Interlude 24.y

24.y (Donation Bonus 1; Aftermath) is the seventh chapter of Crushed and the second interlude. The Chicago Wards make a decision regarding Taylor, Pretender leaves in Alexandria's body, Colin tries to fix Dragon, Taylor calls her dad, then goes to a tribunal over her conduct. Meanwhile, the video of her time in New Delhi circulates, and the world wonders, what comes next?

Plot
In the aftermath of the battle, the Chicago Ward recuperate in the hospital. They talk about their motivations and similar.

To friends from Las Vegas talk with each other and swap information, there is much flirting.

A chat room explodes with speculation.

Defiant watches a set of monitors waiting for Dragon to reboot from a back up, having been 'killed' during the battle with Behemoth. He reflects on his parents and his childhood and his life up until this point. While he once prided himself on being isolated and self-reliant, the very real prospect of losing Dragon has caused him to rethink that - Defiant wonders if he missed out on things.

In the end, the chances of Dragon returning from a backup grows less and less and Defiant finds himself unable to watch any further and unable to restore from an earlier back up because that Dragon wouldn't be the one he knew and there would be work to fix her code, inform her of current events and rebuild their relationship. Growing angry, Defiant leaves the dragoncraft to find something else to focus on. As he remembers some of his conversations with Dragon, he walks down into the ruins of New Delhi to begin looking for any survivors.

Annex gets a prognosis that all the radiation he absorbed had been obviated by Scion.

A news report talks about the restrained celebrations around the world.

Taylor calls her Dad which turns out badly.

Weaver's costume cam video is leaked online.

Glen deals with a righteously pissed teenage girl. He thinks he's probably been fired and says he leaked the video to help drive change in the PRTl.

Much later, as Defiant is working with some emergency crews, he is contacted a communications link which turns out to be the alive Dragon.

Major Events

 * Taylor's relationship with her dad is under severe strain.
 * The Cam video is leaked.
 * Dragon Survives.

Trivia

 * Colin's attitude about manliness is arguably an example of toxic masculinity.