-----Taylor Hebert/Skitter-----

-----PRT ENE Headquarters, Wards Common Room-----

-----04/24/2011-----

Oddly, my dreams are mostly occupied by what looks like some sort of oil-painted night sky. Predominantly black but with streaks of orange, blue, and purple interwoven here and there. Along with a rather soothing yellow. The sky sings to me to sleep as I lay down upon the island of dark red crystal.

When I woke up though, my world was full of unrelenting soreness. I was a bit out of it for quite a while after the fight, but I'm pretty sure I caught the tail-end of one of Bakuda's "pain bombs". Fucking ouch.

"Are you feeling better?" Miss Militia asks me as she fusses over me. It's rather endearing really, she acts like she's-

No, don't think about that Taylor. "Yeah, I'm feeling better than before. What did I miss?"

"Lung escaped with the assistance of Oni Lee and Bakuda. He's also sworn vengeance against Typhon Prime for humiliating him the way she did."

Somehow, I'm not worried for Morgan's safety at all. I'm pretty sure she's immune to fire and she's part of a gestalt. As long as one Typhon organism remains, she's effectively unkillable.

"Also... I'm sorry to say, but Shadow Stalker also managed to slip away in the confusion." Miss Militia says to me sadly.

I froze. Uncertain as to how I should respond. The bitch who helped make my life hell for the last two years managed to escape justice thanks to that fucking bomber bitch.

"I see." I respond in a flat monotone voice, having shoved all of my worry, fear, and rage into my swarm.

I can't help but think about what she's planning. She knows that I'm a Cape. She knows I have powers. She knows that I'm part of the reason she got caught. And she's absolutely petty enough to go after Dad in order to get back at me.

-----Sophia Hess/Shadow Stalker-----

-----Rooftops of The Docks, Brockton Bay, CT, Earth Bet-----

Heh, stupid bastards. Shouldn't have locked me up. Now Lung's on the loose and the ABB are going to tear the city apart looking for Typhon Prime because they wouldn't let me do my job.

Fucking Hebert, that pathetic weakling. How the fuck did SHE get Powers?! From a fucking PRANK no less?!?!

Oh well, I'll be sure to remind her of her place soon enough. I managed to hit up some of my old stashes for a backup costume, crossbow, and some real fucking crossbow bolts. The tranq bolts had their upsides, sure, but they lack the "oomph" of some proper broadhead bolts.

"Hey there Broody McBroodlord. Watcha thinkin' about?" Someone who I've never heard before suddenly says from right behind me.

I quickly go to my shadow state and spin around only for-

PAIN!!!!!

Being forcibly reverted back to my solid self, I look at the electrified tentacle of oily blackness. It kind of reminds me of that bastard Grue's darkness with the way it emits black smoke.

Standing at the other end of it is the newest boogeyman of the Bay. "Typhon Prime."

"Oh? So the mighty Shadow Stalker herself knows of me? I'm honored." The bitch says with a smile on her face(?) that doesn't quite reach her eyes(?).

"I'm going to kill you. You're a Villain. I'm a Hero."

The bitch just looks at me with a blank expression, before doubling over and laughing as if I just told her the funniest fucking joke in the world.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?!"

"You? A Hero? That's rich. That's the funniest shit in the world. The fact that you can say it with such confidence and certainty really helps sell it."

"I said it because it's true!"

"Oh really? Let's see." The bitch then pulls a cellphone out of... somewhere... and starts tapping away at it.

"Okay, top results for definition of 'Hero'. 'A hero is a person, real or fictional, who demonstrates exceptional courage, bravery, and/or noble qualities in the face of adversity or danger. They are often admired and seen as a role model for their actions and character.' They are also known for- "

• Courage and Bravery: Heroes are known for their willingness to face danger and challenges, even at personal risk.
• Nobility and Selflessness: They often act with a sense of duty and sacrifice, putting the needs of others before their own.
• Strong Moral Character: Heroes are typically seen as virtuous and ethical, upholding their principles and values even when faced with difficult choices.
• Inspiration: Heroes can inspire others to strive for greatness and make a positive impact on the world.

"-which brings us back to you. I'll admit that your willingness to face down enemy Parahumans and their criminal mooks qualifies for 'Courage and Bravery', but that's all you've got going for you."

"Bullshit! I've got all the other shit too!"

"Top results for definition of 'Villain'. 'A villain is typically defined by their opposition to the hero and their harmful or immoral actions that oppose justice or the greater good. They often have motivations and goals that conflict with the hero's, and their actions, while sometimes justifiable from their perspective, create harm and ruin.' They are also known for-"

Opposition to the Hero: Villains are antagonists, actively opposing the hero and causing conflict. They might have personal grudges or a larger agenda that clashes with the hero's goals.

Harmful Actions: Villains often engage in acts of selfishness, cruelty, or other immoral behaviors that harm others or oppose justice.

Justifiable Motivations (Sometimes): While their actions are harmful, villains may have justifications or beliefs that align with their own principles.

Personal and Larger Goals: Villains may have personal grudges or conflicts with the hero, or they may have larger, overarching goals that they are pursuing, often at the expense of others.

Psychological Depth: Some villains are driven by psychological issues, such as bitterness, anger, or psychological disturbance, which may explain their harmful actions.

Backstory and Development: A well-developed villain often has a backstory that explains their motivations and how they became the person they are.

Moral Opposition: Villains often represent the opposite of the hero's moral compass, with the hero typically striving for justice and the greater good, while the villain's actions oppose these values.

"-which brings us full circle. Let's see, turning Emma Barnes against Taylor Hebert? Opposition to the Hero. Planning revenge against Taylor Hebert for exposing your activities? Opposition to the Hero again. Maiming, if not killing, criminals without extrajudicial oversight? Harmful Actions. Deciding whether or not to save people from being raped and/or killed based on willingness to fight back and restricting your worldview to 'Predators and Prey'? Justifiable Motivations. Irrational hatred of Taylor Hebert, the Wards, The PRT and Protectorate for 'hindering your capacity to fight crime'? Personal and Larger Goals. Every Parahuman, without exception, immediately qualifies for Psychological Depth. Same thing for Backstory and Development due to the nature of Trigger Events."

I could hear the words coming out of their mouth, but my brain couldn't process them properly. No, it refused to process them properly. Because doing so would be an acknowledgement that, by definition, I checked off every box for the accepted definition of a "Villain".

Normally, I'd be raging against this bitch's accusations, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to refute them. What? What is this feeling? Why the hell am I sweating from the middle of my face? Wait, no, it's not sweat. It's tears. I'm crying. I'M FUCKING CRYING!!!!!!!

WHY THE FUCK AM I CRYING?!?!?!?!

"So, are you done lying to yourself? Hindering yourself? Are you going to continue this pathetic farce of 'heroism', or are you going to show the world the truth? Show them that there are Predators and Prey?"

I- I really have been lying to myself, haven't I? I just used the excuse of "being a Hero" to lie to myself. The truth has always been Predators and Prey. It's time for me to stop being Prey to a bunch of hypocritical losers and become a real fucking Predator.

"That's more like it. By the way, how's Emma these days?" Typhon Prime asks me.

"I haven't spoken to her recently. I should check in on her."

"Oh really? I didn't peg you the type to suffer betrayal with mercy."

What? "What?"

"Come on, isn't it obvious? You haven't heard from her, there's been nothing in the news about her being arrested, and so on. Do you really think anyone would take the words of a pathetic loser like Taylor Hebert at face value? They couldn't lock you up without proof of your misdeeds and they had no reason to suspect you unless someone provided them with evidence of your 'conduct'."

That's right. We spent the last two years making sure no one would take Hebert's complaints seriously. No one at Winslow had the balls to rat us out, so how the fuck did Miss Piggy and Assmaster get their hands on enough evidence to lock me up? Madison's too much of a pussy to snitch, and I sure as hell didn't incriminate myself...

"Emma. She didn't. She wouldn't. I saved her. I SAVED HER!!!!! SHE WOULDN'T BETRAY ME!!!!!!"

"She was Taylor's best friend practically from the moment they were born and she conspired to make her life a living hell to the point that she Triggered. If she can do that to her sister-in-all-but-name, what exactly makes you think she wouldn't throw you out on your ass once you were no longer useful. It's well within her capability to roll on you in exchange for leniency. After all, you've seen how effective she is at leveraging her looks and charisma to control the narrative."

"That's-" All too true. Looking back on it, Emma seemed to be perfectly willing to throw Taylor under the bus once she realized how weak Hebert truly was. If she could really do all of that to Hebert, then what was stopping her from doing the same to me?

"That- That- That fucking BITCH!!!! I'm going to fucking KILL HER!!!!!"

"That's it? Just kill her? Sounds a little too easy in my opinion. Why not remind her of her place in the food chain?"

Hmm, that certainly sounds like a better idea. She may be a Survivor, but I guess that doesn't mean she isn't Prey all the same. A Predator wouldn't have been caught like she was.

"As for Danny Hebert, I'd personally recommend not going for the kill against him, or Taylor. Killing her Dad would just piss her off and she'd come and kill you for it. But if you fuck him up some, that'll really eat at her. That's the mistake you and Emma made with Taylor. She's got near indomitable willpower when bad shit happens to her directly. If you want to get revenge against her, go after the people she cares about. Make her realize her own powerlessness to protect those she cherishes. That's how you get back at her."

That makes a lot of sense actually. No amount of roughing her up or working her over ever seemed to get much of a reaction out of her. Every time Emma took a shot at her with her psychological issues though? Especially regarding her mother? Now that really cut deep. In hindsight, I should've noticed just how determined and headstrong she was regarding anything we did to her directly.

"Sounds good." I wonder who I should go after first?

-----Morgan Yu/Typhon Prime-----

Do I feel bad about sending Sophia Hess after Taylor's friends and family? Yes. Would I do things differently if I could? Possibly. But, this is for her own good, even if she doesn't quite see it that way.

At least I was able to prevent Sophia from going after Danny and co. with lethal force. As for siccing her on Emma? Well, like I said before, I've never been satisfied with Sophia getting off without proper punishment.

I think hitting her with the revelation of her own Villainous attitude and then gaslighting her into ruining her only positive social contact is a pretty good start.

Sadly, I lack Jack Slash's cheat sheet via the [Broadcast] Shard to pull off the gaslight properly, but some subtle applications of [Mind Jack] and [Machine Mind] helped.

The use of [Mind Jack] let me implant subconscious suggestions into the back of her mind based on what I was saying to help steer her mind in the direction I desired. Namely, accept the Heel-Realization of being a "Villain" and getting her revenge without actually killing anyone.

As for [Machine Mind]? Well, I had to get her damn Shard to play along somehow. So tweaking the Conflict Drive to minimize its aggression towards me while focusing it on the "targets" of her revenge? Well... what can I say?

I'll admit, it's a crude work of effort on my part, but "needs must" and all that.

I can't wait to see the look on Sophia's face once she realizes how badly I played her. Onto the next phase of my plan, which I'm totally not making up as I go. Definitely not.