7 The Fairie Court 2.1

So, I decided to restart. I tried out to many Ideas in such a short time, and my goal for the story kept changing. So, I decided to map out a new plan, and stick to it. I am a terrible author, and so I am not afraid to scrap days of work. Hope you like the new direction. Feed me power stones if you want to show support.

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As Uaine appeared in a forest, she sighed. Her fight with the Vasto Lorde was not glamorous in the slightest, nor well fought. She won due to the Vasto Lorde underestimating her. The fight only highlighted her inability to fight, despite her power. Against a seasoned warrior with combat expertise, her power could only compensate for so much inexperience.

Either way, she would need more combat experience if she was going to fight stronger enemies in the future. Maybe those huntsman schools she's heard about?

[Mission complete: Defeat the Vasto Lorde]

[Rewards: None]

She sighed again at the lack of compensation for her fight. She could have died! Not really, but it was still scary! She should demand compensation! Fair Pay! Equal Rights!

[The Cage of Evil]

[You will be granted compensation immediately for this mission.]

Do you agree?]

She sighed. Why her? She just got done with the last mission. Why couldn't she have a break?

"Yes." She spoke, and another screen popped up.

[Reward: Fairy's Corridor]

[[Master of all $*$@*] admits, they were just giving this to you to get rid of it.]

[Allows the user to open portals to the [Netherworld] and connect them to past ages.

- Interdimensional Wormhole: The user can open a gate exclusively connected to the mythical realm, a parallel world where mythology is true. Due to its uncontrollable nature, the User's authority randomly generates a phenomenon called spatial distortion throughout the multiverse, causing a calamity on a multiversal scale.

- Space and time sensitivity: This authority used to be a time travel authority, it naturally sharpens the User's instinct toward a subject of time traveling. She can faintly perceive a flow of corrective force and a voice of the protector of history.

Weaknesses:

-The hole will randomly appear throughout the multiverse regardless of the User's command.

-If the User is killed, the existing portals will go berserk, fusing several mythological worlds.

-The destination is random, the User can't choose where or when she wants to go on an adventure.

-Even though the destination is set, the arrival time is varied. It can be a day faster or a month later than the intended schedule.

Incantation:

"In order to carry us to far beyond――o blessed fairy children, please display the works of wonder here right now!" ]

What the Hell was this!? 'Calamity on a Multiversal Scale'?! She can't control it!?

Why her?!

[Second reward gained: ]

[ Luck: Rank E ]

She started choking. Was this another power? Misfortune and bad luck? As she thought that, a mysterious door appeared in front of her. it opened, before sucking her inside.

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Taylor Hebert POV

The World was dying. That much was visible to everyone. The Endbringers were slowly killing society, and no one could do a thing about it.

They appeared one day from nothing. Some people thought that they were Parahumans who mutated to the point of being monsters. They appeared every three months and attacked a city. Villains and heroes alike were called to drive them off. Only half of the attending Parahumans dead was considered extremely good for an Endbringer fight.

Leviathan was the weakest of the Three. He controlled water and was a huge human-like figure with green skin. He was resistant to almost any power and caused massive floods that sunk towns. The Fight between Lung, Leviathan, and Al-Might was the closest to a victory ever achieved, but it caused massive damage to the island of Japan.

Behemoth was a huge golem-like creature that was made of stone. It manipulated energy, caused earthquakes, and lightning storms, and molded the surrounding area with lava. It released so much radiation that the area around Behemoth was known as the 'Kill-Field". He was known as the Herokiller.

Simurgh was a huge Angel with 12 wings that was feared the most out of them. She could see the future and killed people that were important to the future. She could release screams that turned people mad, and mind controlled them to do her bidding. She was known as the Hopekiller.

These three creatures were slowly destroying the world, and the Villains weren't helping. The Word 'Parahuman' referred to someone who gained supernatural abilities after a trigger event.

Parahumans, by design, were broken. How does one become a

Ever since the '80s, when the first parahuman Scion appeared, things only changed for the worse.

America was riddled with quarantine zones, where dangerous Parahumans are kept locked in a town or city.

Nilbog, the Bio-Tinker who could create living creatures of flesh.

Pastor, the mysterious religious figure that could give people powers.

The Robot Army was created from a Tinker-Made security system that was sentient.

Many other powerful Villains took refuge in the USA, making it the highest Parahuman/Human ratio in the world.

Because of this, the Protectorate was formed around the Triumvirate, three heroes who were the figureheads of the organization.

Alexandria was superman without the laser eyes or X-ray vision.

Legend, who could fire energy beams from his hands, and control where the beams went.

Eidolon, the Trump whose power changed to adapt to every situation he is put in.

Canada was much better off, having the Guild formed from another few key heroes.

Dragon is the world's most famous and possibly best Tinker. A Tinker is a Parahuman who is an engineer, able to create futuristic technology. Each Tinker had a specialty and they could only create Technology from that specialization. Tinker-Tech was known to be physically impossible to reproduce normally, and since no one could understand it or fix it if it was broken, Tinker's were valuable to keep their Tech working.

Narwhal was a famous Hero who could create pink force Fields that cut through almost anything.

Chevalier, whose power was mostly unknown, though most thought him to be a Tinker based on the medieval armor and Tinker-Tech sword he lugged around.

The only notable villain in Canada was Heartbreaker, a Villain who could mind control people. He was known to mind control and rape women he thought were pretty.

Africa is known for being ruled by Tyrants and warlords. Moord Nag was the Parahuman warlord who ruled most of Africa. It was a place where wars were frequent and extremely dangerous to live. Ash Beast, a living explosion, roamed there, forcing settlements to move out of the path of its mindless wandering

Europe was in a state of a cold war between the unknown organization that controlled 12 living Tinker-Tech superweapons known as the 12 Blasphemies, and The Elders, 9 Parahumans with exceptionally strong abilities.

Russia was under the rule of the mysterious Parahuman no one, not even the Triumvirate or Elders messed with, only known as the Emperor. Sleeper, the other Mysterious Parahuman who could repel The Emperor's attack for over 12 years, was the only other notable Parahuman living there.

China was ruled by the CUI, the Chinese Union-Imperial, a group of Parahumans known as the Yangban that controlled the populace.

India is in much the same state as Africa, riddled with gangs and tyrants.

Australia was mostly free of crime, living safely under the protection of the Villain known as the Iron Witch.

Japan, was one of the world's hotspots for Parahumans, having several heroes, but mainly All Might, which was the main reason more Villains didn't flock there.

Taylor Hebert lived in Brockton Bay, which was home to the highest Parahuman-to-Human ratio in the USA, located on the Eastern coast of the USA. Several Gangs inhabited the city, and the heroes were outnumbered 4-1, allowing the Gangs to operate relatively unopposed.

Empire 88, was a White Supremacist Neo-Nazi gang with 12 parahumans in their ranks. They had ties to organizations like the Gesellschaft and Millennium, They were led by a Parahuman named Kaiser.

ABB, which stood for Azn Bad Boys, was a gang that was led by a Parahuman by the name of Lung.

The Archers Bridge Merchants were drug dealers under the Parahuman Skidmark. They had roughly 5 Parahumans and were known to be disgusting rats.

Faultline's crew, which were a small gang of mercenaries numbering roughly over 7 Parahumans, mostly kept to themselves.

And Coil, a mysterious man who used mercenaries, who people weren't even sure was a parahuman.

Taylor Hebert was a tall, stick-thin, young woman with long, curly black hair and glasses, standing at 5"8.

She lived with her father, who was the head of the Dock Workers Union, known as the DWU, which was a collection of workers that operated the docks. Work had gone downhill since the local industry had collapsed, and the Boat Graveyard, as it was called, where dozens of ships were left to rot after it became too troublesome to move them.

Her days consisted of going to Winslow High School, a hell made by her former best friend, during a bullying campaign against her.

She sighed, as she trekked back home. Most of her school books and homework were stolen during PE, as such, she had to redo them when she got home.

She sighed again, staring at the pavement, before looking up and thinking with determination.

Ever since the incident, in which she was shoved into a locker with biological waste and left to die, she gained powers.

Her! Old, worthless, Taylor. She gained the ability to control bugs in a certain radius, a very un-heroic power if you asked her. She couldn't imagine how someone with her power could become a Hero like Alexandria, but that didn't stop her from trying. She would become a Hero and save people even if her powers were slightly villainous.

As she made her way home, she contemplated how she could be a hero.

She finally arrived, stepping up the creaking stairs. She winced. They only reminded her of how much they were struggling. She twisted the doorknob, before stepping inside. She then made her way inside and put the tea kettle on. She needed a hot cup after the day she had. She slid into a seat at the dining room table, before freezing.

A woman was sitting across from her. In her house. And she recognized her as well. Glaistig Uaine, the Fairy Queen. One of the world's most feared villains, who were considered to be an S-class threat, before she surrendered, and was sent to the Birdcage.

Her mind simply blanked, before she summoned up all the insects she could muster from the surrounding neighborhood, and the swarm she kept in their basement. She quickly summoned them to the living room, as the Fairy Queen held in her hand, and a white flame manifested in her outstretched palm. Any bugs that neared her were incinerated, and she smirked as she watched Taylor. Taylor was still partially in shock. She tensed her body fearfully, expecting the Fairy Queen to kill her. But, she just watched her. She sat frozen for several seconds before the Fairy Queen spoke to her.

"Queen Administrator." She spoke. Thoughts quickly raced through Taylor's mind. Was she addressing her? Why was she here? Why hadn't she killed her yet?

"You interest me." She spoke again. "Fear not, for I will not harm you." She assured.

Taylor was silent for several seconds. "And why should I believe you?" she asked suspiciously.

The Fairy Queen snorted. "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so. I merely wish to converse." She stated.

Taylor thought about it while using her bugs to type numbers into the home phone, hoping to contact the PRT.

Taylor stayed silent for several seconds, before speaking. "Fine, we can talk." She said, hoping to buy time for the PRT.

Glaistig looked amused, before firing a small part of the white fire at the phone, filling the room with the smell of melting plastic.

Taylor flinched and started to panic. "Calm yourself, I said I wouldn't harm you, and I mean it." The fairy queen stated.

"What do you want?" Taylor asked.

The Fairy Queen tilted her head, before answering. "You see, I was approached recently by a mysterious man." She began recounting, making up a story on the spot.

"He offered me an accord. I would work for him." She told Taylor, peering over at her.

"So?" Taylor asked, snarky. If she was going to die, she would not give the pleasure of being polite to her murderer.

"Well, I accepted. And he stripped me of my faries and Memories, before giving me a task." She supplied.

Taylor's eyes widened. She had never heard of such a Parahuman. Able to steal powers and memories? She could guess that he would be on the PRT's number one most wanted within the day.

"He offered me my memories, Faries, and even more power in exchange for my cooperation. Seeing little options, I accepted." She shrugged.

Taylor took a moment to process that. Who the heck was this guy, that could make even Glaistig Uaine do his bidding?

"What does that have to do with me?" She asked.

"This Parahuman had simply a task for me to complete. Help you." She stated, looking at Taylor intently.

Taylor blinked.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"Something about you. Maybe it's your potential. Maybe it's your power. Either way, he tasked me to simply help you." she explained.

"Help me?" What did that mean?

"Follow your commands, If I had to guess." she supplied.

"What, You'll just do whatever I say?" She asked disbelievingly.

Glaistig shrugged. "I won't kill myself. And I won't turn myself in. If that's what you're asking." She supplied.

Taylor was deep in thought. Who was this Parahuman, who could control even Glaistig Uaine herself, and what did it want with her?

"So if I told you to be a Hero, you would do it?" She asked.

Glaistig shrugged.

"How can I trust you?" She asked.

Glaistig smirked. "You can't. And shouldn't. But, you can trust me to do what is in my best interest for myself. And right now, that is following you." She supplied.

Taylor was deep in thought. If she could use Glaistig Uaine, perhaps by turning her in, or convincing the PRT that she could control her, they would definitely let her be a Hero.

"I would advise against that," Glaistig stated, watching her expression.

Taylor frowned. "And how do you know what I was planning?" She asked angrily.

Glaistig raised an eyebrow. "It was written all over your face. You seem like the type. Young, Idealistic, Naive." she listened. "Unknowing of how the world works. Likely wants to be a hero for selfish reasons. Likely just to be praised, to fit in, to be loved."

Taylor scowled. "And what would a Villain like you know about being a Hero?"

"How do you think the Protectorate works?" She asked. While her memories were still shot to hell, she still retained some basic information about the world, and Glaistig had many feelings about how the heroes operated.

Taylor deadpanned. "I don't know. They catch villains?" She snarked.

Glasitg frowned. This girl was starting to annoy her.

"They recruit Parahumans to fight Villains, yes, but that is not their main goal. But their main goal is to preserve the status quo of the city. Let me ask you this, when has the PRT ever captured, and successfully held a villain?" She asked with a thoughtful expression.

Taylor thought for a minute, before drawing a blank. "I don't know off hand, but I'm sure they have before." She answered.

Glaistig was now scowling. "None. That is the answer. Marquis? He was caught by New Wave. The Slaughterhouse 9? They were driven out by various gangs. Allfather? He was killed by a villain. The Teeth? Once again, driven out by the combined forces of the gangs." She answered.

Taylor was also scowling, rising to defend them. "They are outnumbered 4 - 1! They can't afford to attack a gang, without provoking the others!" She argued.

"Hmph. True, but that still doesn't excuse them. They let villains roam free, and for one reason. Usefulness." She explained.

"What?"

"A Villain's Usefulness, as a member of the PRT, or against Endbringers, is weighed against their actions, Public opinion of them, the threat they present, and resources required to capture them." She explained, before continuing.

"Consider Uber and Leet. They have been captured by the PRT multiple times, yet they always escape. This is because their actions do not present enough of a motivation to dispatch resources to keep them contained permanently. Their usual non-lethal attitude makes them possible recruits to the PRT. Or consider Lung. Her power makes her desirable both as a Hero and during Endbringer fights. Her usefulness in the Leviathan fight in Kyushu and for future Endbringer battles is weighed against her crimes and difficulty in capturing her. The threat she presents is countered by her power's drawbacks.

Finally, just take a look at any of the Quarantine zones. The difficulty and resources required to kill the Parahumans contained outways the risks and danger they present. The resources required to kill them are weighed against the other possible uses of those resources, such as Endbringer fights." She ranted.

Taylor was silent throughout her explanation. "So that's all being a hero amounts to, weighing risk vs reward?" She asked bitterly. Though she still doubted her explanation, she couldn't deny it did explain things. Why the gangs allowed to roam free in the city. Why they would always break out days after capture.

"That is the duty of a hero. That is why the trolley problem is so popular. To save an elderly lady or a young child. You must way the lives of the many vs the few. To save a person, you must let another die. Will you save the victim, or catch the criminal? To let the criminal go, you risk him killing more people. Ignoring the dying person in front of you, to save more in the future. Capture a villain like Uber and Leet, or focus on more deadly villains that could harm more people like Kaiser. That is the true duty of a Hero." She explained. This was her idea of a hero, drawn from her memories.

Taylor, for her part, was silent. Despite denying it, she knew that Glaistig was at least partially correct. She knew that the life of a Hero was one that was full of hard choices. Similar to police officers, in a way.

"Most Heroes become stoic, hiding their feelings. Like a machine, they pick the right answer. Whichever answer they think is right." She spoke sadly. It truly did sadden her, to see the way heroes had to suffer, though they usually had the best intentions.

"They can't all be like that, Right?" Taylor asked, lost. She wanted to deny it, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

Glaistig nodded her head. "There are a few that are worthy of the title of a true hero. Legend, for one. Chevalier, or Dragon." she counted.

Taylor was silent. It couldn't be true, right? Though when she looked outside, she could understand that Glaistig was right. She felt lost. Her entire worldview was upturned. She didn't even know if she wanted to be a hero anymore if she had to make such hard decisions.

She looked at Glaistig. "Then what do you think I should do?" She asked quietly.

Glaistig blinked. "Well, people usually do one of four things. They give up. People know that society will crumble within this century. They see Endbringers as an inevitable end to the ay of things and simply embrace it. this is what most Villains do. They simply do whatever they want, looking out for themselves because they know no one is going to help them. They don't want to have to make the choices heroes do, so they do whatever they want. Or, they harden their hearts, growing cold and acting like a machine, picking the right choice when it comes. They said, 'Don't let it get to you.' Or, they simply close themselves off to the outside world. Ignoring what is happening around them and saving the person in front of them. Pretending everything's fine because it is not their job or duty to worry about the big things. " She listed.

Glaistig stopped, before starting at Taylor. She looked up at her.

"What is the fourth option?" She asked.

Glaistig was silent for a moment, before answering.

"There is a saying. One of my favorites. It is from a poem by Dylan Thomas. One line of it states, 'Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.' This encapsulates the fourth option. Whenever they have to make that choice, no matter what they pick, they keep moving. They mourn the loss, the cry, and remember it all their days, but they swear to do better. Get stronger, forge more connections, and change the way things work, so when the time comes, they can save both people, or prevent having to make that choice at all. They see the world how it is, not pretending or ignoring it, and refuse to accept it, vowing to do whatever it takes to change it. And if they have to make the choice again, they keep moving. They mourn, but they keep striving for change and to become strong enough to not have to make that choice." She spoke.

Taylor was silent for several minutes, while Glaistig was content with watching her. She wanted to know which choice she would take. She wanted to know why she, among billions of people, was so special. Why does her system demand she follow Taylor?

As she watched her, she saw determination set in. She watched as Taylor came to a conclusion. Taylor turned to look at her, a fire in her eyes.

"You said that you would follow my commands?" She asked.

Glaistig blinked. "As long as I retain basic self-preservation, I will follow you no matter what you choose to be." She stated. She internally doubted it. She didn't want to become a feared mass murderer.

"What do you think I should do then?" She asked seriously.

"I would recommend joining a Hero team. While independence is good, without allies or connections you are doomed to fail, unless you have the strength to back it up. Or, alternatively, you could form your own faction or movement. I would recommend the Guild if you are searching to join a team." She advised.

Taylor thought deeply. "Why the Guild?"

"Well, they deal with international threats, like Heartbreaker or powerful villains that spring up. They are limited by the PRT, as they cannot attack Quarantine zones, but they still have to make the same choice as heroes do, except on a bigger and more dangerous level. If they mess up or fail, hundreds to thousands die compared to the average hero who stops gang members." She explained.

Taylor considered. "What are the other options?" She asked.

Glaistig raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?" she questioned.

"If I want to make a true difference in saving people, maybe even combating the Endbringers or S-Class threats, I want to know all my options." She stated with determination.

Glaistig smiled. Maybe there was something special about this girl after all.

"The Elders are not a good choice." She stated.

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"They are not Heros. If I were to compare them to something, . . . I would have to liken them to Kings or rulers. They do not save people, but rather make sure their country is stable and defend against threats. They do not proclaim to be heroes, and each one of the 9 has their own intentions in being an Elder." She explained, and Taylor nodded.

"The Emperor's Blades are another option. Though they present another entire can of worms." She remarked.

"The Emperor's Blades?" Taylor questioned.

Glaistig blinked. "Well, I guess you wouldn't know about them. Not many people do. They serve the Emperor directly and are responsible for dealing with the Anomalous, Extraterrestrial, and Extradimentonal. Think of it like this. The Guild accounts for any problems inside the world, and the Emperor's blades deal with those from outside."

Taylor blinked. "Extraterrestrial? You mean Aliens?"

"Yes and no. Powers can be extremely weird. And they are the ones responsible for stuff like that. Random things, people, or creatures that appear out of nothing. They keep track of Case 53's. Or like Sleeper when he appeared." She explained.

Taylor considered. She supposed that made sense. Sleeper simply appeared one day, and the city that once stood where he was now located disappeared.

"They deal with things like the Snow Priests or the Abyss." Glaistig continued despite Taylor not recognizing those names.

Taylor thought for a while. All of those organizations did not align with her goals or wishes. Thus, her choice was made.

"We will create a new faction then." She stated. Glaistig smiled. Maybe her system was right. Suddenly, they both turned towards the door, where Taylor's Father had just entered.

Surrounded by a swarm of insects, The Fairy Queen still holding a ball of white fire in her hand, and a smoking telephone on the kitchen counter was not the ideal scene to introduce herself after.

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4.2k words. Hope you like the reworked start. Still a crossover between fandoms, but for flushed out and explored. It will be explained why she could summon fire and the change in her speech pattern next chapter.

Used both Grammarly and Word to check mistakes. Why can one pick up some the other can't? Who knows.

Comments, constructive criticism, Idea's, Pointing out mistakes, or just yelling at me to work faster is always welcome. Tell me what you think of the chapter, it does help! Feed me power stones if you want to show support.

Taylor Hebert: