Chapter Text
"Thank you, young miss."
Contessa frowned deeply. An unknown had entered their plan and she had needed the advice of one of Brockton Bay's most potent seers, Dinah Alcott.
Was Taylor Hebert going to oppose Cauldron in their projects? Answer: 98,765% chances yes. Something had to be done.
On the outside, Taylor Hebert was a rather ordinary girl. Tall, rail-thin with a long and thin mouth and wavy dark brown hair and eyes, nothing out of the ordinary. Except for one fact: she could control bugs. All the bugs. And her fine-control of them was exceptional. Used properly, the girl would be a foe few could oppose, even among Cauldron. They needed to get rid of her, and quickly.
"Door to Hebert household."
The portal opened. It was the night, and Taylor was sound asleep. Contessa decided to leave nothing to chance. First step: apply a powerful anesthetic on the girl's mouth to make sure she didn't wake up. Step two: take her to Cauldron's headquarters. They weren't going to kill her, it was unnecessary.
"Have Slug erase her memories." She ordered.
Step three: cut loose ends. Even if she somehow managed to remember, she would have nothing to come back to. So, Contessa shot Danny Hebert in his sleep, retrieved the costume of chitin and spider silk she had crafted for herself – a rather nice piece of work, she had to admit – and set the house on fire before leaving. No matter how they looked, the authorities would never find the true source of the arson.
In Cauldron's headquarters, Slug began erasing Taylor's memories. But her Shard, though broken, was still powerful. And she was protective of her host. Helped by her connection to her host's brain, she reacted the moment the memories began to vanish.
She was the Queen Administrator. Hers was the power to manage and administer.
She quickly seized control of the related neuronal connections and drained them of the information, which she sealed within herself. Slug was surprised the process had gone so fast, but the results were there: Taylor Hebert only remembered two things: her name and that she could control bugs.
Next was finding a place to dump her. After some searching, they found it: a garbage island on Earth Yota.
"Door to Satellite." Contessa ordered.
They left the girl here, with only her pajamas and her costume, and closed the door.
The Crimson Dragon growled. A new power had entered his dimension, different from what he had seen before. A red star shone over Satellite as the entity peered down at the unconscious form of Taylor Hebert. The Queen Administrator quickly sensed the threat. She reached out.
QUERY
D E I T Y
…FEAR
QUERY – INTENT
Good question. What was the Shard's purpose?
ADMINISTRATION
UNDERSTANDING – WARNING: PROTECTION
Mess with my world and die.
UNDERSTANDING
The Shard mulled. After a moment, she reached again.
REVENGE – ASSISTANCE?
Someone had wronged her host. She wanted payback. The Crimson Dragon didn't disapprove.
UNDERSTANDING – AGREEMENT
APPROVAL
…BARGAIN?
QUERY
ASSISTANCE
There were threats out there which endangered his world. He was willing to help the Queen Administrator, but it would go smoother if she agreed to help him in turn.
BALANCE – AGREEMENT
POWER
AGREEMENT!!!
She was never going to turn down a power-boost. And so, the Crimson Dragon reached out to the Queen Administrator and gave him a tiny fragment of his power: to manifest and control Monster Spirits. The Shard felt elation. This was one great ability. Then the Crimson Dragon branded Taylor. The Mark was round and looked a little like a shell: the Crimson Heart. Finally, the entity released one of his servants which he had sealed a long time ago.
Beelze the Demonic Dragon shuddered as his restrains were removed and he was free to leave his prison. Said freedom came with a price, though. He was bound to a Signer, forced to serve them and fight alongside the brothers and sisters he had betrayed three thousand years ago. Conflict with the Earthbound Immortals loomed on the horizon. It would be his chance to atone. The dragon lowered his two heads and approved. He would make amends.
When Taylor Hebert woke up that morning, it was with no memory but her name and basic knowledge of her powers, an outfit of chitin and spider silk and a shining white card called Beelze the Demonic Dragon.