Worm: Friends From Other Places

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Chapter 4

"Taylor Herbert! Your powers summoned them, correct? Tell them to stand down before they do something that you'll regret!"

Everyone held their breath as they waited for her to do something. Her classmates looked at her with awe and fear completely different from how they looked at her before.

The soldiers were much the same except for less awe and more fearful caution at what she'd choose.

It was overwhelming having so many eyes on her, and it was even more overwhelming knowing how much depended on her response. She felt her pulse quicken, a cold sweat breaking out under her clothes. She wished she could just disappear, to retreat from the eyes boring into her.

The four parahumans that she apparently summoned looked at her and waited for her answer.

…She knew the right thing to do was listen to Armsmaster, a professional hero who had years more experience than her.

To follow his orders and tell them to stand down…

…But she didn't want to do any of that.

She didn't want to follow his orders, she didn't want to be detained, and she especially didn't want to be poked and prodded by people in lab coats!

She was too tired.

Too overwhelmed.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders, the events of the day hitting her like a tidal wave. Everything was happening so quickly, the world spinning around her in a blur. Her mind and body were in a constant state of overload, unable to process all that was happening.

She felt like she was drowning, struggling to keep her head above the water in the midst of chaos.

"I…" She started, her voice barely audible over the cacophony in the room. "I…"

She paused, swallowing down the lump in her throat. Her eyes darted to each face in the room; from the cold, indeterminate gaze of Armsmaster to the expectant, to the caring gaze of Izuku, and to the confident smirk of Sukuna.

John peered at her with a comforting smile while Alastor's red eyes glowed softly as he watched her with a strange sense of amusement.

"I… I just want to go home," she said finally. Her voice was small, but it echoed in the silent room like a clarion call.

The four capes looked at one another before looking back at her and nodded their head in understanding.

Homelander glared at Armsmaster who seemed to be less than pleased with her answer.

"Well, you heard her," Homelander's voice was calm, but it held an edge to it now. "She wants to go home."

"Now listen here—" Armsmaster began, his tone filled with stern refusal.

"You have no authority over her," John cut in before the hero could object any further. His blue eyes flashed red as they locked onto Armsmaster's steely ones. "Take your men and leave, we'll be doing the same."

Armsmaster hesitated, taken aback by the unexpected resistance that came from these capes standing beside Taylor.

Seeing them resolute with her choice and siding with her, he began to consid-

BANG

Before Armsmaster could respond, the sharp crack of a gunshot split the tense silence.

Chaos erupted.

Who the fuck pulled the trigger?!

Screams filled the air as people ducked for cover. Taylor flinched, her breath hitching as adrenaline flooded her system. She barely had time to register what happened before the four parahumans sprang into action.

Homelander's eyes flashed dangerously as he turned his head, searching for the source of the shot. His expression darkened. 

"Well, that was a mistake," he muttered before blurring forward at inhuman speed.

Sukuna, on the other hand, just laughed—a low, cruel chuckle that sent shivers down Taylor's spine. 

"Ha! I knew someone was going to fuck up!" he purred, flexing his fingers as inky-black markings slithered across his skin.

Alastor? He was grinning wider. His red eyes glowed with manic delight as shadowy tendrils began slithering out from behind him. 

"My, my! How delightfully rude!" he chirped, his tone playful but carrying a razor-sharp edge.

Armsmaster cursed, immediately moving to control the situation. 

"Stand down!" he shouted. 

But it was too late.

More gunfire rang out, a panicked soldier firing wildly in the confusion. The bullets never reached their targets. Sukuna caught them mid-air with an almost lazy motion, inspecting them with mild irritation before flicking them aside. 

The overlord erected a shimmering barrier around her, blocking another spray of gunfire with ease.

And then?

All hell truly broke loose.

Homelander's laser vision tore through the room, searing into and melting the weapons in the hands of the unfortunate soldiers who had dared to fire. 

Izuku blurred forward in a streak of movement, closing the distance between him and a group of terrified men in an instant. The next thing Taylor saw was bodies flying into the air.

Sukuna vanished, only to reappear behind Armsmaster, his smile was absolutely sadistic.

Just as Armsmaster was about to get his ass handed to him.

The video Paused.

With a sigh, a mouse cursor moved across the screen and clicked on a new tab. With a few quick clicks and see if there were any new messages, the mouse clicked on a newly made thread.

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♦ Topic: A New Parahuman and Four More Because Why Not?

In: Boards ► United States►Brockton Bay►Trigger Events

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (HeroLover#10999)

Posted On XXXXXXX:

We all saw the video that was leaked online tonight, right? It features the girl with four unknown capes, absolutely dogging Armsmaster. Opinions? Speculations? Because from what I'm seeing we just got five new very powerful parahumans! Because Holy S***! Did you see how fast they were going? Or how they are tossing everyone like they were children?

[Sarcasm_Incarnate69]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

Oh yeah, because that's exactly what we needed right now. More capes, and not just any capes, but ones that are controlled by a teenager. Just when I thought Brockton couldn't get any worse. Also, did no one else catch the part where that laughing tattoo guy just disappeared behind Armsy like it was nothing and then proceeded to beat the shit out of him? Because I did, and I do not like that one bit.

[SteelTitanboi]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

I'll hold off on judgment until we get confirmation about what exactly happened. It's possible the situation escalated because of that gunshot the standard protocol is to de-escalate first. That being said, their speed and reaction times are… concerning. If anyone has more footage, send it my way. I'm analyzing everything I can.

[XxVoid_CowboyxX]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

Okay, but did anyone else notice the tattoos on the one dude's skin? That's not normal! And don't even get me started on the creepy radio-voice guy with the shadows! If you ask me? Not parahumans. Nope. Something else. Calling it now. Aliens? Dimensional travelers? Demons? I don't know, but I am so not ruling out some crazy BS.

[PizzaEnjoyer420]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

I don't know what's more worrying—the fact that these new "capes" are ridiculously strong, or the fact that the girl was apparently the one who brought them here. What kind of trigger did she experience to summon other capes? Powerful ones at that.

[Capeten2999]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

If this is a trigger event, it's one of the wildest ones we've ever seen. But I have to ask—why did they listen to her? She didn't order them and didn't even seem in control, but they still backed her up the second she spoke.

And they didn't just defend her, they sided with her. That's different from your usual post-trigger rampage. This was coordinated.

This raises the real question:

Is she actually in charge here?

[AlexandriaFan#2000]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

So, are we just going to ignore the cape that looks like a textbook definition of an Alexandria package?

[Lover_Of_Cuteness]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

OMG! Who's the cutie with green hair?! He's sooooo adorable! I can just eat him up!

[BirdsEye1010]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

@Lover_Of_Cuteness did you not see him wreck a small army of trained soldiers?

[L33t]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

This is officially my most favorite video of all time! I'm going to be playing this on repeat whenever Arms p***** me off! He is never going to live this down! His nudes are already spreading around and I'm differently saving all of them!

[Uber]

Replied On XXXXXXX:

I don't know who they are, but they are now my favorite people!

[End of Page 1 of 10]

Meanwhile…

Taylor sat in the lit room, hunched over the laptop summoned by Alastor, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

She felt sick.

She was currently waiting in her living room for her dad to come back from his job, but curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't stop herself from checking to see what people were saying online.

And they were talking about them, lots of talking.

They were all talking about her, and her... friends? Companions? Minions?

Whatever they were, she had brought them here. And everyone was speculating about their origins and powers. They were dissecting the fight with an analytical eye that sent shivers down her spine.

She had been reluctant, but the itch to know what was being said about her – them – was enough to push aside any form of hesitation. The rumors, the wild speculations, the theories; every single one of them filled her with a spiraling sense of dread and excitement.

They had gone from unknown to infamous in a matter of hours, all thanks to a leaked video that keeps getting taken down but reuploaded hundreds of times.

It was one thing to experience all of that chaos firsthand—it was another to see it dissected by the internet like she was some kind of reality show contestant.

"Seems you've got fans already," Alastor's voice purred from behind her, making her jump. His ever-present grin widened as he peered over her shoulder before she slammed the screen down. "Ooooh, do read more! I do love an audience reaction."

"I… shouldn't even be looking at this," Taylor muttered, rubbing her temples. "It's just making me feel worse."

Izuku, sitting cross-legged on the floor nearby, gave her a concerned look. "Maybe you should take a break? Taking a nap would probably really help, it has been a long day."

"A long week," she corrected, shutting the laptop with a sigh. "And I have no idea what to do next."

Sukuna chuckled, lounging lazily on the couch with a box of pizza.

"Simple. You've already made your choice." His sharp eyes gleamed with amusement. "Now? You deal with the consequences."

Taylor groaned. "That doesn't help."

The sorcerer shrugged before continuing to munch on his pizza and batting away John's hand to prevent him from taking a slice.

"Hands off my pizza, pig."

"Really? The one hogging the pizza is calling me a pig?"

"Damn right!"

Just as the playful argument about pizza was about to break out between Sukuna and John, the entrance door creaked open.

All four capes shifted their attention simultaneously, eyes zeroing in on the figure who stumbled through the door.

Nobody moved.

Taylor's father, who had yet to notice the unusual company around his daughter, sighed tirelessly to himself.

His gaze fixed on the floor as if he were too exhausted to lift it causing him to completely miss the strangers surrounding his daughter.

His suit was rumpled, a sheen of perspiration glistening on his wrinkled forehead. The tired hunch of his shoulders told a tale of overworked nights and worry-filled days.

His gaze fell on a pile of mail on the table, oblivious to the four pairs of watchful eyes trained on him.

________

Danny Hebert was exhausted.

The docks had been hell lately with longer hours, fewer workers, and more paperwork than usual. It wasn't the hardest shift he'd ever worked, but it had drained him all the same. His feet ached, his back was sore, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto the couch with a cold drink and maybe, if he had the energy, heat up some leftovers.

He fumbled with the keys as he unlocked the front door, pushing it open with a tired grunt. He barely registered the lights being on as he stepped inside.

"I'm home," he mumbled, kicking off his shoes without looking up as he eyed the piled-up mail. "Taylor? You still awake?"

Silence.

Then—

"Hey, Dad… I can explain?"

Danny froze.

Something about her tone sent alarm bells ringing in his tired brain. Slowly, he looked up and found himself staring at four strangers lounging in his living room.

A tall, blonde man in a pristine suit perched on the armrest of the couch, his piercing blue eyes locked onto him with an unsettling amount of focus.

A sharp-featured young man with messy green hair sat cross-legged on the floor, looking both sheepish and concerned.

On the couch, a man covered in tattoos smirked at him while eating a slice of pizza like he owned the place.

And standing just behind Taylor towering over her, a sharp-dressed man with glowing red eyes and an impossibly wide smile grew even wider.

Danny's mind short-circuited. His gaze darted from one to the other, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the wake of sheer what the hell is happening.

"…Taylor," he said carefully, eyes never leaving the four capes. "Who are they?"

Taylor, still standing awkwardly near the couch, swallowed hard.

"Uh. So. Funny story…"