Worm | |
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Chrysalis 20.2 | |
Date posted | 23 March 2013 |
Link | Chrysalis 20.2 |
Chapter guide | |
Previous Chrysalis 20.1 |
Next Chrysalis 20.3 |
Chapter List |
Chrysalis 20.2 is the second chapter of Chrysalis. Arrival in Arcadia, Taylor keeps Greg off her trail, and Emma gets in her way.
Plot[]
Taylor is greatly displeased when a new situation rears its ugly head in the form of Greg Veder, and that Arcadia High had to be the site of it. Coordinating with Charlotte, Taylor plans to head off Greg's suspicions before it worsens, and asks Charlotte monitor him and any potential drama he might stir up until she arrives to Arcadia herself. Before leaving, Taylor takes stock of the current situation between the Undersiders and the Ambassadors, and ultimately finds things heading in a promising and prosperous direction between the two groups, and also hopes for more similarly beneficial alliances in the future.
Though confident that her absence is unlikely to disrupt the flow of the Undersiders' operations in any capacity, Taylor finds herself seething at being forced to handle a situation that is rather small and trivial in comparison to the dangerous enemies and situations she had already faced down. Upon arriving to Arcadia, Taylor notices the repairs being made to the school, as well as the presence of security guards who dressed "uncomfortably similar" to Boardwalk enforcers. When seeing the students, Taylor immediately sees a disparity and splits them into two groups. The first appearing happy, vibrant, and summer/casual clothing appropriate for the weather. The other, larger group on the other hand was far less well off, and Taylor realized that they were the ones who had stayed during the city's devastation. Though some in this second group had new clothes, the rest donned frayed and worn clothing, and Taylor noticed the lines in their faces which gave away weeks of bare minimum sleep, as well as discolorations brought on from days spent with minimal shelter. Some of the kids carried weapons as well.
Taylor hands her knife over to the guards and sets out to search for Greg. Having the faculty track Greg proved out to be nonviable, as it was likely that Greg will be alarmed by the announcement and attempt to flee. During her search, she also comes across Emma, clad in brand new clothing and her hair dyed blonde, as well as having attracted a large following. Emma notices her, but Taylor moves on as she wasn't the priority, but tags Emma's backpack with a fly in order to keep track of her in the event she interferes.
Taylor eventually finds Greg, inwardly cursing him over the whole course of the search. Greg is elated to see her, but perhaps too elated. After observing his lack of tact, subtlety, and restraint, Taylor understands why Charlotte had been concerned had been concerned about him. Taylor's brief interrogation of Greg quickly devolves into a strange and awkward conversation, with Taylor finding herself reluctantly agreeing with Greg's talking points when he compares himself to her. Greg also indirectly admits to Taylor that he has feelings for her, rambling until she eventually cuts him off and confesses that she already has a boyfriend, which appears to sadden him. Greg later reveals to Taylor that he believes that she is Skitter, having examined all the information on Skitter that had been compiled over time, and (correctly) believing that the locker incident was the cause of her trigger.
Taylor manages to seize control of the conversation before Greg can go any further. She feigns offense at Greg's accusation of her being a supervillain, and (guiltily) cites the times her father was hospitalized by Bakuda and Shatterbird. Taylor states that superpowers are the last thing she wants to think about due to both of those incidences, and that the cape scene is not a topic she'd like to engage in. Taking her leave, she apologizes to Greg for not being the person he believes that she is. Her plan to get Greg off her trail is a resounding success, but she felt remorse for manipulating him in such a way, having acknowledged that he wasn't a "bad guy."
Deeming the situation with Greg resolved, Taylor moves to exit the school, intent on making it to lunch with her father. However, she doesn't get much time to probe Arcadia's walled perimeter for exits, as Emma spots Taylor and immediately intercepts. Emma cuts Taylor off when she resolves to head for the gate. In a brief weighing of options on how to deal with Emma. Taylor realizes that there were few people who she considered to have earned her hatred, and is unsettled by the fact that she couldn't care less about her former best friend.
Characters[]
Heroes | Villains | Others | |
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References[]
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Chapters | 20.1 • 20.2 • 20.3 • 20.4 • 20.5 • 20.x • 20.y |
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Battles and Events | Incident at Arcadia High |