Chapter Text
Humans are fragile.
I never really thought about it much back then, I suppose. When I was younger, I’d fall and scrape my knee or twist my ankle just like any other kid. It would hurt for a while, then in a day or two I’d have forgotten all about it. I occasionally worried about breaking a bone if I was doing something particularly dangerous, but beyond that, I never gave personal injury much thought.
But that lack of concern was merely ignorance, and oh, how blissful it was.
In truth, it takes shockingly little to injure the human body catastrophically.
A fall doesn’t need to be particularly high. Sometimes you might land at the wrong angle, or hit something in the wrong spot on the way down.
A hit doesn’t need to strike you particularly hard. A little higher or lower, and maybe it would just hurt, but at just the right place, it could turn your next heartbeat into your last.
Something sharp, be it manmade or natural, could simply cut your skin or, if it hits a major artery, bleed you dry in moments.
It can be hard to wrap your head around, but the human body is such an incredibly complex system that so many things need to be going right for it to function. And when something critical goes wrong…
Well, at least you may not be around long enough to lament it.
So, to reiterate, humans are fragile.
I’m glad I’m not human anymore.
“Chimera.”
One eye begrudgingly flicked open.
A futuristic mechanical suit, some 9 feet tall, complete with extensive armor plating, shoulder-mounted launchers, and a steel draconic-looking helmet. The hum of the suit’s thrusters died down after its landing, and it stepped towards me with a series of quiet whirs and heavy thunks.
Dragon.
Unsurprising, considering nobody else would come all the way out here to the ass-end of nowhere just to talk to me. Well actually, not even she would, considering she’s not even in that suit to begin with.
“How are you doing today, Chimera?”
The voice emanating from the suit was that of a gentle-sounding woman. Dragon had only ever spoken softly in my encounters with her, but I wasn’t fooled by her disposition. She was the greatest tinker in the world and one of the most effective heroes on the Guild’s roster. Villains that go head-to-head with one of her combat suits seldom make it away in anything other than shackles. So, while she may act nice, I know better than to underestimate someone so ruthlessly powerful.
And most importantly, I know she’s not here to be my friend.
After a moment letting her question hang in the air, I let out a low sigh.
“Fine,” the reply rumbled from deep in my chest, sounding like a cross between a regular girl, a chopper motorcycle, and a chainsaw.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she replied warmly. “I know it’s been a week since I saw you last. I wanted to come see you sooner, but you know how busy it gets- “
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I drawled out.
With a shake of my head and a humorless chuff, I rose to my feet from where I had been curled partway around the trunk of a tree.
I let out a jaw-cracking yawn, revealing dozens of pearly white fangs. At the present, I appeared as something of a big cat.
Well, kind of.
Just imagine a panther whose fur had become razor-sharp quills, with a pair of great batlike wings and a prehensile barb-tipped tail.
And then make it five times larger.
Of course, I don’t always look like this. That would be ridiculous.
No, sometimes I change into variations of a bird, or a wolf, or a dragon – an even better one than the one standing in front of me, I might add.
Hell, sometimes I even look human like I used to. Mostly.
It changes from week to week, day to day, and just generally whenever I feel like it.
Thus, at the moment, I was a monstrosity of a super cat.
“Right, well…” she trailed off for a moment. “I had noticed that you were wandering near Forestville.”
Of course, because I couldn’t just go anywhere without someone keeping track of me – and by someone, I almost always mean Dragon. I could hardly miss her surveillance drones watching me around the clock, even if they did stay miles away.
She continued, “Were you wanting to go into town? I could accompany you!”
I couldn’t help the low grumpy yowl that built in the back of my throat.
“Right, it’d be a shame if I wandered back into society without a babysitter, wouldn’t it?” I grumbled.
She was silent for a moment, leaving nothing but the soft whirs of her suit and the chirping of birds among the trees. Canada’s crisp morning air brushed past my wet nose, setting off an involuntary twitch.
“You know it’s more complicated than that, Chimera,” she continued quietly.
“Taylor,” I shot back. “I keep telling you to just call me by my name. Not like it's some big secret, anyway.”
She inclined her head.
“Taylor. My offer still stands, though. I’ve never been to Forestville myself, but I’ve heard it’s quite the lovely little place!”
I chuffed derisively.
Sure, there must be loads to see in that little podunk town identical to a hundred others along the St. Lawrence River. Definitely.
“You know what, Dragon? Sure. Let’s take a trip into town. Why not?” I replied with every ounce of false enthusiasm I possessed in my inhuman body.
Nearly anything would be better than sitting here trading small talk.
“Ah, excellent! You know, I really do think it’s good for you to interact with other people every now and then, Taylor. I know you like being alone, but- “
I pointedly stopped listening to her supposed concern for my mental health and spread my wings wide. With a crouch and a great explosion of force, I launched myself skyward, drowning out Dragon’s words with a howling rush of air.
Normally, one would think a creature of my size wouldn’t be able to feasibly take flight with mere wings because of biological or mathematical impossibilities. However, when I could just change myself to be as light as I want, taking to the skies is as easy as breathing.
As my wings pumped back and forth, sending me ever higher, I took a moment to admire the beautiful Canadian landscape. There was a good reason I liked to hang out here, regardless of Dragon’s persistent hovering, and this was it. A sea of green forestry and clear skies sprawled as far as the eye could see. The St. Lawrence River cut inward through the land from the gulf, leading to Quebec City where it narrowed far in the distance.
I hummed in consideration.
Within moments, the roar of Dragon’s thrusters neared, and soon she was keeping pace with me in the air.
Her voice blasted from the suit’s speakers loud enough to reach me past the clamor, “Taylor, would you consider transforming into a form a bit more… non-threatening?”
I gave her a side eye.
“My presence will surely keep anyone from reacting too harshly, but surely there’s no need to cause people alarm?” she reasoned.
I rolled my eyes. We were quickly approaching the airspace of the small town of Forestville, giving me a clear view of it. No more than a thousand or so small buildings lined the streets, with nothing particularly interesting catching my eye. While I suppose I wouldn’t mind taking a stroll through the city center and having a look around, the thought didn’t really fill me with much excitement.
Then again, what did these days?
Thus, a plan to make my day more interesting finally took shape.
“Change of plans, Dragon!” I roared over the wind.
Turning to look her in her metaphorical eyes, my catlike visage twisted into the closest thing to a grin it could manage.
“I’m taking a swim, so I’ll have to catch you later!”
“Wait, Taylor- “
Before she could say another word, I unleashed a massive burst of strength into my wings, changing them to withstand the increased force. The air shattered as I blasted forward through the sky, clearing the majority of the city in nearly an instant. I tucked my wings to maintain my momentum and began to change.
My body quickly narrowed, my limbs pulling in upon themselves and disappearing. My quilled fur shortened and flattened out into scales, black shifting to iridescent silver. My wings changed to fins, and my head narrowed and sharpened into an angular point. In seconds, I was a great silvery serpent, my wide fins acting as the fletching of an arrow to guide me on my descent through the sky.
Seconds later, I hit the water of the St. Lawrence River like a knife through flesh.
The chill of the water was comforting in this form, wrapping around me with a pleasant tingle as my changed eyes pierced the darkness of the river’s depths.
Now, Dragon, being as competent as she was, wouldn’t be evaded by something as simple as diving underwater, so I had to put in a touch more effort. With a thought, my scales shimmered and rippled. Their iridescent silver became muted browns and greys, perfectly reflecting the bottom of the river, as if I wasn’t even there.
Active camouflage wasn’t an easy trick, in all honesty. Even a shapeshifting savant such as I had to practice quite a bit before figuring it out. It wasn’t exactly perfect, either, but beneath the dark waters of the river, it was effective enough.
However, it alone wouldn’t be quite enough, so as the finishing touch, my body temperature regulated itself to perfectly match the surrounding water.
Good luck following my thermal signature now, Dragon.
With that done, I twisted and shot forward, cutting a line down the river inland faster than any boat could ever dream of. Even at this speed, though, the swim from Forestville to Quebec City would still take a couple hours or so, giving me plenty of time to think.
While it was almost guaranteed that Dragon would attempt to give chase for a little while, if only as a Guild formality, she would probably give up shortly. It’s not like she’d really expect me to head straight into Quebec anyway – I’ve not exactly been known to enjoy the city life.
As for what I’d actually do when I got there, though…
Eh, I’ll just take a look around and figure it out. Despite all my time spent wandering around Canada, I’ve never really been to most of the major cities, so I’ll probably just take in the sights and wander off after a bit.
With my mind made up, I settled in for a leisurely swim and pushed onward.
After a couple of hours at a steady pace, the St. Lawrence began to change. The metal underbellies of boats began to pass overhead with increasing frequency, and the distant riverbanks began to close inward towards me. The straight lines of docks and piers began to appear with increased frequency, signs of society slowly overriding nature.
A great divide in the river quickly approached, which I recalled to be the Île d'Orléans. I must’ve been close to the city center at this point. Thus, I slowed my rocketing pace and angled my fins, cutting upwards.
Like a phantom, my camouflaged head emerged from the surface of the water.
Quebec City rose above the river. Layers of stone, brick, and glass extended up and outward from the banks of the St. Lawrence. The river’s edge seemed occupied by older architecture, with many of the modern high-rises looming above them in the distance. Even from a distance, the all-encompassing hum of society filled my ears from every direction – distant cars, boats, voices, and more.
Ducking back underwater, I slid through the water at a more sedated pace. As I reached what must be downtown, the midday sun was hanging high above. I breached the water once more as I neared a great port near the city’s center, a collection of large boats docked along it. I silently neared the waterfront past the port, picking the nearest spot without an obviously large amount of foot traffic.
My infiltration point identified and set, I shot from the water, my great serpentine length coiling in upon itself as I spun through the air. My long tail shortened into nothing. My fins narrowed and unfolded into arms and legs. My skull reshaped from pointed to rounded, teeth retracting and flattening. Camouflaged scales receded into smooth skin, and a split-second temperature spike flash-evaporated any water clinging to me. I landed in a crouch.
Casually rising to my feet, I checked myself over to ensure I didn’t miss anything obvious.
Two arms, two legs.
Ten fingers, ten toes.
Long, dark brown hair that cascaded down to my thighs.
And, importantly, clothes – jeans, warm fur-collared jacket, and leather boots.
Right.
Perfectly “human”.
Mostly.
For a good while I simply walked.
It was strange.
I’d spent enough time as a hermit in recent months that I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by people.
And then, upon further consideration, it was strange that I found it strange.
I mean, seriously, I grew up in Brockton Bay. Who’d have thought that I’d be left feeling like some country hick after just a little while roughing it outdoors.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the jarring difference in the city. It was loud, for one. Well, I suppose that’s to be expected when I have greatly enhanced hearing, but that was only part of the issue. Hundreds of sounds bounced back and forth, vying for my attention, and it took an almost conscious effort to relax that part of my brain that demanded attentiveness, letting it just wash over me instead.
Cars rumbled by. Shoes scuffed the pavement. Conversations, murmured and shouted, overlapped one atop another into a clamorous roar. Nearby, a man strummed a guitar. Another played music from a small stereo. A child complained loudly to her mother.
And then the smells. Oh, the smells.
Coffee.
Car exhaust.
Greasy takeout.
Perfume.
Garbage – so much garbage.
And of course, the unmistakable stench of countless human bodies.
I changed my sense of smell just a touch, hedging the rising disgust down to just a mild distaste.
I stopped in front of a café with a variety of pleasant scents wafting outwards. My hand stopped just as it began to reach towards the door handle.
I had absolutely zero money.
With a twinge of disappointment, I turned away and continued my meandering journey. It’s not like I needed to eat or anything, but even an inhuman thing like me enjoys a good coffee and croissant.
I’m not a psychopath, after all.
I made it into the older parts of downtown before the novelty began to wear off.
The architecture was pretty, sure.
The streets had some interesting sights, I guess.
The crowds were becoming somewhat annoying, though.
After being roughly bumped into for the second time without so much as an apology, I was just about ready to change into a dragon right there on the sidewalk, consequences be damned.
However, by exercising my boundless restraint and benevolence, I avoided making such a social faux pas.
Eventually I found myself wandering through a mall-like market building with numerous small food stalls, begrudgingly contenting myself with just smelling and looking at the food for sale when I picked up on something abnormal.
Shouting.
Now, normally that wouldn’t be much cause for alarm in a city, but inside a commercial building it was at least somewhat unusual. I sharpened my hearing further, dialing in to distant voices emanating from back near the main entrance of the market.
“Stay back, and don’t even think about going anywhere- “
“Qu'est-ce qui se passe?!”
“Il y a un capé!”
Capé? I didn’t understand French, but it sounded like someone said cape…
“Just cooperate and this’ll be nice and easy! Wallets, phones, and jewelry out, now!” a male voice shouted.
Right. Well, that was pretty unambiguous.
Thankfully, the bad guy speaks English.
Sedately, I made my way toward the disturbance, soon locating a crowd of people near the wide front doors of the building.
At the head of the crowd stood a man in a studded black leather vest and a ski mask with a red “X” seemingly spray-painted on the front. In one hand, he held a young twenty-something store employee by the throat, lifting him completely off the ground with seemingly little effort. His other hand was splayed outward, and above it a small collection of phones, wallets, and other pilfered possessions rotated in a sphere.
Hmm. Clearly a Brute and some kind of Shaker.
Telekinesis?
“Any one of you shitheads run, and I’ll snap this kid’s neck like a twig, you hear me? Vous comprenez?"
Hesitation and fear rippled through the crowd. Nobody wanted to fork over their valuables to an idiot in a shitty DIY costume, but he was still a cape. Fear began to win out over hesitation, and one by one the pockets and purses emptied. As people withdrew their belongings, the man’s power jumped into action.
Items were pulled roughly from trembling hands, flying through the air to join the rest in rotation above the villain’s hand.
“Good, good. Keep it coming,” the cape rambled.
He zeroed in on a middle-aged man near the front of the crowd. The man’s posture practically screamed defiance and a complete lack of willingness to cooperate.
“You! You don’t think I see you sitting there with your hands over your pockets?! Fork it over!” the cape shouted, spittle spraying from his mouth in his fervor.
“No.”
The villain paused for a split second.
“No? No?!”
He swung the captured employee around towards the man, jostling him up and down as if to emphasize that he had him suspended off the ground by the neck. The employee made frantic choking noises, hands wrapped in a deathly grip around the villain’s wrist.
“Do you want me to kill this twerp that bad, huh? What kind of tough guy do you think you are?!”
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly through my nose.
What a bother.
How long will it take the damned heroes in this city to show up?
I could leave. That was, in fact, the plan.
These people’s valuables weren’t my responsibility. Honestly, they’d probably get them back after the heroes inevitably catch this idiot before he gets more than a block away with his ridiculous floating loot sphere. Also, even the dumbest villain knew that stacking up careless civilian casualties was a hilariously bad idea, so that employee was probably going to be fine.
And to top it off, the authorities always get super pissy when I so much as breathe too closely to other people, much less partake in “cape activities.” I just know I would be in for an extended bout of nagging from Dragon whenever she caught up with me.
So really, I should just turn away. Everything will work out.
I turned and walked.
The villain screamed something.
A wheeze and a choked cough followed.
My foot paused mid-step.
My head turned just a fraction.
A little boy sobbed as his mother held him to her side.
A young woman whimpered in fear.
An old gentleman gripped his cane with white knuckles.
“You’re really starting to piss me off, you know that?” the villain snarled.
“Why’s it gotta be so- “
Another strangled cough.
“Fucking- “
And another.
“Hard?!”
A wet gurgle.
Something stilled within me.
Like the shadow of night falling upon the land at dusk, I slowly turned back.
Within my flesh, something rippled.
I slipped through the crowd with silent precision.
The young man in the villain’s grip was beginning to lose his grip on the man’s wrist, his fingers slackening, unable to resist any further.
I stopped a short distance away.
“Hey.”
The quiet calm of my voice cut through his raving, and he turned to me.
“What?” he spat.
“Put him down.”
He stared.
Then busted out laughing.
“Why the hell would I do that? You some kind of hero?”
“No.”
Something great and vile writhed beneath my skin, impressions of scales and spines threatening to break through.
Bones thickened. Muscles coiled. My pupils sharpened to slits.
The villain’s eyes widened.
I lunged with the grace of a serpent, hand streaking out to bite down on his wrist.
“What the hell- “
My fingers tightened and twisted.
The villain howled in pain, and the young employee fell from his fingers, collapsing onto the floor.
With my hand controlling his arm, I jerked him downwards, dropping him nearly to his knees, and my left hand struck out with vicious speed.
My open palm struck him in the side of the skull with a visceral crack.
Without so much as a gasp, he dropped limply to the floor.
The sphere of pilfered belongings fell to the floor immediately after, a few phone screens shattering on impact. Loose change and rings rolled away.
For a long moment, there was silence.
Then, the spell was broken, and gasps of relief rang out from the crowd. Voices rose up, offering reassurances and exclamations to each other.
Some might’ve spoken to me or given their thanks.
I don’t know.
The villain’s eyes were open, but he wasn’t moving.
A thin trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, pooling beneath his mask.
Right, I’ve known it for a while now, haven’t I?
I held up my hands. Perfectly clean and unmarred.
Humans are fragile.
My hands dropped to my sides, and I sighed.
I’m glad I’m not human anymore.