Disclaimer: I do not own Worm or its characters as those belong to Wildbow. I do not own any of the characters from Blizzard Entertainment, those belong to Activision-Blizzard.

Author Note: Here I was in a dark place, and this came out from the darkness. In this snippet, Taylor triggered before the locker, she has the Heroes and Villains of The Nexus in her head. She's been a hero, mainly using Tyrande Whisperwind to heal the sick and injured and shockingly resurrect the recently deceased at all of the city's hospitals, easing the burden of Panacea. But, this is what happens when the chains are broken.

This is only a one shot.

Enjoy.

Undeath Unleashed

aka The Scourge Comes To Brockton Bay

Winslow High School

Brockton Bay

January 3, 2011

It was late at night. It was past ten pm and it was quiet in he halls of this institution of education….if you could call it that.

That quiet was broken by two voices. Two girl's voices as they chatted and made their way to a particular hallway where a particular locker stood.

"I still say we shouldn't be doing this, Emma."

"We need to make sure she gets out, Sophia. We should have let her out after lunch like I said."

Sophia scoffed. "Seriously, fuck her. She's sheep. If she can't get out of a locker, it's her own fault."

"Look, we had no way to know that The Merchants were going to start a fight with The Empire 88 today, you had to do your PRT thing, I got picked up by mom as they ended classes early because of the big fight that made it into The Docks. That's why we need to do this. She should be home, I'm surprised her dad hasn't called the police. Anyway, did you see what Hookwolf did to Skidmark? Can't believe Skidmark survived that. Did you get any news about casualties?"

"Yeah, a bunch of regular civies and a bunch of dockworkers got killed. Like in one case there were twenty dead from Skidmark's and Squealer's rail gun and like over a hundred injured ivies injured from Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket. Total casualties I don't have a final number yet but it's bad. Piggy is screaming about getting a kill order on Skidmark, Squealer, Hookwolf and Stormtiger. Hooky's already got a Birdcage order, so...yeah...today….today was a bad day."

One of the girls, Sophia, was dressed in a costume, her Cape identity Shadow Stalker. The other girl, Emma was dressed in dark gray pants and a black hoodie and a bandanna hung loose around her neck.

Emma said, "No, we need to let her out if she's not out already. Otherwise, the risk is too great."

Sophia scoffed again.

The two girls made the turn that led to the locker they needed to get to and stopped halfway when they noticed that the locker was open. From the locker a vile sludge was draining from the locker's insides.

The girls stepped closer and Sophia took note that the locker door had been forced open from the inside. Both girls made sure they didn't let themselves get dirty from the mess dripping and spreading onto the hallway floor.

Sophia said, "Huh. Guess Hebert was stronger than I thought, she busted herself out."

Emma nodded and looked around. "Yeah. Um, I'm getting a funny feeling, I think we need to leave. Like leave right the hell now."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Relax, survivor. It's just us two here. Hebert probably ran all the way home."

A new voice spoke.

"She did. She did run home."

Emma and Sophia turned towards the voice at the end of the hallway and saw Taylor Hebert, clothes drenched in the vile blood and sludge and muck that Sophia had placed in her locker during the Christmas break and it had stewed during that week long holiday.

Taylor started to walk forward slowly. Deliberately.

"When I got home, my house was empty. My dad wasn't there. I tried calling him at work. No answer. Then, I saw the news on TV. A cape fight broke out between The Merchants and Empire 88. The fight spread onto the Docks, where my dad worked."

Taylor was getting closer as she spoke.

"My father was killed in that cape fight, along with a bunch of his coworkers. His friends. And here I was knocked out, shoved into a locker and left to die. You". Taylor pointed at Sophia. "did this." Taylor pointed at Emma, "And you, planned it."

Emma pulled her hoodie back and flipped her hair. "You can't prove any of that."

Taylor continued to walk slowly closer to the two girls. Looking at Shadow Stalker she growled.

"Now, it all makes sense. You're a fucking hero?! No wonder no one with any authority would help me." She looked at Emma. "You threw away our friendship over this psychotic bitch?! The Emma I knew wouldn't have done that, but you aren't the Emma I knew. The Emma I knew is dead. So, with a pet hero and your money and popularity, there's no one to listen to me."

She stepped closer.

"I'm knocked out, and I can't help my father. I can't save him. I can't save his friends."

Sophia laughed. "What could you do Hebert? You're-"

Taylor's body rippled, her clothes shifted, changing from the pants and hoodie she was wearing to pure white dress. Sophia and Emma watched in shock as Taylor grew in height, her black hair changing colors from black, to a green. Her ears growing longer, pointier. Taylor's skin changing to a pink color, the eyes glowed with white energies. A staff of pure white, glowing at the top brought light to the darkened hallway. Emma and Sophia had to shield their eyes.

The transformation took seconds. Standing in front of Emma and Sophia was someone that had been going to all the city's hospitals and healed the sick, the wounded, and most importantly….had raised the newly dead, had given people their lives back. Standing in front of them was the Heroine who called herself Priestess of Elune.

Priestess spoke, no longer in Taylor's voice but her own. "I could have saved so many lives today. I could have saved the life of my father. But instead, you knocked me out and shoved me into blood, shit, and filth."

Taylor's body rippled and shifted again. Changing back to Taylor, her clothes and body once again covered in the muck that she had been entrapped in.

Taylor pointed her hand at Sophia and Emma. "My father's dead. I can't raise him now, I can't raise his friends. People I've known since I was a child. it's been too long and it's all your fault."

Emma stepped forward a little. Taylor was almost near them. Emma said, "Look, Taylor…."

Taylor hissed, "Shut. Up."

Taylor was now in front of Sophia and Emma. Her eyes burning with fury, and hatred. The temperature in the hallway seemed to be getting cold now.

Looking at the two of them Emma and Taylor noticed that Taylor's eyes had turned a bright blue.

"I wanted to be a Hero. I wanted to make this city, make this world a better place." Taylor's face rippled, changing to a blonde woman that Sophia recognized as Mage from PRT photos.

Taylor continued, "But now, my father is dead. My mother has been dead for two years. I have nothing left. Nothing. Thanks to you."

Taylor took a step forward, moving into Sophia's space. "You? A hero? You are no hero. You're a thug with a badge." Turning to look at Emma, "You, you're a petty, shallow little girl willing to hide behind someone stronger than you just to make yourself feel and look better."

"You have no idea….no idea of what you've done. I had more Heroes in me….but I also had villains too. Monsters, evil, evil so dark that I was keeping chained inside of me. But I have nothing left. Nothing. So, congratulations are in order. You've killed me. Taylor Hebert is dead. Taylor Hebert is dead, Emma and Sophia. Long live The Queen. The Lich Queen."

As Taylor spoke, her voice changed, the pitch of her voice changed, there was an echo type reverb to that Sophia and Emma could feel in their bones. As Taylor spoke, the temperature in the hallway had gotten even more colder, with Emma in her hoodie, she was shivering. Sophia had an undersuit in addition to her costume providing extra protection but even she began to feel the cold. Ice started appearing in the hallway, along the walls, and fog spread across the floor of the hallway.

Taylor's body changed again. She grew a few inches taller, her curly black hair straightened, turning blonde again then to a pale white. Her skin turned to a pale color, her eyes blazing blue with energy. Black plate armor appeared on her legs, arms, and chest, adorned with skulls on the greaves on her legs and skulls appeared on the chestpiece of the armor A wicked looking sword appeared on Taylor's hip, glowing blue slightly. A heavy cloak appeared on Taylor's back clasped to the shoulders of the armored pauldrons which also had a skull carved into the metal. Finally a helm appeared on Taylor's head fully covering her face, although you could see the glowing eyes from within. The helm crested with tines atop the helm, giving it a crown like appearance, with a tiny skull in the center above Taylor's forehead. Taylor's pale hair could be seen draping in front of her shoulders.

Sophia drew her crossbows. She looked at Emma and said, "Run, call the PRT tell them there's a villain attacking at Winslow." Emma stared at the transformed Taylor, her eyes wide, her jaw open in shock. Sophia screamed at Emma. "Run! Call the PRT goddammit!"

Sophia fired one of her bolts at the newly transformed Taylor. The bolt went through the armor as Sophia used her power to phase the bolt through but it seemed to have no effect.

Emma broke into a run, but before she could reach the end of the hallway to turn, Taylor….no, The Lich Queen reached out with her hand and purplish, spectral looking chain reached out from The Lich Queen's hand and grabbed Emma and with a twist, Emma screamed as she found herself being pulled back to land with a thump right where she had been.

"I didn't say you could leave, Emma. You need to watch this."

Sophia fired two more bolts into The Lich Queen to no effect. "Dammit, what does it take to kill you?"

Emma cried out, "Taylor, please stop this!"

"Taylor is dead, there is only The Lich Queen now, and she is free! Sophia Hess, you prowl the streets of Brockton Bay as Shadow Stalker, you serve Emma Barnes in life. Now, in death you will serve me. Frostmourne hungers."

Moving so fast that Emma and Sophia couldn't believe it, The Lich Queen drew the wicked sword from its scabbard and struck Sophia, impaling her upon the blade just below the sternum and the blade going out of Sophia's back. Runes glowing with a blue energies were etched into the blade that Emma could see some of them, but most of the blade was inside Sophia's body.

Blood came out of Sophia's mouth and Sophia let out a "Urk!" from the strike. The life quickly left Sophia's eyes and she was dead as she hit the floor.

Emma screamed. Then she cried out, "You killed her! You killed Sophia!"

The Lich Queen looked at Emma, the eyes burning into Emma's soul.

"Yes, Sophia is dead. But, I will not grant her the Peace of death. She will serve me now."

Impaling Sophia again with the sword The Lich Queen called Frostmourne, energies flowed out of the runes of the blade and from the edges of the sword. With The Lich Queen's other hand over Sophia's head The Lich Queen spoke, "Rise Banshee, rise to serve your Master."

Emma watched in horror as Sophia's body shuddered, and convulsed for several seconds then all of a sudden there was a piercing scream that came from Sophia's mouth. Emma covered her ears and closed her eyes as tight as she could as her body shook from the piercing sound. When the sound stopped, Emma opened her eyes and saw a ghostly shadow standing where Sophia had been laying on the ground. Emma could see two burning orbs where they eyes were supposed to be.

The Lich Queen gestured to the floating shadow. "Look Emma, gaze upon new servant. My first servant. Your Sophia is no more, now she is The Banshee."

Emma yelled, "Sophia? Sophia!? Sophia, you gotta fight, you gotta-"

The Lich Queen laughed. She said, "She can do nothing but serve my will. Banshee, pick Emma up and hold her."

Sophia moved, then as she floated in front of Emma she solidified and Emma could see Sophia's lifeless body moving with unearthly grace and appearance as she reached out and pulled Emma to standing position. Sophia's eyes glowed blue just like The Lich Queen's and then her voice was gravel. "I have her, Master."

The Lich Queen walked towards Emma, her hand reached out to hold Emma's face by the chin. "At last, you are right where I want you."

Emma pleaded, "Taylor, please don't kill me. I know I was a bad friend, I know I betrayed you, but I'm begging you not to kill me." Tears were falling from Emma's face.

The Lich Queen shook her head. "Taylor Hebert is dead, you and Sophia killed her. You and your friend, destroyed her dreams, her hopes. Now, your friend is mine. She serves me now. But you, rest assured that death is not coming for you. I want you to witness what you have unleashed. The world you knew won't burn Emma. It will be cold. But first….."

Emma felt a cold from within her body. She gasped and shivered and tried to cry out but The Lich Queen's grip on Emma's face along with Sophia holding onto Emma kept Emma from moving. Emma's body continued to shake and shiver and she started to feel weak, her vision tunneling. Then, just as quickly as it started, it was over although Emma continued to gasp and then she struggled to breathe, taking in lungful breaths of air quickly.

"W-wh-wha-what did you…? My voice! What did you do to me!?", Emma howled.

With a chuckle, The Lich Queen turned to a different wall of school lockers. With Frostmourne still in her hand, she sliced a row of locker doors open from their hinges and the locker doors fell to the ground, exposing the contents within. Finding a locker door that had a mirror taped to the inside of the door, The Lich Queen picked up the locker door and presented the locker door with the mirror facing Emma so that Emma could see her reflection.

When Emma saw herself, she put her fingers to her face, looking at her reflection, she screamed at her reflection. Emma Barnes was no longer a fifteen year old girl. Her beautiful red hair was gray, her skin wrinkled with age and age spots dotting the skin.

"What did you do!?", cried Emma.

Moving so that she stood next to Emma, and looking at the reflection of herself next to Emma she said, "I took fifty years of your life away. You prided yourself on your beauty. Think of it this way, now you know what you had to look forward to."

The Lich Queen laughed. Then she tossed the locker door down the hallway. The sound of the mirror breaking could be heard.

Walking away, The Lich Queen said, "Banshee, bring her along, we have much to do."

Banshee Sophia started moving bringing Emma along, although it was a little difficult given Emma's new advanced age. It quickly became apparent that the Banshee was upset at having to move at such a slower pace when finally, the Banshee floated and was able to bring Emma along at a faster pace.

"Sophia, please….help me.", Emma croaked.

The Lich Queen said,"You can beg all you want, the Banshee is mine now."

The three walked out the front doors of Winslow High School and continued walking until they crossed the street and stood on the sidewalk opposite the school.

The Lich Queen drew her sword again. She waved her sword arm at the high school building.

Emma asked, "What are you doing?"

The Lich Queen turned to face Emma. "A Queen needs her Citadel, I am simply bringing my Icecrown Citadel here. I can think of no other fitting location for my Citadel to be built on such an institution of scum and villainy. Too bad the school is empty, but no matter. They will join The Scourge soon enough."

Emma cried out, "Taylor, stop this! You have to stop this! You win! You win! Please stop!"

The Lich Queen didn't answer, instead she stepped back on to the parking lot of the school and then drove Frostmourne into the ground. With her arms spread wide she cried out, "The Queen Calls For Her Citadel and Her Army To Rise!"

Runes on the sword glowed brightly and the air grew still. Storm clouds began to form over the city. Temperature in the city of Brockton Bay began to rapidly drop. Alarms at the PRT HQ and The Rig began to sound as the temperature in the city dropped rapidly. Alerts to Protectorate Heroes went out. Within five minutes it was starting to snow throughout the city.

Back at Winslow, the earth began to shake, the tremor was small at first, intensifying steadily, then cracks began to appear around the buildings of Winslow High School at first. More cracks appeared on buildings to the left and right of the school itself, then on buildings that were across the street from Winslow. The Banshee pushed Emma forward into the street then held her in place.

The tremors increased steadily now, the high school building and the surrounding buildings started to shake more intensely. Suddenly there was a roaring sound as the ground opened underneath the buildings and structures started to emerge from the ground. All of the buildings around Winslow High School and the high school itself collapsing in some places and exploding out elsewhere as something enormous was rising out of the ground. The football field was gone, a massive structure emerging from the ground.

Snow continued to fall, increasing in intensity. Winds howled through the entire city of Brockton Bay. Ice formed unnaturally quick from the grounds of the high school, spreading out, expanding deeper into the city.

Emma's eyes and jaw opened wide in shock and awe as an enormous citadel of metal and stone emerged from the ground. A massive wide stairway with giant walls framing the stairs leading up to the fortress itself. Surrounding them now, walls and towers rising into spires. Extremely tall, wide and think walls grew out from the ground surrounding the former exterior of the high school property. The walls tall enough to have a level of walkway beneath the top of the wall. Within a couple of minutes, it was all over.

Winslow High School, the football field, the entire property was gone. Buildings to the right, left and across the street were gone. In place stood something right out of a nightmare fairy tale. A fortress of metal and stone stood, the center of the citadel spire of it rising high into the sky. A great courtyard surrounded by those immensely tall walls which had a walkway underneath the top level of the wall. The sky swirling with storm clouds, the moon long since hidden by those clouds.

The Lich Queen pulled Frostmourne out of the ground and placed it back in its scabbard. Then she turned around to face Banshee Sophia and Emma.

Striding forward, The Lich Queen spoke, "Behold, Icecrown Citadel and it's surrounding walls of Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate!" Gesturing to a side, she said, "There, the Cathedral of Darkness stands. Pointing towards the open gate across from the Cathedral she said, "That is Malykriss: The Vile Hold."

Gesturing to the massive courtyard they stood in, The Lich Queen continued. "This is the Court of Bone."

Emma stammered. "Ohgodohgodohgodohgod."

The Lich Queen chuckled. Then she looked at her Citadel in silence. More fog wafted from the citadel entrance spreading wide and soon Emma saw something moving in the foggy mist. Lots of somethings. Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Zombies, ghouls, skeletons, some human sized others in other smaller and giant sizes, and large amalgamations of flesh that could only be abominations of nature. She could see hundreds, thousands. All this was terrifying to Emma's eyes.

A variety of creatures and "people" could be seen approaching, walking from the Citadel itself.

Among these assorted...things, Emma was stunned to see a man in a faded white robe that seemed to have a greenish tint to it. The man had purple tufts of hair coming from the sides of his head, goggles across his eyes, one goggle larger than the other. The man's skin was as pale as The Lich Queen's but Emma couldn't help but scream when she saw that this man had no bottom part of his jaw. The man stepped forward and bowed before The Lich Queen. Rising from the bow and surprisingly to Emma, the man spoke.

"Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to see you again. You seem to have brought us to a new home. I can sense it is so full of life. Wonderful."

"Professor Putricide, it is indeed wonderful to see you as well. The Scourge will have need of your services. The Plague. I want you to release it. Release it now so that this city will fall all that much quicker. Then, I want you to give out more of it to my servants so that they may travel and spread the Plague to the rest of this continent. Once this continent is all Scourge, we shall bring the rest of this world to my rule."

With a cackle, the so called Professor said, "I just completed a new strain that I believed would have wiped out all life on Azeroth. I'm sure it will do the same here. After they die, they will rise to serve The Scourge."

"Make sure that this one", The Lich Queen pointed at Emma. "is not infected. I have plans."

The Professor bowed and said, "As you command."

The Lich Queen looked at the assembled horde of zombies, skeletons, and other creatures. She drew her sword again and pointed the sword at the open gate.

"Go, take this city and bring all who live inside to my service. Let nothing stop you! Let nothing escape! All shall serve The Scourge and all shall serve me!

With an inhuman roar, the undead horde cried and screeched then started charging forward. Thousands and thousands of undead poured out of the Citadel and Malykriss: The Vile Hold, charging out into the streets of Brockton Bay.

Emma gathered herself and said, "The Protectorate will stop you, you won't be able to fight The Triumvirate! I hope I get to see Alexandria rip off your head and kill you."

With a chuckle, The Lich Queen turned to Emma and said, "Let them try. I shall enjoy bringing them all, bringing this entire world to The Scourge. Frostmourne hungers."

Tears fell down Emma's face as she could hear the screams of both the monsters and the citizens of Brockton Bay as The Scourge started their rampage.

The End?