Inheritance Interlude 5.New Leaf

Friday May 13th, 2011

Thoughts drifted as though filtered through a thick gel, coming in bursts of lucidity that passed more like a dream than reality.  In each, only darkness greeted her.  Was she in hell?  It would have been fitting given the horrors she had allowed to be unleashed upon the world.  Despite all her best efforts to prevent it, she had failed. 

Amy was a villain now, and it was all Carol’s fault.

Taking the girl in had been done against her better judgment, and Sarah had insisted she couldn’t care for three kids on their salary.  Carol being an up and coming lawyer made her the logical choice.  Oh how she wished to go back in time and slap her sister for that.  Despite all of her best intentions and efforts, nothing had worked.

At first she did everything by the book, making sure Amy was surrounded by good influences.  Arcadia was the Wards school, and yet, she never made any close friends.  That was the first red flag of many to come, but she hadn’t thought much of it.  She was always in Victoria’s orbit, and Carol expected her daughter to be a good influence on the daughter of a bastard. 

Then the bank happened and the Butcher took an interest in her.  Carol should have arranged for an immediate national healing tour to keep her away from the monster, but she made the mistake of thinking all her lessons had stuck.  In reality, none of them had. 

When it became clear that the Protectorate weren’t going to address the Butcher properly, Carol made the decision to leave the city.  The problem was convincing Sarah that it was a good idea.  That didn’t stop her from making arrangements with Myrddin while he was in the city.  By the time Sarah came around to the idea following Amy’s supposed abduction, it was already too late.  Her supposed girlfriend had been Tattletale, and Pandemic had been present for the fighting. 

Carol didn’t know it then, but she had already failed to rescue Amy from herself.

If this was hell, then being forced to dwell on her many mistakes was a fitting punishment for her sins.  She only wished that there was something she could do for Victoria, or that she could have said goodbye to Mark—assuming the man even realized what was happening.  

Mark’s depression had been in full swing even when they were teenagers.  It led to one of the moments in her life she was the least proud of, and the secret she would take to the grave.  Worse, Amy had to know about it.  Her power to read biology would have let her see it the moment she touched Victoria.

That was one of the many reasons she had been wary of Amy from the moment she triggered.  The other reason was the nightmarish scene when she formed a new costume.  Amy’s ability to manipulate all biology was a truly horrifying ability, especially when the family knew her limitations were only a polite fiction to avoid Master accusations. 

Not that it stopped her.

Noise picked up in the distance; the first sounds that she had heard since the darkness claimed her.  The thumping was heavy and rhythmic, like a club or rave.  Carol forced her eyes open, only to recoil at the sudden brightness.  She was under some sort of lamp, and surrounded by deep green leaves. 

Familiar leaves. 

Carol was sitting amidst marajuana. 

Had someone just dumped her body in a pot field and called it a day?  No, as her eyes focused it became clear that wasn’t the case.  She was in a room of some sort, surrounded by a number of plants.  Carol tried to move, but her body wasn’t responding.  Panic set in almost immediately; because she couldn’t feel her body either.  Everything below her neck was simply a void to her senses. 

A vague memory of a terrifying mask and a flash of something metallic brushed against her mind.  Just what had happened?  Everything around that event was so fuzzy, almost as if—

The door flung open and Carol could only watch as Amy stalked inside, wearing PRT branded sweats under a Teeth jacket.  The girl looked harried and exhausted, a far cry from the confident villain she saw when Amy announced herself as Pandemic. 

“No, I’m fucking tired,” Amy said, talking to someone?  Nobody followed after her, but she could just be on the phone.  Or talking to the walls.  “All I want right now is to lay down and sleep for a week.” 

Amy stopped for a moment, as though listening to something before groaning.  “Really you bastard?  After all that you still want me to poke at—”  Amelia paused, turning towards Carol.  Without preamble, Amy walked over and leaned in close.  “Well, look who finally woke up.” 

Her voice was every bit as tired as she looked, and it left Carol wondering just what villainy she had gotten up to that might have left her in such a state.  Worse, Carol needed to know exactly what Amy had done to her and why she couldn’t move.  She opened her mouth, but no sound came out and cold dread welled up within. 

Even her voice had been stolen by the monster that had corrupted her daughter. 

“Oh right, you probably have something to say,” Amy said, taunting her.  “Unfortunately I don’t have the spoons for this, especially after Leviathan, so I’ll get around to that later.” 

Carol again tried to speak, but nothing came out.  It was then that she realized she wasn’t even breathing; hadn’t been.  Not one breath since she woke up.  What had the monster hiding as her adopted daughter done to her?  Why couldn’t she do or feel anything? 

“Ugh, you look so pathetic like that,” Amy said, walking up to her.  “Fine, I’ll make it so you can talk, but you start screeching at me about my life choices or talk over me and it’s back to ‘I must scream but have no mouth’ for you.” 

Unable to do anything but blink as a signal, she did so twice.

“I just know I’m going to regret this,” Amy muttered, placing her hand on one of the nearby leaves.  A moment later Carol sucked in a breath for the first time since she woke up.  “There, you can move air again.  Inefficient, but probably feels more normal to your hindbrain.” 

“What have you done to me?” 

Amy glared at her.  “Saved your life.  You should be dead, but I had a chance to save you and took it.  You’re welcome by the way.” 

“Saved my,” Carol cut herself off, trying to remember what had happened.  Last she recalled was giving the Elite the go-ahead to grab Amy away from the Butcher after that disastrous night.  Everything after that was a blur.  “Answer the question.” 

“Kinda hard to live without the rest of your body, so I had to improvise,” Amy said, lifting a branch of the plant.  “After using some of Bastard Son’s goop to save you, I needed something a bit more long term stable.  Grafting your head to one of my plants worked well enough with some modifications.” 

“I’m a plant now?” Carol whispered in dawning horror.  “That’s why I can’t feel anything?  You call that saving me?” 

“I’ll regrow your body eventually, but I needed to cool off from how pissed I was,” Amy said, stepping over to a dresser where she began to pull out some clothes.  “You deserved what Weaver did and more.  I only saved you because Vicky would be upset.” 

Of course Amy didn’t actually care about her, only the daughter that she had stolen away.  Watching Victoria as she fought the rest of her family was heartbreaking.  She was so convinced that she was right, not even realizing that Amy had Mastered her into it.  Why else would she give up so readily on Dean over some minor squabble? 

The kick that had sent her into the Bay was something Carol would never forget, the raw anger in her daughter’s eyes.  The words screamed in an anger that wasn’t real.  Carol hadn’t truly listened to the screams, letting them wash over her even as the tears fell from her eyes in the heat of battle.  Only the knowledge that it was implanted kept it from breaking her completely.  

“Please, as if she is capable of being mad at you,” Carol said.  “And of course you agree that I deserved it.  That’s what I get for caring about a monster like you.” 

Amy’s expression darkened as she stepped back to loom over Carol.  “Weaver cut your fucking head off for helping get her dad locked in a time bubble.  What the fuck did you think would happen when you worked with the fucking Elite like that you absolute moron!?” 

“Better the Elite than Teeth,” Carol spat. 

Amy scoffed.  “Please.  They would have turned me into a fountain of youth for the billionaires and never let me live my life.  At least here nobody cares what I do.  No expectations, yet I still find myself helping, because I want to.” 

“That’s how they trap you,” Carol said.  “Acceptance can feel like a sweet lure.” 

“It sure can,” Amy agreed readily.  “Especially when I never got any at home.  Maybe if you had actually treated me like a daughter I wouldn’t have been lured into villainy by something as simple as a single girl being welcoming and not judging me.” 

“Its not that simple, Amy,” Carol started, only for her voice to cut out as Amy glared down at her.

“Amelia,” Amy practically growled.  “That is the name given to me by my mother, and you will fucking use it.” 

Her mother?  No, that was the name that the Marquis called her.  When he surrendered, he made a point of calling her Amelia, and she knew then that distancing Amy from that identity was for the best.  Yet, it hadn’t worked, had it? 

After everything, Carol was nothing more than a fucking head grafted onto a pot plant hidden away somewhere in the Teeth’s HQ.  She was completely at the mercy of monsters.  Specifically a monster that insisted she was its creator.  It went against every instinct she had to think of it like that, but what choice did she have?  Her usual methods had led them to this point, so clearly they didn’t work. 

“What now?” Carol asked, lacking any ability to emote otherwise.  At least Amy was allowing her to speak again.  “You have all the power here, and I’m guessing Victoria doesn’t know you kept me.” 

“She doesn’t,” Amy confirmed.  “I didn’t really get a chance to tell her before Leviathan hit Boston last night.  It’s been a mess, and I’ve been healing people for much of the night.  It’s eight in the morning and I plan to sleep until sunup tomorrow if I can help it.”

“You’re a villain now,” Carol said.  “Why heal at an Endbringer like that?” 

Amy shrugged.  “It was the right thing to do.  Besides, Weaver was fighting, and like hell I wasn’t going to help keep my friends and family alive.” 

Something told Carol that she wasn’t part of that, but she held her tongue.  Already the change of tone was making the discussion more productive, which was a good start.

“How bad was it?” Carol dared to ask.  She knew that if Amy was here it couldn’t have gone too badly, and obviously Weaver was alive, as was Victoria.  Amy might be a villain but she still clearly had emotions and didn’t seem too upset at anyone but her.  “Did anyone we know die?” 

“Velocity didn’t make it,” Amy said, checking on a couple of rats in a glass enclosure.  “Armsmaster lost his legs, and didn’t want me to regrow them until he could explore some cybernetic options.  Ashley needs her leg regrown, but that can wait until I’ve had a bit of sleep.  Spree technically died, but we’re still trying to figure that one out.” 

Well, if that wasn’t fucking ominous.  Had Amy done something to bring him back after death?  Could she even do that?  Carol knew that her rule about brains was purely to avoid messing with someone, because Carol had been the one to insist upon it.  Yet, when they searched Amy’s room in the aftermath of the fight they found multiple college level textbooks on the human mind from multiple fields of study as well as an empty enclosure for rodents.  Rodents that were currently sitting on a shelf not far from her, apparently. 

“What about you?” Carol asked.  “Are you alright?” 

Amy turned, glaring at her with open suspicion.  “The fuck do you care?” 

“You look completely drained,” Carol said carefully.  “Worse than you ever did when you thought you were sneaking back after visiting the hospitals.” 

Amy blinked.  “How?” 

“Security system.  We have cameras hidden all around the perimeter.” 

Carol had known full well that Amy was sneaking out to heal people at all hours.  The hospital kept her well informed of each visit.  She let it happen because it showed how Amy felt guilt and was trying to do something about it.  She had once thought it to be a good thing.  Now, she couldn’t help but reevaluate.

“Fine, there was a Class S Trucebreaker at the fight,” Amy began, sitting down on her bed.  “Weaver took the Teeth to fight it.  The cunt could clone capes, with bastardized versions of their powers.  Spree was going to be eaten, so Weaver shot him first.  Then, Vex was eaten.  Weaver took that personally.” 

It wasn’t hard to imagine.  Everyone knew to not get between the Butcher and their fuckbuddies.  It was basically a cardinal rule when dealing with the gang.  It was probably the only reason Hemorrhagia had survived for so long.

“So, something happened,” Amy continued, shivering a bit.  “Echidna died, and then Taylor arrived with Chrissie in her arms and I got to work.  It…  Her brain was effectively gone.  There was nothing there to save, but I still tried.  Keeping ahead of the failures was too much, and that was when Taylor asked me to kill her.”

Oh.  Oh fuck.  Was Amelia Butcher Sixteen?  Was that why she was muttering to herself when she walked in?  Shit, it made too much sense.  So why was Amy humoring her like this?  Was it all to set up for some sick and twisted joke before she killed her?  Or was the plant treatment what she intended for Carol?  Would she just be left as some fucked up trophy until Amy decided to kill her for catharsis? 

“I didn’t do it,” Amy continued, staring down at her hands.  “Then something clicked, and suddenly I could tackle her entire form all at once.  It was sort of how Weaver described her ability to see everything in motion through her swarm, but with my biology sense.”  Amy doubled over, laughing.  It was chilling in a way that would have sent chills down Carol’s spine if she still had one.  “I fixed her; rebuilt her entire fucking mind from a schematic I didn’t know I had, and she’s back.  A bit rattled, and just as shaken as the rest of us, but she’s okay.  I literally pulled a Lazarus and I don’t know what to think about it.” 

Tears poured down Amy’s cheeks as she sat there, trembling.  Then she turned to face the wall, not quite glaring at it, but close.  “No, I think I need this.  Thanks though, I’ll be in shortly.” 

There was only one person that she might have been talking to, and yet, she hadn’t heard anyone asking Amy anything.  Were there bugs on the wall behind her spelling something out?  It was unnerving, knowing that Weaver had eyes on them and could appear at any moment to exact pain and vengeance. 

“Anyway,” Amy continued, clearing her throat.  “Leviathan seemed to take all that personally or something.  He made a beeline for the medical pavilion.  Armsmaster, Dragon, and Alexandria held him off for a bit, then Victoria and Vista helped get them out when Alexandria went down.  Then Weaver stepped in and fought the bastard all on her own.” 

“What,” Carol whispered.  

She couldn’t imagine any world where the Butcher fought an Endbringer.  Let alone one where it was allowed by the powers that be.  More than that, the Butcher was a frightful opponent, but not someone who could actually hold off an Endbringer.

“You want to know the best part about all that?” Amy asked, the smirk on her face so much like the one Marquis wore when he demanded their surrender.  “Leviathan is dead, and Weaver killed him.  Now, if you’ll excuse me.  I’ve got some girlfriends who need cuddles and some sleep.  Then, once Weaver is awake, I’m going to fuck her into the mattress until she’s satisfied, because she deserves it.” 

The shadows themselves seemed to shiver at Amy’s declaration and it was only then that she realized they were surrounded by a literal swarm.

Amy got up, stretching as she did.  “Get some sleep Carol.  I’ll see about getting enough biomass to rebuild your body alongside Ashley’s leg.  If nothing else it will make Vicky happy.”  

Wait, Amy was just going to build her a new body from nothing?  Visions of horror filled her mind as she recalled various PRT briefings on Bonesaw and she realized that currently she was no better than some of the victims Amy had healed over the years.  Amy leaned down and touched Carol’s cheek.  Almost immediately a wave of drowsiness washed over her.  Carol fought against it, but she could recognize the losing battle as Amy grabbed some clothes and made to leave the room, only to stop in the door and mutter so faintly she almost missed it

“Yes Shaper, it does sound interesting, but I’m not deviating from human biology unless they ask me to.  Got it?” 

The door closed and Carol was left alone with a question on her lips as darkness slowly claimed her.  Who the hell was Shaper?

***

Heavy thumping greeted Carol’s return to consciousness.  Forcing her eyes open, she was momentarily blinded before her eyes adjusted to the bright space.  She’d clearly been moved from Amy’s room and into a place with a sofa in the distance pointed at a massive flatscreen.  People were seated there, watching Looney Tunes of all things.  From there she caught sight of a railing that overlooked the source of the blinding light.  Stadium seating, no doubt overlooking the Teeth’s infamous fighting pits. 

The space wasn’t empty either.  At least a dozen people were milling about, drinking, dancing, and one was doing lines of coke off a woman’s ass.  Yes, this is exactly what she expected when imagining the Teeth’s infamous headquarters.  What she hadn’t expected was the sight of children who couldn’t be older than twelve.  There were two of them, talking with a black girl not much older than they were. 

Worse, she vaguely recognized one of them as the Mayor’s kidnapped niece.

“See, she woke right up,” Amy’s voice said, stepping back into her view. 

Then her daughter Victoria moved into view, arms crossed as she glared at Carol.  The heat in those sapphire eyes burned, but she didn’t care.  Victoria was safe and whole, and that was what mattered.

“You’ll fix her?” Victoria asked. 

Amy rolled her eyes.  “Yes.  That was the whole point of bringing her out here after all.” 

“True, you could have kept her a secret,” another blonde said, grinning like a fox in the henhouse.  “But you didn’t, which I would say is quite heroic of you.” 

“Save it Lisa, I’m no hero,” Amy said.

It certainly sounded like they had waited to wake her up for whatever affront to nature was about to occur.  Amy sighed and gestured.  The blonde—Lisa—moved away before returning a moment later with a large tub held effortlessly.  Another Brute then.  She set it down beside Carol and took a few steps back.  Then she winked at her like she was in on some great secret.  Her eyes widened.  Tattletale.

“Bingo,” the infamous Thinker said.  “Your estranged daughter was kind enough to give me a bit of a makeover.” 

“Lisa, please don’t give her a reason to go off,” Amy said, rolling her sleeves up.  “Besides, having her awake for this is partly me being petty.” 

Victoria spun on Amy, eyes wide with alarm.  “Wait, is this going to hurt?” 

“Not one bit,” Amy said, reaching her hand into the tub.  “It is going to feel weird as hell though and might give her some nightmares after seeing me form her new body out of sludge.” 

“It was indeed a unique experience,” a platinum blonde said, stepping up beside Victoria as she pulled her down low enough to kiss her cheek.  “Still, I am most curious to watch you craft an entire new form for the woman.” 

Carol opened her mouth, but no sound came out. 

Amy flashed her an apologetic smile.  “That isn’t out of spite.  I already disconnected the fake lung.  You won’t need it in a few minutes anyway.” 

The young black girl pranced over, giggling as she tossed a bottle over her shoulder.  Space warped and it landed in one of the trash cans.  She looked back, then shrugged.  “Still say you should have used one of the Elite guys we saved for a rainy day.” 

“It would have been less work,” Amy agreed, much to Carol’s horror.  “But she would resent me for it until the end of time, not to mention Victoria…” 

“No human sacrifice to save our mother,” Victoria said with conviction.  “She might be a cunt, but that’s a step too far.” 

Hearing her flesh and blood daughter say that about her stung, but when looking at things from their point of view?  She wasn’t exactly wrong.  That Amy was so casual about murder and mutilation showed how far she had fallen with the Teeth, but that was her fault too. 

God that galled her to admit, but it was the damn truth. 

Amy moved forward, pressing one hand against her forehead while the other dipped itself into the large bucket that had been delivered.  The sludge within pulsed as though alive and Carol realized it probably was given how Amy needed living tissue to work. 

“This is a batch of my healing gel,” Amy explained.  “Hyper-dense stem cells combined with every component the human body might need along with a few custom bacteria built to help heal injuries.  I’m going to use it to build a body from scratch based on your genetic code and a bit of help from beyond.”

Much as Carol wanted to ask about that, she still couldn’t speak.  That didn’t stop Amy from continuing with her explanation though.

“Shaper, can you and Queenie check in with…  Light Weaponry, really.  Why are so many of you unoriginal as fuck?”  A moment later Amy rolled her eyes.  “Right, no sense of imagination.  Hence the human hosts.  Fuck that is all kinds of eldritch horror, you realize that?” 

“Ames, you’re talking to your power again,” Victoria whispered. 

Amy just huffed.  “Like you aren’t talking to Fragile every spare moment.” 

“She’s a baby Shard,” Victoria said with a huff.  “Hasn’t really stopped talking since she realized Queen Administrator was skirting the rules.” 

There were so many questions Carol wanted to ask, but then an itch in the back of her mind stilled her for a moment.  Amy nodded, muttering a thanks under her breath as she began to twist the bucket of sludge into a shape that quickly took the shape of a human torso.  The action happened so much faster than Amy’s power usually responded, and once again that old fear returned in full force. 

Amy had truly become a threat to the world itself. 

Within moments there was a featureless human torso sitting upright in the sludge.  Amy nodded at that, then shifted Carol’s head away from the plant and held her in the palm of her hand. 

“Was that necessary?” someone asked off to the side. 

Amy snorted, then set Carol atop the sack of flesh.  A sudden rush came as the heart within her new chest beat and she sucked in a breath of air.  Amy hummed, then the torso began to sprout limbs that quickly took shape. 

“Vicky, you’ve got her clothes?” 

“Of course,” Victoria said. 

“Good,” Amy said.  “Alright Carol, once I’m done forming your limbs, get dressed.  I’ll finish all the detail work once you’re covered.” 

“Yeah, I don’t really need to see my mom naked,” Victoria added.  “Not that this isn’t traumatizing in a completely different way.” 

On that, Carol could agree with them both.  She didn’t need all of the Teeth around them oogling at her, though for that matter…

“Why are we doing this out in the open then?” Carol asked. 

“Insurance,” Tattletale said.  “You’re a loose cannon who by all rights should have stayed dead.  Amy kept you alive, so that bought you a second chance.  Weaver already called dibs on killing you again if you step out of line.” 

A reflexive swallow followed as the memory of those golden lenses looked into her very soul just before her blade—

“Yup, pretty much that,” Tattletale said with a predator’s grin. 

The Teeth really were a corrupting influence if a once benign Thinker had become a hardened killer in such a short time.  All she had to do was look at Amy and see the truth of that.  How many people had Amy killed since she joined them?  Were any of those from before she took up the mantle of Pandemic in that horrifying display? 

Carol swallowed, and put on the clothes, thankful that none of the Teeth were cat calling her despite everything.  Sure, she didn’t so much as have an ass crack or even the hint of breasts for them to ogle, but she knew what the gang was about.  Some of them would get turned on looking at a particularly shaped patch of swamp algae. 

At least they were simple sweats and a loose shirt, nothing that took more than a few seconds to pull on.  The moment she finished Amy was standing there with her hand out.  Some small part of Carol’s mind said this was her best chance to stop Amy from becoming a bigger threat, but she was tired of thinking like that. 

She accepted Amy’s hand and closed her eyes.  She felt nothing of the changes being made, something Amy had learned to mask early on due to how uncomfortable it could make people.  Carol had hated that skill, because it meant that she might be adjusting them without their knowledge.  Yet, Amy’s words came back to her. 

If she was going to change anyone, it would be Carol herself.  To make her love and accept her.  Carol didn’t accept her, not as she was now, but she could see how she should have back when she was still Panacea.  Just what had prevented her from seeing it?  Had Amy changed something, or was it simply hindsight following a brush with death? 

“Done,” Amy said, pulling her hand back.  “You know the drill.  Follow the usual limb regrowth diet, you’ll need to get your digestive system rolling again.”

“Uh, yeah,” Carol said, feeling a bit off.  She ran her hands down her body, trying to be subtle as she confirmed that everything seemed to be in order.  When her fingers brushed over her breasts, she paused.  “Wait, are my tits smaller?” 

“Sure are,” Amy said.  “Docked you a cup size for being an ass.  If Dad asks nicely enough, I might put them back.” 

Carol blushed as the Teeth began to howl with laughter.  It was humiliating, but also on par with what she expected from the gang when they weren’t feasting on the blood of their enemies.  As if reading her thoughts, a grinning man held up a skewer of roasted meat and a bowl of chili in a mock salute before taking a big bite.  The worst part was that she couldn’t be sure if he was just fucking with her or not.

Victoria placed a gentle hand on her arm and led Carol away from the snickering Teeth.  Amy gave her one last glare before she flopped onto the couch and snuggled up to the two girls.  Weaver gave her a kiss on the cheek as she settled in and the red-head looped an arm around Amy, pulling her in close.  Tattletale wasn’t far behind, though she was keeping a much closer eye on the now gathering group that Carol realized were recognized heroes.  Why were so many people on the right side of the law congregating among the Teeth? 

“Why would so many heroes be here?” Carol asked. 

The small brunette snorted.  “Two of my best friends joined the Teeth and their food court has the best ramen in the city.” 

“Can confirm,” Victoria said.  “We should get some to go for the meeting.  Something tells me we’ll need comfort food afterwards.” 

Another short girl walked up, wearing a black Alien tee with a Xenomorph on it.  She wasn’t much taller than Vista for that matter, though she seemed older.  There was something about her eyes that set her instincts on edge.  A killer, if she had to guess, one that belonged with the Teeth. 

“That’s everyone,” Vista said.  “I doubt Stalker’s joining us.  Last I heard she’s still down in the pit working out some of her anger.” 

“She just learned that inheriting isn’t going to make her stronger anymore,” the newcomer said.  “Given she was working up some support to challenge Weaver, I can kinda understand her frustration.  She’s never been the calm and collected type.” 

“I’m sorry,” Carol cut in, “but who are you?” 

The girl sighed.  “I’m a bit complicated.  Gender fluid, and kinda bodily fluid as well.  Changer six, though that might get upgraded once I get a handle on everything.  Browbeat with the Wards, Ripley with the Teeth.  Technically I’m undercover, though…” 

“You’re joining them full time, aren’t you?” Vista asked.  She sounded so hurt by that, but at the same time, understanding.  “I’m probably quitting too, to be honest.  I don’t want to leave my city and someone needs to stick around to keep these assholes in check.” 

“Oi, we resemble that remark!” 

Vista spun.  “I will turn you into a pretzel!” 

“Bring it on, pint size!” 

The heckler was a red-headed girl with multiple tattoos.  Familiar tattoos.  Vex.  That was the young woman that Amy had supposedly rebuilt from nothing, acting just as she had the few times they met in the field.  Vex was sitting in the lap of a woman that wasn’t paying them any mind, but something about her set off every alarm that Carol’s instincts had honed over her career.  

“Not an idle threat after she brought Leviathan to her knees,” Victoria added with a laugh, ruffling the small girl’s hair.  “Missy here is gonna be ranked Shaker Twelve by the time they’re done updating everything following Leviathan.” 

“That might mean more if Weaver wasn’t going to get labeled Trump Oh Fuck The Hell No,” Missy grumbled.

Victoria shook her head, then turned to face Carol.  “There’s going to be a meeting at the rig this afternoon.  We all got a message this morning that the Protectorate wants all hands on for this.  Lisa tipped us off that they’re relocating all assets to Boston to help with the recovery efforts.  It looks like they’re pulling out of Brockton completely.” 

“They can’t do that!” Carol said, looking across the grim faces of the girls present.  “Would they really give up a city just like that?” 

“Apparently Weaver asked them to leave her alone as a reward for slaying an Endbringer,” Victoria said.  “They decided to take that literally.” 

“There’s also the whole thing with Cauldron and the Case 53s,” Madison said.  “An Eidolon clone dropped some bombshells on Armsmaster and Dragon, some of which Weaver was able to verify.  I’m expecting Armsmaster to brief us on them at the meeting.” 

“What, no spoilers?” Missy asked. 

Madison shrugged.  “I think the shock factor might be more valuable.  Lisa’s pretty sure the Protectorate will fully collapse once all the news hits in the coming days.” 

Carol found her new legs shaking as she reached out and took one of the chairs, falling into it without any grace.  The entire Protectorate?  What could be bad enough that it getting out would destroy an entire agency?  New Wave always prized transparency, and that had pushed her children to present themselves as paragons even as they suffered in silence.  The Protectorate hid things away, covered up the less savory things to keep the public happy with them. 

Yet, it was the villains before her that never tried to hide away what they were.  The ABB and Empire tried to hide behind honor.  The Teeth did no such thing.  They were brutal monsters who suffered nobody.  And with Weaver at the helm, they had removed the other gangs from their city and seemed content with that.

Then she remembered the after party from when the Empire fell and how the Teeth roamed the streets, busting up every shop, bar, and home showing even the faintest hint at sympathy for the Nazis.  She had gone out to help quell the riots, seen the carnage, but some primal part of her had relished seeing the people that cheered for Fleur’s death meet some form of karmic justice. 

All because Kaiser had suggested at a rally that someone should do something about New Wave attacking capes in their homes.  He took advantage of Marquis, a man he would have happily flayed alive, and turned him into a martyr.  Watching Max Anders be revealed as Kaiser on live television, only to be immediately executed was cathartic, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.  The bastard deserved everything he got. 

That thought stopped her cold.  When had she allowed herself to become so vengeful?  A cold cellar flashed before her eyes and she didn’t need to second guess herself.  It was what drove her to take down the Marquis despite the Empire being objectively worse, because he reminded her of that night. 

So why wasn’t it bothering her anymore?

“Missy, are you warping us to the meeting?” Victoria asked.

The tiny brunette nodded, but gave the other young girls quick hugs before moving to join Victoria.  “I am not looking forward to this.  It’s horse shit that they’re pulling the Protectorate out of Brockton.” 

Victoria sighed.  “All because Leviathan died in Boston.  Yet, they don’t seem to care that the one who actually did the deed is sitting right here.” 

“Not that they managed to steal the credit for it,” Madison said with a laugh.  “Weaver dropping that selfie with Leviathan’s head crashed PHO worse than the actual kill thread managed.” 

“Dragon ‘verifying’ the claim just cemented it,” Victoria said, pinching her nose.

“And I appreciate her for it.” 

Carol wheeled on herself and came face to face with a grinning visage straight from her nightmares.  Weaver, without her mask, stood with savagery on her lips and fury in her emerald eyes.  It was a horrifying sight and she wasn’t too proud to admit that she jumped back out of pure fear. 

“Oh, nice reaction,” an older woman said, draping her arm over Weaver’s shoulder.  “You’re getting better with my teleport.  Given some time I bet you could get people to literally shit themselves.”

“Knock it off, Pyro,” Weaver said with a sigh.  “Goddess this is going to take some getting used to.” 

“Hey, we’re just happy to be out and about again,” a man said from one of the tables.  He was playing poker with the mayor’s niece, a young man with dark curly hair, and a burly black man covered in old scars and tattoos. 

“Yet, even letting you out like this hasn’t quieted your voices in my head,” Weaver said flatly. 

“We’re all a part of you now,” another woman said.  Carol froze at the sight of what could only be an older Weaver stepping close.  She exuded the same baleful presence that the Butcher herself carried and Carol was left wondering what fresh hell she had walked into.  The woman regarded Carol for a moment, then shrugged.  “You’re not part of our little club and I don’t see you joining, so I’m not explaining.” 

Was she reading Carol’s mind?  A Thinker then, one on par with Tattletale if she had to guess.  The woman’s answering grin mirrored the one she had seen on the bottle-eyed blonde, which was as good as a confirmation in her mind.

“Honestly surprised nobody smoked you,” yet another new person said.  

Just how many new capes had joined up with the Teeth in the wake of Leviathan? 

“None, surprisingly,” Tattletale said casually.  “These are all longtime members who haven’t been able to get out and about for a while.  Expect to see more of them, assuming they learn to behave.” 

“So never,” Victoria snarked. 

Several laughed at the joke and Carol couldn’t believe how casual the entire exchange had been.  Yet, something about all of it told her that she should be screaming as she ran for the hills.  The only reason she wasn’t was the fact that Victoria was right there and she refused to leave her to face them alone, even if they were being oddly friendly for the moment.

“Hey, some old dogs can learn new tricks.” 

The speaker was a man who could have easily passed as a Case 53, with the wolf ears and tail.  He even had fur in place of facial hair and canines that were no doubt not just for show.  Yet, the only Changer that she could think of involved with the Teeth that did animal features was dead…

“Oh, she’s getting close,” Lisa said.  “Time to wrap this up I think.” 

“Getting close to what?” Carol demanded.  “Just what the fuck is going on here!”

“To be blunt?  We’re too fuckin’ scary now to care if word gets out,” an obnoxious man said.  “Wasn’t what I planned on when I founded this operation, but hey, I like what the boss lady is doing with it.” 

“The promise of tomorrow is also nice,” Hemorrhagia added, punching the man in the shoulder.  “Never been happier to be a part of the Teeth.” 

Looking around, there were a few side-eyed glances, but her eyes settled on the man that Amy had mentioned died.  Spree stood there, drinking a beer as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

“Welcome to the court of the Crimson Queen,” Spree said, raising a bottle.  “Immortality is one of the perks.” 

Before she could process his statement, the man popped like a soap bubble, leaving the bottle to drop to the ground as Weaver caught it effortlessly before finishing it off.  Carol stood there, unable to blink as the older version of Weaver shimmered into existence beside her younger counterpart.

“Sorry about that, but he wasn’t wrong either,” the older version of Weaver said.  “Things have changed, and I intend to shake up everything in due time.” 

A multitude of people lined up in a way that had to be rehearsed.  From the man who claimed to have founded something on the far left, to the man with the skewers near the middle.  Spree settled in at the far right, having stepped out of nowhere to join them.  Up front Weaver stood alongside her older self, grinning as Carol’s head spun. 

“We’re the Butcher,” the seventeen of them said in unison. 

Weaver laughed, and grinned manically.  “And now that Pandora’s box is open, we’re making it everyone else’s problem.” 

Then all of them vanished with a silent pop as if they had never been there to begin with.

---***---

Open to suggestions for something better than the current title. Carol's too on the nose for who it is obviously, but I think New Leaf is kinda clever.