My Girlfriend Is Terrifying [Worm Au][Taylor x Victoria x Lisa]

[Vhalidictes]

Amy and Rachel shouldn't be as cute as they are.

Click to shrink...

Hopefully they're very cute, because Rachel isn't going to go undiscovered for more than 10 minutes. Wait, make that 5 minutes.

 

[Crazael]

Oh man, Dean's party is gonna be an absolute trainwreck... I can't wait.

 

[McReaperking]

Poor Dean has no idea what's going to hapoen

 

[The_Motarp]

Oh man, Dean's party is gonna be an absolute trainwreck... I can't wait.

Click to shrink...

The question is, is Alec going to be there? Aisha? Maybe they will come with each other. I'm pretty sure we have already had foreshadowing of Brian hanging out with Carlos.

 

[Gowonzu]

A/N: Another month, another chapter. Sorry about the wait.

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Undersiders Base – Late Afternoon

"Has anyone heard from Rachel?" Lisa asked out as she got into the common room. "I've been trying to call her all day and she hasn't been picking up."

Alec looked up from his bowl of food and thought to himself. "Hmm? What now?"

"Rachel," Lisa said back as she took her phone out.

Alec shrugged, looking back to his dinner. "She pissed off in the morning to do whatever the fuck she usually does for the day. Haven't seen her since."

"Dammit," Lisa sighed as she rechecked her phone. "Why isn't she answering my calls?"

"Because you're an annoying know-it-all who smiles too much and she doesn't want to give you the pleasure of telling her what to do," Aisha answered cheerily, also eating dinner next to Alec. Lisa blinked back at her bluntness. "Her words," Aisha smiled before returning to her meal.

"God damn petty bitch," Lisa growled as she typed in Rachel's set of numbers in her phone. "Tell her to do the dishes three times and suddenly she's ignoring me. Heavens forbid it's a fucking emergency or anything."

"What's an emergency?" Brian asked, walking up behind Lisa and hurrying past her.

"Rachel," Lisa explained as she tapped her foot impatiently. "I need to ask her a fucking question and she's decided now to-" The phone went straight to voice mail again as Lisa let out another groan of frustration. "For fucks sake, Rachel."

All three other Undersiders looked among each other in confusion before Brian turned back with concern.

"Lise, what's going on?" Lisa ignored him in favour of typing a new number into her phone. "I just spoke to Rache a few hours ago. She just called me to ask if anything was up. Which was odd, but?-"

"Of course, she'd rather check in with you than call me back," Lisa sighed. She knew that Rachel didn't exactly have any love for her, but this was beyond petty. She looked back to Brian, who was looking at her with an eyebrow raised. "Victoria's sister got a new girlfriend," Lisa explained.

Brian blinked back in confusion. "Um… congratulations?"

"Yeah, sounds lovely," Lisa said with an exaggerated eye roll. "If it wasn't for the fact said girlfriend is named Rachel and works at a dog shelter at the edge of town." She pressed the dial button and held the phone to her ear again.

"Rachel at a dog shelter?" Brian repeated, raising his eyebrow even higher than before. He turned back towards Aisha and Alec to check if he had heard correctly. "So, you think that Rachel, our Rachel. Is dating Panacea?"

Aisha broke into a fit of giggles at the question. Both Brian and Alec couldn't help but smirk at the ridiculous suggestion.

"Oh my god, could you imagine!" Aisha laughed. "Bitch, on a date with the fucking saint of curing cancer!"

Lisa ignored her teammates' cackles in favour of calling for a second opinion. The second the phone picked up, she launched into her inquiry. "Dimitri? Do we have any reports of Panacea visiting Bitch's shelter?"

"Panacea?" Dimitri asked back in surprise. "Bitch hasn't mentioned such a thing to her security detail. But, I'll ask the assigned squad leader." Lisa hung up the phone call and turned back to Brian, who was giving her a pitting smirk.

"Seriously Lise?" He asked with a chuckle. "This is Rachel we're talking about. I know she isn't the most talkative girl in the world. But she's been going to the same meetings Deimos has. I feel like would mention if she was shacking up with her sister by now."

"You said it yourself, Rachel has been acting weird," Lisa pointed back to Brian and then over to Alec. "You both did. Well, this would explain it, right? This would explain everything. Like, like the blood on Rachel's shirt the other day and the whistling and smiling."

Brian, Alec and Aisha gave her a look of confusion. Lisa took a step back, taking in the expressions of the other three. She knew she wasn't crazy. She knew that she was right, and yet the three of them were looking at her like she was mad.

"How many dog shelters are there in Brockton Bay?" Brian countered. "Six? Seven?" There were seven, he and Lisa knew this back when they first looked into Rachel's shelter. "What sounds more logical? That Panacea has been working at Bitch's shelter for however long it took for them to bond, that she ignored every single red flag of Rachel's, including having her shelter invaded by Merchants and has been in a secret relationship with a public supervillain. Or that Panacea volunteered at one of the five other dog shelters in the city and by sheer coincidence met someone else who was also called Rachel?"

Lisa thought about that, her mind going over the scenarios and how probable they were. Her power had been screaming at her all day to investigate this, and yet, the more logical side of her was now wondering if she was actually insane to even consider it. Her powers had made mistakes in the past. If she always took it at its word, then she would've believed that Amy also had some incestuous crush on Vicky, which was obviously not the case.

It all fit though. Even Taylor had been concerned about the possibility of it being Rachel. But Taylor had also said it was unlikely, and Victoria had outright dismissed the idea as a humorous joke. Both girls knew Amy Dallon far better than Lisa did. Maybe she didn't have enough information? Lisa bit her lip in frustration, if she was wrong, she'd look like a complete fool, but if she was right?

"She plans to bring her girlfriend to your friend's party tonight," Lisa said, frowning at Brian's reason. "Introduce her to Vicky. If that turns out to be Bitch-"

"All the more reason why it isn't going to be Bitch," Brian waved her off. "I highly doubt that Panacea is stupid enough to bring a public supervillain girlfriend and introduce her to Glory Girl. And Rachel knows well enough to stay far away from large groups of people, she hates people."

Lisa sighed, seeing the logic in Brian's words. Her power was telling her that she was right, but everyone around her was saying the opposite. "I hope you're right."

"Trust me," Brian chuckled, patting Lisa on the shoulder. "Bitch and Panacea? Not in a million years."

-----------------------------------------

Stansfield Household – The Following Day

Everyone shows up to a Stansfield party.

That was the promise or a curse that haunted his family name. When Dennis suggested throwing a little house party, Dean was picturing just a handful of his closest friends and a couple of plus ones chilling around the pool. A handful of snacks, maybe someone would volunteer for barbeque duty.

But then those plus ones invited their own plus ones.

And then those plus ones started bringing plus ones of their own.

Now Dean was looking at hosting over fifty people at his house, with more coming in by the minute. And that was just the guest list he knew. There were sure to be other visitors who would show up unannounced.

He was too polite to refuse anyone, and the invitee list quickly grew beyond his organisational skills. Dean sighed, it wasn't the first time a house party of his had gone beyond control. It was par for the course by this point.

Still, he knew that the party would end up with him running around putting fires out, rather than celebrating his graduation from school, and secret soon-to-be graduation from the Wards in the coming months.

His phone pinged another request to invite someone. This time from Dennis, asking if it was cool to invite some guy called George. The name sounded familiar, but Dean couldn't for the life of him remember who George was.

Dennis had already invited four other people, all of which had their own plethora of invitees. Missy had pestered her way into getting herself an invite, Carlos was bringing his cousin and two others. Dean himself had invited his ex and her girlfriends as a show of good faith and Amy Dallon had asked to bring a friend and three dogs, which Dean prayed were house-trained.

He shrugged and okayed the request like all the other ones. Another person wasn't going to ruin the party.

Checking his watch, Dean noted that he only had a short while to prepare before people started showing up. He headed down into the kitchen, ignoring his pantry. Knowing already that whatever food he had stored would've been decimated the second the first lot of guests arrived. Instead, he turned to his backyard, breathing in the smell of freshly cooked meats and vegetables. Along with a wide variety of handcrafted snacks.

He knew this was going to happen and yet, Dean had hoped. Hoped that for once in his life, the Stansfield curse would ignore him and let him host a reasonable-sized event with his friends.

Another host might've sent a 'Bring your own food' PSA out or ordered twenty types of pizza. But Dean was a Stansfield and they were nothing if not resourceful. With a sigh, Dean watched as the catering company his family always used got set up in the backyard.

Dropping off enough food to satisfy fifty-plus hungry teenagers, Dean watched as the staff set up all the tables and left before the party began.

Paid in cash and paid enough to ignore the legality of serving alcohol to minors, there were more than enough food and drinks for the Stansfield event. With an extra generous tip, Dean was left alone with his house and the incoming horde of partygoers.

His doorbell went off not soon after, and Dean headed inside. Opening the door and throwing on the most welcoming smile he could muster, Dean welcomed the first batch of chaos into his house.

------------------------------

Stansfield Household – One Hour Later

Lisa let out a low whistle as the three girls approached Dean's house. It was easily the biggest house she had ever been to, the largest on the street and made the Dallon's own McMansion look like a modest suburban house.

The party was in full swing by the time Victoria and her two girlfriends showed up. Already several people were mingling in the driveway and poolside. Music blasted out from the front, with more than enough party-goers dancing away in the open rooms.

"Wow," Taylor said, her mouth hanging slightly open as they approached the front driveway. "That's a lot of people. And the house is... nice."

"That's putting it mildly," Lisa said, taking her first look at the mansion. "Fuck me, that's a house. Think of how much wealth is just packed into this one street," She turned back to Taylor and smiled. "Quick, Tay. Do a quick scope of the neighbourhood and tell me what you-"

Victoria's hand smacked down on Lisa's head, the hovering blonde looking at her with a playful scowl. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" Lisa asked innocently.

"Casing the neighbourhood," Victoria scolded before turning to Taylor. "And yes. Like I said, everyone shows up to a Stansfield party."

"Let's hope not," Lisa said under her breath.

While the Stansfield house looked to have three stories to it, the party was concentrated on the ground floor, split between three main sections. The living room entrance, featured the bulk of the party-goers casually sitting and standing around, drinking and chatting. The adjoining dining room, where a wide variety of finger food was placed on tables and chairs.

And the outdoor pool area, where the rest of the guests were congregated, the music pumping loudly as several teens were happily splashing away.

Dennis met the trio as they entered through the front door, arms wide in greeting. He gave Victoria a warm hug before turning to Lisa and Taylor. "Hey, you made it!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Victoria smiled as she stepped back.

Dennis turned his arms wide towards Taylor and almost came in for another hug before noting her stiff expression and tightening body posture. Smoothly, Dennis turned his hug into a handshake, which Taylor accepted far more comfortably.

"Taylor," He said with an over-exaggerated nod.

"Hello, Dennis," Taylor replied back with a polite smile.

"And Lisa, good to see you again," Dennis said, moving his handshake between the girls. Once greetings were concluded, Dennis motioned towards the general chaos of the party. "Alright, so, food and drinks are out the back, but there's some snacky things on the dining table over there. Help yourselves."

Taylor looked around the party, noting how everyone at the party was either holding a red or a blue cup in their hand, red being the popular choice by far. "What's with the cups?"

"Ah, right," Dennis said, smacking his head. "Sorry, should've said. Party rules. Cups, so, we have a colour system. Blue cups are non-alcoholic, and red cups are alcoholic. Take whatever cup you want. It just saves a lot of headaches of who puts what in where. Toilets are upstairs, don't enter a room if it's closed. Don't jump into the pool while you're still holding food and if you break it, you buy it."

"Where's Dean?" Victoria asked, knowing that she should at least say hi to him before getting into the party.

"Somewhere around," Dennis shrugged, looking back over the crowd. "You know how he is, always worrying about everything. Last I saw, he was out back."

"We'll find him later," Victoria said, turning back to her friends. "First, drinks."

"I'll catch you guys later," Dennis nodded, heading back into the party.

As they made their way through the crowd, a handful of party-goers stopped Victoria to say hello, compliment her on her recent cape work or ask for a selfie. It took far longer than any of them had wanted, but after a few minutes of photos and small talk, Victoria was finally able to reach the first table of the drinks and snacks.

"So, I say we go find Dean, say hello and then hit the pool?" Victoria suggested as she picked up a red cup for herself. She then picked out one more and turned to her girlfriends.

"Sounds good," Lisa said, picking up two blue cups and handing the second one to Taylor.

Taylor looked between the two coloured cups handed to her before hesitantly wrapping her fingers around the blue one. She gave an apologetic look to Victoria who was watching her expectantly.

"It's a party," Victoria said, looking between her two girlfriends. "You're meant to relax and have fun."

"Inebriation doesn't really gel well with my..." Lisa tapped her head while holding up her own blue cup.

"Oh, yeah, I guess," Victoria sighed. She hadn't thought about that. "So, is it just going to be the two of us tonight?"

"I think I'll stick with the non-alcoholic stuff as well," Taylor said with an apologetic smile.

"Really?" Victoria asked. "Both my girlfriends are sober companions." She let out a wistful sigh and held her red cup up. "I was looking forward to seeing what kind of drunk you both were."

"Cheer up, it's not forever," Lisa chuckled, nodding towards the other girl. "Taylor's just afraid of the short and long-term effects of underage drinking. Once she hits twenty-one she'll happily drink with you."

At that, Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You'll rob banks and coordinate gang wars, but you won't touch a single drop of booze until you're old enough?"

"It's different," Taylor replied with an apologetic shrug. "And I have my reasons."

Victoria rolled her eyes and put back her red cup, picking up a blue one instead. "Alright, fine. I'll play sober companion too."

------------------------------------------
By The Pool – Same Time

"Holy crap," Aisha commented, looking around the party. "Your house is fucking massive! You could fit, like, five of our houses in here!"

Brian placed a hand over his sister's mouth and gave Dean an apologetic smile. "What Aisha means to say is, it's a lovely place. Thank you again for inviting us." Aisha continued to speak into Brian's palm, but the words were too muffled to understand.

Dean chuckled and motioned around his house. "Thanks, but I can't really take the credit. It's all my parents."

While Brian and Dean politely laughed, Aisha wiggled herself free by licking the inside of Brian's palm, causing him to recoil his hand in disgust.

"I'm gonna go jump into the pool now," She declared, turning and sprinting for the open water. "Cannonball!" She cried, joining the handful of other teens swimming.

Alec, who had also been standing with them, gave Dean a nod before slinking off to join the girl. Leaving Brian alone with Dean, or as alone as one could be at a crowded party.

When Dean's friends had first suggested hosting a little party, Brian pictured a dozen or so people enjoying themselves. Not a full-blown house party. While he had no problem with the larger crowd, Brian had come here with a plan in mind. A question had been bugging him, one with an obvious answer that Brian refused to accept.

"So?" Brian said, turning back to the host and thinking of an opening question before he could launch into his inquiry. "How's the party coming along?"

"I think it's going alright," Dean smiled, looking around the place. There were more than a handful of people still making their way in. People walked by and waved hello, giving Dean their thanks. He nodded politely back to them before returning to the conversation. "Just hope no one causes any trouble."

"Let me know if anyone gives you any grief," Brian said with a nod, noting the concerned expression on Dean's face. "I've done the odd club security in the past, I'm used to dealing with drunk idiots."

Dean chuckled and waved the offer away. "Oh, thanks. But no thanks. I'm sure no one here is going to start any trouble," He gave Brain an appreciatory smile, which was cut off when another group of people made their rounds to greet the party host.

It took two minutes of idle chit-chat before Dean returned back to Brian, picking up the conversation from before.

"Sorry about that," He said. "Anyway, what kind of host would I be if I made my friend work at a party?"

"If you're sure," Brian said, looking over the staggering amount of people who were practically lining up to say hello. "You have a lot of friends."

"Not as many as you might think," Dean laughed, turning towards the backyard and nodding at the dozens of people. The conversation stopped again as Dean had to play host, but the boy quickly found Brian again, giving another apology. "Most of these are friends of friends. It comes with the territory of being a Stansfield." His laughter trailed off into a sigh.

It was obvious to Brian that Dean didn't enjoy having such a large crowd in his house, but at this point, there was little that could be done. Brian needed to talk to Dean privately, and judging by the amount of people arriving, Brian would never get the chance. And even if he did get the guy alone for a conversation, Brian wasn't sure how to approach the subject of him possibly being Gallant.

One didn't just ask people about their cape identities. If the situation was reversed, Brian would lie through the teeth and deny any involvement with Grue. And yet, the circumstances were different. Brian couldn't have been the only person to suspect Dean's identity after learning that he and Victoria Dallon had once dated. He also hoped that it was all a misunderstanding and he was reading far too much into the situation.

Dean could've been asked if he was Gallant by hundreds of people by this point, and Brian would just be one more citizen making a silly assumption. But there was a small part of Brian, a nagging voice in his mind, that kept whispering at him to check.

"Hey, so I wanted to ask you something?" Brian started with a casual smile, letting Dean know how silly the question was. "You know how you and Victoria d-"

"Dean! My man!" Someone called out, a boy, younger than Brian who wrapped his arm around Dean's shoulder and pulled him away from the conversation. "Thank you for the invite!"

"Oh, no worries... you." Dean chuckled awkwardly. Brian could tell he had no idea who this stranger was, but the teen was more than happy to chat.

"You know I always wondered what this place looked like from the inside," The boy said, completely oblivious to Dean's discomfort. "Oh, it even had that grand piano you told me about. You should play a song for everyone. You can right? You said you used to play all the time."

"I did..." Dean confirmed, politely smiling as he still couldn't recall who the hell this guy was. "But I don't think piano is a good fit for a party like this. I'd rather people not touch it."

"Fair, fair," The boy nodded, turning around and taking in the entire living room. "Your place is amazing. Just incredible."

"Thank you," Dean replied politely, he looked back to Brian with an apologetic smile, but his eyes also asked for help.

Brian gave him a sympathetic look and turned to face the strange youth.

"Hey, I'm Brian, nice to meet you." He held his hand out to shake as Dean mouthed a silent thanks.
"George," The boy, George, said back, shaking Brian's hand.

"George, yes," Dean said, nodding to him. "George, meet Brian. He's a friend from the gym I go to." He looked to Brian again and gave a silent 'Help me' once more.

"So, how do you know Dean?" Brian smiled, playing along.

"Oh, Dean and I go way back," George explained in a way that explained nothing. Dean being the most confused person at the moment.

"Right," Brian nodded, not letting his smile drop. "Anyway, nice to meet you George, we were just in the middle of-"

"Dean!" Another voice perked up from the side, more familiar but still intruding on Brian's plan to get five minutes alone with the guy. Victoria called out, followed closely behind by Taylor and Lisa. "Thank you so much for having us."

"No worries, glad to have you," Dean responded with a slapped-on smile and political chuckle. He turned to Victoria's two girlfriends. "Please, enjoy yourself. The pool's heated and we have plenty of spare towels in the pool house, it doubles as a changing room if needed." A subtle tactic to move the conversation away from him.

"I don't know," Taylor said, eyeing the pool, a clear lack of comfort on her face. "It's a lot of people…"

Lisa wrapped an arm around Taylor's shoulders and gave a playful squeeze. "Come on, no need to get self-conscious now. It's a party, we're supposed to have fun," She looked up from Taylor and smiled at Brian, giving him a friendly wave. "Hey, Brian."

"Sup," Brian nodded back, returning the smile.

"How goes your inquiry into our illustrious host's alter ego?" Lisa whispered as she walked past, just loud enough for Brian and Taylor to hear.

Brian stared back flatly as Lisa grinned. "It's going... It'd be a lot easier if you just told me."

"Sorry, not my place to say," Lisa shrugged, not sounding apologetic at all. "I like watching you dance around the subject. Especially when it turns out to be nothing at all... or is it?" She added with a singing tone and a smirk.

"If I could just get five minutes alone with him," Brian grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, tough luck with that," Lisa whistled, looking behind him. "Come on, Tay. It's swimming time. Vicky will join us later."

Taylor made a low whine but allowed Lisa to drag her along. Waving goodbye to Brian as they went. In the short time it took for Lisa and Taylor to say their hellos, the crowd around Dean had almost doubled in size. Not only were people wanting to say hello to the host of the party, but standing next to Glory Girl only added more attention to the area.

"Fuck," Brian muttered under his breath.

------------------------------------------
Inside – A Short While Later

"H-hey!" Missy whined as Dennis snatched the red cup from her hand. "That's mine!"

With a shake of his head, Dennis handed the girl back a blue cup, filled with a non-alcoholic beverage. "I'm not going to tell you again, Missy. Stick to the blue."

"Everyone here is underage, I don't get the big deal."

"Yes," Dennis agreed sarcastically, "But there's a difference between me, a seventeen-year-old, drinking at a party like this and a twelve-year-old doing the same. That difference is the sharp metal rod shoved up my ass if your parents find out I let you drink."

Missy pouted and looked down into the cup Dennis had given her.

"Like they even care?" She added.

"Well Piggot would at the very least," Dennis said, pointing at the blue cup. "So please, stick to the blue, okay?"

"Fine," Missy mumbled, taking a sip from the blue cup. "Stupid rules."

Dennis shook his head, pointing his fingers at his eyes and then back to Missy in an 'I'm watching you,' gesture before walking away. Mingling with his fellow peers and the various strangers who had come in with the rest of the partygoers.

Dean wandered through amid the chaos, looking far less relaxed than what was appropriate for a host. Dennis figured he'd continue to lend a hand with the host duties, as a form of repayment for suggesting the party to begin with.

"Yo Dean," Dennis greeted, handing the boy the red cup he'd taken from Missy. "How's it hanging, buddy?"

"Oh... You know," Dean groaned, taking the cup and chugging its contents. "Hey, have you seen Brian? I lost him in the crowd."

Dennis smirked, leaning up against the wall next to him. "No, but you're friend is somewhere around here. He'll turn up. Until then, relax man. It's a party, not a job. "

"Says the guy who's not the host," Dean grumbled, scanning the room with a worried expression.

Dennis chuckled. "All the more reason why you should relax. You've done your party. The people are here, the food is good, the drinks are flowing. The worst is over, so now it's time to party!"

"But-"

"Ah ah," Dennis tutted, raising a finger. "No, buts. The party is happening, you're the host, get out of work mode and enjoy yourself."

"Why does this always happen?" Dean sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Because everyone shows up to a-"

"-Stansfield party, I know." Dean sighed again. "It gets bigger every time, too."

"That's the spirit." Dennis joked. "But seriously, chill. It's a party. Enjoy yourself."

"I don't even know half these people," Dean pointed out. "Who are they? How did they find out about this?"

"Friends of friends… of friends?" Dennis said, waving the concerns off. "Even if you don't know them, you have me and the others to vouch for you if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh yeah?" Dean said sarcastically, looking around the party. His gaze landed on a random group of women giggling by the food table. "Hey Dennis, take a guess. Do you know any of those girls?"

Dennis's brow furrowed as he squinted at the group. They seemed vaguely familiar. "Um… I want to say the middle one is called. Samantha?"

Dean held a flat stare.

"Wait, that's uh, that one chick," Dennis said, snapping his finger, and pointing to the girl on the left. "You know the one, um… Sophia's friend. From that charity thingo."

"Yeah, it is," Dean nodded, playing along with Dennis's smile before defaulting back to a flat stare. "Why the hell is Sophia's friend at my party? Sophia went to prison a month ago. Who even invited them? "

Dennis's smile dropped as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had been trying to keep track of all the people he'd invited, but it'd grown impossible the moment the plus-ones started showing up. In the end, he just shrugged.

Dean let out a groan and rubbed his face, the stress of being a host already getting to him. He didn't care about some random girl. He just wished he knew why his parties always turned into a mess.

"One of these days," Dean started, looking around the crowded living room. The place was packed, and the sound of loud music was practically drowned out by the sound of the chatting. There had to be close to a hundred people here, all mingling together, all eating and drinking the free food and booze. "I just want a nice, quiet get-together with my friends. And not have to worry about who showed up or why or how they know me," Dennis gave an apologetic smile and Dean rolled his eyes. "You know your friend George keeps trying to talk to me, and I have no idea who the hell he is, yet I have to smile and nod my head like we're old friends."

"Dude…" Dennis said, giving Dean a puzzled look. "It's George."

Dean returned the puzzled look with his own.

"You know… George," Dennis whispered. Adding no clarification to his vague statement. "It's... you know?" He rolled his eyes dramatically and leaned into Dean's ear. "Browbeat."

Dean gave Dennis a blank look and then it clicked. "Oh."

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The Pool – At The Same Time

Taylor had some concerns with the pool part of the pool party. Swimming wasn't a common pastime in Brockton Bay and while she could swim, Taylor hadn't done so since a summer camp a few years ago.

But it wasn't her lack of skill that made Taylor hesitate, it was her body. Even after taking up a part-time hobby in modelling, she was still a little self-conscious, and wearing a swimming suit in front of so many people was daunting. Doubly so when she inevitably compared herself to her two, gorgeous girlfriends who looked better than her in every conceivably way imaginable.

Lisa had dragged her into the pool house, and forced Taylor to change, ignoring the girl's complaints. The pool house was less of a change room and more storage as the girls had already changed before arriving, like most of the guests, wearing a swimsuit under or with their clothes.

Taylor settled on throwing a swim shirt over the top of her black and purple bikini, something that covered her stomach. Taylor felt better wearing it, though it didn't stop the nervousness bubbling inside her. She had thrown those nerves off onto the nearby bug population as she exited the pool house.

Lisa had no such qualms about her appearance, already swimming circles around Alec and Aisha as the three of them were embroiled in a larger game of tag. When Taylor realised that no one else seemed to mind her body, or her, she started to relax a little.

The pool was large enough to fit multiple people. Not everyone in the party, but a decent amount. Only half the guests looked like they were willing to swim, and of those, only a quarter had gotten in the pool, while the other half stuck to the outside, lounging in chairs and talking with friends.

There were a few others, like her, sitting on the edge, letting their feet hang into the water and enjoying the cool air. The afternoon sun was bright but didn't have the heat made for swimming. Thankfully, Dean's claim that the pool was heated wasn't a lie. Making the experience far more pleasant than initially expected.

Victoria joined the girls shortly after, managing to get away from the crowd for a brief respite. She sat down next to Taylor, their thighs touching as she kicked her feet into the pool, splashing a few drops of water over Taylor's legs.

"Hi," Victoria said with a smile, leaning over and planting a soft kiss on Taylor's cheek.

"Hi," Taylor replied, smiling back and turning her head to greet her. Immediately she felt her heart flutter and her stomach fill with butterflies. While the girls had all gotten changed together back at Lisa's apartment, she didn't actually see what either of her girlfriends was wearing to swim, until now.

Taylor's head turned a second time, her mouth falling agape as she took in Victoria's figure. She had expected to feel a twinge of jealousy, or at least self-consciousness, but no, instead she was simply awed by Victoria's beauty.

"What?" Victoria asked, her smile turning to a smirk. "Something wrong?"

"I..." Taylor gulped, pulling her eyes back up to meet Victoria's smile. "Nothing... You just look... nice."

Victoria laughed, pulling Taylor in for a hug, and pecking her cheek once more. "Thank you. You look 'nice' too," She grinned. Taylor mumbled a dismissive response, her cheeks burning a deep crimson. "I'm serious Taylor, you look beautiful."

"You both do," Lisa said, head rising from the water as she swam over, her eyes trailing over both girls before smirking at Victoria. "What's cooking, good looking?"

"Just telling Taylor here that she's beautiful."

"Agreed," Lisa said, nodding her head. "A stunning beauty if ever there was one."

"Okay, stop," Taylor huffed, looking away, the blush deepening as she tried to hide behind her hair.

Victoria and Lisa chuckled, the former running her hand through the girl's dark hair.

"Sorry," Lisa smiled. "It's just hard to resist."

"Don't be," Victoria agreed, giving a squeeze. "Taylor is adorable when she's embarrassed. Isn't that right, Tay? Taylor?"

Both girls realised that Taylor had stopped responding, beyond her usual embarrassed annoyance, something had caught her attention. Lisa and Victoria followed her gaze to see what it was.

"Is that?" Victoria asked out, frowning at the sight. Emma Barnes was standing by one of the food tables, surrounded by a small group as she animatedly talked and laughed with them. Her hand waving a half-empty drink as she spoke.

Taylor for her part, shook off her initial shock upon seeing her and turned back to her girlfriends. Victoria placed a comforting hand on Taylor's leg.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," Taylor said back, giving a small but genuine smile. "Wasn't expecting that. But whatever. Shall we swim?"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Victoria grumbled, more visibly upset than even Taylor was.

"Everyone's invited to a Stansfield party..." Lisa joked dryly, looking at the redhead with her nose in the air.

"No, not this time," Victoria shook her head, getting ready to stand up.

"Vicky, please," Taylor said, tugging on her hand. "Let's not make a scene, we just got here."

"I'll be dammed if I let that bitch ruin this party."

"She's not going to," Taylor said, squeezing her girlfriend's hand. "She doesn't matter, alright. I'm not even that upset. There's a lot of people here. She just happened to be one of them. And if she does decide to come over here and give us trouble, then-"

"She won't," Lisa said confidently. She looked pointedly at Victoria, who met her gaze. "Trust me, she won't. Let's just ignore her and have fun, okay?" She smiled innocently, tugging on Taylor's hand to get her into the pool.

The group that was hanging around Emma turned to notice Victoria staring at them, most of which broke away, taking it as a free excuse to start a conversation with Glory Girl. Taylor was barely in the pool before the group had made their way over to them.

"Victoria Dallon and the Glory Girlfriends," One of the boys, a blond, greeted. "Big fan."

"Thanks," Victoria said back. Her voice was neutral and professional. "Nice to meet you."

"Glory Girlfriends?" Taylor asked, cringing at the title. "Is that really our ship name?"

"That's just what the photo's called it," Another girl in the group commented. "Because you three are so cute."

"Aw, that's nice," Taylor smiled politely, turning to the others. "Um, hi, I'm Taylor."

"Oh, I know who you are," A third girl said, kneeling down to shake her hand. "Been following your modelling work. You're adorable."

"Um, thanks?" Taylor blushed, accepting the handshake.

The group seemed to be star-struck by not only Victoria but by Taylor and Lisa too. An odd experience compared to other public outings where only Victoria would get swarmed. The girls did their best to answer their questions politely, and Taylor found the attention wasn't as overwhelming as she feared.

Looking back, past the crowd of apparent fans, Taylor noticed that Emma had decidedly not joined the group, looking away the second their eyes met. Taylor wasn't sure what she'd expected Emma to do if the two ever met again, but walking away hadn't been it.

Taylor was quickly distracted by more questions and a request for an autograph of all things. By the time Taylor turned back to where Emma had been standing, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Taylor decided to push Emma away from her thoughts, focusing on having a good time. As soon as one group left, another one came over, politely mingling with the trio and asking the usual celebrity questions.

Taylor had to admit, being a minor celebrity was more fun than she'd originally expected. In the past, she'd worried about the attention, thinking it would be overwhelming, but Victoria always seemed to bask in it. Knowing that the small group of people approaching her, not only knew who she was but actively liked her was a far cry from the life she'd had last year.

Lisa smiled knowingly at her, partially disrupting Taylor's sense of pride and personal growth as the girl continued to act smugly at her without even saying a word. Still, Taylor was having fun, and at a party, that was all that really mattered.

The relative peace didn't last long, however, as a sharp, high-pitched yell came from the direction of the front door. Everyone paused their conversation, turning to the source of the yelling, wondering what had caused the loud interruption.

"OH MY GOD!…"

---------------------------------------------------------
Outside The Party – Five Minutes Ago

Amy looked over her date one last time before they approached the main street. Checking to see if Rachel's disguise was adequate enough to fool anyone.

The wig was still on Rachel's head, She hadn't played with it too much on the walk over. She brushed a handful of fake hair out of her face, scowling as it quickly bounced back across her lips. On top of her annoyance with long hair, the abundant amount of makeup plastered on the girl's face in the hopes that it would lighten her mostly tanned features were now wiping away thanks to the extra layers of clothing bulked on, causing her to sweat.

Rachel would rub off layers of her face as she battered away her hair. Discomfort grew the more Amy fussed over her appearance. She didn't like it, and it was a struggle not to growl and snarl whenever someone passed them.

On the plus side, the sunglasses Amy had chosen really completed the look.

The pair walked down the street and stopped as they turned the corner, spotting the massive, walled-off building that was Dean's home. The street was packed, filled with cars, and the front door was already open, people spilling out and mingling throughout the house.

Amy hesitated, unsure if this was such a good idea after all. Dean's parties always have more people every year and throwing Rachel with her dogs into the mix might have been a bad idea.

"Come on," Rachel grumbled, stepping past her. "The dogs are getting antsy."

Angelica was already moving to keep up with the rest of the pack, pulling Amy along. Rachel didn't appear to have any reservations about strolling right up to Dean's house, walking her dogs like it was another other day in the park. But then again, Rachel wasn't aware that Dean was a Ward, and that there were most likely other Wards at the party, and that Dean was one step away from being a mind reader with his weird, emotional reading power.

Panic slowly crept up Amy's spine the closer they got to the front gate, and it was only her years of practice hiding her true feelings that allowed her to remain composed. She could feel the anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Rachel paused at the gate, wiping her brow and trying once again to push the wig's hair out of her eyes. She turned back to Amy and waited, expectantly.

"What?" Amy asked, realising Rachel was waiting for her.

Rachel extended a hand to her, which Amy accepted without thought. In an instant, she could tell what Rachel was feeling. Not just the obvious, of being too hot and annoyed by the disguise she'd been forced to wear. But also the elevated thumping of her heartbeat, a general increase in blood pressure and all the norepinephrine that bounced around in that brain of hers.

Rachel was nervous. As nervous as Amy was, perhaps even more so.

While she kept her usual flat expression, the way Rachel gripped her hand was the most affectionate Amy had seen her, and her grip was tight. Oddly enough, this had a calming effect on Amy, helping her feel less stressed. Knowing that she needed to put on a brave face for her girlfriends, just as Rachel was doing for her.

Amy gave a squeeze back and the two entered the party, together.

Neither girl had discussed an exit plan, on the off chance that something went wrong and people recognised Rachel. They had done the best they could to ensure that didn't happen. Failure wasn't an option, and it wasn't something that Amy should dwell over.

She was going to have a good time, show off her girlfriend to her sister, and no one would ever suspect that this lovely, and well-adjusted woman with adorable dogs would have anything to do with the nefarious Hellhound.

"Oh my god!.."

Or, not.

Rachel tensed into a defensive stance the second someone had screamed. Amy felt a surge of emotions as the panic set in. The dogs jolted in alarm as several people started running... towards them?

"Somebody brought dogs!"

"I want to pet them!"

"Here doggie, doggie!"

Amy relaxed, still holding tightly onto Rachel's hand as a dozen partygoers crowded around the group of dogs, cooing and reaching out to each one of them.

"Back off! Don't crowd them!" Rachel barked back. The crowd froze in place, the girls turning to her in confusion. Amy stepped in before Rachel did anything stupid like punching someone.

"Sorry," Amy said politely. "Please don't scare the dogs by all trying to pet them," She looked back to the dogs in question, none of them looked particularly afraid of the incoming crowd, but all it took was one whistle until they started biting. She then squeezed Rachel's hand, giving her a soft look. "We knew this would happen," Amy reminded her. They had planned for this, and Rachel was no stranger to idiots running up and trying to pet her dogs.

With an exaggerated eye-roll, Rachel sighed and nodded towards the friendliest of her dogs. "This is Angelica," Rachel said, through somewhat clenched teeth. "She's the most... people friendly," Someone moved to pet the dog. "Don't touch her!" The hand immediately recoiled. Amy gave her another soft squeeze of the hand. "You can pat her," Rachel corrected, calmer. "Only if she lets you."

The crowd nodded fervently, watching as Amy moved to remove the dog's leash. Angelica wagged her tail excitedly, first rubbing along Amy's leg before inspecting the crowd, who gave the dogs a sizeable distance. Angelica sniffed around the group, before trotting up to a random boy and allowing him to scratch behind her ears.

Rachel looked like she was ready to intervene, but Amy stopped her with a shake of the head. The crowd was enamoured with the dog, and Rachel reluctantly allowed the rest of the group to unclip their leashes and begin to play with them.

"This is Judas," Rachel explained, introducing her next dog. "He's a bit more wary of people. If he growls, then fuck off. But he won't bite you. Unless I let him."

Amy wasn't sure if threatening to unleash a potentially dangerous animal was the best way to go, but the crowd didn't seem to care beyond the initial promise of petting. Like Angelica, Judas was given free rein to approach whoever he pleased, settling between two girls, happily accepting a belly rub.

"And this is Brutus," Rachel said. "He stays with me, no one gets to pat him."

As if to spite Rachel's words, Brutus wandered over to Amy and pushed his head into her free hand. Amy was surprised by the affection, Brutus was usually the most wary of her, even after all the time she'd spent with Rachel. Rachel looked between the interactions, frowning.

"Traitor," She muttered, not that the dog cared.

Amy chuckled, nudging Rachel away from the crowd, most of whom were dispersing now that the dogs had chosen their people. Amy led Rachel indoors, feeling much more confident about introducing Rachel to her sister. An entire crowd of people just met her and all they cared about was her dogs, which was exactly what Amy had hoped would happen.

With the first hurdle crossed, Amy looked to the second, coming straight for them in the form of a Ward. Dennis, aka Clockblocker, approached the couple with a smile on his face, dressed casually, and with a drink in his hand.

"Amy Dallon," Dennis cheered, greeting the pair with a raised drink. "Fashionably late I see."
"Dennis," Amy nodded, her eyes flickering over to Rachel and back. She didn't pick up any hint of recognition on his face.

"And who's your friend?" He asked, looking down at where Amy and Rachel were still holding hands.

"This is Rachel," Amy introduced, giving her girlfriend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Rachel, this is Dennis. He's... a school friend?"

Dennis shot the girl a wide smile which Rachel did not appreciate in the slightest. She glowered at the boy, watching as his extended arm deflated back to his side. Dennis looked away quickly, clearing his throat and shifting awkwardly.

"N-nice to meet you," Dennis stuttered, looking down at the dog by Rachel's side. "And who's this?-"

Amy shook her head quickly as Dennis reached out to pat Brutus, only to pull back when the dog snapped back at him.

"Brutus," Rachel said, with no attempt at an apology.

"Cute… cute doggie," Dennis sighed, holding his hand to his chest.

It was an awkward and tense meeting, but the boy hadn't jumped up in alarm and started screaming about Hellhound attacking the party, so as far as Amy was concerned, things were going well.

"Anyway," Dennis said, shifting away from the scary dog and equally scaring woman. "Welcome to the party, toilets are upstairs, food and drinks are that way. Take a red cup if you plan on drinking alcohol and the pool is-"

"We're not swimming," Rachel said firmly, causing Dennis to flinch slightly.

"I already know how this works," Amy added, tugging Rachel away before the two got into some kind of fight. "Have you seen my sister about?"

"Uh, yeah…" Dennis said, still wary of Rachel and her dog. "In the pool, last I saw them. H-have a fun time now…" He chuckled awkwardly and walked off.

The second hurdle was dealt with. Rachel had a face-to-face conversation with a Ward and no one started screaming. Amy was more than confident that her plan had worked perfectly. All she had left to do was introduce Rachel to Vicky, and then the two could find a nice place to relax.

"Okay," Amy sighed, accepting a drink from Rachel as they passed the food and drinks table. "Let's do this."

----------------------------------------------

Across The Room

Dean had cut out his own little corner of the party to relax with a few friends and some music, a party within the party. A circle of friends that protected him from the headache of managing the hundred people across his house.

He was laughing along at a joke Carlos told when he heard the crowd gathering out front to welcome the supposed dogs. He didn't think anything of it, Amy had asked if her friend could bring her pets and he'd agreed. Just another invitee to a Stansfield party.

He turned back to the group and continued talking amongst his friends. He'd found Brian again in the crowd and called him over, even now without his power, he could tell that the boy wanted to ask him something.

The party would settle down eventually. Dean already noticed that fewer and fewer groups were approaching him, which safely meant that the influx of guests was beginning to subside. It wouldn't be long until the party had reached its peak, and then people would slowly start to leave.

Dennis had thankfully taken the role of welcoming and showing everyone the basics of a party. It was his fault the party was getting so large and unruly. Every year, his parties grew more popular and more intense, but at least Dean didn't have to deal with the majority of the guests.

In the crowd of people, there were too many emotions running rampant in the room. Most of it was positive, some of it anxious. The odd flare of jealousy or the like from some sections. It all melded together into background noise.

In all that emotional noise, Dean wasn't sure what he noticed first. The incoming wave of suppressed panic as Dennis powerwalked up to him. The way that all his Ward friends looking behind him tensed with anxiety. Or the odd void in the crowd that signified a neurodivergent person.

Dean turned around, spotting the source of the disturbance long before Dennis finally reached him.

"Hey, Dean?" Dennis said, trying to keep a cool composure as he pulled the boy aside. "Why is Hellhound here?"

Most people at the party were giving Amy's friend a strange look, but quickly chalked it up to the dreadfully layered outfit and obviously fake wig she was wearing. He was thankful for their ignorance, not wishing to cause a scene immediately. Brian, for example, hadn't picked up on what his Ward friends were staring at and doubted that he would recognise the issue even if he did.

Dean, Dennis, Carlos and Missy, all of whom were pretty up to date on Brockton Bay's most wanted parahumans, looked back, still in complete disbelief, as Amy Dallon walked hand in hand with Hellhound.

"What the fuck?" Missy mouthed, shaking her head in shock.

"Ah shit," Carlos whispered, putting his drink down and bracing himself for whatever came next.

All Dean could do was laugh, a choked half-hearted huff of disbelief. This was the pinnacle of the curse he was used to living with. With a worried sigh, wondering how in the world he was going to handle this mess, he turned to his friends and teammates.

With a defeated smile he raised his cup up, sculling his drink before shifting into work mode.

"Everyone shows up to a Stansfield party."

 

[Dradel]

Not having a secret identity finally came back inconvenience Rachel... not that she cares. Poor Stanfield.

 

[Bladereader]

Amy: Nope. My girlfriend is definitely not hellhound.

I mean if she was I Would definitely have to take some time off of healing to get over it. I'm an emotional teenager.

Anyway, who needed their leg reattached?

 

[Fisherman]

"Everyone shows up to a Stansfield party."

Click to shrink...

And of course, if he tells Piggot, she will weight the odds, find that it is much more unlikely to be Hellhound (especially together with Amy), then throws the odds in the window and shoves everyone in the M/S anyway.

 

[McReaperking]

God this is so fucking funny
This place boutta blow fr

 

[Crazael]

Okay, Aisha using the tongue trick instantly brought me back to my childhood. As a middle sibling, I have been on both sides of that and cannot count the number of times I have licked by older brother's hand to get him to stop covering my mouth.

 

[Tsumegothorns]

Ngl, this might have made my week.

 

[Kinkspoon]

lol
lmao, even

 

[SnappingTurt3ls2]

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[Gowonzu]

A/N: Hey y'all. Still working on the next chapter. But in the meantime, here's an cut scene/idea that didn't really fit into the chapter but still wanted to post. Is it canon? Who knows. But it made me chuckle,

---

"So, which one of you is the top?"

Lisa and Victoria both baulked at the question. Victoria especially who was already furious with Rachel for having the gal to show up to this party with her sister.

"Hello to you too," Lisa sighed back at the painfully blunt question.

"No," Victoria snapped back at Lisa. "No hellos, what the hell are you on about? Why the hell are you even here?"

Rachel nodded back at Victoria's outburst like it was nothing before confirming to herself.

"So she's the top..."

Victoria's mouth fell agape, brow furrowing in annoyance. While Lisa clicked her tongue and moved to step in.

"Hey, now," Lisa smirked, placing a gentle hand over Victoria and moving her back. "Don't go round making assumptions."

Rachel re-evaluated the situation, noting how Lisa casual controlled Victoria's movements and nodded her head once again.

"So you claim to be the top? Makes sense," Rachel mused to herself.

"I don't claim to be the top," Lisa said back, mimicking Rachel's tone. "I am the top."

Victoria baulked again. "You?! I don't think so."

Lisa turned back to her girlfriend with an amused grin. "Vicky, Darling. Who do you think your kidding? I'm the one who jumped started this little throuple. I have you wrapped around my finger."

"Brave words," Victoria bit back with a challenging smirk of her own. "For someone who was holding onto me so tightly when we flew over here."

Rachel, for her part, nodded between them, prompting Lisa to rebuttal.

"You really think your muscles give you power over me?" Lisa asked, eyes glancing down to admire the muscles in question.

"Do you think that your ability to spin words makes you stronger than me?" Victoria chuckled back, reaching out to gently grab Lisa by the cheek. "I only let this Thinker speak because I allow it."

Both girls glared at each other, no longer concerned with the woman who sparked the initial debate. Rachel nursed her drink and weighed both arguments for who should be top.

"Vicky, Lisa?" A voice called out from a ways away. Taylor was looking over from her own conversation with Amy, holding her blue cup up to the girls. "Sorry, would one of you be able to get me a refill? All this swimming made me a bit parched. Oh and a snack would be nice too."

At that, both girl's glares faded into bright smiles.

"Of course," They said in almost unison, turning to collect more food and drinks.

Rachel looked over to Taylor and nodded with a newfound respect for the girl. Taylor for her part, tilted her head in confusion.

She walked over and joined the conversation, handing the spare drink she was hold to her girlfriend. Once free, her fingers reached out to wrap around Amy's. The mousy girl smiled as Rachel leaned into her, squeezing her hand.

Amy leaned up, planting a kiss on Rachel's cheek before whispering the go to praise that Rachel loved to hear.

"Good girl."

 

[DeathShade]

Yep. 100% that is the relationship in a nutshell.

 

[SnappingTurt3ls2]

"So, which one of you is the top?"

Click to shrink...

Yeah this checks out, made me laugh to. Thanks for the omake!

 

[Crazael]

I just love the idea of Taylor so casually topping the other two that she doesn't even realize she's doing it while both Lisa and Vicky both think they're the top.

 

[Gowonzu]

A/N: My stupid ass actually thought I could cover the whole party in a single chapter.
This is barely two scenes of the 6 or so I had planned. This is gonna be a whoooole arc, fo sho

---

Stansfield House, Pool – Afternoon

"Huh, wonder what all that was about?" Vicky asked, looking over to the noise coming from the front entrance.

People had screamed in delight at the appearance of someone, gathering from the crowd of people that had flooded the entrance. It had dissipated as quickly as it formed, however, leaving many of the poolside guests, like Vicky, confused as to what the fuss was about.

"Did you see anything, Tay?"

Taylor, distracted with the game of Tag that she had been pulled into by her apparent fans,
was currently swimming circles around Lisa and her designation of 'It.' She looked up at Vicky and hummed in question.

"Outside?" Victoria asked again, nodding towards the entrance. "Any idea what people are looking at?"

Taylor broke off from her concentrated swimming and looked blankly off into the distance. Furrowing her brow, Taylor looked confused at whatever her bug awareness was picking up.

"There's too many people, too much noise," Taylor finally said back, shaking her head. Victoria didn't really expect to get an answer. Taylor might be omniscient at times, but even she had limits. Too many bodies and not enough bugs to cover the space. Added to that it was a party, and Taylor had no reason to monitor every room. "Although…" Taylor continued, squinting her eyes like that did anything for her power. "I think I see-"

"Tag! You're it!" Lisa cheered, swimming up behind the girl and shoving her forward. Taylor mumbled a curse under her breath and shook her head. Victoria gave her an apologetic smile.

Taylor kicked off the wall of the pool and launched herself at another player. Quickly clearing herself of the 'It' title before lapping back around to Vicky. Victoria could've easily flown up and over to inspect the commotion, but she'd much rather admire the way Taylor's zipped around the pool. The girl shot Victoria a proud smile and Vicky gave her one back.

Her smile softened, warmly as Taylor turned back to inspect the rest of the players. Watching Taylor grin and giggle at a party, interacting with people her own age without a heavy layer of distrust. It painted a clear image of how far Taylor had come since she first met Victoria.

Sure, her original plan of seducing Taylor out of villainy hadn't come to fruition. And sure, Victoria was now moonlighting as an Undersider herself. All of which were minor setbacks. But the core of her plan had worked. Taylor was a far happier girl and Victoria couldn't be prouder on Taylor's behalf.

"Vicky!" A familiar voice called out from behind her. Victoria's smile widened as she turned to greet her fashionably late sister and her new, mystery girlfriend.

"Hey, Am-" Her voice caught as her eyes fell on Amy, hand in hand with Bitch, shamelessly strolling out into the backyard with the biggest smile on her face.

Bitch might've been wearing three layers of jackets, borderline white face paint, a long brown wig and sunglasses, but it took Vicky all of two seconds to clock the girl. The resting bitch face, the aggressive attitude towards anyone who got too close, her voice as she growled at someone attempting to pet her dog, the dog that Victoria knew was Brutus because he was the scariest fucking Rottweiler she'd ever seen even before Bitch empowered the thing.

Victoria's smile froze in place as a prickle of sheer terror ran down her spine. Lisa had warned her, had strongly implied that Amy might have been dating, or at least had a connection to Bitch, but she'd ignored it. They'd all ignored it as a factual impossibility. Yet here Amy was, rushing over to greet her like she hadn't just walked in with a publicly recognisable supervillain.

Or she attempted to rush over. Stopping midway as Bitch held her ground, whistling for her walking murder machine to sit long before they reached the pool section of the backyard. Amy tugged slightly on Bitch's arm, but the girl only shook her head. They moved closely into each other's space to have a private conversation, allowing Victoria a few moments to digest her new reality.

Taylor swam up beside Vicky, also being witness to the clusterfuck that had just been dropped into Vicky's lap. Unlike Victoria, whose smile had twisted into one of shock and terror, Taylor's expression was far more muted, blinking in disbelief before looking at Victoria in concern.

"What's with all the doom and gloom?" Lisa asked, swimming over to the girls before also catching eyes on Amy and Bitch. Lisa's casual smile held on her face, much like Victoria's did initially, but Vicky did pick up the slight twitch in her left eye.

"So, what's the plan?" Taylor asked the group.

Lisa slowly sank below the water, a rush of bubbles shooting up from where she once stood. The pose of her hands gripping the side of her head, and the speed at which the bubbles appeared made it clear to Victoria that her girlfriend was currently screaming her lungs out under the water.

After a concerning amount of air bubbled to the surface, Lisa re-emerged, tucking her ponytail behind her head before pushing herself out of the pool. Her body language was calm and immaculate.

"Alright, Vicky. Go greet your sister and her friend. None of us have ever met her before in our lives," Lisa said, a smile forcefully held across her face. "I'll join you shortly, I just need to make a phone call."

"Um, slight issue," Taylor mumbled, raising her hand. "I've already met her… With Amy… in public…" Lisa's eye twitched again as she looked down at Taylor, the taller girl shrinking down into the water. "I sorta… ran into her. At the mall. When I was with Amy."

"And you didn't mention this earlier because?" Lisa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It didn't seem relevant at the time," Taylor argued. "They almost got into a fight, I didn't think they'd ever see each other again."

"Oh…" Victoria muttered, staring off into space as she remembered a conversation a few weeks ago. "I remember Amy mentioning that…"

"You what!?" Lisa baulked, eye twitching again. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I-it was right after our first date!" Victoria sputtered, looking over to Bitch and Amy, still disusing something in similar hushed whispers while shooting the odd smile her way. "I was worried that Amy had found out who Taylor was but she was only concerned with Taylor cheating on me."

Lisa ran her hand along her face and mumbled several curses as she did so. "Alright, new plan," She sighed. All three girls were currently drying themselves off and running out of conspiratorial whispering time. "Vicky, we'll go greet your sister and her friend who we've never met before. Taylor, we'll make sure Rachel doesn't say anything damning in the next few minutes."

All three girls nodded in tandem before moving off to meet Amy halfway. As they got closer, Victoria could hear Amy and Bitch chatting, though it seemed one-sided.

"Come on, we don't have to go into the pool." Amy hissed, tugging on Rachel's arm.

"I'm not moving any closer," Rachel growled back, holding firm.

"Stop being weird," Amy begged. "Just one normal conversation with my sister, then we'll go."

"My dogs, will not, go near that damn pool," Rachel grumbled back.

"Then tell Brutus to wai- H-hey, Vicky!"

Amy jumped back in surprise as Victoria approached, her annoyed frown swapping out with a forced smile that mellowed quickly.

"Hey... Ames," Victoria said, trying her best to match a polite smile on her face, even as she made eye contact with Bitch. "Who's your… your friend, here?…"

The disguise Bitch was wearing, was even less convincing up close. Her menacing glare shot through the shades she wore, facial expression annoyed, arms crossed as she silently challenged Vicky to take a step closer.

"Oh, yeah, um..." Amy chuckled nervously. "This is Rachel. My... my, girlfriend... that I told you... about…"

Even after working with the Undersiders, Victoria and Bitch had rarely interacted with each other. The butch girl often favoured doing her own thing and kept her team at arm's length. The few interactions the two had, often were brief and argumentative. Bitch didn't have a problem telling Victoria, or anyone, how she felt. Even now, as she was wearing a ridiculous disguise, she stared at her with the same annoyed disinterest that she always had.

"Right, Rachel…" Victoria nodded, forcing her eyes to keep on the other girl's harsh gaze. "It's nice to… meet you?"

Victoria fought the urge to plaster on a fake smile, knowing for a fact that Bitch did not take kindly to displays of one's teeth. Instead, she forced a polite turn of the lips and extended her hand towards the woman. In response, Rachel raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"We've al-" Was all that came out of Rachel's mouth before Taylor uncharacteristically butted in.

"Rachel! I didn't know you and Amy were… acquainted." She stated, looking between the two girls. "I thought you two didn't get along."

Rachel gave Taylor a confused look this time, most likely forgetting about the rather brief meeting she was referring to. Amy cleared her throat and offered an explanation.

"She ran into me at the park," Amy chuckled awkwardly. "Well, her dogs did. Not Brutus, he's a good boy. But the other two…" She gestured behind her. "Then she kidnapped me," Amy added with a snort.

"Kidnapped?" Victoria asked small alarm in her voice. She looked back to Rachel, a glare of her own forming on her brow.

"I didn't fucking kidnap you," Rachel muttered, shaking her head. She turned to Amy and frowned in confusion at her this time, oblivious to Vicky's stare. "You volunteered."

Amy let out another snort. "Right, under duress."

Rachel rolled her eyes as Amy chuckled, giving Rachel a small, playful push which the girl reciprocated. The pair had fallen into their own, personal joke. One that was sending Victoria into a spiral of emotions.

On one hand, Amy had just waltzed in here, with Bitch, a public figure, and a well-known villain, and introduced the girl as her girlfriend in the middle of a crowd of people. Somewhat oblivious to the fact that her girlfriend was a wanted criminal.

But on the other hand. Amy was smiling. Amy was giggling, she leaned into the taller girl, playfully pushing. Their pinky fingers still entwined around each other as Amy looked up in pride. And that once murderous glare that could shake even Glory Girl, somehow softened into a warm, affectionate look when it looked down to meet her.

Victoria recognised those signs, she'd seen them a thousand times over within herself, in Lisa and in Taylor. Amy was in love, Amy was head over heels, falling hard, like everyone did in their first proper relationship and she was doing it all with Bitch.

And Bitch... Rachel, was falling just as fast. The impossible had collapsed in on itself because Rachel actually loved her back.

"Basically Stockholm syndrome," Amy said, smiling back at Taylor. The joke flew right over Rachel's head.

"I see..." Taylor muttered, glancing between the two, her eyes resting on Rachel's. "Well, It looks like my advice worked out for you. Though I wish you could've told me sooner."

"I thought you knew?" Rachel asked, tilting her head. Taylor, and subsequently her two girlfriends, shook their heads in confusion. "Didn't Vi-"

"I'm Lisa, by the way!" Lisa cut in, polite smile as wide as could be without baring teeth. "Taylor and Victoria's other girlfriend. Nice you meet you, for the first time. Amy has told us nothing about you." She stressed, shaking Rachel's hand.

Recognition flashed across Rachel's face, followed by yet another furrowing of confused brows. She turned to Victoria and looked back at Amy briefly before returning to Victoria. Eyes finally swinging back to Lisa and rolling.

"Hello?" Rachel said, shaking Lisa's hand. "It's nice to… meet you, too?"

A slight bit of tension released in Lisa's shoulder, dropping a few degrees before Amy looked up in confusion. She motioned between the two of them, frowning at the interaction.

"Wait, don't you three work together?"

Lisa and Vicky froze slightly at the accusation, while Taylor and Rachel remained as cool and collected for two different reasons. Adding to the stress and confusion of the moment, Victoria looked up behind Amy, spotting an increasingly concerned look from Dean and the rest of her Ward friends.

Victoria could feel the blood draining from her face. Several Wards were in place, ready to take action at a signal. That signal could come from anywhere or anyone, and would result in Amy's unsuspecting girlfriend being tackled or, worse, arrested.

Dean and Victoria used to share an unspoken bond with each other. And while they were no longer together, she could recognise the telltale signs of their silent language.

"Give us the signal," Is what he said through eye contact alone. No doubt, waiting for the opportune moment to intervene.

The stances and distances that the Ward kids were standing at were practised to near-perfect precision. A routine hostage scenario with Victoria as the bait. She could see them all getting into position, identifying potential civilians in the danger zone and their extraction plan. All Victoria had to do was nod, grab Bitch by the throat and everyone else would spring into action, pulling Amy, Taylor and Lisa free from harm.

A plan that would go into action if Victoria so much as blinked wrong.

--------------------------------------------------
Stansfield House, Inside – A Few Moments Ago

Dean watched in horror as Bitch stalked through his living room, a menacing, dangerous air emanating off her in waves. The dog at her side was just as intimidating. The beast walked in step with his master, his eyes constantly scanning the room for threats.

Worse still was the woman she walked in with. Victoria's sister, New Wave's own Panacea, held hands with the woman as they moved towards the drinks table. Smiling blissfully they collected their red cups and cheered with each other.

It was like seeing a wolf stroll past with a lamb. A lamb who either didn't know the danger or simply didn't care. Dean's mind was running a mile a minute, trying to wrap his head around the situation. Amy Dallon was a confusing girl, a little shy and reserved, but well enough in the know to recognise the villains who were terrorising the city. So what was she doing here, with Bitch. And why was she dressed like that?

"So, what's the play?" Dennis asked under his breath, looking between Dean and Carlos. "This is obviously a hostage situation, right?"

Carlos shook his head slowly. "Not sure. She doesn't seem to be under any duress. What do you see Dean?"

"Worry… Anxiety…" Dean answered. "But, also, happiness? Infatuation?..." He added, looking up. It didn't make any sense.

"So, she's being mastered?" Missy speculated, frowning at the implication. "Let's just grab her and tackle this bitch right now."

Carlos held a hand out to Missy and shook his head, thankfully the three other Ward boys were far more level-headed.

"We can't do that," He hissed. "We're in public for one, and there's way too many civilians. We need to get them out of here first. We should call this in, Piggot will know what to do."

"No!" Dean panicked, looking up to see if his outburst caught any attention.

Brian was in the middle of a conversation with Alice and Jessica from school. Both girls looked to be trying to flirt with the boy, spikes of jealousy radiated from each other but he was acting oblivious to it, simply chuckling along with whatever jokes they made. Brian hadn't yet turned to notice the small gathering and so far his only confusion was towards Missy and why a child was sitting with them.

"Piggot can not know about this," Dean clarified, his heart pounding in his chest. "Not yet anyway, I can't have my house turning into some PRT warzone. And none of us want to risk being unmasked in public. Let's keep a cool head, and work out what Hellhound wants."

"...Fair," Carlos grumbled. "We should get more information before we do anything. Quick, what do we know about Hellhound?"

"Brash and violent," Dennis stated. "Masters dogs and turns them into fucking demons. Most confrontational of the Undersiders… or, maybe a close second?…"

"A stupid brute without any actual brute rating," Missy scoffed. "We could take her. She's not that tough."

"I wonder if our information is wrong?" Carlos pondered, watching as the villain stepped out into the backyard. "Think about it, she dresses up in a disguise that's so bad it's obvious, yet the average person still doesn't recognise her. Maybe this is a plan to draw us out? Flaunt the unspoken rules to bait us into breaking them, thus outing our identities."

Missy frowned. "Doesn't make any sense. Why get Panacea involved?"

"There's just something that we're missing here," Carlos shook his head. "Amy walks into a very public party, with Hellhound. A party she knows has Wards in it. And?… It's just… so stupid. Amy isn't this dumb, right?" He turned to Dean, who shook his head in agreement. "Exactly. So, if it looks stupid, but it isn't… then?"

"A cry for help?" Dennis suggested. "I didn't pick up anything from her when I greeted them. Granted I was busy trying not to shit myself when I saw who it was."

"Thinker plot?" Missy asked. "Fuck, what if Hellhound has been a thinker all this time. And we're at like, step one of a twelve-part master plan?"

"Might need to up her rating," Dennis nodded, considering the idea.

"No, Hellhound isn't a Thinker," Dean shook his head. "...But, she does work with one."

All four of them went quiet, scanning over the room. Hellhound was the only villain that they were aware of. But the other Undersiders could've easily slipped in, out of costume. Dean's identity was a loose secret at best, if Tattletale worked that out, all she'd need to do was spot which kids grouped around him when Hellhound walked in and…

"Fuck, I think we've been made," Dean mumbled, trying to keep his expression casual. The rest of the Wards were all thinking along the same lines, taking cautious steps away from each other.

"Okay, one problem at a time," Carlos said quietly, taking a position as team leader. "Focus on the threat we can see, but keep an eye out for possible suspects. We'll break off and tail Amy, Glory Girl is a public hero, so she has free reign to operate. We need more information without causing a scene."

"But if Vicky decides she wants to act, we'll back her up," Dean added, earning a nod from everyone.

Dennis looked to be on the edge of panic, eyes darting between the Wards as they prepared to split up. "Shit, you think that... Sk-skitter is here too?"

They all shuddered at the thought. Dean couldn't help but do another quick scan of the room, looking for any and all insects and the face of whatever monster could control them all.

"Don't panic, remain calm and in control," Dean smiled back at him. "Assume we're being watched and split up. We'll approach Hellhound from all angles. Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. As far as I'm concerned, there's only a handful of people I can trust not to be Undersiders and most of them are sitting right behind me.

He pointed back towards the small gathering of school friends, fellow friends of Wards and Brian. Burning the faces of his trusted inner circle into his memory before preparing to play the biggest game of 'Guess Who' in his life.

Brian finally took notice of the secret meeting that was taking place, turning to Dean and raising an eyebrow in question.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, great!" Dean responded far too quickly, watching as his fellow Wards broke off. "All good, all good. I'm gonna go get some more drinks for everyone, you good here?"

Brian awkwardly looked between the two girls who were not-so-subtly trying to sit on his lap and looked back to Dean in concern. Eye silently asking for help defusing the situation. Unfortunately, Dean ignored his plight, knowing the distraction would be useful.

Each Ward made an excuse and left the circle. Drinks, food, bathroom, phone call. They broke away and followed after the villain and the healer. All keeping a careful distance.

"Then she kidnapped me." Amy snorted, elbowing Hellhound playfully in the ribs. The admission sent Dean into a state of panic.

Victoria looked to be in that same state, her eyes widened in fear as she looked at the pair. Dean could only imagine what kind of threats Hellhound had made, what horrible things she'd done to get the girl to come here. And what is she planning to do with her?

Anxiety, fear and alarm were radiating from Vicky and her two girlfriends, albeit, Taylor's emotions were somewhat muted like always. Amy was incredibly nervous, but had the odd sprinkle of joy anytime Hellhound touched her.

"Basically Stockholm syndrome," Amy added, causing even more confusion in Dean.

Was she aware? Had she formed some unhealthy attachment to Hellhound because of their time together? How long ago was Amy kidnapped if she had already developed Stockholm syndrome? Wasn't that all incredibly rare and usually over-exaggerated? The theory that Hellhound somehow mastered her was looking more likely.

It was hard to keep an ear on their conversation, the music was far too loud and his own racing thoughts were drowning them out. Victoria and her two girlfriends were engaged in conversation, Lisa now introducing herself. All Dean could do was pray that Victoria noticed him and give him a sign.

Amy gestured between Rachel and Lisa, the words lost in the crowd but the reactions clear as day. Another threat? Dean was unsure, but Victoria finally caught eyes on him. She clocked all the Wards, which meant it was show time. If Victoria decided that she needed to act, to save her sister, then the Wards wouldn't hesitate regardless of the situation.

However, Victoria shook her head. Giving the clear, stand-down, signal to the team. Obviously, the situation was far more complicated than a lone Hellhound wandering into the party, as suspected.

The situation wasn't diffused, far from it. But there was little else they could do until they spoke to Victoria. Hesitantly, Dean blended back into the party. They would watch and wait. And hope to god that no one else realised what was going on.

"Psst…"

Dean didn't notice the noise until it followed again, with a finger tapping on his shoulder.

"Psst… Dean?"

Dean turned around, trying to place the name to the all too forgettable face he had spoken to an hour ago. George. His co-worker whom he admittedly only known in costume and even then had barely spoken to.

"I don't want to alarm anyone," George said in a hushed whisper. "But I think, there's a villain at this party..."

"We know, George," Dean sighed. Watching as the boy's shoulders sagged in relief.

"What should we do?"

"Keep an eye on her for me," Dean ordered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But don't make it look too obvious."

"Not obvious, got it," George said, nodding a little too nervously.

Dean shook his head but then realised something important. If Tattletale had clocked the Wards, Browbeat wasn't part of the group. There was a chance, however slim, that he was their secret weapon.

"Act casual, don't interact with any of the other Wards," Dean instructed. "Keep close to her, but don't let her suspect your intentions. You're just here to party, that's all."

"Can do, she won't even know I'm there," George said, perking up in excitement. He picked up a red cup and merged into the crowd.

Dean considered him the backup plan. With him as a last resort, in case the Wards needed the element of surprise. For now, he would sit and watch, hoping for a moment of peace and quiet where he could find out what the hell was going on.

--------------------------------------

Stansfield House, Further Indoors

"Act casual. Keep close to her."

George had been given specific instructions. A very important mission, from a senior Ward. This party had gone from the most exciting social event of his life to a stressful and confusing ordeal. But, George was determined to prove himself to the Wards. To prove himself to his friends.

He'd only been Browbeat for a handful of months now. And wasn't the most social one in the group. It was awkward being thrown in with a bunch of new kids, especially kids who went to a different school from him. Always being in a mask didn't help either.

The only time he saw the Wards was for training or patrol. George's personal life and hero life never intertwined. His family only allowed him to join the Wards under the strictest of conditions, making the boy all but a part-timer.

He was aware of the camaraderie he was missing out on by not having any personal time with the others, and so the prospect of a party, a night to relax and have fun with his fellow teammates, had him over the moon.

And then, George spotted her.

Nobody else seemed to notice. Nobody else seemed to care. But George was in the know, George knew what to look for.

A villain had made her way into the party, blending in among the crowd of nearly a hundred. Flaunting their face in public, mocking the rules of conduct and the code of ethics that the PRT held.

George wasn't going to stand for this, wasn't going to sit back while a villain coasted off the good graces of his fellow heroes. Drinking Gallant's booze and eating his food. It was an affront, a disgusting display of disrespect. He was Browbeat, and this was his time to shine.

"H-hi? Is this seat taken?" Browbeat asked, the confidence of a hero slowly building, outshining his timid, civilian persona. The villain shuffled along the couch, offering the seat to him. Challenging him.

George was not afraid. He would not falter.

He sat.

"Nice to meet you, name's George," He offered his hand, politely, casually. Just another stranger, greeting another. It was a risk to offer his name, but a fair trade for the information to come.

She didn't look like much of a villain at all, but looks could be deceiving. He was not going to let his guard down, and he was not going to let her slip through his fingers.

Every Ward knew who she was, he strengthened his resolve on the knowledge that he had backup. The rest of the Wards were all in the vicinity, and George was only a call away from them. If it came down to it, he would fight.

The villain stared back, a slow grin forming on her face as she raised her hand to greet his. Dense freckles covered the hand, and the same marks dotted her face. She was attractive, with curly brown hair falling past her shoulders, but Browbeat wasn't the type to be won over with just a pretty smile.

"Emily," The villain replied, as the dangerous game began.

Emily shook his hand, acting friendly, acting like she wasn't a monster. But George was onto her.

His eyes fell down to a discarded red cup on the floor, the proof only a well-trained Ward could spot, hidden in plain view. The plastic burned at the edge of the mouth, the smallest singe mark, that originated when a parahuman-produced liquid accidentally dripped from the girl's mouth.

The target was acquired.
The mission was a go.

Emily, meet George.

Browbeat, meet Spitfire.

 

[Dradel]

Fuckin.. Stanfield party everyone's here or something.

 

[Sidvious]

If the sheer amount of internal screaming going on at this party could be harvested, you could power path to victory for a few centuries. Coincidentally that's how long PtV would need to calculate a way to avert the oncoming train wreck.

 

[Crazael]

Oh man... this is hilarious... I can't wait to see where this goes from here.

 

[McReaperking]

dear god fucking everyone is at the stansfield party

 

[SnappingTurt3ls2]

Thanks for the chapter! Trying not to cackle madly while working and have mostly succeeded

 

[DaWalrus]

dear god fucking everyone is at the stansfield party

Click to shrink...

To be fair, it is apparently common knowledge in this fic that "EVERYBODY shows up to a stansfield party." I'm pretty sure it was just 1 or 2 chapters ago.

 

[McReaperking]

To be fair, it is apparently common knowledge in this fic that "EVERYBODY shows up to a stansfield party." I'm pretty sure it was just 1 or 2 chapters ago.

Click to shrink...

I was not expecting everyone to mean nearly every teenage parahuman in the city
God this is so funny, Dean my bro how are we feeling

 

[Crazael]

I was not expecting everyone to mean nearly every teenage parahuman in the city
God this is so funny, Dean my bro how are we feeling

Click to shrink...

Personally, I was debating if it being Rune or some random nobody who wasn't even a parahuman or gang affiliated that Browbeat had picked as the obvious secret villain. Though I suppose there's still a chance Rune might show up somewhere in the crowd.

 

[impulsiveLurker]

Personally, I was debating if it being Rune or some random nobody who wasn't even a parahuman or gang affiliated that Browbeat had picked as the obvious secret villain. Though I suppose there's still a chance Rune might show up somewhere in the crowd.

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure Rune still hasn't earned her kneecap privileges back after her attempt at kidnapping Taylor. We probably would've heard if she'd been broken out of PRT custody.

Now, I'm almost certain that Alec and Aisha are at the party, offscreen for now. Maybe even Sabah too, so that all the Undersiders are present to complement the full set of Wards. Circus showing up is a (slim) possibility. Probably not Uber or Leet though, since they're the uncute kind of nerds who don't get invited to the cool kids' party.

 

[Fisherman]

They might invite themselves, however, but this would ruin the party if they do it in their usual way.

 

[Gowonzu]

I'm pretty sure Rune still hasn't earned her kneecap privileges back after her attempt at kidnapping Taylor. We probably would've heard if she'd been broken out of PRT custody.

Now, I'm almost certain that Alec and Aisha are at the party, offscreen for now. Maybe even Sabah too, so that all the Undersiders are present to complement the full set of Wards. Circus showing up is a (slim) possibility. Probably not Uber or Leet though, since they're the uncute kind of nerds who don't get invited to the cool kids' party.

Click to shrink...

Alec and Aisha are already at the party. They ran off to swim in the prior chapter. We'll see them again in the next chapter or so.

IDK how old Uber and Leet are canonically, but i always pictured them as adults, late 20/early 30's nerds.

 

[Crazael]

IDK how old Uber and Leet are canonically, but i always pictured them as adults, late 20/early 30's nerds.

Click to shrink...

I tend to picture them being mid to late 20s, personally. So maybe young enough to show up at the party, but they'd be at the upper limit and would probably only be tolerated because they were able to supply a fair amount of alcohol.