Тейлор Поттер и философский виал / Taylor Potter and the Philosophical Vial: Тейлор Поттер и узник Клетки Глава 1. Маркиз преступного мира

Taylor Potter and the Prisoner of the Cage

Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 19:23

Chapter 1. Marquis of the Underworld
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Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 19:24

31 July 2023, Little Bay

Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 19:25

Taylor Potter, the Girl Who Lived, lay on her back, arms folded across her chest, staring at the ceiling, as if rehearsing a coma or a coffin. If asked, Taylor would have rather slipped into a coma for the entire summer than spend it with unloved relatives. But alas, circumstances, laws, and age were all against her, and Taylor lay in the darkness, contemplating the unfairness of life.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 20:39

Aunt Emma (Taylor's mother's sister) and her wife, Sophia Dursley, were currently in their bedroom, but instead of sleeping, they were rubbing and smashing against each other, moaning, kissing, and moaning again. Taylor had sensed their "activities" before with her insect-controlling superpower, but this time she was in no hurry to stop watching. Instead of disgust, the moans and hugs now evoked a strange, vague feeling that Taylor couldn't name.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 20:40

She couldn't name it yet, but I guessed that it was somehow connected with growing up and puberty.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.26 в 20:41

Taylor not only spied on her relatives, though she would have gladly done without them in her life, but also worked in the dark. Squads of nimble cockroaches inspected and covered the safe where her aunt and uncle had hidden Taylor's school supplies. It was a tablet from the Wormwarts School of Capeing and Parahumanism, where Taylor had already studied for two years. The tablet contained emails with assignments, textbook files, everything, including contacts with friends and news from the world of capes, people with superpowers.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 12:45

"Ah-ah-ah," moaned Aunt Emma.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 12:45

"Hr-hr-hr," Emma and Sophia's daughter and Taylor's cousin, Madison, sang in her sleep.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 12:46

"Boom-boom-boom," the wall clock quietly struck, announcing that midnight had arrived.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 12:46

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me," Taylor sang softly, without changing her position.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:30

The cockroaches poked at the buttons, but the electronic lock mechanism refused to budge. The fireflies above Taylor's head swirled in victory, forming the number "13," which immediately exploded like fireworks and reassembled into "13," along with a picture of a cake, seemingly decorated with candles. Just like last year, only thirteen instead of twelve. Taylor blew out all the "candles," wishing to meet her friends soon and return to Wormwarts.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:31

It was deadly dangerous there, in the world of superpowers, where Dark Cape and other maniacs were hunting her, but it was there that Taylor felt alive, needed, and useful. Her friends were there, she was a celebrity and one of everyone (not an unloved niece), she was the Tactician of the Herofindor team! The light infantry scout ants found their way into the crack of the mechanical lock, climbing inside one by one. They formed a crowd and managed to activate the tablet by applying just enough force to the power button.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:41

Taylor felt the screen flash dimly, but that was all.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:42

No matter how much she trained her insect-sightedness, only vague images emerged. She could poke around blindly, switch to "voiceover" mode, but Taylor sighed and abandoned that idea. They'd hear her, break her, or hide her even better. No, she needed to find a way to open the safe, retrieve the tablet, and replace it every morning so no one would notice it was missing. The mighty cockroaches might bring her the tablet, but opening the electronic lock? No. Oh, if she could see through the insects' eyes, she could peek at the code, but if she could see through the insects' eyes, she could use the tablet right inside the safe! Although no, it still wouldn't work out.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:48

"Sacrifices will have to be made," Taylor whispered.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 12:47

Was it for nothing that she was a Tactician? The plan had formed itself—if she couldn't see which buttons were pressed, then the enemy would have to show them to her! A small alarm would be triggered, preferably during one of these nightly "activities" (though Aunt Sophia regularly did this during the day as well), so that the relatives wouldn't have the time, energy, and, most importantly, the desire to think. Aunt Sophia would rush downstairs, hastily open the safe, and, having confirmed that the tablet and the rest of the Wormwarts stuff were in place, would immediately rush to yell at Taylor. Cover the buttons in advance with something non-sticky but distinct... no, that was dangerous. Put ants under the buttons, feel the presses in the general pattern.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:05

Things had calmed down upstairs, so Taylor didn't do anything for now. She'd get ready and receive a farewell gift for her birthday that evening.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:05

With these thoughts, Taylor closed her eyes in peace and fell asleep.
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Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:49

31 July 2013, Little Bay

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 08:49

"Bad New England blood," Uncle (Sophia's brother) Terry muttered.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:12

He towered over Taylor like a tower, dropping words from above, his pipe still in his mouth. He arrived during the day on business of his own and immediately began to ruin Taylor's life, disliking her even more than his sister.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:14

"She needs to be spanked more often so that the blood drains from her head and doesn't stagnate there, causing bad thoughts," Terry continued to mutter. "Do you spank her often?"

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:15

Taylor scowled, thinking it was impossible to ruin her birthday further. Terry rarely came, but each time he unleashed tons of anger, as if he'd been hoarding it day and night. Sophia and Emma grumbled at Taylor, of course, but somehow everything remained within bounds.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:16

And no, they didn't spank Taylor. They spanked each other, yes, ​​especially when Sophia and Emma were playing cowboy and the brat mare, but Taylor didn't.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:36

"Yeah, that's the whole problem," Terry muttered through his teeth. "And you don't give her enough work. She has time to think all sorts of nasty things, do all sorts of nasty things, and do all sorts of nasty things with those very hands!"

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:38

He turned to Sophia:

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:38

"Half an hour ago, the news was talking about the escape of a maniac, some marquis of the criminal underworld, so mark my words, sister. If you don't discipline this bad blood, she'll stab you in your sleep one day! And then they'll talk about her on the news as a criminal, a maniac! Just like her parents!"

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:41

"Don't you dare say anything nasty about my parents!" Taylor shouted.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:41

Before this, she had somehow restrained herself, pushing her emotions into the insects, but then she broke through.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:42

"Flog!" Terry waved his cane, trying to hit Taylor's leg.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 13:45

But was it for nothing that she'd taken self-defense lessons with Jack Quirrell and Niceguy Lockhart at Wormwarts? True, both turned out to be jerks, but those lessons were real! Taylor stepped sideways, kicked her cane, and slammed her hand into her wrist. Terry yelped and dropped his cane, and his beloved dog barked and bit Taylor's leg!

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:00

This had happened once before, during one of Terry's visits, but Taylor was small and lacked superpowers. Now, the swarm of bats descended from all sides, swarming the mongrel, stinging, biting, and mauling her to death.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:53

"You!" Terry yelled, losing his temper. "A rotten scum, just like your parents!"

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:52

He practically leaped forward, intending to kick Taylor. She jumped back, and an even larger swarm erupted from the trees, a ten-foot-tall, terrifying ball. Aunt Emma fainted, and Sophia dragged her into the house, screeching. Taylor, overcome with rage and pain at such words about her parents, screamed:

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:54

"I! I won't let you!"

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:54

And the swarm echoed her words. Terry instantly lost his aggression, even piss in his pants, but it was too late. The swarm descended like a hurricane on Ellie's van, grabbed her, and dragged her away. Taylor, having barely come to her senses and realizing she couldn't live here anymore and that she needed to run away before the PRT (Parahuman Responsible Team) agents arrived, waved her hand, directing part of the swarm into the house.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:56

The door held for three seconds, the lock only for five.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:01

A minute later, Taylor was running away, grabbing her backpack as she ran, stuffing it with her tablet and some food, which the obedient swarm had seized. The buzzing of the insects drowned out the screams of the hated family.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:02

“It’s okay, I’m a cape, I will be ok,” Taylor muttered as she ran.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:02

And she was ok.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.26 в 14:02

"Our cards are accepted everywhere," Taylor muttered like a prayer as she inserted her Ellisburg card into the ATM.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:12

Once, before joining Wormwarts, the same card was not accepted, but now!

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:13

The ATM beeped, grunted, printed a greeting, and asked how much money Taylor wanted to withdraw. Taylor would have preferred to know how much she could withdraw, but then decided a couple of thousand would be enough to start. The escape plan was roughly clear: get to New York, find the "Leaky Scanner," hide in Toybox Alley, and then think about it. No, really! Write to Rachel and through her, to Dumbledore, write to Amy and Lisa, especially Lisa, she's smart, she'll figure it out!

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:35

"Yeah, yeah, that's right," Taylor pulled out her tablet.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:36

She froze. The Statute of Secrecy had been enacted for a reason. Its implementation was monitored, and violations were punished. And she was about to access the internet from somewhere other than her own home, on a student's tablet, with geo-location and all! No, no, she should have remembered Lisa's lessons, remembered the lessons of Wormwarts. Fit in, evade surveillance, and get to a place where she could demonstrate her superpowers undetected.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:37

But how?

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:36

She's underage, and the driver might be tempted by her money, but more likely, he'll just tell her to leave or call the police. Or he might do something bad, and she'll have to unleash the swarm on him, which would mean exposing herself. Heck, she'd already used her superpower and possibly exposed herself! Putting the tablet back, Taylor concentrated, then snapped her fingers.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:37

Exactly! To keep drivers from making a fuss, they simply shouldn't see her!

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:38

Of course, closed trucks weren't an option, nor were any passenger cars. It was impossible to climb into the trunk unnoticed, even if the driver was distracted by a cloud of flies they'd just smashed into! No, she needed a good old open-bed truck or a solid pickup, and one soon appeared on the road. Taylor quickly steered the cloud, and when the truck slowed to a stop, she slipped into the back and hid among the sacks of vegetables and other produce the farmer was transporting to New York.

Camrad_RIP 28.01.26 в 09:40