I headed off the boardwalk and into one of the alleys leading into the Docks. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw one of the uniformed enforcers staring at me. I wondered what he was thinking. Good kids didn’t hang out in the Docks, and I doubted I looked the part of a guileless tourist.
The abandoned factories, warehouses and garages of the Docks all blended into one another very quickly. The colors of the building exteriors weren’t different enou-
“Taylor Hebert?”
I freeze.
Slowly, I look for where my name came from. A short guy in a black hoodie leans against the wall. The combination of the hood pulled up over his head and a large brown beard obscures most of his face. “Sup. You’re Taylor Hebert right?” Something is off about his voice.
I stall as my mind races for the appropriate response. Why would he be looking for me by name? A random mugger wouldn’t ask for me personally before demanding my wallet. I realize there is one answer and hurriedly begin to gather a swarm out of sight. He knows I’m a cape.
I look around for anyone else watching. Only a homeless guy slumped against the graffiti covered wall a few yards away. “Why do you ask?” Superhero? Supervillain? One of Tattletale’s friends? Their boss or someone who works for them? None of the possibilities make me any less nervous. I haven’t even been a superhero for a week and already someone is singling me out.
Whoever it is, I hope they don’t have a bee allergy. I don’t have my EpiPens with me.
He sighs in relief. “By Sans’s empty eye sockets, I was worried I had the wrong person.” I finally pin down what is wrong with his voice. It’s feminine. It sounds like a girl wearing a fake beard.
“I really need to talk to you.” I look closer, it is a girl wearing a fake beard! What the hell?! What is this? James Bond?
She gestures to the door of a nearby building. “Can we go somewhere private for a minute?”
“I just met you. Why would I go anywhere with you?” I look at her incredulously. “And why are you wearing a fake beard?” I start gathering insects behind me, keeping the amount low enough where they won’t be noticed but large enough to distract someone and give me time to move the rest of the swarm here. I curse my naivety. I should have had one prepared in advance.
“Oh. This?” She strokes her beard. That is so uncanny. “This is a disguise, and a distraction.” Wait wh-
I feel the bugs behind me being pushed away from the center and throw myself to the side. A black blur shoots past me. Christ! That was close!
Adrenaline kicks in and I call on my swarm. A wave of insects descends on us. I don’t have my costume on, but this is no time to be subtle. There are not nearly as many bugs as I would like. Even with everything from two blocks away buzzing and crawling my way as fast as possible, I don’t know if I can win this.
They’re obviously both capes of some kind. I barely know what one of them can do, and they have done enough research on me to at least know my name. Numbers, surprise, preparation, and unknown capabilities. They have every advantage.
I scramble to my feet as the black blur resolves itself into another girl in a hoodie hovering above the ground. She spins around to face me without any leverage, and a ski mask covers her face as blue eyes lock on mine. Of course she has flight too. This could not get any worse.
I need to run.
Dust kicks up beneath her feet as she charges me again. I direct every bug close enough to attack the pair. Some latch onto her face and her direction veers off to the side. She clips me in the wounded arm as she passes, and my cry of pain is covered up by the loud slam of her impacting the wall behind me.
I feel my bugs dying and spot the other girl waving her arms around, insects falling from the air around her before they can even reach her. She walks toward me menacingly. Right, can’t let her come too close. I bolt in the direction of the homeless man, thankful for at least having the foresight to exercise before I decided to put on a costume. Clearly it was necessary.
I hear the flying girl prying herself out of the wall as I sprint. Pulling out my pepper spray, I try to think about this tactically. I direct wasps and bees to sting everywhere they can. My swarm isn’t even able to pierce through her skin. Just my luck to run into the two capes completely immune to my power. My swarm warns me of another charge and I prepare to dodge, when an overwhelming feeling of fear and dread knocks the breath out of me.
I come to my senses just in time for ski mask girl to slam into me and drive me to the ground, the pepper spray clattering to the floor before it could even be used. Her hand grabs for my wrist with a grip like steel and pushes it to my other one, grabbing that one too as she wrenches my wounded arm. I yell at the sensation and it throbs in agony as she straddles me and pins me down.
Some hornets try their best to gouge out her eyes, but she swats them away and leans in close. “Call off your bugs or I’ll start breaking limbs. We just want to talk.”
I pant in exhaustion and twist my head to look back up at her, still covered in bugs that aren't having any effect. I could blind her, but not before she breaks my arms. I give the command for dispersal and the cloud of pestilence fades away into the rest of the city as they leave.
My heart beats faster as the situation sinks in. I’m trapped. Again. By girls who are better than me. Who think they can torment me however they want.
It’s just like the locker.
Almost as if responding to the thought, my power’s range starts to increase. I struggle not to react by offloading my emotions into my swarm as it expands to three, and then to four blocks. Is this some new aspect of my control? Why didn’t this happen earlier?! I could have used it right about then!
I blink in realization. My range grows when I feel trapped?
I try to inflame that feeling as much as I can. Redmond Welding is about seven blocks away from here. If I can make a bug fly in front of Tattletale, her power should pick up I'm in trouble, right? My range expands slowly and stops at four and a half blocks. No! Keep going! Just a little more!
It doesn’t respond. So much for that idea. Thanks for giving me hope only to take it away. My life had enough of that already.
Beard girl steps up next to us and peers down at me. An acrid scent wafts over us. Is her power pesticides? “This is twice in a row now a plan that should’ve been straightforward ends up barely succeeding.”
I glare at her. “Well I’m sorry to inconvenience you.” I’m about to go on when ski mask girl pulls on my arm again. “Ow! What the hell?!.”
Her grip tightens. “Don’t be rude to her. She’s doing the best she can.”
I try to parse that statement. Is being attacked supposed to be some kind of privilege? Ski mask stops staring me down and looks up at her partner. “Sorry. I got excited and messed up the ambush. I should’ve known the bugs would warn her in time.”
Beard girl waves her off. “Oh. I didn’t mean it like that. You’re doing great. I’m just annoyed at having to be lucky so often.” She pulls out a walkie-talkie and presses the button down. “Complete. Any eyes?”
There’s a pause before a man’s voice crackles over the radio. “One. Down the alleyway.” There were more than just two of them.
I never stood a chance.
Ski mask resumes our staring contest, and beard girl looks over her shoulder to see the homeless guy. He’s still slouched against the wall, watching us with an amused expression.
He points at me. “First time kidnapping someone?” He slurs. I redirect my glare toward him from where I am trapped. Seriously dude? “You going to nab me too?”
Brockton Bay at its finest.
Beard girl laughs. “Nah. I respect your audacity to not run from a cape battle. Here.” She pulls out a stack of twenties. “You have a good day now. If you tell anyone you saw us, we’ll kill you. Etcetera etcetera.”
She throws the bundle overhand at him with a skip and he catches it before it falls to the ground. He nods and walks away. “Not my first rodeo. I won’t tell nobody nothin’.” He hoists his ratty backpack onto his back. “Sorry, bug girl. You ain’t worth it.” The sound of his footsteps recedes as he makes himself scarce.
Well fuck you too. Beard girl focuses back on me. The ground is starting to get uncomfortable and my arm is trying to murder me.
“Thanks for waiting. Have a nice nap!” She bends over me and slaps a hand on my head.
The last thing I see is her stroking the beard, and the world fades to black.
----
I wake up and really want to go back to sleep before I remember. Oh yeah. I’ve been kidnapped.
I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. The insides of the Dock’s abandoned factories all have similar layouts depending on what they produced, so I recognize I am in a back room that factory workers would use on their breaks.
I find a decent sized swarm nearby and pull it toward my location. Which factory doesn’t matter. At least I’m still in the Docks. Once I escape I can find my way back to the Undersiders and hope the terror twins didn’t kidnap my dad too. I’ve figured out roughly where I am, so I look up at the person in front of me and…
I see her.
The reason for my existence smiles down at me and offers her hand. I take it, of course. She doesn’t have the beard anymore, and I smile at the sight of her curly brown hair bouncing as she lifts me up. I am so glad I didn’t harm her. I don’t think I could have lived with myself.
She opens her mouth to speak, and I listen with rapt attention. “Welcome back Taylor. I’m so glad you could join us.” She plays a little with my hair. “This would be so much harder without you, and you definitely needed some perking up.”
My smile stretches even wider, and for once I am thankful for having such a big mouth. I need it to properly express my love for her. I try to do it with words. “It is so good to see you.” I laugh a little.
I had been wanted. By her!
I drop my swarm and let it disperse. It won’t be needed.
She giggles a little too as she unwraps my hair from around her finger, and my heart skips a beat. “You seem happy to see me. Care to share?”
I jump at the chance to tell her. Of course I want to share! “You wanted me! I love you! I would do anything for you! I-” I cut myself off as she steps forwards and embraces me. “I-” It doesn’t want to come out.
She hums into my neck. “Hmmm? Come on. Tell me more.”
My whole body is tingling at her casual willingness to touch me. “I- I feel whole. I haven’t felt that way since-” Since Emma. My insecurities come back and I back off to try to give her space. I don't want to be too clingy. What if she pushes me away?
“Hey now. None of that.” My worries fall away too quickly to be natural as she pulls back her head to rest it on mine. Nose to nose.
I’m being mastered aren’t I? The similarities to Heartbreaker prompt me to twitch a little in fear, but I gaze into her warm brown eyes and can’t bring myself to care. She is the only person who would be mastering me right now, and I love her too much to refuse whatever she wants to do to me. Why would someone ever be afraid of this?
She smiles again at me and I relax, relieved. She didn’t take offense. “Emma isn’t here right now. I am. Don’t let her ruin what we have.” I nod frantically, rubbing against her forehead. I can do that. For her.
She leans back. I don’t even know her name, but then the curly brown hair and freckles running all across her head puts a name to the face. I’ve seen her on the news and she’s identical to the picture on the cape wiki. “You’re Panacea. The healer.”
She dips her head in acknowledgement and replies. “I am. You can call me Amy though. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
I can? I feel a thrill at the thought and gape like a fish as I try to compose what to say to her. She wants me to call her Amy.
Amy starts playing with my hair again and her eyes twinkle with laughter. I’m embarrassing myself in front of her! I focus on her words. I don’t want to miss a single one. ”Yes, we are friends now. I think I will call you Tay. Is that alright?”
I squeak out something that might sound like a yes. She uncoils and recoils my hair around her finger. “So Tay, have anything to tell me, or should I move on to what I want you to do? I’m sure you’re dying to know.”
She’s a hero! The Undersiders! I need to tell her about the Undersiders. “I joined the Undersiders undercover. I can give you everything I have on them if you want.” Only if she wants though. I wouldn’t want to burden her with more responsibility. She works enough as is.
To my surprise she just rolls her eyes. “Oh. That. I already know all about them. More than you, actually.” Really? How would she- no. I shouldn’t doubt her word. If she says she does, then she does. It’s that simple. “Do you remember that plan you had of turning them in once their boss reveals himself?”
What does she want me to do? “Yes I do, Amy.” That name. “Do you want me to stay with them as a mole? For you?”
Please say yes.
She laughs again, and I lose myself in the sound. I could bask in the sound of her laugh forever. “Oh man. I hate to break it to you Tay, but Lisa already knows.” She lets go of my hair and picks up another set of strands from the other side. I listen with astonishment and adoration. “I like you,” She likes me. “but you can be really oblivious sometimes.”
I don’t understand. “Then why am I still on the team?” That doesn’t make sense. The Undersiders wouldn’t want to have a traitor on their team for no reason. Would they?
“You aren’t. Not anymore. You’re on my team now. I’m still working on a name though. I’m sure one will come to me.” She traces my hairline with the hair still rolled around her finger, and I don’t mind the tug as it is pulled across my face. “But I suppose you mean why were you? Lisa thought she could convert you. Turn you before you get the chance to abandon them by showing you how corrupt the Protectorate is.”
She finishes tracing and unwraps my hair. She makes eye contact with me again as she lets it fall. I keep myself from blinking. Her eyes are so beautiful. “It would have worked too. They have a lot of skeletons in their closet, and her power is literally built for uncovering them.”
Hold on. “You don’t care about their boss then? Was I wasting my time?”
“Ha! No, you weren’t.” She steps around me and rests her arm on my shoulders. I lean into it, drinking in her scent. She smells like strawberries. I haven’t felt this safe in years. “I already know it’s Coil. I don’t need you for that Tay.”
I slump. She squeezes me closer. “That isn’t to say I don’t need you at all. I swear you will never feel unwanted again. So don’t be so depressed all the time. You have me now.” She’s rubbing my shoulder in circles and I let myself relax and straighten up. She still wants me. Good.
She continues, making motions with her free arm to elaborate. “I want more parahumans, so you are going to sell out your new teammates to me. Then you are going to help me collect more. Are you up for that?”
We both know that’s a rhetorical question. I would do anything for her, but I get to enjoy the feeling of nodding in obedience. “Definitely. May I ask why though? I don’t really have an idea of what you want. Long term I mean.”
I need to know what she wants so I don’t get pushed away again. I don’t think I could handle it a second time. Not from her.
She pulls herself back. “Hoodie. Off.” I pull it off over my head and fling it into a corner. The arm that used to be around my shoulders gestures to the ground. After some quick thinking I catch on to what she wants me to do, and I lay down on the ground in front of her. She sits herself down with her back toward me, legs straight. “Pull up your shirt please.”
I do, enough to expose my belly, and she rests her head on it like a pillow. She stares up at the ceiling and I have to focus on not shaking at the sensation of her hair on my skin. Amy hums in thought. “I really want at least Tattletale. She is going to be my investigator. Giving me the information I need after my knowledge starts to become unreliable.”
She shifts her position and I move with her to keep her comfortable. “I will need to be careful with her. Sometimes her information is a bit too narrow and she doesn’t see some big things before it is too late, but she will be invaluable.”
I realize my diaphragm is rising as I breathe and stop moving it. I don’t want to disturb her thought process. Amy rubs her chin. “I also want Coil, but getting to him will either be extremely easy or go downhill fast. It’s possible he kills himself or escapes before I can get him, especially with my luck lately, but I’m still going to try.”
Amy rolls over onto her side and captures my eyes with hers. I’m drawn to her and can’t look away, not that I want to. “But Tattletale is the most important one out of your former teammates, and she will be expecting you soon, so you are going to betray them once the rest of our team is ready.” She runs her finger along my neck and my breath hitches. “Understand?”
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I force my mouth to speak. “I understand. Um…” I stop myself from continuing. The thought is stupid, but my worry swells up anyway.
She immediately detects it and winks at me. Amy gets up and I lament at the lack of contact before she commands me. “Sit up please.”
I lurch myself upright and she settles herself down in my lap, facing me and crossing her legs behind my back. “You didn’t have anything to live for before me, did you?”
I nod, and she looks at me in surprise. “I was going to be a superhero.”
Amy giggles and wags her finger in my face. My eyes follow it. “That wasn’t something you were living for. That was you searching. You were looking for a way to die, or at least someone else to live for. If you were really that intent on being a superhero, you wouldn’t have latched onto a group of supervillains out of desperation for some friends.”
She taps my forehead. “You would have joined the Wards. But you didn’t, because you didn’t think they would be the friends you needed.”
My vision unfocuses. She’s right. I know the statistics. The mortality rate in independent heroes is two to three times higher than when you join the Protectorate. I knew that, but I still didn’t take the safe option.
Exactly like she said. I was looking for something to fight for, and the Wards seemed like a high school clique. Not worth it. Not the kind of connection I wanted.
She cups her hand behind my head and forces me to pay attention to her again. “I’ll ask you again. You didn’t have anything to live for before me, did you?”
This time I’m not lying to myself. I close my eyes. “No. Not before you. Thank you.”
“Oh. You’re very welcome.” I hear her inhale but can’t bring myself to look at her. Shame prevents me from interrupting as Amy continues. “You wanted someone to love you, or at least like you. Your father is too stuck in the past to give you the love you crave, and Emma betrayed you for a track star. You felt alone, didn’t you?”
I’m about to say yes when I feel my jaw refuse to move. I finally open my eyes to see Amy is an inch away from me. Her breath tickles my nose. “You don’t have to say anything. You’re one of mine now. I will never let go of you.”
She drains my anxiety away and the shame that has built in my chest settles. “Tell me what’s wrong, Tay. You can trust me.”
I take a deep breath. I need to say this right the first time. “I’m nervous about how I’m going to help you. There are so many better powers than mine. You just said so about Tattletale, and whatever Coil can do.” I see her lips tick up. “What if you don’t need me?”
Amy doesn’t do anything for a long moment. Then she throws up her head and laughs like a maniac.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha-”
I’m confused. “What’s so funny?” This isn’t the nice laugh from earlier. “Amy?” She doesn’t stop.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha-”
She’s wheezing now. “Amy! Are you ok? I didn’t say something bad did I?” She’s still going. “Amy!” I look around. “Help! Something’s wrong with Amy!”
A girl smashes through the wall, and Amy somehow laughs even harder at the sight. The girl’s long blonde hair swirls as she looks around wildly. “What?!” Her eyes land on me and Amy in my lap. She goes red with rage. “What did you do?!” Oh no.
I sputter out a denial as she stomps over to me. Amy abruptly stops laughing and holds out a hand, palm out. “Vicky. Stop.”
She does, but continues to stare icily at me. I avert my eyes. This is the same girl that was wearing the ski mask. I very much don’t want to provoke her. “It wasn’t her. She just said something absolutely hilarious.”
She points at the hole in the wall, the dust of the explosion still in the air. “You’re lucky that we don’t own this building and that is not a load bearing wall, or I would be extremely annoyed with you. You can leave. I need some more time with Tay.”
The girl, Vicky, deflates. “Sorry Amy.” She walks away but Amy claps her hands to stop her.
“Vicky. I really am not mad. You thought I was in danger and did what you warned me you would do. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Vicky turns back to us and Amy reaches up and pets my hair, still looking at her. “I just need some time alone with Tay. It has nothing to do with you or your recent actions.”
Vicky perks up. “Ok Ames. Let me know if you need me. Carol just got back with the stuff you wanted.” She glances at me, no longer attempting to kill me with her glare. “We are ready for the attack when you guys are.”
She floats away and Amy rolls her head back to look at me. “I wasn’t laughing at you. Just at the absurdity of perfect bug control in a multiple block radius being anything except a high value power.”
I’m still lost. “What do you mean? Didn’t you see how worthless it was against you? I couldn’t sting Vicky at all, and you just waved your hands and they all died.”
Amy shakes her head. “You’re not seeing the full picture. Against anyone that isn’t me, your power is a nightmare to fight against. Vicky has some major weaknesses that you could easily get around if you knew how. It gets even worse once you learn how to sense through your swarm too. Eyes and ears everywhere.” I can do that?
She slyly grins at me. “And with me? Well.” She presses her chest against mine and I inhale more strawberry. “What do you know about my power?”
I breathe her in again. “I thought it was healing. That’s what the wiki and the news say, but it obviously isn’t just that.” She smiles wider. “You made a cloud of something that killed my swarm, and you are mastering me constantly right now, right?” She nods. “So what is it really?”
She boops my nose. “Sharp as ever. You’re right. I can heal with it, and that used to be all I did. No side effects either unless I add some. Would you like me to fix your eyesight? I already healed your arm.”
My head snaps to where Bitch injured me. Nothing there. Not even a scar. “Yes. I would like that. Thank you.”
My eyes itch and Amy’s face blurs. She backs up slightly to give me room and I take off my glasses. I see every detail of her smiling face perfectly. This, if nothing else, makes being kidnapped worth it. I keep the image firmly in place in my mind. I never want to forget this.
“But that is not all I am capable of.” Oh right. She hasn’t finished. “My power is complete biological knowledge and manipulation of any living thing I am currently touching.” She draws herself in close enough to kiss. “I can feel your heart beating in excitement right now. Are you enjoying how close I am?”
I am about to embarrass myself again, but the skin of my lips seals over and blocks any attempt at a response. My eyes grow wide in shock and I try to look at where my mouth was.
Amy places a finger on my face and slowly draws a line, my lips unlocking and reshaping itself back to normal like a zipper. “As long as it is living, everything about it is mine to change. I can even combine lifeforms together.” She taps her forehead. “That includes bugs. In fact…”
She pushes me down to the floor. I’m calculating what that means and a memory of Greg Veder, of all people, yammering on about the Zerg army comes to mind. I don’t even notice how close Amy is and jump in surprise when she speaks sensually into my ear. She’s laying on top of me now. “Your power has nothing to do with bugs. It controls all simple minds, not just insects and arachnids. You’ve taken over a crab, remember?”
She licks her lips like looking at a particularly delicious slice of cake. “Size isn’t a requirement at all. Did you know you’ve actually gone through two trigger events back to back?” She wiggles on top of me, and I have never been more glad to be straight. “Your power is almost as strong as it can be without hurting you. Oh, the things we will do together.”
Amy rolls off of me and lays beside me, leaving my chest pounding. I think past the haze of how close she was and keep listening. “You will be my general. The red right hand to the throne of the Red Queen. Tattletale will be my left, doing the spy work, but you?”
She curls onto her side to grab my eyes again with hers. “You will command my armies, and our enemies will fall at your feet as you conquer them in my name. Range will not be a problem. I can create relays of your power. Your processing speed will not matter. I can enhance it, and if I get Blasto I can make more of you to serve under you. A clone army, as cliché as that sounds.”
She stands and I hastily follow her example. “That is the future though. Before you hand over the Undersiders to me, there is something we need to talk about. From this moment on, you are my right hand.”
An evil smile stretches across her face and I feel the urge to smile too. I try to match her. “And being my hand comes with some perks. Carol!”
I hear footsteps approaching from in the distance. The door opens and Brandish, the famous energy weapon wielding member of Brockton Bay’s New Wave, steps in. She’s wearing a black dress that hangs all the way to her ankles and covers everything up to her neck.
I almost facepalm when I realize I never paid attention to what Amy was wearing. That is unforgivable! I hurriedly take in her simple jeans and red t-shirt.
It would be boring on anyone else. On her it frames her as a humble goddess, ready to demand tribute from any who would resist her, but caring of those who call themselves hers. I love every inch of it. It is so much better than my dark green t-shirt and the hoodie in the corner, which is fine because I don’t want to take any attention away from her anyway.
Brandish, Carol as Amy called her so I will too, briefly pays attention to the hole in the wall. Then she focuses on Amy and stills. “Yes, Amy?”
“Get us some chairs.” Amy taps her foot. “I don’t want to be standing for this. My feet might start hurting.”
“Yes, Amy.” She leaves and Amy stops tapping and makes eye contact. I love it when she does that. “Emma.” A dark feeling of depression rises in my chest and any happiness from gazing at her eyes vanishes without a trace.
My face must be broadcasting my discomfort because Amy isn’t smiling any more. “We need to talk about how you want to deal with her. I will not intrude on your revenge, in any form it takes. But I can give you a taste of some of the options.”
She flicks her finger at the door. The sound of chairs dragging across the tiled floor resounds across the factory. “Carol was my adoptive mother, legally, but was anything but in person. She hated me, and I hated her. She never wanted me, and was directly responsible for me losing my real father. He’s in the Birdcage now, because she used me as a hostage in his own house.”
Carol walks in backwards, pulling two metal chairs stacked on top of each other into the room. I take in her appearance in a new light and scowl. She did what?!
Amy grimly purses her lips at my expression. “She is the reason my life was such a mess, and now I’ve made her mine in punishment. Go ahead and say hi.”
I snarl. “Hi. What the hell made you think you could be such a bitch to Amy?” She doesn’t respond and walks around us to set the two chairs behind us. “You have nothing to say? How could you do something like that?!”
She ignores me and strides back to the center of the room. Still and only looking at Amy, who has a slight smirk on her face. “I wiped most of her personality, leaving just enough behind so she can act normal at work and do whatever I say. Carol, respond to Tay’s greeting.”
Carol belatedly acknowledges me. Took her long enough. “Hello, Taylor. How are you today?”
Amy rolls her eyes as I fume. She sits down and I follow suit, our feet hanging in the air. “Carol, I didn’t tell you to start a conversation.”
Carol’s forehead wrinkles in distress. “Sorry, Amy.”
“Whatever. Carol, do the next command Tay gives you.” Amy nudges me with her elbow. “Ask her to do something if you want.”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Carol, do ten jumping jacks.”
Carol leaps into action and the clicking of her high heels on the floor echoes through the room. I didn’t even notice the high heels. Now I feel a little evil. She finishes and stands still, looking to Amy.
Amy shakes her head, and I know it’s in disappointment. What did I do wrong? “Tay, you aren’t thinking about this like my right hand. It isn’t about what you can make her do. It is about what you can make her do, for you.” She snaps her fingers. “Carol, give Tay a foot massage.”
Her dress swishes against the tiles as she follows Amy’s command. She kneels in front of me and takes off my shoes and socks one at a time, rubbing my left foot with both hands.
Oh wow. For someone who stole Amy’s childhood, she is really good at this. The tension in that foot bleeds out of me. Too much running from Amy. Why did I ever think I would get away? She is easily the best thing to happen to me my entire life. Carol switches to my other foot and I involuntarily let out a groan. This feels so good!
Amy grins at my reaction. Oops. My face warms and it probably looks beet red in embarrassment. “Option one. I have the Trio serve you hand and foot. Forever. If you wanted, I would make an exception and they would love you and you alone, not me. Only fair, don’t you think?”
An image straight out of Egyptian mythology crystallizes in my mind. Emma is washing my feet and Madison and Sophia are waving giant fans made of feathers at me to cool me off. All of them are wearing servant uniforms and a luxurious bejeweled gown drapes itself over my shoulders as I recline on a couch. Completely composed as they hang on to my every word, waiting to be told to move for their lady. “That would be nice.”
It would be awkward too, but maybe I would get over that? Amy certainly isn’t having issues. They deserve it. I shudder as I take in Amy’s words. She would do that for me. Four words, ‘I choose option one.’, and that image would become reality. I can’t tell if that is scary or thrilling, to have power over someone like that.
It’s certainly something, and it will be my job when I act as her right hand. Maybe I should? If only to get some practice. Then a cold certainty grips my heart. I would never have considered this before I met Amy. The Taylor of a few hours ago wouldn’t have made slaves out of someone. Even the Trio. But…
But Amy did that to me, and it was the best thing to ever happen to me. So what if my love is artificial? Induced by a power? I still love her, and I would never go back to being depressed. Once Amy worked her magic they would feel the same way about me. Is that so bad?
Amy lets me sit in silence as I work it out. Carol has switched back to my left foot while I was distracted. Did she take lessons? Even through my doubts, her rubbing is amazing.
Amy sees me come out of my contemplation. “Carol, lick each sole of her feet.” She brings my foot up to her mouth and licks it. I jerk at the wetness of her saliva and try to lift my other foot out of reach, but her hand lashes out and brings it down to lick it too. Then she continues to rub.
I glare at Amy, annoyed with her for the first time. She grimaces. “Sorry. That was gross, and sounded better in my head. I should have had her sniff them or something.”
“Would you like me to sniff the soles of her feet, Amy?” Carol asks, switching over to my right foot again.
“Shut up and keep rubbing Carol.” Amy waves a hand at her former mother, who’s fallen silent and hasn’t faltered once in her massage. “I was trying to demonstrate that they would do anything for you. No such thing as ‘within reason’ or ‘without humiliation’. Anything you could think of.” She smiles her evil smile at me again and I sit up to do my best to take in her lesson. “Anything at all. Carol, stop and back up a bit.”
She does, standing up at attention, ready for anything Amy might say. “Carol, summon a sword and slowly cut your arm off.”
I whip my head to fix a sharp look at Amy. What?!
Carol doesn’t care at all. “Right or left?” Amy’s smile at me pauses and she breaks eye contact to tilt her head at Carol.
“Left, above the elbow joint.” Without hesitation Carol summons a sword and slowly begins to saw her left arm off. I look on in horror. Then I remember why Amy is demonstrating this, and the horror is replaced by… something else.
“They would be yours, just like you are mine.” She glides a finger down my arm. “You would cut your arm off if I asked you, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.” I’m not paying as much attention to her as I should though. I’m still watching Carol, who is a quarter of the way through her arm and not flinching. Blood floods out of her and onto her dress and the floor. Not a drop gets close to us though. Carol has her arm at an angle so the blood doesn’t spray toward us and has backed herself far enough away. I think Amy had her wear a black dress on purpose. Less visible stains.
Amy doesn’t turn away from gauging my reaction. “Carol, stop.” Carol unsummons the sword while it is still in her arm and even more blood gushes forth from the unblocked wound. “Come here and roll up your other sleeve, but don’t shoot blood on us. I just got this shirt a week ago, and your blood is too dark to match.”
Carol uses her wounded arm to roll up her opposite sleeve. She walks to Amy while holding her wound closed as much as possible with her hand. Blood is dripping on the floor and I don’t know what to think.
Amy pokes her arm and the wound closes up in seconds. The blood is everywhere on the floor and Carol. Some of it has pooled, and the factory floor is slanted slightly in our direction so a blood puddle forms below our feet. Good thing the chairs are so high.
Amy licks the blood off her finger and glares at her. “Carol, I told you to cut off your arm, but you made a mess doing it.”
I look down and see my shoes and socks are soaked red in her blood. Amy hasn’t noticed it yet, but that’s ok. I will go barefoot for her, or put the shoes back on anyway if she likes the look.
Carol sways on her feet slightly from the blood loss. I don’t think she lost too much, but any amount is still dangerous. She lowers her head submissively. “I am sorry, Amy.”
Amy flaps her hand at the door. “Don’t be sorry, be better. Clean it up. Have Vicky show you where the bleach is. I don’t want any traces of your DNA in this room, so you will have to come back once we get the Undersiders. Start on it now. Understand?”
“Yes, Amy.”
Carol marches out, and Amy puts her hand on my arm. “You could do that to any of them whenever you liked. Have some cathartic fun with them personally, or have them do it to themselves and each other while you watch.” I feel a tingle from her touch and my shock at the sudden violence disappears. “I would heal them whenever you asked, my right hand.”
Amy smiles, leans back in her chair, and closes her eyes in pleasure. “It’s quite freeing, having someone’s life at your disposal.”
After a few seconds of silence where I try to work out what to say but fail to come up with anything, Carol’s heels clack as she comes back into the room. A bottle of bleach in one hand and a towel in the other, she cleans the blood from around our feet.
After the floor around us is scrubbed to perfection, Amy crosses her legs and stops leaning backward, but doesn’t open her eyes. “Option two is a bit more straightforward. Carol, set your cleaning supplies to the side and stand before us.”
Carol drops the bleach and towel in the corner opposite my hoodie and waits for Amy. I take in the excessive amount of blood spattered all over her and the pruning of her hands from using bleach barehanded. Is this what Amy wants me to see? That the Trio wouldn’t care if I hurt them, so I shouldn’t care either?
The Taylor of a few hours ago would never do that to anyone, but would Tay? Amy plans to do this to her adoptive mother for the rest of her life.
Should I do the same?
I think I know the answer, but it can’t hurt to see her other options. She’ll probably demonstrate them to me whether I want to see them or not, and it’s not every day you see a master at work.
“Carol.” Both of us listen to her attentively. “Execute order sixty six.”
Is that a Star Wars reference?
Any thoughts of Amy creating a Jedi order die when Carol drops to the ground and convulses. A silent scream at her lips as she shakes on the ground, rolling without a care into the rest of the blood she hasn’t cleaned up yet.
She flops around and I don’t know what is going on. Amy helpfully provides some context. “I tied a few lists of actions to when I say specific phrases. Right now her body, her whole body, is screaming at her in pain.”
Oh.
Holy shit.
Carol is still doing the worm in silent agony, and I feel a little bad for her. She probably had this coming. I can’t imagine who I would be without those early years of me and Emma playing together. I’ve been tormented for a year and a half, but Amy has been hated and neglected for as long as she can remember. She might be a bitch, but Amy’s punishments are the most creative I have ever seen. It makes me somewhat sympathetic when she takes on the brunt of Amy’s creativity in torture.
I crush that feeling into dust. Amy is the one doing it, and I can still see her eyes closed as she smiles at what she’s done. I can’t feel bad for Carol when Amy obviously enjoys it.
“I could put them in everlasting pain. Complete pain.” Amy drums her fingers on my arm and I feel little spots all over my body briefly itching before subsiding. “Every pain receptor that exists in their pathetic little popular girl bodies would be firing at the same time. They wouldn’t die, but you could sleep soundly knowing Emma is suffering as much as humanly possible for daring to betray your trust.”
Amy opens her eyes and points her toes at Carol, who is covered in her own blood and shaking like a seizure victim. “I added a stay silent command for when I execute this order. Can’t afford to wake up the neighbors. For you I would find a soundproofed room so you could savor the sound of their screams. They didn’t listen to yours when they locked you in your own locker.”
I manage to ask a question. “Wouldn’t they get used to the pain? I heard something about the brain being able to adapt to anything.”
She shrugs. “Sure. They might adapt. Just like with healing, I would refresh them whenever you wanted though. Carol, I’ve changed my mind.” Carol ends her reaction and lays there, breathing heavily. “I didn’t say to stop cleaning up. Don’t disappoint me.” Carol pries herself off the ground and fetches the cleaning supplies to wipe down the edges of her mess.
“I don’t know if I would ever pick that one.” Amy pouts at my words. “Sorry.”
“It's fine. This is your revenge, not mine. I may not act like it, but I know how to keep my hands to myself.” She immediately contradicts this. “Sit on my lap please.”
I rise and kick my chair away. As I settle in she props herself up so she can rest her chin on my right shoulder. I am too tall for her to do it comfortably, so I decide to help. “Can you make me a few inches shorter? I don’t want you to strain your neck.”
She snickers. “As you command.” My perspective lowers and bones compress. “I’ll put you back later. Inconsistencies must be managed, and Tattletale might be able to find something early if she sees you like this.”
Her head nestles against mine and I have to close my eyes for a minute to take it in. I love her so much. “The third and last option I thought of is the most obvious. You could have done it yourself, of course, but with my help we could do it with much more flair. Carol, stop cleaning for now and stand.”
Carol sets down her cleaning supplies and stands at attention. If she feels any annoyance at constantly stopping and starting cleaning, she doesn’t show it. “If I asked you to kill Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess, and Madison Clements, would you?”
That is obvious.
“Yes, Amy. I would need to know what they look like.”
I speak up. “I could find some yearbook pictures.”
Amy raises her eyebrow. “Would that be sufficient?”
“Yes, Amy.”
“What if I told you to do it in the middle of their classes?”
“Yes, Amy.”
“Even with witnesses?”
“Yes, Amy.”
She reaches around me to tap her chin, and I know she is channeling that creativity I love so much. “Carol, if I told you to kidnap all three of them in broad daylight, cut off their limbs one by one, and eat them raw in front of the PRT building while dancing to Elvis’s Jailhouse Rock, would you?
“Yes, Amy.”
At this point I’m not even horrified at what Amy is offering. It’s to be expected, really. She just wants me to understand how far I can go. “Any way you wanted them to die, they would. I will make it happen. Random mugging, or full on personal execution on national television. It doesn’t matter. Their lives would be forfeit.”
She strokes my hair to comfort me as I think. “They would never have the chance to shoot spitballs at you, or pour cranberry juice all over your shirt, or shove you into a locker full of used tampons, ever again. Never again. They would die, and if you really wanted poetic justice?”
She doesn’t stop petting me and clicks her tongue. “Carol, if I asked you to kill Vicky and then yourself, would you?”
Both Carol and I freeze at that. “Carol? Don’t disappoint me.”
Still covered in blood, Carol seems to reset and croaks out her answer. “Yes, Amy. I would.”
“You would what?”
“I-”
“Don’t disappoint me.”
“I would kill Vicky and then myself. If you asked me to.” Tears run down her face. “Please don’t ask me to.”
Amy stops her petting and leans back a bit to fold her arms. I shift over to the side so she can still see. I think I know where she is going with this. “Why are you hesitating?”
Carol desperately pleads, showing emotion for the first time. “I love Vicky.”
Amy frowns. “More than me?”
“Y-yes. No!”
“Tay, get off my lap please.” I hop off and stand to the side. “Carol, don’t move. Don’t disappoint me.”
Amy walks over and doesn’t mind the blood still left on the floor. She grips her by the throat, ignoring the blood stain, and stares into her eyes. Carol’s expression gradually becomes less distressed.
Amy sits back down and makes the ‘come here’ motion at me. I seat myself back in her lap, where I belong. “Do you love Vicky more than me, Carol?”
Carol shakes her head. “No, Amy.”
“Good. Glad that’s settled.” She rests her chin back on my shoulder. “Carol, if I asked you to kill Vicky and then yourself, would you?”
“Yes, Amy.”
“Geeze, took you long enough.”
“Sorry, Amy.”
She ignores her and whispers into my ear. “Emma is a traitor. The worst kind. She was your best friend. You used to sleep over at each other’s houses every weekend, and now she is a spiteful, evil, little devil who uses what you told her in confidence against you.”
She grinds her teeth, and I don’t know if I should love the sound of her righteous anger or hate that she is distressed. “She caused your trigger event and it was so bad it happened twice. She betrayed you, so why not betray her new friends too?”
Amy hooks her hands under my armpits and lifts me off her. We both stand. I feel more conflicted than I ever have before.
Part of me, the new person Amy showed me, yells at me to take her offer. To see them punished for what they did to me for no other reason than it amused them. To laugh in their faces as they beg my forgiveness. To force them to do whatever I felt like. To force them to be whoever I wanted them to be.
…But the other part of me, the good girl that Mom and Dad carefully cultivated, screams at me to not give in. To stay a good person even in the face of absolute power over my enemies. And they are my enemies. Emma is too far gone, and I wouldn’t want her back even if she begged for it. Not after the locker.
Amy notices my expression, the wonderful sensitive person she is, and gently rests her hands on my shoulders. “Think about it. Take your time. They aren’t going anywhere, and even if they run, I will find them and bring them to kneel before you. Even Sophia.”
She slaps her head and I jolt at the sudden movement. I wish she would stop jumpscaring me like that. “Oh. My bad. Sophia is Shadow Stalker.”
What.
“Forgot to tell you. I can’t give myself perfect memory, unfortunately.”
“What the fuck?!”
“Yeah, she’s a Ward. One of the skeletons in the closet I was talking about.” No shit! She’s supposed to be a hero! “That’s not important right now.” Yes it is! What the fuck?!
She sends a wave of calm through me and I relax. I really needed that. “For now, we have work to do. I need my right hand to get my left. Do you remember how I was going to use you to double-cross the Undersiders?”
I get my thoughts in order and nod, not trusting myself to speak. Amy smirks. “We’re going to do it now. Vicky! Carol! Mark! Line up please. I’m going to give you all some enhancements.”
As Vicky and Mark, who I think is her adoptive dad, file into the room, she turns her back to me and raises her arms out like she’s queen of the world. “Tay, fill this room with everything you can find. It’s time to make an army.”
A low buzz cuts through the air as I gather my swarm. Bugs begin to pour in, and Vicky and Mark react with surprise at just how many I can control at once. Carol doesn’t react at all.
I collect my fliers in a cloud in front of Amy. Centipedes, cockroaches, spiders, ants, and more climb on top of each other as they present themselves to us. Amy’s enthusiasm inspires me and I command everything on the ground to prostrate themselves before her, and the fliers to dodge and weave in mesmerizing patterns.
I look eagerly at my friend, hoping she approves.
Amy cackles and her laugh is infectious. I laugh with her. She plunges her arm into the swarm. Flesh and chitin flow around her, mutating into the first soldiers of our conquest. “Brockton Bay! The Red Queen is coming for you!”