Twisted and Accursed, Chapter 8

She healed a total of fifteen people that night, each session lasting only a few seconds. Among those Taylor helped was a boy who’d gotten into a car accident as he was riding his bike down the street, pulverizing just about every bone in his body and crushing several of his organs. The fact that he was still alive by the time Taylor got to him was a miracle in itself. Another was an elderly woman who was shot over ten times in her chest, after an altercation with a gangster from the ABB, who then stole her purse; she would’ve died within a few hours if Taylor hadn’t gotten to her when she did. Another was an Asian woman who was beaten to near-death by members of the Empire 88, her limbs broken and crushed by metal bats and her skull caved in. The doctors could not have done anything to save her by that point. And she lived only because Taylor healed her using Sukuna’s power.

And about a dozen other people who would’ve died without her aid, people who would never again see their families if Taylor hadn’t been there to heal them. If she followed her dad’s instructions and hid herself at home as he wanted, then all of these people would be dead. They’d never see their families again. They’d never get a second chance at life. They’d just be in the morgue, cold and lifeless, waiting to be buried and forgotten. And Brockton Bay’s Crime Statistics would just get higher and higher. And Taylor Hebert would’ve simply been at home, watching and waiting, doing nothing to help those who needed her.

“You helped a lot of people today, kid,” Doctor Halsey patted her on the back. “Be proud of yourself. You want me to tell Panacea about you when she comes over? I’m sure that girl will be happy to know that there’s another Healing Cape in Brockton Bay.”

Taylor beamed under her mask. Having someone put in good word for her to the heroes could only be good for her in the long run. After all, if the heroes already thought well of her, then the easier it would be for them to rule her out as a potential suspect in the Winslow Incident. And, it’d also be a lot easier for her to get “clients”, as her dad said, if her name was well-known in the United States. Healers, after all, were among the rarest of the rare. And, ultimately, having someone recognize her, Taylor Hebert, as a hero, after everything she’d gone through, after all the bullshit she’d survived, would be a reward in itself. And so, Taylor nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Surely, Panacea would be glad to know that there was another healer in town who wasn’t affiliated with the Neo-Nazis?

“Well,” Taylor said, nodding to herself. If she could, then she would’ve healed every single person in this hospital. “I guess I should get going now.”

“Stay safe out there, kid,” Doctor Halsey said. “You did great today. Keep up the good work. And watch your back on your way home. You might’ve only been here for less than an hour, but I’m sure the Parahuman Gangs probably already know about you. See those guys, back there?”

Doctor Halsey gestured with her head, her eyes briefly pointing towards members of the Empire 88, none of whom Taylor even noticed where there earlier. “They’ve been watching you since you walked in. And those other guys over there.”

She gestured once more and on the other side of the ICU were members of the ABB. Both groups were staring at each other and at her, like packs of wild dogs baring their fangs at each other. Of course, neither group would dare cause trouble in a hospital. Doctor Halsey sighed. “They’re both looking to forcibly recruit you, I reckon. And I don’t think either group is keen on accepting a no from you.”

“I can see that,” Taylor gulped. At this rate, she might have to stay in the hospital until either group dispersed. But, she couldn’t do that, either, because that would mean staying until the morning came and, by then, this place would be crawling with people, who were eager to know just who the new mystery cape was. She needed to get out as quickly as possible. Most of all, however, Taylor was worried that Sukuna would take over her inside a hospital. “Oh god... I... hadn’t considered this.”

Doctor Halsey nodded. “Yeah, I figured that. Panacea has a whole team of really strong capes to back her up. Plus, the PRT is willing to dive into hell to recover her. You, meanwhile, Asclepius, are alone. You have no team and no backup. And you came here with good intentions; I respect that. But you failed to take into account the bad people with bad intentions. And now they’re here.”

“What should I do?” Taylor asked, tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. The gangs were blocking up both exits. She wasn’t getting out of here, except through the window.

“Honestly?” Doctor Halsey sighed. “You should’ve either gone to New Wave or the PRT first. There’s a good reason why solo capes don’t last long. And, as far as I’m aware, you don’t exactly have any offensive abilities, kid. But... as for an actual answer to your question...”

“I could call the police.” Halsey shrugged. Taylor considered it and, more than anything, it was probably the best thing she could hope for at the moment. Unless someone like Lung or Kaiser or Hookwolf showed up, then the police could probably deal with the gangsters, no problem. “I have my phone in my pocket, right here. But, I honestly wouldn’t recommend it.”

“What?” Taylor’s eyes widened under her goggles. “Why?”

“Kid, these gangs are a lot scarier than you give them credit for,” Doctor Halsey said. “They’ve got moles everywhere. The Empire 88 practically controls Brockton PD and a lot of Asian Officers are under the ABB’s payroll. Why do you think so much crime happens? Most of the good people are either dead or gone. So, if the cops come, then you’ll never know if ”

“Then, what am I supposed to do?” Taylor almost hissed, but kept her voice low so as to keep the gangsters from finding out that she was planning her escape. They just stood there, for now, mostly staring at each other silently, but otherwise doing nothing. “I can’t just stay here.”

“You can heal yourself, right?” Doctor Halsey’s eyes flashed towards the window. And Taylor knew immediately what the doctor meant. She had about 23 uses left of Sukuna’s healing, which likely included herself. Sukuna couldn’t possible be that generous. “I’m going to open the window. Act natural. The gangsters aren’t going to think much about it until you actually jump.”

Doctor Halsey then paused and shook her head. “After that, you’re on your own, kid. I’d run to the police if I were you. Otherwise, try to get as far away from them as possible. Find somewhere to hide and lose the costume. You might just get lucky enough to avoid them that way.”

Taylor breathed in and nodded. The ICU was on the third floor, which meant she’d be falling down a thirty-feet drop. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Good luck,” Doctor Halsey said, right before she walked away and, like a professional actress, made her way to the nearby window, which she then opened. The opening was just enough for Taylor to jump through and dive down. The only way she was walking out of this was if she burned one of the twenty three remaining heals from Sukuna. It didn’t matter. If she didn’t escape this, then she wouldn’t be healing anyone else ever again. Taylor would rather turn herself in and confess everything before she worked for the gangs.

Doctor Halsey then walked away from the open window. And Taylor knew her chance had come. She walked forward, her heart hammering within her chest. A thirty-foot drop probably wouldn’t kill her as long as she landed on her feet or her hands, both of which would shatter upon impact, but that was fine. She could heal herself. This would work. It had to work. It was going to work. When Taylor saw a clear path between herself and the open window, she ran. And, as soon as she reached the opening, she jumped, altering just about everyone in the ICU, save for Doctor Halsey herself, who was already several feet away.

The cold air rushed against her face, seeping through the thin fabric of her mask.

And then, she hit the ground.

And all was darkness.

.....

“It’s time, already?”

Sukuna’s eyes snapped open in the darkness. He grinned and a storm of Cursed Energy came to life around him. The brat was unconscious. More importantly, however, she was in a position of no escape. She couldn’t defend herself. She couldn’t run. And she couldn’t fight. Sukuna hadn’t been paying much attention to what Taylor Hebert was doing; so, the King of Curses wasn’t entirely certain how or why she was suddenly in such a position.

But, once again, it hardly mattered.

When Sukuna took full control over the brat’s body, he wasn’t expecting this much damage. Her skull was cracked open and her limbs were all bent the wrong way. Her rib cage was pushed inwards, breaking just about every rib and crushing several of her internal organs in the process. Her spine had been snapped as well. Sukuna almost chuckled. But the brat’s jaw was also shattered. With a burst of Reverse Cursed Energy, however, he mended himself rather easily.

And so, the King of Curses stood up; once more in full control over Taylor Hebert’s body. The brat was still very much asleep. It’d be a while until her mind fully woke up and wrestled control from him.

Sukuna grinned. And that meant he had some time to play. After all, this was a new world, filled with new toys, new challenges to beat, and new powers to discover.

However, because of the Binding Vow, he couldn’t have his fun just yet.

The King of Curses pushed himself up onto his feet – well, Taylor’s feet. And glanced around. It was dark – night. There were very few people around and it seemed like no one had taken notice of him just yet. Oh, there were a bunch of people looking down from above him, through the window where the brat probably jumped off of, but Sukuna hardly cared about them. Their souls exuded wonder, curiosity, and amazement. No fear. Of course, they wouldn’t feel any fear. Not that it mattered. He couldn’t eat them anyway. Well, he could, but it wasn’t be worth it, unless they were actively afraid of him. Fear seasoned the flesh. Without it, he’d rather just eat tofu.

The Binding Vow prevented him from doing anything as long as he still wore the same clothes as Taylor did, however – an annoyance, but, in these things, the spirit of the deal weighed more than the word. And so, he had to come up with something that’d separate him from her.

And Sukuna had just the idea. After all, the only thing that mattered was to separate himself from the girl’s “healer” persona, right? There were so many other ways to humiliate her. Oh, he wasn’t going to break her mind – not yet, anyway. He needed her somewhat sane for his plans. He couldn’t ruin her life that much just yet. And, ultimately, Taylor Hebert wasn’t so important or so annoying as to deserve his full attention. The creature that was connected to her brain was so much more interesting.

Grinning, Sukuna leapt up and over the hospital, and landed on its rooftop, moving faster than any human could’ve perceived. He glanced around. There was no one here. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

“How’s this for a costume, brat?” Chuckling, Sukuna began undressing, taking off just about every article of clothing until the body he inhabited was fully nude; then absorbed the clothes into a sealed tattoo, which appeared as an additional black box on his left hand. He couldn’t risk revealing her identity, however, because that’d just ruin her life a little too much. So, Sukuna willed forth a mask of bone to form around Taylor’s face, covering it entirely – Biomancy, an art he’d not practiced since the Heian Era.

Good enough.

Grinning underneath the mask, Sukuna set out into the night.