Main Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: "uchiha sasuke/uzumaki naruto" angst kudos>10
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Edit Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Mature
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandoms:
Parahumans Series - Wildbow亜人 - 三浦追儺 & 桜井画門 | Ajin - Miura Tsuina & Sakurai Gamon (Anime & Manga)
Characters:
Taylor Hebert | Skitter | WeaverDanny HebertBrockton Bay WardsLisa Wilbourn | Tattletale
Additional Tags:
Canon-Typical ViolenceCanon-Typical Body Horrorshard-altered psychologytags to be added as we go
Language:
English
Collections:
Timballisto's Curated Works
Stats:
Published:2019-05-24Updated:2020-03-11Words:99,568Chapters:29/?Comments:226Kudos:730Bookmarks:266Hits:29,370
(Restricted) The Shadow Over Brockton Bay
Temeritous
Chapter 17: Wraith 3.1
Chapter Text
"Not this one," I reported to Tattletale, holding the phone against my ear as I walked by the Empire fight ring.
"You checked every face in there that fast?" Her tone was doubtful.
"I have hundreds of eyes, Tattletale - "
"Ssst! I told you, call me Lisa! I'd rather not have my villain name linked to your crusade."
I wrinkled my nose. "Yes, it's so shameful to be cleaning up the Nazi scum in this city. Whatever. Lisa, I have hundreds of eyes, and there aren't many people in there to begin with, so yes I'm sure. The guy you showed me isn't here."
"Alright, next one is north-northeast of you. Hopefully we'll find Stormtiger there. It's supposed to be the active ring tonight, which is why I left it for last. If he's there, he's not hiding out, he's trying to run."
I picked up the pace, beginning to jog. It might have looked strange, a young woman jogging alone at night in jeans and a sweatshirt, but there was no one to see.
I looked out through the Dust mask I had over my face, my glasses abandoned in the Ward locker room two days ago. I felt naked, exposed without them or my mask, but there was no point to either; my face was known, and a girl with a mask caught more attention that one without.
"Call you when I'm close," I said to Lisa, and slipped the phone back into my sweatshirt's pocket. If Stormtiger was running, time was of the essence. I gathered my Dust into invisible armor around me, grew wings, and took off. I had to stay on the road and near street-level to avoid the monitoring system the PRT had set up to track me, but that wasn't a hardship.
I knew almost as soon as the dog-fighting ring entered my range, as my Dust phased through a sound-proofed wall, formed into a sensor, and blasted me with screaming cheering voices. I looked down on a shallow pit, the bottom of it covered in filthy sand, surrounded by two layers of chainlink fence with a narrow walkway between them. Around the outermost layer, a frenzied crowd clung to the links and howled for blood. In the pit two dogs circled each other, lips curled back from snarling yellow teeth.
I tore my attention away from that and sent in more sensors, phasing through the thick walls into every corner. I found Stormtiger in a room they were using as an office, putting a stack of cash into a counting machine as the woman next to him rolled another wad and put a rubber band around it.
"That's all the entry fees," she reported, thumping one roll down next to six others in a row. "You wanna take the bets too, hon?"
"Fuck yeah, not like we'll be hanging around to deal with it," Stormtiger said, shooting her a quick smile. He seemed to be on edge.
I landed and started walking again, my wings mantling over my shoulders like a cloak. I pulled out the phone again.
"Got him," I said when Lisa picked up. "His girlfriend too, looks like." They were kissing now; I resisted the urge to disturb them and make them stop.
"She's got a record but no warrants so I wouldn't bother trying to capture her too. Unless you're expanding your revenge pool?"
"No, just the Empire's capes. I'm going in."
"Don't you have enough Dust to do it from like a block away?"
I stood on the sidewalk outside of the building; it was an old firehouse, closed down and auctioned off. The Empire had refitted it with the soundproof walls, their fighting ring now in the garage that used to house the firetrucks. I looked up at the window behind which one of my targets was loading up his cash into a duffel bag.
My hands clenched into fists, short nails digging into my palms. "Yeah, but I want to do this personally."
I formed Coryn in her new, double-sized body on top of the roof. She crawled down the side, claws crumbling the old brick and sending little bits of it sprinkling to the ground. She gripped the edges of the window, more fragments raining down around me - Stormtiger's head snapped up, alerted by the noise - and tore the whole thing out.
I spread my wings, catching the falling brick dust in them to make them visible, and rose into the gap. Stormtiger had his mask on and his girl behind him was frantically shaking the bolt on the door; I'd broken the bolt with some Dust, so it was stuck locked.
"Lazarus," Stormtiger snarled. His eyes narrowed, turned shrewd. "Look… I didn't know what Kaiser was planning. I didn't sign on for that shit. What do I gotta do so you'll let me go?"
Anger, never far away anymore, soared through me. "The only thing I want, the only thing that you can give me, is your ruin. I want your first thought, every day, to be 'I shouldn't have done it.' I want you to go to sleep knowing that the next day will bring no relief. I want you to live the rest of your life alone, in the dark, in misery, in regret. I want you to long for death. I want your whole worthless life, Stormtiger, Neil Cooper . Death is too short for you and your friends."
Stormtiger's girlfriend finally worked the last pin out of the hinges, yanking it open and letting it clatter onto the floor. Stormtiger didn't look back or try to run with her.
"I ain't gonna make it easy on you," he warned, his fingers forming rigid claw-shapes.
"You'd have to try very hard to make this any easier," I told him, reaching in with Coryn's wing. She wrapped it behind him and swept forward, pushing him out of the hole she'd made. I flew back to avoid him, although one of his air-claws raked down my calf. I winced at the ball of pain that was my severed achilles tendon.
It was a two-storey fall, but he broke it with another blast of air and landed unharmed. I hovered just above the pavement, one foot hanging loose, and directed Coryn to start tearing down the building. The dog fighting had gone on for quite long enough.
Stormtiger threw his air-blasts and edged backward as he did, perhaps looking for an escape. I moved massive amounts of Dust between us, blocking the blasts as I followed him step for step.
"Fuck you!" he spat. "Fucking psychotic little bitch… Stop playing with me! Fucking fight!"
Behind us, one wall of the firehouse came down, rubble spilling out into the street. Shrieking people spilled out, covering their heads and scattering as they realized outside was no less dangerous.
I shook my head. "You're not worth fighting." He was breathing heavily, taking in more Dust with each gasp. I pulled it all together and blocked his lungs; he gagged and choked, staring up at me with hate in his eyes. "None of you are worth so much as the air you breathe."
He passed out, and I wrapped him up in Coryn's talons. Together we took off, flying towards the Bay with a delivery for the PHQ's holding cells.
"Next target?" I demanded when Lisa finally picked up the phone.
"Lazarus, buddy, it's eight in the morning," She went silent for a moment, a brush of air over the mic as she yawned. She continued in a sleepy voice, "Calm your tits."
I scowled. "I am calm, does this sound not-calm to you?"
"Yeah, you're pretty much exhibit A for workaholics. Wait, exhibit B. I forgot about Armsmaster."
"Ha, ha," I said mechanically. "I knew he was my favorite for a reason. Do you have my next target or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got 'em. How do you feel about Krieg, AKA James Fliescher?"
"I feel like he's got a lot to answer for. Where can I find him?"
Lisa paused. She sounded a bit more awake when she asked, "Hey, are you sure? You just took care of Stormtiger last night. Krieg isn't going anywhere today, I promise. His identity is more secure than the rest of the Empire's."
"I just want to get it done with," I told her. I just want this to be over.
"Well, don't worry about losing him. He might even be sticking around to receive a new wave of Nazi capes Gesellschaft sends over. That hypno cape the Empire had was definitely theirs, I'm not sure if they'll cut their losses or try to replace the Empire with a new Nazi team."
If they came, they wouldn't be the same Empire. They were tangentially connected to Kaiser and my father's death… but that had only been possible because of that Master cape Gesellschaft sent.
"If they show up, I'll hunt them down too," I decided.
"That sounds like more work for me."
I should have kept Stormtiger and interrogated him. "...Sorry, Lisa. After Krieg I think I'll be fine to get the rest of them on my own."
"Torture? I'd say I didn't know you had it in you, but I actually did. Still, you want to take that step?"
I looked out over another sunrise, sitting cross-legged on Coryn's back so high in the air that I could hardly breathe. I reached down to stroke Coryn's black feathers. "Actions have consequences. I've chosen theirs and will pursue it until it is complete. Set your goal and commit to it. Do what you can live with."
But I can't die, can I? So really I can live with anything. I didn't fully realize this until after my dad was dead, and my last tether to mortal life was severed.
"Taylor…" Lisa said.
"Please tell me where Krieg is," I interrupted her. Then I'll be gone, and nobody else will die because of me.
"...No."
Flatly, "What?"
"Not like this. Meet me here, near the docks, on the roof," she rattled off an address, "And I'll tell you in person."
A trap?
I glanced down at Coryn. It didn't matter if it was a trap; nothing and no one could hold me. In fact, a trap might just be the thing I needed to kick myself out of this fugue.
"Alright. See you in a bit."
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Edit Bookmark Comments (5)
Kudos
Apathy_Incarnate, PettyBop, Abaivonin, CinderedShadow, ApollosRaven, Hansledane, arturus, Notzyx, Trason, Starkiller666, Ruffus36, Yarkimp, Pear399, Sherpano, Minny123, Detro, Kharosian, Uru_el, peperlizia, KRIKEY26, Whynotmeforonce, Aeviterna, creaky_crow, Kazeshii, Itisn1tmyname, dizzyspe11, pekarekmatthew, DeannaLatte, jaded_blade, onecentwonder, The_Watcher_With_1000_Eyes, Basil_Terry, L_C_F_R, Jesienny, Wolfmadmax, Narshalla, Reddaemon, TankerOfTheEast, Yuri_Dhjeeyn, Taryth, Laicosnu, AbyssVale, PhenomenalDaisy, ProSkrub, bradztag, leftwards, Kwlll19, whod99, Blockhead30, SwagBro420, and 404 more users as well as 276 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Development
otwarchive v1.5.0.1
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW