While I climb the stairs, my insects have already compiled a rough picture of the battle. The Butcher is racing back and forth, teleporting and maintaining almost continuous fire from her machine gun. She's alone from the Teeth teamI don't see anyone else attacking the heroes. The heroes are in position: Armsmaster, Miss Militia, Triumph, Velocity, and of course Battery with Assault. Someone else among the flying capes is hitting the Butcher with laser-like beams. Either Purity or someone from New Wave.
At first I calm down—after all, there are so many Heroes here, they can't let the Butcher destroy a school full of kids, even if they are in the basement. But as always, several especially "gifted" individuals are sitting in classrooms, hiding from teachers, and some are standing in the school courtyard. I immediately create clones from the most useless insects—anthropomorphic figures right in front of them—and try to make threatening sounds. Why? Because even if I could write a message with insects like "Run, you fools!" no one would listen. Teenagers. They'd be surprised, pull out phones to record, laugh. But if you scare them good and proper—the reaction will be instant. Right now, three "specially gifted" ones who decided to play cards in an empty classroom bolted from their seats with tire-squealing speed. Those in the courtyard were already running from the epicenter of events, since explosions and gunshots were sounding very close. My battle plan: hide somewhere closer to the surface so I don't get buried to hell, but on the other hand, to have better coverage radius for my abilities. Don't show myself to the combatants, especially since I don't even have a costume. Direct the battle away from the school and... that's it.
At this moment new players appear on stage—in theatrical plays this is described as "the same characters plus So-and-so." Instead of So-and-so, some creature on four legs bursts into my scouts' range, looking most like a mix of Bitch's monstrous dogs and a mutant crocodile. The creature roars and lunges at Armsmaster, but he unexpectedly dodges the attack with a nimble movement and strikes it with his halberd. My respect for Armsmaster immediately jumps two levels—he doesn't look like a martial arts master, but moves with a sprinter's speed and a ballerina's coordination. Here and there human figures with automatic weapons began appearing, firing in all directions without much concern for aiming or proper assault rifle handling. Miss Militia opened lethal fire in response, and with each of her shots one human figure dissolved into slimy mass, spattering in all directions, but immediately another identical one appeared. Right then my scouts detected many small, razor-sharp discs in the air.
The Teeth have finally arrived at the party. I recognized the first one immediately—Animos, a parahuman who can transform into an animal. Though what's the use of such power? Sure, he's stronger and faster than a human and probably tougher, but Armsmaster's halberd will cut him in half and that's that. In my opinion, he presents no special danger. Though something else was written about his abilities on PHO, I don't remember. The clones with assault rifles—that's Spree, his ability to create duplications of himself. Here it's necessary to identify the actual user and destroy him. The discs in the air—small force fields, that's Vex, a Shaker. So far that's all, I don't sense anyone else. Well then... an attack plan formed in my head by itself. First—destroy all gang members so they don't get underfoot. Second—deliver a light dose of neurotoxin to the Butcher. Just a really small one. One bite. Time's up!
My Medicis attack from all sides and Spree, taking cover behind an armored car body, jumps in the air, drops his rifle and grabs his neck where he took five bites at once (new neurotoxin line from Taylor! Now the city will be twice as clean twice as fast!). He falls on the rubberized pickup truck bed covering, wheezing and clutching his throat. Asphyxiation. Agony. Next, Vex starts dancing, beating himself on the head trying to shake off the insects, but my precious Medicis work on a "hit and run" scheme—sting and fly away, leaving behind other insects that aren't as valuable, that can be easily sacrificed and that distract Vex's attention while the poison takes effect. Dozens of Medici Mark Twos attack Animos—he swats with his tail and shakes his head, his skin is extremely tough and the poison doesn't affect him like a human organism!
Simultaneously, two Medicis that I managed to plant on the Butcher inject one-fourth the usual poison dose—or rather, try to inject it. The Butcher's skin is tougher than an ordinary person's, as befits a Brute, and they have to apply effort... one fails completely, while the second, having bitten through the skin, injects a full dose. Shit.
At this moment Animos raises his muzzle and lets out a deafening roar, the result of which is partial blinding and deafening... no, I'm not blind or deaf, I've just lost connection with my Swarm! Shit, I think, shit! There's Animos's additional power—ability nullification! His roar temporarily deprives everyone around of the ability to use their powers!
"Damn it all!" comes to mind as a curse. I can't feel my insects! My God, my ant queens—I didn't give them the command to go into stasis, they're in attack mode, and they've been aggressive and vicious creatures from the very beginning, and after selective breeding even worse! At this moment something moves in my hair, and I'm covered in cold sweat because I don't control these movements. What could be moving in my hair? Omega Squad, the last line of defense, my Kunoichis, the last ten ant queens with neurotoxin!
In a split second several thoughts flashed through my head—about how Taylor's father won't survive her death, Danny barely managed to bear Annette's demise, and now his daughter too... he'll surely blame himself for what happened. And also—dying from my own insects would be quite ironic, a kind of karmic retribution of the "don't breed poisonous insects, for they will devour you! And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious punishments upon those who plot to poison and harm my brothers" variety. I also instantly imagine exactly what the sensations of neurotoxin poisoning will be. First—pain from the bite right into the scalp, into sensitive places, then—spots before the eyes, partial paralysis, inability to focus vision, inability to breathe, pain from muscle spasms and death by asphyxiation. Which will be quite long—after all, without oxygen a person can live up to five minutes or more. They become harmless almost immediately, since paralysis grips them from the neurotoxin, but they die for a long time. Five minutes of torment—that's very, very long, subjectively I'll be dying for almost eternity. And another thought—I should have developed an antidote, that's what I was thinking about. How long does Animos's ability nullification last? I feel little legs rustling on my scalp, it seems the rustle from their contact with my head skin is deafening. I grit my teeth, preparing for the inevitable. "Kunoichi" series ant queens are smaller in size, not as hardy as "Medicis," better adapted for concealed carrying on the body, but they have no less poison. As for aggressiveness—they're slightly less aggressive than "Medicis" and are set for long waiting, capable of remaining in stasis constantly, but I woke them before the attack! The only thing standing between me and a dozen lethal bites right to the head is that these specific specimens weren't given the task to attack.
I freeze in place, trying not to breathe or move. In a split second I felt all the horror of my own attack—what it's like to be covered with insects that don't obey you. Perhaps I should pity Lung's bandits, at least sympathize with them—their last minutes were quite unpleasant.
Little legs continue rustling in my hair... how long does this damn nullification effect last after Animos's scream?! And... if I'm already bitten by the time—I need to make every effort to put all my insects into stasis. No, not even that—order them to die. Because a bite from a "Kunoichi" series ant queen right to the head for me, with my physiology and weight—is almost certainly certain death. At least I need to worry that after my death they don't devour everyone around... because an adult "Kunoichi" has enough poison for at least ten to fifteen bites, and "Medicis" have even more. And I have five hundred "Medicis" and several dozen "Kunoichis"—enough for corpses to lie in stacks all over the school. So focus, Taylor, you still have a mission before death. Even if I'm already lying paralyzed, the ability might return and I need to prepare for the command and...
One of the "Kunoichis" gets tangled in my hair and starts buzzing desperately. I flinch and immediately something flashes in my head like lightning! Pain from the bite! I grit my teeth and barely restrain myself from starting to beat my head randomly, wrap my arms around myself and slowly slide down the wall. My task is to keep myself calm, not scream, not shake insects off my head, not try to crush them with my hands, otherwise I'll get many such bites. Otherwise I'll definitely die. One bite... there's still a chance. My head starts spinning and everything suddenly brightens around me. Oh right, I think, pupil paralysis, photophobia, soon I won't be able to turn my eyeballs in their sockets. Weakness... yes, weakness, I can't lift my hand, my tongue has grown heavy and lies in my mouth like an old and long-dead seal on a stone beach, my scalp has gone numb, I finally stopped feeling those little legs in my hair. I think it's even better this way—if they sting me again now, I won't feel it. I just need to hold on to the end, maybe my abilities will return to me, I need to manage to give the self-destruct command to all my insects. I wasn't worried about the anthill-base under the house—they go into stasis every time I leave home, everything's provided for, I didn't consider myself immortal. But I didn't think I'd die so soon. Damn.
I stop feeling my arms and legs, start suffocating, and black holes appear before my eyes. I see nothing but darkness, my chest feels like it's being squeezed by a giant, not allowing me to breathe, sticky and dark fear grips me, horror before non-existence. I stop controlling myself, I try to breathe, break free, do at least something, but my body doesn't obey me, finally settling onto the floor.
And... power returns with a jerk! I can feel my insects again! It's like inhaling a breath of clean air, though my body still lies on the floor unable to take even a breath, but now—now I can see! Even if through insects, but I can see! With fragments of what I used to call will, I gather all remaining "Medicis" and "Kunoichis" and give them the self-destruct command. "Medicis" die and fall down, "Kunoichis" freeze, curled up in my hair—I feel each death. All I have left now are ordinary insects that can always be found on the street, but that's enough for me. I've fulfilled my most important function—my death won't become a trigger for the Eighth Plague of Egypt on Brockton Bay's streets.
I close my eyes. That's it. The end. I did everything I could. Life was short but bright. Sorry, Taylor, that it turned out this way. I'm sure you would have done much better. Though we'll meet soon anyway, we can discuss it there. The sticky and dark fear, panic before darkness—have passed, and now I can die calmly, not writhing in paroxysms of fear. Just won't breathe any more air... air that's filled with the smell of smoke and blood...
Smoke and blood? I draw air through my nostrils—yes, that's right, smoke and blood. Or what is this smell? No wait, what the hell smell—I can breathe! I'm breathing! What happened, didn't the neurotoxin work? Or did I develop immunity to it? Well, I'll think about that later, but now... now I'm alive! Breathing. And the darkness before my eyes begins to dissipate. Steps are heard in the corridor, someone's calling someone, but I deliberately stepped aside and hid behind a locker—I'm not visible here.
My body is shaking, I still can't feel my arms and legs, but I can feel my Swarm! I see the battlefield again—everything's quiet, bodies lie on the ground... I can't identify them from a distance, but I see that Armsmaster and Miss Militia are alive and well. I don't recognize the other heroes, that's not important to me right now. Apparently the Butcher retreated, because I don't see any PRT transport for escorting and transporting especially dangerous capes anywhere.
I position flies closer to get more information—after all, Animos's scream took me out of action... and I'm very afraid that my "Medicis" left to their own devices caused trouble.
"First time I've seen anything like this," Miss Militia declares, crossing her arms. "Still, this ability is terrifying."
"Nullification doesn't work on my devices. It deprives of abilities, but I don't use my abilities in combat. And nullification doesn't affect tinkertech. Same with your weapon once it's manifested—it doesn't work on it either. You just couldn't switch to something else... but otherwise nothing unexpected." Armsmaster replies. "It had a bad effect on our allies, but you and I can work quite well against such an ability."
While they're talking, my other insects get the opportunity to identify bodies—not all, but some. I definitely identify Animos, a huge creature, a mix of bulldog and crocodile the size of a bull. He lies on the asphalt not breathing, with his huge stinking maw open and tongue lolling out. Several more bodies. Vex. Spree. Hmm, and who's this?
"In any case, the priority task now is to find the new cape. What was he called—Poison Ivy?" Miss Militia says, and I see the heroine isn't relaxed at all—she's holding an assault rifle in her hand and looking around. Someone from the flying heroes flies overhead. Are they looking for me? What did those damn "Medicis" do while my ability wasn't working? I was hoping that left to themselves they would follow nature and previous orders. Apparently that's what happened with Animos, Vex and Spree—the queens pounced on them because the targets were already designated as "targets for attack," because ants react to scent marks, and a neurotoxin bite is like a laser sight on targets for air strikes, like wing-waggling from the leader "do as I do"—and attack approach. That's why I thought my "Medici" queens shouldn't touch anyone except already marked/attacked targets. But... you never know. Say Armsmaster or Triumph slapped their shoulder, killed one of them and that's it—new target for attack, scent mark in action.
So... who did I designate before Animos disabled abilities with his scream? Animos himself—if I'd known I would have chosen him as priority target, I almost died after all. Vex and Spree—along with him. But the Butcher... I practically didn't attack her! One dose wasn't even enough for me... I'm sitting here now, though shaking from the poison, but one dose definitely wouldn't have been enough...
A bad premonition grips me. So, remember, Taylor, remember, where exactly was the main swarm of "Medicis" when you were disabled? Far from the Butcher, that's for sure. Unless... she's a teleporter! Bam and there you go, she's already practically in the school courtyard, and here are my "Medicis," all five hundred of them, and Animos's scream disables abilities, and on the Butcher's neck—just one single bite... It can't be! No, that definitely can't be, what kind of unlucky person would you have to be to...
"Well hello, new body," a voice sounds inside my head, and I'm covered in cold sweat. "What a weakling you are after all. And you killed Lung? Unexpected. Almost died from your own poison, you idiot."
"That's quite an interesting question... if she had died from the poison when we transferred into her—what would have happened?" another voice asks. "Would it be the end? Finally death?"
"The Butcher is immortal," the voice declares. "What are you lying around for, fool? Go to the courtyard, get the machine gun."