Charm Learning Shard (Worm/Exalted) (COMPLETED)

[Logos01]

Holy shit, that's wild. Striker 12 indeed...

Is the Charm capable of effectively resurrecting someone by transforming a victim into a perfect replacement?

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Ignoring details that would count as parts of their "character sheet", yes. Yes that can happen.

The power lore-wise operates on the idea that you're editing the underlying history of the universe, in a manner that targets one "creature" shaped segment of said history.

 

[Kennethil]

Grants the target a new life and identity as any sort of non-Primordial creature (other than an individual who already exists). The target instantly develops appropriate social relationships, seamlessly integrating into the life of any appropriate entities save creatures of the Wyld, beings outside the pattern of fate and spirits on or above the levels of the Five Maidens. (If the Sidereal uses this Charm to transform a person into a Lunar Exalt out in the Threshold, the local beastmen and barbarians "remember" the character as if she's lived her whole life among them, but Luna will not be fooled. Also, the character would gain no Charms beyond those she already possessed, though any Charms she has and her anima display will visually correspond to those appropriate to her new form.) These effects are permanent, and the victim forgets her old life.

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So now Taylor can turn anyone into a Nazi with a touch.

This is fine.



Wonder if Alexandria's body being temporally locked translates to immunity here, considering this is still a Shard power....

 

[Vealie]

Ignoring details that would count as parts of their "character sheet", yes. Yes that can happen.

The power lore-wise operates on the idea that you're editing the underlying history of the universe, in a manner that targets one "creature" shaped segment of said history.

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So if, before she disappeared, someone used PST to turn the Scarlet Empress into a tribble the world would be rewritten such that a tribble had done everything attributed to her previously and had been ruler of the realm all that time?
Or would it totally change the world and leave you with a particularly badass tribble?

 

[queermunist]

I wonder if Taylor has already retroactively changed people's personal histories and we just haven't noticed until now because she didn't unlock the power yet.

It'd explain why the local Nazis seem to be a neighborhood watch consisting mostly of harmless meme dorks instead of a violent criminal gang.

 

[ses]

So if, before she disappeared, someone used PST to turn the Scarlet Empress into a tribble the world would be rewritten such that a tribble had done everything attributed to her previously and had been ruler of the realm all that time?
Or would it totally change the world and leave you with a particularly badass tribble?

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It's the other way around, you would Pattern Spider Touch a tribble and turn it into the Scarlet Empress (ignoring the restriction on copying people who already exist for the moment) and history would back up that they had done all that shit (they would remember the Scarlet Empress doing it, not the tribble's old identity), but they wouldn't actually gain any abilities. Which would be rather stressful for the former tribble trying to run an empire.

PST'ing the Empress would just cause her to forget her old life and insert her into her new life with everyone remembering their friend the tribble, while the Scarlet Empress would simply have disappeared one day.

 

[Logos01]

So if, before she disappeared, someone used PST to turn the Scarlet Empress into a tribble the world would be rewritten such that a tribble had done everything attributed to her previously and had been ruler of the realm all that time?
Or would it totally change the world and leave you with a particularly badass tribble?

Click to shrink...

It's the other way around, you would Pattern Spider Touch a tribble and turn it into the Scarlet Empress (ignoring the restriction on copying people who already exist for the moment) and history would back up that they had done all that shit (they would remember the Scarlet Empress doing it, not the tribble's old identity), but they wouldn't actually gain any abilities. Which would be rather stressful for the former tribble trying to run an empire.

PST'ing the Empress would just cause her to forget her old life and insert her into her new life with everyone remembering their friend the tribble, while the Scarlet Empress would simply have disappeared one day.

Click to shrink...

Yup. Editing the Scarlet Empress into a tribble would not only make everyone who ever comes in contact with her -- including herself -- remember her as always having been a tribble, it will erase all awareness by anyone anywhere of there having been a Scarlet Empress. The things she did would still have been done, but they will be attributed to other parties or simply skipped over like null pointer references in people's brains. Or just leave the Scarlet Empress 'position' unfilled -- I've seen it described both ways.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Pattern Spider Touch!!!!! That is it everybody out of the universe.

 

[space turtle]

So now we play no holds barred danger tag.

It's like clockblocker and the fairy queen had a baby.
Any combat thinker with a danger sense is gonna have a wild time looking at her.

Butcher: sees Low-key, immediately flame teleports straight up and keeps going until they reach the Karman line.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Well getting powers just got a ton easier. PST your my minion, let me study your power. Time to covert the Merchants, Wards, New wave, PRT everybody is getting on the empire train now. Guess now we know how she it getting coils power.

 

[Paralein]

Hold your horses. So far, Taylor seems to be unaware of what she can do with this power and especially of how she needs to hit people to achieve which effect. And I doubt she'll get a "how to punch someone into your minion" crash course soon. Unless Simmy intervenes once again, of course.

 

[space turtle]

On the subject of converting people to be better minions.
I just realised the perfect dark path to acquiring the ultimate perfect attack minion.

Soul price: Lily just wants a place to belong.
Problem: Taylor has a place, but it's white only.
Solution: Taylor can officially make the asian girl an honorary aryan with a single slap and no one else would ever know* (high level thinkers excluded?)
Hell, she can even get around the empires views on queer relationships by just making Lilly in Liam.
Again, perfect crime, who's to know?!

The empire capes will just assume she has a thing for boys who like being stepped on and move on none the wiser!

 

[omni001]

So Taylor's basically a low level reality warper now, neat.

Also how abuseable is the non-primodiarial restriction of what Taylor can turn things into, basically what counts as a non-primordial being? Cause based on the description it sounds like she can just mass produce an army of retroactively loyal elementals.

Actually given the the retcon nature of her power if she does create an army of inhuman soldiers I wonder if that'll retroactively create a new case file?

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

So Taylor's basically a low level reality warper now, neat.

Also how abuseable is the non-primodiarial restriction of what Taylor can turn things into, basically what counts as a non-primordial being? Cause based on the description it sounds like she can just mass produce an army of retroactively loyal elementals.

Actually given the the retcon nature of her power if she does create an army of inhuman soldiers I wonder if that'll retroactively create a new case file?

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Primodiarial and Exalted are the top single powers in exalted that is just saying Perfect or Die basically.

 

[Placeholdername]

So Taylor's basically a low level reality warper now, neat.

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I wouldn't say it's low level reality warping, but rather god-tier "Reality is now my bitch!", if with a rather narrow focus.

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

I want to see Taylor troll Lisa by making petty and irrelevant changes to reality that almost no-one else can notice. Like, changing her barista's name from Jeffrey to Jaime, then to Joey, and then back to Jeffrey.

 

[pepperjack]

Well, when you can't abort a poorly chosen course of action, all that is left is to double down on it.

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I think you put the story summary in the middle of the chapter, Daniel.

 

[Daniel Snuts]

Wonder how Aisha will do when she finds out how her first big move against Armsmaster has played out.

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Meant to comment on this: Aisha can't see Armsmaster's interludes, so she just thinks her 'babby's first psyop' was pulled off cleanly and with the authorities having no idea what happened. Big confidence booster, that.

Cash and Murder Games has the fate keyword, wouldn't it be nerfed against creatures native to a universe outside Creation? "cannot inflict unnatural mental influence on such creatures".

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For the record, Outside of Fate is what Mantellum is, not what Joe Schmoe the Earth Bet resident is. The mechanics just translate too cleanly to do otherwise.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT Pattern Spider Touch?

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Same logic as previously:

Dragon is the greatest Tinker in the world -> Implicit Construction Methodology, the greatest crafting charm in the world.

Flechette is the greatest thing-deleter in the world...

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

Sometimes it's Rune, trying to get you to go flying with her like in the old days. You have to remind her that you both have work to do.

"When did you become such a stick in the mud?" she demands. "Sulking isn't going to get your powers back!" Then she winces. "No, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

Click to shrink...

Now that's some foot-in-mouth, but I suppose it's to be expected. Every cape who looks at Taylor is gonna be thinking about it, particularly if she makes a habit of involving herself in "cape business".

I remember what Vista said to me just before she left: 'If you ever want to know something people don't want you to know, talk to Low Key.' I just nodded at the time, but now I understand.

Click to shrink...

Truth bombs or Ziz bombs? I suppose the best ones are both.

Meant to comment on this: Aisha can't see Armsmaster's interludes, so she just thinks her 'babby's first psyop' was pulled off cleanly and with the authorities having no idea what happened. Big confidence booster, that.

Click to shrink...

Feeling saucy, off screen for a few weeks, perhaps a little salty about having her leash pulled, the last note was cussing Taylor out, and Taylor hasn't had an on-screen moment where she remembered being sassed by minion #2. It's all coming together...

Re: psyop, I was thinking more of Aisha's goal of being a badass villain. If her op was a success, wouldn't it come with the side effect of painting her as a piteous victim, at least within Protectorate ranks if they suppress it?

Yup. Editing the Scarlet Empress into a tribble would not only make everyone who ever comes in contact with her -- including herself -- remember her as always having been a tribble, it will erase all awareness by anyone anywhere of there having been a Scarlet Empress. The things she did would still have been done, but they will be attributed to other parties or simply skipped over like null pointer references in people's brains. Or just leave the Scarlet Empress 'position' unfilled -- I've seen it described both ways.

Click to shrink...

So, like... Taylor punches Leviathan in the fate so hard that it is and always was her surfboard... and retroactively everyone hates Taylor for a decade of Endbringer attacks?

 

[ses]

So, like... Taylor punches Leviathan in the fate so hard that it is and always was her surfboard... and retroactively everyone hates Taylor for a decade of Endbringer attacks?

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Nope. Don't worry, PST is fucking weird to get your head around.

Taylor uses Pattern Spider Touch on Leviathan, chooses to replace his identity with one as her pet basement gimp, named Libby

Libby forgets that she was ever Leviathan

Everyone remembers Taylor always having had a pet basement gimp named Libby. They don't remember anything out of the ordinary for a pet basement gimp.

Everyone remembers Leviathan and what Leviathan is, but to their perspective he simply vanished when Taylor punched him, no different than if she had chosen to unmake him.

Libby still has Leviathan's powers and durability


For help understanding how it works, just remember that it uses the same mechanics as Ceasing to Exist Approach, except it's inflicted on someone else and the victim permanently forgets their old life.

the Sidereal vanishes from her current location and reappears someplace else in a completely different identity that is seamlessly integrated into the local community. Any effect that was based on the Sidereal's old identity fails automatically. Memories of the Sidereal's old identity do not fade away but the person with that identity no longer seems to exist.

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In the instant when one identity vanishes, the Sidereal reflexively assumes a new one somewhere else in Creation. This identity can be mortal, Exalted, god, elemental, ghost or half-breed—any sentient creature from within fate's purview, whose Essence does not exceed the Seer's own. The Sidereal cannot take on the identity of someone who actually exists or existed. The Maidens (and the Storyteller) decide where the character appears, but the Vizier (and her player) can select an identity suitable to the new location—assuming her superiors in the Bureau of Destiny do not assign one.
In her new identity, the character retains all of her Attributes and Abilities but gains up to 15 dots of Backgrounds appropriate to her new identity. (Backgrounds above three dots cost two dots each.) Her old Backgrounds no longer apply. As the Vizier appears in her new location, a network of appropriate social contacts and relationships immediately weaves itself into being as if this new identity had existed among the locals all along. Only creatures of the Wyld, beings outside fate and spirits at or above the Maidens' level of power and authority are not fooled by this extemporaneously woven identity.
Just as Attributes and Abilities, the character retains all of her Charms and spells, as well as her normal anima effects. If the character is known as an Exalt (of whatever type) among the locals, those witnesses understand the Sidereal's powers as being appropriate to an Exalt of the type they assume she is. If the character's supernatural powers, or all-too-human ignorance, should betray the fact that she doesn't belong, the character automatically receives a perfect success on a social roll to explain the matter in a way that makes perfect sense to the audience. ("Oh, she's not an Anathema. That's just a special Southern variant of the Air Dragon Style of the Immaculate martial arts she was apparently doing. I guess we don't have to get the Magistrate involved. Good thing she said something.")

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Oh hey there's explicit text saying no replacement goldfishes for someone who has died, good thing I was inspired to double check. RIP fenrir.

 

[Dakkah]

Snip

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Hmm, so Levy will become Jörmungandr? Taylor has the weirdest habits when it comes to her Eternal Enemies.

 

[GiantAnteater]

PST is so good. See, THIS is how you set up Sophia redemption/befriending Taylor arc convincingly.
She may even become the cutest maid in the world along the way.

 

[Zax Zaubererglück]

By Exalted rules there's "No such thing as perfect resurrection" as a hard setting rule and the Charm does have a "no copying people that already exist" clause that might apply to people who are dead, buuuuut honestly yeah probably. This is Worm's cosmology after all. She'd have to reapply Spirit-Tied Pet to golden-retriever Bubbles, and honestly there would probably be noticeable signs that it's a replacement goldfish if she looked closely. But she could probably totally turn Leviathan into a loyal Fenrir-clone complete with Levi-chan's old powers. I wouldn't bet on PST working for making replacement goldfishes personally but it's possible.

Click to shrink...

Combine with Verdant Emptiness Endowment for expanded functionality.
That gives the resurrected Anette or Fenrir (transformed pests) the skills they would normally have. This circumvents missing statistics, that PST fails to affect.
Obviously, you only apply Spirit-Tied-Pet or other charms after you finished the skill and ability upgrade.

On improving Theo.
The charm could effectively rewrite Theo and make him anew, however Taylor wants him. This would NOT be a "proper" change, but more of a character death for "old" Theo and replacing him with a new "improved" Theo. Any supernatural loyality collected would carry over. Therefore an excellent final solution for the current Theo situation.

This charm would also improve the use of Sophia/Shadow stalker.
Turn her in a perfectly devoted minion whenever. Need a white contact? Use a transformed Sophia. Need an aide in the workshop? Dockworker Sophia with Verdant Emptiness Endowment and you have you helping hands. Need a stress relief? Have a quadriplegic Sophia for easy torture.
Changing her into someone who would accept Verdant Emptiness Endowment also increases her usefulness and loyality imensely.

Truly, this charm completes Taylors pathway to evil witch.

EDIT:
Can you use PST on yourself?

 

[zapking5]

Are there any charms that would let Taylor survive Behemoth's kill aura? That feels like something that wouldn't exist because balance or something.

 

[ses]

Are there any charms that would let Taylor survive Behemoth's kill aura? That feels like something that wouldn't exist because balance or something.

Click to shrink...

[Paralyzer starts playing]

Ablation of Brass and Fire
External Hide Perfection
Foam-Dancing Haste
Water and Fire Treaty
Iron Kettle Body
Four Magical Materials Form
By Rage Recast
Steadfast Elemental Emperor Stance
Deadly Beastman Transformation
Adamant Skin Technique
Scoured Perfection of Form
Fire Protection Form
Skyfire-Seizing Repast
ect ect

 

[Daniel Snuts]

It's not that Lisa doesn't want Coil dead. It's not that she thinks the two of you shouldn't team up against him. She just wanted you to hold off a bit - at first because she didn't think you could win as you were, but lately because Coil was spending millions of dollars on setting up the remaining Undersiders as warlords in the ruins of Brockton Bay (that's also why Alec hasn't been around the lair very much lately).

You couldn't in good faith deny that request, what with your own pocket empire (once again you accidentally one-upped Lisa in the villain game). And you agree, the best time to kill your enemy is when they aren't busy showering you in money. But once her warlordship is secure, and she has preparations in place to let her 'inherit' his assets and continue paying her minions...

"Mark," Lisa says. "1:57 pm."

"Roger that," you say, and hang up.

It's the answer to the question: 'How do you coordinate with yourself across multiple timelines?' That timestamp was when Lisa personally witnessed the collapse of the timelines. In that instant, there was only one of her. Even if Coil split again immediately afterwards, both versions of her are guaranteed to be aware of the same timestamp, the same plan.

The die is cast, and now you need to hustle across the Rubicon in time. Your next actions are all planned out already, but the problem is that you're not just dealing with timelines: Every so often Coil also asks his precognitive Thinker minion whether he is likely to be attacked in the near future. Now that the low-probability event of getting a confirmed timeline split has occurred, you are on a very tight schedule that your own Thinker claims is the best tradeoff between risking not getting everything ready in time, and risking the enemy finding out what you're doing.

You call your minions and request an immediate meeting.

---

"I have a source inside Coil's organization," you tell Purity and Aurelius.

"Can you confirm that he was the one who leaked our identities?" Purity asks.

"Yes. But the important part is this list: His sources in our organization." You slide a piece of paper across the table, with 24 names written on it.

Purity picks it up. Her eyes widen in shock at some of the names. Her lips are set in a thin line and she slams a fist into the table, but she does not voice any doubts. She trusts you implicitly. You could have put Krieg on the list and she would have killed him without hesitation.

She starts glowing and rises into the air. "I'll-"

You hold up a hand to stop her. "If you start cleaning house, he'll know something is up."

"But-"

"I also know the location of his lair," you say. That gets her to sit down again. "The two of you will stay put and act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening, because there are people reporting on your movements. But no one pays attention to the cripple. I'll go around and talk to everyone privately, get them ready for a surprise attack."

"It's a shame we can't arrange a public award ceremony for a spymaster," Purity notes dryly, "because you'll certainly deserve a medal for this." She is already writing out orders giving you the authority to command all parahuman assets however you please. No doubt about it, acquiring this pair of minions was worth every bit effort.

The other minion just sits there gazing at you longingly. "You're amazing," he breathes.

You glare at him, and he shrinks back. "We all serve the empire, no matter how minuscule our abilities."

Worth every bit of effort, you tell yourself firmly. At least he isn't crying and begging you to take him back today.

---

Spoiler: Lisa-o-vision

"The boss is betraying you," I tell Trickster. "He was never going to help Noelle." Sundancer and Genesis visibly slump at the news. Ballistic, on the other hand, doesn't react at all. Already suspected as much. Trickster proves more belligerent.

"What would you know about it?" he demands.

"What, you haven't figured out that I'm the grand vizier, his personal Thinker? I know everything."

"And you're warning us because..?" Ballistic asks.

"I'm betraying him in turn, duh. The grand vizier is always plotting, don'tcha know?" I grin at him, and he snorts in response. He's the easy one, he doesn't really care. But painting myself as a traitor is not exactly winning anyone's trust, so I turn to address the female capes with a more somber expression. "I wasn't exactly given a choice about working for him. A gun to the head rarely leaves a favorable impression."

Three down, one to go. Trickster simply does not want to cooperate, however. "Let's say that's all true," he says. "Perhaps he'll change his mind if we perform well enough. Like by unmasking a traitor."

I sigh, shaking my head. "That's never going to happen," I tell him. "It's not how he thinks. The more useful you are, the less likely he is to help. See, if he solves the problem all he has is your gratitude. But jam tomorrow..."

"It's not as if we have any better prospects!"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I'm the one helping him plot all this, remember? He knows full well where to find someone who could help, but he hasn't even tried to contact her. I, on the other hand, can guarantee you a meeting."

"Who?"

"Why, Quicksilver, of course. The expert on powers."

"She's alive?" Ballistic exclaims in surprise. Jesus, Taylor, what the fuck? You let him think you were dead?

Trickster is also upset, but for a different reason. He advances on Ballistic with clenched fists. "All this time, you-"

"She said she couldn't do it!" Ballistic protests, raising his hands and backing away. "Of course I asked her! She said she couldn't do monster capes."

"And what you think you are, vial boy?" I ask. But he isn't listening, because Trickster is language policing the M-word by punching him in the face. There's a brief scuffle before Genesis manifests a giant ape-monster to pull them apart.

"As I was saying," I repeat, "everyone who got their power from a bottle is technically a monster cape. The mutated amnesiacs were test subjects, you got the refined end product - though clearly not quite refined enough. I didn't know any of this," I add, shrugging, "until Quicksilver told me." Taylor really is the expert on powers, as I discovered when she sat down to give me the dirt on the Travelers. She just hadn't bothered to draw any conclusions from the data she had.

"Noelle only drank half her vial," Sundancer says quietly.

Oliver took other half. Vials contain two active ingredients. One grants powers, causes mutations. Other substance added to suppress mutations. No, doesn't suppress. Grants minor secondary power: Human semblance. Oliver got only secondary power.

Semblance component will separate out over time. Noelle's condition could have been prevented by shaking well before serving.

I shake my head sadly. From such minor errors...

"She liked your power well enough, didn't she?" Trickster snarls at Ballistic. "And when she got what she wanted, she dumped you without a word? You stupid piece of shit, I bet she was cheating on you too."

"She was," I say. It happens to be the truth (Taylor is a bit of an awful bitch) but the important thing here is to be on Trickster's side. Sorry Ballistic, but since you're already on my side I need to step on your feelings in order to manipulate your boss.

Trickster struggles against the grip of the ape-monster until it - reluctantly - lets him go. "How do we know you'll deliver on your end?" he asks. Which means that he's already talked himself into going along with it. "Quicksilver doesn't sound very trustworthy," he adds with a glare at Ballistic, who is currently being comforted rather than restrained by the ape.

"Thinker, remember?" I tap my temple demonstratively. "Far too smart to get the Travelers after me for revenge. Far too smart to upset Noelle." The shudder as I say that is almost entirely unfeigned.

"So, you want us attack Coil?" he asks.

"Not really. I already sold the location of his base to the Empire." There are some indrawn breaths at this. "But I made them promise to let you leave if you don't fight back." I hold up a finger to forestall any objections. "Believe me, they will keep that promise. No one wants to fight Sundancer if they don't absolutely have to. I just want you to have a truck ready, and get Noelle out of there as soon as the fighting starts."

"Noelle hasn't been very... stable, lately," Genesis says hesitantly. "Taking her out of the vault, in a combat situation..."

"Well, if you think she'll be more stable once Coil triggers the self-destruct and you all die in the explosion and she has to dig her way out through the rubble..."

"Of course he has a self-destruct mechanism," Ballistic groans.

That's the wonderful thing about Coil. No one can interact with him for any length of time and believe that he isn't the kind of person who would put a self-destruct mechanism in his base, and trigger it with subordinates still inside.

"I'm pretty sure he has it set up specifically to leave Noelle alive but hurt, because nothing says 'fuck you' like a rampaging monster eating anyone who pokes at the ruins."

---

"He sent for me," Lisa says, less than an hour before the attack is set to begin. "He suspects something, I can tell. The precog must have tipped him off." Shit. There's not really anything you can do against an enemy who can see the future, except move quickly and hope they don't ask the right questions in time. And it didn't work.

"We can't change anything," you observe grimly. There's no way to signal your other selves. If you attack early, he'll just close this timeline and deal with you in the other, prepared. If you call it off, he'll close the other timeline when the attack happens there, and come after you here.

"I know. I-" Her voice breaks. "I usually last around half an hour, I think. When he tortures me for information, I mean. I don't know. Before I learned how his power worked, I though he just had a really vivid imagination. Afterwards I just tried not to think about it."

"I trust you," you lie. You have no choice but to rely on her. "Keep telling yourself, this will be the last time."

"And the first time. It's always the first time..."

"None of that," you say sharply. "You're not going to crack. You'll hold out just a little longer than average, and he'll die today. If he cuts off anything important I'll become Panacea and put it back, and there's a 50-50 chance none of this is real anyway." They're not exactly the most comforting statements, but they're what you've got.

"Yeah." You hear her taking a deep breath. "See you on the other side." She hangs up.

You spend the next 40 minutes fretting over things you can't change.

---

"Let us past, or she dies," Coil says. He's clearly unhappy to find an unfamiliar cape blocking his secret escape tunnel. Lisa shakes her head fractionally. You flinch away from looking at her too closely. People are meant to have ten of certain things, and two of most others. But judging by the way Coil was still in his base when the attack went off, she didn't crack.

"Let her go, or I kill you," you counter, staring at Coil so you don't have to look at Lisa and trying to let anger drown out the other, less productive emotions.

Coil remains silent, but grinds the muzzle of the gun harder against Lisa's temple. Behind him, a flunky is frog-marching a prepubescent girl in a hospital gown. The other Thinker? You haven't been introduced.

"Look," you say, "we both know that if I let you past you'd shoot her as soon as you got away. On the other hand, if you kill her now you'll die before you can bring the gun to bear on me. There's no way this ends well for either of us. Shall we call it a draw, and reconvene in the other timeline?"

Coil considers your words for a moment. "Perhaps we shall," he says, sounding thoughtful. Lisa closes her eye. She knows what's coming. There's no way Coil would drop this timeline without shooting her first, just to spite you.

Then Coil jerks, his entire body shuddering. "What?" he gasps. "How?" Lisa's eye flies open, and she opens her mouth to say something. Then he pulls the trigger.

Two mind-hands stab into his brain through his eye sockets, and the third cuts his throat. He's dead before the echoes of the gunshot return from down the tunnel, but the timeline doesn't end.

Almost as an afterthought, you kill his flunky too before he can bother you. You sit down next to Lisa. There's... there's brains all over the wall. Not even Panacea could fix this one. You gently close her eye. It doesn't really make her look peaceful, not when the other half of her face is gone.

"I'm sorry," you say. It's not what you want to say. You want to ask- no, demand why. Why does everything turn into ashes? But that's fundamentally about you, and she deserves better than your self-pity.

"You were right all along," you say instead. It's what she would have wanted to hear, if souls were real and she wasn't gone forever. "Remember what you said back when I first found out about Coil? When you found me and saved me, and gave me my first power? I should have waited until I could make you bulletproof." A small sob escapes your throat. "You always knew best."

---

The little girl pokes you. She doesn't say anything, or even look at your face. You follow her pointing finger, to where she's written a message on the wall in flunky blood.

BOOM SOON

Right. The self-destruct. You get to your feet, and scoop the girl up. You take one last look at the three bodies. Maybe you're a bad person, but you're not going to try to smuggle a dead body across downtown Brockton Bay, not without an invisibility power. Let her be interred here, with the bodies of her slain enemies. There must be at least one pagan religion claiming that they will become her servants in the afterlife. You start running.

You've barely cleared the tunnel when it happens. A loud rumble, accompanied by a gust of air and dust. Luckily the tunnel emerges quite far from the base itself, because you have no doubt that heroes will be swarming over the ruins like flies in no time at all.

 

[Anonymous Brainwash]

And so Taylor's descent shall continue.

 

[Zxzx24]

Eh... still probably better than being enslaved by Taylor.

Fenrir would have been able to help with that situation easily wouldn't he.



Edit:
Also shit. There goes Coils power. What a loss. Q_Q

 

[ses]

What was that, Simurgh/Contessa directly interfering? RIP Lisa.

 

[Imperialaxis]

Oh god, why is being Taylor Hebert always suffering? Please can we move on into the recovery arc? I need there to be a recovery arc where nice things happen and Taylor makes real friends…

 

[omni001]

Well this is a disappointing chapter, also I really hope whatever the fuck was up with the other not shown timeline wasn't poorly thought out precog bullshit. Poorly thought out precog bullshit is one of the biggest things that ruined canon Worm as a story.