Just a Phase [Worm]

[Rymu]

I think she's pretty much guaranteed to make friends, unless she made a concentrated effort to avoid doing so - in Juvie Taylor (even without powers) would be someone other girls go to for protection, and try to befriend to get her more willing to protect them.

Click to shrink...

Reminds me of the fic where Taylor is in juvie and makes friends with Bakuda and gets a relative of Hooky for a girlfriend. Shame it's dead last I checked...

Consider: ⌜Follow these directions on a map to pressgang new Thinker 7⌟ . Tinkers get kidnapped, why not Thinkers? And she's has nicely a stable street address too!

Click to shrink...

I mean it's not like Lisa will be advertising her address or anything. It's probably a time scale thing too where too late after a Thinker/Tinker gets to be a thing that they're too hard to kidnap. Also Thinkers are probably less desirable as canon really spoils the readers with so many actually good Thinkers whilst most just really suck and aren't worth kidnapping.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Can't tell whether or not Emma is being surprisingly clever. (Could just be an 'Entrapment' attempt, to force shenanigans the ENE can't cover up, since her dad and Piggot blocked her confession.)

Click to shrink...

Wouldn't really count on it since she will also be dragging down the rest of the Wards team with her in her attempt at punishment. Still it does show the natural social manipulator Emma is that managed to get a whole school to turn a blind eye to her abuses.

Yep, combine that with the fact that Vista seems to be in denial, at least when it comes to Emma, about how bad things were for Taylor. And with the fact that Vista seems to be missing the fact that unlike her, Taylor doesn't have an escape like she does. At least not one that lasts more than a few hours. And, well, you get her current attitude.

Click to shrink...

The saying 'it couldn't have been that bad' is becoming almost as common as 'meh I can take her' in this fic when it comes to Taylor's trigger.

Also in normal situations Taylor joining the Wards would have been her escape as well since it got her away from her abuses, unfortunately for her Emma and Sophia were already there waiting for her.

 

[The Unicorn]

Still I imagine that Vista probably did some shoddy work with her stitching consider that she was probably in pain at the time and untrained for that kind of medical aid especially on herself.

Click to shrink...

Sure, which means she'd have a larger, and less flexible scar than if someone who knew what they're doing stitched it (which is why I say we don't know the wound needed stitches) .

Powerless Taylor wasn't someone people went to protection before, why would that change now?

Click to shrink...

The issue isn't "powerless Taylor" it's "Passive depressed Taylor who lets the bullies do what they want to her" vs. the one we see in this story. Also in a regular school you get students seperated by financial status, fashion sense and family influence and Taylor loses on all three, while any girls looking for a protector could find a guy (sometimes weather or not they wanted one). In juvie those classifications don't matter, and they won't have guys with the girls.

Meanwhile this Taylor is going to push back against anyone trying to push her, and will probably be fairly successful at that. That means she's someone who'd get people looking to for protection.

Tinkers get kidnapped, why not Thinkers? And she's has nicely a stable street address too!

Click to shrink...

Because Thinkers don't have a Ramp up cycle, Thinkers don't require tools and Thinkers can have all sorts of surprise powers or power-applications that are very useful in combat.

Additionally, the only way you can get any benefit from a captured Thinker is if you let them use their power on you, which will often end badly. Only arrogant Thinkers would consider kidnapping a Thinker a good idea.

 

[Evilreadermaximum]

The saying 'it couldn't have been that bad' is becoming almost as common as 'meh I can take her' in this fic when it comes to Taylor's trigger.

Click to shrink...

It gets even worse (In regards to Vista) When you realize that even though the two situations look similar on the surface, in terms of execution their situations are almost the opposite.

Vista, between school and the Wards, would have spent little to no time at home, Taylor is basically forced to spend ninety percent of time somewhere she will be constantly reminded of her trigger, either at school or the PRT building.

 

[Lement]

I mean it's not like Lisa will be advertising her address or anything. It's probably a time scale thing too where too late after a Thinker/Tinker gets to be a thing that they're too hard to kidnap. Also Thinkers are probably less desirable as canon really spoils the readers with so many actually good Thinkers whilst most just really suck and aren't worth kidnapping.

Click to shrink...

I considered that she could be doing purely online selling - obvious, safe option.

But we always see her going out and seeing things with her own eyes so far, so I figure the teenager is just being incautious and has been at it very short time (she'd have to have left to Brockton rather soon canonically to be present when meeting Skitter).

Lots of precogs suck, aye, but she isn't one. Plus, she cannot both suck and hire clients. Though I suppose she can lie, unlike tinkers.

Wouldn't really count on it since she will also be dragging down the rest of the Wards team with her in her attempt at punishment. Still it does show the natural social manipulator Emma is that managed to get a whole school to turn a blind eye to her abuses.

Click to shrink...

Beautifully put. It's easier to avoid punishment if you have several people voicing for you, but that gives a bootstrap paradox.

Meanwhile this Taylor is going to push back against anyone trying to push her, and will probably be fairly successful at that. That means she's someone who'd get people looking to for protection.

Click to shrink...

Her pushing back consists of non-cooperation and looking for rules loopholes, really. Entirely different thing from teenager social dynamics.

But she IS actively training and looking for fights on the streets, so yeah, I guess good point, this Taylor would have punched Emma's teeth out in juvie.

Additionally, the only way you can get any benefit from a captured Thinker is if you let them use their power on you, which will often end badly. Only arrogant Thinkers would consider kidnapping a Thinker a good idea.

Click to shrink...

Arrogance is kind of given with villains, but letting Tattletale use her power on you is fun times ahead indeed :> Coil didn't consider that, I suppose.

It gets even worse (In regards to Vista) When you realize that even though the two situations look similar on the surface, in terms of execution their situations are almost the opposite.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, very nicely phrased for the whole "rescue for one, into hell for other".

 

[The Unicorn]

Yep, combine that with the fact that Vista seems to be in denial, at least when it comes to Emma, about how bad things were for Taylor.

Click to shrink...

I don't think she's in denial so much as suffering from the effects of everyone telling her she's childish for complaining about being tortured and abused, to the point she internalized that. If you assume that Vista was wrong to complain about being tortured and abused, then obviously Taylor was as well.

It gets even worse (In regards to Vista) When you realize that even though the two situations look similar on the surface, in terms of execution their situations are almost the opposite.

Click to shrink...

Debating which of them suffered worse abuse is rather pointless. You can make logical objective arguments for why one or the other is worse, but this is not a subject the people actually affected by will ever be objective about.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Yup. Granted we don't know if the wound needed stitches, just that Vista thought it id, but either way the PRT and her so called teammates not noticing anything is really bizarre, and doesn't reflect well on them.

Click to shrink...

TBF this sounds like this was before Shadow Stalker was collared and pressed into the Wards. So at first Missy would be the only person using the Wards Girl's showers. And after I see it as in character for Sophia to not look at Missy and pretend no one was there the times they had to share the shower room.

Glad to see Lisa getting involved in this mess. I wonder if she'll see the Rex parallels this time around.

Click to shrink...

I wrote an omake where Lisa sees more parallels with herself. Shitty life and neglectful parents lead to powers, then the adults are suddenly interested in exploiting you for those powers when they couldn't be bothered to care before.

And then there's Nebula/Derek. Who's being an absolute moron who doesn't appear to be able to connect the dots between "Attempt to force Taylor into line" and "Apparently uncontainable, nigh impossible to track superpowered teenager with a chip on her shoulder" to get "Not a scenario that leads to an active ward."

Click to shrink...

Binary view of the world. Wards=Heroes so they can't be bad, at least not as bad as Phase is claiming. And Phase is also discounted for refusing to be an actual Ward, so she can't be that good a person...

The thing is, that during the school year the cops tend to hassle anyone that looks like a teenager during school hours except at lunch time.
It's a common complaint of recent graduates who don't look 18.

Click to shrink...

OTOH Taylor is noted as being tall for her age. If someone (Hi Lisa!) teaches her the right makeup tricks, she can probably pass as a young woman. Or at least close enough a cop might hesitate.

I thought NY was Youth Guard, but it being pressure from Legend is actually pretty good insight.

Click to shrink...

IIRC isn't Legend the national head of the Wards program? Though to bring Taylor to his personal attention would take some significant escalation...

It's a powerset more suited to Aishananigans, but I'm sure she can rearrange Accord's cereals until he calls for Citrine, at least.

Click to shrink...

Oh great, now I want to see Aisha/Imp show up in Boston.

She saves the world ?

Click to shrink...

Recall how Lily described Skitter recruiting Parian, right in front of her to Dr Yamada.

Spoiler: Interlude 18 (Bonus #3)

"And then Skitter waltzes in and… it's like, she slithers right past your defenses."
"How's that?"
"I can't even put it into words. You run into her, and you can't even look straight at her without feeling your skin crawl. Like when someone's got something wrong with their eye and your own eye starts watering… only with her it's because of the bugs."
"Okay."
"And then she talks, and she sounds so idealistic, and naive. I don't know how you sound idealistic and naive with a swarm of cockroaches and bees crawling over your face, but she does. And so you let your guard down. And then she starts making sense. And that was the point where Sab- where Parian started lapping it up."
"Did she make sense to you?" Jessica asked.
"I had a feeling about what was happening, said as much. Now, I don't know. There's only two good answers for it."
Lily walked over to the door and picked up the satchel she'd brought into the office. She returned to the chair and sat, plopping the satchel down on the coffee table.
"What is it?" Jessica asked.
"The thing that lets me know which of the two it was."
"And what are those two answers?"
"Either my gut was right, and Skitter was just feeding us info that Tattletale prepared, just to fuck with us… or Skitter was right."​

I can see Lisa giving a similar speech to Nebula and Flechette.

"Me, lure her away from the Wards? Damn, you never got to know the girl at all. She can talk, and it sounds corny and naive. But then you start nodding because it makes sense. And then you start to believe."

Flechette leaned closer, "Believe what?"

Lisa gave a wistful smile, "That even a selfish bitch like me could be heroic." Lisa smirked up at Nebula when he snorted something that sounded like "Bullshit". "I will admit the local talent does lower the bar on that significantly."

I suppose there is overlap with the number of fictions that try to make Vista stop caping I've read: Precisely zero. Or, well, one now.

Click to shrink...

Add Implacable to that list. And it goes badly when they try. As in Missy teamed up with Bitch bad.

Until she listened to Emma, that is.

(Poor fool. You should never listen to Emma.

Click to shrink...

You fool, you fell victim to one of the classic blunders!

 

[KingCrimson1081]

TBF this sounds like this was before Shadow Stalker was collared and pressed into the Wards. So at first Missy would be the only person using the Wards Girl's showers. And after I see it as in character for Sophia to not look at Missy and pretend no one was there the times they had to share the shower room.

Click to shrink...

Shouldn't Emma have been a Ward by this time since she got her powers a bit before highschool? But considering she was also friends with Sophia at that time I can imagine she actually helped Missy hide the injury or looked the other way.

I can see Lisa giving a similar speech to Nebula and Flechette.

"Me, lure her away from the Wards? Damn, you never got to know the girl at all. She can talk, and it sounds corny and naive. But then you start nodding because it makes sense. And then you start to believe."

Flechette leaned closer, "Believe what?"

Lisa gave a wistful smile, "That even a selfish bitch like me could be heroic." Lisa smirked up at Nebula when he snorted something that sounded like "Bullshit". "I will admit the local talent does lower the bar on that significantly."

Click to shrink...

Damn now I want to see a full omake scene of this, really get all the ways the Protectorate fucked up through the eyes of a powerful Thinker.

 

[Tanaxanth]

PRT Background Check:

Lily: "Guys we have a big problem with Phase."

Weld: "What did she do this time?"

Lily: "Well I was concerned about all her 'late night runs' so I followed her out yesterday, and what I saw might disturb you."

Weld: "Saw what is she in danger? Is she doing something illegal?"

Lily: "Worse, I saw her with a friend that isn't one of the Wards."

Weld: "What?"

Lily: "I know I was just as confused as you are they had a whole meet cute and everything!"

Weld: "Lily I don't think this is as bad as you are making it out to be."

Lily: "Don't you get it Weld! I have been trying to get Taylor to open up to me for over a month with no success then some blond bimbo comes along and steals her from me in less than a day, unacceptable!"

Weld: "I feel like there is more to this than Taylor just having a friend, but against my better judgement I am going to stay."

Lily: "It was supposed to be sweet you know first I would start as her only friend in the Wards slowly cracking the baby lesbian out of her shell, and then we would become more than that once she realized her feelings. I had a flow chart and everything!"

Lily pulls out an exceedingly long and detailed flow chart titled 'Seducing Befriending Phase.'

Weld: "My instincts were right this was a mistake and I am leaving now."

Lily: "Weld! Weld! Come back here this is serious!"

Click to shrink...

Umm Lily you are channeling March just a teensy tiny bit there

 

[The Unicorn]

TBF this sounds like this was before Shadow Stalker was collared and pressed into the Wards. So at first Missy would be the only person using the Wards Girl's showers. And after I see it as in character for Sophia to not look at Missy and pretend no one was there the times they had to share the shower room.

Click to shrink...

That really isn't the point. Vista has stitches in her chest, that means major bleeding and a set of sutures got used, unless Vista was much better at covering up that should have been noticed regardless of who shares the bathroom with her.
Then you have the weeks of recovery where she's have limited motion because anything too strenuous would tear the stitches (this is true regardless of if she's needed stitches) and no one noticed?

As I said, it reflects very badly on everyone involved other than Vista.

 

[MovingTarget]

I want to see just how badly the wards brilliant plans bring even more shit down on them and perhaps get a few in jail or dead. The fact that Piggot got the two girls off with kp duty for what they done just really seals the deal Taylor will get no justice from them ever it seems. But the fact that Boston outright refuses to understand and try to help Taylor?

One day they may find themselves deal with Heartripper...

Click to shrink...

Kalima is a better name

 

[LuridThrone]

The asshole at the end there is going to try and frame Phase 'for her own good' and prove her right about everything isnt he? Maybe she even catches him in the act instead of falling for it and uses it to throw more dirt on the PRT.

 

[Dakkah]

Wouldn't really count on it since she will also be dragging down the rest of the Wards team with her in her attempt at punishment.

Click to shrink...

Honestly that is why I believe that it could be a trap, if only she and SS would be out moonlighting, ENE could pretend that they made a mistake and overlooked it. Its the Bay, New capes pop up all the time, and between the two only Sophia has an obvious tell, but if the entire Ward team is out and about and the PRT does nothing? Well, plausible deniability only stretches so far.

Sure the local YG might still be blind, Tay on the other hand got the eyes of an eagle, and when it comes to reports, no belligerent Ward is her equal.

 

[Garreon]

Do the local vigilante laws allow Ghost to keep cash or such?

Click to shrink...

Yep, they do

Its wild that an update hasn't been posted to this thread in a year and it's still constantly active.

Click to shrink...

I am here for the omakes, to tide me over while waiting for the next chapter.....but you only get 1 every blue moon.
I remember the story that inspired this one. That one had, at least, 3 omakes per day.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

That one had, at least, 3 omakes per day.

Click to shrink...

We can only dream, and encourage others to post their omakes about the story.

 

[Breakdown_Brkdwn]

Derek, Derek, Derek. You are still assuming Taylor doesn't hate and distrust the Protectorate and Wards enough, to choose going to juvie over taking a plea deal. And can the PRT force power testing on a teenage parahuman who chooses jail time over a diversion into the Wards program?

And this assumes you can even hold her at all...

Click to shrink...

If they keep pushing her, she'll end up forced into criminality because she got fucked over from the start. And what's worse is that she'll probably be written off as someone falling through the administrative cracks. They can't hold her like they can Shadow Stalker, so she'll likely keep escaping wherever they try to keep her.

 

[Breadnaught]

If they keep pushing her, she'll end up forced into criminality because she got fucked over from the start. And what's worse is that she'll probably be written off as someone falling through the administrative cracks. They can't hold her like they can Shadow Stalker, so she'll likely keep escaping wherever they try to keep her.

Click to shrink...

They obviously don't know - even Taylor doesn't realize it yet - but she's just had an exit strategy fall into her lap.

Lisa. Thinker 7. Information broker. Owner of a crazy-ass conspiracy board.

In other words, a person who could probably set her up with a new identity, full set of fake documents and social security number, and a place to stay.

They're not remotely close enough for Taylor to even consider turning to her for help like that yet. But she's also not at the stage of ditching the PRT and assuming a fake ID just yet either.

They better get their act together before Taylor and Lisa grow close enough, or they could lose her completely.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

They better get their act together before Taylor and Lisa grow close enough, or they could lose her completely.

Click to shrink...

Everyone in Boston, PRT, Protectorate, and Wards consider Taylor siding with them inevitable. So they don't think they have to sell Taylor on joining any more than the IRS thinks it has to sell Americans on paying taxes (just finished prepping mine). To them there is no conceivable other option.

Enter Question!Lisa (it was the conspiracy board that did it) giggling and asking "Are you certain of that?"

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Everyone in Boston, PRT, Protectorate, and Wards consider Taylor siding with them inevitable. So they don't think they have to sell Taylor on joining any more than the IRS thinks it has to sell Americans on paying taxes (just finished prepping mine). To them there is no conceivable other option.

Enter Question!Lisa (it was the conspiracy board that did it) giggling and asking "Are you certain of that?"

Click to shrink...

Announcer: "The PRT has Phase pinned in the corner, I think this might be the end folks! But wait what's that?! It's Verthandi with a steel chair!"

Lisa whacks 'PRT' with the steel chair knocking them out.

Ref: "1... 2... 3..."

Announcer: "And in a stunning upset the PRT is down and we have our new champions!!!"

Or at least that is how I assume things will play out.

 

[Thebackhander]

Everyone is assuming her powers won't get leaked and have her get poached by a three letter agency for some black bag operations

In the case where she escapes she could easily start rescuing cops wherever she roams and it would easily get the cops to start feeding bad info to the prt

 

[SlickRCBD]

The asshole at the end there is going to try and frame Phase 'for her own good' and prove her right about everything isnt he? Maybe she even catches him in the act instead of falling for it and uses it to throw more dirt on the PRT.

Click to shrink...

I doubt he'd go that far, however he'd put her under a microscope looking for the flimsiest excuse to charge her with something. There are lots of laws, particularly misdemeanors that few people know about that get violated all the time because most people don't even know they are breaking the law, but an asshole cop with knowledge can bust you for.
I imagine the vigilante regulations have all kinds of pratfalls to trap troublesome rogue vigilante capes that don't sign up with the PRT, by design.

 

[Rymu]

Everyone is assuming her powers won't get leaked and have her get poached by a three letter agency for some black bag operations

Click to shrink...

Taylor's mix of Breaker and Trump powers make any organization attempting to manipulate her pretty foolish outside of some real silver bullet level powers. Lisa is the only person to think about Taylor to show any sign of having a chance to direct Taylor at all and i have my doubts things'll change.

 

[Thebackhander]

Taylor's mix of Breaker and Trump powers make any organization attempting to manipulate her pretty foolish outside of some real silver bullet level powers. Lisa is the only person to think about Taylor to show any sign of having a chance to direct Taylor at all and i have my doubts things'll change.

Click to shrink...

I meant poach from them by bribing her with whatever she wants be it training salary a relocation whatever she wants while she gets training for whatever she agrees be it part of a black bag operator a spy or an agent for internal affairs whatever she wants that her power and temperament lends itself for

 

[Santo]

Enter Question!Lisa

Click to shrink...

Now I'm imagining her cape persona as a faceless blonde woman in a trench coat.

"That, my dear Ghost. Is The Question."

 

[Prince Charon]

Umm Lily you are channeling March just a teensy tiny bit there

Click to shrink...

Now, imagine her realizing that...

 

[Vanbers]

Lily: "Don't you get it Weld! I have been trying to get Taylor to open up to me for over a month with no success then some blond bimbo comes along and steals her from me in less than a day, unacceptable!"

Click to shrink...

Umm Lily you are channeling March just a teensy tiny bit there

Click to shrink...

Obviously the Sting Shard is slightly Yandere for Taylor's 'Nothing can hit me', and that transfers over to their hosts.

Announcer: "The PRT has Phase pinned in the corner, I think this might be the end folks! But wait what's that?! It's Verthandi with a steel chair!"

Lisa whacks 'PRT' with the steal chair knocking them out.

Click to shrink...

Is "Verthandi" confirmed as Lisa's Cape Name in this already?

Because it doesn't feel like a 'Lisa' name at all, tbh. That's like, a "Lisa joins the Empire" kind of name, they kinda got the whole norse symbolism thing tainted in universe.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Is "Verthandi" confirmed as Lisa's Cape Name in this already?

Click to shrink...

Yes it has been in the Lisa section of the latest chapter.

Because it doesn't feel like a 'Lisa' name at all, tbh. That's like, a "Lisa joins the Empire" kind of name, they kinda got the whole norse symbolism thing tainted in universe.

Click to shrink...

Kinda does due to the fact that most people aren't knowledgeable enough to get it. Which makes me imagine Taylor getting it right on the first try during her first official meeting with Lisa.

 

[The Unicorn]

I meant poach from them by bribing her with whatever she wants be it training salary a relocation whatever she wants while she gets training for whatever she agrees be it part of a black bag operator a spy or an agent for internal affairs whatever she wants that her power and temperament lends itself for

Click to shrink...

That is...unlikely.
What they know about her powers would certainly make her useful, but her personality really doesn't fit such a role and with her being a teenager (and thus not trusted to do anything like resonable long term planning) no threat or bribe could be relied on to keep her with the program even ignoring her mental issues.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Now I'm imagining her cape persona as a faceless blonde woman in a trench coat.

"That, my dear Ghost. Is The Question."

Click to shrink...

Hey, Phase needed a new identity as NotAWard Ghost. Somewhat villainous Verthandi would need a similar alter ego for any heroic pursuits...

 

[Lement]

Everyone is assuming her powers won't get leaked and have her get poached by a three letter agency for some black bag operations

In the case where she escapes she could easily start rescuing cops wherever she roams and it would easily get the cops to start feeding bad info to the prt

Click to shrink...

Easy to assume, when the only one that shows up in Worm plot is CPS. I've seen rare fics which make use of them, but tbh they somewhat escape from the classical worm theme of "superpowered people fighting", losing the original flavor somewhat. (Not bad, but not exactly what springs to mind under "worm fanfic".)

Though, I'm not sure why the cops would feed bad info to the PRT when rescued. At most, they'd aim to prevent her recapture if they believed the PRT was abusive guardian.

Add Implacable to that list. And it goes badly when they try. As in Missy teamed up with Bitch bad.

Click to shrink...

Glancing at opening chapter of that fic put me off, but I guess it's a reason to try again.