[Video] Local Supervillain Introduces Herself (Valentine's Day)

[arthropoda]

It's sudden. Near the end of the day, the comms turn on, and an unfamiliar face appears in it. Or, more precisely, an unfamiliar mask. There's a sinister-looking insectoid mask, with bright yellow eyes, curly hair cascading from the head. The setting is a foggy forest, insects flitting around. This villain is sitting on the forest ground, staring straight at the camera, her body twitching with what seems to be discomfort.

"I want your attention for a few minutes."

Her voice is clear, without distortion other than what's expected from the fact she's wearing a mask. A few people might feel a certain sense of familiarity, although probably without being able to put their finger on it.

"I'm Skitter. That won't mean anything to any of you, and you should consider yourselves lucky it doesn't. Were this my world, you'd have heard of me -- one of the Undersiders, the warlords currently ruling over Brockton Bay's criminal underworld. Dozens of minions under our employment, and a grip tight enough there's no room for debate about who's in charge."

It's all very matter-of-fact, and the more she talks, the less uncomfortable she seems. The burning need to tell the truths and confess is lessening, although it's not gone. Which is why she takes off her mask, revealing Taylor Hebert, that fifteen year old gal who arrived during Christmas.

"This is me. I didn't want to reveal myself like this to any of you, but I think we all know what's been happening today. That and also it's a strategic decision -- I can't go hiding around and using my powers over insects effectively if I have to worry about not getting caught. Better to be straightforward so I can just go around with my costume without alarming anyone."

Taylor sighs.

"I don't intend to be a threat. I know, I'm a villain, and a bad one. No need to tell me that. But I don't want Kuk to win, just like all of you don't want that either. I don't want my world or any other world to be destroyed, and it isn't because of that whole bullshit about, you know..." she makes a vague gesture with a hand. "...if the world is destroyed there won't be anything to rule over. I just want to do what's right."

The burning she has been feeling for a while is finally almost gone. Taylor makes sure her glasses are well placed, and addresses everyone.

"If there's any questions or concerns I'll try to answer, just...don't try to find me. I left to go to a forest far away. It's caution, nothing against you all."

Because who knows how people would react right away. Better to keep her distance for a while, let everything settle in before coming back to the North Pole.

Comments

[arthropoda]

"Not much of a long story there. One night I went out for the first time to try to be a superhero, fought a villain who was going to attack the Undersiders, I defeated him, and after talking to the leader of the Protectorate when the guy I defeated was taken away I decided to infiltrate the Undersiders as a mole, to get enough information."

Taylor's fingers idly trace the lenses of the mask she's holding in her hands while she reminisces, her voice lowering somewhat when she added:

"They turned out to be the friends I needed for support...and the heroes disillusioned me a lot throughout the next few weeks. So I stayed with the Undersiders."

A group of teenagers more or less her age, who brought her in and supported her more than anyone at school had done, and then there were the local heroes organization who included one of her bullies among their ranks and whose leader not only treated her with scorn -- somewhat justifiably so given the villain she had defeated was in pretty bad condition due to her bugs -- but afterwards set her and other villains to die during a monster attack? Yeah, no, the choice became pretty easy, although of course the Undersiders' trust in her was pretty frayed once they heard what her intentions had been.

[manofanxiety]

"So, how did you go from being undercover to becoming a warlord? It is a little bit of a leap."

He's honestly curious. He doesn't exactly get to really ask about the motivations of the villains he fights. That, and it's the reporter in him.

[arthropoda]

"The leader of Brockton Bay's hero team tried to set me and a few others to die while we were fighting alongside them to keep a major threat away, even though he knew what I was trying to do being undercover. Who wouldn't go all in to be on the opposite side of them after that?"

Every word gets her more and more visibly annoyed. There are some regrets about the decision she took, but it's one she would take again if she found herself at such time again.