Chapter Text
I had just finished beating up a bunch of kids (You know? The Wards?) and decided it was time to skedaddle, meet up with my soon to be minions, then reacquire my not so miniature gun. I had a position locked in, just far enough from the Undersiders to not get them with my explosive arrival and fired the mental trigger. That's where things went wrong.
I felt the location start to shift and quickly deduced that Vista was making some kind of last stand to interfere. I willed myself to teleport harder, feeling my connection to the bugs ebb and flow all within a single moment before suddenly, everything went sideways and I arrived back where I'd started.
Things were wrong, though.
I felt myself reestablish a connection to all my bugs but there was some kind of feedback happening, like I was playing tug of war but we weren't on opposite ends. My mind went into overdrive as I took in my surroundings. The bank was unharmed, the street outside too, and the Wards were also unharmed, except…
"Where's Meteor?" I asked out loud, partially to myself, the collective, and the other capes around me, taking in the differently positioned Wards that were not missing one of their roster.
"Who?" Clockblocker asked- wait, no, that was Aegis except in the wrong suit. It was way too tight and he looked uncomfortable.
"The aggressive Ward? Fire powers?" I pointed at Shadow Stalker. "I thought she was your girlfriend?"
The crossbow wielder took a step back in shock before raising one angrily at me.
"Hey! I ain't a lesbian!" She shouted. Odd, I guess my read on her was wrong. "Besides, who even are you? Some wannabe Teeth groupie?"
That stung me (I ignored the Collective Groan that elicited) as I took in the lack of fear. I hadn't fully focused yet on the interior of the Bank yet, but it seemed the Undersiders had one extra member…
One who was wearing a spider-silk costume and had some familiar hair. Shit.
"This is like some shit out of Galaxy Quest!" Ironsides chipped in.
"When Vista's power and ours interacted, we must have been sent to an alternate dimension!" Damascian added.
They didn't know who I was! I could… I could… I could be a Hero here!
There was a pause, before the entire Collective laughed at me and I snorted along with them. I pointed a finger at Shadow Stalker before shifting that hand into a middle finger.
"I've been called many things. Lots of slurs, insults to professions, to my intelligence, but this is certainly a new experience." I gave a sweeping glance at the young heroes. "Would you all say that you're Wards Groupies?" I shook my head. "No. That would be as idiotic as your organization's leadership."
Gallant muttered an "Oh fuck" that I caught and tilted my head at him in acknowledgment.
"I go by Weaver, despite being the… fifteenth mantle holder." I chuckled. "Now, tell me…"
I finished gathering the swarm around me, the control of most of the bugs not near the building was lacking and easy to grasp as an onslaught of noise and darkness surrounded us all.
"Would any of you like to take your shot at being the sweet sixteenth?"