Refuge in Delusion (Worm Altpower)
Was outlining, caught a muse, and cracked this out in like ten hours. Please enjoy! Dragon's Progeny updates soon.
“Are you ready for this? Once we start, there’s no going back, you know?”
Taylor flinched at the tinny whine in her ear but nodded. Only a second later did she realize that the person on the other end couldn’t see her and put her action into words, “Y-yes. I know. I’m ready.”
“You sure? We can still go with plan A; You don’t have to–”
“I d-do.” Taylor said solemnly. The words burned through her body like liquid magma, thick and painful, and the voice on the other end went silent. Taylor could almost feel their pity, and it hurt in an intimate way. She tried to ignore it.
“Okay. Well, we’re ready when you are. Be careful, alright?”
Taylor shuddered as something pulsed through her, a desire, potent and compelling. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Not yet. Almost there, but not yet. “No promises.”
The line went dead, and the line Taylor was in moved forward as another person finished their business at the kiosk and the next moved forward. This was the fastest that Taylor could ever recall them moving. When she used to come to the bank with her dad, she remembered staring at the laminated floors, feeling like it was taking forever to move even a single spot ahead. Be patient, he would tell her, before promising to take her out for ice cream or to visit Emma and that would hold her over for the rest of their time there. The anticipation of a sweet treat or time with her best friend was usually the only reason she wanted to go in the first place, before the boredom reminded her why she’d rather stay at home.
These days, Taylor couldn’t remember the last time she actually wanted to be at home. The only things left there were dead dreams, pictures that hurt to look at, and shambling zombies that didn’t realize they were dead.
The line moved forward again and Taylor drew closer to her destiny. She was next. One more person to go.
Distantly, Taylor wondered what her mom would think if she were alive right now. Would she hold Taylor back, tell her to get help? Or would she push her forward and encourage her towards her desires. They came from her, after all, from those boxes in the back of the basement that Taylor had stumbled upon all those years ago. It seemed like a distant memory, but the way they lingered was more like a scar on her very soul.
She wondered how things would have turned out if she never found those recordings. If her mom and dad hadn’t fed into her fascination and instead ignored it as so many parents tended to do. Children flitted from one obsession to the next like a humming bird in a field of flowers, whose to say that she wouldn't have moved on?
Would she be better off? Somehow she doubted it. This was who she was, and she wasn’t so far gone in her misery to hate the person who looked back in the mirror. Emma hadn’t driven her that far. Not yet.
It was almost her turn. She could hear the teller informing the old lady in front of her that she couldn't help her, meaning soon it would be her turn to step up and then… the show would begin.
Taylor, and something deep inside of her, shook with anticipation. This was it.
~~~
Lily sighed as she watched her most recent customer waddle away on her walker. This shift had been dragging on forever, and people like that definitely didn't help her already sour mood.
‘Why would someone that old even come in with a paper check?’ She wondered as she watched the woman walk away at a snail's pace, ‘She should be in bed or at least have someone to help her. There's no way someone that old doesn't know how to mail stuff in.’
She sighed, wishing that her shift was over even as she called forth the next customer. This one was younger, a girl in a maroon jacket with curly black hair spilling from the hood. She shuffled forward with her hands on her pockets, staring at the floor the whole time.
Lily would normally be put off by the sight, but something told her that the hunched shoulders and hidden hands were the product of a hard life rather than the indications of ill intentions. That theory was further supplied when the girl jumps as the teller one booth over greets a customer, flinching like a scared cat at the sound of a friendly voice.
Hoping that this doesn't take too long, Lily puts on her customer service voice and speaks a little quieter than normal. This chick was skittish enough that she might piss herself just from a loud voice.
“Hi, welcome to Brockton General Bank.” She spoke the line that had been pounded into her head since day one. “What can I help you with today?”
The girl’s shoulders stiffened at the sound of her voice but she soldiered on, saying something in a low tone that Lily didn't quite manage to catch. Though annoyed at his girl's apparent lack of social skills, Lily kept her smile plastered on her face, “I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Are you here to make a withdrawal or a deposit?”
“D-deposit please.” She said only a little louder than before.
Happy to have that out of the way, Lily nodded, tapping on her computer as she navigated to the personal accounts tab, “Alright, well do you have a bank card?”
The words came out curt and slightly caustic, but the girl didn’t seem to notice as she rooted around in her hoodie pocket.
“Y-yeah. Here you g-go.” The stutter continued as the girl pulled a blue card from her pocket and placed it on the counter, “Sorry, I h-have speech imped… impediment.”
She seemed to get caught on the last word and Lily’s annoyance was doused with pity as she realized she was being a bitch to someone with a disability. Now that she looked at her, she had all the hallmarks of someone who was being bullied too. Hunched shoulders, staring at the floor so she didn't have to look anyone in the eyes. She probably had to physically drag herself out of the house just to be here.
Chastising herself mentally, Lily gave the girl a smile that she couldn’t see, “That’s just fine. I’m more than happy to help you regardless, miss…”
Lily paused as she looked down at the card to get the girl’s last name. The small piece of laminated cardboard she had been handed should have had a sequence of numbers and letters detailing the person before her and her banking information, but instead it was mostly blank, with only five letters emblazoned in the center.
Congratulations! You have been invited!
Underneath the text was a stylized image depicting a silver owl surrounded by flowers. Lily stared at the card in confusion before glancing up at the girl, “Um, I’m sorry but we don't take… whatever this is. Do you have a card with the bank or would you like to open an account?”
The girl wasn't shaking anymore. Before she had seemed like a frightened rabbit, one step away from having an unfortunate heart attack, but her demeanor had shifted and now Lily wasn’t sure what to think. Her back straightened and her shoulders squared themselves into something more confident. Hell, even confidence didn’t really describe it. Her whole posture was almost loud, and even the people in line behind her seemed to be a bit put off by the sudden change.
She still wasn’t looking at Lily though, staring at the floor in a daze. Lily shared a look with the woman in the kiosk beside her, suddenly a lot more wary about what was going on. She came from a rougher side of town, the type of place where you got out of dodge when people started acting weird, and this girl was definitely giving off the vibe of someone who had a few screws loose.
Lily’s hand creeped towards the small button underneath her kiosk when the girl spoke again. Only this time, her stuttering voice had been replaced with the smooth rasp of someone far more confident of themselves than a bullied girl with a speech impediment.
“You don’t need to trouble yourself with that, little flower.” The girl lifted her gaze, and Lily froze as a pair of glowing blue eyes surrounded by a silver mask locked with her own, “I can see to emptying your gilded vaults all on my own.”
The card in Lily’s hand exploded, and the teller didn’t even have time to scream as her vision was suddenly clouded by a multicolored fog.
~~~
Smoke billowed from the card between the teller’s fingers, consuming her in an instant and quickly flowing outwards to consume a good half of the bank, as well as the entire area behind the bulletproof plexiglass that was supposed to keep the other employees safe from harm. It flowed into the crowd, consuming everyone and everything inside the bank in an instant, brushing against the walls and ceiling in a vast array of colors and shapes.
It lasted for only a few moments before growing thinner, dissipating more and more every second. Once it became thin enough to see, those within the bank looked around and at themselves in a panic as they struggled against the brightly colored chords wrapped around their bodies. In the instant that they had been inside the smoke, each and every one of them had been restrained and propped up on their knees in the center of the bank in rows. An audience, ready and waiting for the show that was about to commence.
At the row of tellers, or at least where they once stood, several figures emerged from the smoke. They were a colorful array of characters. A blonde in a purple, skintight suit and domino mask, a burly male dressed in dark leather and a motorcycle helmet, a delicate teen who seemed to have been pulled out of a renaissance themed performance, and a brunette flanked by two dogs wearing a plastic mask depicting a pitbull.
The blonde in the center of the group looked at the fearful crowd that had been placed before them and whistled, “Wow. I take back everything I ever said about you, Morgan. Looks like your cut might have actually been underselling you a little.”
“Indeed, my dear tattler of tales. My work is my art, and there is nothing I take more seriously in this entire world. To do so would be throwing away the very essence of my being.”
The fifth and final member of the group was the most eye-catching of them all. Standing where the brunette in the hoodie once stood was a teenager who seemed the polar opposite of her in every way. Like the shutter of a camera, the drab hoodie that Taylor had been wearing had been replaced with something much more fitting. It was a piece of dark blue and shining silver, luxurious and eye-catching in every way. The sharp, magician’s tuxedo wrapped around her torso like an old friend, fitting just as well on her frame as the white gloves wrapped around her fingers and the hat on her head. A dark skirt swished freely around her hips, just barely grazing the upper edges of her stockings and leaving just enough thigh exposed to give the illusion of being scantily clad when she was nothing of the sort.
The outfit was daring for a costume. It offered virtually no protection, yet practically shouting to the world, ‘look at me! I am here!’. It was nothing that Taylor would ever deign to wear in her day-to-day but just as the silver mask resting upon her nose and brow shifted her features, so too did her mentality shift. No longer was she the quiet, nerdy brunette that struggled to answer questions in class. That girl had been shoved into the dark recesses of her mind and trapped under lock and key, leaving the true star of the show to take her place on center stage.
Taylor Hebert was a loser. A shy, introverted girl who was so damaged that she could barely get a sentence out without annoying whoever she was talking to at the time. Morgan though? She was a star. And stars were meant to shine regardless of who was looking at them.
She strode forward, cape swishing behind her as she threw both of her hands forward with a flourish. A wave of multicolored sparkles washed over the crowd and landed against the walls of the bank. Her magic stuck there, darkening the windows a deep blue that was interspersed with glittering stars that seemed to shift over their surfaces like the scenery outside of a moving train. They cast enough light that the world seemed no dimmer for their appearance, and Morgan smiled as the fearful whimpers of her crowd died down as they gazed upon her work.
A hand on her shoulder soured her expression however. Morgan glanced backwards as Tattletale got her attention. The blonde jerked her head backwards towards the tellers’ kiosk. “We’re gonna go empty the vault. You got things up here?”
Morgan waved a dismissive hand. Did she truly have to ask that? “Indeed. Begone and tattle elsewhere. This performance is a solo act so you need not stay unless you wish to observe.”
“I’m sure someone will record it. We’ll leave you to it.”
Morgan felt satisfied as the rest of the group disappeared into the bowels of the bank, leaving her alone with her audience. Their eyes were all upon her, fearful and confused as they no doubt wondered what she was going to do to them. The attention made her shudder, but not with nerves or anxiety. Instead, excitement flowed through her veins like the richest ambrosia as she beheld her audience and they her. This was what she was made for.
“Welcome, one and all, to the performance of a lifetime!” Morgan's voice broadcast loudly upon the audience, reducing their whimpers and whispers of fear to nothing but a shadow on the backdrop of her performance.
With another flourish, a glistening silver moon appeared upon the ceiling, shining down against the backdrop of stars and spotlighting the cape as she regarded them all. “I apologize to all of you who have come here seeking additional funds or reimbursement, for the bank of Brockton Bay has been closed for the foreseeable future as my fellow ne’er-do-wells do a thorough inspection on your fair vault. But worry not! For I am nothing if not magnanimous. I have decided to reimburse all of you with a spectacle that you shan’t soon forget! Rejoice, for you will be the very first to witness the magic of the spectacularly beguiling Morgan!”
Their attention was rapt upon her, like rabbits eying a fox who had somehow managed to sneak its way into their burrow. They were afraid, but they were still present. Her captive audience, for her and her alone to captivate. It would be difficult, breaking past the fear and replacing it with wonder, but Morgan relished the challenge.
Smiling widely, Morgan clapped her hands, inciting a wave of flinches over the crowd. “First things first. I fear I owe all of you a true apology. You see, I would much rather have each and every one of you filling the seats of the stadium I will no doubt be headlining someday in the near future, but every great performer has to start somewhere so this will have to do. One of you however, deserves a special apology.”
Morgan’s cape swished around her knees as she strode into the crowd which shied away from her. One in particular however, didn’t seem scared in the slightest as she approached, and it was this character that Morgan specifically leaned down to regard, frowning regretfully as she stared into the freckled face of a girl a bit older than herself.
“If I had known that the one and only Panacea would be in attendance, I would have saved my routine until later in the night.” Morgan said remorsefully. She bowed her head, “My apologies, fair lady. I had no intention of keeping you from your saintly duties. I assure you that you will be free to return to them shortly, once the performance is done.”
Amy Dallon stared at Morgan without an ounce of fear. Fire burned in her eyes and dwelled in the dark tones of her voice as she spoke, “You won’t get away with this. The heroes will see what you’re doing and come stop you.”
“Perhaps, but I would be surprised if anyone outside of this building knows what is going on at the moment.” Morgan gestured to the sea of stars around them, “Though I have painted a beautiful canvas for all of you, those outside shall see nothing but business as usual. Another slow day at the bank, with lines reaching the door. I very much doubt anyone at all would care to enter, at least for a little while.”
Morgan stood and snapped a finger. A thornless rose appeared in her hand, which she gently tucked into the healer’s hair, headless of her flinch. “For your troubles. I hope the circumstances do not spoil the show for you.”
Amy simply glared at her, silent as her eyes tracked Morgan back to center stage. The cape turned to the crowd once more with a smile upon her face, “Now then! Let us begin! I ask that you keep your eyes on me and not on some false hope of escape, for while my act may seem like it is from your wildest imaginative, I assure you, it is very real.”
Morgan clapped her hands together. Pivoting hexagons of light wrapped around her fingers and made their way up her arms, rotating like gears in a fantastical machine as they grew in size and scope.
“Rings are an old classic.” Morgan said as she spread her hands apart. The glowing rings hung on one another as if they had been securely fastened, and Morgan twisted and pivoted, showing that there were no breaks in the connection between them as she continued talking. “They've been a staple in circus acts around the world since they were given names. Simple, but charming, wouldn't you agree?”
She detached the rings with a jerk, twirling them around the finger as she showed them off to her audience. It was a mite less impressive as the rings were made by her, but the goal of the show right now was to reinforce the idea that these people were safe. Her audience was afraid, after all; she had to properly show them that she meant them no harm or else how could they possibly look upon her with amazement?
She worked the rings with grace and skill, showing off all the little tricks she had taught herself over the years. Even though this was far from the main act, it was still a part of the show and thus deserved to be played with due diligence on her part.
Slowly, the fear in the eyes of her audience was replaced with wariness and even boredom. It wasn't usually what one wanted to see in an audience they had promised to amaze, but Morgan knew that it simply meant it was time for her real act to start.
Properly warmed up, Morgan suddenly launched one of the rings into the air. All eyes followed it, expecting it to fall back down so she could catch it as she had done so many times thus far, but they were instead surprised as it hung in the air as if suspended by invisible wires.
Morgan threw up the rest of her rings, one after the other until they were all floating just like the first, forming a glowing circle in the night sky. She held her hands out by her sides, smiling as she saw the boredom in their eyes be replaced with slight wonder.
“Rings are a wonderful trick, and perfect for the beginners among you who wish to impress your friends.” She said as all eyes returned to her, “But I believe I promised you a show, did I not? I would be a poor performer indeed if this was all I had to offer, so it is a good thing I'm just getting started.”
Raising a hand to her lips, Morgan blew into her palm. Smoke billowed from her glove, flying upwards and taking the shape of a beautiful tiger, stripes and all. It bounded back and forth, paws finding purchase where none was to be seen as it galloped gracefully in the air.
With a snap of her fingers, the rings hanging in the air suddenly burst into flames. There were gasps in the audience, a return of fear that had been forgotten in the confusion and monotony, but it soon disappeared as her pet began to happily leap through the rings in graceful bounds.
“Flaming hoops are yet another staple of a good performance, though I doubt many of you have seen it performed like this.” Morgan said, blowing into her palm again. More animals climbed from her hand and into the sky: snakes, bears, rabbits, lions, and deer, a veritable menagerie of creatures floating happily through the air to the shock of the people below her.
They frolicked happily among one another, leaping through the hoops that Morgan had erected. As they passed through, they seemed to take on a life of their own, shifting from smokey vapor to a magnificent and shining crystal. No two animals were the same, sparkling in colors ranging from fiery red to blues as bright and beautiful as a cloudless summer sky.
Morgan glanced towards her audience and elation filled her as she saw the looks of amazement present on their faces. They were no longer afraid of her or if they were, the fantastical spectacle of her magic far outweighed any danger they were feeling. Now, her act could truly begin.
Over the next several minutes, she performed her heart out. Happiness and satisfaction thrummed through her veins as she utilized her skills to their fullest extent, wowing the men and women before her just as she had dreamed of since Taylor was a mere child.
The Undersiders needed her to be a distraction, that was why she had been hired for this job. But it was more than that to her. This… this was what she lived for. This performance – performing in general, even! It was her purpose. The eyes of the crowd, the attention and adoration that they levied upon her, it was everything that Taylor ever dreamed of. It was why Morgan even existed in the first place!
The flush of excitement filled her body and made her work even harder. Smoke tricks, fire sculpting, even the quintessential magic hat. She pulled out all the stops in hopes that she could properly wow the people before her. She wanted them in awe, to feel as Taylor had felt all those years ago. She needed it!
Unfortunately, all great acts have to come to an end eventually, even if Morgan wished it weren't true. Her own act came to an unfortunately premature conclusion with the whisper of technology in her ear, accompanied by a familiar voice.
“We've got the cash. Let's get out of here before the heroes catch on.”
Morgan frowned at Tattletale's words, pausing in the middle of sculpting another illusion, “No encore? My audience will be quite disappointed when they are left bereft of their entertainment. Might I leave them with one final act before we depart?”
Tattletale sighed, “If you can make it quick. We've already gone over so you've got ten minutes, tops. Then we really need to leave.’
Pausing, Morgan tilted her head, turning to the nearby wall as a smile crossed her face. She glanced down at her wrist and the silver watch held there. “Very well. The clock strikes one, and we are done. I can wrap it up in eight.”
The moment the line went dead, the nearby wall cracked open like half a pound of plastic explosive had been attached to the other side. Morgan's audience screamed as rubble rained down upon them, and the starry sky that Morgan had conjured wavered and disappeared, allowing the true light of the world to leak through the veil as she turned all of her attention to the new arrival.
She smiled widely as Glory Girl floated through the dust, fists and jaw clenched as she scowled angrily, "It seems my assistant has finally deigned to grace us with her presence! I was beginning to wonder whether or not you would respond to your sister's impassioned plea.”
Amy seemed surprised that Morgan had managed to see her texting her sister for help, and the cape scoffed, “Did you think I wouldn't notice when a member of my audience wasn't paying attention? Those cell phones are the worst thing to happen to proper theatre! How am I supposed to keep your attention when you're so busy browsing the web and such?”
Morgan's tirade about the modern convenience and its effect on one's attention span was interrupted as Glory Girl suddenly shot forward and tried to grab her around the middle.
“Oh my!” Morgan said, suddenly behind the angry cape, several feet away from where she had been only a moment ago. “You're rather impatient. I understand that it is the very nature of a heckler to interrupt the performance, but I didn't think that went for conversations as well.
Glory Girl whirled around, confusion and anger warring amongst themselves as she saw her. Morgan chuckled, “What’s with that expression? You didn't think it would be that easy did you?”
A wave of anger washed over the crowd, a pressure on their shoulders that told them to forcefully submit or suffer the consequences. Morgan's easy smile faded as emotions that weren't her own tried to influence her, and her eyes narrowed underneath her mask as Glory Girl rose above her imperiously.
“Surrender and let these people go.” She commanded in a powerful voice. The crowd shied back, but Morgan stood firm in the face of the terror washing over her.
“I'm afraid I can't do that, Glory Girl. You see, I promised these fair people a show, and a woman is as only as good as her word.” Morgan curtsied, gesturing at the heroine with a charming grin, “And you, my dear, will assist me. Hero and villain, duking it out just like the stories of old. A tale as old as time makes for wonderful entertainment, wouldn't you agree?”
Her words and their meaning served to inflame the heroine before her. Glory Girl didn't like the insinuation that Morgan was not taking this seriously, which she certainly wasn't.
“This isn't a game! People could get hurt!”
Morgan smirked, “Then I suppose you'd better stop me quickly then.”
The magician twirled and threw a hand forth, sending three rings of light racing towards the floating heroine. Glory Girl dropped to the floor, dodging them, before kicking off towards Morgan with her cape flowing in the wind. She cocked a fist back and tried to punch the smiling girl in the face, but Morgan grabbed her wrist and diverted her upwards, placing one hand on her stomach as she altered her course up toward the ceiling.
Glory Girl stopped just short of managing even more property damage. She angled herself towards Morgan, glaring viciously. Morgan regarded her with a smile, chancing a small glance towards her audience. They were loving this, the spectacle that they were being treated to. The final act of Morgan's show, a battlefield and a stage all at once
Morgan flourished a hand, shining a smile towards the heroine, “Come now, surely you have more tricks up your sleeve than charging me head on! Where's the imagination?”
After all, wasn’t battle itself just another type of performance?
With a wave of her hand, the debris that Glory Girl had created on her initial entrance surged upwards and towards itself. A lion with fangs of marble and claws of stone ran forth to meet her as she charged towards Morgan once more.
Glory Girl smashed through the construct with a single fist, but it reformed above her head and she crashed down to the floor as a stone panda planted its rear firmly on her back. Glory Girl shuddered as the immense weight was placed on her, face twisting in pain as it reached down and patted her head firmly.
Amy yelled her sister's name as Glory Girl landed on the ground a ways away from Morgan who held her hand to her mouth in false sympathy, “That looked like it hurt quite a bit. Aren't you supposed to be invincible? Or have your defenses been utterly destroyed by my disarming persona?”
“Shut up!” Glory Girl growled. She lifted herself from underneath the panda and grabbed it by the ears, throwing it at Morgan as if it weighed nothing but styrofoam. The magician was actually surprised as her creation came soaring towards her and only just managed to react in time, raising a hand and transforming it into a spray of colorful confetti as it reached her.
Morgan regarded the heroine with much more action as the streamers fluttered to the ground around her. That may well have killed her if she weren't careful. Tales of Glory Girl's invincibility may have been exaggerated, but it seemed her strength and propensity for violence weren't.
Morgan dusted off her suit as she glared at Glory Girl, “An impressive show of strength but you still lack anything that would make you worthy of my time. Since you don't seem to be willing to put in effort to entertain these fair people, perhaps I should take the lead once again!”
Morgan sent another trio of rings towards Glory Girl who dodged how she expected, flying up towards the ceiling as she let them pass her by. As they passed underneath her, the rings suddenly morphed, unraveling into glowing ropes which chased after the heroine. Glory Girl noticed and reacted just in time, jerking to the side so the ropes couldn't catch her.
But she wasn't out of the woods yet. Morgan lifted a hand, holding a thumb up like she was congratulating the heroine on a job well done. A small flame burned to life on the edge of her white glove and she inhaled before blowing into it harshly, sending a stream of flames billowing towards Glory Girl.
Glory Girl flew upwards to dodge but they followed her, twisting upwards in a helix, hot on the blonde’s trail. She looked back at them with fear, and then past them to Morgan who was guiding them with her fingers. The magician saw her looking and gave her a wink before lifting her other hand and sending another stream of fire after her.
Glory Girl flitted around the bank like a fly trying to escape the swatter, twisting and turning as the flames grew closer and closer to her, until it was clear that escape wouldn't be an option.
Morgan's audience cried out with horror and dismay as Glory Girl disappeared underneath the flames which crashed into either side of her body. A ball of destruction, white-hot fire whose heat scorched even the marble floor of the bank, burst from the point of impact.
Nothing should have been able to survive. But as the flames died down, everyone was in for the shock of a lifetime as they beheld Glory Girl, safe and sound, yet bound tightly by the same glowing rings that she had dodged twice thus far. She struggled against the glowing bands wrapped around her body but they would not yield even to her strength.
Morgan reached out and Glory Girl floated towards her, coming to a stop just in front of her as the magician smiled. She reached out, softly caressing the blonde's face as Glory Girl glared daggers at her. “You played your part perfectly, my hero. A tad too violet for my tastes, but nonetheless, thank you for being the willing assistant in my premier performance. I couldn't have done it without you.”
She waved a hand over Glory Girl's eyes and the girl's expression suddenly drooped as she went limp. Morgan's rings disappeared and she fell to the floor in front of the magician, out cold.
“Vicky!” Amy cried as she witnessed her sister fall. Morgan regarded her with a sincere smile.
“Worry not, Panacea. She has merely embraced the call of Morpheus. Perhaps she'll have more luck in his realm, chasing and catching dreams instead of my dashing self.”
Morgan turned to address the rest of them, “I am afraid that I, however, must bid you all farewell. You have been a lovely audience, each and every one of you. I hope to see you again, under more willing circumstances.”
Morgan snapped once, and a wave of sparkles, just the same as the one she had created at the start of the performance, passed over them again. The entire crowd seemed to fall into a trance, staring into space and even nodding off as her subtle manipulation took hold.
As the room fell under her trance, Morgan lifted the hat off of her head and raised it upwards. She tilted her gaze towards one of the many cameras covering the roof of the bank, and winked, “I hope all of you watching enjoyed as well. Expect more to come very soon. I haven't even dipped a toe into my bag of tricks.”
Smoke poured from her hat like a dog machine, enveloping the magician in an instant. When it thinner and dissipated, Morgan was gone.
Six minutes later, when the Wards who had finally received the call to arms burst in to secure the hostages and take down the villains, they were met with a sleeping crowd, an empty bank vault, and a single card laying on the floor next to Glory Girl with a message and a symbol on the front.
Thank you for attending Morgan's Magic Show! Please tip your wait staff.
When it was passed around for viewing at the briefing later that night, all of the Wards brushed it off as a simple calling card. All except for one moody, dark-skinned girl who stared at the tiny emblem underneath the tezt with anger reserved for one's worst enemy.
~~~
Far away, in the safety of their home, the Undersiders plus one marveled at the cash they had managed to collect. Their bounty was sprawled out across their kitchen table, a veritable forest of bills stacked high enough that the table itself seemed smaller for it.
Taylor had never seen so much money in one place. It seemed almost impossible that this much money could even exist! And she had been the lynchpin in the plan that led it here in the first place. Or rather, Morgan had. Her cheeks were still flushed with endorphins and her hands were shaking, leading her to sit down before she made a fool of herself after such a successful performance.
Tattletale finished counting bills and dumped them in a duffel bag, sliding it over to Taylor, “Alright, here's your cut. Don't go spending it all in one place, alright? Seriously, that's how you get arrested.”
Taylor looked at the duffel back. It was bulging with the amount of dough filling it, and she swallowed at the daunting task of carrying it away from here. “I’m not even sure that I c-c-could. There's a l-lot in here.”
“It’s more than what we're getting, that's for sure.” Regent griped and Taylor shrunk at his tone. Tattletale leaned over and smacked him on the back of his head hard enough to his mask askew.
“That's because we didn't even really do anything. It was all her.” Tattletale gave Taylor a smile, “You were a big help. Honestly when we first met, I didn't think you were up for this sort of thing, but you proved me wrong. All of us, really “
The last bit was directed at Bitch who grunted but didn't say a word. Taylor refused to look at the butch girl, remembering their last encounter and how it nearly ended.
“That stutter didn't do you any favors either.” Regent added, earning a glare from Tattletale. He shrugged carelessly, “What? She sounds like a lawnmower when she tries to pronounce anything over three syllables. That's not really the kind of thing that inspired confidence.”
For once, Taylor actually smiled. She had heard much worse about it by now, and there wasn't any actual hate behind the comment. Somehow.
“It’ b-better when sh–I’m performing.” Taylor hastily corrected herself, looking down at her lap, “I used to practice in front of a mirror when I was l-little. I guess something just s-stuck.”
Silence reigned as Tattletale continued counting the money, and Taylor stared at the duffel bag, lost in thought. With this much money, she didn't have to worry about going back home for a while. She could rent a hotel – a nice one too. One of those with a place to eat downstairs and a shower and everything. If she was careful about it, she could subsist off of just this for a few months at least.
The rest of the Undersiders filed out of the kitchen, leaving her behind as they took their cut and went their separate ways. Regent plopped himself down on the couch and picked up the controller to some game system Taylor had never seen before, while Grue and Bitch just disappeared without a word.
“You can hang out here, if you aren't sure where you're going.” Tattletale offered as she gathered the rest of the money into a pile.
Taylor blinked, surprised that she was willing to let a stranger stay in their lair, “A-are you sure?”
“I don't mind, and I doubt Regent will care unless you block the TV or something.” Tattletale smirked, “Besides, you look kinda like a long puppy right now and I'd feel like a huge bitch kicking you to the curb.”
Taylor wasn't really sure how to take that, so she just nodded. Giving her one last smile, Tattletale disappeared down the hall where Taylor assumed the actual bedrooms were kept, leaving the brunette alone.
Taylor sat in silence for some time, just staring at the duffel bag as her mind replayed the performance over and over again. She could still feel the eyes on her, could still feel their adoration seeping into her skin. It warmed her, and she found herself smiling, even though she knew she didn't really have a right to it.
After a little while, Taylor wandered into the sitting area where two couches had been set up in front of a large TV. Regent was sprawled lazily on one, mask tilted so he could shove some kind of cheesy chip snack in his mouth as his hands worked at the controller. Taylor didn't recognize the game he was playing, but it was definitely violent. The type of thing that she imagined when she overheard the boys talking at school about kay dees or whatever the term was. She didn't really understand it, and it wasn't like anyone was ever going to explain it to her of all people.
Taylor hesitantly sat down in the other chair, putting the duffel bag on the ground as she watched him play. After a few minutes, he glanced over at her, “You just gonna sit there and watch or do you want a turn? This is two player.”
Taylor was surprised he even spoke to her. She looked away, “I don't know how to play. W-with a controller, I mean.”
Regent seemed almost offended, “Seriously? You've never played console before? Are you some sort of PC chick or something?”
“I d-don’t play video games.” Taylor clarified, making him pause his game and turn to face her fully
“Seriously?” He seemed genuinely surprised, “What do you do for fun then? Knitting? Or do you just practice card tricks or something like that?”
“I like b-books. Things that don't rot your mind.”
“Oh, so you're a nerd.” Regent rolled his eyes, turning back to his game and continuing to play. He seemed pretty good at it, or at least he did by Taylor's limited view. He hadn't died yet, and all those zombie things he was shooting at had so…
Taylor settled in to watch him play. She knew she should probably leave, this wasn't her home, after all, but somehow, for the first time in weeks, she actually found herself relaxing with another person in the near vicinity. The couch was comfy too. Her head lolled back on the cushion as she released a sigh, feeling mountains of stress unwind themselves from around her spine.
Her eyes drifted shut before she even realized it, and dreams of glittering stars and colorful sparkles played across her mind like a performance all on its own.