Dragon's Progeny: Chapter 73

Somer’s Rock looked about how Taylor remembered it. As she walked into the dingy bar, she was met with stale air and a faint scent of rust. One of the employees was cleaning a table and gave her the stink eye as she walked in, unhappy to see yet another villain walk into their little establishment.

Ignoring her, Taylor looked around. She wasn't the first one here. Tattletale had asked her to come here so it was a given that she was already present, sitting at the head table on the side facing the door. She smiled at Taylor as she entered, but the man beside her wasn't quite so happy to see her. While his helmet blocked his expression, Grue’s posture told her everything she needed to know.

Taylor expected it, of course, but it still hurt. She pushed her negative emotions into her swarm as she approached the table, doing her best to ignore the eyes burning into the side of her head as she came up to her friend's side. Though her relationship with the rest of the Undersiders had basically disintegrated, she and Lisa had kept in some contact through emails so she knew where she stood with her, at least.

“Hey, glad you could make it.” Tattletale said as she sat down.

Taylor nodded as she looked around, taking in the empty state of the bar. “I thought I was late. But barely anyone else has shown up.”

“Well, you can hardly call any of us punctual. We might be the only ones who even show up.”

“What about Regent and Bitch? Are they not coming too?”

Taylor wouldn't say she would be happy if her other former teammates didn't show up, but she would be at least a little relieved that she didn't have to deal with more glares. Especially from Bitch.

Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed as Tattletale shook her head. “They're on their way. Bitch was in the middle of something when I called her so she'll be here in a few minutes. Regent's just lazy.” 

Grue was silent as they conversed. Taylor expected him to have said something by now, to tell her to get out or ask her why she was even here, but he didn't. Tattletale probably already told her that she was coming. Or maybe he was thinking of forgiving her? She doubted it.

Tattletale saw her reaction to the news and nudged her, leaning in so she couldn't be overheard by Grue. “Hey, don't worry about them. They're mad at you but they aren't going to do anything. This is neutral ground, remember? Besides, she wants to talk to all of us and it's better to look like we're all together in this.”

“You said they.” Taylor noticed, “Aren't you mad at me too? I was going to hand you all over to the heroes on a silver platter.

Tattletale snorted, “I knew from the start. Next time you try and plan a double-cross, maybe don't worry about it with a Thinker on the team.”

That was news to Taylor. She always suspected that Tattletale might have known something, but she hoped that she had hidden her true intentions well enough that she didn't get the big picture 

“If you knew, then why did you let me stay a member for so long?”

“Because I knew you weren't going to go through with it. You're our friend; that wasn't fake. And you definitely aren't the type to stab a friend in the back like that.”

Taylor didn't have anything to say to that and fell silent. She could feel Tattletale watching her, trying to dissect her thoughts, before the blonde spoke again 

“So how have you been holding up? You know, with everyone in the city apparently going crazy.”

Taylor shrugged, “About as well as anyone else, I guess. My house somehow managed to survive the waves so that's good. But there are a lot of people in my neighborhood that weren't as lucky so I've been trying to keep my eye on things over there.”

“I thought I heard rumors that you were active over there. I'm glad you aren't just sitting around.”

Taylor was going to respond, but her attention was taken by feedback from her swarm. She swallowed, turning her eyes to the door just in time to watch it open. Bitch was maskless and scowling and flanked by two dogs that Taylor had never seen before. She scanned the room just like Taylor did when she entered, and a snarl crossed her lips as they locked eyes from across the table.

“What's she doing here?”

Taylor had to force herself not to shrink back at Bitch’s look, holding her gaze. Bitch’s dogs seemed to clue into their master's emotions and began to growl subtly, searching for the threat that had caused her outburst, and Taylor tensed, preparing for a fight.

Luckily, Tattletale was there to cool Bitch’s temper. “She’s here because I called her here.”

Bitch growled. “Why? She's not one of us anymore.”

The words, while true, definitely hurt a little bit. Bitch wasn't the type to keep her feelings hidden and she definitely wasn't going to do that regarding someone who betrayed her.

“Because she was specifically asked to be here, just like you were.” Tattletale said. “Just play nice for a little bit, alright?”

Bitch stared at Taylor for a moment or two before huffing and stalking to the table. She planted herself one seat away from Grue, keeping a dog between herself and the rest of the group as she folded her arms and stared at the door. 

It took Taylor a little longer to calm down from the encounter, just enough time for their fifth and final member to come sauntering in the door without a care in the world. Regent barely paused as he saw Taylor sitting at the table, walking right up to her. “Look who showed up. I thought you ran out on us.”

Taylor remembered a different process of events but shrugged anyway. “I didn't want to.”

Regent seemed to find that amusing, tilting his head as he eyed her. “So is this a trap? Is Armsmaster going to bust down the door and tell us to get on the floor?”

“Armsy isn't really Piggot's favorite right now” Tattletale answered for her. “He isn't even allowed on patrol after the stunt he pulled with Leviathan. Our dear director is not a happy camper.”

Regent snorted. “I bet that hurt his ego.”

“Probably less than playing nice with the ABB.”

He took a seat beside Taylor, the only one besides Tattletale who didn't seem to care about what she had done or at least intended to do. Or maybe he didn’t want to sit next to Bitch who was clearly in a bad mood, one that was rubbing off on her growling strays. Whatever the reason, he barely regarded Taylor with his attention as he pulled out a phone and tapped away, getting lost in whatever colorful game he managed to download before the internet crapped itself.

Someone sat a glass of murky water just in front of Taylor, breaking her out of her reverie. She stared at it, before glancing behind her just in time to watch one of the employees disappear back into the kitchen. She glanced down at the water, licked her dry lips, and pushed it away.

“So how long are we supposed to wait here?” She asked Tattletale instead of partaking in the likely dangerous substance. The Thinker pulled out a small burner phone and stared at it for a long moment, before shrugging.

“Shouldn’t be too much longer. We got here early but not that early.”

Just as she finished her sentence, Taylor’s swarm heralded another arrival to the dingy bar, though this one was much more concerning. Perking up, Taylor turned to face the door, eying it warily. The rest of the group followed her lead, already clued in on the new arrivals thanks to the sudden silence of Bitch’s dogs, and they all watched as the entrance to the bar was pushed open and a group only half as large as their own made their way inside.

The subtle tension in the bar raised a few notches as the new arrivals made their appearance. The lead figure was easily recognizable, and Taylor’s memories flashed back to the last time she had been in this bar as Yosei calmly scans around, taking in the Undersiders without a hint of worry. She wasn’t in costume, or at the very least, she wasn’t wearing a mask. Though it wasn’t like it was really needed at this point.

Two more capes filed in behind her, moving to flank her on either side: Herald and Spook. Taylor recognized them, though she luckily hadn’t had the pleasure of actually meeting them face-to-face, at least not like this. They worked as enforcers for the ABB, cleaning up fights and keeping people safe as they took the role of pseudo lawbringers to the premier warlord’s growing territory, so they were becoming pretty well known among the people who chose to stay after Leviathan. Though considering the theories surrounding Herald, theories that had been all but confirmed, she, at least, was already a known entity.

Nobody else followed and as the door clicked shut behind them, Taylor glanced at the girl beside her as she voiced her surprise. "Only three of them?"

Tattletale shook her head, eying the group as she spoke quietly. "Yosei isn't here to fight, and the other two are just here to stay on the up and up. Besides, even if she didn't bring them, it's not like we could do anything but run away."

Taylor conceded the point, her mind already racing as she pondered what she would do if worse came to worse. Herald’s power, while simple, had been used with increasing creativity in recent encounters. Still, she didn't have much defense against Taylor's insects, so swarming remained a viable strategy. Spook was a similar story. While nobody knew the exact specifics of his power, it was clearly location-dependent and or based on an aura specifically tied to him. As long as she stayed far enough away from him, she might be able to keep him at bay.

The less said about Yosei, the better. Without any actual stopping power, there wasn't too much Taylor could do against her. She just had to hope that she wasn’t interesting enough to actually chase after or she was basically screwed. 

Taylor watched as the group settled across the table. Yosei took the central seat, with Herald to her right and Spook to her left. The Case 53, as large as he probably was under that cloak, didn't bother with the rickety chairs. Instead, he hovered over Yosei's shoulders like a shadow, or more like a reaper.

After they were all settled, Yosei spoke, her voice smooth and measured. "I'm glad you all managed to make it today. From what Tattletale told me, I expected to have a few missing seats."

Tattletale simply grinned. "You know me. I somehow managed to work some stuff out, though I doubt we’re going to be having a company pizza party anytime soon.”

Yosei’s gaze cut to them and she hummed. “Indeed.”

While Tattletale seemed at ease in Yosei's presence, the rest of the Undersiders were clearly on edge, just like Taylor herself. Grue was drawn tightly within himself, his posture tense. Bitch was practically glaring at Herald as she stroked one of her dogs, her hand never straying far from the animal's flank. Regent lounged lazily, but his phone had disappeared and had been replaced by smooth metal as he gripped his scepter tightly. They were clearly as nervous about this meeting as Taylor was.

Sensing their unease, Yosei offered a placating smile. "Please, be at ease. I have no intentions of harming you, not after what you’ve done for me. You can rest assured that I don't hold any hostility for your part in my father's incarceration. I know you were simply playing your part, and I won't begrudge you that."

Herald cut in with a dry expression, "Your boss, on the other hand, has earned a top place on our shit list." 

The tension in the room remained, thick and palpable, but Taylor somehow believed her. The Undersiders weren’t her targets, Coil was. The only question was why? Taylor had her own issues with the man, but she doubted that the woman running a gang who used to regularly kidnap women and force them into sexual slavery was on the same page.

“I can see you’re confused.” Yosei said, “But unfortunately, I'm a little short on time to day so I don't have time to offer you a detailed explanation. What I can say is that your employer is responsible for a great deal of things in the city's underworld. Much more than he is letting on.”

Taylor could imagine. Her single interaction with Coil told her several things about the man, and the fact that he had the money and means to bankroll a team of supervillains to do his bidding spoke for himself.

“So why are we here then?” Taylor decided to cut to the point of the meeting before anyone else could ask any questions. Yosei liked to talk – that much Taylor remembered from the meeting before. She'd rather be out of here as soon as possible.

Luckily, Yosei didn't seem offended by the curt question, taking it in stride. “Because from what I understand, you are all loyal to your master through circumstance instead of passion. He has promised you things and in return, you have given him your loyalty. This is a problem because I intend to take care of him and all of those who stand with him.”

“So you're here to buy us out form under him.” Grue finished, and Yosei smiled thinly.

“If you were loyal to him by principal, we would not be having this conversation. But you helped me at a crucial moment in the war against the Empire, so I felt it was only fair that I give you a chance to renounce your master before I add you to my list of enemies once again.”

Grue bristled at the insinuation, “So you called us here just to threaten us to turn against him?”

“You misunderstand me. I am not threatening you; I am here to give you an out. You helped me at a crucial moment in my war against the Empire and as far as I am concerned, any hostility between us died with Kaiser. I would prefer to keep it that way.”

“So what are you offering us?” Grue’s head whipped towards Tattletale as she spoke, and Taylor wasn't far behind him. She ignored them both, leaning across the table as she stared at Yosei intently. “We get payed pretty well right now and some of us are actually comfortable. What do we get out of this?”

Amusement flashed over Yosei's face for a split-second, so fast that Taylor thought she imagined it. 

“Whatever you want within reason.” Yosei answered plainly. “Coil isn't the only one in this city with influence, and the ABB has gained a great deal of connections with the fall of the Empire. If you need a safe place, I can provide it. If you need strings pulled behind the scenes, I can pull them. If you just want out of the city, I will have you on the first bus, plane, or boat headed away from Brockton. All I ask is that you don't interfere. I don't want loyalty, I simply want you to look the other way.”

Taylor considered her words. So allegiance wasn't what Yosei was after, she just wanted them to stay out of her way, and it looked like she was ready to pay whatever price it took. It was a generous offer, and definitely one worth considering from a logical standpoint, as the alternative would place them firmly within the ABB’s crosshairs. That wasn't a place anyone wanted to be right now.

“Can you find a place for my dogs?” Bitch asked, making it clear she was considering the offer seriously.

Yosei raised a brow at the frank inquiry but answered regardless. “I have many properties that could be refitted to serve as shelters. As long as you don't cause trouble, you can use them as you see fit.”

Bitch nodded, scratching her dog’s ear thoughtfully. Taylor didn't know if Yosei realized how important her statement was. She may have won her over with just that.

The rest of the team wasn't so easily convinced however. As they mulled it over, Yosei glanced to her left at her cloaked companion. Spook shifted slightly in his seat, before shaking his head, provoking a nod from his leader.

Yosei stood, followed quickly by Herald. She looked over them all. “I am more than willing to go over the finer details with all of you individually, but for now, I have another meeting. You have until this weekend to inform me of your decision, or else I will assume you've chosen poorly. I will be in touch.”

With her farewell given, the woman left the bar as quickly as she entered, disappearing down the street the same way she had come. With her disappearance went any reason for the capes gathered to remain and soon enough, both Bitch and Regent had followed her lead, leaving Somer’s Rock much emptier.

Taylor glanced at Grue who had stayed behind. She wanted to talk with Tattletale alone, but it looked like she wasn't the only one with that plan. He returned her look, shoulders tense and fingers clenched, before Tattletale sighed between them.

“Well that was fun.” She said with a happy little smirk. “We got to meet the big bad Yosei herself. It's almost enough to give you goosebumps, huh? She's pretty intense.”

Grue bristled. “Cut it out. When were you going to tell me that you've been working with her behind our backs?”

Tattletale immediately winced. “Figured that out, huh? And here I was thinking that I hid it pretty well.”

“That job we did last month.” Taylor cut in as she realized something, “Coil didn't want us to rescue Rune, did he? We were doing it for her.”

Tattletale's silence was all but confirmation of her duplicity, and Grue grew even more incensed as her deception was revealed. “What the hell, Tattletale!?”

“I know you're angry–”

“Angry doesn't begin to cover it! What's wrong with you!? You know what I have riding on this!” He took a deep breath. His hands twitched like he wanted to grab his face, but his helmet prevented it. “I knew something was wrong with that job, but I didn't think you’d ever go behind our backs and do something like this.”

“Look, I didn't have much of a choice, okay? I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

“An opportunity for what? To fuck us over? What reason could you possibly have to sell us to the ABB? We had a good thing going!”

Tattletale pursed her lips. “You had a good thing going, sure, but I didn't have a choice. Coil had a gun to my head, still does really. I did what I had to to hopefully get out from under his thumb.”

The bombshell was dropped so casually that it took a moment for the impact to actually register. Taylor herself took a little longer than usual to unpack what had been said.

Tattletale held Grue's gaze as he stared at her, speechless following the revelation. “It’s not like I wanted to go behind your back, but I'm kind of in a bad situation here and I don't have a lot of options. I took a big risk even coming out here. I half expect to catch a bullet the moment I step out the door.”

As Taylor did a quick mental scan of the surrounding buildings, Grue seemed to war with himself, finally saying, "So you just sent the rest of us down-river instead?” 

“Maybe.” Tattletale conceded. “Or maybe I helped you get what you want. Coil would just keep stringing you along to keep you on payroll. He knows you'll want out the moment you get custody, so he's not gonna give it to you. Yosei has connections with the PRT. If you play nice, you could probably get what you want before the end of the year.”

Grue seemed to war with himself, unsure how to properly respond to her rebuttal. After a long, tense moment, he seemed to finally give up. He stood up, sending his chair screeching across the floor, before stalking out of the bar. Taylor watched him go, the heavy thump-thump of his shaking the rumbling the water in her glass as he threw the door open and disappeared into the daylight.

“Well,” Tattletale said as Taylor turned to her. She gave a helpless shrug, “That went about as well as I expected it to. Guess I should be glad Bitch wasn't here to hear what I did.”

Taylor watched as Tattletale reached towards her glass and snatched it. She stared at it for a second before lifting it to her lips and downing two sips with a grimace.

“So?” She asked Taylor as she put the glass down. Taylor tilted her head, not understanding. “Aren't you going to yell at me too? Might as well get it out of the way while we're here. You might not get another chance.”

Taylor honestly wasn't sure where to begin. She started with the most obvious. “You said Coil had a gun to your head. Did you ever actually want to be a villain?”

Tattletale seemed surprised by the question. For the first time in a while, she had been thrown for a loop. She shrugged after a second. “Not like this, no. At the start, I actually thought about becoming a private detective, but being homeless makes it a little hard to pick up clients.”

She gave Taylor a tired grin, “I ended up pickpocketing on the boardwalk for a few weeks. My power makes it easy to find the absent minded suits with more money than brains. I wasn't careful enough though, and I just have tipped someone off because the next thing to I knew, I was shoved in the back of the van and whisked off to meet my brand new boss with a shiney collar around my neck.”

Taylor felt a pang of sympathy for her but it was shadowed by suspicion. She eyed Tattletale, gauging her reaction as she asked her next question.

 “Did you know about Dinah? Before, I mean.”

Tattletale's face twisted, and she looked away. Shame painted her expression and her voice was low as she spoke, “No I didn't. I knew the bank job was a diversion for something, but he kept me completely in the dark about her. By the time I knew, there wasn't anything I could do.”

Somehow, even though she knew that Tattletale had every reason to lie, Taylor believed her. She had no idea that she was consigning another girl to the fate she was trying to escape. 

Would she have done anything to prevent it if she had? Taylor didn't know and it didn't really matter now. Best to let those questions lie and move on to more pressing matters.

“Are you going to join the ABB? Trade one master for another?”

“I feel like Yosei might be a little better to work under than the man who recruits his best employees at gunpoint,” Tattletale snorted, “but no… I think I'm done with the whole cops and robbers thing for now. Maybe I'll chase that old dream of being a PI for a little while or something. You know, once I put a bullet in Coil’s head.”

Taylor supposed that was fair. She wasn't given much of a choice on whether or not she wanted to play, after all. Silence spread between the two as Taylor wasn't sure what to say next, before Tattletale sighed softly.

“Yosei’s gotten pretty cozy with the PRT, you know. If you play your cards right, she might be able to get you in good with them. Assuming they're even still around after all this.”

Taylor remained silent. She wasn't even sure she was capable of being a hero anymore. Not like that at least. Not after everything she'd asgone through.

But she couldn't just sit around and do nothing either, and Dinah was still stuck firmly under that mans thumb. If Yosei was making a move against him, then she wanted to be a part of it.

“She said she'd be in touch with us.” Taylor finally spoke, glancing at Tattletale who raised an eyebrow. “I assume that means you have a way to get in contact with her.”

Tattletale studied her, green eyes flitting over her face before they suddenly widened with realization and that familiar smirk returned to her lips.

“You do realize that you're not going to get much of a roll this late in the game? The plan’s are mostly made. Not much room for an extra pair of hands.”

“I want to help.” Taylor insisted. “More capes on the team means less chance Coil will escape in one piece. Besides, even if I can't help much, I can still do something.” She needed to be involved somehow. To help Dinah.

“Wow, Skitter. Just… wow.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just glad we got to you before the heroes did.” Tattletale shook her head. “I'll email you her number and tell her to expect you. Just remember you did castrate her dad. I don't think she's to hung up on that but it's something to keep in mind.”

“...Right.”