Taylor Hebert
<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Taylor Hebert</default></title>
<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>
<label>Status</label><format><label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox> Taylor Anne Hebert<ref name="14.8">Prey 14.8</ref>, is the main character of Worm. Her surname is pronounced "Hee-bert"<ref>Comment on spacebattles by Wildbow</ref>.
Appearance
Civilian Identity
Taylor was a tall, rail-thin, pale, young woman with long, curly black hair<ref name="9.6">Sentinel 9.6</ref><ref name="19.z">Interlude 19.z</ref> and glasses. She had a thin-lipped, wide, expressive mouth she inherited from her mother, and her large eyes and gawky figure made her look a lot like her dad<ref name="1.1"/><ref name="I22">Interlude 22</ref>. She was approximately 5'6" at the story's outset<ref>https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/14723063</ref> Taylor didn't wear clothes that showed skin, or bright colors<ref name="1.1"/>. At various times, she wore a brown hooded sweatshirt over a green t-shirt<ref name="1.1"/>.
Parahuman Identity
<tabber>As Skitter= As Skitter, Taylor wore various costumes made of spider silk.
Initially, she wears a black-and-grey spider silk bodysuit with armor panels made out of insect shells and exoskeletons augmented with more spider silk. The costume's prototype had fabric that was a dirty yellow-gray color, and the armor was colored dark mottled brown-gray<ref name="1.02"/>. She later dyes it black with grey paneling before she goes out<ref name="1.03"/>. The lenses of her mask are durable, high-end swim goggles tinted to help filter out bright lights, with lenses from an old pair of her glasses sealed inside with silicon.<ref name="8.5"/> Her mask leaves the back of her head uncovered and her hair free to fly behind her.<ref name="5.10">Hive 5.10</ref>
She kept her costume clean by having bugs eat and clean any waste and wiping it down with a cloth.<ref name="6.6c1">Comment by Wildbow on Tangle 6.6</ref>
The spider-silk fabric is too tough to cut with an x-acto knife, although it can be slowly cut through using wire cutters.<ref name="1.02"/> It was mostly waterproof.<ref name="6.6c1"/> The costume lacks the full extent of the armor paneling she planned, including protection for the back of her head, but the armor covers her face, chest, spine, stomach and major joints.<ref name="1.03"/> Eventually it included shoulder pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, a chest guard and kneepads, possibly more. Each had "layers" resembling a pillbug.<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Tangle 6.6</ref> The mask design features dull yellow lenses and sections of armor designed to imitate a bug’s mandibles.<ref name="1.4"/>
At one point, her costume had clawed fingertips added.<ref name="27.4">Extinction 27.4</ref>
Taylor has a utility compartment for storing necessary items, weapons, and insects in the shape of a spade-shaped armor panel that covers her back.<ref name="1.4">Gestation 1.4</ref>, Taylor's backpack contains "a set of EpiPens, a pen and notepad, a tube of pepper spray meant to hang off a key chain and a zippered pouch of chalk dust."<ref name="1.4"/>
In Queen 18.3, Miss Militia takes a look at the contents and sees: A handgun (Trickster's spare), a length of spider silk fashioned into a long cord, pepper spray, a change purse, containing cotton swabs (to muffle the noise), needles, smelling salts, and change, a collapsible baton, and a combat knife (sturdy enough to be used as a crowbar if needed)
|-|As Weaver= As Weaver, Taylor uses a flight pack developed and maintained by Defiant. She wears a generic version of her costume created by Dragon, which lacks the armor of her earlier costume, and sometimes wears her old silk costume for added protection. Her costume is light grey bodysuit with cleaner, slim dark grey armor panels. The mantle around her shoulders and the cloth hanging from her belt are marked in electric blue with the Undersiders' emblem (a beetle facing downwards) in miniature at each corner, flipped upside down so that they face upward. <ref name="22.6">Cell 22.6</ref>
Her costume had extra armor, with a coil of silk hidden beneath an armor panel at the back of the hand.<ref name="27.4">Extinction 27.4</ref>
Wildbow had her down in his notes as 5’8″ (178 cm), 125 lbs (56 kg) during her stay in prison<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Drone 23.1</ref>. According to her Wards physical, she was five feet and nine inches tall<ref name="25.1">Scarab 25.1</ref>. She later described herself as a hundred and thirty pounds and 5'10"<ref name="26.2">Sting 26.2</ref>
During the oil-rig battle, she wore a black bodysuit with white armor panels and lenses. She carried primarily symbolic weapons - a handgun, taser, and pepper spray - and wore her flight pack.<ref name="27.4"/> Afterward, she wore a similar costume, including flight pack.<ref name="28.3">Cockroaches 28.3</ref><ref name="29.3">Venom 29.3</ref> She carred the same tube of pepper spray, rescued from the remains of her previous costume.<ref name="28.3"/> She carried a knife in a holster, and supplemented it with a nano-thorn knife created by Defiant.<ref name="29.3">Venom 29.3</ref>
|-|As Khepri = As Khepri, Taylor wears a black bodysuit with white armor panels and lenses.<ref name="27.4"/> She is missing an arm, and appears to not be able to control her body very well. Throughout the fight with Scion, she usually had Doormaker and Clairvoyant attached to her, though when Doormaker ran out of energy for his power, she left him behind.
After the Timeskip, she wears a spider-silk version of her Weaver costume. After it's partially destroyed during the oil-rig battle, she wears a costume that combines elements of several provisional costumes she had created in different color schemes. </tabber>
Personality
Taylor is initially a shy and awkward teenage girl with a keen interest in capes. She looked forward to the part of her World Issues class where they discussed capes "since the start of the semester".<ref name="1.1"/> She had seemingly never heard of Trigger Events, but this may have been a mistake by the author.<ref>Comment by Wildbow, archived on Spacebattles</ref> She has shown some insecurity in her femininity, describing her long, dark curly hair as her "only feminine feature."<ref name="1.1"/>"
She was "'surviving', for lack of a better word," from the point her mother died, and then surviving from the point she started getting bullied -- she just wanted to get by. She responded to stress with silence and withdrawal.<ref>WoG archived on spacebattles</ref><ref name="I22"/> She suspected that she would hurt herself before she hurt the Trio.<ref name="1.02"/> However, Wildbow has stated that if she hadn't triggered, Taylor would likely have simply stopped going to school.<ref>Reddit - "What would've happened to Taylor if she'd never triggered?"</ref>
She would always stress over choosing her clothes.<ref name="6.2">Tangle 6.2</ref>
Taylor considered joining the Wards, but felt that "the notion of escaping the stresses of high school by flinging myself into a mess of teenage drama, adult oversight and schedules seemed self-defeating."<ref name="1.6">Gestation 1.6</ref> She had no trust in organized institutions, and felt happier having some independence and control.<ref name="1.6c1">Comment by Wildbow on Gestation 1.6</ref>
She was afraid of illegal drugs, saying she "had this sense" that they were like "an unstoppable black hole". Just the idea of being around someone that was high made her mildly anxious.<ref name="5.8">Hive 5.8</ref>
Over the course of the story she becomes smart and ruthless, arguably due to the influence of her Queen Administrator shard and her career as a supervillain.
She suffered from nightmares,<ref name="11.1c1">Commment by Wildbow on Infestation 11.1</ref>
After the timeskip, she is an exceptionally accomplished martial artist; her enhanced senses enable her to react to events faster than she should be able to. She can easily defeat even many powered opponent's hand-to-hand. She is noted to be cold and ruthless by many characters.
She ultimately resolves not to focus overmuch on her identity as Skitter or Weaver, but to try and combine the strengths of both as Taylor.[citation needed]
Relationships
Civilians
Taylor had a strained relationship with the students of Winslow High. Because she was bullied extensively by "other girls and a small handful of boys" with the "trio" - Madison Clements, Sophia Hess, and Emma Barnes<ref name="1.1"/> acting as the ringleaders, she was reluctant to make friends and believed that boys didn't like her<ref name="1.1"/>. She speculates that the few boys that bullied her sought approval from three of the prettier and more popular girls<ref name="1.1"/>. Taylor disliked Mr. Gladly viewing him as one of the ‘popular kids' who had become a teacher.<ref name="1.1" /> Mrs. Knott, who taught Computer sciences was Taylor's favourite teacher.[citation needed]
As Weaver, Taylor visits Ms. Yamada for therapy. The Public start to see weaver as a hero following the Behemoth battle.
Taylor's Bullies
Madison Clements, Sophia Hess, and Emma Barnes - The Trio of students responsible for bullying Taylor. Emma was Taylor's best friend from first grade to middle school, the two girls stayed at each other's houses every weekend.<ref name="1.02"/> Upon entering high school, Emma suddenly abandoned her for Sophia and Madison. The three then tormented her - Sophia physically, Madison superficially and Emma emotionally. Because Emma knew some of Taylor's psychologically weaknesses, such the death of Mrs.Hubert, she was the only one really able to hurt Taylor.
Taylor resisted attacking the trio with her powers, no matter how much she wanted to<ref name = "1.1"/>. She considered the thought of her father's disappointment on seeing that she had attacked the Trio "daunting" but less than her anger and frustration with them. Emma Barnes' parents blame Taylor for their daughter's eventual death.
Danny Hebert
They develop a somewhat strained relationship after she becomes Skitter.
Other Parahumans
Taylor was a big fan of Alexandria. Taylor is close to Golem, serving as something of a mentor figure. She also spends a large amount of her time with Chicago wards but is considered not to be as close with them as she is with the Undersiders. The impact she has on the events of the fight while in this state is large enough to warrant her being referred to simply as her in the aftermath. As Weaver, Taylor visits Ms. Yamada for therapy. The Public start to see weaver as a hero following the Behemoth battle.
After the time-skip, she is close to Golem, serving as something of a mentor figure. She also spends a large amount of her time with Chicago wards but is considered not to be as close with them as she is with the Undersiders. After recovering from her injuries during the oil-rig battle, Taylor collects a team of parahumans with a semi-rotating membership from capes she had known in the past. This group includes Lung, Tattletale, Shadow Stalker, Cuff, Tecton, and Canary at different points.
Armsmaster
He was the first real Cape that Taylor worked with. She loses her respect for him after he betrays her, and they later become brutal enemies.
Lisa Wilbourn "Tattletale"
Lisa is one of the first to trust Taylor from their first meeting and eventually becomes her closest friend.
Brian Laborn "Grue"
Taylor develops a crush on him and the two date for awhile. After the timeskip, though they have long since separated, she is still surprised to see that he had moved on with someone else.
Rachel Lindt "Bitch"
The two initially have a rocky relationship, but by the end of Worm, Taylor is one of the few Rachel could call a friend.
Alec "Regent"
Taylor is wary of Regent. She knows that he's a sociopath and considers his membership on the Undersiders a necessary evil.[citation needed]
Aisha Laborn "Imp"
Taylor thinks she's annoying, but tolerates her out of respect for her brother. They develop a close persanl relationship later on.
Defiant
Despite his earlier betrayal, Defiant becomes something of a friend to Taylor, or at least a respected colleague. He and Dragon work to create her equipment and ferry her from place to place, at least partly as an apology.
Abilities and Powers
Taylor was rated by PRT analysts as a Master 5,<ref name="8.5">Extermination 8.5</ref> which was later upgraded to an 8.<ref name="22.1">Cell 22.1]</ref> A rating of Thinker 1 was officially added when Emily Piggot deduced she could see through her bugs in a limited fashion<ref name="22.1"/>. Piggot suggested that this should be upgraded when Taylor admitted she came up with the plan to raid the PRT to stop Dragon. It later was. Even later, Director Tagg ordered her rating to increase by two in every category, trying to make sure his soldiers didn't underestimate her, and to allow various means of containing her. Officially she was rated a Master 8 and Thinker 2 with some tinker capabilities.
Taylor's ability is a form of telepathy<ref name="8.4c1">Comment by Wildbow on Extermination 8.4</ref> that grants her total control over most invertebrates.<ref name="12.1c1">Comment by Wildbow on Plague 12.1</ref> Her power doesn't work on creatures below a certain size<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Colony 15.1</ref>. At different times, she speculated that she could control anything with an exoskeleton or shell -- which wouldn't explain how she could control earthworms -- and that it was based on brain size.<ref name="3.2">Agitation 3.2</ref> Her power does not affect squid. It's possible that she could control bug-like Case 53s, depending on their brain makeup & chemistry<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Interlude 5</ref>.
She can make her subjects do things that they would not normally do<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Spacebattles</ref>, such as walk into fire[citation needed], produce so much web silk that they physically couldn't produce any more<ref name="14.4c1">Comment by Wildbow on Prey 14.4</ref> or stinging while injecting little<ref name="15.9">Colony 15.9</ref> to no venom<ref name="6.7">Tangle 6.7</ref>. She doesn't require "organized" insects. Once she stops controlling them, her bugs revert to their normal behavior patterns<ref name="12.1c1">Comment by Wildbow on Plague 12.1</ref>.
Taylor has an almost limitless ability to focus on multiple insects at once, or to focus on other things while also using her insects<ref name="11.2c1">Comment by Wildbow on Infestation 11.2</ref>. She can give general instructions, in which case she is only vaguely aware of their movements, or guide individual insects through complex tasks, in which case she is more precisely aware of their movements and environment<ref name="4.3c1">Comment by Wildbow on Shell 4.3</ref>. However, she could be distracted by the difficulty of focusing on her insects' senses<ref name="14.4c2">Comment by Wildbow on Prey 14.4</ref>, and by Panacea's modified insects providing contradictory signals.<ref name="11.2c1"/><ref name="3.12">Agitation 3.12</ref>
The sensory input from her bugs is "fuzzy" and difficult for humans to interpret<ref name="4.3c1"/><ref name="6.1c1">Comment by Wildbow on Tangle 6.1</ref>. She can sporadically hear and see clearly, but the "signal quality" is unreliable<ref name="6.1c1"/>. Practicing doesn't seem to produce results<ref name="14.4c2"/>. However, over time, Taylor does in fact learn to sense through her bugs increasingly clearly.[citation needed]
Based on the combined sensory input of large numbers of insects, Taylor can gain a very clear mental picture of whatever they're interacting with<ref name="4.3c1"/>. She can also sense the biology and location<ref name="8.4c1"/> of every bug she can control<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Cell 9.1</ref>. This gives her enhanced aim<ref name="26.6">Sting 26.6</ref> and the ability to dodge attacks with supernatural reaction times.[citation needed] However, in environments where bugs are scarce, or when dealing with materials that they don't interact with well, her image of the area can become less reliable.[citation needed]
Taylor has a limited range. During periods of stress, it would increase, but the increases weren't permanent<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Infestation 11.3</ref>. Nevertheless, her range did slowly increase over time, eventually reaching over six and a half blocks.<ref name="20.5">Chrysalis 20.5</ref>
In addition, Taylor has come up with a multitude of creative uses of her power. For example, she can produce and manipulate large quantities of spider silk, coat her insects in petroleum jelly and capsaicin to use them like pepper spray, deploy groups of bugs to create humanoid figures<ref name="11.3">Infestation 11.3</ref>, mask her movements, and clear out rat infestations. She can disguise or project her voice by having her insects buzz and chirp together<ref name="9.6c1">Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.6</ref>.
Her shard originally went to her father before jumping to the more suitable host. Had Taylor's father experienced a more stressful life, it's possible that he could have triggered with rat powers<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Spacebattles</ref><ref name="reddit2"/>.
Taylor had an unusually high pain tolerance, which she blamed on her exposure to a pain-bomb of Bakuda's<ref name="29.9">Venom 29.9</ref>.
At one point, Taylor is able to distract Scion underwater by forming simulated bodies out of sea creatures. Again showing her ability to control animal life with simple nervous systems.
In Scion's Interlude it is implied, but not explicitly stated, that Taylor's power was originally used to determine and rearrange the configuration of shards within an Entity, and it is referred to as "the administrator shard". It specializes in coordinating control over large numbers of smaller lifeforms<ref name="reddit2">Comment by wildbow on Reddit</ref>.
History
Background
Growing up, Taylor's parents showed concern for her safety. They warned her to stay on the Boardwalk and avoided the bad part of town, a command she scrupulously obeyed.<ref name="1.03"/>
When she was around five or six, she saw a meth addict freak out on the bus, making enough of a ruckus that the driver had to stop and force him off. This fright permanently affected her.<ref name="5.8"/>
Her mother, Annette Rose Hebert, died in a car crash later attributed to texting while driving. As a result of the incident, Taylor becomes closed off and rigid. Her previously strong friendship with Emma Barnes became strained due to this change.
A year and a half before the story begins, just before they enter high school<ref name="1.1">Gestation 1.1</ref>, Emma unexpectedly abandons Taylor to befriend Sophia Hess and Madison Clements. The trio then began aggressively bullying Taylor, including one event in early January<ref name="I3c">Comment by Wildbow on Interlude 3</ref> that causes Taylor to trigger. They send her vicious e-mails, upend trash over her desk, and steal her mother's flute from her locker.<ref name="1.1"/> Others join in, ‘accidentally’ skipping her when passing out assignments and adding their own voices to the taunts and emails.Taylor begins lying low in the bathrooms during lunch and comes to view it as "refuge ... a place I could retreat to, a place where I was off their radar."<ref name="1.1"/>
Three months before the story begins -- once Taylor recovered from her trigger event -- she started to prepare herself to become a hero.<ref name="1.02">Gestation 1.02</ref> She exercised, honed her abilities, doing research and preparing her costume. Her training schedule consisted of running every morning and every other afternoon.<ref name="1.03">Gestation 1.03</ref> She resisted using her power in school for three months, restricting it to a faint buzzing sound at the edge of her consciousness.<ref name="1.1"/> She conducted practice sessions, "far from prying eyes", to determine the extent of her power.<ref name="1.1"/>
At some point, her backpack was stolen from her locker by the Trio and stuffed in a trash can. She bought a new one for twelve bucks. This incident alerted her to the risk of someone reading her notes, and she rewrote them in code. Around the same time, she began hiding equipment for her superheroics in a boarded-up coal shute in her basement.<ref name="1.02"/>
Events of Worm
On April 8th, 2011<ref name="I3c" />, Taylor was discovered in the bathroom, ruining her hiding place. The Trio drenches her clothes and bag in juice. She then throws her bag against the wall in anger, her midterm project -- due that day -- is destroyed. She finally lets her defenses drop and is automatically swarmed with bugs responding to her emotional distress, but she resists killing the trio.<ref name="1.1"/>
At home, Taylor discovers the juice also ruined many of the contents of her bag, including notes on her eventual superhero career. This event pushes Taylor to stop putting off the start of said career<ref name="1.02"/>. That weekend Taylor completes her costume and on Sunday night goes out in costume for the first time, crossing into the "bad part of town" just after midnight.<ref name="1.03">Gestation 1.03</ref>
On that first night out, Taylor notices a group of ABB members, including Lung (who she recognizes immediately from the news and online). She hears them discussing killing "children".<ref name="1.03" /> She fights Lung alongside the Undersiders.
Having been seemingly mistaken for a villain, Taylor joined the Undersiders, intending to gather information as a mole. She helped them rob a bank and attack a fundraiser, embarrassing the heroes.
She was concussed when ambushed them. Bakuda launched a wave of bombing against the city to free Lung, forcing the other villains to unite against her. Skitter personally defeated Lung after he defeated Kaiser, Fenja, Menja, Bitch and Sundancer.
She fought the Endbringer Leviathan when he attacked Brockton Bay, helping to track his location and rescue wounded until her communicator was fried. She was nearby when Armsmaster duelled the monster and picked up his Halberd when he fell, using it to wound the monster and help other heroes clear rubble.
Post-Leviathan
Taylor discovered that the hero Shadow Stalker was in fact Sophia Hess, one of the girls who had tormented her. In the ensuing conversation, Armsmaster was revealed by Tattletale to have fried her armband in order to prevent her giving away the beast's location to other heroes, which would have prevented him duelling it one-on-one. In revenge, he revealed her status as a mole to the Undersiders.<ref name="8.7">Extermination 8.7</ref>
Nevertheless, she rejoined the Undersiders, disillusioned with the heroes. She agreed to Coil's plan to take over the city, claiming a territory. There she fought the Slaughterhouse Nine.
Post-Slaughterhouse Nine
Spearheaded winning strategies against Dragon's suits.
On June 19th, Coil completed his takeover of the city by faking his death and discrediting Emily Piggot. He claimed he was going to release Dinah Alcott, as agreed, but instead attacked Skitter. After the Undersiders defeated Coil, Taylor killed him.
Post-Echidna
Taylor felt increasing pressure from the authorities, who revealed her secret identity to the public.
Eventually she surrendered, hoping to acquire concessions in the form of reforms in exchange. This initially failed, but after she killed the PRT's local and national leadership, she was proclaimed a hero.
The Timeskip
Taylor spends the timeskip as a member of the Chicago Wards, training Golem, and participating in many Endbringer fights. She participated in the fight against the Slaughterhouse 9000.
Golden Morning
Taylor was injured during the Oil-rig battle.
She asked Panacea to modify her powers, becoming the being known as Khepri.
After Zion's defeat, her shard was disabled by Contessa. She eventually moved to Earth Aleph along with her father.
Quotes
- (To Lung): "Don't underestimate me."
- (To Triumph): "Sorry. I didn't want this to go this far."
- (To Doctor Mother): "I know what that's like, I've walked down that road. Maybe not so ugly a road, but I've gone that route. All the way along, I told myself it sucked, but I wouldn't do it differently. I did everything I did for a reason. Except now, having reached the point I was working towards, I finally do regret it all. The last two years, the way I treated my teammates, leaving the Undersiders... I'd change it all in a heartbeat."<ref>https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/extinction-27-2/</ref>
- (To Tecton): “Being good or bad was never a thing for me. Not really. It was all about the actions I was taking and why."
- "I didn’t follow that stuff, didn’t buy into the hero worship. I’d always found the capes interesting, I’d followed the non-gossipy news about them, but with the exception of a phase around the time I was nine where I’d had an Alexandria t-shirt and had my mom help me find pictures of her online, I had never really got giddy over any particular hero." - Tangle 6.7
Trivia
- Taylor likely triggered Monday the third of January 2011 as it was described as the first day of school in the new year.
- "Khepri" is a god in ancient Egyptian religion connected with the scarab beetle, because the scarab rolls balls of dung across the ground, an act that the Egyptians saw as a symbol of the forces that move the sun across the sky.
- Glaistig Uaine calls Taylor "Queen Administrator"<ref name="25.5">Scarab 25.5</ref>, queen being one of the regal titles that Glaistig Uaine uses for those with powerful and fully developed shards<ref name="27.4">Extinction 27.4</ref>, which became a popular fan nickname for the power.
Fanart Gallery
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Illustration by cactusfantastico on deviantart -
Illustration by yooeyui from reddit -
Illustration by yooeyui from reddit -
Illustration by Holocene from spacebattles -
Illustration by saniika from deviantart
References
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