Paper and Sand
is a Worm fanfic by FifteenBadgers.
Eden's death had been a lie. There was no peace for Taylor after her victory. Instead only vague memories of a previous life and the mindless existence of being the newest, fourth Endbringer, created by the [Thinker] after she reset the timeline.
Found on Fanfiction Dot Net, SpaceBattles, Sufficient Velocity, and Archive of Our Own.
This fic provides examples of:
- Adaptational Abomination: Taylor in canon was human, here she is an Endbringer.
- Adaptational Badass:
- Canon Taylor was pretty badass to begin with, here she is an Endbringer.
- In canon Annette Hebert and Emma Barnes were normal humans, here they are parahumans with Paper Master and changer powers respectively.
- Adaptational Heroism: Emma in canon was a bully, in this story after triggering and with some help from Annette she becomes the hero Nightowl.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: This fic's Simurgh just wants to be free from Eden's control and shows genuine affection towards the other Endbringers, especially Khepri.
- A Lighter Shade of Black: Among the Endbringers, Khepri can be the least harmful. Provided you play her game.
- Cool Sword: Khepri wields a Khopesh.
- Dead Alternate Counterpart: Khepri discovers that the Taylor native to this fic's timeline is already dead by the start of the story, having been killed by the ABB due to being present when they attacked Emma and Alan.
- Death by Adaptation:
- In canon the Dragonslayers survived all the way to the sequel, here they were killed by Khepri in the second chapter.
- Cricket was killed by Writ.
- Dramatic Irony: After learning that someone is Mastering the Endbringers into their rampages, Cauldron assumes that Scion is the one responsible.
- Named by the Adaptation: Battery's first name is Sam.
- Not Quite Dead: It turns out that Eden isn't actually dead like in canon thanks to a new power she acquired from Abaddon, although her body is left in a vegetative state from the crash.
- Oh, Crap!: Alexandria has this reaction in Chapter 15 when she discovers that Eden is still alive while using her Thinker powers on Arthur.
- Reset Button: The fic's premise is that whenever Scion gets killed, Eden just resets the timeline and turns the cape that successfully beat Scion into a new Endbringer.
- Sand Blaster: Khepri can control sand on the level her big brother can control water. When she arrives she'll enclose whatever city she's targeted in a giant sandstorm that she'll continually enter and exit for sneak attacks
- Scarab Power: Fitting with her Egyptian theme Khepri's control of insects appears to be limited to scarabs, which she has devour to the bone any hero who won't follow the rules of her game.
- Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Any attempt to end the Cycle and kill Scion is ultimately this. Anytime someone does succeed in killing Scion, Eden transforms the individual into an Endbringer and then turns back the clock.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In canon, Annette Hebert died two years before the start of the story, here she is still alive.
- Terrifying Rescuer: When Khepri rescues Acacia and Counterpoise from the Slaughterhouse Nine, the latter are understandably terrified of their saviour, despite Dragon's assurances that Khepri is on their side.
