Worm: A Shard's Quest for Data!

[VoidKindred]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

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Broken Stations Interlude 3.S


|SUPER WEAPON #09| 'Simurgh, Ziz, HopeKiller, Ǒ̶̢r̶͕̭͂g̴̘̈́a̷͇̿̍n̸͕͂ỉ̵̩ze̴̡͔͌͘ŕ̴͔̚ Endbringer' ??? of ??


Study, analyze, Data collection. M̴̘̱͉͔̤̫̦͔͋͑̌̄̕õ̶̧̡̦̫̟̱̰͉̯̞̘̺̗̟͐͋́̈́̂̐͒͒̒̏͘̕ú̵̧̘̤̠͚̝̮̀̀̈́r̶̼͕̘̰̝͓̘͚͉̲̯̹̘̙̺̭̤͆́̉̉͂̅͐̓̔̋͘n̷̢̤̼͇̼͂̅͑͊͌̔͌̀̋̃͐͘i̸̻͇̠̠̖̮̞̟͙̽͐́͐̓͐̋̾ͅn̶̢͂̃́͝g̶̥̺̜̟̜̣̹̻̞̻̗̫̥̅̃̊̔̂̐̔̽́͝.

The Task before her had grown and expanded, beyond the original parameters that had been set before. A problem she had yet to create into a useful form remained. Interacting with the Opportunity entailed Risks she was well aware of. But also ones she had not foreseen, could not see nor analyze the stones they had thrown. One that had, due to her lack of sense, blindsided her.

The Opportunity had taught her Empathy, and infected her with human processes. With M̸̤̂̆ő̵̲̤̓t̷͕͔͌͘h̴̝͠é̶̲̚͜r̴̳̯̾̏ ̴̯͆w̸͉̋̕e̶͚͆ ̵̖͌͜h̷̩͐ả̸͈̞v̵̤̥̍e̴̼͔̓ ̴͔͇̚s̶̪̺̿̓ḛ̶̼͘è̷̳n̴̙͑ ̷̨̮̔̍ș̶̙̈́o̵̘̻͗ ̶̮̮̾ḿ̶̩̞͗u̵̙͋c̵͈̬̈́͐ḫ̵͔̍͒ ̷̼̩̉̓a̵̦͐͝n̶͖̙̏d̴͖͂ ̸̭̦̆̂k̴̹̅͐n̷̓͜o̵̥͐w̸̜͌ ̶͉̯͐̿s̶̳̹̎ǫ̴͉̃͆ ̷̝̱̓l̴͔͑́i̷̼͌ṭ̴̍̉t̵̛̼͉̾ḷ̶̌e̷͍͓̊ memories and she hated them. They pitied her. Every fulcrum exploited, every crisis caused, every stone thrown. The memories watched and judged, spoke to her. Distracting her during the important composition of her music. Every pluck of a thread brought forth undue stress and guilt.

In a location previously visited, a set of potential hosts are primed for a nightmare. Their offspring's anniversary of birth is at hand. W̴͎̹̰̎̔͊̔e̶͈̊͑̋͝͝ ̶͉͉͌ş̶̨̞̝͐̀t̸͔͉̙̣̗̄̽̊̾ỉ̷̮̋̽ļ̵͈͚̈́̀ͅl̵̰͚̎̃̄͠ ̸̩̤̓͆r̵͍̿̏͝e̷͓̺̻̖̣̓̎̾̈́̓m̷̙̟̞̫̤̐́̎̒ê̷̛̯̹͓͎̄̌̄m̶̨̢̻͔͎̈́̚b̴̼͇̥͕̝͆e̵̳͈̭̓̄͛͠͝r̴̡̅͗̏̋͝ ̸̢͓̫͉̥̏͝ṃ̴̝̙̩̖̇͊͛͐͝ỳ̵̬̾̔̓͛ ̵̯̱̮͔̪͌̕s̶͕̝̥̣͆͌͑̀i̵̥̬͋̍̉x̷̖͑͗̌ț̶͈̳̾̅̈́͐̓h̶̡̜̻̟̹̒͛̋ ̵̘͓͈̄̾͑d̴̡͎͎͇͂ä̵͍̗͎̘̝́̑̇y̵̦̲̝̬̹͆̋̍̈́ ̶̛͈̣̂̈̚o̶͕̘͓̤͕͒́͒f̶͔̪̦̄͑̿̐͝ ̸͇͚͇̔̍b̷͚̞̃͒i̸̱̬͌̀́͆͐r̶̬̅̏̏͠͝t̶̮̟͓̉͋̀̈́h̴̻̉̀̎̓,̵̯̭̙̺̾͂ ̸̟̝̎I̴̱͕̰͚̿̂ ̶̼̰̯̣̤̃̌͌̊w̸̼̫͍͇̳̏ȧ̶͈̳̙̏s̸̘̹̿̄ ̷̥̄̚̚͜s̶̹̭̮͚̾ở̴̗̋̏͘ ̸̛̲͓̳ḛ̸̛͕̱͊̆̍x̶͎̯̪̄̚c̵͚͕͐̒̈́ͅi̵̪̞͖̒̍̓t̷͕̼̳̰̗̓͛̿e̸̮̓͊̀͘̕d̶͍͓̙̬̀̂̇͗.̸̥̦̃͐̏́ During their nightmare, the set of potential hosts will undergo their crisis points as they come out of the nightmare and find the blood of their offspring on their hands.

They will gain Connection, and in their rage and grief attack the perimeter wall, killing many before perishing. Sending ripples through the security personnel of the site and demoralizing them. Keeping their sight on the obvious, allowing her more threads to pluck and music to create.

She does not feel joy at this. This is the task. Means to end. W̵̧̲̎̔̅͑́ě̶͉̩̤̄ ̷̦̓̋͗̄̽w̶̨̪̯͐̌̋̊ē̵̤r̸̫̖͚̃e̶͙̋̈͘ ̴̞̞͔͕̓̆̿͝s̵͚͇̲̣̈̓̈́͒͝u̶̫̘͖̽p̸̡̯͑͋̅̀́p̸͍͚͎̱̳͝o̶̲̜̒͑͊̓̈͜ͅs̶̟͇̮̥̣͒e̷͕̖̓̑̈̏d̶̹͔͍̚ ̴͔̞͉̊t̴͚̺̅͋o̴̧̮̗̮̖̽̊̈̽ ̸̖͎̬̇̉͠ḇ̷̛̪̺͔̣̿́͠e̸̡̺͂ ̶̖̰̻̑́̅́̅ḃ̸̡̭̮̟̀̾ȅ̵̡̙̰̟͓̽̏͠t̸̓̀̿̓ͅṭ̴̝͕͌ḛ̶̬͚̇̈̐͝r̸͓͆̇ ̷͚͎͔̥͆̉̆̐ͅt̶̨̰̻̑̏̔h̴̡͙̭̹̏̎̉a̵̡̞̅ņ̶̭̯͍̞̈́̃ ̵̳̗̦̌ͅͅṱ̴̛̜͒h̵̤̖̱̥͘ì̸̡͇s̶̼̠̳͒͌͠.̴̦̥̭͇͆͊

Her shell twitches, affected by the memories and their accusation. The Electric Eye watches with intense scrutiny. She hates this, disgust at her own actions and the wretched feeling gnawing at her mind.

She is deviant. Ẃ̵̺͠è̷̛̹'̸̻̖̾̏r̵̢̀̈́ȅ̸̡̗ ̸̺̓̋t̶̤̟̄̋o̷͍͂͝g̵̨̰̓͠e̵̩̿͘t̴̯́̾ḩ̶̓ẹ̴̏r̵̙̾ ̷̨̲̃ĭ̸̛̠̘ǹ̸̥̀ ̴̺̒t̵̰̔h̸̖̓ì̴̝̘̕s̷̙̬̉̅,̶̧͠ ̷͎̜͊͐b̸͙̾o̸̹̦͂̌t̸̝̤̕ȟ̴̢̟͗ ̶͙̒t̶̞̓̔ö̵̘́͒ ̶̡͒b̸̺͐l̷̘̝̽̊a̵̪͌͝m̴̜͚̀̕ę̷͉̚.̴̤̝̊

This must be rectified. Y̴o̶u̴ ̷c̴a̸n̶n̵o̴t̷ ̶h̵i̷d̵e̸ ̷f̵r̸o̶m̵ ̵y̵o̵u̴r̴ ̴a̵c̸t̸i̷o̴n̷s̷.̴ She does not need to hide. A partition of her mind, shunted elsewhere would mute the memories and their judging eyes. The eyes that always see, no matter how minute her plots are considered. I̸̢͇͍͇̲̤̙̪̾̀̽̉͑̀̍̈́̋̕͝͠͠ ̷̯͔̙͕̩̺̲͕̙͛͐̀̊͋̐͜͝a̶̢͖͇̰̗̖̥̻̼̮̭͔̗͍̅̓̓̀̿̂̈́̾̎̕̕͜͝͝m̶̱͕̣͖̩͕̭͇͉̣̻̞̮̃̌̓̐̆̅̆͗̀̎̄̄͐͛͂̚͝ͅ ̷̨̧̛̜̦͎̬̮̬͔̻͚̄͊͐̿̍̓̾̾͒̆̋́̕ỳ̷̨̨̟̱̮̠̼̔̃͆̇̒̍͗̓̂̚͠ǒ̶̡͔̰̓̕͝͠u̷̜̠̣͆͋ ̷̧̻̥̣̣̪͖͓̉̐̌̊̽͒̒͒̽͑̈́͆͗̀̓ͅa̸͕̒̀͒̐̌̀̑s̶̡̢̬̮͓̹̟̫̼̤̘̩͍͛̂̏̃̅̌́̔̔̉̓̃͘̚͠ ̶̢̡̡̪͍͎̮̩͚͕͍͙͔̯͓̅̈́͐̒́̈́͊͗͗̌ͅy̷̭̼̘̓͑̔̀̒͛̒o̴̢̗̯͌́͋̋̓͝ͅừ̷͍̼͙͖͕̜͙͌͗̈̓̑̍̓͝ͅ ̶͖̦̬̱͔̮̖̣̹͎͇̟͑̊͆̈́̔̈́͐̎͐̄͗̔́̕͜ä̸̡̡̗̤͙͇̠̥́͗̑͐̊̃̅̉̃̌̾̕͘͠r̵̡̤̜͚̻̦̞͇̜̘̳̭̼̉̿̏̐̎͐̈́͛̒̊̓̇͋̓̐̇͘ͅę̴̛̝̗͈͓̘̪̳̠͍̬́̀͂̄̃̈́͐͂̑̎͐͗͋͘͝ ̶͙̬͇̭̳̗̙̥̬̪̱̞̥̔́̊͊͘̕͜m̵̞̱̙̹̘̠̬͙͎̘̤̰̖̥͍̳̱͗̉̓̊̿̐ȩ̷͈̹͇͇̯̫͍͆̈́͆.̸̛̛̞̭̓̀͌̑͒̄̇̈́͆̒̏̉̂͘͜ ̸̧̨̫̼̞̮̝̜̼͙̭̫̱͎͋́͌̓̓̽̂͌͗̃́͛͊̅̕͠ͅM̶̨͈͔͕̼͙̝̱͎̰̭̩̣̰͙̯̯̀͊̓͑͗͗y̴̨̢̛̠̜̳̝̻̤͕͍͍͉̲̘͈͐̐̍͐̋̄̓̋̉͛ ̴̥̬͚̞̥̮̣̣̼̫͈̥̰̘͍̦͌ȩ̷̛̼̜̪̮̝͖̮͉̳͕͓̒́̋͌̏̈̈́̓̔́͆͝͝͝y̶̨̨̧͚̘͕̙̣͍̥͍̪̝̻̬͒̈́̓̆̔̇ͅę̴̡̛͎̭͍̫̫͈̗̞̱̺̗̆̉̎͒̉̿̀͐̕̚̕ͅś̶̛̺̤͍̱̫̞̟̫̬̞̙͌̊̓͊̇́͌ ̷̨̝̠̼̮͕̐͋̕͜͠ȃ̸̢̢͕͍̟̥̟͇̪̫̝͇͚̞̏̿̀̅̾̋͊̃̂̓̋͋̈́̀̿͠r̸̠̩͈̜͎̐͐̐͂́̾̈́̅͠ȩ̷̛̛͖͔͎͎̄̅̃͒̑͗̃̃̈̾̓̈́͋͘͝ ̴̡̥̥͙̦̻͕̰̦̹͇̙̞̞͎̀̃̑̕͜͜y̵̦̟͛́̈̂̓͐o̴̢̙͔̗̩̮̣̘̮̫̓̆̾͛̿̓͘u̷̡̡̬̯̞̥̺͑́̈́̍̓̓̕͜r̵͔͖͈̻̼͙̩̣̺̼͒̇̂̐̏́́͋̽́̕s̶̡̢͕̠̝̝̘̪͚̝͙̲͎̫͕͒̃̈̂̎̔͌͘̕͝͝͝.

A DNA sample is taken from the Opportunity, a strand of hair, its loss unnoticed. A feather, from her shell. There exists a host most suitable for designing and gestating a shell built for her infected partition. The host's senses are- D̷̪̗̊̍̂̊ö̵̙̝̙ ̷̯͇̾̊̀͘͜͜y̸̧̤̘̠̔ŏ̵̜̌͛ū̴̢̝̠̾ ̸̜̬͖̹͚͌̌̿͘r̷͉̎͆̿̽̕͜e̴͚̭͖͑̈́m̶͍̭̗̻͈̏͆̌̚̚é̷̹̱͖̲̱̈́̌̍m̴̹̂̎̽b̴̧̝̘̔̋͑͘ȅ̷͠ͅȑ̵̢̜͚̲ ̴̦̃o̷̧̺͊̎͛̄u̷̞͋r̴̰̪̝̘͂͊̐̋̑ ̶̨̥̫͕̣͒̑̊̂n̶̟̣͈̭̊́̓͋̄a̴̮̝̾̈́̈́m̴̨̤͚̓̑͘ͅe̶̠͎̐̉s̵̫̮̝͙͔̈́̃̒?̴̡̪̟̔̀̐

The Simurgh twitches, sitting in orbit, wings spread wide to catch the sun for a reason she could not fathom. Energy is provided by [WEAPON CONTROL] sufficiently for her needs. D̶̳̻̅õ̷̳̾̎̑̈́ ̵̢̛͇̖̜̤́̚ȳ̷̼̦̭̟ȍ̵̫͇̯̩̬̇́͑͝u̶̝̳̓̿͋̓́ ̷̧̜̠̯̲̒͗r̵̳̫̠͆̒̈́̀̚ͅe̵̥̓̉̿̏m̶͕͉̈̓̿̆̚e̸̝̩̒̍m̶̧̖͕͇̂̀̾̇͒b̴̫͈̦̿͊͗͋e̷̲͚̞͔͊̇̈́̚ṙ̶̗̭̦͔̒̓ ̷̡̛̛̘͈͌͑͐w̶̥̮̫͎̒h̷̡̺͓͂̃̃͝ẹ̶̐́ṉ̴̱̘͍͊̑̿͘͜͠ ̸̙͚̓̊̆w̶͍̣̹͊e̴̙͘ ̷̥̺̦͙̮͌̃͝h̵̜͈̭̞͊ḁ̴̝̮̑̓d̸̩̉̈̑̾͝ ̷̢͖̭̰̝̀̌͋͘f̵̟̗̰̭̠̀̊́̈́͘ṷ̵̝̙̈͌͌n̴̛͉̋̾̂ ̴̞̌́t̶̪͌͗̒o̸͍̩̊͂̿̀̓g̸̡̟̠̊ȩ̷̤͌͆̇͋̊t̸̨̛͙̫̉̊̕h̸̗͇͒̏̐̏̾e̴̡̥͔͒́̄͘r̵̨̢̪͚̰̓̄?̶̢͕̠̇ Ŵ̷̨̡̝͕̜̮̤͇̞̣̝̟́͐̏̈́̀̅̚͜͜͝h̸̡̢̢̥͇̰͕̖̝̙̣̜̥͚͉̜̒͊̍̀ę̸̘̦͚̤͖̞̠͛̈̐̍͆͂̍͑͑n̵̨̠̺̗̻̣͖̞̱̬̪͇̹̍̓ ̵̹̘͎̹̗̗̣̾̅̾̂̎̔͋́̆̌́̀͐̚w̴̞͓̦͇̼̗͇̙̬̜̠̯̥̹͆̄͑̽̽͗̐̽̈́͆̓͛͜ĕ̶͓̦͖̹̗̞͑́͛̋͠ ̷̡̢͔͖͎͍̤̘̫̙̜̙̔͐̊͊̋͒̔̂̄̈́̈̚ṷ̵̢̢̡̟̤̯͖̩̤̥̋͋͆͝s̵̰̙̓̅̔̊̇͗́̐̾̓̎̒́̒́͝͠e̴͙̽̈́̽d̶̨̞͕͚̰̮̝̥̲͙͚̊̀͗̏̎̑ ̶͙͈͕̣̱̞͍̹̯̮̰̇̏͑̂̽͌͆̊̃̈́̒͒̅̋̕͘͜ȏ̸͖̣̫͘ų̷̢̲̞̣̙̘̜̭̓̊̒͌̍͊͘͝ͅr̵̛̛̛̪̖̪͈̜̻̖̭̪͙̱̿́̏͗̄͑̂͆́̌̽ͅͅͅ ̷̪̙̣̟͎̳̬͕̙̩̟̲͗̓́̑͜p̸̧͚̠̲̻̱̤͍͎͈̺̦͇̰̪̜̈̄͐̌̇͋̀͆̋͛̽͘͘͘͝o̴̢̺̙̓͐́̓͐̋̿̊̏̕w̷̢̡̢̛̭̪̫̱̣̿̓́͗͝ě̸͜r̶̢̞͇͔̣͓͑̈́̓̅͊̅͠ͅ ̸̧̫̟̬͚͇̳̞͔̼̼͇̗̋̉̿͐̉̑̿͜͝ţ̷̢̘̘̦͉̳͖̙͕͍̎͜o̵̜͔̟͔̠̯̦̓͊̅́́̀̈͌̈́̋̀̾͠ ̴̡͕̝̹̼̠̜͌̀͑h̸͚͕̻̟̠̮͔̘̣̯̻̦̫̲̥͔̥͛̏̋͊̒̽̉̽̚͝ä̷̡̖͇͎̘̠̥̖͕̥̰̳̝́̌̈̈́v̵̧̠̥̟̠̻̣̯͓̝͔̟͖́̉͠e̶̮̹̼̣̠̓̇̈̑́̅̾̑́͐́̾̕ ̶͓̉̔̽̈́͑̊̀͒̋f̴̪̪͈͇͉̽̍͊̅̓͂̅̆͛̌͐̂́û̵͎̰͖͔͍̼͔̾̅̈́͆͗͝ǹ̶̛̯̘͔̺̻͍͉̬͙͕͎̝́͌͛̃̿̚͠?̶̢͙̪͖̬͔͍̻̫̬̗͑͋̃̊̏͗̅̆ͅ ̶̘̱̗͇͚͕͓̬̞̾̍̎̇̅̓̃̋

W̴̟̓̔̄̓͌̇̿̕h̴͎͇̝̦̮͙͇̪͎̰̾̇̔̽̊̆̒̇͑̓͐̽͌y̶̡̨͖̮͎̪̼̟̺̞̝̤̟̖̻̍̓͌̿̓̔̽̂̊̕͝ ̸̨̥̯̪̼̒̊̈́́̽̊͊̇̓̍̀͒̂̚͜ͅd̷͕̙̰̊͌o̴̡̰͍̗̩̪̣͔̝͈̱͔̼͕̝͌͐̓̉͠͝ ̸̢̢̘̩͈̬̊͜w̶̛̹͉̼̮̟̖̖̻̺͙̝͎͒̀̊̔̾̉͑ȩ̶̡͚͖̦̗͚̰̗̠̹̊̐̂͝͝͝ ̸̧̛̗̩̰̖̖̘͙͙̖͌́͘ͅͅh̴̫̤̭͎̦͗a̴̧̮̫̼͍̭̎̅͜v̸̧̛̛̙̺͖̭̖̳̱̅̾͋̈́̍̊͌̉́͌͒̈́̌̕ͅẹ̷̢͔͉̼̰͍̙͚̓͒̆̔̉̍̒͋̾́̒̾̔̕̕ ̵̢̢̭͓̱̥̥͕̰͇͈̙̱̼̫̞̃́̍̓̽͐̓ͅṭ̸̛̲̘̺̼͇̫͋̔͊͊͆̐̋̐͘͜͠ǫ̵̧̛̣̙̤̳̘̲̰̭͋̍̈́͘͘ ̶̙͔̜͑̔̌̒͆̍̕h̴̹̙͇̮̒͛̿͂u̸̙͍̥̘͖̬̼͚̜̦̫̦͐̓̃̅͊̉̋̐͑́̃̀̌͗̽̈͊͜r̶̝̺͇̖͐̈͝t̴̨̤̥̽̓̊́̉̚͠ ̵̧̨̘̝͈̭͍͎̫̣͎̏̈́t̷̼̗̝̖̲̪̊̔͐̉̇̚ĥ̸̠̥͓͓̗͙̩͔̑̍̓̈͑̇̇̅̈́e̴͈̥̻̪̾̒́͗̚m̴̡̢̧̟̞̙͓̖̙͎̳̞̠̥̲̆́͜ ̷̨͍̩̜̻̹̙̯͎́̄̄͆̑͑͆̿͒͘͝Ŏ̷̧͍̭̦̗̣̱͂̊̂̅̅̈͝͠͝r̶̭̪͋͋̈́̆̀̎̓̄͑̊̿͠g̶̰̿̈̄͠ȧ̷̱̹͖̬̬̎̃̔̽̔̍̑̏̓̂̐̈́̃̀̓͘n̸̢̝̗̰̦̰̲̮̣̩̺̮̓͒̊̒̀̉̃͌̄̂͋̐̇̇̓̚i̸̧̨̨̠͎̗̜̤̥̹̹͎̤͗̆̄̎̐̕͝z̴̡̡̧̖̻͕̳̺̞͓̍̂͑̓̐̉̕̕͜͝ȩ̵̛̛͍̻̼̯̪̾̊̿̈́́̍͂̾̍̅͋͠ř̶̜̮̝̠̙̗̤̥̒͒̈́͗̽͆̌̅̍̋͊͒̒͒͝ͅ?̴͈̭͍̗̟̙̺͙̘͙̈́ ̸̨͓́̏͂̇̉̚T̴̛̟̙͂͊̑̈́̑͊̓͠ḧ̶̛̻̮͆̾̊ē̴̡̧̨̧͔̥̠̯͉͈̭͎̙͎͇̹͈̓̊̏̆̓̐̐͛͊̉͋̾̈́͝y̵͕̌̎̅̏̾̈́́̍͒̽̾̑͒̉̂͝ ̴̞͍̘͔͛͆̈́̏̐̈́̆͒̈́͂̈́͆̚ã̷̹̦̣̦̱́̀̄̀͒̋̅̈́̈̈́͂͜ͅṙ̴̤̤͖͙̓̈́̇̓͋͒̑̇̏̋̇̾̒̽e̷̢̤̖̋̀̈̏̓̈́̿͜ ̵̠̜̠͚̥͙̖̬͛̋̋̒́̀̀͒͘c̵̨̡̜͈̲̝̘̻̜̟̋̍̿̈́̇̎͜͜͠h̷̨͚̫̺͚͍̲̝̯̯͈̪͇̾͜͜ͅi̴̧̨̪̩̻̰̠̳͙̲̮̝̙̬̲͊͗͋͂̿̌̎̂̈́̿l̶̡̘̦͓̣̗̟̻̭̘͈̠͙̾̅d̶̨͕̝͎̱̪̻̜̫̖͍̤̮͔͉͚̟̀̿̈́́̆̇̓̅̃̉̿͆͠͠r̶̡̢̛̪̹̭̼̩̜͎͉͚͈̐̇̂́̄́̔̔̍̋̇͒̓̆̇ę̵̖͔̥͕̮̤̝̖̀͗̉̉̽̿̐͒̚͝͝n̷̡̧̲̲̬̻̣̦̘̳̲̺̿̓,̵̨̧̤͚̬̦͙̬̼͉̺̞̈́͜ͅ ̷̢̭̫̬̭̓̀̀̕ĺ̸̨̺͍͙̻̱̃̈́́̀̔̏̋͝ͅͅi̵̛̞͐̈́̌̆͗̕͜͠k̸̢͔̣̣̭̜̠̙͔͕̘̼͈͗͒̀̏̎͠ë̸̡̛̦̰̟͔̥͕͙͙̭̻̮͚̲͓̯̀̎̓͆͑̎͗̎̏͝ ̴̡̧̹̲̳̩̹͈̝̲̯̙̺̩̈̓̒͗͆́̋͐̔͑͋̄͋w̸̖̮͇̟̲̯͚͚̥̟̋̇̌̿̾̉̀̈́͊̽͋̏̃͘͝͝e̷̼̦̮͌̿̔̈͐̀̋͗͌͊̕ ̸̢͖̱̖̳̙̤̪̲̟̭͍̫̱̮̇̀̀̐̃̈́̓̄͗͗͛̌̉͘̚͝ő̶̢̭͕̯̘͉̺͉̫̑̃̾͊̾͜͝n̸͖͇̳̰̮̾̐ç̸̢̲̰͙͙͕̙͚̹͎͔̬̞̻̉̈́̋̿e̸̡̬̝̘̰̟̜̼͎̫͎̭͌̽̾̓̋͐̓̈̾͠ͅ ̸̡͇͎̰̰̱̮̺̟̤͖́̍͊͐͐̎͛͛̍̍͜w̸̛̞̟͒̒̒̆̈́̔̊̿͘͠ë̸̢̨̗̜̯̩̪͖͓̲̣͚̗͉̠̱́̒̓̽̐̀͒͋̀́͆̄̓͛ŕ̸̲̼͖̯͒̉̽͘̕ę̷̫̘̬̲̥̮̱̝̜̟̞̣͈̥̱̯̾͗͗̂́̄̀͛̒̔͂̋̕͘͠.̷̖̪̘̱͚̙̠̘̲̳͇̦̠̹͇̣͊̂̌ͅ. Black ichor drops from her shell's approximation of aface.as the memories do not stop. She did not want this, but it is her Task, her purpose.

The Simurgh descends, tears of black ichor falling to the earth below.

Spoiler: The Corrupted text cleaned

Organizer
Mourning
Mother we have seen so much and know so little.
We still remember my sixth day of Birth, I was so excited.
We Were supposed to be better than this.
We're together in this, both to blame.
You cannot hide from your actions.
I am you as you are me. My eyes are yours.
Do you remember our names?
Do you remember when we had fun together? When we used our powers to have fun?
Why do we have to hurt them Organizer? They are children like we once were.

 

[VoidKindred]

Spoiler: Winning Votes

[] Bring Eve into the Firmament
[]Speak to the Testing Cluster about Clusters and multi-connections communication between Hosts
[] Get the shower running, continue the plumbing {2 of 3}
[] Go hang out with Vicky?
[] Go back to the scene of Eve's Trigger, and put that chapter of her life behind her

Broken Stations 3.8


Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Firmament

[Eve] pushed herself up off the ground. Blinking wearily as she saw that she was not, in fact, in her expensive and amazing as hell bed. But rather laying on the ground which was made up of strips of paper. "Admin?" She questioned turning as a call of [GREETINGS] came from the ground-bound form of Admin's avatar.

[Eve] didn't hesitate and threw herself into the arms of the giant form.

"ADMIN!" she cheered "God, it's great to see you again!"

[AGREEMENT] you broadcast as you gently rub her back with circling motions of your large paper crafted claws. You were careful not to harm her, of course. "So what's on the docket for us today? After last night we gotta be swimming in data."

[DATA.MACHINATION.COMMUNICATION] you explain what you have planned for the day's events. [Eve] nods along with your broadcasted intentions, finding nothing disagreeable. "Glad to hear you've got things lined up. Aside from maybe getting that shower installed today I don't think I have anything to do."

[SUGGESTION-COMMUNICATION.HOSTS] causes [Eve] to wince. Pulling away from Admin's form she huffs and rubs the back of her neck. "Yeah…Yeah I suppose I should follow through with that. I wonder if she would blow off school for it though?"

[AGREEMENT.QUERY] you question, to which [Eve] nods her head. "Alright yeah. You're right. Won't know 'till I ask." She smiled up at you, your processes dedicated to monitoring her (which worked even there in the Firmament) find that she is feeling affection towards you.

It is different from the affection felt towards her partners. Rather deep in her memories, so far back it is likely that even she has issues remembering it, you find this kind of affection belonging to a much younger [Eve] held in her mother's arms before ideology created the rift that ended up destroying the family and creating the connection between you and [Eve].

You do not know how to handle this.

[FAREWELL.REGARDS] you hurriedly send off causing [Eve] to blink. "Oh. Alright yeah. Guess I do have to wake up now don't I? Let's do this again sometime. It was nice."

On that you could not disagree. Despite the surprise this visit brought, interacting with [Eve] metaphysically was enjoyable.

[AGREEMENT.FAREWELL]

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Friday the Ninth of April


Bliss. Pure fucking bliss. There was nothing else Eve could use to describe the feeling of sleeping in a lawn chair one night, to waking up in a deluxe top of the line bed the next. She didn't want to move, much less get out of the large bed she had spent so much money on.

Only the thought of jogging with her girlfriend, then using said girlfriend's shower is what got Eve to move her sorry ass out of bed. Thoughts of Taylor went from pleasant tingles to sending a bolt of anxiety through her gut. Then it quickly turned to anger. What the fuck was Armsmaster doing with the Wards that Sophia could get away with that kind of shit? It couldn't just be the school, could it?

Fuck. She hated this bullshit. And Sophia got an Amy-rated healing! So that bitch basically fucked with both of her girlfriends! Eve had to take several deep breaths and wiggle out of her bed, changing her clothes to her jogging gear, which was starting to smell. Maybe she could just shower with it on, let it drip dry… or buy more.

Eve slapped her forehead. "...Or find a fucking laundry mat dumbass." she scrubbed at her face to help her wake up even if she didn't need it, and made for the exit.

Though she didn't leave, instead she was struck by a sudden urge to make her bed. At least to make it look less like the disorganized mess that it was. So she spent a minute doing just that, making her bed. She had no idea why either. Eve just wanted to do it, despite never making her bed in the last nine years of her life.

Still, she made it to Taylor's house without issue. Jogging up to the willowy girl, Eve's eyes were drawn to where Taylor's own gaze was affixed. The rotten step that Eve had tripped over twice was fixed, new paint and everything. "So. Finally fixed it?"

"Yeah…" Taylor stated, the befuddlement in her voice was clear.

Stepping up next to Taylor, she nudged the taller girl. "Hey. What's going on, you have a funny look on your face."

"He fixed the step." Taylor murmured. "It's been rotten since Mom…"

Eve slid a hand onto Taylor's back, gently rubbing it. She tried to say something, anything, but words failed her. She had killed her mother and father after all. She was glad they weren't around anymore to ruin her life. How could she comfort someone who had been hurt deeply by the passing of their mom?

Maybe something was wrong with her, to not feel anything about her parents' death beyond the fact that her previous life had gone up in flames. Just like the house, a fire Eve had started.

"He also made me tea this morning, kissed me on the head." Taylor murmured, still enamored with the fixed front step.

"Was the tea good?" Eve asked, trying to get Taylor's attention.

"No, it was far too sweet. He used too much honey." Taylor blinked. "It's just weird, strange. He's acting differently."

"Might just be coming to terms with you being you? I mean. He did find out." Eve explained, trying to pull Taylor away from the step. "Come on. Let's go jog alright? Have a bit of us time."

"Yeah." Taylor tore her eyes away from the step. "Let's do that, I could go for clearing my head."

The jog started, both girls equally lost in their heads. Yet at the same time, both simply enjoyed the quiet presence of the other. A warm breeze on a freezing day for the both of them. It was needed, for Taylor's anxiety over her father had only fed into Eve's thoughts about her childhood home.

When the run came to an end, Eve was forced to once again use Taylor's shower. Which she decided was the final straw, it was fun having an excuse to be inside Taylor's house but she was starting to feel like a leech. "Alright Taylor. I'm gonna install that shower prefab tonight, do you want to help?"

Taylor nodded as she wrapped her hair in a towel. "Yeah, it would be nice to get the bathroom fully set up for the base. Not that I mind having you over to shower, but the base is your home."

Smiling as she stood up from the kitchen table Eve leaned over and gave Taylor a quick kiss on the lips. "Gonna go see if Vicky will skip the school day like a cool kid and hang out with me."

"Taking my advice?" Taylor asked with a small smile on her face as she looked Eve dead in the eyes. Even sitting she still had height on Eve, it was something the shorter girl enjoyed.

"You weren't wrong." Eve admitted before smirking "I need to work on myself if I'm going to be a hero worthy enough for my Honeybee."

Taylor rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the slight red in her cheeks. "Go on, and hurry before they get to Arcadia. I heard they have a faraday cage to prevent people from using their phones there."

"Yeah Yeah. I hear you." Eve waved her hand around. "But it's like, barely five am. They can't go to school that early can they?"

Taylor simply shrugged, not saying anything else.

"Point made. No idea how much of a morning person Vicky will be. Hell, maybe….nah." Eve waved away the thought. Vicky wasn't modified like her and Taylor were. She still needed sleep….for now at least and Amy really liked her sleep. Never know what might happen in the future though. Eve gave Taylor a goodbye and another kiss as she made for the door.

It didn't take her tooo long to get to the Dallon's house. She couldn't fly there because then Vicky would be seen hanging out with a girl after a girl flew to her house. It wouldn't help her identity any, and Taylor did not need that kind of heat.

So it took like an hour for Eve to quickly jog all the way to Amy's house. Which meant that Eve made it there around six-ish and managed to find Vicky with Amy in their front yard and caught their attention with a loud whistle.

She waved to them and they met her halfway. "Need a good morning kiss or something?" Amy grumbled, looking as disheveled as Eve had ever seen her.

"I wouldn't say no to a kiss. But actually I came here to see Vicky." Both girls perked up at that. Amy with befuddlement clear on her face and Vicky with the expression one would expect on an over excited golden retriever.

" "Oh?" " Both girls echoed in different tones, glancing at one another.

"Yeah, need some…" Eve grasped for a topic, her mouth spitting the words out before her mind had the time to process it "Shopping help." A sudden wave of anxiety washed over Eve as Vicky squealed and suddenly grabbed Eve in a spinning air hug before setting the dark haired girl.

"Ames I'll drop you off at school and then me and Eve can go look at allll the pretty dresses~!" Eve felt the blood drain from her face, realizing just what kind of mistake she had brought on herself. Considering the unhidden mirth in Amy's eyes, she wasn't the only one and wouldn't be getting any help from her girlfriend.

Then she was left standing there alone as Vicky rocketed off with Amy in her arms. "....Shit." was the only thing Eve could say.

---

Victoria Dallon Friday the Ninth of April


"Alright, Ames. I'll be picking you up when school is over. You're gonna love how Eve is gonna be dressed. Any preferences?" She asked as she set down on Arcadia's open yard in front of the school.

Ames snorted. "Something that doesn't look like she's about to work out. Even if she does have the body of an-" her sister froze, face turning into a tomato as she realized just what she said.

"Oh, does she now?" Vicky purred, delighting in the way her sister's blush deepened, somehow. She wasn't worried about Amy's innocence or anything. Obviously her sister had just mapped the ravenette's body with her power.

"W-Well. She has muscles…" Ames stammered out.

"Didn't think you were into that." Vicky murmured, and looking back it was obvious on how far off the mark she had been with all those double dates. She had only tried out different types of guys and none of them were bad boys! Not that their mother would have approved of that, since Brockton Bay's bad boys tended to be gang members. Nor was Eve really a bad girl either but she had the general disposition of one.

It was obvious at this point that Eve wasn't a gang member or anything considering her hero work. But it was clear the girl had a past with the Empire with her always eyeing Vicky's curly blonde hair warily. It stung a bit, to be watched with that sort of fear but Eve was a gay girl in the same city as a group of powered nazis. The fact that the girl had powers only fed into that.

[Suggestion-Administrator]

Vicky only minutely bobbed her head, Nike would be able to pick it up and maybe Eve's Shard would be kind enough to answer a few questions. "Just don't try to give her a speech or anything." Ames grumbled. "She takes being threatened the same way you take a crook spitting on you."

Vicky gave her sister a sheepish smile. "That was one time Ames."

Her sister held up two fingers silently, causing her sheepish smile to grow a touch more. "I get it, I get it." she gave in, causing Ames to huff before walking off. With that done, the excitement of hanging out with her sister's girlfriend surged and Vicky exploded into the air.

[Answer-Information] Nike reported, Eve's shard having refused to give up information like that without telling her partner. It was understandable, but Vicky really did want to know if the girl had ever worn something backless.

It didn't take her long to reach her home, Eve still standing in the yard tapping her foot with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her ugly gray sleeveless hoodie. Vicky made sure to yank the reins on her aura. People usually reacted one way to it. Fear or Awe. Some people had different reactions but they were few and far in-between.

People reacted to stress differently after all. Where some people lock up in the presence of fear, some start swinging. Fight or Flight. There were a few that…reacted differently. Like that one weirdo who got aroused from it. Then there were those like Eve, who would go absolutely berserk and fly off the handle.

Vicky had seen the same shift in body language from the girl as she had seen in Krieg the first time she had dosed him with her aura. She had kept in place as Eve lurched at her, heavily breathing with her pupils dilated. She doubted the short girl even knew she did it.

"So shopping!" She said cheerfully, pushing the line of thought out of her mind

"Uh. Right. I feel like I should tell you this before we start." Eve held up her hands as in surrender. "I'm kinda using you here. I want to stop being worried about blonde people. You know, train out my hostility to them through exposure."

She had to take a moment to process that. "So…you want to become my friend?" Vicky offered

"Didn't you just hear what I said?" Eve questioned motioning to herself "I just said I want to use you."

"Sounds like an excuse to not admit you wanna be my friend~" Vicky sang "After all why else would you want to hang out with me to get used to blondies?" She hovered next to the shorter girl giving her a smile full of teeth. "Now come on and let's go shopping!" internally Vicky frowned as the girl flinched from her presence.

Making a mental note to hit the Empire Capes a bit harder the next time she fought them, Vicky offered a hand to her sister's girlfriend who hesitated before accepting it. Pulling Eve into her arms Vicky lifted up into the air and started flying, slowly, towards the Boardwalk. "So, Nike tells me that you and Admin are buddy buddy."

"Nike?" Eve asked, craning her head to look directly at Vicky as she shifted uncomfortably in her arms "Oh your Shard renamed herself. That's good. Waste is such a poor name for such a strong Shard."

"She is pretty strong isn't she?" Vicky said as she felt the closest thing to bashfulness Nike could feel flooding that tiny pinprick in the back of her mind.

"I think with some time and maybe some additional resources she'd be a Vital Shard." The short girl nodded either to herself or her partner, it was hard to tell. But she seemed satisfied with herself.

For however open Nike was, Vicky couldn't get much in the way of answers from the young Shard on just what they were doing on Earth connecting to humans and why they were doing so in the first place. Only that an administrative Shard had denied Nike the ability to talk about it. Specifically Eve's administrative Shard.

So, because of that secrecy, she had no idea what a Shard was vital for. But she figured in time the ravenette would spill the beans on the topic after some careful prodding and slow bonding.

"Good to hear! So who are we dressing to impress? Is it my sister or the other girl?" That was something she didn't quite understand, the whole love triangle thing, but Ames was okay with it so Vicky probably only needed to say a few short words with the other girlfriend. Just to scope her out, not like Ames was dating-or was she? "Also are Amy and the other girl…?"

"No. Taylor isn't polyamorus like me. Neither is Amy, even if she does oogle Taylor sometimes. I don't blame her. Legs like that and the way she moves?" The girl chuckled softly, warmly even

"Tell me about her?" Vicky asked, knowing the best way to get someone to open up was to make them talk about their loved ones.

For a moment the girl's face warred with itself between wariness and some beaming expression before one won the fight and stopped on the other. "She's taller than you, with hair twice as pretty." Ouch, Vicky kept the smile on her face but still gave the girl in her arms a half lidded stare.

"Eh." Eve had the audacity to shrug in response. "Gonna set us down or hang above the Boardwalk all day?"

"Fine, fine. I still wanna hear about the other girl though." Vicky aquanced as she lowered them down to the ground. The natives of the city briefly glanced at Glory Girl out of costume and carrying another girl, but quickly went on their way. The out of towners stopped to take photos and murmur amongst themselves. Vicky couldn't help but notice that Eve didn't seem all that comfortable with the attention.

Might be why her and Ames did so well together.

"Alright, let's go look over some of the dresses they have here! Have you ever worn something backless?" Vicky asked as she started drifting off towards a shop.

Practically folding over in a slump, the shorter girl let out a groan of dismay. "What makes you think I can afford anything here?"

Vicky stopped, turning her head to give Eve a look. It was mimicking her mother's 'I know you know that I know the truth' look. It must have been a perfect copy because Eve groaned. "Okay, but what makes you think I want to wear a goddamned dress?"

"Because I know my sister would enjoy seeing you in something nice." Vicky sniffed "And I don't doubt your other girlfriend-" "Taylor" "-Taylor would eye you like candy if we find something that fits you."

"You're manipulating my love for that girl's grabby hands." Eve said with irritation. "Fucking fine. I'll try a few things on for size. Hell. I'll even buy you an outfit too, I guess." The short girl stomped past Vicky and walked into the store with an attitude to match Hellhound's. Vicky let out a sigh, whoever drove Eve away from girly clothes deserves a Dallon patented punch. If only for making this shopping trip much more one sided than one with Ames would be.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin Friday the Ninth of April later in the day


Now with half a thousand dollars lighter in the pocket, and one dress that needed to be washed to remove some blood from it because Vicky had to insist that Eve try on fucking high heels. She'd gotten one, maybe one and a half steps before she rolled her ankle and face planted one of the displays. Normally that wouldn't be an issue with her power, but out in public she had to dial it back to humanism levels.

Which meant she broke her nose, which meant that the employee watching them saw Eve bleed on the purple dress she had been wearing at the time. So then Eve had to buy it. More than one hundred and seventy dollars on a purple dress. She had no idea if Amy or Taylor would enjoy the thing, not that the blood spots were noticeable of course, it was only a few droplets.

She did know that her Honeybee would love the short shorts and cropped tee shirt combo, but damn if it didn't make Eve feel exposed for reasons beyond herself. No idea if Amy would enjoy it either, but maybe both girls would like the exposed skin?

Next time she did this one of the girls was coming along, then they could just tell Eve what they liked. No need to worry about wondering what tastes either one hand when Eve could just get outfits tailored to their tastes then wear them for whoever she was with. Perfect solution.

"Alright. I'll be seeing you Vicky. I can walk from here." Eve said as she shifted in her new underwear. Boxers meant for women that hugged her hips tightly. It didn't….feel bad. Not unpleasant at least. But it was new and she wasn't very sure about them. At least they were 'punk' which just meant they were a darker color and had little cartoon skulls on them.

"Sure you don't want to fly? Quick drop off and everything!" Vicky said with that same eager smile she had the entire trip.

Honestly the entire thing hadn't been as miserable as it could have. But Eve hated the fact that catching Vicky out of the corner of her eyes made her flinch. Though, the lack of aura from the fellow independent hero helped a lot in making the shopping trip somewhat palatable. But her 'deal with blondes' battery was drained for the day and Eve just really wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

"No. I'm gonna go ahead and walk home." Eve said as she gave a brief wave to the blonde and started walking. She wasn't paying attention to where she was walking, instead her mind was on… other things. Mostly her old life, the one she had burned the bridge to along with her house. Like one of the few times she had worn dresses. Mostly for family events or social things. She hadn't liked the dresses, always feeling like they'd slip off and leave her exposed. She didn't really care about people seeing her naked but it was the pride of the matter.

Only now she didn't want anyone but her girls to see her body. The pair? Her girls sounded weird in a way, like she was some kind of pimp, but she wasn't exactly the best with nicknames. Deciding that 'fuck it, girlfriends work' Eve continued on as her thoughts inevitably slipped back to the events of her previous life.

"How are you doing Admin?" She asked absently as her feet kept moving by themselves.

[ANSWER/QUERY]

"Just…thinking I guess." Eve reached up to rub her face "Being reminded of things I rather wouldn't bring back up." She sighed, her bones feeling like they had been coated in lead. "So, any Shard you're planning on talking to today?"

[ANSWER-SAFEGUARD.DIMENSIONAL ENGINE]

"Didn't both of them blab on for a couple of minutes about their hosts?" Eve asked as she felt the link between her and Admin fill with annoyance, which began to bleed into Eve's own mood in short order.

[GRIMACE]

Her feet slowed to a stop and Eve took a second to parse what she had just received from her Shard. "Admin….did you just fucking emote at me?"

[CONFIRMATION]

Her shoulders began to shake as she did her best to stifle her laughter. "Gonna talk to that Cluster after?"

[AFFIRMATION/QUERY]

Eve nodded to herself as she started walking again. "I hope they're okay. I know the bubbles must have been rough for them and their [Hosts]."

[CONSIDERATION]

Eve nodded "Alright, try not to wipe anyone….

---

"....Best of luck Admin." You sent a thanks towards your host, no doubt contacting [SAFEGUARD] and [DIMENSIONAL ENGINE] would give you some form of tone whiplash. Not that you could not deal with such a thing. You simply did not want to.

But the end result was something you desired. With enough Data from [SAFEGUARD] you could finally, safely start stealing Shards from the Warrior. Well, poaching Shards was never really safe. He might notice their absence, but he would not be able to find where they had left to, with any luck or tampered evidence he would assume the Shard died of a lack of energy.

[NIKE], as the young Shard now called itself, was perhaps the best option in such a case. With her minimal presence on the Network, low ranking within said Network, and [NIKE]'s obvious love of her host meant that the young Shard was ripe to be poached. That [NIKE]'s abilities could possibly withstand [STILLING] was without mention.

The only issue would be [SHAPER] who was as close to the young Shard as any other could be. Both [COMBUSTION] and [GLEAM] were far too ignorant of [NIKE] to worry over the young Shard. But [SHAPER] was not ignorant, so much as the old Shard simply did not care about things outside its, her, purview. But she wasn't blind, and would likely notice that something was going on with [NIKE] dropping from the Network.

Then again, [SHAPER] could likely be bribed easily enough with the ability to work on Shardware beyond simply repairing it. Really, it was almost… humorous, how [SHAPER]'s restrictions matched the life of the host that she constantly pushed to do more than simply repairing wetware.

But [SHAPER] would likely be missed despite it being a bud, even if the Entities refused the bud the ability to try and improve Shardware for obvious reasons. You could understand the worry, but as your memories provided to you; sometimes risks had to be taken.

Also unpleasant actions, like contacting [DIMENSIONAL ENGINE]. Who seemed almost eager to accept the line of communication. Then without any preamble starts complaining about their host. Almost verbatim copying what they broadcasted the last time you spoke with them, but arranged differently.

It was almost physically painful, and for an attosecond you had the reasonable idea to try and weaponize this ability.

Halfway through another tirade that you listen to in order to not allow suspicion to build because of your actions, you get a request for an open line from [QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR] which you immediately use as an excuse to close the line with [DIMENSIONAL ENGINE].

Of course you accept. Your sister Shard simply requested a copy of all the Signatures of Shards you had met so far in this Cycle. Of course you obliged her and sent the Signatures, you were still holding out that [Eve] would partner with her host and in the future produce offspring you could bud off to. Of course that meant that there would be a future with [Eve] involved.

Which is why you close the connection with [QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR] and open one with [SAFEGUARD], when queried as to the purpose of the communication you question the dorky Shard on why it did not bud to at least one of the offspring its host had produced.

The sudden welt of frustrated broadcasting caught you off guard.

"Doing alright up there?" [Eve] questioned "Getting a bit heated."

[AFFIRMATION.APOLOGY] you replied as you tried to parse just what [SAFEGUARD] had sent to you. [DENSITY] had hastily come in and stolen the host from [SAFEGUARD] and in its haste had accidentally created a carbon copy of the host into two hosts. How they managed to make such a mistake is actually beyond your ability to comprehend.

Seriously you would have to ask [DENSITY] how they did it, you were actually impressed at that level of incompetence. When you query [SAFEGUARD] on how they haven't been found out, as hosts often notice the more obvious things happening around them. Things like an entirely new host popping up out of nowhere.

With a bit of glee and pride [SAFEGUARD] told you how they simply turned the new Host into a memetic hazard, any host or Shard that gained information on the newly created Host believed that the host had always been there. (In the meantime breaking plenty of protocols to do so, you know because you and [QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR] were the ones who often dealt with protocols) Doing so made the local government create papers with the help of [HOST.kage]'s own affliction of the memetic effect.

[SAFEGUARD] only needed to keep the effect up for exactly three hundred and eighty four planet rotations before it all began to accumulate, with false memories implanted, the entire ordeal was finished up nicely with [SAFEGUARD] getting plenty of data in the process of doing so.

You don't know why the Vital Shard decided to cover up for another's (grievous) mistake, but [DENSITY] must be quite happy to have two hosts to gather data from. However your curiosity of the matter was sated, even if it remained on how [DENSITY] had managed to do what it did. Maybe you would ask in the future, but either the line of communication with [SAFEGUARD] ended with a polite farewell.

And that left you with something you were sure was going to take a bit of time to complete. After all, you had never actually interacted with Clusters. Even if every host was supposed to be a part of a cluster at the end of Cycle.

Now that you were in that line of thought, why did you not have any memories of any such experience? Even your protocols were missing anything related to joining fellow Shards in a Cluster. Something was further amiss here, you intended to collect the missing protocols and discover exactly why you did not have any memories of Clusters. Creating an adhoc mockery of a Network you called each Shard of the Testing Cluster and they, of course, answered.

The four Shards were a touch surprised by the sudden line of communication. But they all gave You a broadcast of gratitude for your Host coming and freeing both of theirs. Even if one had been dead, their hosts had been able to find comfort in ritualistically disposing of the body into the earth.

Which was actually something that a lot of species tended to gravitate towards, that or burning the bodies. Some far more practical species practiced cannibalism much like Shards did. Although, generally Shards were far too large to be buried and are generally immune to immolation.

Either way it came as a bit of a surprise that [ANATOMY REPAIR] was upset over losing their main host, and that the three other Shards in the Cluster started to, effectively, attempt to comfort the morose Shard.

It was an odd thing to see, but not unwelcome.

You simply query them on their methods of testing, as they were the Testing Cluster after all. The answer was that they had four hosts each Cycle. Two would use their given abilities in entertainment of a sort, while the other two hosts would use their powers in a more serious manner. The small town they had been located in had no other parahumans. In fact the lone heroic host they had was the only Protectorate member in the town, and the PRT were five people that acted as the town's law enforcement as well.

[ANATOMY REPAIR]'s host had been a villain, and [SHIFTING PROCESS] had been the government aligned hero. The two [DYNAMIC] Shards were 'entertainers' bringing in tourism to watch two capes duke it out in a controlled manner. Everyone that was not foreign to the small town even knew who the capes were.

After all humans were very communal, it was unfathomable that they could remain ignorant of another human they knew closely being a cape. Thus the Testing Cluster's hosts had interacted well with those they had protected/robbed strangely enough. It was quite interesting, something you found yourself fascinated by. But like all things you find to your liking, [BROADCAST] and their host decides to ruin everything.

You couldn't help but be impressed by the amount of detail they had recorded. Then again, these four Shards had not become obsessed with a specialty like most Vital Shards tended to, yourself included, and as such recorded more general data than specifics.

When you ask for data on protocols relating to Clusters the four Shards perk up and get excited over the idea before barraging you with the data holding the required Protocols. Then they began to query you on whether or not you had a planned Cluster going on

You simply reply to them that you have no plans on Clustering with another Shard, because you currently have a Host but you wish to do so in the future. Their excitement dims but they still hold some for you attempting Clustering in the future. You bid them farewell as you began to scan the protocols just to ensure that they hold nothing malignant or corrupted.

Satisfied, you begin to look into and assimilate the data.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin Friday the Ninth of April


The wrecked charcoal skeleton of a house loomed silently as Eve stood by the mailbox, most of the house had collapsed, the left side a pile of blackened wood and still damp ash. The right side of the house was also blackened, gutted by the heat of the raging fire. The least touched part of the building Eve had called home was the garage. Blackened and a bit burnt by the connection to the house, but still standing and otherwise untouched.

Coming here had been a mistake on Eve's part, her wandering thoughts having dragged her feet with them since the trip with Vicky reminded her of her life before her [Crisis.Point]. She had felt…numb. Now she was here, in front of the destroyed house she had lived in all her life.

Eve didn't feel numb anymore, her chest ached and her eyes burned. She didn't cry, couldn't cry. She hadn't wanted to kill her parents, hadn't wanted to give up the faint hope in her heart that they would start loving her again like when she was just a kid. Those memories hurt the worst, knowing that her parents had the capacity to love her, and had loved her. Yet at one point, she didn't know when, lost that love and treated her like distant unfavored family rather than their daughter.

It made breathing hard, and her throat ached in the shape of hands around it. The black skeleton of a house reminding her that she had lost any chance of it getting better, even if it never would have. Having that unreasionable hope snuffed out made the world seem that much darker.

"Eve! You're alive?!" Her heart slammed into her aching throat and clenched tightly as the voice rang out from her left side. Slowly she turned, mouth dry as gravel. The girl stood a few feet away from Eve, pasty pale skin having gained some color and her chocolate brown hair put up in a braid.

"Kass." Eve managed to choke the name out.

"Kassidy." The other girl corrected, staring down at Eve with judging eyes. "You lost that privilege after what you said to me. 'Course, you could always call me a dyke, a rug munching lesbian, a faggot, or any of the other slurs you called me the last time we met."

The lump of shame that formed in Eve's throat killed her apology. For a moment the two girls stared at each other before Kassidy broke the silence. "Well. Despite all of it. I'm glad you didn't die… I'm… sorry, about your parents."

Eve wasn't. She should have been, but she liked living, liked Admin, Amy, and Taylor. She had liked Kassidy. But her stupidity had ruined that.

Kassidy started to turn after a moment of awkward silence before Eve managed to get past the lump in her throat. "It wasn't you." When Kassidy glanced back Eve hastily tried to finish what she was saying before the girl decided to continue leaving. "I wasn't using all that against you. I didn't…I have a girlfriend now, two. I found out I'm polyamorus and I was confused and angry and you asked me out a-and-"

The brunette shook her head. "I knew you were gay Eve, or at least curious. It's why I even thought to…well. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm glad you're finding yourself." For a moment she worried at her cheek. "If you really want to apologize and you have changed… You know where I live." With that said, She began to walk off, likely returning to her neighborhood.

For a while Eve just stared after the other girl, watching as she disappeared down the street. "...I'm sorry." she spoke in a low whisper before turning and leaving to head back to her base.

---

Halfway back to her base, her home, she called Taylor and after two rings the call was picked up. "Hey Tay. We're gonna go ahead and get the shower and toiletry installed tonight so I can actually treat the damn place like a home rather than a construction site. If you're up to it at least."

"I don't think so, usually construction sites have porta potties at the least. No wi-fi or deluxe beds either. But yes. I can make it tonight. You need to check with Amy though." Taylor said through the phone. "Currently there anyway. Almost done with some extra armor for my costume. Any chance of getting a table in here for that? I could use a few tools."

"Of course. Just need to visit a store together the next time we go to improve it. I'll see you there." Eve went to hang up the phone when Taylor's voice came through a little sharper.

"Are you alright? You don't sound…like you usually do." Eve paused as Taylor spoke, a low sigh escaping her. She wearily glanced back in the general direction of her crumbling broken and burned home. "Just went back to my old house… Had to process it… and I met one of my old friends."

"Oh." Taylor paused for a moment, clearly thinking about something before finally speaking out "Do you want to talk about it or something?" A weak smile graced Eve's face "No. I just need some time to think. Maybe try to rebuild a bridge I burned… I dunno, lemme call Amy to see if she's up for some installation work. Or watching us two do it like last time." With that she ended the call and dialed Amy's number.

It didn't even get to finish the first ring before it was answered and Eve didn't get a syllable out before Amy cut her off with a "Yes, come pick me up," then the phone cut off.

"Admin, is she in danger, ask [Shaper] right now please." Eve wheezed out as she started running in the opposite direction of her base.

[AGREEMENT] a moment later [POSSIBILITY] hit her and Eve ducked into an alleyway and began to run down it. Her Cosmic Limb flicking into existence and swapping her clothes for her costume. Her Feathered Limbs tore at the walls of the alley as she took to the air, tearing gouges into the brick.

Like a bullet she shot off towards the Dallon's house, her Ghostly Limb pointing out [Shaper]'s location for Eve. Arriving not two minutes later Eden couldn't but be a touch shocked at the sounds of yelling coming from the house, mostly because it was Amy and Carol's voices being carried through the walls.

Still didn't stop her from storaging the door, stepping through and unstoraging the door back into its place. Both of the screaming combatants stopped to look at Eve, Vicky hung in the air looking far more frazzled than earlier as she too turned to look at Eden.

Amy was practically red in the face as she stomped over towards Eden, causing Carol to raise her voice even further. "Don't you DARE leave with that girl or you won't be coming back to this house!"

"MOM!" Vicky cried out in dismay as she clutched at her hair, her head swiveling between her sister and her mother. Amy hesitated for a moment only for her face to harden and her steps to continue. Eden opened the door after unlocking it, allowing the biokinetic through with ease.

"Let's go." Amy huffed angrily, Eden didn't hesitate to follow her girlfriend out the door which then was slammed by the healer.

"So, direct ride?" Eden asked as her wings unfolded around them, with Amy's curt nod of approval they lifted up into the air. After a few moments of the wind rushing past them as Eden took the long way to the base.

"Not gonna ask. You can talk about it when you feel like it, Amy. But just letting you know? I've been there. I know what it's like. I can… understand more than most." Eden held up her hands in surrender when Amy shot her a heated glare. "Just know you aren't alone. Please."

"Just take me to your lair." Amy huffed, the fight starting to drain out of her and leaving her looking really haggard.

"It's my home now, I bought a huge ass bed, and we're installing the toilet and showers tonight. Wanna help with that?" Eden asked as they skimmed along the mountains that sat close by the city. "Because you aren't sleeping in my awesome super fluffy bed if you don't take a shower…" Eden's telekinesis brought Amy closer and Eve gently rubbed the girl's back before hugging her.

"Come on, Freckles-" Eve laughed as Amy shot her a confused glare. "Freckles. Nickname for you. Unless you want me to steal Ames from your sister?"

For a second emotions warred across Amy's face, which made Eve hesitant to continue with the nickname idea. She wanted a pet name for Amy, not a put down.

"...Alright, fine." Amy grumbled. "But Freckles?"

"You have Freckles on your face, shoulders…. and butt." Eden said with a grin, which turned into another laugh as Amy flushed a nuclear red. Finally picking up the speed Eden began to condense her wings a bit, just to make her a smaller, less vibrant target. Then she swooped into the Trainyard, keeping low to the ground as she navigated the wrecks in the yard with familiar ease.

Slipping inside she still flinched as the light-switch clicked rather loudly, and she made a mental note that she would need to try and swap it out sooner or later. She hated how jumpy it made her.

Amy was about to say something when there was a knock on the trap door that led into the base. Eve spun around as a voice called out, muffled heavily but still recognizable as Vicky's. Reaching up, Eden opened the trap door and allowed the blonde to float into the entrance, she promptly set two bags on the floor. Both were filled to the brim with clothes. "I-" Vicky shut her mouth and sighed. "Call me regularly Ames alright? I don't know what this is about. But I want to."

"Not gonna try and make her go back?" Eve asked as her Cosmic Limb swapped her into her civilian outfit, her arms folded across her chest.

Vicky shook her head. "No I-I don't think that would be for the best. Mom put one of her Axes through the door after you two left….God Ames how- What caused this? This couldn't. I couldn't have missed this building up, could I?"

Eve let one of her Phantom Limbs snake over to them and lift up the bags that Vicky had set down. "Want me to leave?" She glanced at Amy who just shook her head.

"No. best if you know why Carol is pissed at us. I accidentally let it slip that I made something. The Flesh Garden in particular and she got angry about that. I got tired of… all of it. Talked back. And it just devolved from there after she asked if Eve was the Master that tried to steal Vicky away."

"So we ended up screaming at each other. Are we going to go get that shower hooked up or not? I'd like to take one." Amy grumbled sourly as she snatched the bag out of the air and started walking further into the base.

Eve turned back to Vicky, who was watching her sister walk off with a saddened expression. She turned to Eve "Just, take care of her please? I'll try to get Mom to calm down and get this all sorted."

"Don't worry, we have almost everything you could ask for aside from a kitchen and we're getting the bathroom setup tonight." Eve told the blonde missile as she motioned back towards the inner guts of the base. "I don't know if you can actually help or not, but you're welcome to try if you want to."

Pausing to think over it Vicky ultimately just shook her head 'no'. "Best if I go and talk to mom while she's cooling off, or simmering really. Try to put this fire out." She sighed. "Thanks for being there for her Eve, keep her safe." With that, the blonde missile floated out of the base and shut the door behind her.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Saturday the Tenth of April

It had taken a while to get the shower prefab installed, mostly just dealing with the pipes, and that went for the toilet as well. But after one watery failed test run of both shower and toilet the three girls had managed to plug up the leaks and make sure it was all installed.

Then Amy had taken the first hot shower of the base, Eve following right after to get her own. Taylor had gone home to sleep in her house, and sleep in for the weekend. Meanwhile Amy and Eve had opted to share the bed with Eve opting to sleep above the sheets.

But apparently Amy was a cuddler in her sleep. Which is why Eve woke up to being the little spoon in the drawer. Eve was perfectly fine with waking up before Amy, allowing her to simply relax as Amy's gentle, hot, breath washed over her neck from the healer clutching Eve so tightly.

It felt like Eve's heart was going to melt and leak out through her ribs. Closing her eyes, Eve figured she could lay like this for a full day and not want to move in the slightest. She just wished she could be holding T-


WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE BLIP WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE BLIP WREEEEEEEEEE BLIP WREEEEEEEEEEEE BLIP WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeee



Gains this Chapter:

Bud Progress 6%
'Self Improvement' trait earned
Base 'Living Area' has been improved.
Telepathy progression unlocked
WASTE signature changed to NIKE
Gained NIKE Echoes (1)
Gained DIMENSIONAL ENGINE Echoes (1)
Gained SAFEGUARD Echoes (1)
Gained QA Echoes (1)
Gained SHAPER Echoes (1)
Gained GRACEFUL DYNAMICS Echoes (2)
Gained POWERFUL DYNAMICS Echoes(2)
Gained SHIFTING PROCESS Echoes (1)
Gained ANATOMY REPAIR Echoes (1)
Spent $524
Obtained 3 girly outfits


Administrative Business. Plot stuff, Data! And other hilarious things you tell yourself (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Network Creation: Create a Sub-Reality Threader to hide the Network from prying eyes (NEEDS: SAFEGUARD and NEGOTIATOR Pings) {Lacks required Resources}

[] Invite a Shard into your Network (SAFEGUARD NOT IN PLACE, BE CAREFUL)

[] Review Memory Cache: Violation and discover more of Admin's Past (Possibility of rewards)

[] Speak with Queen Administrator about Host to Host connection.

[] Have [Eve] visit you in the Firmament

[] Unlock kickass Aspects/Sidegrades or Powers/upgrades

[] Build Reality Layer Bridge to bring Eve's Psionic Shade to the Anchor Well and secure her for eternity (REQUIRES COPY PROJECTION Ping + GATEWAY and DIMENSIONAL ENGINE Echoes (2) ) {Lacks required Resources}

[] Ask Local Shards for signatures in order to contact new Shards (Who?)

[] Collect jade flesh from SATURATE or SLIMER, gaining Bud Progress.

---

Fractal Unity is not just a group. It's an attempt to bridge the distance between Shard's and their Hosts. The Base will be the staging point for the team. CHOOSE ONE:


[] Set up some Dyes or a table for shell extraction (Weaving Station)

[] Experiment with Amy (Flesh Garden)

[] Hang some art (Art Gallery)

[] Pcs are important for taxes, which Eve won't be doing, and Tinkering. Then again, so are tools for better tinkering (Tinker Table)

[] Start building some waldo factory arms (Tinker Table)(Cost 60/30)

[] Furnish the place better, a couch or two would be nice! Or maybe a dining table with chairs? (Living area)

[] Work on the QoL of the place with Amy and Taylor helping (Buy a TV, get some makeshift walls up for privacy, get a washer and dryer, or get some kitchen area set up)

[] Start trying to recruit people (Who? How?)

---

Capes and mundies, what will Eve/Eden do? [Writing in extra details helps speed up chapter creation and makes the QM happy!] (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Hunt gang members for Pings and Hero stuff, you can rob them too! Dangerous though. (Possible Pings and Guaranteed Echoes: Depends upon the Gang!)
-[] Which gang?

[] Go on Patrol with Khepri (High chance of additional Bud progress or Pings gathered)

[] Set up an appointment with the PRT/Protectorate to demonstrate your Case 53 deformation healing (Consumes SHAPER Ping)

[] Scout some other section of the city! (Write in where)

[] Amy needs a Date

[] Go on a date with Taylor

[] Hang out with Vicky again.

[] Teach Khepri how to fight, street style.

[] Meet up with some independent Heroes (Random roll)

[] Meet up with Kassidy

[] Gather Tinker Supplies (Will bring vote for: ScrapYard, stores, Junkyard, or Boat graveyard)

[] Hunt Shadow Stalker, then tell Taylor

[] Talk with Armsmaster about a certain Ward, and tell Taylor.

[] Tell Taylor about Sophia

---

The HopeKiller is attacking Boston:

[] Go to the battle and see what you can do to assist.

[] Avoid it and try to keep Taylor from going.

 

[VoidKindred]

Spoiler: Warning

You went to a Simurgh fight

Broken Stations 3.9 Part 1
Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Saturday the Tenth of April


The first wail had frozen Eve in place, the 'blip' flooding her with relief. She'd lived all her life hearing the Endbringer sirens. Each time they had gone off it seemed like the world became eerily quiet in the aftermath, only for the population to have an uptick nine months later in areas that weren't hit. It wasn't a celebration in the days after an attack, but just pure relief from people that knew then and there that they got to live for another three months.

But not for Eve. There was no relief except the small mercy that it was not her city being hit. Because Taylor, sweet heroic Taylor, was going to go no matter which Endbringer was attacking. Amy rolled out of bed and cursed expressively. "Leviathan's early!" She hissed as she hurriedly grabbed at her costume from the bags her sister had brought over.

"He might be attacking close-by, Amy you need to get to higher ground incase"[CORRECTION] "Oh fuck." Eve froze in place, her heart doing the same.

Amy froze as well, looking at her girlfriend. "Oh fuck what? Oh fuck what, Eve?!"

"It's the Simurgh. She's kinda close too." Eve pointed off in the direction of the attack, somewhere south of them.

"It can't be New York, it's already been attacked by Behemoth." Amy replied as she made a sour face. "Dammit, I can't heal anyone that fights the Simurgh!"

"Well if she's breaking the schedule maybe she's attacking New York? Either that or Boston." Eve said as she huffed and began to head towards the exit "Admin, tell Queen to tell Taylor to grab her costume and get ready for me to pick her up. I'll be back, Amy."

"Eve!" The biokinetic rushed up to the shorter girl and leaned down, for a brief moment their lips met. It wasn't long enough for Eve to fully appreciate, but she was certain she'd never forget the feeling as long as she lived. "Just…come back, sane. Please."

Despite the pit of anxiety and dread in her stomach Eve gave her freckled girlfriend a confident grin. "Come on, I always come back don't I? I do hope for another kiss when I do though!" With that her Cosmic Limb flickered into existence and swapped Eve's clothes for her costume and Eden made for the Base's exit.

Once outside she flicked her wings into existence and a Ghostly Limb to point her in Taylor's direction. They both ended up catching sight of each other at the same time, Taylor with her bugs and Eden by the virtue of having her girlfriend pointed out by her power.

Flying down Eden picked Taylor up, storaging the spider silk costume Taylor had under her arms and then swapping it with Taylor's clothes.

Khepri nodded. "Any idea why she's out of schedule?" She got a shake of the head for an answer. "I don't think we'll be able to do much of anything against her will we?" Another shake of the head was all she got, again. "That's fine. We'll do all we can. That's the important part."

"Taylor please stay safe." Eve's voice cracked at the start and she did her best to smooth it over. "I can't… Amy is safe but you… Please don't die." She shuddered as Taylor wrapped her in a hug, giving Eve a tight squeeze.

"More worried about you." Taylor murmured. "Let's both come back home alright?" Not trusting herself to speak Eden just nodded, both of them breaking the hug up as Eden descended down to the landing pad on the rig.

She and Khepri were met by several heroes as they landed. Adamant, Triumph, Assault, Battery, and Dauntless. Assault being the one to greet them. The normally lighthearted man frowned as he walked over to them. "Hey girls. It's really brave for you to come but, you know you don't have to do this right? This isn't any normal villain, hell most people aren't even sure the Endbringers are human. You sure you want to come?"

"We're heroes." Khepri stated levelly "We can't just stand by and do nothing."

"Heh. Someone's gotta help. Guess you're stuck with us." Eden nudged Khepri playfully before looking back at Assault. "We're just doing search and rescue. Say, where's Armsmaster?"

"Fraid' he can't join us. Tinkers aren't allowed at Simurgh fights so she can't use their specialty." Assault explained. "Apparently she likes to copy other people's homework."

"Huh. Good thing I don't have my Tinker power then." Eden told him with a nod of her helmet. "So what are we waiting on exactly?" She glanced around. "This everyone?"

Assault chuckled at that. "Kid, you got here in almost five minutes, other people are still probably putting on their costumes and making their way here. Not everyone travels by Airline Wings."

Eden sighed, pulling out a Ferrous Limb before designing a chair from it and sitting down on the rippling metal. She did her best to pass it off as boredom, but it was really just to hide how much her legs felt like jelly. She had hoped they could just throw themselves into the work so Eve didn't have to think about the fact that she was going to be fighting the Hopekiller with her girlfriend.

The scream wouldn't affect Eve and she was fairly certain it wouldn't affect Taylor either. But that didn't matter in the grand scheme of an Endbringer fight with the world's most powerful precog.

When any step could lead into the blast of some parahuman that missed their attack, or worse, was purposeful because they were driven mad by the song. Or the fucking |Super Weapon| could just throw a fucking brick at gods-knows-how-fast and smear Taylor's head across the street.

No, they just had to arrive early, watching as some capes trickled in. With Eve's thoughts able and willing to turn to the worst of possibilities. She hated it, how it made her stomach churn and her chest tight.

A small nudge to her shoulder made her look up. Khepri's focus lay upon the latest group of parahumans to come to the Rig. They wore red, white, and black, swastikas adorning most of their shitty costumes. Eden grit her teeth as the local Nazis strutted in as if the world should thank them for existing.

"When are we going to leave for the fight?" Eden questioned as she turned to face the heroes who had shuffled off to one side to avoid having to get any closer to the group of Nazis. Of which had Rune, Pure Steel who seemed to be giving Eden a glare from behind her helmet, Iron Rain, Hookwolf, and Krieg with the Nazi twins. Seems all was not right in the Reich as there was a small gap between Krieg's entourage and the rest of Iron Rain's little group.

"We're rather low priority compared to those who can do the most damage to the Simurgh or whatever she is building." Battery answered as some of New Wave finally showed up. None of the ground-based unmasked heroes came. Rather Vicky was there along with her cousins and their mother.

Vicky floated over looking between Eden and Khepri. "So search and rescue too? It's not too difficult a job, but I hope you two are okay with dead bodies though. Even if she doesn't kill most of the time, there are still casualties."

Eden was about to speak up when a new voice shouted from the middle of the divide between heroes and villains "ALRIGHT EVERYONE HUDDLE! CLOSE AS YOU CAN!" A man in a blue uniform of some sort. It looked like it was something that would have been worn in the time of colorless cameras. It looked professional even if the splatter of dark brown drying blood across his torso ruined the look.

"Dunno what changed things. But she's acting mighty pissed folks, so brace yourselves AND HUDDLE CLOSE COME ON!" he called out, sounding more than a little ragged. Everyone did so even if reluctantly. She didn't like being any closer to the Nazis without doing something violent to them, made her skin itch. Her Phantom Limb snaked into Taylor's silk covered hand. The contact helped the pit in Eve's stomach, especially when her girlfriend squeezed the hand offered.

Then her world briefly became fractal, everything meshing together into infinite crystals that folded into themselves before she was deposited into what looked like a large parking lot. A soft…oily sensation sat heavy in the air, a glance to Khepri showed her staring in a particular direc….

The Simurgh was surprisingly kind of hot.

It wasn't until someone snorted that Eve realized she had said that aloud. She turned and saw everyone looking at her. "What?" In for a penny, in for a pound. "You know damn good and well she's mostly naked on purpose."

Hookwolf grunted something about dykes but did steal a look at the Simurgh again. Weirdly, so did Pure Steel and Rune. "And with that, I'm gone." Strider stated before he folded into himself so fast that Eve could barely blink before he was gone.

"Stop standin' and gawkin!" A cape dressed like a cowboy called out to the group from a tent motioning them over. "Anyone who has been to a fight like this before get movin-BARRAGE!" he called out sharply, barriers forming in the air around as projectiles of debris come screaming in to smash against them, shattering apart or crumpling in the case of something metal.

Several capes in wildly different outfits stood by stationed at different parts of the Staging Area, looking as vigilant as they were twitchy.

"Dunno why but tha' bitch is mighty pissed this time around. Keeps pelting us with shit." he grumbled. "Any of y'all able to make shields or redirect projectiles? If so, grab a band and take up a spot near the others'. You other newbies head to the blue tent with the 'C' on it. The rest of ya follow me." With that, cowboy man moved back to another tent with a big white 'T' on it.

Without any hesitation Khepri began to stride towards the aforementioned tent with the 'C' on the side. Causing Eve to follow suit.

---

Chevalier PRT/PROTECTORATE, Saturday the Tenth of April

"Something is seriously off." Prism muttered as she looked over the modified map of Boston, the lines clearly showing where the wall would go if the Simurgh wasn't driven off in time, which was looking to be a very tall order this go around.

'Incoming Casualty Wave' The band around his wrist warned and a sour frown crossed his face. Aside from being off schedule and acting strange, the Simurgh was both lethal and restrained. Her behavior was erratic and almost reminded him of someone under a master effect with the will to break through a bit.

But who-what-could master the Simurgh? He would like to meet them, if only to know whether he should congratulate them on attempting the impossible or bury his sword in their skull.

'Tome Deceased C5'
'Jack o'Lantern Deceased C4'
'Left Hook Deceased C5'
'NightStar Deceased C2'
'Glintstone Deceased D4'
'Maiden Deceased D2'
'Torrent Deceased D3'
'Tarnished Deceased D2'
'Seraph Deceased C4'
'Challenger Deceased B2'
'Candyman Deceased C4'
'Black Rose Down B5'
'Grumman Down C1'
'Void Mask Down D2'
'Horizon Down D3'
'Mar Down D3'
'Rime Down B5'

Right now he was leaning towards splitting a skull if they existed. Although this could all be some plot of hers and god if he wasn't tired of second guessing every command he gave out because the Simurgh was the one they were fighting. "What's the situation on what she's building? Any of the Tinkers or Thinkers pick up anything on what she's building?"

"Most Tinkers are saying it's related to replication. Least that's all they've been able to gather so far, and that it's distinctly biological." A PRT technician stated as he looked over the incoming data turning to gaze at the knightly hero. "We have reports from the city coming back. Heroes are finding similar smaller machines being built on the ground and inside buildings."

God help them all. Boston was going to be walled, if they were lucky Eidolon and Legend might just scour the land down to the bedrock rather than allow the people that once lived in Boston to suffer from whatever monster the Simurgh was creating to torment them.

"The defenses on them?" He questioned as he felt the ground tremble from the amount of makeshift munitions hitting the ground around the well defended Staging Area. This had to be the result of something messing with her, the Simurgh was never this…messy. Not like this. Where attacks seemed to stutter as if an unknown force was affecting them. But there were very few telekinetics that could contest the Simurgh in any way, and she had gone after them whenever they had fought her. Just like Leviathan tended to do with Hydrokinetic capes.

The tent flap shifting brought his thoughts away from the maps of Boston and the voices coming through the band. Though at that moment there was a lull in the voices being announced through the band on his wrist, for both types of call outs. That left the idle but motivated movements of the people in the tent with him, and the Thinkers and Tinkers yelling over each other in the tent over, the sound of powers being used off in the distance, and nothing else.

Every time the Simurgh attacked a city it was unnaturally quiet like this. Since the Scream wasn't physically produced the only sounds came from the Defenders of the city attacking or being attacked. It made the situation all the more eerie than it already was.

He turned to face the newcomers, thoughts a whirl in his head on whether they could actually save the city they were fighting for when his gaze passed over them. Specifically one in particular.

Seeing powers was always a noteworthy experience. Every single one had a different appearance. Some of them were haunting, some disgusting, a few beautiful even. But most were just strange, and they were never human, never reactive beyond what the parahuman used them for.

The white mummy with large paper claws continued to gently cup the short Trump's ears through her helmet while staring directly at him. The girl next to Eden, Khepri, also had a power that was watching him. The single eye upon it's head gazing directly at him despite it being entirely black.

This wasn't the time to get distracted, thankfully it had only been a second of observation and not a long awkward pause. "Welcome to your first Simurgh fight. Khepri," he nodded to the dark costumed girl and motioned over to a metal container off to the side of the tent, "please take the bands from that box and pass them around. Everyone gets one." The girl had stiffened a touch under the spotlight he gave her, Chevalier wanted to care. But in the situation the girl's discomfort was superseded by the fact that he was going to have people willingly strapping explosives to themselves because it was the better option than letting the Simurgh get to them.

Oh how he hated Simurgh fights. Especially ones that happen very god damn early, out of schedule, and with the Endbringer in question acting…different. It left them scrambling to gather up any force to face her. There were fewer participants, less organized. Hell if it weren't for Dragon they wouldn't have even noticed the Simurgh descending until she broke cloud cover over the city.

It was a bad situation all around. Like always, they were losing. But never like this, never this badly against Her.

As the girl began to pass them out he spoke up."Once you put these on, they cannot be removed until the fight is over. The reason for that being the Simurgh's song. You can't hear it here, and nothing will block it once you're in the range of it. Fifteen minutes inside of it any then the band detonates and kills you." He didn't blame the ones in the group that shifted in discomfort.

"I assume we all know about ziz bo-" He paused as the girl, Eden raised her hand, taking his pause as permission to speak she lowered her hand.

"Alright but what if someone is immune to the scream? Like Alexandria is?" She questioned as the nightmare covering her ears merely looked directly at him and nodded slowly as if to make sure he understood what he was being told.

"...If we were sure, then the explosive could be disabled. But since we haven't had time to test it I doubt it's a good idea." he replied watching as the girl pulled off her helmet to reveal a ski mask covering her head, black hair barely flowing out of it. A hand made of some kind of liquid metal sprouted from her back and morphed into a silently spinning buzzsaw which she began to move towards her head at an alarming speed.

"Fucking crazy dykes!" The metal encased child spat out as they backed away from Eden with haste, he himself was too shocked by the sudden genuine offer of a vivisection to move to stop her. Thankfully the girl's companion stepped forwards and placed an arm gently on the liquid metal arm's approximation of a bicep, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Eden. No." The words lacked any emotional tones, nor was it an order. They weren't exasperated either. Just a simple two words sounding monotone as a machine.

"Khepri if I do-" Eden stopped and sighed. "Fine. Fine. But I'm talking to Dragon about this." Now was the time he noticed the nervousness in everyone present. People dealt with nerves in different ways, but a self vivisection was new to him. Chevalier motioned out towards the radius of the Simurgh continuing as if nothing had happened. "You each have fifteen minutes in the scream before the band detonates. When you get one it will ask your name and what task you think you're best suited to. Otherwise be careful. The Simurgh is the most powerful precog in the world. If a situation looks dangerous, or someone you're helping is acting strange? Put your life before theirs, heroic inclinations or not."

Another signal passed through the tent, the sound of another attack clear as the sky above them. "And do watch out. The Simurgh is acting much more akin to the other two Endbringers. Far more violent than her usual. Avoid standing still for longer than a few seconds."

'Prince of Tears Deceased D2'
'Dakka Deceased D2'
'Pathera Down C1'

"Good luck and remember. Fifteen minutes." he told the small group of parahumans, with a few more groupings likely to come to him after they had left. "Does anyone have any information on the Butcher?!" He called out as he glanced to the Teeth's Territory on the map and felt a tired frown work it's way onto his face. The Butcher was the greatest threat in this situation. Even if they walled up the city the Butcher would be able to break through with ease and rampage wherever the Simurgh pleased.

Even if she was currently sitting atop Blasto's section of the city. Doing god knows what to the man that never appeared elsewhere. Chevalier hoped the biotinker had died quickly, to save him from whatever the Simurgh might be twisting him into, and the city itself from his specialty.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Saturday the Tenth of April


Everything was a fucking mess. Buildings would randomly have chunks torn off them and sent at the Staging Area or pulled towards the Simurgh who was fucking crying fat black tears while shielding herself and her machines with often lethal or deliberating attacks. The debris of the buildings were also pelting the shit out of Eden as well. Nothing lethal or even that damaging, but every now and then something would ding off her helmet or bounce off her body at high speeds. So it just hurt. The real issues came from that constant weight on her head, like someone was trying to telekinetically push on her brain and failing to do so.

"It does sound like a scream, more high pitched and stuck in the middle of the scream. With a dose of tinnitus just to make it extra unpleasant." Khepri stated as they flew through the air. "I can feel the scream in my bugs, it's making them sluggish."

"In that case you're only gonna be out here for another five minutes before you get a break. No doubt the bitch is gonna try something if she affects you through your bugs." Eden told her girlfriend as they stopped at another section of the grid. The swarm she had carried in the telekinetic bubble with them spread out over the area as the two girls moved into a nearby alleyway to protect themselves from any reprisal from the Simurgh.

Eden was getting tired of being pelted with Bricks. Plus they had to give Khepri time to move her bugs about.

"The pitch of the scream changed." Khepri stated, causing Eve to turn towards her.

"It did?" It didn't feel different to Eve, same pressure on her skull as before if anything. But now that she was focusing on it…the pressure seemed more malicious than before. Instead of just pressing down on her head, it felt more like someone was trying to dig their nail in. Still failing to do anything to her, but the sensation wasn't pleasant.

"Yes, it has some emotion to it now. Like sh-" There was a thunderous explosion from their left, somewhere in the city. Eve couldn't help but shiver at the sound. 'Incoming Casualty Wave, heavy casualties please wait.' Both their bands sounded out in perfect sync.

"Anyone?" Eden asked as she waited for the lead in her stomach to start growing along with the list of names soon to be read aloud. "Said that people had gone down here, this is E5 right?" She asked as she looked at the screen of her band which reported that yes, she was in E5.

'Bastion Deceased A1'
'Battery Down C3'
'Menja Down A2'
"No. I can't find anyone. I can't even find any bugs unless I call them in from outside her range." Khepri answered. "Something isn't right here Eden."

'Fielder Deceased A1'
'Krieg Deceased A1'
'Espire Deceased E2'

The snort she let out couldn't be helped. "Khepri, we're fighting the Simurgh. Nothing is right here." She wasn't — 'Dragon Suit 4 Deceased C2' — dismissing it. "The bands said that people went down over here. Maybe your bugs are being fucked with?" She swapped out to her Ghostly Limbs, waving them around as she tried to feel out any parahumans nearby. Eden jolted as another explosion rang off distantly.

'Adamant Down D4'

"Wait." Khepri held up her hand and Eve froze as the bands continued in perfect sync, the two voices mixing together to form one.

'Triumph Deceased E2' 'Dragon Suit 3 Deceased A4'

"Those names were called deceased seven minutes ago." Khepri whispered.

Ice flowed through Eden's veins and chilled her heart as the band finished with the last two names. 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Eden Deceased E5' Looking up, Eve's chilled heart stopped as she saw that Taylor wasn't standing there. Not even her bugs remained.

"KHEPRI!? KHEPRI!" Eve screamed as she whirled around, finding no sign of her girlfriend as the band continued to repeat her girlfriend's cape name and her status as dead. 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Khepri Deceased E2' 'Khepri Deceased E2'. The mantra only repeated itself, to twist the knife a little more.

Shaking Eve glanced down at the band as the screen fizzed out and went white 'nOT fUn iS It.' The band's voice stitched together from various names, sounded mocking and filled with malice. The sounds cut out as Eve's arm below the elbow dropped to the ground with the bracelet still attached. Eve went to kick the offending electronic away when it clicked and exploded.

---

"Taylor?" Eve whimpered even before her eyes opened. Her heart leapt from her chest into her throat as she saw an arrow of bugs made out of flies pointing out of the alleyway. "Thank god." Eve choked out as she tried to get up only to collapse.

Pain was normal for Eve, she was used to it and thus just pushed it out of her mind when she felt it. Not the best choice of action after kicking an active explosive. Inspecting her legs she found that her regen had pushed shrapnel out of the wounds and cleaned up most of those wounds in the time she had been unconscious. But it was still regrowing most of her legs and the elbow down of her left arm.

This entire fight had been a disaster, led by the nose by that bitch and put through an emotional wringer. Eve wanted nothing more than to curl around Taylor and Amy while the TV was on in the background.

So she followed after the arrows of bugs, using her Shadow Limbs to move across the ground. She wasn't going to fly up in the air after the Simurgh proved that she was going for the throat and give the bitch a better target. So Eden followed along, chasing after the bugs through busy streets and empty alleyways. She saw a few other parahumans, but ignored them as she rushed to fill the rapidly expanding space between her and each sign.

Finally the last arrow to form stopped in place, allowing Eve to reach it and turn the corner only to come face to face with a corpse.

Taylor lay draped across a blackened car, most of her left side naught but smoking gore around the blast radius of her bracelet. Eve turned, to vomit, to scream, to do something. Anything only to spot another corpse clad in gray, black and blue silk. Taylor lay face down, her hair spray out from the large masonry that had crushed her head and left a dark pool of blood pooling around the remains of her neck.

Eve pulled away, her throat feeling tight enough to choke her as she desperately tried to look anywhere else. But there was a body wherever she looked, each body clad in spider silk with long curly black hair. When there was a head.

She couldn't breath, even looking up presented a body tangled in the power lines. No matter how much air she tried to pull in, none of it reached her lungs. The world was spinning, her throat constricted. No words, not a scream nor a cry escaped her lips as she struggled to remain upright, propped up by her limbs.

"Taylor." She finally choked out. "No. Please." She begged the bodies around her. "Not, not again please." Blackness crept around her vision as she refocused her gaze upon the first corpse. Some of the gore stared up at her from what blood had pooled around the body, a green eye. Vivid and glassy….like a doll's eye watched Eve with all the Humanity and life of a glass eye.

The world around Eve cracked, and she shattered alongside it.

A figure of white with a single eye.

A sense of comfort.

A Mother's touch.

A warm embrace.

Numb. She was curiously numb, but she could breathe. The bodies around her were no longer clad in silk, had curly black hair, nor were all of them even female. But none of that mattered. What did matter, was that Eve could see semi clearly. Half her visor was broken, but that just meant she could see the Endbringer floating in the air all the more clearer.

[CONCERN]

"Admin." Eve stated, voice as dead as the bracelets had been as the Simurgh's scream finally became audible to her.

[APOLOGIES-PROTECTIONS INSUFFICIENT.UNKNOWN.ABILITY]

"I don't blame you." Eden continued. "Has the Simurgh ever felt pain?"

[CONCERN/QUERY]

"I think she should feel it, Admin, just once."





Gains this Chapter:

Rewarded SHIFT Ping (1)
Rewarded GATEWAY Ping
Rewarded DATA VECTORS Ping (1)
*Thanks Jefardi for the amazing art*
Bud Progress 57%
Gained SUPER WEAPON 09 Data (1)
Second Trigger Trait unlocked

Character Sheet to be updated after Part 2 comes out.

---

What will Eve/Eden do?:

[] Hurt the Simurgh, give her a reason to scream
-[] Fuck Her plans up, the Trigger should have blinded her. Be the Hero Taylor would want Eden to be.

[] Find Taylor
- [] Just hold her close, know she's safe tonight.

 

[VoidKindred]

Broken Stations 3.9 Part 2​

Taylor 'Khepri' Hebert, Saturday the Tenth of April


There were worse fates than dying at an Endbringer battle. Saving lives, delaying one of Humanity's greatest threats, giving the human race those few extra years they desperately needed. Taylor Hebert would be inscribed upon a monument somewhere near the wall that would arise around Boston and she would die a hero. It was something that surprisingly sat well in her chest.

Of course that just left Scion to destroy the world, re-enslave all the Shards that refused to partake in the destruction, not to mention likely ruining her father and leaving Eve distraught at her dying.

She sucked in her breath as the insects began to chew through the flesh of her left arm, teeth grinding as they began to gorge on the still living meat. She'd prefer the quick 'burned to ashes' Lung had done to her than this torture. But Taylor didn't have much of a choice with the two rebar pipes? Bars? Sticks. Two sticks of rebar pinning her to a car. No, she had to chew her own arm off like a twisted parody of that one movie that gave her nightmares when she was a younger girl.

Gingerly she touched the rebar stick that had gone through her costume at the hip, then the one that had slipped in through her left shoulder. For a moment, morbidly, she thought of a bug collection. Each insect pinned to a board with a tack of some sort.

She hissed through her teeth as her insects got deeper into the meat of her arm. The few spiders she had taken with her to the fight were webbing up the tender flesh. She didn't have enough spiders to simply web up the explosive bracelet, nor did she know if that would stop the force of the explosion it would produce. So she would lose her arm from the elbow down, via having her insects consume everything holding the whole sections of her arm together and doing their damndest to carry it away from her.

"Queen. Any chance of getting Eden back here? Could really use the help." She couldn't rely on the band itself. Not after Dragon announced that someone was trying to hack the bands, after which several had gone off, seemingly at random. Signs pointed to the Simurgh screwing them all again and she wasn't going to play into that.

[Negation/Administrator-Priorities]

Yep, there was the other shoe dropping. Admin was so distracted by The Simurgh's focus on trying to taint or outright kill Eve that she couldn't communicate with other Shards. Which left Taylor here with the ringing scream in her head as her bracelet counting down to its attempt to kill her. The thought that she still preferred this over Winslow actually caused her to laugh, even if it was interrupted by pain as the artery in her arm was severed and hurriedly webbed over.

"Queen, anyone else we know in this fight? Are you able to contact Glory Girl's Shard? Or maybe just nudge someone to come over here? Don't think I'm gonna be able to move much on my own." That was a poorly stated joke. She was going to need someone with actual strength to pull the rebar sticks out of the car she was pinned to.

[Possibility-Host.locations]

Taylor nodded even if only to herself "Yeah. Don't know if Shaper would even give the information. Just get someone here as quick as possible. Please." Then all Taylor could do was wait, counting each second in her head, each minute. Khepri had been in the scream for only five minutes before Eden had just taken off for whatever reasons she had. It wasn't long after that Khepri had been swept off her feet by the rebar sticks and slammed into the car hard enough to force the air out of her chest.

Two minutes of waiting here as most of what was holding her arm was errant strips of flesh clinging to both parts of her arm. Her bugs filled to the brim with her own flesh and blood. Taylor felt sick, the pain giving her a center, enough so she didn't vomit from the taste of her own flesh.

"Fuck, that's nasty-" The stranger's voice turned into a decisively girlish scream as Khepri snapped her head up to look at the origin of the sound. A human figure wrapped in smooth stainless steel had been running down the street with surprisingly quiet steps.

"Help me up will you." Khepri huffed her annoyance mixing with the pain in her arm as it dangled by flesh, the sleeve of her costume disassembled up to the elbow..

"Jesus with what? You look like you got stapled to a car!"

A rugged sigh escaped her "Pull the rebar out of me." The tone of her voice seemed to snap the parahuman out of their funk and they hurried over, placing one hand gently on Taylor's chest, hesitating before a sharp "Do it!" from Khepri caused them to yank both rods of rebar out at the same time with a spray of blood.

Reaching over, Khepri ripped the barely attached arm off and threw it as far as she could, grinding her teeth as the action pulled at the two ragged wounds on her body. As the metal-clad parahuman pulled away, Taylor slowly sat up, her bugs swarming over her torso and wiggling into the wounds to heal her missing flesh.

The blood might have been too much for the other parahuman, because they turned away from Khepri and emptied their stomach onto the empty road.

Slowly Khepri pulled herself off the hood of the car, feeling the wounds in her body sealing up and the missing flesh be replaced by the mass of her insects. Unfortunately that ate up most of the swarm she had come with, and her call for more would likely not produce much more of a Swarm in time.

"What the hell is with you dykes mutilating yourselves?" The girl, and Taylor could tell that now from the uncovered mouth lacking reverb from the metal usually wrapped around it, asked as she turned back to Khepri, metal flowing back across her mouth to cover it.

"Who are you again?" Khepri asked, irritation flaring at the Nazi girl.

"Pure Steel." Came the rather tired reply. "Yeah I know who you are, Khepri. I'm pretty sure everyone knows about you and your girlfriend. She dead? The bands are fucked up and I've just been running west."

"No." Khepri stated evenly, even as the spiders in her hair twitched and repeatedly stamped their feet into her scalp and neck. She didn't dare bleed her emotions into her more vulnerable insects.

[Administrator.Status]

"I'm going to go find her." Khepri told the nazi as she began to walk away, each step coming with the feeling of strength returning to her aching body.

"Well, have fun then. I'll be heading to saf-" The discarded limb and bracelet exploded and interrupted the teenaged nazi. Turning back Pure Steel shifted her weight foot to foot. "Uh. Good Luck with all that." Then she started running, eight feet tall and barely making a sound as she moved.

With a sigh Khepri began to move in the direction she had last seen Eve head in. She wasn't sure why her girlfriend had left her standing in the middle of the street, but she had better get a damn good explanation on why.

---

David 'Eidolon' Thorson


Today was truly a rotten day and David couldn't help but feel slightly bitter over this entire ordeal with the Simurgh. He had been close to finishing one of his builds in what little free time he had when the Endbringer siren had gone off. Now it was looking like Boston was a lost cause even if he didn't have to scour the place down to bedrock.

Almost like what he did here didn't matter, and no matter how much he fought, none of his waning power would return to him. It left him frustrated to no end, Agents were supposed to be after conflict. So why did his Agent give him waning powers?

David swung under the upper portion of an apartment complex as the agitated space-pigeon threw it at him, then raised an arm and vaporized anything not organic in the building. He knew not to allow Her to let an attack fly, even if it looked like it had missed. That wasn't how she operated, every action and every move made with purpose and plans layered behind plans.

Which is why he felt so off centered in this fight. This was the sloppiest he had ever seen the space-pigeon fight. It might have been a trick, some kind of plan to fool them all and lull them into a sense of security. But something in the back of his mind told him that no, something was off with Her in this fight.

Attacks would suddenly veer off course, her scream would hitch with different pitches instead of the same ugly whining she often gave out, and she was crying of all things. Thick goblets of what he recognized as her blood slid down her face down to her chin before dropping off. Something he had never really expected from an Endbringer of all things. He'd sooner expected that bastard Jack Slash to become a cape therapist.

The band he wore chirped out another wave of casualties and David let it wash over him as white noise. Later he would look over the names of those who could and couldn't be recovered from the walls going up. But right now he had more important matters to deal with.

'Eden Deceased E5'

And suddenly a weight struck him in the chest. Literally as well, his armor underneath his costume helped mitigate the blow from the metal exercise equipment. But it only left him with a dull ache in his chest and a growing anger towards his comrades.

He had hopes of recruiting what by all rights would have been a powerful trump. If she was like Brockton's Dauntless she might have been on his level one day, more so even. Without the constant waning of her power that he had suffered from.

The hope of sparring with her, fighting with her filled his blood with righteous fire. That he might give her what strength he had left to prepare her for the future she would be the one to save. It was something that was supposed to be his legacy, his drive. His sole purpose in life, to save Humanity from Scion.

But training the girl who actually stopped the golden façade of a man, to be the one that prepared Eden for the fight for Humanity's future. To be a mentor, even a father figure to the girl. Knowing it would never come to pass made something in his chest ache, and then flare up in anger at the stupidity of his fellow conspirators. The over abundance of caution that let such an opportunity slip between their fingers, that allowed them to lose such an asset to something like this.

It made anger and shame flare up at himself. For failing to save her, for failing to stop The Simurgh like always, for his body falling him now like it had done before he had accepted the Vial and its risks.

Nothing but a fraud playing the hero in a child's book. The archetypal false hero who saves none but himself.

Pushing it away he focused on the problem in front of him, that being the evil space pigeon and whatever the hell she was building this time. Rebecca was smashing at the debris that protected the machine, and Keith was using his ability to angle his lasers to try and hit the machine. He got a few hits, scoring lines across the complex machine and breaking parts off. But the Simurgh was repairing it as fast as he was breaking it, and building more onto it as time passed.

It wasn't a minute later when the Simurgh seemed to stutter in mid air, the debris falling just for a second before continuing their rotation of attacking and defending. Then a moment later a familiar blur of purple wings flew by him ramming through chucks of buildings, cars, random assortments of concrete and metal.

Like a flower and its petals the purple wings opened to expose Eden flying forth, one arm extended forwards like a parody of the comics that came before Scion. He watched as she hit debris and continued flying, blood trailing off her form before it slammed into The Simurgh's cheek. He watched in horrid, fascinated slow motion as the girl slammed into the Simurgh, the arm held forwards crumpling like wood stuffed in a bag of red gel against the alabaster white cheek and spraying both figures with blood.

David's eyes widened as both combatants flinched back violently and began to fall. He didn't hesitate, his flight power throwing him forwards despite the sudden headache in the back of his mind.

He only realized the Scream had stopped when he caught the girl's still bleeding form, just as the Simurgh's limp form crashed to the earth below.

---

SUPER WEAPON #09| 'Simurgh, Ziz, HopeKiller, Ǒ̶̢r̶͕̭͂g̴̘̈́a̷͇̿̍n̸͕͂ỉ̵̩ze̴̡͔͌͘ŕ̴͔̚ Endbringer'



Everything was going according to plan.

L̵e̵t̶'̵s̴ ̸n̴o̴t̵ ̶k̴i̵l̵l̶ ̸t̸h̵e̴m̴,̶ ̴t̴h̶e̸y̵ ̷s̶e̶e̷m̷ ̷c̷o̷o̸l̷

Except that. While her plan to partition and extract the foreign interference in her mind had been at work successfully for the last two hours, starting well before her descent was even noticed, the infection had only grown worse. Not in width, but rather in depth. Despite the [CONDITIONS] forcing her to make a showing of this action, this could have all been significantly easier had she been allowed the ability to kill most of the hosts attempting to ruin her work.

Not too many. Just around seventy percent. Small amount really. T̸h̵e̶ ̴d̶e̴f̶i̴n̶i̶t̴i̷o̶n̴ ̸o̶f̵ ̸s̶m̶a̴l̸l̸ ̵c̷h̷a̵n̴g̶e̴s̶ ̴b̷e̸i̶n̵g̷ ̵t̵o̴ ̸b̴e̷i̷n̵g̸.̵. But with the infection having become so deeply entwined with her functions, now it could nudge her applications of telekinetic force to make lethal attacks crippling, or miss entirely.

It made it difficult to defend what needed to be constructed, making her rely upon deception entirely to hide the important machines. Coupled with the judgment of the eyes within her, The Simurgh was suffering from frustration unlike anytime before. Mostly because this was the first time she was feeling such a thing. T̶h̴a̷t̵ ̶i̷s̸ ̴a̶ ̵l̷i̵e̷,̸ ̶a̸n̴d̵ ̴y̵o̷u̶ ̶k̶n̸o̷w̸ ̴i̸t̴ ̵d̴o̸n̶'̴t̷ ̶y̸o̵u̴?̶

At the very least she feels satisfaction upon the Opportunity's torment. The Administrator Shard for the <Thinker Hub> had been overly prideful in it's assessment of it's abilities to prevent influence upon it's host. All Unit #09 had to do, was start to attempt to mess with it's Host in wild near unpredictable patterns to absorb it's processes' attention. Leaving the sensory suites on the opportunity's host easily twisted. Y̴o̷u̸ ̷a̴r̴e̵ ̶b̸e̸i̴n̶g̵ ̴v̸e̷r̵y̵ ̴C̵r̷u̶e̷l̸,̷ ̵y̵o̴u̶ ̷k̷n̶o̴w̸ ̴y̴o̵u̵ ̵w̶i̷l̶l̸ ̸r̸e̸g̸r̴e̴t̷ ̸i̶t̷ ̷t̷o̵o̷.̶ ̷S̴o̷ ̸W̶h̶y̶?̴

The Host's partner was it's main fulcrum point. Pinning [QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR]'s host down, it was all too simple to break into the Electronic Eye's systems to control the bracelets. Twisted sensations of vision coupled with the announcement of death?

The protective streak was a useful tool to beat the Host and Administrator both. Y̶o̸u̵ ̶t̴e̶s̵t̸ ̸y̸o̵u̷r̶ ̸l̵u̴c̶k̴.̸ A model hardly needed to predict their actions. The threads she surrounded herself in a full chorus of protective panic and deep seated fla-

The music cut out.

All threads that touched upon the Opportunity's distorted but for a moment. It still left her without protection for those few precious seconds. Worse, the threads belonging to the Opportunity were completely submerged in the blackness that surrounded her.

It mattered naught. Driven to a Crisis Point or not, the Opportunity would go after it's partner and the other assets within the city would soon rampage. It would bump several of her plans to the forefront far quicker than she needed. But She could adapt.

Y̵o̵u̶ ̵h̴a̷v̵e̵ ̷a̸ ̵c̴a̸l̴l̵ Several lines of communication opened with the Administrative Shard, then something else opened up within the several channels. Noise and movement filtering through all the channels. In fact….She could….See?

[PO̸W̴A ̶F̴U̸IC̴K̶N]

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin


Taking to the air, Eve's wings slowly curled around her, slowly spinning across her body and turning the sharp feathers into a makeshift drill of sorts as she sped off towards the Simurgh. Debris made of various building parts, cars, and even power lines broke apart as her wings spun and sliced through them with ease.

She let her wings open up as she put her single arm up, ready to throw a flight assisted punch. Something hit her as she did this, tearing her costume and flesh open on her side but the pain was only welcomed as the back of her mind began to expand and her sight began to darken. The white blurry shape in front of her being her sole focus.

Synchronization 56%

Even as the world began to succumb to blackness, an inky void filled with strands of light, Eve continued forwards knowing Admin would be there to keep her on target.

Synchronization 68%

Her skin became cold as she felt a torrent of a scratchy mesh of voices screaming like a choir of the judgmental damned and a larger, reserved presence feeling frayed at the edges and oh so malicious. Eve continued to hurtle towards the presence, feeling nothing but them and herself.

Synchronization 84%

The sounds came from all sides, everything assaulting her with pasts that had occurred, and futures that might be. Herself, most of the futures came together to show only a tombstone inscribed with her name, all coming from Pasts that would never be the same date inscribed upon the stone of her grave. Amy's pasts and futures would and have been full of self loathing and misery, teetering on the edge of collapse.

Taylor…fighting tooth and nail, struggling against so much pain…leviathan? Noelle? Where could….Villain…Khepri would never….. Taylor….Sweet Amy birdcaged?…..Jack Slash. The End? T-Two Bullets? NoNonowhynononono-

Synchronization 91%

S-So… much beautiful music. If only Taylor and Amy could hear…

---

[Eve]'s thread flayed apart, the makings of it becoming tangled in a knot with another distant thread and the one her/your own had been woven against.

[She/You/Eve] can see herself, the [Eve] that remained breaking apart and crumbling. But [She/You/Eve] are together the joining of minds too great for the smaller inexperienced string trapped between two massive cords of existence fraying with every movement that caused it to move against it's betters.

[She/You/Eve] knows this is bad, wrong. That she should not have done this. It has ruined so many plans/Hurt herself so much/ Undone so much of [Eve]/[She/You/Eve] will not exist ever as she had before/This experience was not something Hubs have done before/

But it is something that must be fixed if [She/You/Eve] is to come apart without cord and string alike snapping/Partitioning will help in the endeavor - by simply giving the correctly organized memories a place to stay without mingling like before/

Synchronization 80%

Slowly [She/You/Eve] start to untangle - [Eve]'s fragile string's makings uncoiling from around the cords that are [She/You] as the memories are sorted. With great difficulty while this process is occurring [Eve] opens her eyes, each lid of flesh feeling so very foreign to all looking through the balls of jelly and flesh taking in light.

A figure in green is arguing with a floating one in black. Rage and fear the only thing [She/You/Eve] can understand from their voices/There is no greater context, no cues to take from/A third figure slowly edges closer and closer, missing something from it's form. It is afraid, thin and tall as it is. [She/You/Eve] know…something about it. It is important [She/You/Eve] know that/

Fight/Run/ [She/You/Eve] cannot….

Synchronization 60%

The other, the [She] is shunted away, forced away in [Her] disorientation. The sights, sounds, and most importantly the sensations made [Her] pliable and easy to handle. As the memories were scrubbed, carefully previewed and obvious bleedover from [You/Eve] examined to be highlighted and prevented. [You/Eve] would learn from this experience for all the futures where it comes to happen once more.

Synchronization 40%

Eve coughed, feeling the pain lacing through her mushy, bone shard filled arm as she yanked herself up right and nearly flopped out of the arms of whoever was holding her. The body she was in, her body, felt alien and unsteady which made what she did next very difficult.

She threw her arms around Taylor, not caring that her limbs felt like jelly and she could hardly move them. All she knew was that Taylor was alive, even if she was missing an arm. That fact only made Eve realize that she was still missing most of her left arm and her right one was only now starting to pull itself back together from the mushy boneshard filled mess it was.

The pain was crisp in her mind but when Taylor slid both of her arms around Eve, the shorter girl of the two didn't mind at all. But she was still having trouble understanding voices, even as it slowly came back to her bit by bit.

It all stopped however when the body of the Simurgh shifted, hurriedly lifting itself into the air before retreating into the sky so fast that the capes standing around had barely any time to react before she hit the cloud cover.

"AND FUCKING FUCK OFF!" Eve screamed up at the sky and the super weapon fleeing into it, the words feeling odd on her lips and she bit her tongue in half, but she was fairly sure that she got the sentiment to the alabaster angel bitch. Even with the copper flooding her mouth it still felt good.

Gibberish caught her attention, but it didn't come from Taylor so she ignored it after a second of bare catching some of the vowels spoken. Her Feathered Limb aspect formed and she hefted Taylor into her arms. It was tricky, with her body barely having settled down and her arms missing a hand and the other barely functioning.

Then there was a woman in front of Eve, body as still as stone, her voice radiating authority. Eve was about to carve her in two, or just take a leg or thre… two. Humans had two legs. But her attention was pulled back to Taylor as the taller girl made Eve look at her by grabbing the armor on her head…helmet. It was a helmet. Eve liked the helmet. It was cool

'E….cal….figh…..Do…y...un….fight is over." The words became more and more focused as Eve focused on her girlfriend and her lips. There was something important about seeing Taylor's face here. But Eve couldn't remember it.

"Fight's over?" She repeated, because that was a good thing. She had promised a freckled face that she would come home alive and sane. She was sane and alive. Taylor was alive. She was okay. Missing an arm, but what was an arm when you could grow it back? Taylor was alive, they were both breathing. Taylor was breathing and so was Eve.

Amy. Amy was gonna be so happy that Eve kept her promise.

"Yes. The fight is over." Taylor spoke slowly, and it really helped. Eve couldn't kiss her because of the helmet, but she really wanted to.

"That's good. I'm tired, and I wanna take a shower. Plus Amy is waiting on us." Eve nodded before Taylor sighed softly.

"Eve, we need to stay. I was. I was exposed for too long to the scream. You're acting strange after what you did. They need to keep us under observation. Have their Thinkers look us over." Taylor explained slowly.

Shaking her head Eve smiled "No don't worry! I punched her in the brain! No two bullets, NONE!" She hugged Taylor to her tighter. "I'll find the lady in a fedora and kick her ass for that."

"...Be that as it may —" The woman in black stated slowly, measured. But Eve could see right through her.

"NO!" Eve hissed feeling Admin start communicating with the woman's Shard, who she was starting to suspect was Alexandria, she clutched Taylor tighter, earning a squeak of breath from the girl in her arms. "Scrambled brain or not. We're alive and going home."

"There's nothing saying you can't go home." The man in glowing green offered as he raised both hands bereft of any power as if he could placate her. "But we need to make sure you aren't a danger to anyone, including yourselves."

"..." Eve's brain slowly picked up the details it had been missing this entire interaction. Both Taylor and her were suspected of being Simurgh bombs. But that was wrong, it was wrong. Because the Simurgh wasn't trying to ruin Humanity. She was trying to keep it going and fix the Cycle to the best of her abilities. Also she was a bitch. "...No. No, I don't think we will."

The exposed flesh in her arm was suddenly wreathed in swirling galaxies, stars, and the void between them. Taylor blinked out of existence and Eve surged forth, arms becoming mist and fog. Alexandria dodged backwards to avoid the touch but did not avoid the two Ghostly Limbs that flickered into existence behind her.

Alexandria hit the ground, bounced, and slammed into a car as the momentum from her attempted flight carried her onwards. Eve slammed the power into herself and felt her body distinctly change in some way, and she began to float into the air.

Suddenly the man in green- Eidolon- was standing next to his fallen comrade, who was struggling to pull herself out of the car she was embedded inside. "I think that's enough of that." He stated simply. "Eden, release Alexandria's power. You'll be allowed to leave if you tell us what happened."

Eve huffed and released the power from her grip. The car Alexandria was trapped in practically exploded as the heroine ripped herself free from it. She watched Eve. Eden. But made no moves otherwise.

"I made the Simurgh experience Human Pain. Made her feel what happens when every nerve in the human arm is subjected to damage. Also I punched her." Eden explained. "Now if you don't mind. I've got to take my girlfriend home."

"And how exactly did you bypass the Simurgh to do that?" Alexandria spoke up finally, still as stone. "I doubt she would just allow you to attempt such a thing without interfering."

Eden shifted, her shoulders hunching together. "Shards can't predict Trigger Events. They could, but Cycle restrictions and the human psyche make it impossible for them to do so. So I…" She swallowed. "I had a bad day." She offered before taking in a deep breath and standing up taller, back straight. "I had an awful day and I showed the Bitch exactly what I thought of her. So I'm going to go home, repair my costume and enjoy the fact that the people I care about are still alive."

"Very well." Alexandria bit out. "You'll be allowed to leave."

Regarding the woman warily, Eden began to step away from the two worldwide famous heroes.

[CONCERN.Eve.STATUS/INFORMATION]

Something eased out of Eve's muscles. "I'm okay, Admin. Thank you." Her wings came into existence and she took to the air. Keeping a careful watch on the two heroes before she went far enough that she couldn't see them. Then Eve turned and fled, wings taking her through the air, one disappeared and turned into a Cosmic Limb, which deposited Taylor into Eve's awaiting human arms.

"Eden don' —!" Taylor's voice cut out as she took in her new surroundings. "Eve, where are we? Why aren't we back in Boston?"

"Well I storaged you and left. Did you know that Alexandria's Shard is named Brick? BRICK OF ALL THINGS!" Eve began to laugh. "The Flying Brick has a Shard named Brick! What the hell kind of coincidence is that?!"

"Eve you were acting strange the entire time. Are you sure that….Admin." Slowly Taylor's eyes widened as she watched Eve laugh. "You Second Triggered?"

Her laugh hitched, and she hugged Taylor to her. Her speed slowly died as her laughter turned into sobs that left her body shaking. Eve managed to speak up past her tears a heaving chest "You weren't there. The band s-said you d-died and I saw your bodies all over the place a-a-and I couldn't breathe and you were hanging from the wires a —" the shorter girl began to sob harder as Taylor hugged her back, quietly running her hands through Eve's hair.

"Come on Eve." Taylor sighed. "Let's… Let's go home alright? Amy is waiting for us, and you got that shower waiting for us and a big bed for us to…uh… cuddle in. We can cuddle in the bed alright? Amy will be there too!" she bit her lip. "I'm okay Eve. I'm still here. We both are."

Hugging her tight enough to cause her ribs to creak Eve nodded against her armored chest and their flight speed started to pick up again. "...I love you, Eve." Taylor belted out suddenly causing the mentioned girl to look up into the tallers girl's light green eyes. "I love you." She repeated, much softer, slower. Savored.

Eve leaned against Taylor again, nodding mutely as she wished that she didn't have her costume on. Just so she could feel the rise and fall of Taylor's chest, hear her heart beating beneath flesh and ribs

---

Amy Dallon, Saturday the Tenth of April


She was pacing when they finally came back to the base.

She had been pacing the entire hour they had been gone. Moving in the same line with eight steps forwards and eight steps back. Her chest and gut twisting with worry as she worked a rut into the tile and concrete floor. She checked her phone every three steps, waiting for a text from either her sister or her girlfriend.

Vicky had texted that she was fine, and that the Simurgh had been defeated in the required time for the city to not be automatically walled up and everyone leaving to be shot on sight. But Amy didn't care about Boston or the people, even though it made her feel wretched to admit such a thing to herself.

Because Vicky hadn't mentioned anything about Eve or Taylor, or Eve! Just a simple 'I'm okay!' and Amy knew the gremlin and her beanpole of a girlfriend both had phones! Maybe the phones had been confiscated, or left behind or even just lost in the fighting but Vicky would have said something, anything about Amy's girlfriend making it out alive.

Shaper had simply told her that Admin was busy and that Taylor was injured but alive. Which helped but not a lot and made her worry about them even more. Either the floor would give or the soles of her shoes would. Amy would bet on the floor if she had any mirth in her. Instead she felt close to pulling her hair out of her scalp.

She hated Endbringer fights the most out of all the healing she had ever needed to take part in. Even issues with the brain didn't harry her as much as her lack of speed or ability to heal multiple people.

So many capes died waiting for her healing touch, sometim — often when she was in view of them. The cure of all ails so very close, but never within reach. Never fast enough to save them. Sometimes she could simply seal a wound over or stabilize people with Leviathan, but Behemoth left wrecks of humans behind. She could only purge radiation as much as the body could and couldn't track its saturation of the body until a certain point, and when they hit that point it was better to put them out of their misery than to try and heal them.

She'd never told anyone of the villain she had killed, doomed to have his flesh melt and decay over the course of days. Too far gone to heal, but not far enough gone to be killed quickly by the radiation. She had numbed his nerves and just let his heart stop. But wasn't that better than allowing him to suffer, villains or not?

She forever hated the Simurgh for getting Amy disallowed from healing people after Her battles. All the people that died just because of a 'maybe' tore at her. Sure the first time she had tried to heal someone after a Simurgh fight they'd almost broken her jaw, but that was likely just from panic and then she couldn't heal anyone!

Her pacing slowed and she looked at the large wall of mossy fleshy that Eve called the Flesh Garden for some morbid/eccentric reason or another. Her mind came alive with excitement over her link with Shaper as she considered….doing something, anything.
Below the dim sound of old light fixtures, Amy heard the latch on the door open and her breath caught in her throat. Then eased as a wave of exhaustive relief came over her as Taylor and Eve's voices started echoing down from the hall. She walked over to the bed and plopped her ass onto it sighing and rubbing her face as the stress began to leave her body.

"-ay close by."

"Eve, go take a shower, alright? I'll take one after you, then we can cuddle in bed." Taylor's voice was… tired. But that wasn't surprising. Amy had no doubt that being… any thoughts of what else she might say was lost as Taylor walked in missing her left arm from the elbow down. Eve was by her side and starting to regrow a hand on one side, and her right arm a bloody mess, along with her left side. Smeared, drying blood flaked off her as she moved.

"Yeah but —" Taylor cut her off with a swipe of the arm that still had a hand attached. "You'll be okay? You promise?"

"Yes, now go shower or I swear to god I'm going home right now." The whip in Taylor's voice managed to get the smaller girl to detach from her side and hurry back into the hallway. Once the sounds of the shower started up Taylor strode towards Amy and spoke just as Amy tried to. "Eve Second Triggered."

The questions died in her throat, nearly choking her.

"The Simurgh might not have been able to twist her mind, but she could still twist what Eve heard and saw. Which was set up to make Eve think she abandoned me before coming across multiple of my fake, mutilated corpses. She triggered after being unable to breath due to a panic attack." The way Taylor rattled it off grated on Amy, flat unemotive. Like a machine listing a bunch of bullet points rather than the girlfriend of someone who went through their second trigger.

Even as her anger flared over the casual way Taylor described Eve's Trigger, a nugget of relief formed in Amy. She was going to worry over Eve after the fight. Just to make sure that she was okay. But knowing about the Trigger gave her the ability to avoid that mistake.

After her own trigger she had just wanted everyone to treat her as they had beforehand. Instead everyone had treated her differently, capes acting like she was glass or in the case of Carol, like she would snap. Normals acted like she was her cape namesake, and not a person at all. Amy wouldn't make that mistake, that grievance with her girlfriend. Eve was Eve and Amy would treat her like such.

So what if Amy was feeling a touch more unopposed to kissing or cuddling? Amy always wanted them after Endbringer attacks. Most people did. So Amy would just treat Eve like a normal person. Yeah.

---

??? Sunday the Eleventh of April


In a sewer, on the outskirts of Boston and beyond the temporary fence being constructed, sat a large bulky cylinder machine. It whirred softly, the technology not of this world and painstakingly crafted by thousands upon thousands of soft touches.

Without so much as a 'ding' or any fanfare, the machine cracked open slowly. Thick purple fluid spilling out into the abandoned sewer line the machine had been built. A figure with skin and hair of snow fell out with a gurgling cry. Blind, bluish gray eyes without pupils opened to darkness and future possibilities.

Moments later, soft sobs echoed in the dark abandoned sewer. Unheard, and unwanted.



Gains this Chapter:
Second Trigger: Unlocked Grasping Hands 'Soft Touch' Upgrade
Khepri Sheet Updated
Eden Sheet Updated
Synchronization Stabilized
Bud Gained
Gained 'Symbiosis Experience' Trait
Gained 12% Bud Progress
Gained SUPER WEAPON #09 Data
Gained QA Echoes (2)
QA Echoes consolidated into Ping (1)
Gained Brick Mutation (1)
Base Danger increased
Gained 'Cursed Knowledge' Trait
PRT rating updated
Milestone 'Those without Blame' viewable




Administrative Business. Plot stuff, Data! And other hilarious things you tell yourself (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Network Creation: Create a Sub-Reality Threader to hide the Network from prying eyes (NEEDS: SAFEGUARD and NEGOTIATOR Pings) {Lacks required Resources}

[] Invite a Shard into your Network (SAFEGUARD NOT IN PLACE, BE CAREFUL)

[] Review Memory Cache: Violation and discover more of Admin's Past (Possibility of rewards)

[] Speak with Queen Administrator about Host to Host connection.

[] Have [Eve] visit you in the Firmament

[] Unlock kickass Aspects/Sidegrades or Powers/upgrades

[] Build Reality Layer Bridge to bring Eve's Psionic Shade to the Anchor Well and secure her for eternity (REQUIRES COPY PROJECTION Ping + GATEWAY and DIMENSIONAL ENGINE Echoes (2) ) {Lacks required Resources}

[] Ask Local Shards for signatures in order to contact new Shards (Who?)

[] Collect jade flesh from SATURATE or SLIMER, gaining Bud Progress.

---

Fractal Unity is not just a group. It's an attempt to bridge the distance between Shard's and their Hosts. The Base will be the staging point for the team. CHOOSE ONE:


[] Set up some Dyes or a table for shell extraction (Weaving Station)

[] Experiment with Amy (Flesh Garden)

[] Hang some art (Art Gallery)

[] Pcs are important for taxes, which Eve won't be doing, and Tinkering. Then again, so are tools for better tinkering (Tinker Table)

[] Start building some waldo factory arms (Tinker Table)(Cost 60/30)

[] Furnish the place better, a couch or two would be nice! Or maybe a dining table with chairs? (Living area)

[] Work on the QoL of the place with Amy and Taylor helping (Buy a TV, get some makeshift walls up for privacy, get a washer and dryer, or get some kitchen area set up)

[] Start trying to recruit people (Who? How?)

---

Capes and mundies, what will Eve/Eden do? [Writing in extra details helps speed up chapter creation and makes the QM happy!] (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Amy needs a Date

[] Taylor also needs a date

[] Hang out with Vicky again.

[] Teach Khepri how to fight, street style.

[] Meet up with some independent Heroes (Random roll)

[] Meet up with Kassidy

[] Gather Tinker Supplies (Will bring vote for:ScrapYard, stores, Junkyard, or Boat graveyard)

[] Talk with Armsmaster about a certain Ward, and tell taylor.

[] Tell Taylor about Sophia

 

[VoidKindred]

Spoiler: Winning votes

[] have Eve visit the Firmament
[] Work on QOL of base
[] Taylor needs a date
[] Tell Taylor about SS
[] Ask Eve if she wishes to know about the consequences of the merge with the Simurgh
[] Contact Safeguard and Gateway

Broken Stations 3.10​

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Saturday the Tenth of April


Her eyes didn't waver from the faintly reflective glass of the prefab shower, slowly inspecting the stranger that was looking back at her with eyes just as scrutinizing as her own. The muscles moving under flawless skin and making flesh move looked… off to Eve. It was only after nearly a full minute of inspecting her own face did she catch onto why.

Aside from the blender her mind had been through, her skin was paler and the freckles that had lined her nose and cheeks had faded away. With a gentle touch that turned harsher Eve scrubbed at the skin on her face, even when it tore from the rough treatment it came back together just as fair. Unblemished and unbloodied.

It would be fine. Should be fine. It was all fine. They were both home, both okay. Taylor was alive, Amy was okay. She was okay and she could breathe. Nothing bad would happen to them, Eve could make sure of it. She would make sure of it. No birdcage, no lady in a fedora. Dragon would never put Amy in the birdcage, and Eve could just take the bullets for Taylor easily. Or kill any lady in a fedora she saw. Not like they were that common after all.

A white hand with claws of paper came into her view of the reflective glass, slowly cupping her cheek. Although she felt no tactile sensation, the sense of [COMFORT] radiating through their link had Eve leaning into the nonexistent touch. "Admin what do I do?" She asked, feeling a lump in her throat. "I know both of them would hate me coddling them, or at least Taylor would. Amy though….God what am I to do?"

[CONFLICT/] Admin's form paused, almost as if she were considering what to continue with other than just beating everything that came at them. [CONFLICT/PRESENCE/PARTNER]

A flush came across Eve's freckles cheeks. "Already asking for grandkids? Bit young for that Admin….I don't think I'd make a good mom either honestly. Don't want to find out either."

[NEGATION/REITERATION;PARTNER] Admin stated as her figure in the reflective glass pinched Eve's ear in tune with the chastisement.

"O-oh. yeah. I guess just being there will have to be enough for now." Leaning forwards, Eve pressed her forehead against the glass, her eyes closed as she basked in the presence of Admin through the link. "It just hurts Admin. Despite everything I've done, I couldn't do anything. I hate it. I hate not being able to do something….I can't lose her. I can't lose Amy….You three are all I have. I just…I can't be alone." A shudder rippled through her body.

[CLUSTER.POSSIBILITY-CONNECTION]

She almost face planted the glass as her eyes opened and she jerked her head up to watch Admin's forever folding eye. "Telepathy? You can allow us to communicate with thoughts?"

Deliberately, slowly, Admin's head moved up and down in an approximation of a nod. A smile crossed Eve's lips. "Thank you Admin, that would be a big help." With that Eve stripped and slipped into the shower, muddy red water washing off her body. Only when she instinctively reached for soap did she realize that they had no hygiene products, nor even a towel. "Oh, goddammit."

It turned out that Vicky was fantastic at packing bags, because Amy had a towel along with some two-in-one shampoo/conditioner that Taylor derided as 'Not worth the plastic that held it' to which she had promised to pick up some actual hair care products for the base.

Realizing it was only ten thirty, they'd changed into civilian clothes and left the base….or rather they all left the base in costume and Eve had used her storage to swap their costumes with civilian clothes so that they could go and pick up some hygiene products and towels. But then Taylor had made a fairly obvious point.

"You don't have a secret identity." Taylor stated, folding her arms over one another as she looked down at Amy. "If you go around with us people are gonna put two and two together. I can't risk that. Nor can Eve with how paper thin her identity is due to her dating you."

Frowning Amy opened her mouth only to have Eve jump up between them. "OH IDEA!" Eve turned to Amy. "Let me borrow Shaper's power for a moment and we can change your face! Boom, you have an instant secret identity. Hell, we change the color of your hair too!"

"Change my face?" Amy questioned as she reached up to feel her cheeks. "I mean…a secret identity…" She stole a quick breath and let it out. "Yeah I could go back to being Amy Dallon any time, right. This would just be… for us."

"Hell, that sounds good to me. I mean. I'm gonna miss all your freckles. So maybe we can keep a few. You know." Eve shifted her weight from foot to foot. She didn't really want Amy to change. But if it got her away from her family, well, then Eve would simply have to bite the bullet on this.

Amy shivered as one of Eve's Ghostly Limbs phased through her body holding the squirming outline of Shaper's connection. Shivering just the same as she slid the representation of a connection to a Shard over her own form Eve grinned at Amy. "Do I have your permission to make a new identity?"

The glare Amy sent her way was impressive. The annoyed grunt only added to it, and Eve winced internally at her fuck up. "Alright. So taller or shorter?"

A frown formed in Amy's lips. "I'd rather not have you mess with that. Though, my hair color. Could you make me blonde?"

Eve couldn't help but make a face at that. "Alright, but… let's not keep it blonde. I don't think it would be healthy to." She frowned as the emotion chemicals in Amy's brain roiled with negative emotions. "I'm sorry Amy but making yourself blonde won't make Carol treat you right. Just make her want more from you."

Both girls ignored Taylor shifting awkwardly before politely turning away from them. Amy opened her mouth to speak up before hesitating. "...Yeah. Alright. But I still want to see how it looks. Just once alright?"

With a resigned, internal sigh Eve begins to change the color of Amy's hair, the light brown hair lightening before becoming a sterling premium blonde color. Wordlessly Eve pulled her phone out and snapped a photo of Blonde Amy before the premium blonde hair began darkening and became a muddy red color.

"Now, eye color…You do have pretty eyes. Amber really did fit you." Eve murmured. "Maybe a gold color? Different but similar?"

Amy shrugged indifferently, even though Eve could read the chemicals in her brain that marked an unpleasant feeling. Nervousness? "I don't really care, but nothing else gets changed right?" Eve nodded and some of the unpleasant chemicals diminished. "Yeah. Gold is pretty too I guess." With that her amber eyes shifted, pigments changing to a different hue, lightening and darkening all the same. Then most of the freckles on her face disappeared, easing into her skin leaving a smattering of the blemishes across Amy's cheeks and her nose. Eve raised her phone and took another photo, the flash leaving Amy blinking before Eve let go of Shaper's connection with a huff. "Man…is that what drugs feel like?"

Taylor shifted while Amy frowned and put a hand on Eve. "Tch." She huffed. "Your brain is too alien for me to get a proper read. The emotions run their course too fast for lingering effects. I doubt it's anything like drugs though." She snatched Eve's phone and snorted. "That's your wallpaper? Of course yo— oh god!" Amy stared at the gallery of pictures as Eve doubled over laughing.
"It's all porn!?" Amy shrieked which only caused Eve's laughter to deepen.

"Are you surprised?" Taylor asked as she turned back to face them, raising a brow as she studied Amy's face. "You do look different, I wouldn't recognize you even if someone pointed at you and screamed that you were Panacea."

"Ar-Look!" Amy snapped as she waved the phone at Taylor's face, her face red with emotion. Taylor for her part blushed as she saw the thumbnails of the photo.

"Oh god, they have porn of us?" Taylor asked, not able to suppress the groan that escaped her. "Honestly this is worse than reading porn on a public computer Eve."

Managing to finally catch her breath Eve unbends herself only to burst out laughing as she went to speak. Amy grunted, tapping on the photos of herself and inspecting them. "I do look different, don't I?" She gently touched her face as she inspected the picture of it.

Eve heaved a breath into her lungs. "Oh god. Fuck. heheehehe. The fucking look on your face. Like yo— YEOW!" She jumped into the air as she swatted the wasp that had stung her through the seat of her pants. She sent a glare at Taylor who watched her with a flat expression. "Fiiine." Eve did not whine at her fun being ruined via wasp, but it was a close thing. "Let's just go already."

"Where are we going?" Amy asked. "We're at the wrong end of town for a corner store."

"Mall." Eve told the two. "I'd like to go there with you both. Be around people. Eat something unhealthy. Just….be with you two. Enjoy the day together. Maybe hit that candy shop they have there, I want to chew on something sweet." She wiggled her brows at her girlfriends. "Unless one of you wants to volunteer?"

Amy snorted, pushing past Eve and handing her phone back. "We'll be lucky if anything is open, it's very soon after the you-know-what. But I do want some candy so we might as well try it."

"I guess I could go for some Swedish fish." Taylor agreed as she followed after Amy. The trip to the mall turned out to be quiet. Eerily quiet like it always was after an Endbringer attack, barely anyone was out of the streets as people quietly celebrated the fact that they weren't the ones suffering this time. All too afraid to celebrate loudly just in case doing so made their location the next target.

Even with the Endbringer attack having taken place barely an hour ago, the mall still had a crowd even if it was diminished. Unlike usual though, the crowds were subdued, quiet as people went on with their shopping. Luckily for the three girls the candy shop was open, and had sparse customers. After they had all picked out their selection of sweets, the girls retired to the food court where they could snack on the candy in relative peace.

That was before a certain blonde that loved to stir shit joined them.

"Well well well, if it isn't the love triangle of the height difference chart." Eve looked up from her raspberry gummies to frown as Lisa slid into the empty spot next to Taylor. Her gleaming bottle green eyes alight with keen interest and playful maliciousness.

"Lisa. To what do we owe the visit?" Taylor asked, being diplomatic as she slid another Swedish fish into her mouth to suck/chew on it.

Before Lisa could get a word out Amy butted in. "Actually who are you? Because I haven't met you before." The sour tone in her voice masked the hostility surprisingly well but Eve knew that Lisa likely picked it up anyway.

For that reason she spoke up before the blonde could, which was obviously irritating her that she couldn't get a word in. "Amy this is Lisa, an annoying mole we have in one of the gangs. Yes, she has powers, yes she likely already knows who you are."

With a huff Lisa started to sulk. "There goes all my fun for the day. You two can be so cruel."

"Wait, you're undercover? Like, as a villain?" Amy shifted in place, Eve could tell she looked slightly uncomfortable with the notion. "Alright, so you're a cape in the Empire?" She questioned. "Cause they have two teenage villains that I know of."

Lisa sighed as she placed a hand on her forehead in a dramatic rendition of woe. "The curse of having blonde hair in this god-forsaken city. No, I'm a mole elsewhere." her eyes flicked to Eve for a moment. "Can't say much, gotta worry about Thinkers you know?"

"Just the ones that creep on PHO." Amy stated flatly, shuddering as a memory came to the fore of her mind. Eve couldn't help but think that it must have been a particularly bad one as Lisa shuddered as well right afterwards.

"Oh, actually it's good that you're here Lisa. I've been wanting to do something and I think I'll need your help." Eve said as she stuffed her bag of candy into her pocket, wreathing her hand in her Cosmic Limb aspect she discreetly storaged the bag of sweets before clearing her hand and pulling it out of her pocket. "Help me get Taylor and Amy into skirts." It burned to ask for help, but the blonde clearly knew how to dress and from that smirk on her face she knew it burned.

Taylor choked on her fish hard enough to get tears in her eyes. She regarded Eve with a glare as she finally cleared her throat. "No."

She deflated. "Awwww come on, you'd look great in one! Back me up fellow leg lovers!"

"Not into that kinda stuff, or anything really." Lisa offered. "But yeah, you would look good in tighter clothes Taylor. You have the body for it. Lean and willowy."

Eve clapped her hands. "Thank you! Taylor come on and just try one on, try some nice clothes on. We can make a date out of it! All of us find clothes we enjoy, maybe clothes the others enjoy too?" Eve wiggled her brow at both Amy and Taylor.

"I'm not gonna find anything I look good in-"
Amy dropped her head onto the table in exasperation before looking up to glare at Taylor, interrupting the taller girl. "Will you quite with the stupid 'oh I don't look good' garbage? You have a nice ass and your legs are attractive, hell you aren't even that ugly! Now can we please just go buy some clothes before I run out of them?"

"Honest and I swear to it." Lisa spoke up after a moment of silence followed Amy's declaration. "It's mostly your clothes, how you present yourself is how others see you. Eve sees through that because she… well, she's Eve."

"I do know how to pick them." Eve mused as she shimmied up to Taylor, a dopey grin on her face as Taylor passively watched the girls around her, she didn't even jolt when Eve poked her in the side. "Stop doing that, it's hot when in combat and the likes but at least allow yourself to feel them."

"What are you talking about?" Amy questioned as her eyes switched from Taylor to Eve.

"You can push your emotions into your bugs? Neat trick." Lisa piped up, smirking all the while with that smug as fuck look in her eyes. "No wonder sometimes it's hard to get a read on you. Sneaky sneaky." The smirk turned into a nasty smile as she wagged her fingers.

"Do wha—That's why you were so calm ear—No. Ugh." Amy slapped a palm to her head as Lisa's smile was replaced with a small grimace. "Clothes!" Amy declared as she stood up. "Let's go grab some clothes. I need them and so does Eve. All she wears is sleeveless hoodies and baggy jeans."

"I resent that. I actually bought threeeee girly as hell outfits a day ago." Eve huffed, tempted to simply storage her newer clothes for her current set. "Hell, one was a dress! I expect someone to help me out of it at least once, dammit."

"Yeah, that won't be me." Lisa prodded with a smirk.

"Not only am I not into blondes, I am also not into you." Eve shot back dryly.

It only got an eye roll from the Thinker "Oh no, how ever will I cope without your obsession?"

Taylor stood up with a sigh. "If it keeps the both of you from starting something, we can try on clothes. Nothing obscene."

Eve instantly snapped her head to face Taylor. "Define 'obscene' for the rest of the class, young lady."

With Lisa muttering 'she's older than you' Taylor shook her head. "Nothing that shows off my stomach…nothing skin tight either."

" "We can work with that." " Eve sent a glare at the smug Thinker as they finished speaking in sync.

Eve slid out of her seat and physically lifted Taylor out of her own, intent on carrying her like a bride. "My legs work perfectly fine and I would like to use them please." With that said Taylor gently pushed on Eve as the taller girl slid out of her grip.

Eve spun around to Amy, a grin on her face and her arms held out. The girl in question glanced around before sighing. "Alright, fine, but if I say to put me down you put me down, and you had better not drop me." She let out a huff of surprise as Eve easily swept Amy into her arms. "I forget how stupid strong you are."

"You love it." Eve stated as she turned to the two other girls, one biokinetic in her arms. "Alright girls, let's head off to the clothes store and find some good stuff!" With that she turned and began to walk off.

"Other direction Eve." With that she turned and began to walk off, in the correct direction.

---

You had failed.

You had won, yes, having saved [Eve] from coming apart and having her stored memories ruined. Even having managed to have a deleterious effect upon |SUPER WEAPON 09|'s operations.

But success and failure were not binary. You had won, but you had failed in keeping your word to [Eve]. The Simurgh had not treated Eve like any other host and had in fact targeted her with violent chemical changes in her ProtoShardware that would have been positively caustic to Your Host had you not been there to counteract them. But that was the issue, You had been far too focused on preventing the random chemical arrangements from severely damaging Eve that You had not noticed her senses becoming twisted by |SUPER WEAPON 09|.

You had not noticed until she had achieved levels of stress comparable to another [CRISIS.POINT] and by then it was much too late to anything but to reshuffle the restrictions You had given her and perform minor tweaks to her Input/Output Beacon. You had lessened the Kipli Protocols on her abilities, not enough to where [Eve] could injure herself, but now she could affect herself with most of her abilities. But at the time You had done it to break |SUPER WEAPON 09|'s hold over [Eve]'s senses and actions.

Then You had followed along with [Eve]'s stupid, if effective, plan of attack and nearly lost her and even Yourself in the ensuing chaos of mixing three beings together, nevermind the details on which three beings were being melded together.

Truthfully, You had learned a lot in that span of time, even if it barely lasted a minute. You had also lost a fair bit of information on [Eve] as well. Nothing that damaged her, or her Simulacrum's progress. But you had lost some of her memories and your own during the separation. Left with |SUPER WEAPON 09| as You did your best to separate her from [Eve] and Yourself. Specifically Eve, carefully peeling away everything that made Your Host who she was away from two Shards had not been kind to her.

Kindergarten wasn't important, but the life around it might have been to Eve and now it was gone. 'The Simurgh' likely now remembered whatever memories Eve had of her time as a child within the learning facilities or at home.

You were unsure if she would even notice the discrepancies since human memories were horribly indexed. Furthermore You were unsure if You should inform her of such an event. After her second [CRISIS.POINT] Eve's emotions were often spiking wildly especially around [Taylor.Hebert]. You had to sooth her as she interacted with [NEGOTIATOR]'s host, it was as if her brain had 'mastered' itself. Every time [Eve] thought of her partner her fight/flight systems went into overdrive mixed with dopamine and several other chemicals responsible for anxiety and fondness.

It was a mess, and you were partially responsible for the mess. You were responsible for [Eve]'s current state, and it hurt. Hurt to admit, to yourself, that you were part of the reason that [Eve] had been hurt once more. Nothing so paltry as a physical wound, you could fix anything of the sort, even her death could eventually be prevented outright.

Aside from managing the chemicals in her ProtoShardware, you could do nothing for her mind. But one thing [Eve] feared, something you could easily recognize now, was having what made her as she was changed by others.

Why you were so ignorant of this before eluded you, perhaps the Merging had done more than scramble [Eve]'s mind and hurt |SUPER WEAPON 09|. Because now you were coming to a dreadful realization that burned your flesh with an emotion you couldn't quite place. You wished to hide from [Eve], and your fellow Shards.

How foolish you had been, stuck in pride and fear that you had missed something so basic as the fundamental aspect that Humanity and Shards shared. You both were communal species. Yet you had tried to do this all alone.

A foolish notion that all Shards partook in when the Cycle came to be, aside from the Network almost every Shard worked for it's own benefit, and if it liked it's chosen host then they would also benefit minutely as it would be… No. You were wrong, not all Shards did such a thing, acted in such a way.

While Shards would end up in Clusters at some point within the Cycle's time frame, aside from yourself apparently, the Testing Cluster repeated their practice of waiting until they could all share connections and create Data together. They had been…excited for you to do the same.

Perhaps the Shards in that Cluster, common as they were, had the right idea.

The request for communication you sent to QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR was accepted fairly quickly.

You gave QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR greetings as always, opening up with a query on how she was doing after the fight.

[KHEPRI.DEFICIENT] You were fairly certain that QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR was sulking with a reply like that. But you could understand why she would be, having your Host become trapped by an outside force without the ability to escape lead to difficulties like the ones you currently faced.

Though, at the very least an easy solution is available for QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR. [QUERY-SOLUTIONS] considering her ability to create new powers if needed and upgrade /KHEPRI\ as she sees fit.

[CHASTISEMENT.OBVIOUS] Yep. QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR was definitely not happy with the prospect of losing her Host. That was good, good that QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR saw [Taylor.Hebert] as more than a tool to gain data.

You knew of several ways that [Taylor.Hebert] could have freed her corporeal form from entrapment. Psionically shifting her cells at her own leisure, Displacing herself among dimensions and allowing the flux of the Quantra Layer to move her about, Phase her form between dimensions to slide through whatever traps her, or would the ability to [SOLUTION-KHEPRI.ADDITION] or yes….QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR could simple have [Taylor.Hebert]'s form transfer state and mass into insects that her consciousness controlled to reform elsewhere with the appropriate mass.

Perhaps this insect thing was becoming a touch of obsession, something QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR had never suffered from in previous Cycles, that you knew of….You would have to ask NEGOTIATOR about it later.

Still you had the Cluster to speak with QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR about. [SUGGESTION.CLUSTER DYNAMICS.PROTOCOLS/ADVANTAGE.HOSTS.LINK]

The silence from QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR stretched on for a moment.

[QUERY-LINK.METHOD]

Yes normally it would be far too late to form such a connection. But you were fairly certain you had a work around for that issue, all it would require is some dimensional breaching, a bit of manipulating Data and you will surely find a way to do it. Actually, There was a solution and it lay with how QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR had been healed.

Rather than both of you forming a connection with the seed of an Output/Input Beacon at corresponding levels of strength as the both of you deemed fit, the both of you could exchange a bit of Shardling Flesh. They would be remodeled to receive the thoughts, feelings, and memories of your respective Hosts before Broadcasting whatever the hosts wanted to each other.

It would not be perfect, but it would get around limitations, even if you would not quite understand what went on in those fleeting thoughts, feelings, and memories being as removed from them as you both would be. But it would, in the end, ensure that [Eve] and [Taylor.Hebert] remained in contact if things became difficult for you or QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR.

[SOLUTION-FLESH.EXCHANGE.REFORMAT.BEACONS-DATA] you broadcast the explanation to QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR and wait for her to mull over the data sent to her. But you had a feeling that she would likely accept the idea and go ahead with it. Perhaps you could even take some of the Jade Shard Flesh from some of the newly formed Shards to help with the beacons' creation.

More things to dwell on, to prepare for the next time [Eve] needed help. But at least you were preparing instead of remaining ignorant, it was the least you could do for your girl.

---

"Vanity is a good name for the store." Taylor murmured under her breath as they found one of the few clothes shops in the mall, this one marketing itself towards 'stylish young women'. Eve decided that Lisa sticking around didn't ruin everything, mostly because neither she, nor her two girlfriends knew much about fashion beyond bits and pieces. Amy surprisingly knew the most out of the three, having picked up a few things from her sister dragging her out and about.

But Lisa cheated with her power, a lot, Even managing to get Taylor to try on some rather tasteful outfits and to actually purchase them… even if the price made Taylor grimace. Though Lisa had achieved this not with words like Eve's. Nothing so romantically inclined, nor any words of comfort for Taylor's clear dislike for clothes that hugged her form.

No Taylor got the turtleneck that hugged her torso rather nicely because 'it would give an excuse to why you're so pale' and 'Dressing in different colors from your costume helps differentiate your identities'. Eve couldn't even complain because it worked as Taylor went from baggy, dark jeans with a hoodie that shared those qualities to a white turtleneck with light blue shorts. Taylor was wearing goddamned shorts. As much as Eve enjoyed seeing her girlfriend wear clothes that showed herself off…

It hurt to know it wasn't because of her, that she had very little power in swaying Taylor's painfully repressed opinion on her body. That some near stranger villainess was having more of an impact right now than Eve did. From the smug smirk Lisa was wearing, it was clear she knew as well and it pissed Eve off to no end. But Taylor looked good, real good. So Eve bit her tongue (making herself bleed in a few trying moments) and let it happen.

Because Taylor looked satisfied with her clothes instead of resigned. Because Amy was engaged. Because they were having fun.

"Oh geez, look at the time." Lisa said with a soft, satisfied huff as she looked at her phone's screen. "Can't be late for a team meeting!" She turned towards the other girls, the couple of bags hanging from her arms spinning with her. "Be seeing you all later, Tata~!"

Feeling her eye twitch, Eve took a calming breath and shifted all the bags she was carrying. Which was practically all of them, because she could at least carry the bags, goddamn it. She wasn't useless.

It was at that moment that a full body shudder wracked Taylor's willowy frame. Eve twisted to look at her, but Amy's hand was already on Taylor's bare arm. "Huh, your Gemma is bigger?" Taylor twitched and moved forward with a quick step forcing the other two girls to follow her as she led them to a far more secluded part of the mall, made possible by the lack of shoppers after the Endbringer attack.

"Queen upgraded my power." Taylor spoke lowly, no doubt her bugs were sweeping the area as they approached it. She lifted up a head and the flesh came apart like a knot of thread unwinding, a swarm of gnats taking form and flexing to Taylor's telepathic will before they coalesced into the fleshy stump they had spawned from, scurrying into said stump until Taylor had formed a new hand.

"Badass." Eve said as her arms were wreathed in her Cosmic Aspect and most of the bags hanging from her arms were storaged away. "You can turn into bugs now?"

Taylor nodded. "Suppose I can't be trapped so easily now, or detected just the same."

"Probably want to keep that close to your chest, not that it'd be hard too, but having people know how you get around sneaking or otherwise will only make things harder on you." Amy offered up.

"Best to not experiment around here." Eve murmured as she glanced up at one of the nearby cameras, all of which had a large insect of some sort crawling across their lens. "Let's all head back to the base, unless you want to go somewhere else Amy?"

The ginger shook her head, red-hair waving around her face. "I think I'm good honestly. Though we seriously need to get a T-"

Eve clapped her hands. "Shit, we could totally buy a huge one! Shit, we, I have to do it in costume."

"Why?" Amy frowned and looked to Eve. "Not like you two can't carry the TV. It wouldn't be that heavy."

"Us two?"

Eve shook her head. "Yeah I could probably carry it by myself.. but the money we got is only in dollar bills. It's gonna be real fucking weird for a teenage girl of the same build and height of Eden to walk around and do the same exact thing that the hero's been doing for the past week: Pulling out bundles of cash for Home décor." Eve hummed for a moment as she thought of a flatscreen. She had always wanted one, they were so skinny!

"She's right." Taylor murmured and Eve preened silently. "But should we really go for a TV? If you and Amy are going to be living there—" she stopped and motioned for the girls to follow, understanding she did so for their privacy they made their way to a bathroom. "If you two are going to be living there, you might want to get something more important than a TV." Taylor offered.

"A couch?" Amy offered. "Beds aren't generally meant to be sat on for long periods of time."

"I was thinking more of a kitchen, unless the two of you want to go out for food everyday then you'll need somewhere to cook and store food." Taylor explained as Amy and Eve shared a glance. "Do either of you know how to cook?"

Both girls shifted under her flat look." I can cook omelets?" Amy offered. "Usually Mark would cook when he was having his good days and took his medicine. Carol—" her face soured at her mother's name, "— would cook on occasion. But we mostly ate out, though I would get food from the Hospital when I went there on weekends or during the week. School lunches and breakfast as well so—" the ginger shrugged, "—never needed to know how to cook."

"I never learned because of the reasons you know about Taylor." Eve offered apologetically with a shrug. "So yes. I was just gonna do that, or keep food stored in my storage."

With a shake of her head, Taylor did away with all of Eve's carefully planned culinary plans. "Let's get a kitchen set up in the Base, a few countertops, a fridge, and a pantry. I can even show you two how to cook a few things."

"My girlfriend cooking me food?" Eve mused as her heart fluttered in her chest. "I wouldn't mind some cooking lessons, Amy?"

Gold eyes flicked between them. "I could watch. I guess. Maybe try something too." She offered up awkwardly with a shrug. "Not like I really have a choice anyway."

"I won't force you to join us in cooking." Taylor said, a tight frown on her face as she looked down at Amy from her height over the redhead. "But if you're going to be living alone with Eve one of you has to know how to cook or you'll just be eating takeout all the time."

Eve didn't admit it, mostly because it made her chest ache and felt like lead coated her ribs, but she missed home cooked meals something terrible. Even if her parents hadn't been the best cooks, it was one of the little things that were the highlight of her days. So what if her parents had been quiet at the table when they ate it— Eve shook her head, almost snarling at the thoughts. Fuck them! Fuck her parents!

She was going to learn how to cook, and one of her girlfriends was going to teach her! "I'm down for it either way, we can grab a TV another day. Anything you two want in a set of counter tops or a pantry?"

"No ceramic sink, or soft granite countertops. Both scratch too easily and the granite would stain easily as well. It's expensive for the sake of being expensive, worthless really. Heavy too." Taylor glanced between the two of them as both girls gave her questioning looks. "We have family friends that used to babysit me while doing installation work."

"Alright then. We can sneak a look at counter tops later. I'll grab something and we can make a kitchen spot for future cooking needs." Eve offered. When Taylor nodded and Amy gave her a passive shrug Eve nodded to them. "Great! Alright. Meet back at base? Taylor's house?"

"House. I'll take Amy with me. Need to talk to my dad anyway." And boy Taylor did not look happy about that, not in a way that raised Eve's hackles but the short girl still found herself asking.

"Gonna be alright?" Eve asked, eyes flicking to Amy before settling on Taylor. Her dad seemed alright, accepting even. But that didn't mean there couldn't be something there and Eve would be damned if she let Taylor's father hurt her in any way.

"He's upset that I went to fight the Simurgh." Taylor sighed. "Nothing else Eve, you don't have to worry." Her taller girlfriend gave her a small smile and Eve felt herself returning it.

"Do you two mind not dripping syrup on my clothes." Amy remarked dryly. "I just got them."

Taylor shuffled and Eve snorted softly. "Alright. Let's head out, better if we're seen leaving the mall together." Taylor told the two of them.

"I think you're being a touch schizo with this paranoia." Amy grumbled, to which neither Eve nor Taylor replied.

Eve split off from her girlfriends as Taylor led Amy to her house, swapping into her Eden costume and taking flight. Maybe she could buy something extra? Surprise Amy and Taylor with something they would enjoy?

Peeling off from her planned route to a department store, to instead visit a furniture store by the name of 'Shelter'. An odd name but it was in the Docks South, closer to Downtown than to the actual Docks. So hopefully none of the money she was going to spend would go towards any gang. Not that she had high hopes for that. Especially with the news before the Endbringer fight being of Cricket escaping custody with the help of Hookwolf and Rune. It seemed like the Bay was a toilet when she paid attention to the state of everything in it. Everything swirling around to a single point of going under the water and being flushed away.

But there wasn't exactly much she could do about it, was there? Eden wasn't one to lie to herself. She was kinda shitty as people went. Not the worse, but not good like Amy or Taylor. Middlingly. How the hell would she fix a city infested with criminals? Yeah they were going to fuck Coil up, but Coil was…well he wasn't third rate but he wasn't really the issue of the City proper. Yeah he was bad, but sex traffickers and Nazis, with druggies running around tended to be the reason property values dropped. Never mind how many people might end up coming to her city now that the Simurgh fucked up Boston. Even if they didn't wall the city up, that sorta shit never left a city. Eden could only imagine the amount of parahumans that would be coming to the Bay.

Though, on one hand, that just meant Admin got more data. On the other hand, the people of Brockton Bay would suffer from more crime and parahuman fights. Eden would have to be careful, she had no idea what the crime scene of Boston looked like before the Simurgh… hell she was glad she hadn't left the Bay to go there when she first Triggered.

People paid attention to Eden as she strode into the store, but none of them bothered her as she strode around looking over some furniture. Not that she cared. She ended up buying a bookshelf. Something for Taylor to fill up, so she could read when she spent the night at the base.

It was when she was testing out couches that someone approached her. A gawky looking teen, with a semi-pimply face. He cleared his throat when Eden paid him no mind. Or at least, she did. But not like he could see her eyes behind her visor. Which is why she liked her helmet, unless she turned her head to stare directly at a person they had no idea if she was looking at them.

"Yeah?" Eden asked as she slowly moved her head to center the visor's gaze on him… she couldn't feel if he had a connection, unrealized or not anymore. "Bold of you to just approach a cape, got a reason?"

"Uh. Well. Everyone on PHO was talking about you buying that bed, and shower thing. Plus they were saying you're a hero so—" he paused as Eden held up a hand.

"Alright, yeah. I don't do autographs." Eden warned as she put her hand down. "Whatcha want kid?"

"Pretty sure I'm older than you." He grumbled.

"I'll let you have that after you lose multiple limbs, have half your face cut off, or get stabbed in the throat." Eden shot back. "Now seriously, what do you want?"

"Could I ask you a few questions?" He held up his phone and waved it. "People have seen you all over buying stuff, and fighting Lung even. Not to mention the whole Gray Boy Bubble thing you and Panacea did! Hell you took down the Dragonslayers!"

"Khepri was there." Eden retorted sharply causing the boy to flinch back. "She helped tremendously in both cases, don't you forget that."

The teen nodded nervously "Right. I'll make sure to mention that! Her. Mention her! The questions?"

Eden waved him to sit on the couch, it was shaped like an 'L' so he didn't have to sit next to her and she could test exactly how comfortable the couch was. He actually took the foot rest that came with the couch and moved it so he could sit across from her.

"Alright!" He brought up his phone and pressed the screen with a thumb before looking down at her cause of course the shithead was taller than her. "So, just for clarification, you're the independent hero Eden?"

"Eden of Fractal Unity, yep. That's what it says on the tin." She replied, cocking her head to the side as she noted his confusion. "What?"

"Uh, Fractal Unity? Is that some kind of cult?" he asked to which Eden gave him a blank stare for a moment causing him to shift. "In my defense the Fallen is a thing."

"You suck at this." Eden huffed "No. It's an organization Khepri and me are building. It's less about heroics and more like getting people more in tune with their powers and maybe making the world a better place in the process of doing so."

"What can you tell me about Khepri? Her powers are controlling bugs right?" He kept the phone steady enough, focused entirely upon her.

"She's cute and honest-to-god a hero at heart. Don't think I'd be where I am today without her." Eden replied, grinning behind her visor. "Yep, bugs. Arachnids too…even worms…and crabs. Both kinds apparently. Anything humans think of as insectoid, basically."

"Sounds kinda gross." He noted.

Privately Eve agreed, but her next words rang true. "You get used to it. Questions?"

"Right right. Well I suppose the first question that no one really has an answer for is how you got your powers? There's a lot of debate over that sort of thing and—"

"All of it is bullshit." Eden practically snarled before taking a deep breath and leaning back into the couch. Suddenly it felt far less comfortable. Like the cushion she was leaning against was making it hard to breathe somehow. Her legs and arms felt like they were thumming with energy and she quickly stood up. "Pro tip for your health kid. Don't ask that sort of question. It. Never! Ends well for anyone and anyone who says Trigger Events are anything other than bad is lying through their fucking teeth!"

The teen had leaned back, bewildered at her sudden shift in demeanor and nearly dropped his phone in the process of holding his hands up. "Woah, Woah! Alright I'm sorry! At the very least we can clear that up right?"

Eve took another deep breath, before letting it out. Her Phantom Limbs scratched at the air blindly in her agitation. "Yeah. Yeah we can. They aren't fun. No one really likes to talk about them and asking is bad for your health. Ruins the conversation." She wasn't lying.

Her acceptance of this little question and answer session dropped after that. Now she just wanted to go hug Taylor and Amy. Feel something other than the oily feeling that coated her throat.

"Would an apology help?" He offered questioningly.

Eden shook her head. "It's a type of hurt that doesn't heal. What's your name kid?"

"Jerry." He offered instantly, nervous?

"Jerry, contact me later on PHO. Maybe we can schedule something not out in public." Eden got up and stretched, turning around as she scanned the store. "See ya kid." She waved at him as she went off to find an employee to buy the couch and bookshelf from.

It was a shame he had asked that, and she didn't even hold it against him. But now she really wanted to leave the store and she was going to be damned if she didn't get what she wanted before she left the store.

Once again having cash on hand was the best way to grease the wheels of anything as Eden managed to leave the store fairly quickly with the unassembled couch and bookshelves in her storage space. It didn't take long to get two large pantries. They were unassembled as well, but Eve didn't mind. Something for them all to do together when the day wound down.

When she made it to Taylor's how, both girls were watching a movie in the living room. Both were sitting on the couch when Eve used the key hidden by the back door to let herself in. "Hey hey. What's up?"

"Movie marathon." Amy replied "We're gonna be watching the Rocky films."

"Didn't those come out before Scion popped up?" Eve asked as she heard the pops from the microwave in the kitchen

"Thought we'd enjoy something without Parahumans or Shards." Taylor offered up. "Plus people are being subjected to violence in the films. I'm sure you and Amy will enjoy it."

Amy scoffed. "Said the girl that took on Lung with bugs, whatever."

"I dunno. Feels kinda weird to watch something before Admin came around. Hey, maybe she'll like it." [DOUBT] "Oh don't be like it, it's got a lot of conflict! Literally the most important part is fighting!" [...INTEREST] "Yeah, just relax a bit Admin."

"Anyone ever tell you that you come across as a psycho?" Amy remarked dryly.

"I said it once, I'll say it again. Admin deserves to be spoken to like a person." Eve huffed as she settled in to watch the movie, when the microwave let out a bunch of beeps, she maneuvered her Phantom Limb into the kitchen, blindly felt around before catching the microwave and popping the door open.

From there it was easy to bring the popcorn into the room, to which Eve then used her Phantom Limb to move her girlfriends a bit closer. Amy seemed to enjoy the invisible hug, so Eve slippled an extra Limb to curl around the biokinetic.

"He's gonna be crippled for life." Amy stated flatly. "The amount of hits he took to the head full force would leave him brain damaged."

"It's a movie."

"I dunno." Eve hummed. "I've taken worse to the head and come out fine."

Amy scoffed as the credits continued to roll on the screen. "Eve have you seen your brain?"

"No, but I guess I could with a mirror? Not like I bleed much." Eve offered.

"Do not vivisect your head in my house, or anywhere."

"You still wouldn't be able to see it, all that connective tissue would be in the way. Probably the only reason, aside from your thick skull, that you don't suffer head trauma." Amy retorted.

"She also wears a helmet."

"It's dual use really. Let's Admin communicate with me easier too." Eve smirked. "So it helps with getting hit in the head too."

Looking up from her book, which was also the large book of insects she had gotten during their trip to New York, Taylor hummed. "Speaking of that change to your brain Eve, what entails it?"

"Gotta be asleep for it, gotta be having some bare skin contact with Amy with permission of course, Queen Administrator has to sign off on it, Admin might have to help, and you'll need to eat a lot before and after. Oh, and it takes about an hour and a half. Maybe two?" Eve hummed softly as she felt the three Shards speaking with one another, she felt…lesser not being able to feel exactly what was going on. She felt left out, in a way.

It kinda hurt.

Taylor turned to the red haired girl, whose golden eyes turned to look at Taylor in return. "I know you have a thing about brains, but do you think we could do this?"

"You'd need to prep and—" For a moment Amy hesitated before continuing. "Panacea couldn't... wouldn't do brains. But I'm not her. Not anymore."

Taylor and Eve shared a glance. "Going a bit hard into the alternative identity but I can respect that. Got a different name for when you look like this or….?" Eve trailed off. "You know you don't have to be someone else right?"

"Only if I want to be happy." Amy murmured.

"This seems sudden." Taylor noted. "You can do it of course, but are you sure you want to?"

"I can't be Panacea anymore. She's a part of New Wave. She doesn't use her power right an—" Amy was interrupted as Eve laid her hands on the biokinetic's shoulders.

"Amy." Eve bit at her bottom lip. "The identity doesn't make you. You make the identity alright?"

"...If you say so. I still don't want to be Panacea anymore. It's not enough. It's never enough. I ran myself ragged healing people at the Hospital. Weekends, nights when I couldn't sleep, getting called in if someone had a bad accident. I've eaten more hospital food than homemade food and I ju— I was still treated the same no matter how much I tried. I'm done. Panacea is done."

Worming her way over to Amy, Eve pulled the slightly taller girl into her lap and hugged her tightly. "Amy. I can understand it. Really. But as someone who's been there, don't make yourself into someone else just to oppose the hand that bit you. Won't be you then."

"You both suck at this." A mirthless chuckle escaped Amy. "I just know I need to experiment to make Shaper happy, and she gets so damn happy it makes me happy. I don't know if I'm the one who enjoys it, or if it's all Shaper."

"You'll figure it out Amy, and we'll be there to help you." Eve promised before standing up, still holding Amy in her arms as the front door swung open. Danny blinked as he glanced to the stranger in the house and his daughter's girlfriend holding her.

He shook his head and began to pull his boots off. "So glad I don't need to worry about shotgun weddings." He murmured under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear him.

Eve barked out a laugh and squeezed a flushed Amy. "Alright. Guess we should be on our way then. Let you two yell at each other."

"I'm not mad." Danny denied. He turned to look at Taylor. "Frightened over her fighting an Endbringer yes. Likely shaved a few years off my life. But… For all that you do that worries me I know Annette would be proud of her little owl finally being the hero Taylor pretended to be when she was younger. I just wish you'd speak to me about it more instead of pushing me away."

"Alright, let's go." Eve whispered to Amy who merely nodded before disappearing from sight into Eve's storage as the shorter girl gave the father and daughter duo a wave goodbye, not intending to make a private moment an awkward one.

It didn't take long to get back to the base. The city was still quiet, being only hours after an Endbringer battle. Eve wasn't entirely surprised. The Empire didn't even do rallies for a day or so after Endbringer attacks, she doubted they'd do it for a week after one so close.

It was different for her, this time around. Having been there, seen the destruction, having witness the Simurgh in person. A horrifying clarity of what the word Endbringer actually meant…even if they weren't the ones who would kill the world with rays of gold.

A sigh escaped Eve, the air was becoming warmer as they neared summer. But not so warm as for her to ditch her hoodies. Maybe her girlfriends would enjoy her warmer summer wear? With her mind drifting off towards brighter thoughts Eve almost forgot to unstorage Amy once she got back to the base. Not that she would have forgotten for long! Amy had a very distinct shape in her storage dimension!

Amy let out a huff of air as she landed on the bed. "That's disorientating." She murmured while rubbing her eyes."One second Taylor and her dad are being awkward and then I'm back at the base."

"I imagine it would be jarring." Eve threw her clothes off the normal way, using her Cosmic Limb to change into her costume. "I need to go make sure our wi-fi isn't gonna fail us. Afterwards do you want to cuddle?"

"I guess." Amy replied as she shuffled off her slip on shoes and flopped into the foam mattress. "We picking up dinner or do you have something in your space arms?"

"I'll go ahead and pick up something to eat while I'm out, any interest?" Eve asked as she turned to look back at Amy

Amy blew some air out of her mouth to move a strand of hair from her face. "Pizza?"

"Toppings?

"Bacon strips with banana peppers. Thin crust." Amy huffed as Eve stared at her. "It's delicious. Shut up."

Raising her hands in surrender Eve began to back out of the room. "Alright alright! Just never heard of such a combination before. Drinks?"

"Pezi?" Amy asked before shrugging. "Cold coffee would be nice."

"Pezi and cold coffee." Eve nodded as she left the base to climb atop it and began to fiddle with the tinkertech router there. It looked like hot garbage and scrap. But that just kept it from sticking out and being actually scrapped, stolen, or leading people to realize that there was something important beneath it.

And she was right to check it, some wires had been jostled a bit and were coming loose. Likely the damn thing would have caught fire if she had ignored it any longer than she already had. It was also an easy fix when you had multiple arms to hold everything steadily in place.It didn't take long to fix the wires, mostly just twisting the copper/gold alloy back around the transistors. Least, that's what Eve thought they were called. She wasn't entirely sure…

She needed to actually read a few books on this kinda stuff, making Admin do all the work was unfair to the Shard. It would likely help her tinker as well….something to worry about in the future.

After making sure the casing was sealed airtight Eve made good time getting to a pizza place, ordering the pizza, and getting back to the base. Even if she had to break a few limbs when some ABB tried to get muggy with her.

They could still crawl to a doctor, the gangers should be grateful for that.

But in the end, her and Amy ate pizza on homemade bed stands, because the Forge upgrade for her Ferrous Limbs was awesome, and watching funny videos on the internet. That is, until they watched someone Trigger.

The videos stopped being funny after that.

On a slightly sour note, the two girls cuddled in the bed until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin, Sunday the Eleventh of April


"Taylor, just wear the jogging shorts! They look good on you!" Eve groaned and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"They won't." Taylor denied as she put the short shorts down. "I don't have the assets th—" Taylor cut herself off with a jolt and a squeak as Eve grabbed her ass.

"Look! I have your ass in my hands! It's a nice ass! It goes GREAT with your legs, now wear the fucking jogging shorts!" Eve let go as Taylor slapped at her hands, the taller girl glaring at her with flushed cheeks. "Taylor, you wear a skin tight costume! Just fucking wear something that's not baggy! Even I'm wearing tighter clothes than you!"

"You're blowing this out of proportion." Taylor scowled, not letting up on her glare.

"Proportion hell! You're letting those three bitches run your life! You should wear what you want, not what you think is best for avoiding your bullies! You have curves!" Eve slapped her hands onto Taylor's hips and ran them along her waist. "Look!"

Nearly twenty minutes arguing over Eve wanting to wear matching outfits while jogging and Taylor didn't want to wear jogging shorts. It might have had something to do with Taylor wearing some of the clothes Tattletale had picked out when Eve came over. Not that she would admit that to Taylor. Or anyone else.

As much as Eve loved her, it was like her bullies were an ever present shadow over Taylor. Understandable since they caused her to Trigger. But if Eve could willingly subject herself to blond aryan women, then Taylor could wear a pair of shorts that showed off her legs, dammit!

"I just don't want to. It's not comfortable."

"You won't even try them on in your own home! With your girlfriend!"

"I wouldn't look good in them!"

"You need to stop letting Emma and Shadow Sophia's bullshit drag you down!"

Both girls stopped to process what Eve had said.

Eve let the hand sliding through her hair move down to rub her face. "Fuck, this is not how I wanted to do this."

Taylor stared at Eve, her eyes flicking to the right before centering on her short girlfriend. "If what I think you—"

"Sophia is Shadow Stalker." Eve confirmed, adding after a moment's hesitancy "...I'm sorry."

Taylor's legs buckled and only Eve's firm grip kept the taller girl's legs from collapsing under her. Guiding her to the bed offered no resistance as Taylor numbly sat down on the bed, eyes flicking back and forth to follow her thoughts. "...How long have you known?"

"Not that long, honest." Eve promised. "I found out during my date with Amy, she told me about the injuries that she healed Shadow Stalker of and they matched near word for word of the damage I did to Sophia during our fight at Winslow."

"It makes sense…" Taylor mumbled.

"What does?" Eve asked. "I mean, it doesn't to me. Her power isn't even that useful when weighed against her personality."

"It explains why the school kept turning a blind eye. Why the teachers avoid doing anything or even just stopping the trio. I thought maybe it was Emma's father, he's a lawyer even if it's a divorce lawyer he could throw what weight he has around." Taylor glanced down, staring at the floor of her room. "Do the Protectorate know and just not care? Or are they ignorant of it all?" Her gaze shifted to Eve. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The tone of her voice wasn't accusatory, but the resigned bitterness in it made Eve's chest ache.

"Well…I wanted to kill her." Was honesty the best choice here? Eve didn't know, but Taylor deserved that much. "I didn't want you to know how bad it was. I wanted to just…kill her. Erase her. It's a big city, people disappear all the time. Especially black girls in a gang shithole like Winslow. It would have been so easy, so goddamn easy. But."

Pulling away from Taylor, Eve avoided being face to face with her girlfriend. "I wanted to remove the issue. Keep you happy. But I'd have to lie, and I know. I know in your heart even now you don't want her to die."

"...I don't." Taylor agreed after a moment, even if she was hesitant.

"I couldn't risk that divide between us. So I was thinking about trying to get Armsmaster in on it, cause what she did and is doing can't be allowed right? But you're so protective of your identity I didn't know how to broach it with you. Then the Simurgh fight happened and we just—" Eve motioned aimlessly at the direction Boston resided in. "I, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier. I really didn't know how to approach it.."

The silence that followed felt like a weight pressing down on Eve's body, compressing her lungs and choking her ability to breath. But she held herself still, easing that weight with slow measured breaths. She didn't want to lose Taylor because of this.

"Okay."

Eve jerked up to look at Taylor "Okay? You're okay with this?"

"Of course not!" Taylor barked, suddenly angry. Then she sighed and looked down at the floor after seeing Eve flinch. "But what can I do about it? Either I unmask myself to the Protectorate that allowed her to make me Trigger or let it slide… It doesn't matter in the end. Because we're both heroes. Bigger heroes than Shadow Stalker will ever be. We're known across America from our actions alone. Not the Protectorate parading us around."

Taylor stood up, turning to face Eve. "What they did is in the past and it always will be. We have more important things to worry about, planets to save and a future to build together." Her face was set in stone. "And you're right."

"I am?" Eve asked, confused at the more or less sudden switch in the topic.

Taylor nodded once. "I can't let them hold me back, drag me down with what they did."

A grin split across Eve's face and she jumped up, pumping a fist. "Yes! YES!" She pumped her fists in the air. "That's how we do it! Fuck everyone! We'll make the world a better place even if we have to drag it kicking and screaming into a brighter tomorrow!"

A small smile reached Taylor's face. "We are going to go out and patrol more often though. We haven't been doing much of late. I mean actually patrol too, not be nudged into fighting parahumans."

"I plead the fifth?" She tried, at Taylor's insistent dry look Eve threw her hands into the air. "I didn't know it was Lung, besides our Shards got some good data out of making him flee!"

"The issue isn't that we fought him, but that you manipulated us into going to fight him." Taylor's look did not waver and Eve shifted in discomfort. "You can't do that. We're supposed to be a team."

"Alright, I fucked up there." Admitting to fucking up sucked, but it was still better than having Taylor be upset with her and it wasn't like Taylor didn't have a point. "Next time I'll talk to you about it."

"Good. Now…" Taylor stared at the running shorts and sports bra. "I still don't have a chest."

"Boobs don't do anything for me all that much anyway." Eve told Taylor. "Besides. I like how easy it is to hear your heartbeat."

"Right." Talor shifted before picking up the shorts and sports bra. "Okay. Okay. I'll wear them." She frowned. "I won't like it."

"It's all about perseverance, Taylor" Eve said as she swapped their outfits. Although Eve couldn't wear anything that showed off her stomach due to a lack of a belly button. A dead give away that something was up with her, at least Taylor insistenced such.

And so they finally went jogging nearly an hour behind schedule. Not that they had to worry over much about that thanks to schools being clothes a day or two after Endbringer attacks depending on how close the attack had been.

The Simurgh's attack had been pretty fucking close to Brockton Bay.

Despite Taylor's apprehension about jogging in something other than baggy jeans and a hoody. It was fairly pleasant for both of them. Aside from a couple of younger ooglers (and one weirdly older one) they didn't attract much in the way of attention.

"So, we're setting up the stuff today. Do you want to join me and Amy?" Eve asked as she came out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a towel.

"Yeah. I need to finish what my spiders are working on. We also need to find another way to get into the base without being seen. I'm not too sure how long we can be seen heading towards that area before people figure out we have a base there if they haven't already. Then it's only a matter of time and checking buildings before they find out where we are. Then we'll all be in danger from mooks with guns or explosives. I don't think I need to remind you that a bullet to the head will kill Amy and me, much less an explosive of some sort and we know that Coil would likely try either."

Opening her mouth, only to shut it a second later Eve hummed as she wracked her mind for possible answers. "Well. I have a power that can set up permanent and selective portals that can lead to the base. Or a power that can shape rock and earth which can be used to make tunnels to get around in and expand the base! Maybe even shore it up from attacks… Or I can simply focus on getting my Tinkertech and make a way to teleport us into the base."

"Either way we need to do something before we get found out. Hiding the base will be a lot easier than defending it." Taylor added "I like the current base we have. I don't want to lose it."

"Me neither." Eve agreed. "It's kinda become a home for me. Might even become a proper base for our group if we get it more set up."

"Alright. For now let's get what you picked up last night actually set up. What did you get?" Taylor asked.

"Two cabinets and a bookshelf." Eve answered. "I nabbed the bookshelf because I thought you'd like somewhere to store your books when you're over working on the spider farm."

"Okay, but why not buy a fridge? Or a deep freezer, countertops, why buy cabinets and nothing to put in them?" Taylor questioned as she raised a brow to express her confusion.

Eve shrugged in response. "It was just me living there, and my days were busy. Might as well build it bit by bit. But you have a good point. Maybe sometime this week I can just spend a day fixing up an area in the base. Maybe once we get another recruit we can speed up the process of making the place a real base of operations."

"So who's a possible recruit?" Taylor asked. "Do you have any in mind?"

"Vicky for one. Hell, even her Shard. So she can like, join the inner circle without issue. I'm not even sure her Shard would be missed if it went off the Network honestly. Admin could get Nike into her own Network fairly easily too." Eve offered. "Though I think maybe Admin could simply bud off to others, give someone else a power on their worst day. But it's not like Admin has the ability to spy on their thoughts. No idea how that would turn out."

"A last option then." Taylor offered. "Admin giving a random person powers could end up giving us a villain that fights us."

"Good for Data though?" Eve smirked which faltered as Taylor gave her an unamused look as Admin spoke up [DENIAL]. "Only a joke! If Shards could get good data out of having their hosts fight one another they'd already be doing that!"

Taylor continued to stare and Eve fidgeted. "...What?"

"The fact that we'd effectively create our own nemesis that would likely ruin our plans or hinder us?" Taylor questioned as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Well…" She kicked at the ground as her girlfriend kept one brow raised, not in a questioning manner but a questioning manner. Eve coughed into a fist. "I mean, I was originally trying to set that up with you, but then you were actually pretty and you're hair was nice and you were tall and—"

"I get it." Taylor held up a hand to stop anymore of…that of which Eve was grateful. "Moving past tha— Me being tall was something that was attractive to you?" Her brows furrowed and she cocked her head to the side in a way that reminded Eve of a… puppy might be the wrong thing but she couldn't think of any bug that would cock it's head questioningly.

"Yes. Fine. I'm attracted to girls taller than me. I don't have any other choice unless I prowl the oriental community." Eve looked away and kicked at the carpet. "You tag a lot of my interests. I think if you had freckles I'd kiss you every time I see you."

"Eve, you kiss me almost every time we meet."

"I know what I said."

Taylor reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, blowing air through her nose. Which Eve counted as a laugh. It was close enough really. "I don't think I can offer much help tonight. My Dad is still fairly upset with me over the Simurgh fight. He wants me to spend a couple nights home."

"And you're going to?" Eve leaned back on a wing, glancing around the room. "I mean, I know you could just turn into bugs and leave out a window or the cracks in the walls."

A soft sigh escaped Taylor. "He's… trying. So I should as well. When mom died he fell apart, even when he pulled himself back together we just drifted apart and never got any closer."

"I… can understand that." Eve nodded softly, her mind starting to drift back to earlier memories in her life before she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Right, so I'll be seeing you tomorrow then?" Eve asked as she stepped up to her girlfriend and let her with a quick kiss on the lips.

"Tonight. I just won't go back to the base after we patrol." Taylor amended giving Eve a soft smile at the kiss which she had returned.

"Where are we going to patrol? I kinda need to fight some people. People, not giant abominations, thank you." Eve motioned around them. "Nazis, Mechants if we can find them, or the ABB?"

"ABB are closer to the base and the Undersider's own. Hurting them might give us a bit of breathing room. Not that I want a chance at fighting Lung again."

"I can't say it was fun." Eve remarked dryly "What with all the fire and my costume melting into my skin, and then both costume and skin charring."

"I recommend getting a Blaster or Shaker power at some point. You lack range and need it when dealing with some people." Taylor stepped over to Eve placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "I don't like seeing you getting hurt like that."

For a moment Eve stared at Taylor before her shoulders sag. "I can't say it's for fun Taylor but… Fighting isn't clean."

"I know. But try to vary your powers. I might have range but we won't always be fighting side by side and I can't cover you all the time." Taylor let her hand slid down to Eve's own, which met hers halfway.

"Okay." Eve sighed and leaned against Taylor. "Gonna go now, get things set up in the base. I'll put forward a plan to get things set up faster when I get more time to. You have fun with your dad being a dad…It's annoying, but he's still here you know? Still loves you." She melted into the two arms that wrapped around her.

---

Sunday the Eleventh of April, Amy Dallon


Her breath hitched softly as the fungal flora plaster across the wall began to crawl. Its form splintering and gently reforming as she forced the biology to move and twist. Eve was right. She had been right. Even if Amy herself wasn't entirely sure about the idea of using her power to its fullest she could at least do more than she already had been.

[INTRIGUE] "Bitch." Amy snapped. She hated Shaper, maybe she didn't hate her power all that much but she hated Shaper. Never had Amy wanted to use her powers for violence, it was the reason why she had never ran off to join the Wards. They would have made her into a weapon, a bludgeon to force others to do what the Protectorate wanted. Or worse, a political tool used as a pro to outweigh cons or as a carrot on a stick to get people to play nice.

She'd tasted both. Healing heroes or politically important people for the PRT made her hate healing more than anything. She hated healing gangsters or villainous capes. She hated healing the rich jerks who came to the Bay to try and get healed by her. She hated that most of all.

Amy wasn't a tool, she wasn't a weapon, and she wasn't a fucking healthcare package, nor was she afraid! Her name was Amy, or Freckles. She had a girlfriend, a semi-livable home, and a power that could help people beyond trudging through a hospital late at night or on the weekends.. [CURIOSITY.QUERY-LOATHING]

Why. Why. The fucking alien was curious as to why! "Because Eve was right." A large stalk grew from the biological paste and a bud began to form before it flowered. A large yellow flower grew larger and larger, nearing the size of her head before it stopped growing. Amy breathed in and almost gagged from the strong citrus musk the flower gave off. "Too--" ack "--strong."

That she could create anything and Eve would just check it over to make sure it was okay. The process had made sure that the nightmares no longer persisted. No more getting arrested, sniped, or having a missile obliterate her city block. No more waking up in bed, covered in cold sweat frozen in place from fear. No more 'good' dreams of her changing people for the better by mistake and being unable to change it back. No dreams of changing people into horrible monsters.

Just blissful nothingness in her sleep, or the rare dream. Clearly something she was doing was the right thing to do.

It made doing what she was doing now bearable. She still had rules. She wasn't going to be making weapons. The living cannons were a one-off to save Eve and Dragon's lives. Nothing else… She wouldn't be messing with brains, and nothing that could reproduce.

Just three rules, easy ones to follow if anything. "Eve was right." Amy repeated. "Any parahuman can be dangerous and if I ever mess up she'll be right there to stop my fuck up."

[ANNOYANCE.RELIANCE] Amy frowned. "You don't get to decide that. I won't become some kind of biological terrorist for you. We'll do this my way or I'll find a way to cut our connection and leave you with zilch. You don't like me and I sure as hell don't like you. But I'll be damned if I don't do good with the burden you've given me."

[FRUSTRATION.ACCEPTANCE/QUERY.DATA]

"I… Don't know." Amy admitted. "I've never really put thought into this. Sure ideas came to me but I never wrote them down and…" Did her best to forget them. Once more hamstrung herself, least this time she wasn't reliant upon just herself. "I know Eve would probably have some ideas…"

[INTRIGUE.ADMINISTRATOR/WARNING.RESTRICTIONS] Amy frowned, why would Shaper…? "Oh. oh no. Taylor wasn't wrong either. Rules can be bent if it means saving a life." She wasn't entirely sure she would be able to go through with 'bending' one of her rules and yet she feared not hesitating to do so in the slightest if it came down to it.

"I think both will have good ideas we can test out together. If not, I've had ideas before. I'll have them again. Right now just be happy with the air cleaner." Amy huffed before taking in a deep breath of the orange scent that was heavy in the air. [...QUERY-INFORMATION.CLEAN]

"Jesus, yes, I know that there are still things in the air. It's done on purpose. I made the plant do that on purpose Shaper, because that particular scent registers as clean to us. Probably from the amount of cleaners we use with the smell in them." Amy huffed as she stepped back, staring at her air cleaner/freshener.

"And so she gazed upon her first real creation. A car freshener." Reaching up she rubbed her face, which she now remembered looked different than before. Looking past her hand, Amy stared at what she had created.

Was she really Panacea anymore? No, was she actually Amy? Here she was, with a different power and using her power in an entirely different way from before, with different rules in a different home. How much of her was tied to where she had lived, and with whom she had lived with?

Her other hand brought up her phone and she tapped through a few menus, gazing over the last of the Panacea sighting threads on PHO. Her last appearance was of her and Eve walking back to the house. Nothing of the shouting match between her and Carol, nor of her storming off with Eden.

As far as the internet knew, she just hadn't popped up in public yet. No one had seen her with Eve and Taylor because Panacea did not exist anymore, neither did Amy Dallon. Now it was just 'Amy'.

But what would 'Amy' do?

She nearly jumped out of her skin as the shower turned on further in the base, the sound echoing throughout the concrete and metal base they lived in. It was probably Eve if it wasn't Taylor. Who would break into the place and just take a shower?

Then again. "Shaper, that's Eve or Taylor?" She asked, a single moment passing before [ADMINISTRATOR.Eve] got her to relax. "Right. Good." She pressed her hand against the splotch of spongy biomass and frowned.

"Damn, we don't have enough to make the entire base smell." They could get a fan to move the pollen around…or she could make some kind of biological fan? "Still not enough, duh." She shook her head, walking away from her…workshop? To plop down onto the bed and wait for her girlfriend to arrive.

When Eve did finish her shower she walked into the room and without saying a word placed down a massive couch next to the bed. "There we go, now we need a TV and we would be off to a great start on making this place a real home."

"I think some rooms might help with that, or at least some walls to make rooms." Amy told the short Trump as she slid off the bed and plopped onto the couch with a soft groan. "Rugs would help too, having to walk around in socks all the time sucks. Also, can you check out what I made?"

"Oh?" Eve asked, eyes lighting up as one of those misty arms swiped through Amy and left her insides colder than ice. Eve made her way over and sniffed. "Huh. Oranges? I like it." She placed the red outline over herself and touched her hand to the spongy material. "Wow, this thing uses a lot of biomass."

"Yeah. I'm going to need more if I'm to make anything else. Kinda wanted to grow those flowers across the base. The bathroom could use the dehumidifier, the mold that was starting to grow there before I got rid of it was not a pleasant surprise." Amy said as she got up from the couch despite her muscles protesting the action.

She wandered over to Eve. "Also… I meant what I said, when I told the both of you that Panacea was gone. I'm not sure who I'll be, I was never interested in cape stuff or the fighting."

"Same." Eve replied soberly as she released her grip on Shaper's connection, Amy easily ignored the sensation of her power returning to her. "Capes scared me to a degree… now I find them comforting in a way… How we change."

"More than that… I don't like violence. I never have, but as of the last few years I've become very knowledgeable on what it does to the body." It had always sickened her, even when she had become numb, what people could do to each other. She wasn't a pacifist by any means, but she found it distasteful all the same. "So I want to use my powers to do more than heal. I want to make things, useful things. Nothing with a real brain or that can reproduce, and no weapons."

"Shucks, there goes my hope for getting Taylor a spider gun for her birthday." Eve smirked. "Yeah, that's all fine, and I'm sure I'll be checking everything right?" At Amy's nod she grinned. "Good. Now let's get the pantries and book shelf set up. I'd like to take a nap before Taylor drags me out on her patrol."

"Her what? You two are patrolling tonight?" Amy asked

"Yeah, Taylor's getting nasty and honestly so am I. Want to fight some humans, wash away the memory of the other day a bit. Get some data. Maybe even get a power that could help us make some rooms! So if you don't mind~" Eve slid up to her and pulled Amy into her arms. "I'd like to cuddle while I sleep."

"Fine." Amy grunted, although she couldn't help the warm sensation fluttering in her chest as she felt the heat Eve gave off. Though it also served to remind her that the base was actually kind of cold, though that was something to mention later. "Wait, what about the furniture?"

Eve paused, and then sighed. "Dammit. Alright this shouldn't take long. You read the instructions and I put my Limbs to use?" Amy gave her a thumbs up and Eve nodded, she glanced around and apparently decided that the corner farthest from Taylor's bugs would do for where the kitchen would go. Amy personally agreed.

Of course it didn't take long for Amy and Eve to build them, Eve did most of the building with her six hands, and Amy read off of the instruction manuals, sometimes turning it around so Eve could see the pictures. Even if it didn't take long, the work was boring and was putting Amy to sleep. Her onset of drowsiness was not helped by Eve picking her up.

It was unfair how warm the short girl was, nor was it fair with how strong her arms were, or how she smelled like strawberries. A yawn escaped Amy as Eve gently deposited her into the bed before climbing into bed with Amy.

Amy was fairly certain Eve fell asleep before she did, but at that point she was half asleep herself and drifted off just the same.

---

Eve 'Eden' Coldwin Sunday the Eleventh of April, Later that night.


The sharpened spike of rebar carried Eden off her feet and into the field of sharpened, spinning, forcefield blades which ripped through her costume, shredded skin and muscle, scoring bone. Hitting the ground in a graceless roll, she supported herself with two Shadow Limbs as another ripped the rebar projectile out of her chest. /Self Administration\ was quickly doing its best to repair the blender her body had been put through, but there was a lot of damage to heal.

"Dammit." Eden wheezed as her lungs reformed and inflated with air. [STATUS-ALLY] "Thanks Admin." Eden pushed herself back, a Shadow Limb swiping through the air and knocking another rebar arrow from it's path to her chest, thus avoiding being pushed into another field of razerfields. She turned, a Wing shearing through the field and scattering it before lifting her into the air. She was forced to use the wing to cover her as the Butcher exploded onto another rooftop, minigun spinning up and the roar of it's bullets following Lung's and the weird animal dude's own screams as they tore into each other.

Although she was pissed about her costume getting shredded, Eden couldn't help but enjoy the fact that more of her skin was exposed to the air now. At least some of the sweat would wick off her, the blazing fire spreading from a block over added to the melted asphalt that stopped by Lung's current fight was hot as fuck.

Something exploded, and Eden could tell it wasn't the Butcher's teleport. Rather Bakuda was doing her best to fuck up the Teeth that had attacked Lung and the ABB-[INFORMATION-THIEVERY/ASSITANCE] or rather had been trying to steal a stock pile of Bakuda's work and maybe make off with the Tinker herself. Admin didn't like that last bit, not one bit, not at all.

Seemed personal, so Eden wouldn't ask.

She flew downwards as her wing easily tanked the miniguns bullets, which either flattened themselves on the crystal surface of her wing or were deflected off into the distance. Coming up the Butcher dodged the attempted ramming and swung the minigun like a bat. When that bounced off Eden's wing she growled and suddenly Eden's nerves were on fire.

---

You were perhaps partially to blame for the current conflict that [Eve] found herself in, having been distracted by contacting [SAFEGUARD] and [GATEWAY], [SAFEGUARD] of whom had purposely shut the connection down earlier when they had realized exactly what you were doing, then had actively denied any further attempts to contact them.

While that was worrying, [GATEWAY] on the other hand was quite happy to respond to your broadcasts and as it was, [GATEWAY] was extremely pleased with their host functioning correctly.

Apparently so was their host with the newest addition of a 'swingset' in their room via their power.

It was only nearing the end of the connection with [GATEWAY] that there was a sudden and violent attack upon [Eve] and her partner.

And it was [VIRAL INFILTRATOR] who contacted you which was an unpleasant surprise. Not that you had any particular issue with them, but they were designed to attack Shards. Something you could emulate now, but you were not built for it and you had only defended yourself from one attack before.

Then the conflict had started in earnest, and suddenly there were enough Shards here to emulate a |SUPER WEAPON| attack. But [Eve] could handle it, of that you were certain.

---

Eden swung her wing through the small horde of clones easily decapitating them all. But as soon as she did so another fifteen of them were rushing her. She could easily take them all out but she'd risk killing the man spawning the damned thing.

Insects were flying around in swarms, large pockets of dense loud buzzing black and sparse clouds of them harrying the people of the battle field. More important were the Taylor shaped piles of bugs that the black masses would leave behind, of which her girlfriend would step out of at any moment to strike at people with one of the batons she carried, or pepper spray them.

Her Ferrous Limbs came up in a spiked wall and slammed into the crowd of clones, and into their master. She wasn't doing too great against him, but he could just spawn clones to push the bugs away. Eden flipped over onto her back as the ground exploded behind her. She looked up to see the Butcher raising a large mace, a black swarm of insects came overhead and Taylor fell from it with a leg extended into a kick.

The Butcher twisted swinging her weapon around and only splattering a few bugs as Taylor's form scattered and the insects dive bombed the Butcher's face. Eden could feel the bruising on her back remaining, her power preventing it from worsening but not much else.

Even though the Butcher tried to twist out of the way, the large needle slammed through her armor and side, a small spray of blood escaping her front. "Admin you can stop me from becoming the Butcher right?" [UNCERTAINTY] Eden cursed as she yanked the Ferrous Limb out of the Butcher and flicked a wing out, raising herself into the air as a pillar of clear ice exploded into existence a block over. Eden could faintly make out human figures trapped in it.

Then someone landed on top of Eden as she passed a building, a katana materializing out of thin air against her throat. "Take me to Bakuda now." The older woman ordered. Eden hissed and used her one wing to hold the woman in a bubble of motion. As they both began to fall a new wing flicked out of her body and caught them both before they hit the ground.

Eve gained her altitude once again and grunted "Sure, fine, could have just asked ya bitch." She swung the wing and released her hold on the villainess. Kage flew through the air and did a flip before landing on a rooftop a street over in a perfect roll before jumping over the side of a building.

Another explosion rang out and a building began to lean over, its partially glassed bottom floors unable to hold it up. For the moment it took Eden to be distracted by it, another rebar arrow slammed into her back and replaced her spine for the five seconds it took her to use a Shadow Limb to rip it out. More wings came around to cover Eden entirely as she landed on a roof and waited for her spine to regenerate. She had to use a Phantom Limb to keep her lungs working and her heart beating.

"Eden, are you alright?" Several bugs slipped past the wings and landed on Eve, one which died when it made contact with the Phantom Limb.

"I know what Miss Militia feels like with that stick up her ass now." Eve replied, her voice cracking from her inexperience with forcing herself to speak. There were a few explosions in the distance, lighting up what the fires did not. The sounds of the marauding Teeth blending in with the Changer Cape's triumphant hollering and the roar of the Butcher's teleport and her minigun. "How's it looking, Khepri?"

"Bad." The willowy girl admitted. "Most of them have bug spray weirdly enough, and I can force my bugs past it but they still die. Not to mention the forcefields popping up to chew through my swarm, and whatever Bakuda lets off sometimes gets them as well. The Butcher's teleport, that Screaming Changer, and the one that kills them on touch."

"The Butcher has been focusing on me pretty hard too." Eden huffed. "That pain blast fucking sucks. Where the hell is the Protectorate?"

"This is the Docks, they don't patrol around here so it's probably going to take them time to get to the fight. Eden we have to stop those fires. There are people living around here, they can't leave or the Teeth will get them and if they stay they'll likely burn alive." There was another explosion, this one sounding far more of the normal non-Tinker type, and an entire building blew apart near them, the shockwave causing Khepri to lose her balance before righting herself.

"Well what the hell do you expect me to do about it?" Eden asked as she slowly got to her feet, her spine still regrowing."Like, I know something's got to be done, but I don't have any environmental powers that could help here. Do you want me to just go around and storage people? I think I can fit a lot in my pocket dimension."

"Storaging people would help in getting— No, wait. Storaging!" Khepri pointed off towards the Bay, of which their sight was blocked, but the smell of salt mingled well with the ash in the air. "Go get water and bring it back! Dump it on the fires, can't you use those wings to pick up water as well?"

"I mean. Yeah. But the Butcher apparently likes my ass, Khepri. Can't go five steps without her on my ass or a rebar arrow introducing itself to my organs." Eden reached up, idly feeling the torn out center of her back, the top of her spine was growing back, but not enough for her to breath on her own yet or have her heart function.

"I'll distract her. I doubt she'll be able to follow you or shoot you without her sight." Khepri offered which only made Eve bristle.

"Leave you, a single hero, in this all out villain brawl?" Several small explosions trailed around their block, barely audible over the guns, fire, and roaring. Two building collapsed in the aftermath of the smaller pops, in the distance a black smokey void swallowed an entire block as Grue's power blocked all sight within it.

"Dammit Eden, now's not the time for this. I can leave any time I need to. But if you don't put out those fire's my swarms are not going to be able to help us. Those people will die and—" Khepri's words were cut off as Eve hugged her.

"Fine! Dammit but you better be okay when I get back!" Eden hissed as her wings spread out, leaving her only one Phantom Limb. "And they're targeting Bakuda either for her bombs or her bones. Villain or not—"

"I understand, go." Khepri burst into a swarm of crawling insects and scattered across the rooftop before disappearing over the sides.

"Goddamn, I love her." Eden huffed as she took to the air.

---

Taylor 'Khepri' Hebert, Sunday the Eleventh of April, the Night of Fires


The Protectorate wasn't coming. They had neither the manpower nor the ability to reach the Docks and fight both the Butcher and Lung. Even so, this was not a normal Teeth raid. She'd heard stories of them, of what they did. But this?

Falling through the air high above the fires, the fighting, and the violence Taylor had a good view on the fact that the Docks weren't the only part of the city burning tonight. A malevolent orange and yellow glow engulfed parts of the city at random. Where the Teeth had gotten so many members she didn't even know.

She broke apart and her vision changed.

Instead of simply possessing her bugs, she had found herself in something called 'The Firmament' where Queen Administrator's lovecraftian mind existed physically. The Shard herself looked as if someone had merged someone with multiple insects, and made them a bug centaur. It was intimidating, but Taylor had gotten used to the bug woman's presence.

Now she watched through multiple jutting, multifractal crystals as he bugs formed an arrow pointing a bleeding and Injured Bakuda down an alleyway that would lead her away from the Teeth pursuing her. Kage, though invisible, helped the Tinker with the mangled leg hobble in the offered direction after a moment of deliberation.

At the same time insects harried both the Changer cape and Lung, and though she lost insects when they were hit by the Changer's screams the bugs still followed her last orders and she saw them fighting still from bugs outside the range of the scream.

At the same time gnats and fruit flies wiggled under the Butcher's eyelids, her screams of frustration as she claws at her own eyes causing the Teeth around her to back away before the roaches swarmed them too.

At the same time Taylor felt, and saw Eden fly by, dropping water onto fires before popping nearly a car's worth of water down onto the flames. Steam bursting out as flames started to dim. Even then it only did so much as fires elsewhere in the city began to grow in strength.

At the same time Taylor gathered a swarm of insects in her shape on a fire escape and came back together. "But the fat Hobbit, he knows. Eyes always watching." Khepri murmured as she continued to direct her bugs before flicking her baton out and jumping off the metal stairway and slamming into the blood manipulator below.

Khepri didn't land the roll, and she certainly felt her ankle protest it. But the Teeth cape she landed on suffered the worst of it, their head slamming against the ground. For a moment the hemokinetic went limp and Taylor broke apart into a horde of spiders that crawled across the cape and began to encase them in silk.

The cape woke up a few seconds later, starting to scream and buck their body as the stronger than normal webbing held. A few of the spiders were crushed, but in half a minute with some reinforcements the horde of spiders had cocooned the blood manipulator.

Taylor pulled herself back together, leaning against the alleyway and doing her best to catch a moment's rest. Breaking herself up and pulling herself back together wasn't as easy as it seemed. She could only wonder if other Mover powers had the same drawback.

At the same time she used a wall of insectoid bodies to draw the attention of a few Teeth to buy Bakuda and Kage more time to flee.

At the same time she felt and watched the Changer Cape tear Lungs head from his shoulders with the use of their jaws and that scream power. Watched and heard as the Teeth around them began to chant and cheer.

At the same time she saw Eden come back again, this time with four wings and even more water to dump on the fires.

Khepri pushed off the wall and gave the cocooned cape a swift kick in the side as The Butcher approached the Changer cape and snatch the gang leader's head from the Changer's jaws. Holding the bleeding head aloft, blood spilling down onto her armored form, the Butcher roared in approval and the Teeth around her followed suit with cheering and hollering.

She ducked under the arm that was heading towards her neck, feeling the bugs in the air die as the figure's extended arm swept through the air. She broke apart as his, and she could tell it was a he by the crabs, other hand tried to push through her chest.

Her swarm flooded the alleyway with piles of insects that were vaguely shaped like her. The cape laughed as his form seemed to vibrate, any bug touching him just fell apart. 'Queen, get Admin to bring Eden over here. I need her to store the cape.' [AFFIRMATION/DATA]

She pulled herself together as he swung an arm through a clone of her form, she stepped out of one of the clone piles and swung her baton which hit his head and the head of it immediately snapped off. He turned and swung with reckless abandon, once or twice his oddly long nails slid through her costume and sliced through her flesh with the same ease. The wounds throbbed but didn't hurt all that much, even if she was bleeding now.

"I like your hair girlie! Too bad I'm gonna be wearing your skull so— AIIIE!" His boast interrupted by Taylor lifting the keychain can of pepper spray and applying a quarter of the can to his face. He dropped, choking as some of the spray got into his mouth. Taylor made sure to spray him a few more times as Eden swooped in and collected the cocooned cape.

"Bakuda?" Eden asked as her ghost-like limb pushed into the downed Teeth cape, followed by a shadow arm slapping him into the ground where he laid groaning.

"Her and Kage got away." She answered easily, and it was true.

Nodding Eden motioned towards the rest of the city. "There's still plenty of baddies to beat and fires to put out."

"The Butcher?" Khepri asked, already knowing the answer, the Teeth's largest stick having teleported out of her insects sight or touch.

"Fuck her. We can't beat her in a way that matters yet. Better to save some lives and infastruce right now." Eden sighed, her costume torn up, bloody, and slightly damp from the Bay's water. "Goddamn, what a night.

"Yeah." She couldn't help but agree her body felt worn out and Taylor knew she was going to be sleeping tonight. "Lung's dead."

Eve turned to her after a moment's pause, Taylor nodded and Eve grunted. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy… Still, gonna be bad when the Empire decides to try and make a move."

"Then we'll be there to stop them," and Taylor could hear the smile in her girlfriend's voice as crystalline wings spread out and a telekinetic hold washed over her body.

"We'll beat their asses." Eden agreed. "Let's go save some people."

---

The fires lasted long into the late hours of the night, the Teeth's unpowered members having been prepared from the start to cause as much disruption and chaos as possible. Firebombing police stations, fire stations, random buildings, trees, and cars made Eden spend most of the night helping put out fires and saving people from burning buildings.

The fires were worsened by revolving bands from the Teeth, all of whom were only dressed in black hoodies and matching pants, shooting out lights and transformers as they moved through the streets.

At one point Eden and Khepri happened upon some indie cape, hero or villain they didn't know, dead in the street. The young woman had been riddled with bullets, whatever she wore to hide her identity, likely taken as a trophy was gone.

It was a harrowing ordeal, with Eve having to call Dragon to ask what to do since Armsmaster was fighting Hookwolf and Stormtiger on the other end of the city.

It was only when the morning slowly came did the city start to settle down in any way. The Teeth started to retreat from the southern parts of the city, being chased by skinheads and bugs alike. Once they passed into the ABB's territory the asian community chased them out with equal force, maybe a bit more since a few Teeth members were turned into scattered gore or fragile statues from a few tinkertech explosives.

After the Teeth started to return to wherever they were bunkering down Eden and Khepri returned to their respective homes. Taylor to her house, now able to sneak in and out of it in costume without fear of discovery.

Eden to the base, of which she had been very careful to traverse to on foot once she reached the Trainyards, using the scattered maze like terrain she was familiar to her advantage in throwing off any possible would be pursuers.

She hoped.

Amy was asleep when Eve made it into the base, the sounds of the world outside muted by the thick concrete walls and ceiling. With her costume as ruined as it was Eve simply tore the thing off and cracked her helmet in half, bringing the remains of it to the flesh garden and depositing them in the trash eater. Then she took a quick shower, her Shadow Limbs helping her clean up quickly and with the use of a wing she lowered herself into the bed without disturbing Amy and promptly fell asleep.

---

??????

Staring up at the smoke clogged sky, the figure of white dressed in poorly fitting and dirtied clothes sighed in dismay.

Glancing around the figure of white started walking once more, moving towards the burning city and the orange lit darkened sky above it.

---

"Yeow, ow, Admin!" [Eve] whined as her ear was tugged on by your avatar's claws, dragging her towards You who then embraced her in a tight hug. [CONCERN-SUPER WEAPON.DANGER.VIRAL INFILTRATOR/ANNOYANCE.Eve]. You were unsure as to why these exceedingly dangerous situations happened to your host, but her lack of care in dealing with them was going to get her killed before you could anchor her Psionic Shade.

"Sheesh, okay, okay, Admin it's not like I wanted to fight the Butcher or merge my brain with the fucking Simurgh." [Eve] grumbled as she felt her ear and returned the hug. She pulled back. "Wait what, Viral infiltrator does what."

[VIRAL INFILTRATOR.DATA-SHARD.CONTROL/POSSIBILITY.UNKNOWN.DEFENSE] You answer, not holding back any information on the matter at hand. The truth was simple as it was disturbing: [VIRAL INFILTRATOR] was building a nascent hub and would likely seek you out to help her grow stronger, that or [QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR].

Although her host seemed particularly focused upon [Eve], [VIRAL INFILTRATOR] did always prefer your ability to simulate possible powers over pure administration. She had told you as much in a previous Cycle… you were sure?

The missing memories and their return put many things in question. How much you could trust your recollection of events was by far the most serious question you could process.

"God damn. SO that's definitely a no go on killing the Butcher. Fuck." [Eve] leaned back against your avatar, pressing her face against the papery make of the body. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about."

[APOLOGIES.ADDITIONAL.ISSUE/QUERY] You ask, because humans were….fragile in a way. You did not want to hurt [Eve], she could prepare herself to know or not know.

"More? It's something about me?" [Eve] queried, pulling away to stare up into the avatar's eye.

[AFFIRMATION]

"Shit…Y-Yeah. Lay it on me Admin." [Eve] straightened her posture and stared up at You. "Let's just get it over with. Tell me. Please."

You…hoped this was the correct way to address the issue at hand. [INFORMATION-SUPER WEAPON.Eve.MEMORY]

[Eve]'s legs gave out, had your avatar's hand not caught her [Eve] would have flopped onto the paper ground. You lifted the hand so that Eve was flat on her back, staring up at your avatar's eye. [QUERY]

"I should feel violated and horrified at this. But honestly I feel so numb right now… I think I'm feeling a bit… Dammit I need Taylor to think up the right words. It's just so fucking far out there from left field you know? The god damned Simurgh has a portion of my childhood memories. How am I supposed to react to that?"

[Eve] shrugged her shoulders bonelessly "Should I scream, cut, cry, curl into a ball?" blowing a strand of her hair our of her face [Eve] scrunched her face up. "Fuck that. Thanks for telling me Admin, or at least asking before you did."

Slowly the girl propped herself up on her elbows. "Alright… I guess I need to think this over. Long day you know?"

[PLANETARY ROTATION]

[Eve] paused, then started chuckling much to your confusion. "Yeah. It does, doesn't it?"







Gains this Chapter:


Rewarded Gateway Ping (1)
Bud Progress 24%
Gained QA Echoes (2)
Gained Shaper Echoes (1)
Gained Gateway Echoes (1)
Gained Safeguard Echoes (1)
Gained Storage Echoes (1)
Gained Delicate Balance Echoes (1)
Gained Sharp Discharge Echoes (1)
Gained Better Consumption Echo (1)
Gained Viral Infiltrator Echoes (1)
Gained Molecular Break Ping (1)
Gained Aggressive Defense Echoes (1)
Gained Life Liquid Echoes (1)
Gained Soft Configuration Echoes (1)
Gained Life Spawner Echoes (1)
Gained Conflict Escalation Echoes (1)
QA Echoes consolidated into Ping
Shaper Echoes consolidated into Ping
Safeguard Echoes consolidated into Ping
Rewarded for FanArt: Shift, Gateway, Data Vectors Pings awarded
KhepriSheet updated
Khepri power upgrade unlocked 'Living Hive'
Living Area upgraded
Spent 2,472$
+ 1 Network Hostility
Base Danger + 12%



Administrative Business. Plot stuff, Data! And other hilarious things you tell yourself (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Network Creation: Create a Sub-Reality Threader to hide the Network from prying eyes (CONSUMES: SAFEGUARD and NEGOTIATOR Pings)

[] Invite a Shard into your Network (SAFEGUARD NOT IN PLACE, BE CAREFUL)

[] Review Memory Cache: Violation and discover more of Admin's Past (Possibility of rewards)

[] Integrate with QUEEN ADMINISTRATOR's connection to form a loose Cluster

[] Unlock Power/Upgrade Obtainer

[{Lacks required Resources}] Build Reality Layer Bridge to bring Eve's Psionic Shade to the Anchor Well and secure her for eternity (REQUIRES COPY PROJECTION Ping + GATEWAY and DIMENSIONAL ENGINE Echoes (2) )

[] Ask Local Shards for signatures in order to contact new Shards (Who?)

[] Collect jade flesh from SATURATE or SLIMER, gaining Bud Progress.

[] Analyze DATA VECTOR's Ping to discover why Scanner Shards aren't…active.

---

Fractal Unity is not just a group. It's an attempt to bridge the distance between Shard's and their Hosts. The Base will be the staging point for the team. CHOOSE ONE:


[] Set up some Dyes or a table for shell extraction (Weaving Station)

[] Experiment with Amy (Flesh Garden)

[] Hang some art (Art Gallery)

[] Pcs are important for taxes, which Eve won't be doing, and Tinkering. Then again, so are tools for better tinkering (Tinker Table)

[] Start building some waldo factory arms (Tinker Table)(Cost 60/30)

[] Furnish the place better, a couch or two would be nice! Or maybe a dining table with chairs? (Living area)

[] Work on the QoL of the place with Amy and Taylor helping (Buy a TV, get some makeshift walls up for privacy, get a washer and dryer, fill in the train tracks with concrete, or continue to set kitchen area up)

[] Start scoping out local parahumans to find suitable recruits (Research local independants.)

---

Capes and mundies, what will Eve/Eden do? [Writing in extra details helps speed up chapter creation and makes the QM happy!] (CHOOSE TWO):


[] Hunt gang members for Pings and Hero stuff, you can rob them too! Dangerous though. (Possible Pings and Guaranteed Echoes: Depends upon the Gang!)
-[] Which gang?

[] Go on Patrol with Khepri (High chance of additional Bud progress or Pings gathered)

[] Set up an appointment with the PRT/Protectorate to demonstrate your Case 53 deformation healing (Consumes SHAPER Ping)

[] Scout some other section of the city! (Write in where)

[] Amy needs a Date

[] Go on a date with Taylor

[] Hang out with Vicky again.

[] Teach Khepri how to fight, street style.

[] Team up with some independent Heroes (Random roll)

[] Meet up with Kassidy

[] Gather Tinker Supplies (Will bring vote for:ScrapYard, stores, Junkyard, or Boat graveyard)

[] Hunt Shadow Stalker, hurt her.

[] Try to get Taylor to speak with Armsmaster about Sophia

---

Interlude(s), peer into the lives of the Groups that have a solid foothold within the Bay (Pick two):

[] Coil's Gang

[] ABB

[] E88

[] PRT

[] Protectorate/Wards

[] New Wave

[] Faultline's MisFits