

Second Chance

[OneShot/Worm]

Prologue 1.1​

During its Golden Age, Brockton Bay was a bustling metropolitan port city. When that ended, when Leviathan came, what was left was a husk of its former self. Crime was in the high; there were more villains than there were heroes, and there weren't many that the heroes could do without causing gang wars. But it was still a city; a place. There were people, there were the authentic Brocktonian pollution in the air, and there werein action.It had been almost three years since the sun went out.And now, Brockton Bay was worse. Brockton Bay was. It was depressing, how easy it was to figure out why. Brockton Bay was not deemed as important; it had already taken everything to keep it alive in the first place. So when the sun went out, the government just... let go. People left. Moved up to the better cities; those still given power, and those with Tinkers and Thinkers to make things better.was the word. Dark decrepit buildings trailing by the street, windows broken by the early lootings; I could even spot what used to beWithout the sun, it was hard to figure out what time it was. The hours seemed to blur away. Stars twinkled bright in the sky, but they were barely enough to act as a lightsource. But the Fireflies were there for a reason, glimmering with their bioluminescent green light. Natural light-sources - the things Tinkers could do when they were allowed to.The corner of my lips quirked, and I shifted my shoulder bag slighty. The bugs moved with my silent command, spreading themselves thin to cover the entire two blocks -I realized. The range was growing again, ever so slightly. I shooed that minor revelation aside as I felt what my bugs felt. Sense spreading, blanketing the whole area, only succeeding in informing me that there was only one or two people in my range, and that I was getting closer.On the bright -- side, without the majority of its inhabitants, Brockton Bay was quiet.now that heroes and villains alike were away. Now that there weren't any criminal because there wasn't any crime that could be done. Dead things were oft like this, I supposed. Peaceful, and quiet. Spooky, and not entirely safe, but it was better than having a lumbering Frankenstein creature thing.Rows of fire-barrels were the only welcome as I finally entered my destination. The Boardwalk used to be alive as well - in fact, it was probably the mostback then. The main shopping centre of Brockton Bay, one way leading down to the Docks, and the other down to the Piers, offering direct view of the then Protectorate Headquarter; the Rig. All kinds of establishments littered the side of the streets: brand clothing stores only for the rich, restaurants that never seemed to waste in reservations, and cafes serving double-digit-dollar coffee. Corner stores - you name it. There was even a special boutique manned by Parian, a Cape Rogue.They were all gone, now. Closed, barred, fenced, and chained - and long broken into to be looted of whatever was left inside. There were people here, more than anywhere else in Brockton Bay, and in a way, the Boardwalk was still alive. Squatters, and people who came here for something else. These were people who couldn't go anywhere else. People who were too stubborn to leave for one reason or another.People like me.They wore thick coats or jackets that weren't so different with mine. They huddled around the fire-barrels, talking and chatting. Joking, and laughing. Some skulked in the background: the alleys, and in dark spots I didn't even notice if not for my bugs. Smoking, and I could even sense a few making out - I hurriedly pulled my bugs away from there. Those who noticed me waved a greeting at me, and I waved back. Their face weary by age, and weathered by experience. I recognized a couple of them; Jeff had used to work for dad, back in the day, and Gerry had apparently used to be my Senior back in Winslow. Funny how that worked.I saw the open stall first, covered in what used to be a plain-white cloth, but was now grey. The thing was practically a tent, a flap on the front acting as an entry. There were more people in this part of the Boardwalk, talking animatedly, a bowl of soup or a cup of cocoa in hand. The aroma hit me almost at once; the scent of warm, homemade food that made me drool, and my stomach grumbled in protest, reminding me that I hadn't had lunch and dinner yet. "Better get home fast," I muttered under my breath, before I entered the stall.All things considered, it was rather sparse. Few plastic chairs placed on the sides, and there was a bar that separated the tent into two parts. The part for guests where I was standing, and the part that was hidden behind a thick black-dark curtain. On it were snacks, and various knicks knacks that people could grab for free (not like money would matter in here), and sitting behind the counter was a familiar face, reading a book.She looked up, and her lips curled into a familiar smile as she saw me. "Taylor," Lisa Wilbourn greeted me, bottle-green eyes twinkling. Dark-blonde hair that reached to the back of her neck, tied into a pony tail. Her cheeks were freckled, and she was dressed in a blue blouse that did nothing but enhance her look. Basically, she was everything that I couldn't be, and that was fine. There was a certain quality in her eyes that I was already used to, like how she was privy with something that she shouldn't. I knew she meant well, but she could be intense, at times. "Haven't seen you for a while." The smile faded, turning into a frown. "You look a bit tired,"I smiled back, a tad tiredly, as I approached the counter. "It's nothing. Just - "" - slept on the wrong side. You know how it is," I waved dismissively.She cocked an eyebrow at that. Lisa was sharp, and I was never a good liar - it wasn't hard for her to spot the lie. She took another, longer look at me, before letting out a sympathetic sigh. I must've looked awful. "Yeah, I know - it can be a pain, sometimes."I sent her a grateful, and apologetic look. "Yeah," I agreed. We stared for a moment. "Um. I'm here for some batteries. My radio and lantern are dying," I grimaced. I didn't really mind the latter since I had the fireflies, but while the silence can be nice, it could also be maddening."That sucks," Lisa said, then gave me a winning grin. "Luckily, I just got packet-fulls of them delivered here,""I still don't know how you got them," I noted dryly. Oh, I had my suspicion, and I didn't doubt that Lisa knew the fact. There simply wasn't a lot that you could hide from her. Once again, I suspected that she had power, but I wasn't willing to say it out loud. I would be a hypocrite, then.There was an uplift at the corner of her lips. "Uh-uh. Trade secret, Taylor," she said, in a sing-song tone, waggling her finger left and right.I snorted, and rolled my eyes. But despite myself, there was a smile on my face.Lisa hummed suddenly in consideration. The teasing smile was still there. "Well..." she stretched the word, leaning her elbows against the counter. "Maybe if you visit here more often. Having sleepovers, you know? Like girls our age are supposed to..."I huffed, and glared. "Just get my batteries, Lisa," I murmured, trying to hide that brief temptation of accepting her offer. It would be like back when things weren't bad. Like with Emma when I was seven - only this time, Lisa wasn't a traitorous bitch.Lisa laughed as she turned around, and slipped into the curtain. "Offer still stands!" she shouted over.I tuned out the awareness at the back of my head. Insects. There weren't a lot back there — it was miraculously clean, all told, but I could still sense more than a few. Lisa was my friend —I reminded myself — and I didn't want to invade her privacy even if she probably didn't mind that much at this point. It was the principle that mattered.So I turned my gaze to the counter. Baskets, and carton boxes of candy bars were lined with each other. Snickers, Twix, and such. They were free, but I didn't take any. Others needed it more than I did. There were also knick knacks on there; various tiny baubles, and accessories. Hair clips, and things you would normally see by a corner store's cashier. I spotted a golden-painted keychain: a wheel. A wheel of fortune, to be exact.My lips quirked, and my eyes inevitably fell to the book Lisa was reading when I came in. Dark-brown cover, and the authentic symbol of a black Wheel of Fortune. It was one of Fortuna's many,books. Some mysterious Author that was most definitely a Pre-cog of some sort. I had tried to keep up with the books, and managed to with the help of Lisa, but the books came out so fast that I didn't bother anymore. I'd get there, eventually. I recognized this book in particular:I quelled the sigh that bubbled forth. I had read it once, and never opened it again. Half fairy-tale, half supposed prophecy. I couldn't recall any of the dialogue, but I knew the gist of it.A Chosen Hero, going through adventures, and restoring the Sun. I didn't like it, personally. Fortuna may be a powerful Pre-cog, but something about it just irked me.I thought.Thankfully, I didn't need to linger on the thought much longer. Lisa returned from the back with a small bag of batteries, and - I blinked. Balanced precariously on the length of her arm was a rectangular plastic tray carrying a sloshing bowl, and a plastic cup; the scent of food I had been smelling before coalescing with the sweet cocoa. "Here's your batts, Taylor, and here's - ""You don't need to," I interrupted her off, leaning back. "I still have food back in my house, okay?"Lisa sniffed, as if offended. "Bullshit," she dismissed, and the tray was carefully transported to the counter with a. "You look awful, Taylor," she pointed out, and I grimaced. I didn't bother denying. I knew I was. "And I'm not going to force you to talk about whatever it is messing with you, but like hell am I gonna let you leave here cold, and hungry," she slid into her own chair.My eyes strayed onto the bowl. It was beef stew. Chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes in a thick brown broth that made me nearly drool. Beside it was a cup of hot chocolate. My stomach wasn't quite compliant, as it grumbled traitorously. I wanted it, but there were others who needed it more than me. Lisa smirked. I felt my cheeks warming. "But - "Before I could say anything more -Lisa cut me with a sigh. I stiffened when her hand touched the back of my hand. The contact was warm, and it felt nice. "Please eat, Taylor. You're my friend, alright? Just let me do this - you're doing nobody a favor looking like that.""Nobody to disfavor - " I cut myself. Lisa stared at me, -and I felt an irrational guilt rolling in my belly. She smirked, and then waved the pack of batteries in an almost casual, yet threatening manner. The message was clear:I deflated, feeling awfully like a scolded child. "I - okay" I muttered."That's the spirit!" Lisa chuckled. "Take a seat, okay? I'm not letting you go out until you cleaned the bowl."Oh that was it - she was definitely doing it on purpose. The smirk on her face said so. My eyes rolled. "Yes," I grumbled, pulling a plastic chair to the bar.She patted my hand almost condescendingly. "That's my girl."I gave her the stink eye. There was no heat in it, and it only made Lisa's smile widen. It was rather infectious, and I found myself reflecting it as I fed myself a spoonful of the brothy stew - warm, savory, and hearty. It tasted nice. "It's delicious," I complimented."Of course it is," Lisa said confidently, pulling the hand away "Don't expect any less from me," she returned to the book.I stared at it for a moment. "Still reading the same book?" Lisa looked up, giving me a raised brow. "I mean, aren't you bored?"Lisa smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "It's my favorite."I frowned, chewing on the beef chunk. It would be a lie to say that I was thoughtful; the word implied that I was giving it a thought. "It's supposed to be a prophecy," I said quietly.She hummed. Neither disagreeing, or agreeing. "But it doesn't need to, does it?" she asked back. "It can just be a good story, I think. Fortuna's pretty good at making one, though she's pretty much good at almost everything,"I scowled into the bowl. "Still - " I closed my eyes, and forced myself to sigh. I must be extremely tired if I almost went into a tirade. "Sorry. I just don't like the book, you know? Fortuna's famous for writing story books that came true, so to see that book... it feels like it's feeding you some false hope, you know? Like getting played with.""I know," Lisa said softly. "But I think it's still nice. Hope is what we need the most, nowadays, yeah? Even if it's false hope, hope is still hope. It keeps people going."I wanted to disagree, but I couldn't. Because then I would go into a long-winded rant. Because I would discover myself agreeing with Lisa. Because I could understand what she's saying - I even agreed. I just... didn't like it. My shoulders sagged "... I suppose."Lisa smiled. It looked strained, but it relaxed almost immediately, and that was the end of that line of conversation. I felt an entirely reasonable wave of guilt.I had known how that conversation would have ended, and yet I still started it anyway. This wasn't exactly we had the same conversation either. What was I thinking?I ate the stew in silence, and thankfully didn't get to stew with my thought as Lisa changed the topic. It was one of those things that Lisa was great at: filling the silence, even though the other side didn't really want to participate. Instead, I found myself nodding, and smiling. Chuckling when she said something funny.The mood carried on as I found myself walking alone in the street. My stomach was full, and satisfied. My shoulder bag was felt heavier with a new pack of batteries inside, radiating with a sense of accomplishment. I felt a smile creeping up on my lips, and I released out a sigh. For the first time since I woke up, I felt good. Sleep wouldn't become a nightmare now that the radio noise would carry me through my sleep - and I would wake up fresh, and perfect. I grinned, hastening my pace. I couldn't wait.That line of thought vanished, and my good mood turned to dead-gripping dread when I stopped in front of my house. My eyes widened, stomach clenched, and my throat dried up almost immediately. From the windows on the living room, I saw a bright yellow light glowing with the intensity of a beacon coming from inside.