Chapter 22
Thread Necromancer
Creator of "mean" and/or "excessive" things
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The Skittering Chaos Chapter 22
Absolutely huge thanks to Scheissdrauf who beta'd this chapter and now the previous chapter as well. If you are so inclined, I would highly recommend reading the previous chapter to see what improvements have been made to it. Without further ado, please enjoy chapter twenty two~!
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Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Of course, it's not like we won't hug again. It's been far too long for me not to try to hug Mom again, and I know Mom'll too. Even so, the hug has to end. I pull away from Mom and turn to see the clones noticing my forces looking in. Adam and Sherrel are poking their heads in while my imps are watching what's going on.
"Going by the fact that you ain't shooting at each other, and that whole hug there, that you know these guys, Skitty?" Adam asks as I nod.
"Yeah, this is my Mom," I say as Mom steps forward while I place a hand on her shoulder. It's strange being able to do that for once.
"Hello, I'm Annette, I'm glad that Taylor could find someone to help her out after everything that's happened. Though, Taylor," she starts before turning to me. "While it did help us find you so quickly, did you really have to go back to being a warlord so soon?"
"Mom-" I start but she interrupts.
"I mean considering the kinds of stuff that goes on down here I don't blame you, but couldn't you have taken some time off and maybe relaxed a bit? I mean you just got out of figurative Hell, surely you could have taken a load off, maybe… no, you've had hang ups about that kind of stuff, but…" Mom tries to continue, but she shakes her head, wraps her hands around my waist again and pulls me close.
"Sorry, I'm babbling, it's just. It's just. Watching your career, seeing you get 'out'ed, and then go to Endbringer fights, it's just. I don't feel like you've been taking care of yourself is all. Then there was everything with…" she pauses again, before pulling away. "We can talk about it another time. It… well, things were, and some still are rather sensitive with Rose and Scurry, Satan only knows how bad it will be with your paranoid clone when we finally find her."
"There's still another clone out there?" I ask Mom and she nods. I vaguely remember there being three clones, with Rose likely being the one who didn't speak at all, and Scurry was obviously the rat controller we called Chitter. There had still been the paranoid one who'd called into question Lisa's motives and everything else. Scurry starts to speak up but Sherrel interrupts:
"Hold on, clones? Like, evil clones?" Sherrel asks.
"Maybe once, but not anymore," Mom says with a bit of force, while I lean over.
"Not anymore?" I ask in a low voice while Mom shake her head.
"Mastering goes away after, and while Echidna affected their personalities, a part of their hatred was at least partially to do with mastering, your… we can talk about this later, or, no your sisters can tell you when they're ready," Mom says, I want to press her on it but Adam speaks up:
"Shit Skitty, you sure you ain't the hero or some shit of your own comic book and shit? 'Cause shit like that is exactly the kind of bullshit that a comic book hero ends up messing around with," Adam asks and I shake my head, a small breathy snort coming out. Sherrel meanwhile decides to continue his point.
"Hey, you were a villain, so wouldn't that mean that they're you're good twins rather than your evil twins?" she asks, her usual open mouth shifting to a toothy grin.
"There's more to it than that," Scurry comments, looking down a bit as she plays with her sleeve a bit, like I used to do back in high school, though as she says that Mom jumps in.
"None of my daughters are evil"
"Shit mamma bird, I know, I get that shit, we was just having a bit of fun. And obviously there's going to be more to that shit, can't just do evil clone and play it straight, that shit boring, there's always a story line or some shit that makes this clone different then that-" Adam starts to say before Mom this time interrupts him.
"Look, lets get back on track, I never did get your names. Though, considering that you've set up the Merchants again, and the fact that you look like a sex doll version of yourself, I'm going to assume that you're Squealer," Mom starts as she looks at Sherrel before turning to look at Adam. "And going by the bandana, Skidmark right?"
"Shit, got it in one, how about that," Adam replies. As he does so, I hear a buzz from my phone and take a brief look at it.
Anthony: Got everything secured boss, and we're going to drop your guy's loot off at your warehouse, make sure to be there to pick it up and keep people from stealing shit.
Pulling the phone out fully, I type up a quick text to Anthony and send it off.
Skitter: Bring us the APC, the van is out of commission.
"Anthony's coming to deliver the armoured vehicle that the Crimson gang had to us," I say as Sherrel's face lights up, her toothy grin spreading even wider, turning practically manic.
"Aw fuck yeah, serves the bastard right for fucking up my ride!"
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Like a lot of APCs, the one that came up for us looks like someone had strapped wheels to a somewhat rounded cargo container. The PRT had a sleeker ride though and the turret on top was a containment foam sprayer most of the time. Amusingly the PRT ones were more intimidating even though this one has an anti-personnel cannon on top of it. The moment it drives up, Sherrel squeals in delight as she runs towards the vehicle. As she does so, her bits begin to bounce around; jiggling in ways I can't help but watch. As she runs to the APC, her rear…
Then I hear Mom snort, and look over to her to see her smirking at me. I'm about to look away, when I notice that beside her are my two clones, both of them staring at Sherrel in a similar way. Rose had even lowered her glasses and has a smile on her face, while Scurry's blush is turning her face red as she keeps trying to look away before her eyes get drawn back to Sherrel fawning over her new APC. Had they… but I shake my head. It's this place. Angel said it himself, that this place changes people, eventually. After all, since Hell is so full of sin, it makes sense that eventually people'll change to their environment, and my clones had obviously been corrupted.
I don't even like girls in that way…
Shaking my head, I look away from the APC and the admittedly eye drawing form of Sherrel's shapely body. Instead I look off to the distance, past Mom before frowning. So I found Mom, I need to figure out who else died. Alec's still over in Canada, probably. If I'm able to use that VTOL of hers, then it might avoid the issue of the dangers that Adam and Sherrel dealt with while out in the wastes. Plus it would be faster. From there, then maybe I can figure out who died from Golden Morning. Not many under my control died, though there were some sacrifices. Despite not being entirely there, a whisper trapped in my own body really, I… don't remember any of my friends dying. Even so, it would be good to get reassurance. I know Lisa's alive, Blitzo confirmed it, but perhaps I can negotiate with the imp to figure out who else died?
Though, Mom has resources. She wouldn't have found me otherwise, not to mention the VTOL. Better safe than sorry just in case Blitzo can't find them for one reason or another. Plus, maybe it will prepare her to see Dad again. I… I know we never moved on, but maybe…?
"Mom…" I say, drawing her attention once more. "I think that Dad… he might be dead, he might be down here with us."
Mom blinks and frowns. "I kind of assumed that was the case. Though I already have some private investigators looking for Danny since my usual source for finding people has been rather reticent as of late to help me locate people as of a few months ago. I had to hire one for you as well, but now I don't have to keep paying him to look for you now. As for Danny, I'm not sure if he made it out alright or not, and with news on the surface being rather sparse now in addition to the internet just being gone up there on Bet and a few other worlds, I couldn't be sure. Hell, I wasn't even sure you were dead until my investigator got a lead about someone named Skitter hiring Mr. Spade to go looking for one of your old team mates."
So Mom had been watching my cape career, or at least, was watching the official broadcast about me, though depending on when she or the clones found each other, she might have found out about my time as Skitter fairly close after the whole Echidna debacle. Likely a highly biased view in one way or another depending on how Echidna's mind bending affected the clone's personalities and perspective on things "So you get news about the world here?"
"Yup, while most of the stuff is made here in Hell, there are quite a lot of pay to view channels on the TV that deal with the various Earths they connect to," Mom says as she nods along. "I mainly just watched the Earth Bet channels but I doubt that there's going to be much else on other than the various emergency broadcast channels."
"Yeah, I guess so," I say as I turn away and start to head towards the APC. As I do I call out, my bugs buzzing to alert my imps as well. "Come on; let's get out of here before something else happens."
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As we turn onto our street, the small crowd that had gathered outside all freeze as we drive closer. The whole of the APC is still painted up to look like it's a Crimson vehicle after all. A few from the crowd break away and run to the door of the shelter while others merely stand there. I feel someone starting to use magic in the crowd.
Which promptly dies away as I form a bug clone, standing atop the APC while the rest of the imps round the corner behind us. Imps and a few others are sticking their fists out of the windows as cheers erupt from the small crowd who had been waiting for us.
The hero's triumphant return if I've ever seen one. Sherrel drives us right to the crowd, while others shove the doors open and climb out. A few imps get engulfed by the crowd as slowly we stumble our way towards the exit of the APC. A few of my girls have already begun to kiss a few of the heroes while the rest of us hop out the back. Grabbing the dried out husk of the Beast, I make my way out as well. As I reach the back of the APC, I fling the corpse ahead of me to land in an open spot on the ground before jumping out myself.
"The Beast is dead, and Crimson is no more!" I shout, and immediately the crowd explodes in cheers once more. Some run up and start attacking the corpse, kicking it, clawing at it. Others come up and I get hugged a few times while I try to reciprocate. There are a few calls of "thank you" mixed in with the cheering while I followed Glenn's steps in how to appear to bask in the praise for moment. While this victory isn't much, and probably doesn't deserve this kind of praise, it is nice none the less. I never dealt with the public much, and the closest to this kind of reaction were the cheers of Boston's political elite raising their glasses to me and the rest of the Wards, or when I returned from fighting back to my territory, though it's closer to the later now.
Of course there are those other PR events, but I avoided those as much as I could. They were a waste of time, and while I did have my fans, I knew I could better spend my time researching, or training myself and the others. I hadn't given myself up for a chance of fame and recognition; I'd already started to get some of it after the entire Echidna debacle took place.
"Like an Amazonian princess returning from conquest," Mom notes behind me as she jumps down. I look back at her.
"You disapprove?" I ask, as despite how the Amazonians of Greek legend were great symbols of female empowerment, they were still barbarians and uncivilised. Yet Mom shakes her head.
"No, not in the slightest. Circumstance makes us and despite all these trappings of civilisation, there is a distinct lack of civility in this city. Even before in Brockton Bay it was similar, but at least there were places where we could get away from it all and just enjoy ourselves for a bit. Here, well… the places that are safe are rather more limited," the last part has her gaze turning off in a certain direction towards the sky scrapers. Though, I can't see where myself.
Turning her head she looks up at the building I'm restoring with the various rafters hanging off the thing, imps either working or watching the festivities as windows are repaired.
"I'd heard you already likely had a place, though I assumed that you were crashing with some friends," Mom said and I shrug.
"It's something of a recent expansion, I needed somewhere to put the people rescued from Crimson, and no one was using it so I've taken it over. It's also got an office that I've started to use as well," Mom nods along, though as she nods she spots a few of the signs that the imps have put up on the sides of the building. Generic neon lights of an XXX, something I remember signing off of without really thinking about it.
"Getting involved in prostitution?" Mom asks lightly, seemingly catching the notice of my clones as well as they look over to where Mom's looking now. Mom herself has moved on though, looking around at the girls, possibly with a new light.
"I'm more just giving them a safe place where they can work their trade, most of them would have ended up doing so anyways, and those that aren't interested are already about to move on or are working with Skidmark on his drug operation," I try to explain but Mom doesn't really react except for a knowing smile as she looks at me, a slight and nearly silent chuckle coming from the owl demon. Then she turns back to my base while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. By now I've shrunk down, no longer the massive creature I'd become after drinking the Beast's blood. While I'm still am a bit taller than Mom in my true demon form, it isn't by much.
"I'm sure that was the only reason you opened this place up Taylor," she says, though I don't really know what she's implying. Yes the money is nice, but with how things are, looting from the corpses of my enemies is far more profitable. Speaking of enemies, I ought to check on how the vigilantes are doing, though not now.
"The money is nice," I mutter, not really wanting to lie to Mom, but that just makes her chuckle harder.
"Right, money," she says, a bit of a blush forming on my cheeks, finally realising what she's implying. To be fair, the lot of them are generally all good looking, and some of them are exceptionally beautiful even in their emaciated state, enough that it would have made me extremely jealous back when I was a teen. I like to think that I've grown beyond that now though.
"Well, aren't you going to show me around? Maybe let me see what exactly you've got going for yourself here? I'd love to see what my little owl has managed to get done in just a month," Mom says as her smile turns from cheeky to just happy. I mirror her while a few people seem to take notice.
Oh god, that stupid rumour. I hope Mom doesn't hear it while we're here. Meanwhile, I sense a certain mouse making her way through the crowd before slipping in near me.
"You know, you never did tell me what you do now," I say, giving a bit of a hint towards the direction I want the conversation to go. Plus, keeping this up would be a good way of keeping Mom from hearing the rumour as well.
"Oh you're right! We've just been all caught up in finally seeing each other and being together and all of this I haven't even told you about anything I've done since I got here. I know the broad details of what you've been doing up top but you've heard nothing about me for the past three years! We've got a lot of catching up to do my little owl, or should I call you my little moth hmm?" she asks as my smile widens a bit as I bump her.
"Whatever works Mom," I say as she giggles a bit.
"Alright then, well I guess to start off things have been going absolutely great for me. I mean there was a rough patch at the start. I first arrived butt naked with horny demons all over the place in some small city out in the wastelands. Yet, I got a bit luckier than most since I actually was able to get away from the horny hordes of hellions and ended up in a fight after finding a cadaver with a loaded gun. Things were a lot calmer back then, but it didn't help that I managed to piss off what seems like the whole damn city," and then she starts to regale me on her journey through Hell, her raging rampage through the streets of New Roe as she took on a cult called the "Followers of Aphrodite" that had taken over the small wasteland city and how things had just kept snowballing. It almost sounds like something straight out of an action flick that the male wards would like to pick when they got to choose for movie night.
Mimi meanwhile follows as we make our way to my office. She doesn't speak up, but she is there. Mom notices her but continues on with her story of everything that's been going on, how she ended up getting recruited by Lilith of all things after dealing with the cultists. Lately she's been body guarding one of Hell's princesses, a girl named Charlie who's up here in the Ring of Pride doing charity work.
What a world, where a demon born of Hell is a better person that most of us humans turned demons. Then again, I guess that's why all of us are in Hell and have been turned into demons, when we're just as bad if not worse than the Hell-born demons. Going by all the shootings, the general chaos and disregard for life that we seem to have up here on the ring of Pride, maybe there's a good reason why we apparently can't got to the other rings of Hell?
"So that's the gist of it, I left out a lot of parts though," Mom says as we enter the office, Scurry and Rose still with us along with Mimi. As we enter, Mom rounds on her, giving her a once over.
"Friend or girlfriend?" she asks.
"What?" the two of us ask nearly in unison as I'm still trying to register what she said, but Mom just giggles a bit.
"You know what I mean," she says, strutting over to Mimi who's stuck looking up at her. "I mean I don't know your type really. I know Rose and Scurry's but not yours. After all, you weren't old enough to have a type when the accident happened."
Mom continues to stalk around Mimi, inspecting her up and down like a predator. Mimi keep her wits though, merely sticking her hands in her pocket and cocking her hips. I can feel a bit of a fiery pulse in Mimi and I know that she keeps her gun in her pocket. Mimi's no doubt has quite a bit of experience dealing with rather predatory people.
"Mom," I start to say but Mimi replies to her question right after.
"Friend," is all she says, and Mom makes a clicking sound, almost sounding disappointed.
"And you're so cute too," Mom says, the disappointment rolling off her tongue and I can imagine her almost pouting were it not for the beak. Then she looks over to me while pulling away from Mimi, "but then I guess you're going through the same thing as the others," she says while the clones share a knowing look. I don't like that knowing look, but at least it isn't conspiratorial, merely the kind of look siblings or friends give to each other when something's ironic. Which doesn't really make much sense; I've never shown any interest in women, even if I can clearly understand and see what some men enjoy in regards to women.
Looking over to Mimi briefly, while she's petite in the chest, she does have what the boys from the Wards would call "thick thighs." They're nothing on Sherrel's which could probably have smothered Leviathan were she to wrap them around his face. Plus, she's certainly cute, though that could be the mouse thing going for her with the rather large ears, curious look, and baggy hoodie on her. Right, enough of that, moving on.
I sit down at my desk; the sound of music starting up begins from one of the boom boxes that someone had already bought. From it I can hear the latest pop music of Hell playing as the party downstairs starts to kick off once again. The clones moves to the window and take a peak outside down to the main part of the floor. MILF hadn't finished putting up solid flooring so there is still space to look through to the main floor where the party is starting to pick up.
"I guess one thing has stayed the same," Scurry says as she looks out to the floor.
"What's that?" I ask, but she doesn't look at me.
"The Merchants, they're still having parties all the time…" she says before rounding on me. "So, Skidmark… really?"
Her expression is like a looking glass into my old life, a mirror staring accusingly at me and my body. Only this isn't some mirror, and the accusing expression isn't over my inadequate body.
"Repayment of a deed well done and he has changed," I say and her eyebrow rises.
"Is that so? While I can certainly say you've changed, you could certainly fit in with Squealer with a slight change in attire," she snipes and while I could take that as an insult, I instead quirk my lips a bit smiling at her, and her still gawky and strangely proportioned teenage body. She's definitely jealous. "But he seems the same, still running drugs, still running a gang, still… well still doing everything he did before."
That part, however, puts a bit of a damper to my amusement. "My fault unfortunately, in truth. Before I came along, he was an upstanding citizen. More than upstanding really, down right heroic if how we met is anything to go by how he acted before I met him again."
"Really, we're worse than Skidmark? I highly doubt it," she says.
"Now Scurry, just because someone ended up in a bad place doesn't mean that they're bad people. After all, I'm sure we've all done things while in a bad place. I mean the three of you ended up villains after all," Mom says, no accusation in her voice
"No, he was definitely a bad person, but like you said, Mom, he did change." I say. "The Skidmark we knew before though is no more. I don't know exactly when he died, but at some point he and Squealer turned their lives around for the better here in Hell. Pulling themselves from the gutter and made themselves a nice little living across the street. Granted it is a drug mill that he made himself to make ends meet, but with how our demonic regeneration works and the fact that there's no laws against it, drugs far less of an issue than in the living world."
"Huh, I wonder what changed," Scurry asks.
"Lots of things, he arrived in Hell, had a kid, and a few other things, which begs the question, what about you two? What happened after you both ended up here?" I ask, finally catching the attention of my less socially inclined clone.
"I kind of just wandered around for a bit before finding Mom, or well, she found me. I didn't know she was here until she was chasing me down an alleyway. I… she thought I was you, and for a bit I didn't have the heart to tell her," she said, looking away from us to Mom, holding her arm as if shamed by it but Mom just walks over and wraps Rose up in the hug.
"You should have seen the look on my face. I ended up stopping in the crowd for a solid minute. Accidentally scared my little Rose into a pack of biters and I only just managed to save her in time," she says while rubbing her chin against Rose's head between the horns.
"What changed?" I ask.
"I saw Scurry one day." I look over to Scurry, but she looks away, instead finding her rat suddenly rather interesting, pulling a bit of cheese from a pocket and passing it to it.
"I don't want to talk about it," she says, her words firm, the entirety of her focus on her pet as she stroked it's fur, even nuzzling it's nose a bit. Mom meanwhile reaches over and puts a hand on her shoulder, and with a tug, she comes over while Mom hugs them both. I guess that's fair enough. I look to Mom but she just shakes her head and her head leans over so that her beak is pointing down at Scurry. I guess if she wants to, Scurry will tell me about what happened in due time, if ever.
"Alright then. If you wish, feel free to take part in the rest of the festivities," I say. The pair frown, almost confused a moment, until I send a buzzing insect by them. I know what my teenage self would have thought. Neither objects. Rose nods before extracting herself from Mom's hug and heading out of the office when something buzzes in Scurry's pocket and she pulls out a cell phone. She shares one look with Mom who just giggles.
"Sorry, I have to take this," she says before making a speedy retreat from the room as well. The name on the screen is too far away to see, but the picture is that of an owl demon. Not Mom, but of someone else, someone younger, and wearing a beanie. Mom almost looks at me expectedly, but after a moment of nothing, Mom herself frowns as she tilts her head.
"Not going to join in on the fun?" she asks, but I shake my head.
"I still have things to do. I need to figure out how to integrate the Raz family into the Merchants properly, I have to plan a trip to Canada to see if I can bring an old team mate, Regent, into the fold, and I have a letter I need to write," while from the drawer, I pull out some paper and a pencil.
"A letter, to whom?" Mom asks, and I hesitate a moment, remembering what Blitzo said, that communication between the living world and the world of the dead is strictly prohibited. Not to mention those rules were likely made by her boss' husband. Would it really be a good idea to tell her this? But then, she's Mom.
"To one of my team mates that's still alive, I've recently found a way that I can get a letter to her. Though it costs a fair bit," I say while an eyebrow rises.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? How do you know they're not scamming you?" she asks.
"I've met a few of their employees and quite a few of my imps are actually family to one. They vouched for their company, it wasn't the boss by the way," I say while writing out the initial part of "Dear Lisa" though I don't continue just yet.
"Okay, um, who are they?" Mom asks.
"A company going by I.M.P, they're apparently a company specialising in assassinating targets in the living world. They agreed to deliver this letter however," I say as a bit of recognition dawns on Mom's face.
"Oh, that's that company who's Stolas' lover runs," then her eyes widen more as she seemingly realises something. "So that's why Stolas couldn't help me with finding you guys," she mutters under her breath, though I still catch it. Then she notices my tilted head and slightly twitching antennae.
"Oh, sorry, just some Ars Goetia drama that's kind of putting Scurry's girlfriend through a rough patch at the moment. Anyways, just something to include in your letter, or maybe even to get you to reconsider writing it, is that we, and by we I mean those in charge, do not like the idea of Hell existing getting out," Mom says, matter of factly.
"Why's that?" Mimi asks, piping up as Mom leans back against the wall.
"Well, imagine that people actually knew that there was an afterlife? Now, who wants to end up in Hell, I mean really?" Mom asks as I look to Mimi and she looks back before we shake our heads at her.
"Had I known you were here, maybe," I say, though I would effectively be abandoning my friends, and possibly even Dad were I to do so. I'd see Mom, but what about everyone else? While I love Mom, and in no way would I ever do anything to push her away… she is only one bit of my social web. Sure, the Undersiders were villains and… well weren't the best influence on me, but they're still friends; good friends that I'll never regret meeting.
While it sounds bad, Lisa, well Lisa and I might have eventually ended up like Emma and I once had been had I not run off to the Wards, without the betrayal and backstabbing of course… I would hope.
"Besides that. If people knew for sure that there really was a Heaven and Hell, they would certainly try to get into Heaven, and the elite of Hell wouldn't get anyone to play with or refill the ranks of those who suffered their final death during the purges," Mom explains, and it does make sense. Though, other than minor tweaks, I doubt I would have changed what I'd done. I'd felt they had been necessary at the time, even if some of my old decisions almost give me conniptions if I dwell on them for too long.
"I don't think it would have mattered with me. I… my head was pretty messed up," Mimi says, looking away. Mom merely nods and doesn't pry.
"Sometimes it's like that. Anyways, Taylor, just, whoever you're writing to, please impress upon them that they need to keep the fact that Hell exists a secret they take to their grave, okay?" Mom asks as I nod.
"Don't worry, despite her name, Tattletale knows how to be discreet," I say before putting my pencil back to the paper. Now, time to actually write this letter. I've been putting it off for too long.
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Please like and comment if you enjoyed this.
Absolutely huge thanks to Scheissdrauf who beta'd this chapter and now the previous chapter as well. If you are so inclined, I would highly recommend reading the previous chapter to see what improvements have been made to it. Without further ado, please enjoy chapter twenty two~!
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Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Of course, it's not like we won't hug again. It's been far too long for me not to try to hug Mom again, and I know Mom'll too. Even so, the hug has to end. I pull away from Mom and turn to see the clones noticing my forces looking in. Adam and Sherrel are poking their heads in while my imps are watching what's going on.
"Going by the fact that you ain't shooting at each other, and that whole hug there, that you know these guys, Skitty?" Adam asks as I nod.
"Yeah, this is my Mom," I say as Mom steps forward while I place a hand on her shoulder. It's strange being able to do that for once.
"Hello, I'm Annette, I'm glad that Taylor could find someone to help her out after everything that's happened. Though, Taylor," she starts before turning to me. "While it did help us find you so quickly, did you really have to go back to being a warlord so soon?"
"Mom-" I start but she interrupts.
"I mean considering the kinds of stuff that goes on down here I don't blame you, but couldn't you have taken some time off and maybe relaxed a bit? I mean you just got out of figurative Hell, surely you could have taken a load off, maybe… no, you've had hang ups about that kind of stuff, but…" Mom tries to continue, but she shakes her head, wraps her hands around my waist again and pulls me close.
"Sorry, I'm babbling, it's just. It's just. Watching your career, seeing you get 'out'ed, and then go to Endbringer fights, it's just. I don't feel like you've been taking care of yourself is all. Then there was everything with…" she pauses again, before pulling away. "We can talk about it another time. It… well, things were, and some still are rather sensitive with Rose and Scurry, Satan only knows how bad it will be with your paranoid clone when we finally find her."
"There's still another clone out there?" I ask Mom and she nods. I vaguely remember there being three clones, with Rose likely being the one who didn't speak at all, and Scurry was obviously the rat controller we called Chitter. There had still been the paranoid one who'd called into question Lisa's motives and everything else. Scurry starts to speak up but Sherrel interrupts:
"Hold on, clones? Like, evil clones?" Sherrel asks.
"Maybe once, but not anymore," Mom says with a bit of force, while I lean over.
"Not anymore?" I ask in a low voice while Mom shake her head.
"Mastering goes away after, and while Echidna affected their personalities, a part of their hatred was at least partially to do with mastering, your… we can talk about this later, or, no your sisters can tell you when they're ready," Mom says, I want to press her on it but Adam speaks up:
"Shit Skitty, you sure you ain't the hero or some shit of your own comic book and shit? 'Cause shit like that is exactly the kind of bullshit that a comic book hero ends up messing around with," Adam asks and I shake my head, a small breathy snort coming out. Sherrel meanwhile decides to continue his point.
"Hey, you were a villain, so wouldn't that mean that they're you're good twins rather than your evil twins?" she asks, her usual open mouth shifting to a toothy grin.
"There's more to it than that," Scurry comments, looking down a bit as she plays with her sleeve a bit, like I used to do back in high school, though as she says that Mom jumps in.
"None of my daughters are evil"
"Shit mamma bird, I know, I get that shit, we was just having a bit of fun. And obviously there's going to be more to that shit, can't just do evil clone and play it straight, that shit boring, there's always a story line or some shit that makes this clone different then that-" Adam starts to say before Mom this time interrupts him.
"Look, lets get back on track, I never did get your names. Though, considering that you've set up the Merchants again, and the fact that you look like a sex doll version of yourself, I'm going to assume that you're Squealer," Mom starts as she looks at Sherrel before turning to look at Adam. "And going by the bandana, Skidmark right?"
"Shit, got it in one, how about that," Adam replies. As he does so, I hear a buzz from my phone and take a brief look at it.
Anthony: Got everything secured boss, and we're going to drop your guy's loot off at your warehouse, make sure to be there to pick it up and keep people from stealing shit.
Pulling the phone out fully, I type up a quick text to Anthony and send it off.
Skitter: Bring us the APC, the van is out of commission.
"Anthony's coming to deliver the armoured vehicle that the Crimson gang had to us," I say as Sherrel's face lights up, her toothy grin spreading even wider, turning practically manic.
"Aw fuck yeah, serves the bastard right for fucking up my ride!"
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Like a lot of APCs, the one that came up for us looks like someone had strapped wheels to a somewhat rounded cargo container. The PRT had a sleeker ride though and the turret on top was a containment foam sprayer most of the time. Amusingly the PRT ones were more intimidating even though this one has an anti-personnel cannon on top of it. The moment it drives up, Sherrel squeals in delight as she runs towards the vehicle. As she does so, her bits begin to bounce around; jiggling in ways I can't help but watch. As she runs to the APC, her rear…
Then I hear Mom snort, and look over to her to see her smirking at me. I'm about to look away, when I notice that beside her are my two clones, both of them staring at Sherrel in a similar way. Rose had even lowered her glasses and has a smile on her face, while Scurry's blush is turning her face red as she keeps trying to look away before her eyes get drawn back to Sherrel fawning over her new APC. Had they… but I shake my head. It's this place. Angel said it himself, that this place changes people, eventually. After all, since Hell is so full of sin, it makes sense that eventually people'll change to their environment, and my clones had obviously been corrupted.
I don't even like girls in that way…
Shaking my head, I look away from the APC and the admittedly eye drawing form of Sherrel's shapely body. Instead I look off to the distance, past Mom before frowning. So I found Mom, I need to figure out who else died. Alec's still over in Canada, probably. If I'm able to use that VTOL of hers, then it might avoid the issue of the dangers that Adam and Sherrel dealt with while out in the wastes. Plus it would be faster. From there, then maybe I can figure out who died from Golden Morning. Not many under my control died, though there were some sacrifices. Despite not being entirely there, a whisper trapped in my own body really, I… don't remember any of my friends dying. Even so, it would be good to get reassurance. I know Lisa's alive, Blitzo confirmed it, but perhaps I can negotiate with the imp to figure out who else died?
Though, Mom has resources. She wouldn't have found me otherwise, not to mention the VTOL. Better safe than sorry just in case Blitzo can't find them for one reason or another. Plus, maybe it will prepare her to see Dad again. I… I know we never moved on, but maybe…?
"Mom…" I say, drawing her attention once more. "I think that Dad… he might be dead, he might be down here with us."
Mom blinks and frowns. "I kind of assumed that was the case. Though I already have some private investigators looking for Danny since my usual source for finding people has been rather reticent as of late to help me locate people as of a few months ago. I had to hire one for you as well, but now I don't have to keep paying him to look for you now. As for Danny, I'm not sure if he made it out alright or not, and with news on the surface being rather sparse now in addition to the internet just being gone up there on Bet and a few other worlds, I couldn't be sure. Hell, I wasn't even sure you were dead until my investigator got a lead about someone named Skitter hiring Mr. Spade to go looking for one of your old team mates."
So Mom had been watching my cape career, or at least, was watching the official broadcast about me, though depending on when she or the clones found each other, she might have found out about my time as Skitter fairly close after the whole Echidna debacle. Likely a highly biased view in one way or another depending on how Echidna's mind bending affected the clone's personalities and perspective on things "So you get news about the world here?"
"Yup, while most of the stuff is made here in Hell, there are quite a lot of pay to view channels on the TV that deal with the various Earths they connect to," Mom says as she nods along. "I mainly just watched the Earth Bet channels but I doubt that there's going to be much else on other than the various emergency broadcast channels."
"Yeah, I guess so," I say as I turn away and start to head towards the APC. As I do I call out, my bugs buzzing to alert my imps as well. "Come on; let's get out of here before something else happens."
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As we turn onto our street, the small crowd that had gathered outside all freeze as we drive closer. The whole of the APC is still painted up to look like it's a Crimson vehicle after all. A few from the crowd break away and run to the door of the shelter while others merely stand there. I feel someone starting to use magic in the crowd.
Which promptly dies away as I form a bug clone, standing atop the APC while the rest of the imps round the corner behind us. Imps and a few others are sticking their fists out of the windows as cheers erupt from the small crowd who had been waiting for us.
The hero's triumphant return if I've ever seen one. Sherrel drives us right to the crowd, while others shove the doors open and climb out. A few imps get engulfed by the crowd as slowly we stumble our way towards the exit of the APC. A few of my girls have already begun to kiss a few of the heroes while the rest of us hop out the back. Grabbing the dried out husk of the Beast, I make my way out as well. As I reach the back of the APC, I fling the corpse ahead of me to land in an open spot on the ground before jumping out myself.
"The Beast is dead, and Crimson is no more!" I shout, and immediately the crowd explodes in cheers once more. Some run up and start attacking the corpse, kicking it, clawing at it. Others come up and I get hugged a few times while I try to reciprocate. There are a few calls of "thank you" mixed in with the cheering while I followed Glenn's steps in how to appear to bask in the praise for moment. While this victory isn't much, and probably doesn't deserve this kind of praise, it is nice none the less. I never dealt with the public much, and the closest to this kind of reaction were the cheers of Boston's political elite raising their glasses to me and the rest of the Wards, or when I returned from fighting back to my territory, though it's closer to the later now.
Of course there are those other PR events, but I avoided those as much as I could. They were a waste of time, and while I did have my fans, I knew I could better spend my time researching, or training myself and the others. I hadn't given myself up for a chance of fame and recognition; I'd already started to get some of it after the entire Echidna debacle took place.
"Like an Amazonian princess returning from conquest," Mom notes behind me as she jumps down. I look back at her.
"You disapprove?" I ask, as despite how the Amazonians of Greek legend were great symbols of female empowerment, they were still barbarians and uncivilised. Yet Mom shakes her head.
"No, not in the slightest. Circumstance makes us and despite all these trappings of civilisation, there is a distinct lack of civility in this city. Even before in Brockton Bay it was similar, but at least there were places where we could get away from it all and just enjoy ourselves for a bit. Here, well… the places that are safe are rather more limited," the last part has her gaze turning off in a certain direction towards the sky scrapers. Though, I can't see where myself.
Turning her head she looks up at the building I'm restoring with the various rafters hanging off the thing, imps either working or watching the festivities as windows are repaired.
"I'd heard you already likely had a place, though I assumed that you were crashing with some friends," Mom said and I shrug.
"It's something of a recent expansion, I needed somewhere to put the people rescued from Crimson, and no one was using it so I've taken it over. It's also got an office that I've started to use as well," Mom nods along, though as she nods she spots a few of the signs that the imps have put up on the sides of the building. Generic neon lights of an XXX, something I remember signing off of without really thinking about it.
"Getting involved in prostitution?" Mom asks lightly, seemingly catching the notice of my clones as well as they look over to where Mom's looking now. Mom herself has moved on though, looking around at the girls, possibly with a new light.
"I'm more just giving them a safe place where they can work their trade, most of them would have ended up doing so anyways, and those that aren't interested are already about to move on or are working with Skidmark on his drug operation," I try to explain but Mom doesn't really react except for a knowing smile as she looks at me, a slight and nearly silent chuckle coming from the owl demon. Then she turns back to my base while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. By now I've shrunk down, no longer the massive creature I'd become after drinking the Beast's blood. While I'm still am a bit taller than Mom in my true demon form, it isn't by much.
"I'm sure that was the only reason you opened this place up Taylor," she says, though I don't really know what she's implying. Yes the money is nice, but with how things are, looting from the corpses of my enemies is far more profitable. Speaking of enemies, I ought to check on how the vigilantes are doing, though not now.
"The money is nice," I mutter, not really wanting to lie to Mom, but that just makes her chuckle harder.
"Right, money," she says, a bit of a blush forming on my cheeks, finally realising what she's implying. To be fair, the lot of them are generally all good looking, and some of them are exceptionally beautiful even in their emaciated state, enough that it would have made me extremely jealous back when I was a teen. I like to think that I've grown beyond that now though.
"Well, aren't you going to show me around? Maybe let me see what exactly you've got going for yourself here? I'd love to see what my little owl has managed to get done in just a month," Mom says as her smile turns from cheeky to just happy. I mirror her while a few people seem to take notice.
Oh god, that stupid rumour. I hope Mom doesn't hear it while we're here. Meanwhile, I sense a certain mouse making her way through the crowd before slipping in near me.
"You know, you never did tell me what you do now," I say, giving a bit of a hint towards the direction I want the conversation to go. Plus, keeping this up would be a good way of keeping Mom from hearing the rumour as well.
"Oh you're right! We've just been all caught up in finally seeing each other and being together and all of this I haven't even told you about anything I've done since I got here. I know the broad details of what you've been doing up top but you've heard nothing about me for the past three years! We've got a lot of catching up to do my little owl, or should I call you my little moth hmm?" she asks as my smile widens a bit as I bump her.
"Whatever works Mom," I say as she giggles a bit.
"Alright then, well I guess to start off things have been going absolutely great for me. I mean there was a rough patch at the start. I first arrived butt naked with horny demons all over the place in some small city out in the wastelands. Yet, I got a bit luckier than most since I actually was able to get away from the horny hordes of hellions and ended up in a fight after finding a cadaver with a loaded gun. Things were a lot calmer back then, but it didn't help that I managed to piss off what seems like the whole damn city," and then she starts to regale me on her journey through Hell, her raging rampage through the streets of New Roe as she took on a cult called the "Followers of Aphrodite" that had taken over the small wasteland city and how things had just kept snowballing. It almost sounds like something straight out of an action flick that the male wards would like to pick when they got to choose for movie night.
Mimi meanwhile follows as we make our way to my office. She doesn't speak up, but she is there. Mom notices her but continues on with her story of everything that's been going on, how she ended up getting recruited by Lilith of all things after dealing with the cultists. Lately she's been body guarding one of Hell's princesses, a girl named Charlie who's up here in the Ring of Pride doing charity work.
What a world, where a demon born of Hell is a better person that most of us humans turned demons. Then again, I guess that's why all of us are in Hell and have been turned into demons, when we're just as bad if not worse than the Hell-born demons. Going by all the shootings, the general chaos and disregard for life that we seem to have up here on the ring of Pride, maybe there's a good reason why we apparently can't got to the other rings of Hell?
"So that's the gist of it, I left out a lot of parts though," Mom says as we enter the office, Scurry and Rose still with us along with Mimi. As we enter, Mom rounds on her, giving her a once over.
"Friend or girlfriend?" she asks.
"What?" the two of us ask nearly in unison as I'm still trying to register what she said, but Mom just giggles a bit.
"You know what I mean," she says, strutting over to Mimi who's stuck looking up at her. "I mean I don't know your type really. I know Rose and Scurry's but not yours. After all, you weren't old enough to have a type when the accident happened."
Mom continues to stalk around Mimi, inspecting her up and down like a predator. Mimi keep her wits though, merely sticking her hands in her pocket and cocking her hips. I can feel a bit of a fiery pulse in Mimi and I know that she keeps her gun in her pocket. Mimi's no doubt has quite a bit of experience dealing with rather predatory people.
"Mom," I start to say but Mimi replies to her question right after.
"Friend," is all she says, and Mom makes a clicking sound, almost sounding disappointed.
"And you're so cute too," Mom says, the disappointment rolling off her tongue and I can imagine her almost pouting were it not for the beak. Then she looks over to me while pulling away from Mimi, "but then I guess you're going through the same thing as the others," she says while the clones share a knowing look. I don't like that knowing look, but at least it isn't conspiratorial, merely the kind of look siblings or friends give to each other when something's ironic. Which doesn't really make much sense; I've never shown any interest in women, even if I can clearly understand and see what some men enjoy in regards to women.
Looking over to Mimi briefly, while she's petite in the chest, she does have what the boys from the Wards would call "thick thighs." They're nothing on Sherrel's which could probably have smothered Leviathan were she to wrap them around his face. Plus, she's certainly cute, though that could be the mouse thing going for her with the rather large ears, curious look, and baggy hoodie on her. Right, enough of that, moving on.
I sit down at my desk; the sound of music starting up begins from one of the boom boxes that someone had already bought. From it I can hear the latest pop music of Hell playing as the party downstairs starts to kick off once again. The clones moves to the window and take a peak outside down to the main part of the floor. MILF hadn't finished putting up solid flooring so there is still space to look through to the main floor where the party is starting to pick up.
"I guess one thing has stayed the same," Scurry says as she looks out to the floor.
"What's that?" I ask, but she doesn't look at me.
"The Merchants, they're still having parties all the time…" she says before rounding on me. "So, Skidmark… really?"
Her expression is like a looking glass into my old life, a mirror staring accusingly at me and my body. Only this isn't some mirror, and the accusing expression isn't over my inadequate body.
"Repayment of a deed well done and he has changed," I say and her eyebrow rises.
"Is that so? While I can certainly say you've changed, you could certainly fit in with Squealer with a slight change in attire," she snipes and while I could take that as an insult, I instead quirk my lips a bit smiling at her, and her still gawky and strangely proportioned teenage body. She's definitely jealous. "But he seems the same, still running drugs, still running a gang, still… well still doing everything he did before."
That part, however, puts a bit of a damper to my amusement. "My fault unfortunately, in truth. Before I came along, he was an upstanding citizen. More than upstanding really, down right heroic if how we met is anything to go by how he acted before I met him again."
"Really, we're worse than Skidmark? I highly doubt it," she says.
"Now Scurry, just because someone ended up in a bad place doesn't mean that they're bad people. After all, I'm sure we've all done things while in a bad place. I mean the three of you ended up villains after all," Mom says, no accusation in her voice
"No, he was definitely a bad person, but like you said, Mom, he did change." I say. "The Skidmark we knew before though is no more. I don't know exactly when he died, but at some point he and Squealer turned their lives around for the better here in Hell. Pulling themselves from the gutter and made themselves a nice little living across the street. Granted it is a drug mill that he made himself to make ends meet, but with how our demonic regeneration works and the fact that there's no laws against it, drugs far less of an issue than in the living world."
"Huh, I wonder what changed," Scurry asks.
"Lots of things, he arrived in Hell, had a kid, and a few other things, which begs the question, what about you two? What happened after you both ended up here?" I ask, finally catching the attention of my less socially inclined clone.
"I kind of just wandered around for a bit before finding Mom, or well, she found me. I didn't know she was here until she was chasing me down an alleyway. I… she thought I was you, and for a bit I didn't have the heart to tell her," she said, looking away from us to Mom, holding her arm as if shamed by it but Mom just walks over and wraps Rose up in the hug.
"You should have seen the look on my face. I ended up stopping in the crowd for a solid minute. Accidentally scared my little Rose into a pack of biters and I only just managed to save her in time," she says while rubbing her chin against Rose's head between the horns.
"What changed?" I ask.
"I saw Scurry one day." I look over to Scurry, but she looks away, instead finding her rat suddenly rather interesting, pulling a bit of cheese from a pocket and passing it to it.
"I don't want to talk about it," she says, her words firm, the entirety of her focus on her pet as she stroked it's fur, even nuzzling it's nose a bit. Mom meanwhile reaches over and puts a hand on her shoulder, and with a tug, she comes over while Mom hugs them both. I guess that's fair enough. I look to Mom but she just shakes her head and her head leans over so that her beak is pointing down at Scurry. I guess if she wants to, Scurry will tell me about what happened in due time, if ever.
"Alright then. If you wish, feel free to take part in the rest of the festivities," I say. The pair frown, almost confused a moment, until I send a buzzing insect by them. I know what my teenage self would have thought. Neither objects. Rose nods before extracting herself from Mom's hug and heading out of the office when something buzzes in Scurry's pocket and she pulls out a cell phone. She shares one look with Mom who just giggles.
"Sorry, I have to take this," she says before making a speedy retreat from the room as well. The name on the screen is too far away to see, but the picture is that of an owl demon. Not Mom, but of someone else, someone younger, and wearing a beanie. Mom almost looks at me expectedly, but after a moment of nothing, Mom herself frowns as she tilts her head.
"Not going to join in on the fun?" she asks, but I shake my head.
"I still have things to do. I need to figure out how to integrate the Raz family into the Merchants properly, I have to plan a trip to Canada to see if I can bring an old team mate, Regent, into the fold, and I have a letter I need to write," while from the drawer, I pull out some paper and a pencil.
"A letter, to whom?" Mom asks, and I hesitate a moment, remembering what Blitzo said, that communication between the living world and the world of the dead is strictly prohibited. Not to mention those rules were likely made by her boss' husband. Would it really be a good idea to tell her this? But then, she's Mom.
"To one of my team mates that's still alive, I've recently found a way that I can get a letter to her. Though it costs a fair bit," I say while an eyebrow rises.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? How do you know they're not scamming you?" she asks.
"I've met a few of their employees and quite a few of my imps are actually family to one. They vouched for their company, it wasn't the boss by the way," I say while writing out the initial part of "Dear Lisa" though I don't continue just yet.
"Okay, um, who are they?" Mom asks.
"A company going by I.M.P, they're apparently a company specialising in assassinating targets in the living world. They agreed to deliver this letter however," I say as a bit of recognition dawns on Mom's face.
"Oh, that's that company who's Stolas' lover runs," then her eyes widen more as she seemingly realises something. "So that's why Stolas couldn't help me with finding you guys," she mutters under her breath, though I still catch it. Then she notices my tilted head and slightly twitching antennae.
"Oh, sorry, just some Ars Goetia drama that's kind of putting Scurry's girlfriend through a rough patch at the moment. Anyways, just something to include in your letter, or maybe even to get you to reconsider writing it, is that we, and by we I mean those in charge, do not like the idea of Hell existing getting out," Mom says, matter of factly.
"Why's that?" Mimi asks, piping up as Mom leans back against the wall.
"Well, imagine that people actually knew that there was an afterlife? Now, who wants to end up in Hell, I mean really?" Mom asks as I look to Mimi and she looks back before we shake our heads at her.
"Had I known you were here, maybe," I say, though I would effectively be abandoning my friends, and possibly even Dad were I to do so. I'd see Mom, but what about everyone else? While I love Mom, and in no way would I ever do anything to push her away… she is only one bit of my social web. Sure, the Undersiders were villains and… well weren't the best influence on me, but they're still friends; good friends that I'll never regret meeting.
While it sounds bad, Lisa, well Lisa and I might have eventually ended up like Emma and I once had been had I not run off to the Wards, without the betrayal and backstabbing of course… I would hope.
"Besides that. If people knew for sure that there really was a Heaven and Hell, they would certainly try to get into Heaven, and the elite of Hell wouldn't get anyone to play with or refill the ranks of those who suffered their final death during the purges," Mom explains, and it does make sense. Though, other than minor tweaks, I doubt I would have changed what I'd done. I'd felt they had been necessary at the time, even if some of my old decisions almost give me conniptions if I dwell on them for too long.
"I don't think it would have mattered with me. I… my head was pretty messed up," Mimi says, looking away. Mom merely nods and doesn't pry.
"Sometimes it's like that. Anyways, Taylor, just, whoever you're writing to, please impress upon them that they need to keep the fact that Hell exists a secret they take to their grave, okay?" Mom asks as I nod.
"Don't worry, despite her name, Tattletale knows how to be discreet," I say before putting my pencil back to the paper. Now, time to actually write this letter. I've been putting it off for too long.
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