Editing Interlude 15.y

{{infobox chapter
| book       = [[Interlude]]
| number     = 15.y
| dateposted =  October 25, 2012
| link       = https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/interlude-15-donation-bonus-2/ 
| previous   = [[Colony 15.3]]
| next       = [[Colony 15.4]]
}}'''15.y (Donation Interlude 2; A guy with the second trigger event)''' is the fifth chapter of the [[Colony]] Arc. Brian deals with trauma from his second trigger event, explores his new abilities, and gets help from Taylor.

==Plot==
[[Brian Laborn|Brian]] beats on a punching bag in an attempt to feel some sense of release following his encounter with the [[Slaughterhouse Nine|Nine]], specifically [[Bonesaw]]. When [[Aisha Laborn|Aisha]] arrives and startles him, and for a moment he sees a hallucination of Bonesaw standing in her place. They talk, and she shows concern for him as he has managed to make himself bleed, which he struggles to explain, having flashbacks to his experiences throughout the conversation.

Aisha mentions that she'll handle managing their shared territory, Brian showing concern for her safety if she has to go it alone, to which she responds that [[Jean-Paul "Alec" Vasil|Regent]] will be with her. Brian doesn't find this reassuring, but is surprised that more than just bantering with eachother, their powers complement eachother also. 

Once Aisha leaves, Brian heads to the war room to look at how the territories have changed as the balance of power in [[Brockton Bay]] has shifted drastically recently. Brian sees that Aisha has been picking up the slack as Imp when it comes to administrating their territory, and feels guilty for wallowing. He resolves to suit up and follow Aisha, only to falter when he actually sees his costume, and remembers Bonesaw's suggestions to make him look like it. 

He's brought out of his funk by the arrival of a moth, who he recognizes as [[Taylor Hebert|Taylor]] announcing her presence. When he sees her, his thoughts quickly switch track to her, how even out of costume she had an eerie confidence, only partially due to her power allowing her increased awareness of her surroundings. She tells him Imp asked her to come, which puts his earlier conversation with his sister into a new context. 

Taylor offers to make dinner, which he agrees to, and the two compare notes on how the [[The Undersiders|Undersiders]] are performing, as well as how eachother are holding up. Brian continues to hallucinate, with Taylor offering to let him borrow her power with his, and they discuss the experience of feeling small, which Taylor finds reassuring, even if Brian is unconvinced initially. The one-sided conversation continues inside his bubble of sensory deprivation for a while, all the while Brian takes the opportunity to truly look at Taylor, and sees how even if not conventionally attractive, he could see how someone could come to love her, quirks and all.

Taylor is candid about how she's worried about how his trauma is affecting him, and how most people don't 'last' long after their second trigger event. She talks about her own baggage as well, with her mother and her past bullying, all the while commanding her swarm in the surrounding neighbourhood, making Brian realize that she is both larger than the body in front of him, and also beholden to her own hundred anxieties and priorities. 

Under the plausible deniability of his darkness he approaches her to embrace her, and using her awarness of her bugs, Taylor invites him to do so, which he does. Awkwardly, they ascertained that this, whatever this is, was okay with both of them, embracing on the couch. Brian builds the courage, his anxiety being more distant than usual and so allowing him to do so, and thanks Taylor, whilst kissing her. 

Eventually, both him and her relax as much as they realistically can, and Brian manages to sleep. 

==Characters==
{| class="CharTable"
! [[Heroes|{{color|white|Heroes}}]]
! colspan=2|[[Villains|{{color|white|Villains}}]]
! Others
|-
|
;Independent Heroes
*[[Scion]] {{M}}
|
;[[The Undersiders]]
*[[Grue]]
*[[Imp]]
*[[Skitter]]
*[[Regent]] {{M}}
*[[Tattletale]] {{M}}
----
;[[The Travelers]]
*[[Ballistic]] {{M}}
----
;[[Coil's Organization]]
*[[Coil]] {{M}}
*[[Dinah Alcott]] {{M}}
|
;[[The Pure]]
*[[Purity]] {{M}}
*[[Night]] {{M}}
----
;[[Fenrir's Chosen]]
*[[Victor]] {{M}}
----
;[[Slaughterhouse Nine]]
*[[Shatterbird]] {{M}}
*[[Bonesaw]] {{M}}
|
;[[Endbringers]]
*[[Leviathan]] {{M}}
*[[Behemoth]] {{M}}
|}

==Major Events==
*Taylor and Brian start a relationship.

{{Reflist}}

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