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“Come on,” I told her.  “We’ll go to my place while we wait for the others.”

While Bentley had been helping to tear down and dismantle the derelict building, I’d been contemplating how I’d leverage Bitch’s early arrival to mend fences and rebuild some trust.

This wording makes Taylor sound kind of manipulative, though I don’t think she is being that. Just trying to work her way through social dynamics like everyone else, with someone who doesn’t really see the same playing board.

I’d decided on something simple, as that seemed to work best with Bitch.  I imagined that she hadn’t paid a lot of attention to stuff like food as she took hold of her territory.  Odds were good that she’d asked Coil for a lot of easy food she could stuff in her pockets and eat on the go.  She probably wouldn’t pay much attention to stuff like seasonings or variety in courses.

The fastest way into a bitch’s heart is through her stomach?

I’d recently spent some time looking back on our past interactions.  Her perspective toward me had zig-zagged between a kind of hesitant acceptance and hostility.  We’d met, she’d attacked me.  We’d gone to the bank robbery, and she’d been open and excited, only to do a one-eighty and start shouting at me after misinterpreting something I said.  Two steps forward, one step back.

That last sentence pretty much describes their whole relationship.

Until I’d left the group and then been outed as an undercover operative a short while later.  That had been a good solid one-hundred steps back.

Right. She really didn’t take that well.

Recovering from that breach of trust had proven far more difficult than anything that came before.  Not quite impossible, though; I’d apparently proved myself in the recent past, because Bitch was making an effort on her end.

That’s why I think this is salvageable now. That’s new.

She was here earlier than I’d asked, for one thing, and she hadn’t murdered me when I asked for a hand with some things I couldn’t handle with my own power.

Not murdering your friends is a good start.

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Sierra glanced at me and nodded.

I turned my attention to Bitch.

So how did you rope Rachel into this?

“You owe me,” she said.  The rain had plastered her short hair against her scalp.  Her gang of four people stood by with dogs on leashes: Barker, Biter, a college-aged kid with the scars of four parallel claw marks running across his face, and a girl with her arm in a sling.  They didn’t look scared, like my people had, but they still didn’t look fantastically thrilled to be in close vicinity to one of Bitch’s dogs on full throttle.

They’re more used to it, but working for Rachel sounds like a nervewracking experience anyway.

Nevermind that you were the one that came here early.  “Of course.

Wait, are you suggesting that Rachel hurried here when asked, eager to help even if she won’t admit it, says it doesn’t mean anything, it’s not like she likes you, b-baka?

We’ll get you and your people some lunch.”

She frowned.  “Lunch?”

Not hungry?

Yeah, I think maybe she thinks you owe her more than that.

There was a bit of a pause.  I waited patiently as she considered the idea.

“Fine,” she decided.

“But it’s strictly platonic! It’s not like it’s a date!! You hear that, baka?!”

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A generator stirred to life a short distance down the street, and there was something of a rush as people hurried to get away from the intimidating presence of the big bad supervillains and their mutant animals.

That’s… fair, honestly.

That, and there was something of a fight to get the power tools.  There were only so many circular saws and chainsaws to go around, and anyone who didn’t have one was tasked with carrying the cut wood instead.

Honestly? I think I might pick the wood-carrying.

I created a barrier of bugs to stop one of the teenagers from reaching for a circular saw.

Enforcing an age limit? Fair enough, though I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate much to use one yourself.

“If you’re under eighteen, you don’t get to use power tools,” I called out.  “Priority goes to the people who know how the tools are used.  Able bodied adults get second dibs.

Reasonable.

Listen carefullyto the guys who know what they’re doing, and work somewhere dry if possible.

Dry?

We’ve had enough casualties, let’s not have anything stupid happening with someone slipping or losing their grip in the rain.  If someone’s being an idiot, tell Sierra, and she’ll inform me.”

Yeah, true, let’s not do the antagonists’ job for them and increase the body pile.

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Bitch, for her part, wrapped her arms around his head as he lifted her off the ground.  “Good boy!”

He’s just a dog.  Beneath the three-thousand-ish pounds of muscle and the exterior of tangled muscle and bone, he was still a dopey dog who adored his master.  Bitch had given him what he’d been yearning for since he was abandoned or abused in his past life.

This is honestly what I love most about Rachel’s power. The dogs’ minds don’t change – they’re really big and scary, but they’re adorable doofs nonetheless. That’s one of the reasons I enjoyed Interlude 4 so much. (RIP Brutus)

She’d offered him the affection and companionship he’d been wanting for years.

I could relate.  Not in terms of Bitch, specifically, but I could relate.

That’s exactly what the Undersiders as a whole did for Taylor.

“Get to work clearing that up!” I ordered.  My swarm augmented my voice to carry it across the crowd of my followers.  There were twenty-two adults and twenty kids.

Ohh. Demolition work, that’s what they’re doing. They just used Bentley to bring down that building on purpose.

With Coil’s assistance, I’d brought in work gloves and black hazmat suits, but most people were wearing only the lower body of the suits.  It was too warm for the full suits, and the masks were largely unnecessary.

We’re in the midst of summer by now, I suppose. How long has it been since Prey, which was around mid-late June?

Everyone was dripping from the rain, but nobody was really complaining.  I rather liked it; it was refreshing in the otherwise warm day.

Rain can be pretty nice sometimes. 🙂

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Bentley lunged in my direction, and I could feel my people backing away behind me.  I stood firm.

Woah.

So.

First of all: Taylor perspective, as far as I can tell. Normally this story doesn’t use first-person unless it’s her perspective. So not an Interlude Arc.

Second: Why does she appear to be up against Rachel? Rachel isn’t the sparring type. Is this Taylor attempting to rescue Dinah and ending up with Rachel against her, showing surprising loyalty to Coil?

Maybe this is a nightmare similar to the one she had in Infestation, where something’s gone wrong with the rescue plans? Perhaps all the Undertravelers are against her?

She does have her people, normally meaning Sierra, Charlotte and other subordinates from her territory. Is Rachel attacking Taylor’s territory for some reason?

Or maybe Bentley’s lunge has nothing to do with fighting. Maybe he’s just… arriving.

The mutant bulldog landed with both front paws first, the impact so heavy that spittle and moisture was flung from his massive body.

A low, guttural noise tore its way from Bentley’s throat as he surged forward again.  I could hear yelps and shouts of alarm from the crowd behind me.

I could imagine this being a show of sorts, but Rachel would probably not allow that.

Wood splintered, cracked, and finally gave way.  Behind Bentley, the husk of a fire-scorched building collapsed.  Chains that had been lashed to the building’s wooden supports trailed from the dog’s harness as he bounded toward Bitch.

He’s going toward Rachel now? Is Rachel next to Taylor, having just called for Bentley?

Of everyone present, only Bitch and I held our ground as the dog barreled into his master, practically bouncing with joy.

D’aww.

Colony 15.1

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It’s that time again – time to start a new Arc!

Due to this ask I now know that Prey is considered the end of book 2, which I means that we are not ending the book in Colony. That has implications: For one thing, this is very likely an Interlude Arc like Sentinel.

For another, we’re most likely not seeing an attack from the Simurgh yet unless this Arc follows characters from a different location dealing with that, which I find unlikely because unlike regular Interludes, judging by Sentinel, Interlude Arcs seem like they should be at the beginnings of the books and an Endbringer attack is very much something that belongs at the end of a book. Although with the scaling of the threats, maybe that won’t be the case for much longer. Also, this Endbringer attack would need to have some connection to the main plot – getting to see the attack just because it is happening would be weird, considering that at this point, they’re just a thing that happens in this world. Thirdly, we’d need to have reason to care about the characters involved, though I suspect Wildbow could pull that off.

So if this is an Interlude Arc and not an Endbringer Arc, what are we in for? Whose POV?

My first thought is the population of Taylor’s territory. But we’ve just had an Interlude from the POV of one of a total two or so non-Taylor residents we have reason to want an Interlude from the POV of.

Hmm. Colony, ant colony, ants, workers… Docks? Something to do with the rebuilding of the town? Or maybe the Guild, finally learning what their deal is beyond “Dragon is part of both the Protectorate and the Guild”?

I don’t know. Even with some of my options practically ruled out by the knowledge that this isn’t included in the Slaughterhouse Nine book, this Arc remains very hard to speculate on. Much like regular Interludes, actually.

I think it’s time that I just jump in and find out! And try not to get bitten by too many ants that are pissed at me for jumping into their Colony.

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Because of our story focus on Brockton Bay we kinda get into this reader bubble that everything has to happen there as I’ve seen you have fallen into any times. What do you see the world being like, knowing what you know now, that the world was predicted to end in 20-something or so years, that the US has the biggest most regulated hero group in the world, the ENE region we are in being a big hub for them, and knowing 3rd world countries have more capes?

…oh. Fuck. Unregulated militias of parahumans, end time prophets, cults supporting the Endbringers, parahuman terrorism, parahuman warfare… things are probably not looking good out there, huh.

Also, re: the reader bubble – it’s true I’ve focused a lot on Brockton Bay, right down to suggesting that this already terribly broken city is going to get attacked by two more Endbringers and still have people living in it. I don’t think it’s so much because of the focus on Brockton Bay, though, as the focus on Taylor. Apart from Interludes and Interlude Arcs, everything we see is currently through the lens of Taylor “Skitter” Hebert. Anything we’re supposed to experience outside of those exceptions will need to be experienced by Taylor, which means it needs to happen somewhere Taylor is. (Taylor hearing about events from elsewhere while she’s in Brockton Bay counts. She’s experiencing hearing about that.)

If the Endbringers won’t come to Taylor, Taylor will have to go to the Endbringers. Or we’ll have to switch main POV characters.

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Since it didn’t show up in any of the wrap up chapters to Arc 14, any thoughts on how the aftermath of the Amy/Victoria plotline is going to play out? Where do you see those two characters going from here? Do you think either of them will be able to go back to their old lives after this is all over?

Victoria maybe, but not quite. It wouldn’t be her old life because Amy would be gone, not to mention the possibility of lasting physical and mental effects of Amy’s healing. And then there’s New Wave shutting down and Victoria joining the Wards instead… yeah, no, things won’t be the same. She’s also likely to keep hating Amy. I don’t think all of that hate was redirected love like Amy suggested, and I don’t think Amy healing the mental change is going to make her feel much more positively about the situation.

And yeah, I don’t think Amy’s going to stick around with Victoria after that, or try to face her family. She’s probably intent on trying to get a private sector job like she told Taylor, though I’m not sure how well that’s going to go.