Trump Card (Worm AU) [Complete]

[Ack]

My thought on this way back when was for them to randomly meet in their civvies. Taylor ID's her via her power, Lisa knows that she knows, Taylor knows that she knows that she knows, this continues until either Taylor forces her power away from Lisa to break the feedback loop or they accept it and make a plan that would make Alexander the Great and Sun Tzu weep from the beauty and complexity it contains. Of course to everyone else it appear that they stared at each other for a couple minutes while having minor muscle spasms before shaking hands and going back to doing whatever they were doing.

Oh....fuck, I just had a bad thought. The PRT knows alot about Taylor and her power, well more than enough for all of Coil's moles to make him be interested in either killing her so she can't be a threat by discovering exactly how his power works or to possibly have her kidnapped and given the Dinah treatment right next to her so he can double-down on what he can do.

Click to shrink...

His base in in BB wasn't properly established until after the bank job (in April), and Dragon only picked up the moles around about Leviathan. So it's entirely possible that he doesn't have moles in the building until then. Also, that sort of information would be tightly contained even then, for more or less that exact reason.

 

[doomlord9]

His base in in BB wasn't properly established until after the bank job (in April), and Dragon only picked up the moles around about Leviathan. So it's entirely possible that he doesn't have moles in the building until then. Also, that sort of information would be tightly contained even then, for more or less that exact reason.

Click to shrink...

Ok, so the Lisa shenanigans will have to wait until after her spontaneous orgasm at realizing what Taylor could mean for her efforts to gain her freedom from Coil if she can manage to smuggle her close enough to get a full data-sheet on the what and how of his power since that's the only thing really holding her back.

That and having someone who she can actually talk to properly without having to dumb everything down so they can understand. I mean seriously, even when she raised her left eyebrow 1/3 of a centimeter and moved her left arm to sit at a 22.765 degree angle from her body they STILL couldn't see that she was just joking and got all pissy, saying she was being a sadistic bitch! How much more obvious does she have to get before people can understand her?!?

 

[Adyen]

Like, the chances of Taylor randomly bumping into Lisa is as high as her 'randomly' bumping into Dinah. So it really depends on where Ack wants to take it.

 

[doomlord9]

Like, the chances of Taylor randomly bumping into Lisa is as high as her 'randomly' bumping into Dinah. So it really depends on where Ack wants to take it.

Click to shrink...

A little better since Dinah is in a completely different social circle while Lisa still mall-rats the Boardwalk every now and then so they could meet on a shopping trip and/or leisure day but yeah it's all in the air.

If you hadn't noticed though, I am totally in the LisaxTaylor OTP camp so I really can't help trying to get them to meet and head towards BFF or hopefully SO territory.

 

[Ack]

A little better since Dinah is in a completely different social circle while Lisa still mall-rats the Boardwalk every now and then so they could meet on a shopping trip and/or leisure day but yeah it's all in the air.

If you hadn't noticed though, I am totally in the LisaxTaylor OTP camp so I really can't help trying to get them to meet and head towards BFF or hopefully SO territory.

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, while Lisa and Trump!Taylor are together, they're both in the sex-is-squicky zone. BFF, yes (given that they will understand each other so completely). SO, not SO (heheh) much

 

[doomlord9]

Unfortunately, while Lisa and Trump!Taylor are together, they're both in the sex-is-squicky zone. BFF, yes (given that they will understand each other so completely). SO, not SO (heheh) much

Click to shrink...

On the other hand, they might reach that point where physical sex is actually a downgrade. The fantasies and stories they make together when not hyper-scheming are so much better than sex itself could be since their partner is now able to be aware of those signals and focus them to give only the correct information to advance the story.

Too bad their bodies can't keep up, they could make so much money if they could get their stories typed up. You'd almost need some sort of prototype tinker power to make a direct mind-text interface though....

Damn, bringing Lisa into the Uber-Leet-Hax combo would really push the bullshit meter past the redzone.

 

[Alterego9]

Unfortunately, while Lisa and Trump!Taylor are together, they're both in the sex-is-squicky zone.

Click to shrink...

Like you have ever sticked to that alleged limitation.

 

[Ack]

Like you have ever sticked to that alleged limitation.

Click to shrink...

Well, maybe. But in this case, I'm sticking to it.

 

[inverted_helix]

Well, maybe. But in this case, I'm sticking to it.

Click to shrink...

This just tells me he already has other plans.

 

[Navrin]

The only character I can think of who successfully "traded in" his secret identity for a new one: Harbinger to Number Man. At least, I think he got away with it...

 

[esotericist]

It doesn't feel like it would happen unless the Bombings happens again (which I actually doubt). U+L were never really shown on screen when Taylor was with the Undersiders, so it makes more sense if they were working in different spheres of influence.

Click to shrink...

I cannot even begin to fathom Uber and Leet continuing to work with Hax without them becoming a MUCH bigger deal than they ever were in canon. She's going to grab hold of command of those two, and take them places, whether they want to be there or not. Even if they convince her to stick primarily to the televised themed stuff, the competence in their shenanigans can only increase.

If they don't continue their traditional pattern, and she reshapes them into a group that continues to do things with stealth, they're going to be in direct competition with the Undersiders.

Of course, there's other places the story could go, but the most 'obvious' routes result in Lisa having opportunities to get a squint at Hax fairly readily.

So I reiterate: I am all of the looking forward to Taylor meeting Lisa.

 

[Grell23]

I cannot even begin to fathom Uber and Leet continuing to work with Hax without them becoming a MUCH bigger deal than they ever were in canon. She's going to grab hold of command of those two, and take them places, whether they want to be there or not. Even if they convince her to stick primarily to the televised themed stuff, the competence in their shenanigans can only increase.

Click to shrink...

The thing that always blew my mind about U&L was how under utilized Uber was.
Spend an hour or two a day training Leet in yoga, a few martial arts and general fitness.
Hell even learning a few submission holds how to fall, simple stuff would allow Uber to be more effective in the field knowing Leet could handle things with more of a safety margin.

Social skills!: acting, haggling, appraisal, script writing, editing (written and film) how to spot a liar, how to *be* a liar, intimidation techniques, seduction, raconteur skills the mind boggles at how much more epically useful and impressive they could both be if Leet picked up just a few flipping social skills to add to tinkering.

Don't get me wrong leveraged correctly they both have such potential but god damn are they dropping the ball on meeting it. If Taylor spent a few moments borrowing some social skills to convince Leet to pick up some social skills of his own? Hell yea major league turnaround on both a personal and viewership level.

Far as Leet is concerned I wonder at how much time he puts in to using modular equipment from other tinkers. "Oh shit I can't make *that* power supply anymore *Sob* oh wait Dewalts catalog of technical toys has one that will do in a pinch!"

If he can't get his courage up to the point where his own shard stops punking him all the time he can at least use a few coping skills to help overcome those limits.


Sorry to ramble on I just hate seeing powers that cool used in such a pissant fashion & I hope Hax can steer those two onto a more successful and respected course.

G23

 

[Navrin]

How I would expect Taylor's power duplication to work in practice with Coil.

Coil's shard predicts his two sets of choices: one where he meets with Taylor and one where he doesn't. (He could meet with her in both, of course, but it merely complicates the scenario and seems unlikely given Coil)

For the one where he doesn't meet her, Taylor cannot duplicate his power and things work out normally.

For the one where he DID meet her, she duplicates his power and the shard predicts what SHE would do with the new power. The one that Taylor would consider most favourable would be the one she would pick.

If the timeline where Coil didn't meet with her was "chosen", then he lives that timeline and experiences what Taylor "did", but not the timeline that she "didn't".

If the one where they DO meet was chosen, then both live in the exact same timeline and both experience a secondary timeline, too, though of very differing natures. (Taylor one where things went worse for her, and one for Coil where he didn't meet her in the first place.)


It's possible for Taylor to initiate the "split" first, of course, especially if Coil just ended his while keeping one where they're both present in which case Taylor gets the two overchoices while Coil gets the better result within each overchoice.

 

[Xryuran]

I have a feeling that Uber and Leet triggered later 8n life. So they spent all of their developmental years probably as the nerds and the outcasts. So when they finally got powers they didn't really know what to do. It was awesome but it wasn't like they could use most of their skills in their real life so they got stuck in a rut. Leet's problems with his shard probably (definitely) didn't help.

 

[Grell23]

I have a feeling that Uber and Leet triggered later 8n life. So they spent all of their developmental years probably as the nerds and the outcasts. So when they finally got powers they didn't really know what to do. It was awesome but it wasn't like they could use most of their skills in their real life so they got stuck in a rut. Leet's problems with his shard probably (definitely) didn't help.

Click to shrink...

Someday someone will trigger with the power of understanding other powers and go on to
make stupid amounts of bank consulting with people on how to get the most out of them.

Call her Annie Oakley.

'Anything you can do I can do better'

 

[Xryuran]

Someday someone will trigger with the power of understanding other powers and go on to
make stupid amounts of bank consulting with people on how to get the most out of them.

Call her Annie Oakley.

'Anything you can do I can do better'

Click to shrink...

Isn't this story about exactly that. I mean it's Taylor the munchin queen with EVERYONES POWER!! That's actually quite terrifying now that I think about it.

 

[Ack]

Isn't this story about exactly that. I mean it's Taylor the munchin queen with EVERYONES POWER!! That's actually quite terrifying now that I think about it.

Click to shrink...

Yes.

 

[Ack]

Trump Card

Part 11: Alternate Points of View


Director Piggot

"You went into the house," Piggot stated, her voice flat and hard. "Why did you do that?"

Armsmaster would have stiffened to attention, if he had not already been in that posture.

"My report covers -" he began, but she cut him off.

"I have your report right here," she snapped, slapping a hand down on her desk. "I want to hear it from you. Personally. And kindly do not leave out the part where armed troopers threatened a teenage girl with automatic firearms."

He drew a deep breath. "I was proceeding toward the house that you had indicated to me, belonging to Daniel Hebert. Less than a block away from the house, I encountered a person, also proceeding toward the house. This person was dressed in a manner similar to that described by Vista and Aegis, down to the goggles. This person's physical type fitted the description of Taylor Hebert."

He paused for a moment, and Piggot jumped in. "Did you see or hear anything that would help to specifically pin this person's identity on the Hebert girl? Hair, for instance? Voice? Eyes? Skin colour?"

Reluctantly, he shook his head. "The person was the right height and could have been the right build, given that the clothes were a little loose. Apart from that ... no. No hair was showing, no skin was showing."

The Director's lips thinned slightly, and she nodded curtly. "Go on."

"The person knew I was there; he or she glanced back at me. I turned on all my lights, and prepared to effect a capture."

"But then the person evaded you." It wasn't a question.

He nodded. "Yes." The admission appeared to pain him. "He or she went in between the houses."

"Did you attempt to pursue on foot?" She knew the answer to that one, but asked him anyway.

"No. By the time I was off the bike, the person was out of sight. I saw him, or her, hurdle a three-foot hedge with ease. Does Taylor Hebert have a background in athletics?"

She shook her head. "All the information we have indicates a more sedentary lifestyle."

"Well, this person is adept at track and field," he stated. "Athletic and acrobatic."

"But you have a theory to cover that." Again, it wasn't a question.

He nodded. "If she's allied herself with Über and L33t -"

Piggot snorted; she could not help herself. "That pair of losers!"

"Who may just have pulled off a major heist last night, and got away clean, with millions of dollars worth of gear," he reminded her. "I'm just saying that if she's allied herself with them, she could easily have picked up any skills she needs, by tapping Über's power."

To her credit, Piggot became very thoughtful. "And if she's giving them direction and helping them pull off jobs like that one last night, that makes me very concerned indeed." She shook her head. "But we worry about that later. Continue."

"I lost track of the person," continued Armsmaster, "but I set up on the street separating that block from the Hebert house. If it was Taylor Hebert, and she crossed the street, I would know about it."

"But she crossed it anyway," Piggot stated implacably.

He nodded. "The only thing I can think of is if she hitched a ride on the truck. When the men got out, they saw someone running into the yard. They went looking, but found no-one. A few of them got turned around, and the west side of the house was uncovered for a few moments. They heard a noise from that side, but when they went to investigate, they found nothing."

"But it could have been Taylor Hebert getting into the house."

He nodded again. "Her bedroom window opens on to that side. It's sixteen feet up the side of the house - but the driveway's on that side, and Hebert parks his car there. Almost directly under the window."

"Sixteen feet," mused Piggot, "but with a car to stand on, that's closer to eleven or twelve feet. The Hebert girl is a bit less than six feet tall, so she'd have seven feet of reach. So we're looking at a four or five foot gap. If she jumped, got purchase -"

"Athletic and acrobatic," he reminded her.

"She could make it," she concluded.

He nodded. "That's what I figured. Once we saw the person in the yard, I figured we were in the end zone anyway. The guy in charge of the troops, what's his name -"

"Michaels," she supplied.

"Michaels, right. We concurred that we had a case for hot pursuit. So they demanded entry, Hebert opened the door, the PRT guys went in, found the right bedroom -"

"And there she was, lying in bed, as innocent as a newborn lamb," she interrupted scathingly. "Screaming her bloody head off."

He gritted his teeth. "If we'd been ten seconds earlier ..."

"But you weren't," she snapped. "We're just lucky that no-one has footage of this. That the PHO boards haven't snapped up this little fiasco and sent it nationwide. That Hebert has apparently decided that his daughter's privacy as a cape is more important than suing the PRT and Protectorate for millions. Because let me tell you something -"

"Actually, no," remarked a new voice. "Let me tell you something."

Both Armsmaster and Piggot turned toward the window. It was open, and a caped figure was just stepping through.

Director Piggot's mouth fell open, and then she closed it again.

"... oh," was all she managed.

Alexandria's smile was wintry. "'Oh' indeed, Emily," she murmured, closing the window behind her. "Now, let me tell you how it's going to be."

<><>​

There was a long silence in the room, then Piggot spoke up. "Is ... the Chief Director ...?"

Alexandria shook her head. "Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown is a busy woman," she declared. "For today, you can assume that whatever I say is what the Chief Director wants."

Piggot nodded slowly. "So, what do you know of the case?"

Alexandria's lips thinned. "I know that after you were told to back off with Taylor Hebert and make amends, you apparently decided instead to take your first opportunity to send PRT troops into her house, avoiding a massive PR catastrophe only by sheer, unbridled fluke. I know that you still have not managed to expedite Shadow Stalker's removal from the Wards, despite your assurances to the contrary. And I suspect that, due to these factors, exacerbated by perhaps the greatest failure of diplomacy in Brockton Bay since Lord's Port became the Boat Graveyard, Taylor Hebert has decided to embark upon a highly successful life of crime. As opposed to, say, joining the Wards."

Her delivery was flat, but it was underscored by a tone so cutting that it almost drew blood. Piggot felt physically ill; she had been dreading the fallout, and it was shaping up to be even worse than she had imagined. "Uh, I intend to be taking steps -"

Alexandria's hard gaze locked on to her from behind the steel helmet; she stumbled to a halt. "No, I will be 'taking steps'. You will do nothing except carry out those orders which I will pass on to you. Orders directly from the Chief Director. Do you understand?"

Emily Piggot nodded silently.

Alexandria smiled again; there was no humour in it. "Good. You've done a fine job as Director here over the last ten years; I'd hate for you to throw it all away now. Fortunately for you, the Hebert fiasco has not made waves. So you'll keep your position, but with the strict understanding that you are on notice. Any of your actions, from here on in, are subject to audit, and you to summary dismissal, if it's decided that you screwed up to this magnitude again, without seeking advice up the line. Is that understood?"

Numbly, Piggot nodded again.

"Good," Alexandria told her. "Armsmaster. You are removed from leadership of the local Protectorate team, effective immediately. Miss Militia will take your place. You will undergo assessment, retraining and whatever else is deemed necessary until you are considered fit to hold a leadership position in the field once more."

She didn't ask him if he understood; the question, and the answer, would have been superfluous.

"Now," she went on. "Your orders regarding Taylor Hebert are quite simple. Hands. Off. Full stop. No ifs, buts or maybes. Director Piggot, I understand that you've been attempting to recruit her into the Wards?"

Piggot cleared her throat. "I, uh, I've been trying to contact her, to open a dialogue. But she doesn't respond. There's no negotiation. She asks me, is Shadow Stalker gone, and ... "

"And you say no, so she hangs up," completed Alexandria. "Got it. Well, perhaps you should have moved faster on that."

Her tone was mild, but Piggot winced anyway. "I've been trying. But every time I try to move things along, she threatens to contact Youth Guard, and I do not want them in my building."

Alexandria nodded slowly. "Well, I can't fault you on that, at least. Well, your orders are clear. You don't contact Taylor Hebert or her father, you don't consider her to be a suspect in any crimes, no matter how compelling the circumstantial evidence. You go only off eyewitness accounts, and evidence gathered at the scene. Capture her in costume, well done. Anything less blatant than that, kid gloves. Are we understood?"

Her gaze took in Armsmaster and Piggot both; after a moment, they nodded.

"Good." She smiled brightly. "Now, I'm going to speak to the recalcitrant Shadow Stalker. She is in the building, yes?"

Piggot nodded. "In the Wards base, yes. Monitor duty."

"Ugh." Alexandria grimaced, but her tone was almost whimsical. "Monitor duty. Almost as bad as juvey. Oh, well." She moved toward the door, then stopped. "Where could I get a pair of those electrical cuffs that you use to restrain her?"

"Uh, I have a pair," Armsmaster told her. He detached them from his belt, handed them to her. "We've assessed that she's not a flight risk -"

"Faced with the imminent possibility of juvenile detention, that might change," she informed him gravely. She looked at Piggot. "And one last thing before I go. You were hell-bent on catching her red-handed, forcing her into the Wards, just as you did with Shadow Stalker. But you see how that's turned out with her. Now I want you to imagine the potential consequences of a resentful teenager, who by all accounts can use the powers of those she taps into better than the owners of said powers, forced into a situation where she's surrounded by a multitude of destructive powers. Working for people against whom she holds a quite understandable grudge. Think, if you will, on exactly how many ways that could turn out badly."

With that, she stepped out the door, and closed it behind her.

Piggot and Armsmaster looked at each other for a long moment, then the armoured hero slowly subsided into a chair. Piggot did not object.

"Fuck," he muttered.

She did not disagree.

<><>​

Shadow Stalker

The buzzer sounded, and the monitor screens flashed yellow, indicating a visitor. Sophia picked up her mask from the desk and fitted it over her face, but she did not turn to see who the newcomer was. She had to do monitor duty; she didn't have to be polite.

"Shadow Stalker."

The voice was right behind her; it was unfamiliar. And Missy and Chris had stopped their inane conversation, over in the eating area. She turned and looked. And then looked up.

Looking down at her, lips set in a hard line, was perhaps the last person that Sophia wanted to see.

"Uh, Alexandria," she managed, jumping to her feet. "If you're looking for Triumph, he's off duty, but Aegis -"

" - is not the person I want to talk to." Alexandria's voice was hard, even harsh. "You are."

Sophia drew in a breath. "If this is about those bullshit charges they've got me on -"

"Shut up," snapped Alexandria; Sophia shut up. "We will speak about this, on the roof. Now."

"I, uh -" began Sophia. Alexandria glared at her. To the best of Sophia's knowledge, the Triumvirate hero didn't have any Master powers, or death-ray vision for that matter, but Sophia wouldn't have been able to prove either assertion at that moment. "... uh, right. On the roof."

"Wrists," Alexandria ordered. "You'll be wearing these." She reached behind her and produced a pair of the specialised cuffs that Armsmaster had made up.

"Oh, no, wait, that's bullshit," Sophia protested. "I haven't tried to run even once. You don't need those."

"Director Piggot thinks you do," Alexandria told her coldly. "Armsmaster thinks you do. And, more importantly, I think you do. After you hear what I have to say, you may just become a flight risk. So give me your wrists. Now."

Sophia shook her head. "I'm not going to -"

Alexandria's voice was low and soft. "That. Is. An. Order."

Sophia felt a chill go down her back. Disobeying a direct order from a member of the Triumvirate, in front of witnesses …

This could bury me. Youth Guard or no Youth Guard.

She put out her wrists, and felt the cuffs click into place. Immediately, they commenced humming ominously.

Alexandria placed one hand lightly on her shoulder. "Come on, Shadow Stalker," she stated. "Let's go."

Sophia did not want to go to the roof for a talk with Alexandria. "Uh, I'm on monitor duty," she hedged. "Not supposed to leave the screens unattended."

Alexandria nodded. "Understood. Vista!"

Across the room, Vista stood up. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked.

"You're on monitor duty until Shadow Stalker gets back."

Vista nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She started toward the computer console.

Alexandria smiled slightly. "Thank you. Shall we go?"

Guided by the light touch – which she knew at any minute could cease being light – Sophia went with Alexandria toward the door.

<><>​

They emerged from the lift doors into the roof complex. Alexandria guided Sophia out on to the roof proper; the two guards on duty stiffened to attention, and saluted.

Alexandria returned the salutes, then nodded to them. "At ease, boys. Take five, if you don't mind."

"Ma'am?" asked one of the guards.

Alexandria stepped a little closer, and lowered her voice. "I need to have a private conversation with Shadow Stalker about her immediate future. Just her and me. I'll watch the roof while you're gone. Understood?"

The guard nodded at once. "Understood, ma'am. Taking five, as ordered."

Sophia watched them heading toward the lift, then turned back toward Alexandria.

"Okay, you got me up here," she began defiantly. "So give me your talk, and we can -"

The hand that closed around her throat shut her up very quickly indeed. She tried to pull it off of her, but she may as well have been trying to bend a steel bar in her bare hands. Looking into Alexandria's eyes, she found nothing resembling mercy.

"You represent a problem to me," Alexandria mused, even as she walked Sophia over to the edge of the roof. Sophia found that she could breathe, barely, but speech was impossible. "I usually remove problems, as quickly and efficiently as possible. So I have decided that, tonight, you will cease being a problem to me. One way or the other."

Sophia felt her face suffusing with blood; she was finding it harder to breathe. She made a vague choking noise, waving weakly toward her throat.

The grip let up on her throat, and she drew a shuddering breath into her lungs. Alexandria's expression had not changed in the slightest. "What … what are the choices?" rasped Sophia.

"Option one," Alexandria told her, "is that you go down to Director Piggot's office and confess to every single crime you have ever committed. Including all the assaults against Taylor Hebert. Leave nothing out. Then ask politely to be removed from the Wards program, and to be placed into juvenile detention."

"Fuck that!" snapped Sophia, her natural rebelliousness and arrogance pushing aside the fear she had felt a moment ago. "I'm not going to dig my own fucking grave!"

Alexandria nodded, unsurprised. Her hand closed on the front of Sophia's costume, and lifted; Sophia felt her feet leave the ground. Turning, Alexandria held her out over the drop, supported only by the grip on her costume. With a twist of the wrist, Alexandria tightened her collar, cutting off her blood circulation. Blackness began to well up around her vision.

"Option two," Alexandria went on, "is that I drop you, now. It will be a tragic case of a misguided escape attempt. I tried to catch you, but you'd fallen too far, and the deceleration snapped your neck." Her expression still had not altered in the slightest.

She let Sophia hang there for a long moment, during which the Ward felt her consciousness slipping away, before moving her back on to the rooftop. When she let go, Sophia fell to her knees, holding her throat and gagging. Alexandria just stood, looking down at her dispassionately.

Once she had gotten her breath back, Sophia looked up at Alexandria. "You're fucking nuts. There's no way you're going to kill me if I refuse to confess. I'm a Ward, and you're in the Protectorate. It's stupid. It's insane. It's - it's against the fucking law!"

Alexandria's chuckle was as dry as autumn leaves. "Says the girl who broke the law so very many times, for her own amusement." Her voice became harsh once more. "Listen to me, very carefully, and you may yet live out the night."

Sophia was starting to get the idea that she had perhaps miscalculated the depth of trouble in which she had landed. She stared up at Alexandria, eyes wide behind her mask. "I'm listening," she admitted at last.

"Good," Alexandria murmured, crouching so as to get down to Sophia's level. Then her hand lanced out, seized the front of Sophia's costume once more, and they were airborne. Straight up they went, at a speed that took Sophia's breath away. When they stopped, Brockton Bay was far, far below them. A chill wind made Sophia's cloak flap and brought goosepimples to her skin; Alexandria did not seem to notice it.

"Now that I have your attention," the elder hero announced. "We come to the matter of Taylor Hebert. I would have her in the Wards, or at least, favourably inclined toward us. You are a stumbling block in that matter, which is why you are being removed. Tonight."

Sophia frowned; it didn't make sense. "Fucking Hebert? Is that what this is about? Why do you want her?"

Alexandria sighed. "She can copy powers. Any powers. She's good at it."

Sophia shrugged. "And so?"

"Two of myself, or two of Eidolon, at an Endbringer fight," Alexandria filled her in. "Two of Panacea, anywhere. In fact, if she joined the Wards, she could have whatever powerset she needed, of the ones available in the area, to do what she needed." She brought Sophia's face close to hers. "She is worth ten, a hundred, a thousand of you. Currently, she doesn't like the Protectorate. That is largely your fault. I'm willing to do quite a lot to redress that balance. Your death? Won't be even a footnote."

Sophia wanted to look down, but she didn't want to know how high up she was. She was beginning to shake; she told herself it was from the cold. "W-what do you want from me?"

Alexandria plucked off Sophia's mask, stared her in the eyes. "I want your solemn assurance that you will confess every single crime, every murder, every last assault on Taylor Hebert. That you will ask to be removed from the Wards and sent to juvey. That you will not appeal your sentence. That you will never speak of this conversation to anyone, ever. And you will, of course, never speak of Taylor Hebert's secret."

Sophia blinked, tried to think. There had to be a way out -

"There is no way out." Alexandria's voice was calm, implacable. "You have two choices. You must choose one, and mean it, or I will choose the other." She paused. "And just so you know? I have spent decades learning how to read people. I'm very good at it. If I detect the slightest deceit, the slightest hint that you're holding something back, I will assume that you intend to not be honest with your choice."

She twisted Sophia's collar once more, just lightly. "And if you should happen to tell a wild tale someday to someone about this night … well, I have ears in many, many places. And I will find you. And you will die."

Sophia desperately wanted to cry, to beg, to plead for her life. But she refused to. She would die first. But she also wanted to live. While I live, I'm a survivor.

Her stomach convulsed, and a few drops of urine escaped from her bladder. She did her best to control her expression. "I choose to live," she whispered.

Alexandria tilted her head. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

Sophia took a deep breath, felt the tears of pure terror freezing on her cheeks. "I choose to live," she repeated. "Please, let me confess. I'll tell them everything. Just let me live."

A nod. "Good choice."

They dropped, so rapidly that Sophia's bladder escaped her control a second time. She thrust down the humiliation, forced it from her thoughts. I have to live. I have to live.

When they landed on the roof, Alexandria let her go. Immediately, Sophia fell to her knees and threw up; everything that she had eaten in the last twelve hours ended up decorating the rooftop. Alexandria waited patiently, then helped her up. She offered her a wipe for her mouth, before handing her mask back.

Fitting it back into place, Sophia moved toward the lift, her knees still a little wobbly. Alexandria offered her arm for support; Sophia leaned on it, but refused to feel grateful.

The lift opened and the guards emerged, just as they got to it. "Sorry, but there's a bit of a mess on the roof, over there," Alexandria told them. "You might want to get someone up here, to clean it up."

<><>​

Director Piggot looked up when Sophia and Alexandria entered her office. She stared from one to the other. "Can I help you?" she asked, a little uncertainly.

Drawing a deep breath, Sophia stepped forward. "I want to make a confession," she stated clearly. "I want to confess all the crimes I committed as an independent, and as a Ward."

Piggot blinked, then held up a hand. Rummaging in a desk drawer, she pulled out a large digital recorder. Switching it on, she recorded her name, then played it back, to her satisfaction. Starting the recorder again, she stated, "This is Director Emily Piggot, of PRT East-North-East. Speaking to me is Shadow Stalker, also known as Sophia Hess." She gave the date and time, then looked at Sophia. "Now, if you can start from the beginning?"

"May I have a seat?" asked Sophia. "This could take some time."

Alexandria pulled a seat over for her; Sophia sat. She began. "I killed three men that I know of while I was an independent … "

Alexandria left while she was still speaking. She didn't notice.

<><>​

Alexandria

She rang the phone number she had been given while she was still three miles out. The phone was answered by a male voice.

"Hebert household. Danny Hebert speaking."

"Mr Hebert," she replied. "I'm pleased to have caught you. Is Taylor at home, please?"

"Who is this?" he answered, suspiciously.

"This is Alexandria," she told him bluntly. "I would like to speak to Taylor about your situation regarding the PRT and the Protectorate."

"Alexandria? You mean, the Alexandria?" His voice sounded less than convinced; she didn't exactly blame him.

"The one and only, Mr Hebert," she assured him. "I'll be landing in your back yard in thirty seconds. Would you mind letting me in?"

<><>​

She dropped straight in from two thousand feet, a whistling plummet that startled a few night birds on the way past. She held her cape down as she dropped, a practised move that ensured that it would not fly up and potentially entangle her head.

Alighting gently in the back yard, she looked the house over; it was smaller than she had expected, but it was reasonably well-kept. Striding up to the back porch, she mounted the steps and was about to knock when the door was opened. Standing there, face to face with her, was a teenage girl.

She had seen the photos, and recognised her immediately. "Hello, Taylor," she greeted her, holding out her hand. "I'm -"

"- Alexandria, I know," Taylor replied, taking her hand and shaking it. She applied firm pressure, firm enough that Rebecca actually felt it. Behind her mask, her eyes opened just a little. So that's what it's like to meet someone of equal strength.

"Odd, I know," Taylor commented, as she led the way into the living room. "I get that look a lot."

Rebecca blinked, as she assimilated the fact that Taylor had just read her, even with the mask on, as easily as she read other people.

I'm used to being the smart one in the room, of being three steps ahead of everyone else. She's already assimilating my powers.

In the living room, an older man, skinny and balding, wearing glasses and a slightly stunned look, stood and offered his hand. "Danny Hebert. Very pleased to meet you, ma'am. Juice? Coffee? Tea?"

She was much more careful with his hand than with Taylor's. "Juice would be fine, thank you," she replied with a polite smile.

He left on his errand, and she turned back to Taylor. "You're probably wondering -"

"After last night's screwup, you finally lost patience with Director Piggot and came to sort matters out for yourself," Taylor told her bluntly. "You've told them to leave me alone, done something to get Shadow Stalker out of the Wards, and come here to apologise in person."

Rebecca's jaw only failed to drop because of her iron control over her musculature. I think she's smarter than I am.

Taylor shook her head. "No, it's only simple deduction. You'd only be here if you thought you had a chance to get me into the Wards, and Shadow Stalker is the big problem there. Likewise, you don't want anything leaking about PRT soldiers pointing assault rifles at teenage girls, so you've told Director Piggot to back off. Because you and I know damn well that even if I was committing crimes, I'm not about to let them even come close to catching me again. If they try, it'll only turn out badly for them."

The certainty in her tone rang true to Rebecca's ear. Could she be running a bluff on me?

She didn't think so, but after speaking to Taylor for just a few moments, she was beginning to have her doubts. Taylor was undoubtedly very bright, and with Rebecca's powers added on top …

"I don't think I can bluff you," Taylor assured her. "And it's not hard to read you. We're very much on the same wavelength."

They were, Rebecca realised. When Danny came back into the room, they both turned and smiled at him, each took a cup, and each sipped at exactly the same moment.

"What I would not do to have you beside me, fighting Behemoth … " murmured Rebecca.

Danny looked from one to the other. "That was creepy," he declared. "Are you reading each others' minds?"

"Not quite," Rebecca stated, then realised that Taylor had said the exact same words, at exactly the same time. Danny blinked and shook his head.

Rebecca chuckled. I could not cow this girl the same way I cowed Shadow Stalker. "I am so not used to being on the back foot like this. I came over for another reason as well."

Taylor took a sip from her cup. "To ask me if I want to join the Wards?" she hazarded; a grin lurking at the corner of her mouth showed that she was reasonably confident of the answer.

"Actually, no," Rebecca replied, feeling a slight satisfaction that Taylor couldn't anticipate all of her moves. "Just to tell you this much. If you're interested in joining the Wards, we would be happy for you to join them. If you aren't, then we can't make you, and to try would be to court disaster. But whatever else you are doing, with whomever else, I'm not going to bother you and I'm not going to tell you to stop."

She paused for emphasis. "Just make sure that if you're doing something not necessarily legal, with people who haven't been all too successful to date, try to make sure that they don't go over the top with their newfound success. We'd like to have the option to ask you to join us at some point, if we need a large menace put down. And it would be much easier to do that if you haven't hurt a lot of people in the meantime."

Taylor nodded. "That's fair," she agreed. "And you're right. I'm not interested in joining the Wards at the moment. But if you need my help, I'll step up. In fact, I'm working on something at the moment."

Behind her mask, Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What might that be?"

Taylor grinned, fairly radiating glee. "What, and ruin the surprise?"

Teenagers. Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I'm sure I'll find out about it when the time comes."

Serious again, Taylor nodded. "You can count on it."

"Good. Well, that was all I needed to talk to you about, so -"

"Ah, could you do me a favour and wait a few minutes?" asked Taylor. "There's something I want to figure out, and it's much easier with your Thinker rating."

Bemused, Rebecca nodded. "I suppose." She finished the juice while watching Taylor concentrating, obviously thinking hard about something.

Then Taylor nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate that." She shook Rebecca's hand. "It was nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Rebecca noted. "Also, very interesting." She shook Danny's hand as well, on the way out. "Good night."

They stood at the back door, watching, as she walked down the back steps, then vaulted skyward. A lone dog barked, far below.

Back up at ten thousand feet, she shook her head slowly. I think I got involved just in time. I would not want her mad at me.

<><>​

Coil

Thomas Calvert read over the report that had just been submitted to him.

Interesting, he thought. Very interesting, indeed.

I think that I might need to meet this Taylor Hebert. Get to know her a little.

With a little incentive, she may be able to keep my other Thinker in line.


End of Part Eleven

PHO Interlude 2

 

[doomlord9]

Well...at least having Coil know that Taylor has Alexandria's personal attention means that he would probably hesitate to disappear her. Not that he wouldn't try it anyway if he thought he could get away with it, but he would be more hesitant about it.

He's probably not going to get the end result he wants from having her and Lisa meet though. Maybe just using her existence to threaten her with just putting Lisa into a dark room with only a food slit and toilet while he has Taylor leech on her powers? Not that Taylor would agree and it would backfire horribly if he tried, but it's something he would think of to attempt.

Looking forward to how you manage the timesplit within timesplit aspect or if having two of them active at once cancels out both if you us the canon explanation of it being pure precog combined with auto-slaving the body to the selected choice.

 

[Snake/Eater]

If that last scene was a tv episode this would be the song to play as Alexandria leaves because they were both evenly badass.Then the Coil scene happens as a twist or a stinger...awesome.

 

[Slayer Anderson]

Well...at least having Coil know that Taylor has Alexandria's personal attention means that he would probably hesitate to disappear her. Not that he wouldn't try it anyway if he thought he could get away with it, but he would be more hesitant about it.
He's probably not going to get the end result he wants from having her and Lisa meet though. Maybe just using her existence to threaten her with just putting Lisa into a dark room with only a food slit and toilet while he has Taylor leech on her powers? Not that Taylor would agree and it would backfire horribly if he tried, but it's something he would think of to attempt.
Looking forward to how you manage the timesplit within timesplit aspect or if having two of them active at once cancels out both if you us the canon explanation of it being pure precog combined with auto-slaving the body to the selected choice.

Click to shrink...

Perhaps most worrisome? If Coil can stop being a dick for, like, five minutes (and that is a huge fucking 'if,' I know) Coil may be able to convince Taylor that his parahuman feudalism plan is in the right.

I mean, Taylor's just had confirmation that Piggot and Armsmaster are assholes, but that *Alexandria* knows what she's doing and can get shit done on the side of righteousness. If Coil/Calvert just propositioned Taylor upfront about his plan to take over the criminal underworld and political power structure of Brockton Bay, Taylor might sign on. It would probably mean giving Lisa a longer leash and a bigger paycheck and not keeping Dinah as a slave...

...you know, I wonder what Dinah's parents would say if Calvert showed them all of this evidence about how sordid the Wards and PRT/Protectorate really are? Would they be open to letting Calvert employ Dinah privately? It's not Coil's ideal scenario, but...he has a great deal of potential gain if he can just not be an asshole for five fucking minutes. Taylor, being potentially a copy of virtually ever cape he has in his employ, is worth it. Really, really worth it.

The selling point for Taylor, obviously, would be that Coil would stomp out most of the crime in Brockton Bay and get rid of the gangs much more effectively than Piggot and the PRT have done.

...I'm not going to lie, unless Piggot manages to score some major points with me in this story, I'm kind of rooting for Coil to win here. Please, please don't be a dumbass Coil...

 

[Navrin]

I feel sorry for Sophia Hess. She might be an absolutely vile person with a long history of evil behaviour, but having to deal with "Anything Goes" Alexandria is rather harsh. At least she only descended to direct murder threats instead of torture or threatening the lives of the people Sophia cares about... or carrying them out in front of her...

Interesting chapter, Ack, though I'm looking forward more to what Taylor and her team will pull off. I'm predicting infrastructure is going to be mysteriously in place and well defended that will help improve the lives of people in one of the poorer regions.

 

[Prince Charon]

...you know, I wonder what Dinah's parents would say if Calvert showed them all of this evidence about how sordid the Wards and PRT/Protectorate really are? Would they be open to letting Calvert employ Dinah privately?

Click to shrink...

IIRC, he'd first have to convince them that Dinah has powers at all, unless that's different in this timeline.

 

[Slayer Anderson]

IIRC, he'd first have to convince them that Dinah has powers at all, unless that's different in this timeline.

Click to shrink...

Yeah that...the fact that Dinah's parents didn't believe her about having powers always stuck out as really odd to me...especially when their newphew is Triumph and everything. Granted, they may not know about that, so I *guess* it's excusable, but...

...come to think of it, do we know Dinah's trigger event? I mean, is it conceivable that Dinah's parents had something to do with it? *That* might be why they're either in denial about her being a cape or actively covering up the result of negligence towards their daughter.

If it's the latter, Calvert has an easy out to blackmail Dinah's parents into letting her 'intern' or something at his company...

 

[alethiophile]

Well, this is fun.

Going to second/third/nth the people who are really looking forward to when Taylor meets Lisa. That'll be an entertaining acquaintance.

 

[Chojomeka]

Coil

Thomas Calvert read over the report that had just been submitted to him.

Interesting, he thought. Very interesting, indeed.

I think that I might need to meet this Taylor Hebert. Get to know her a little.

With a little incentive, she may be able to keep my other Thinker in line.

Click to shrink...

And thus did Coil learn that pissing off the Triumptive is a bad idea that leads to a woman in a well tailored suit with a nice hat putting a bullet in through your brain. Oh and folks here's the scariest thing possible.....Alexandria-Taylor-Lisa-Dinah-Contessa.

 

[doomlord9]

And thus did Coil learn that pissing off the Triumptive is a bad idea that leads to a woman in a well tailored suit with a nice hat putting a bullet in through your brain. Oh and folks here's the scariest thing possible.....Alexandria-Taylor-Lisa-Dinah-Contessa.

Click to shrink...

That right there is the exact reason the Entities hardwired in a dislike for Thinkers into every Thinker. Didn't want them to team up and figure out shit that they aren't supposed to.

 

[CptTagon]

Yeah that...the fact that Dinah's parents didn't believe her about having powers always stuck out as really odd to me...especially when their newphew is Triumph and everything. Granted, they may not know about that, so I *guess* it's excusable, but...

Click to shrink...

I always interpreted Dinah's parents as being in very deep denial, possibly reinforced by her age. Of course, we know so little about them that almost any interpretation is valid.

 

[doomlord9]

I choose to believe that she triggered by desperately needing to predict the next time her parents would be stoned out of their minds so that she could sneak out and play with her friends without them noticing she was skipping her piano/ballet/voice training/etiquette lessons.

That's a very traumatic thing for a child to experience! Don't belittle their suffering!

 

[Slayer Anderson]

I choose to believe that she triggered by desperately needing to predict the next time her parents would be stoned out of their minds so that she could sneak out and play with her friends without them noticing she was skipping her piano/ballet/voice training/etiquette lessons.

That's a very traumatic thing for a child to experience! Don't belittle their suffering!

Click to shrink...

Well, she is from a fairly upper class family, so her being under a great deal of pressure to perform well in school, ballet, piano, etc...could be possible, especially if she had the kind of parents who liked to 'show her off' to impress other people.

Potentially, she may have triggered because she wasn't able to see how to actually live up to her parents standards and make them happy with her. The ability to predict the future would go a long way towards satisfying that need.

...now I kind of want to see a fic where Dinah jumps at the chance to shot up with drugs and allowed a permanent 'vacation' from her extremely stressful life, so she runs off and finds Coil early and begs him to 'kidnap' her.