Nyctophobia
is a Worm Fanfic that is written on Spacebattles by Lord K. After Taylor's outing at Arcadia, Emma becomes a pariah and tries to commit suicide out of despair following two months of bullying and seeing her world view shattered. Instead, she triggers with a bizarre combination of Taylor's and Shadow Stalker's powers. Her parents than move to Detroit in order to get away from the painful circumstances and after saving a girl from being gang raped decides to try superheroing.
Tropes:
- Armor-Piercing Question: Moriarty unintentionally gives one when she asks why she isn't part of the Protectorate. Emma can't answer because she realizes that she's afraid of how people will think of her if they know her true name and the full details of her past. She also can't respond to the accusation that she can't be trusted since she remembers betraying Taylor.
- The Atoner: It's all but stated that Emma is doing her actions in part to make amends for what she did to Taylor.
- Character Development: In the first chapter Emma's more shocked at how strong Taylor was; as she starts being a hero (and thus understanding Taylor more) she starts to feel genuine guilt for how she treated Taylor (even having fond memories of them trying to bake a cake when they were younger).
- Dark and Troubled Past: Emma obviously. Rational picks up on it, and while he doesn't want to pry, he's aware of the basics (that she suffered an attack, that she did something horrible that she's deeply ashamed of).
- Driven to Suicide: Emma is this at the start of the story, having been on the receiving end of months of bullying and losing everything (even her parents won't look at her.)
- Cool Big Sis: Anne Barnes tries to get more involved with her sister after the attempted suicide.
- Fallen Princess: In Canon, Emma was a queen bee and the most popular girl in school; now she's a outcast, has the social skills of a brick and is implied to have been suffering the same abuse she inflicted on Taylor.
- Foreshadowing: Taylor makes a cameo at the end of Chapter 2 and compliments her while being unaware of the connection. Emma also worries what will happen if her new friends learn about her past.
- Good Feels Good: Emma realizes this after she saves a former gang member and his pregnant girlfriend. She even admits to herself that the reason she likes being Nyktos is because it's a part of her that she isn't ashamed of.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Emma. She enjoys saving lives, and deeply regrets what she did to Taylor. Even though she was never close to Madison, she also expresses worry that Madison might be suffering for her role in creating Taylor. Her father Alan also tries to be a better parent after what happened.
