like to be. I think we can help each other, despite the… rocky start," Taylor replied. She knew that her casual murder of Purity and the rest had scared him off, originally.
"What do you want from me?" Grue asked candidly. Taylor appreciated the straightforward approach.
"I want your help to make this city a better place. Together with the others, I think we have the potential to slow the collapse, for once. I won't ask you to do anything you aren't willing to do, although I'll inevitably do things that offend your sensibilities," Taylor said. "If you can live with my proclivities, I will compensate you in ways that are far more valuable than money."
Grue nodded slowly.
"My sister," he said slowly. "I'm working to get her away from our parents. They aren't… good, for her. I can do better. I know I can."
Taylor tilted her head and considered.
"Would you like me to kill them? Your parents?" She asked.
"What? No!" Grue exclaimed.
Whoops.
That seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution to her.
"What do you want, then?" Taylor asked honestly.
"My agreement with Coil was… fine. He provided proof of employment and the other necessary documentation for me to work towards getting custody," Grue said, calming down from his brief panic.
"Alright. Is that it?" Taylor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I guess, I…" Grue trailed off.
Taylor stared at him for a long moment.
"I think you sell yourself short. You can do better than 'fine'. Aren't you tired of asking others to solve your problems? Aren't you sick of relying on me, on Coil, on Lisa, to keep the floor level beneath your feet?" Taylor said suddenly.
"I don't know what you're suggesting," Grue narrowed his eyes at her.
"I don't want you to join up purely because it's the only option that helps your sister," Taylor said. "Maybe, for now, that's all you can see, but… I want you to take what you want, eventually. Will you, if I give you the power to do so?"
Grue eyed her suspiciously, but he nodded eventually.
"I guess I can do that. Once Aisha is safe."
Taylor held out her hand.
"I'll defend you and your sister with all of my considerable power, if you can bring yourself to trust me in return," Taylor said levelly.
Grue took another deep breath and shook her hand.
"Brian," he said. His palm was rough and callused compared to her slim fingers of steel.
"Welcome to the Hunt, Brian," Taylor grinned.
He didn't look especially reassured, but he'd come around eventually.
…
Taylor grumbled at the arrival of a new adversary that she had never actually considered before.
Stairs.
With a sigh, she stood on one foot and folded her wheelchair, then leapt to the bottom of the staircase leading up to the Undersider's loft in one efficient hop, landing lightly on her good foot at the bottom.
Taylor rolled her eyes to herself and rolled herself out into the cold breeze.
Spitfire leaned against the wall next to the doorway, smoking a cigarette.
She looked… a lot like Amy, actually.
Taller and skinnier, but with similar curly brown hair and freckles. Her old graphic t-shirt, jeans, and lit cigarette helped with the comparison, too.
She didn't have the same defiant acid in her eyes, though.
The nervous girl caught sight of her and flinched slightly. It wasn't really enjoyable, this time. Like scaring a puppy, or something.
"Oh… um… Hi," Spitfire said awkwardly. "What's… up?"
Well. That was a bit painful.
"I know we don't really know each other, and last night couldn't have been a fun introduction to being a cape," Taylor started.
"Yeah, no shit," Spitfire mumbled.
"It's not always like that, but… sometimes it is. Nothing that's worthwhile comes without risk. It's the price of having control of your own life," Taylor said.
"What's the price, then? Of joining your 'Hunt'?" Spitfire asked in a tense voice. Taylor could tell she felt out of her depth, even if she wouldn't admit it.
"No price, but some risks. You'll be painted with the same bloodstained brush as the rest of us, even if you don't kill anyone. I won't ask anything of you that you aren't willing to give," Taylor said. "I'll be honest… I don't need you. Lisa can manage the organization, Rachel and Brian can direct my soldiers. Your power is potent, but I have far more lethal ways to deal death to my enemies."
"Why offer, then? Why are you even here?" Spitfire demanded, taking another drag of her cigarette.
"Because I don't want to do this alone, and I don't want to choose my companions based on how useful they are to me. I invited the Undersiders to join because I want to build something new, and you can be as much a part of it as anyone else. If you end up wanting out, you can leave at any time. No strings, no chains," Taylor said.
Spitfire just stared at her for a while before she sighed.
"I don't exactly have anywhere else to go. I just got started here, and then my new team… fell apart immediately. Not great for the self-confidence…" Spitfire trailed off. "I guess I should thank you, though."
"Hmmm?" Taylor raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Killing the Empire. Doesn't bring back anyone they… but, it helps, a bit, I guess," Spitfire trailed off awkwardly again.
Taylor decided not to pry into that landmine any further, for right now.
"If you want to leave, I certainly won't stop you… but I think it's worth a shot. And once you figure out what you want, let me know, and I'll help you get it," Taylor said.
"Just like that?" Spitfire said suspiciously.
"Just like that," Taylor grinned. "I'm not a good person, Spitfire, but I'm working on it."
"Emily."
"Taylor. It's nice to meet you, Emily."
"Likewise, I guess."
Emily finished her cigarette and flicked it into the trash can in the alley before they went back inside out of the cold.
"Now, for my next battle with my true nemesis," Taylor muttered darkly, staring up at the landing above.
"What?" Emily looked down in confusion.
"Stairs."
Emily snorted with surprised laughter, and Taylor counted that as a win.
…
"Regent, wake up. I have better things to do than wait around here all day," Taylor knocked on the bedroom door of the one remaining Undersider.
She had retired the wheelchair and refastened her prosthesis in preparation to return to the Workshop, but Regent was taking his sweet fucking time.
A rumpled, skinny guy in an old white t-shirt and flannel pants answered the door, looking more amused than annoyed by the wakeup call.
"Sup, Boss-lady? What brings you to my humble abode?" Regent asked, turning and walking back to flop on the bed like he expected her to come in.
Taylor raised an eyebrow and followed, despite his antics.
The room was… pretty trashed, but it wasn't all that much worse than Amy's. Taylor couldn't really judge.
"Lisa said you wanted to join the Hunt, but I thought I'd check in with you personally before I left," Taylor said, crossing her arms.
"Well, I was considering it, until you woke me up at the inhuman crack of…" Regent checked his phone. "10:30. Cruel and unusual punishment. Do you treat all of your minions so harshly?"
Taylor grinned despite herself.
"I bled all over Lisa's car and pretty much ruined Amy's home life, so… yeah, I suppose so," Taylor replied.
"Awesome. No HR department, either?" Regent shot her a crooked grin of his own.
"Not officially, but I won't try too hard to stop Amy from melting you into living soup if you annoy her," Taylor said.
"Joke's on her, that sounds like fun," Regent snarked. "Any other benefits of joining your little murder cult?"
"Depends on what you're into," Taylor said casually. It would take more than that to get under her skin, and Regent had nothing she was tempted by in that department, regardless.
"Patricide is what really does it for me, if you're feeling adventurous," Regent drawled.
"You know, I offered to kill Brian's father, and he seemed offended," Taylor pretended to examine her fingernails. "I'm glad to hear that you're a man of more… refined tastes."
Regent smiled.
"Now you're speaking my language," his voice held a wicked edge.
"Who's our lucky winner, then?" Taylor asked. She wasn't really worried, but she did want to know more about who she was promising to kill.
"Nikos Vasil. Some call him Heartbreaker, but to me he's just dear old Dad," Regent tried to maintain the same faux casual attitude, but Taylor could see the cracks underneath.
Her smile turned feral and her eyes burned in the dark.
"Join me, Regent, and I'll make you a chalice out of his skull so we can drink his blood together," Taylor replied, letting the beast and her bloodlust echo in the dim morning light.
"Well… Fuck me," Regent's answering smile was surprisingly genuine. "I think I'm going to like the way you roll, Boss."
She held out her hand.
"It's Taylor, to my friends."
Regent stared at her seriously for a long moment.
"Alec," he said, and took her hand. Instead of shaking it, he lightly brushed his lips over the back of her knuckles, sitting before her on the edge of the bed.
She decided not to comment on that.
"My father won't die easily, you know," he said after a moment. "If it was as simple as putting a bullet in his brain, the Guild would have done it a long time ago."
"I'm not going to kill him so quickly," Taylor said. She met Alec's pale gaze. "I think it would be cruel to deny him a taste of his own medicine first, don't you?"
She saw the realization dawn behind his eyes.
"That does sound like a very… fitting… gift," Alec agreed, a familiar dark desire blooming in his expression.
"I don't want to do that again. Not unless we absolutely have to."
But if anyone deserved it, it was Nikos Vasil.
Taylor's voice echoed with the cold promise of death and dominion.
"Welcome to the Hunt, Alec."
…
Taylor checked on her current Tinkering projects while she worked through her mental to-do list.
The new parahuman vials were progressing nicely. Soon, she would have Lung, Oni Lee, and Coil available for distribution or consumption.
She would work on finding a method of hiding other important locations. She needed to protect the Undersider's loft, Kurt and Lacey's house, Lisa's apartment, Brian's apartment, maybe even her own…
As her web grew, so too did her responsibilities. It was scary, but it was also invigorating. For the first time in a while, she felt like she was moving forward with purpose, rather than just blindly stumbling in the dark.
But, that purpose came with new worries of its own.
She could feel the eyes of the fallen angel on her, waiting for the dominos to fall.
"Abandon your humanity, and ascend."
Taylor had no way of knowing if it would be today, tomorrow, or never. She didn't know if Dinah would know either, since the precogs were playing their own game with each other. The uncertainty was par for the course, with the Hopekiller. That was her modus operandi.
"Remain blind, and awaken from your Dream."
The chessboard was set, but Taylor still couldn't see all of it. She didn't know if she was the Queen, a Bishop, or just another pawn. She certainly wasn't the hand that moved the pieces.
Seek Pale Blood to transcend the hunt.
She would just have to keep moving forward, and hope for the best.
Amy's arms snaked around her middle and she felt her girlfriend's lips on the back of her neck.
"You got a new hat?" Amy asked. Taylor could hear the crooked smile in her voice, even though she couldn't see her.
"Dinah got it for me, since she foresaw the untimely demise of my original," Taylor said.
"Her taste is still… questionable," Amy said.
The new hat was similar to the old one, although less dramatic. The brim was still flat but much less wide, and the top was more angular than round. It had a subtle band of leather around the base. Overall, it was sturdy and understated, which Taylor appreciated.
"It's a long story," Taylor said.
She hadn't told Amy about the woman in the fedora, or the Simurgh. Not yet. Her girlfriend deserved some time to recover, before their next house of cards burned.
All of that could wait, for just a little while longer.
Taylor turned and lifted Amy easily by the waist so she sat on a free lab table, leaning down to claim her lips and lose herself in the fire and roses.
Maybe, one day, everything else could wait forever.
Someday, in this wonderful Dream of hers.
…