AN: This is my first attempt at writing pretty much anything in years, and as such, there is bound to be a cornucopia of errors despite my best efforts. Please, feel free to contact me with any suggested phrase usage, spelling, typos, etc. I'm very motivated by positive responses and very discouraged by bad ones. There's a reason why hopeful Authors sometimes start out by writing Fanfic after all, yes?
This story was somewhat inspired by the earlier chapters of 'Greg Veder vs the World' by 'Zfighter18'. I haven't seen any fics where Taylor had gamer powers, and I'd also like to take her in a direction that I don't remember seeing before. I've seen Killdozer-Taylor. I've seen Healer-Taylor. I've even seen Crawler-Taylor. But I've never seen Ninja-Taylor. I've been told that they exist, but I still haven't seen one.
EDIT -AN: Okay guys; I'm still re-reading 'The Gamer' and studying the 'Worm-verse', But I didn't want to just leave you guys swaying in the wind while I finish up my storyline and plot points... Therefore, I've edited and compiled the original chapters 1.1-1.4 into a single chapter 1.1 to hopefully help the story flow better and correct some minor points. If I've done a decent job with that, and you guys are familiar with both genre's, then you should start to have an inkling of this story's future.
I also still have no beta-reader, and I'm not an English major, so go easy on me ;)
Skillz
Chapter 1.1
(Edited and compiled on 10-11-2018)
What do you do when the Anchors in your life erode away, leaving nothing but crumbles of their former selves? When the things that used to get you out of bed and get you through your day, just aren't there?
A dead Mother.
A broken Father.
An uncaring school faculty.
A traitorous, former Best-Friend.
What do you do? Who do you turn to? Where do you go for HELP?
Are you just supposed to adapt and somehow roll with the punches? Be strong and not let the world see your supposed weakness? How can you do that without burying the you that used to be, beneath a mask? And if you DO manage to bury the pain, the loss, the crushing depression, the crippling lack of self-esteem, the thoughts of helplessness, the thought that no one would even notice if you were gone, the urges to end things one way or another, the dichotomy of fantasies of revenge and redemption... how can you still be human? Are you still a person, when these are the things that you have to hide? Is it possible to claw your way back from that dark Abyss?
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"Let me out! Let me out now! PLEASE!" A young woman's desperate pleas pierced through the laughter of her classmates. "I can't take it, you win, please just open the door!" The voice continued, eliciting only more laughter and jeers from the motley assortment of teenagers crowded close, but not too close, to the latest humiliation heaped upon the school Pariah, Taylor Hebert. One wouldn't want to get any of the filth seeping from the bottom edges of the locker on ones shoes of course.
"Please..." She whispered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks "Anyone at all, please. Make this stop, just make it all stop, make it all stop, make it stop..." she continued to simultaneously cry and chant as if it were a mantra. "...Mom... Please..." she sobbed, her voice raspy and spent from screaming and crying since she had been manhandled into her locker, which was positively Dripping with various bio-hazard waste, at least 5 minutes ago.'I cant keep taking this. Something has to give, please, anyone, please help me!' she mentally screamed.
"Aww, listen to the little baby, crying for her Mommy. What's she going to do? Climb out of her Grave and come save you?" Scoffed an athletic Black teen wearing sporty clothes with her hair pulled back in a Sports-Braid. "Face it Hebert, You're just a worthless piece of trash that no one even wants around here!" The athletic teen hissed through the thin vent-holes in the front of the locker.
"Sophia, don't you think this might have gone a little too far?" Tentatively asked a young looking, pixie of a girl whom stood next to the Athlete.
"Shut up Madison." Sophia replied before kicking the locker several times, semi-solid ooze squirting through the cracks of the locker door as she did so. "Ugh, gross. You still alive in there Hebert? You ruined my shoes just now, and if you don't have the good sense to just die, you're going to buy me a replacement pair." she taunted at the locker which now just sat there, smelly terribly and occasionally emitting pained and terrified gasps as Taylor tried her best to calm down and not pass out in the horrid waste that was up to her knees.
Just then, a new, but familiar male voice joined in, cutting through the mob-noise "Sophia, Emma, Madison... Don't you think this has gone far enough? What do you think is going to happen when the teachers find this? Wasn't Taylor your friend, Emma? How would you feel if she died in there?"
At that, the laughter and jeers mostly petered out and there was just the stifling silence and the calm of a predator before it strikes.
"What the FUCK did you say, Veder?" Sophia practically spat at the new interruption to her fun. "If you don't get out of here, I'm sure that Tay-Tay has room for a neighbor or two. What do you say?" She punctuated the threat by shoving Greg up against the lockers nearby Taylor's ruined one. The vibrations from the impact only agitated the insects crawling through the toxic muck and across Taylor's skin,.
"He has a point though. If she dies, then who will we have fun with next?" Questioned a painfully familiar voice. Emma Barnes... the Best-Friend turned tormentor.
"LET ME OUT!"
"Shut up bitch!"
No, let me out! You've had your fun, please let me out! Let me OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!
"God, could you be more pathe-" Sophia began, before cutting off as she fell to the floor; a faraway look in her eyes as if she were seeing something that no one else could. No one else aside from Taylor, whose mind had just gone to another place; a dark place where she had just witnessed a void in space, two monstrous beings that could only generously be called 'Space Whales', and finally a tiny piece of the creature breaking off, falling through dimensions and making its way towards herself. The fragment of the creature made its way closer and closer as Taylor watched it, unable to run or defend herself as her body was still in the disgusting locker. After what could have been a minute or an hour, the Fragment, which looked like nothing more than a jagged mote of bright light, was suddenly halted and surrounded by a green and gold tinted energy field as a quadrillion conflicting whispers of Growth, Life, Decay, Death, Chaos and Harmony seemed to smash into Taylor's brain.
The Fragment seemed to be struggling to escape the energy field, but it was slow going. Before the Fragment had made much of any progress, the green and gold tinted Energy Field shifted and warped before a long thin tendril stretched out from it and connected with Taylor's forehead.
The tendril seemed to be pulling the Fragment, which was now gold and green colored itself, closer and closer now, even as the Fragment fought to escape back to its source. The Fragment inched closer and closer to Taylor before it suddenly lurched the last few meta-physical feet and slammed into her forehead with enough force to jolt her out of her catatonia. She then realized that she had half slid into the muck and had wadded clumps of female hygiene products stuck to the hem of her hoody and all over her pants, along with some of her vomit from when she had first been thrown into her tiny prison.
All of a sudden, a bright blue screen popped into existence in front of Taylors face. It said simply:
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The Quest Is Created!
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'...What?'
After some hesitation, Taylor tapped on the little 'Continue' arrow at the bottom of the screen as she heard the jeering lemmings outside quiet down a bit and ask if Sophia was okay for some reason.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Quest Alert:
Survive the Locker!
The *itches of Winslow have locked you in your locker(heh) with festering toxic waste and lots of bugs. Try not to die! :)
TIME LIMIT: 3 hours
REWARD: 2000 XP.
FAILURE: Well... Death possibly. A lengthy hospital stay if nothing else.
BONUS REWARD: Escape before classes start at 0900 and get Mrs. Knotts help. Receive an extra 1500 XP and a New Skill: [(Active) Toxic Touch].
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'What the hell does all that mean? It's acting like I'm in a video game or something? And what was that about dying?!' Taylor thought Frantically to herself. As she tapped to accept the quest.
*Gamers Mind Activated*
From one moment to the next, it felt as if all the stress and worry just seemed to roll off of her, leaving Taylor capable of rational thought again.'Wow, I feel so calm all of a sudden. I Shouldn't feel calm with all that's happening, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Now... let's see, how can I get out of here? I don't have a phone, I don't have anything on me or in here that I can use to jimmy the lock, which is also on the outside of the locker... wait...Wait! the lockers all have probably dozens of coats of paint on the outside to cover up the gang tags, but I remember seeing rust on the inside of my locker door before. Maybe I can force the locker open?' Taylor continued to think at a rapid pace while searching the locker door for rough spots that would indicate rusting with her hands in the dim light provided by the florescent light leaking through the vent slits.'C'mon! It has to be here somewhere!
*Through your continuous and concentrated observation, A new skill [Observation] has been created. It shows the information of the target. Simply speak the name of the skill to Activate.*
'What on earth? Oh well, I might as well try it.' She thought. At this point, ignoring everything outside of her locker.
"Observation." The trapped teen muttered while still searching for the rust with her hands.
'Oh my...' She thought as she suddenly saw the door as if it were a wire frame model in her head, complete with indications of weak points. The two door hinges only had 2 screws each instead of the 4 that each was supposed to have. The top left of the locker door had apparently been bent open at one point and had simply been bent back into position. Finally, the grapefruit sized spot of rust just below the lock. It appeared as though the rust went all the way through the sheet metal, and only the many layers of paint were keeping the rust together and the hole from being visible.
*'Observation' has increased to lvl 02!*
'Okay, so I've found the rust, and it's even weaker than I'd hoped... What now?' She thought as she considered her options 'I suppose I could just try to dig through the rust? No, I'd just rip off my fingernails. So, I guess I need a tool to dig with, or I can just start hitti-' Her thoughts were interrupted by the Trio coming up to the locker and whispering harsh and wicked insults before they, and everyone left in the crowd dispersed to their various classrooms
"Maybe we'll let you out at lunch, Prey" That one would be Sophia
"I don't know, maybe we should leave her there until classes are over?" That annoying voice could only be Madison.
"Either way, if she's smart, she'll just go home afterwards and slit her wrists!" And that one is Emma... she'd recognize the voice anywhere. they had been practically sisters since before grade school. Until Taylor came back from 2 weeks at Summer-Camp and found that Emma had found a new 'Friend' in Sophia.
The more Taylor thought about the betrayal and the pain and the rage, the more she wanted to cry and break something. She looked down at the spot of rust, Balled up her fist, cocked her arm back as far as she could in the tight confines of the locker which only ended up being about an inch from her target, and let loose with as much strength as she could muster; Putting her whole body into the blow.
*By striking your target using your whole body from a short distance away, a new Skill [One Inch Punch] has been created. It focuses all of your strength with pinpoint precision and allows scaling armor penetration based on STR and DEX.*
*Thanks to your strenuous effort, your 'Strength' has increased by 1*
Any observers in the hall would have jumped out of their skin at seeing a skinny teen aged female arm rip through the front of the locker as if it were so much soggy paper. Thankfully, it was nearly time for class, so the hall was clear of any witnesses.
Though slightly shocked at the ease with which she broke through the locker, Taylor didn't hesitate and immediately fumbled for the padlock.
"Yes!" She crowed in success as her filthy fingers found that the lock hadn't been secured. It had simply been 'dummied' in the latch to appear locked. After a few more moments she was able to free herself and burst out of the putrid locker, spilling bio-waste into the hall floor.
"Taylor? Is that you?" she heard a voice calling from a few lockers down. It sounded like... But it couldn't be...
"Greg?"
"Ya, Sophia got some Jocks to help her stuff me in here." Greg Veder replied despondently as Taylor worked to get him out of his own, thankfully non-ruined or locked locker. " I told her that I was going to get the Principle and, well, here we are."
"Greg, we aren't going to the Principles office; at least not just yet. What time do you have?" She asked the disheveled looking boy.
"Err... 8:58" he responded as he checked his watch.
"C'mon then, it's almost 9-o-clock and there's only one teacher who might actually help us!" Yelled Taylor as she took off down the hallway in a sprint: her sneakers letting out squishing sounds and leaving behind bloody and smushed footprints on the cracking and faded flooring of the halls of Winslow High.
*Thanks to your exuberant exercise, your 'Vitality' has increased by 1*
'Again... what?'
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'Holy Hell...' Taylor thought as she and her father, Danny Hebert, stepped out of their car and began the short walk inside. She was so distracted by the memories of the day that she nearly stepped onto the broken porch step.
"Whoa there kiddo!" Danny exclaimed, as he stopped Taylor just short of putting her foot through the rotten wood and guided her to the next step.
"Thanks dad. I just cant stop thinking about all that's happened today is all. I just expected another day of torture. And now..." She trailed off, realizing that this is the first time in a long time that She had felt comfortable talking to her own father about her daily life outside of their home. It was... Refreshing to say the least. When Taylor chanced a look up at his face, she saw a glimpse of the pain and rage that had been slowly ebbing away as the pair got closer to home. It wasn't gone completely and it likely never would be, but his Little Owl was safe now and that's all that mattered to him.
As Father and Daughter locked eyes, Danny swore to himself that nothing like this would ever happen to his little girl ever again. If it ever did, he would punish himself only after disposing of the body. With his work as Head of the Dock Workers Union and Head of Hiring, Danny could list 10 or 15 people off the top of his head who loved Taylor like the cute little niece they'd never had and would provide alibis and sheer muscle for him if ever needed. He might have found it amusing had he known that his precious Little Owl was having similar thoughts.
"Now I'm just glad to be home with you. Thank you for everything today Dad!" Taylor finally finished as she turned suddenly and wrapped Danny in a close approximation of a bear hug; Tiny tears trying their hardest to leak out of the corners of her eyes.
As Danny stood at the top of the porch, he slowly brought his arms down from his slight surprise and wrapped his only child in a hug of his own.
"Of course Kiddo... I can't tell you how sorry I am that I've been so distant since your Moms accident. I was so busy missing her and being wrapped up in my own pain that I never even saw yours..." Danny mumbled into Taylor hair, his voice somewhat muffled. "I will never stop loving you and I'm so so sorry if I ever caused you to think that I didn't care. I DO care and we WILL pursue this to the fullest extent of the law... That said... you're still a bit ripe, so go take a shower! I'll use the downstairs one" He exclaimed as he released Taylor and gave her a little nudge towards the front door before prodding his stitches and wincing.
"Oh my god, an actual shower!" Taylor all but shouted as she was Laughing and wiping at the corners of her eyes with the slightly stained, but still clean shirt sporting the emblem of the Winslow High Athletics Team and some generic sweatpants that only fit her petite frame thanks to the draw-cord. she had changed into them only once the police had arrived and had been able to take a good look of their own at her current putrefied state. Taylor ran inside and didn't emerge from the bathroom for nearly an hour.
After a quick and simple dinner of comfort foods such as Mac n Cheese, leftover pork chops reheated in the microwave, and the remains of half a large jar of Applesauce, accompanied by a pleasant and peaceful silence as opposed to the strained awkwardness of even just this very morning. Taylor went to sleep around 7PM. As she was drifting off to Dreamland, her thoughts turned once more to the events of the day, and the unexpected surprises she had encountered.
*Earlier, after having just escaped the locker and having run through the halls like the hounds of hell were on her trail, Taylor practically bounced off of the door jamb of the Computer Sciences classroom, leaving little bits of nasty clinging to the wall.
*Thanks to your ferocious speed, a new skill 'Dash' has been created at lvl 01! It allows you to dash forward at superhuman speed. Congratulations!
*Thanks to your exuberant exercise, your 'Vitality' increased by 1*
"Mrs Knott, I need your help." Taylor simply stated in as calm a voice as she could after having crossed the majority of the school in little over a minute.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Quest Complete!
Survive the locker!
Reward: 2000 XP
Bonus Reward:1500 XP and a New Skill: [(Active) Toxic Touch].
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Gladys Knott was a 30-something woman with medium length blonde hair currently done up in a loose bun. She had a pretty face crossed with worry lines and was a bit thick around the middle. In spite of this, Every year she would have at least one or two of her students develop a bit of a crush on her and she would have to gently dissuade them of it.
"Ah, Taylor, I hope you're having a goo-" As Gladys finished writing on the board and turned towards the door, her words seemed to get caught in her throat as she choked on air for a moment. With her first glance towards Taylor, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. With her second look though, her brain seemed to freeze-up for a moment as she took in the condition Taylor was in.
Torn and bloody hoody, blood splotched and stained pants with used feminine products stuck to her randomly, Shoes absolutely ruined by the muck that they had been sunk into, and her beautiful hair was clumped with old blood, garbage and other less pleasant things At first Gladys thought that the poor girl had been attacked by one of the gangs in school. In that, she was partly correct.
"Mrs. Knott, please, I'm not nearly as bad as this looks, but I need to talk to you for a few minutes alone?"
Taylor stated, indicating the full class that was goofing off while waiting for class to start.
"Of course dear, of course. Ah, class. Today is going to be a free-study period. I want you to either work on a project or practice typing exercises. If I'm not back by end of period, Continue on to your next class as usual." Gladys made a face when she realized her wording and gently took the traumatized girl down the hall to a faculty washroom for some privacy.
After briefly explaining what had been happening to her on a daily basis during her last 18 months at Winslow, all culminating in today's disaster of a debacle,Taylor asked if she could borrow Gladys's cell phone to call her father.
"Of course, of course. While you speak with your father, I'll see if I can't find you some clean clothes to put on. Then we'll go straight to Principle Blackwell and get this horrible situation resolved." At this, Mrs. Knott knelt down and put her hands on Taylor's shoulders before briefly bringing her in for a hug. After a few moments, Gladys realized that the girl was completely stiff and probably didn't expect comfort and assistance from a member of this Faculty. After releasing Taylor, Mrs. Knott Stood and started for the door before a small voice behind her gave her pause.
"Please, don't say anything to anyone just yet. I think I might have an idea to keep the '3' from slipping free again... Some clean clothes would be wonderful though, thank you." Taylor requested, her voice starting off small and quiet, but growing louder and more confident until she looked at the only adult she had any real faith in at the moment."Please?"
"...Yes dear, of course." Gladys wished at this moment that she had taken the opportunity to relocate to Colorado all those years ago when she'd had the chance. But she had been in love and had wanted to stay with her new girlfriend of the time. She wished for this so that she wouldn't have to feel such guilt for being even indirectly responsible for the state that this poor girl standing in front of her was in. In that moment, She realized that she had a decision, a choice to make, and only hoped that she would have the follow through to see her course to the end.
"Call your father dear, I'll be back as soon as I can. Lock the door behind me and only open it for me, or your father. We'll get you straightened out." Gladys stated with new fire in her eyes as the door to the Faculty washroom latched shut with a distinctive click.
Only once the door was locked and Taylor could no longer hear Mrs. Knott walking away did the teen make her call.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As Danny sat in his lumpy chair in his worn down but mostly comfortable office and worked on the budget, trying to find anywhere he could squeeze funds from to keep all of their current hires on and not laid off, when the Secretary for his block of offices buzzed his desk phone.
"Yes Arlene?"
"Danny, I've got Taylor on line 2 and she said that she NEEDS to speak to you now. Should I...?"
"I've got it Arlene. Thank you." Danny replied before pressing the button on his phone for line 2. "Hey Kiddo, is everything alright? I don't recognize the number you're calling from?" He queried, Hoping that she wasn't sick or something.
"Hey dad"
'Fuck, there's that quiver in her voice when things have gone pear-shaped.' He thought worriedly.
"I need you to come to school and I need you to stop and get an Audio recorder on the way."
"I can be there in 15 minutes, but, Why on Earth do you need an audio recorder? What's happened?" Danny replied with a touch of fear coloring his voice.
"well dad, that's the thing...You remember how there have been some problems with bullying in the past? Well, what I told you was only the tip of the iceberg, especially with Emma on their side.'God, just saying the name hurt.' And today was the cherry on top. They went too far and I have some evidence and a witness, but I'll need more evidence and witnesses for the police."
At that, Danny slumped back into his chair from his preparations to leave his office.
"The police? Do you really think that it's gone that far already?" Danny questioned, hoping that this was something that could be resolved with a conversation with the other girls parents and maybe some in-school punishments."Wait, did you say that Emma is involved in the bullying? But you've been best friends since pre-school! How could that happen? How could Alan LET this happen?" he exclaimed, trying to wrap his mind around the new information bombarding his brain.
"I don't know dad... can you please just call the police and have them come to the school? I'm in a faculty bathroom right now and Mrs. Knott's gone to look for clean clothes for me. I don't know how long she'll be, but she wants to take this to Blackwell when I already know that unless we do this right, Blackwell will let those... BITCHES off without even a slap on the wrist."
Danny had to take a breath at the new level of seriousness this situation had jumped to. Taylor rarely ever swore, at least out loud. That she was able to put so much loathing and viciousness into that...Snarl, means that this is even worse than he'd thought.
"alright kiddo, I'll be out the door as soon as you're ready to hang up, okay? I don't want you to feel rushed. We'll see this through and get this resolved one way or another. I Promise."
"I'm fine for now. Drive safe, but please hurry. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it all together and I need to finish this."
"I'll be careful, I'll see you in about a half hour. I love you so much Little Owl."
Taylor's heart seemed to miss a beat as she heard those words for the first time in nearly 2 years.
*Click*
As Danny stood back up from his desk, he tapped the intercom button for Arlene's phone. She picked up before the third buzz, just like always.
"Yes Danny?"
"I need you to call the police, tell them that my daughter has been assaulted by 3 girls in school at Winslow High and that I'm on my way over there right now. I will be there in 30 minutes if they don't mind possibly having to wait a few more for me to arrive."
As Danny was half shouting all of this to his speakerphone from across the room, He was also changing into his 'Meetings' suit. It was much nicer and more professional looking than the simple button-up and khakis that he normally wore to work.
"I'm calling them now. Is Taylor alright? Is she hurt?" Arlene asked, her facade of professionalism that had been tested and tried from decades of work with the Union was finally cracking and allowing her concern to show for the girl she remembered as such a sweet little bundle of curiosity on 'Bring your kid to work day' and the man whom she had come to admire for his work ethic and dependability. She truly hoped with all her heart that whatever was going on could safely be taken care of.
45 seconds later, Danny Hebert practically flew through the reception area, dove into his car and peeled away in a cloud of dirt and dust.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As Mrs. Knott was heading towards the locker rooms in search of clean clothes for Taylor to meet her father in, her attention was drawn by a young man, a Mr. Veder if she remembered correctly, when he called out to her from the opposite end of the hallway.
"Mrs. Knott, Mr. Knott! Over here!" In his haste to get the teachers attention Greg had inadvertently stepped on a long trailing thing coming out of the bundle of cloth she assumed to be clothes of some kind. He stumbled a bit and continued to stumble as he tripped on the clothing 3 more times before finishing his jog down the hall towards her.
"Ah! Mr. Veder, wonderful. I need your help. I need your assistance finding clean clothes for a petite young woman to wear."
Greg stopped at this, and tilted his head a bit to the side in confusion.
"Do you mean... for Taylor? I've got clothes for her right here. I just brought them in this morning for gym class, but she needs them more than I do. I'll take the demerit for wearing street clothes after the crap Taylor's been through today. Is she okay? Is she hurt? She didn't seem hurt when she ran off for your classroom. That doesn't mean that she ISN'T hurt, but-" It was at this point that Mrs. Knott interrupted the word vomit.
"Mr. Veder... Greg, please, may I have those? Taylor is in a safe place right now, but if you would please, go to the Nurses office and BRIEFLY let her know that she may have a patient in the next hour or so. Also, ask for permission to wait there until we come collect you. Please do not talk about any of this with anyone yet." Greg had a slightly different worried look at this point as he handed over the clothes, socks included.
"Don't worry though, as far as I can tell, you and Taylor are the only people in this school who aren't guilty of something at this point
"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll just... let her know."
"Good. Hop-to Mr. Veder. I'll make sure that these find their way to Miss Hebert."
"Yes Ma'am!" Greg replied as he scurried in the direction of the school nurse. Trying and failing to think of someway that he WASN'T guilty too. It's not like he'd ever intervened before, and one right doesn't make up for hundreds of wrongs.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Dad!" cried out Taylor as she saw their old and beaten pickup roaring into the school parking lot before it came to a rest at the curb just behind 2 BBPD police cruisers in front of the main entrance and offices. Taylor and Mrs. Knott had been standing at the curb for about 10 minutes before the Police arrived, and only another 90 seconds or so had passed before Danny arrived as well. She was still wearing the fouled clothing in order to make as strong an impact as possible, but she had Greg's gym clothes to change into once this crap was over and done with. Then she could let the mask down, sag in exhaustion and have a good cry in the shower.
Danny unbuckled and got out of the car as quick as a flash and had his bedraggled and horror-movie survivor looking daughter in his arms with his back turned to the school as if he could physically shield her from the miasma of negativity that embodied the building."I got the recorder." he said softly while still hugging for all he was worth. With the current level of rage and adrenaline coursing through him, he felt as if he could qualify for a Brute-1 rating all on his own...These people had hurt his daughter over and over and over again and the school hadn't even TRIED to protect her; all so that they could keep their star Track member...what logic did this make when the bully in question would eventually TRULY hurt someone and end up in jail?!
"Sir, I'm Officer Carlyle and the other 3 with me are Officers McMullen, Jones and Hestia. Are you able to give us any details of what we're walking into?" a male, Baritone voice questioned from off to the side. The police having gotten out of their cars and approached after giving the man a moment with his daughter. The hope being that he would see that she wasn't physically hurt and they wouldn't end up having to pull him off of whomever had committed the original crime.
Danny took a few moments to answer, savoring the feeling of truly holding his only family left in the world. He opened his mouth to answer the man, but Taylor actually beat him to it.
"Sir? My name is Taylor Hebert, and this is my Father, Danny Hebert. He's head of hiring and client contract negotiation at the DWU. I have a bag of evidence from the locker I was forced into and left in." At this point she handed the lead officer a grocery bag some of the most disgusting foulness he had ever laid eyes or nose on before. "I was afraid they would actually leave me in there all day like they had threatened, so I managed to break out on my own. The lockers are mostly rust on the inside anyway. I had a...Friend, yeah, a friend of mine scrape some of it out in case the school decided to remove the evidence. It wouldn't be the first time I was accused of lying by the faculty after all. I've got notebooks recording incident after incident going back for months which I've showed to the faculty and was told that it was my word against theirs and that they couldn't punish someone based solely on the word of one student." She ended with irritation and the same fire in her eyes that Danny had.
*Thanks to your justified caution, prudence and careful consideration of your words, your 'Intelligence, Wisdom & Charisma' increased by 1 each*
"Well then miss, it's very nice to meet you even under the current circumstances. Now, if you both are ready, lets head inside and see what we can make of this whole situation." the lead officer stated in a gruff voice.
"Actually sir, if you don't mind waiting for a moment, I think my father has something for me?" Taylor looked questioningly to her Father whom still had his arm wrapped around her.
"Considering we are about to walk into a most likely stressful situation, inside a school no less, If it's anything resembling or can be used in the broadest interpretation of the word, as a weapon, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave it in your vehicle or turn it over to me for the time being." Officer Carlyle stated with no room for argument and his hand held out as his other had stayed within quick-draw distance of his sidearm. Not quite poised for danger yet, but you never know in Brockton Bay.
"No sir, it's not a weapon! Just a simple audio recorder. I've had my accusations turned down in the past in the most ridiculous ways, and I know that this recording can't be used as actual evidence in court, but I feel like having it will make this entire situation much easier to resolve simply.'
*Thanks to your excessive caution and foresight, your 'Wisdom' & 'Intelligence' have both increased by 1*
'Well that was nice.' thought Taylor as she could practically feel herself getting a bit more savvy or a little bit stronger each time she got one of those messages.
"Alright, well. I can think of plenty easier ways to harm someone rather than a tiny little recorder. If I could offer some advice first?" Officer Carlyle asked, and then continued on without waiting for a response. "turn the recorder on and put it in your hoody pocket with the Mic angled towards the opening of the pocket. Don't tell ANYONE that you have it on you right now. This is a 'Right to Record' State, which means that only 1 person in a conversation needs to know that they are being recorded, and you are that one." He ended with a small smile.
"Sounds good to me Sir, how about you Taylor? Ready to nail these Bastards to the wall?" Danny queried while turning to face the school.
"Works for me dad. I'd like it if the police didn't immediately come into the office. I'll be able to get so much more on the recording without them here to start. Maybe wait 5 or 10 minutes?" Taylor stated and questioned.
"That's fine young lady. Hestia, Mcmullen, go find the locker and preserve the crime scene."
"It's number 217 by the way."She offered just before she turned on the recorder and stated in a loud clear voice;
"My name is Taylor Rose Hebert, and I have been the victim of a protracted and vicious bullying campaign for nearly 18 months which culminated today in being forced into my locker with various toxic waste including used feminine products, a few used syringes and what appears to be garbage from the cafeteria along with all of the insects that were drawn to the mess. I was left in that health hazard with the threat that I might be left there until classes were done for the day, but I was able to free myself and called my father.
I'm here with my father Danny Hebert and police officers Carlyle, McMullen, Jones and Hestia as witnesses. We are now going inside Winslow High in Brockton Bay to speak with Principle Blackwell. I don't expect the talk to go well based on past experience, so I've asked the police to wait a few minutes before coming in so that I can have accurate evidence of how my complaints to faculty are usually ignored." Taylor finished as she pushed open the doors to the front office with her father and Mrs. Knott right behind her.
*Thanks to your careful handling of the situation, your 'Wisdom', 'Intelligence' & 'Charisma' increased by 1 each*
'Sigh... that's going to get annoying'.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Quest Alert:
Confront Sophia
The Ringleader must be stopped. Confront Sophia Hess and End this.
TIME LIMIT: 1 hour
REWARD: 1000 XP. Increased respect from Madison Clemens, Emma Barns, Principle Blackwell, Officers Carlisle, Jones, Hestia, and McMullen and Greg Veder
FAILURE: loss of respect from Sophia Hess, Principle Blackwell, Also detention with a chance of expulsion
BONUS REWARD: Get Sophia in cuffs one way or another and receive 3 free Stat Points, $200, a Simple wooden Shortbow and 100 blunt-tipped wooden arrows.
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Taylor gave the quest screen a quick glance before accepting.
As the filthy young woman with eyes full of fire strode back into the school, the glass doors closed with an ominous scraping sound behind her. Officer Carlisle could only imagine how this was all going to play out. Hopefully the girl knew what she was doing...Either way, until or unless someone pressed charges or broke a law, there wasn't a whole lot he could do other than be ready to act. Seeing as it was the father of the victim and not the school that had called 911, Officer Carlisle felt no need to enter and announce his presence to the office either.
"Jones, call up dispatch and let them know that we're sitting on a possible felony assault right now and possibly a minor Bio-hazard as well."
"Got it!" Jones responded with enthusiasm as he walked back to their Cruiser. He was new to the Service after all and every day was still an adventure for him.
After a few moments, Officer Jones ambled back over to the tree that Carlisle was leaning against.
"So, what now boss?"
"We wait... about 5 or 6 more minutes and then we go in and assess the situation" Carlisle answered after a quick check at his watch. "That should be more than enough time for the girl to get her evidence.
Just then, Hestia's voice came over the two officers radios.
"Uh, guys? We found the locker, and you're going to have to see this for yourselves. I can't even think of a word that does justice to the mess we just found. We've started to cordon off the site, and all of the other students are still in class at the moment, but... It's bad. Very bad. Mcmullen nearly puked." At this, McMullen shot the bird towards Hestia, who only gave a pained grin back before thumbing her mic again. "I think we're probably going to be taking someone downtown at this rate. Anyone who could willingly force another person into a mess like this and just leave them there? I wouldn't put much past them."
"Copy that. McMullen, get some fresh air out here if you need it." Carlisle ordered through the mic on his shoulder strap.
"Gotcha. I'm on my way back out now." Mcmullen answered after a brief pause to take a few deep breathes and compose himself.
"10-4"Officer Carlisle took a moment to gather his thoughts before turning to Officer Jones. Before he could say anything though, his radio piped up once more.
"One more thing guys, it looks like someone... forced their way out of the locker. Like someone actually punched their way out."
'Great, the victim might be a Para-human... wonderful' Officer Carlisle thought before making a decision.
"Okay, new plan guys. Officer Hestia; Stay with the locker. Mcmullen, meet Officer Jones and myself at the main office. I know she asked for a few minutes with that recorder, but this might have just jumped out of our jurisdiction. We're going in now."
A round of 10-4's was his only answer.
Jones looked a bit concerned with how quickly things seemed to be escalating. When Carlisle placed a hand on the other mans shoulder, Jones startled a bit despite himself.
Mcmullen, and Greg both rounded a corner down the hall a few seconds later and fast-walked to join the two Officers. Officer Carlisle looked questioningly at the, as far as he was concerned, random teenager.
"He's a witness as well." explained Mcmullen. "We crossed paths on my way back up here."
"Alright then, let's head on in." Directed Carlisle as he opened the door to the Administration Office and he, along with his entourage walked up to the apathetic looking receptionist.
"Err, can I help you Officer?" The normally prickly and apathetic woman asked with a look on her face as if she shouldn't be being bothered with whatever this was.
"Yes, I believe that you have a Taylor Hebert and her father speaking with Principle...-" Officer Carlisle trailed off and looked at Greg with a tilt to his head.
"Blackwell" Supplied the teen.
"Yes, Principle Blackwell. We were called by Daniel Hebert with a report that his daughter had been attacked and illegally imprisoned in knee-deep Bio-waste. I assume her Office is through that door behind you?" Carlisle informed and asked in the same breath; not waiting for a confirmation before heading to the door and knocking on it, causing the voices inside to cease before footsteps sounded and then the door was opened just wide enough to show a rather short and butch woman with black hair done in a severe bowl-cut.
"Can I help you gentlemen? I'm in the middle of discussing disciplinary measures with a student and their parent."
"Yes, we know. We're here because Mr. Daniel Hebert reported an assault and illegal detainment of his daughter in her own locker, knee-deep in a kind of nasty that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. In fact, I see him right there. Mr Hebert, do you still feel that you need our assistance?"
"Absolutely! Yes, please come in and be a witness to the insanity my daughter has had to deal with all these months." The normally even tempered man all but shouted in frustration. The three Officers and Greg quickly entered the now rather cramped office. "This... This woman is trying to pretend that Taylor somehow gathered all of the horrible things that are still covering her, piled them into her locker and then somehow latched it from the inside while pleading and screaming for someone to let her out! It's absolutely ludicrous!" By this point Danny no longer appeared to be the mild mannered head of Hiring at the DWA, despite wearing his best suit. Now he only looked like a Cobra; Hissing and spitting and ready to strike out at the first person or thing to look sideways at his daughter, whom by comparison was sitting perfectly still in the middle of the room as if waiting for the adults to calm themselves. Gladys busied herself trying to help Danny keep a reign on his temper.
Just as it seemed that the energy in the room might calm a bit and allow for proper conversation, there came a new knock at the office door. This time though, the door opened before Blackwell even had a chance to ask whom it was.
All of a sudden, there she was. The ring master in Taylor's personal Circus of horrors.
Sophia Hess.
She entered with a wide grin on her face and her body language spoke of nothing but confidence and arrogance. Those faltered a small amount once she spotted the police on either sides of the door which happened at that moment to shut with a hiss from the hydraulic door closer and a *click* from the latching mechanism in the handle.
Sophia took a second to look around before focusing on the still filth-caked Taylor.
"Jesus, what did you swim in? A kiddie pool full of roadkill? Fuck, can we open some windows in here or something? I'm getting second-hand stink all over my new clothes!"
Taylor just started at her, not yet speaking. Just watching and thinking.
*Thanks to knowing when NOT to open your mouth, your 'Charisma and Wisdom' have both increased by 1!*
Danny started to leap up from the seat he had taken just before Sophia's entrance, but Taylor simply laid her hand on his arm and spoke quietly to him for a brief moment before he nodded his head and Taylor stood instead.
Taylor turned to face Sophia and asked just one question. The one question she had been burning to know the answer to for so, so long.
"Why do you have to be such a Violent, thuggish, friend stealing, name calling, bitterly miserable excuse for a human being to everyone around you? I'm not the one that no one likes. I'm the one that everyone is afraid to like after you've threatened and hurt literally everyone who has ever tried to be my friend or even just tried to help me after one of your 'pranks' at this school. Greg here was in a locker next to me for Christ sake! You've pushed me down stairs, ruined my assignments, my clothes, my lunches... My Mothers Flute! I brought it here so that I could have something, ANYTHING good about this place to get some comfort from, and where do I find it after it disappears from my locked locker? Beaten with a hammer, broken in half and smeared with feces and left in the dumpster!" Taylor had started out as calm as she could manage, but by the end she was nearly screaming and at tears again from voicing the things she had wanted to say for months. The things she had always thought might get her 'accidentally' thrown down the school stairwells or 'accidentally' pushed in front of a bus or have something heavy dropped off of the roof onto her head, or what have you.
*Due to FINALLY voicing your outrage in as concise and devastating a manner as possible, your 'Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma have all increased by 1.*
*Gamers Mind Activated*
The rigid tension visible across Taylor entire body seemed to just slough off of her in an instant, which only served to make the police nervous considering this girl might have punched a hole in her locker after finally having had enough from her tormentor. Nothing of this situation was painting a pretty picture for the current mental state of either girl. The only one in the room not affected by the rapid change in Taylor was Greg who tended to be oblivious at the best of times.
There was silence after Taylor's speech. All that could be heard was the obnoxiously loud ticking of Greg's wristwatch, which in a rare moment of social insight, he muffled by covering it with his right hand.
Now there was only silence. Silence and a low, throaty chuckle that everyone was surprised to hear coming from Sophia of all people.
"It's about time you showed some spine, even if you did have to have the cops and Daddy here for it. Too bad dearest Mommy couldn't be here too. She'd be able to see just how pathetic you've become."
At this, Danny did jump out of his chair and was halfway to Sophia before he, Taylor and Sophia all simultaneously appeared to black out and fall to the ground.
Taylor and Sophia merely crumpled where they were standing, but Danny... Danny had caught his head on the corner of Blackwell's desk on his way down. And slowly but steadily there was a puddle of blood forming at his head; standing in stark contrast to the white carpet beneath.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
For a brief moment, there was complete silence as Principle Blackwell, Mrs. Knott and the four Police Officers, all processed the sudden turn of events. No one had prepared for the suddenly beyond furious Danny to go from mid-launch to bleeding on the floor along with the two minors collapsing as well.
Office Carlisle was the first to recover; Immediately barking orders for Hestia and Mcmullen to tend to the two teens. He however had been an emergency room nurse before making what some might call a lateral move, from Nurse to Police Officer. Every now and then the experience came in handy. He knelt down by Danny's head and very carefully felt for a pulse...
Ba-bump...Ba-bump.
There. There it was. Carlisle had been worried for a moment that the girl, 'Taylor' he reminded himself, would be losing her father today on top of everything else. It appeared that the man was simply dazed though as he began to stir.
"Sir, don't move. You have a head wound and you're bleeding pretty badly." Officer Carlisle pulled a small Tac-Light out of his pocket and began shining it in Danny's eyes, searching for signs of a concussion. "You don't seem to have a concussion, but I'd suggest waiting for an ambulance just the same." As he was saying this, the Officer was preparing to thumb his mic and alert dispatch for just that. Before he was able to, Danny spoke up.
"No," he said in a slightly raspy voice; looking around as if in a fugue "I don't need an ambulance. My insurance wouldn't cover one anyway..." He trailed off, a faraway look to his eyes as he tried to hold onto the memories of the enormous 'Thing' that he had seen while laying there on the floor. Try as he might, the memories seemed to slip through the cracks in his brain like water through his fingers until it had faded completely. Just as he was about to ask where his daughter was, he heard a small voice from behind him.
"Dad?" Taylor asked in a small voice; only just coming back to awareness from the shared experience. "Oh my God, your head! There's so much blood!"
*Gamers Mind Activated!*
"I'm alright Kiddo." He replied, giving her a one-armed hug. "Head wounds tend to bleed pretty easily. I see them sometimes down at the Docks. I'll be right as rain once we leave this hellhole behind and I can get a shower." He took off his button-up and wrapped it around his head as a makeshift bandage,leaving him wearing the odd combination of a suit jacket and an undershirt. He vaguely resembled one of the homeless people that Taylor had seen near the docks a few weeks ago.
"I object to that!" Blackwell finally chipped in. "We may not have the funding here that the other local Institutions have, but we do manage to keep the gang recruitment to a minimum." she continued with her hands on her hips, looking for all the world as if she thought that was actually an achievement. "And if you think for a second that you'll be able to sue for your injury, I'd like to remind you that you're only here in the first place because of your daughters flagrant disregard for school property and vandalism of said property. This office wasn't even the one to call you. I assume it was either your daughter or Mrs. Knott who actually made the call. And we WILL be discussing this later by the way." Blackwell looked pointedly at Gladys whom stared evenly right back until Blackwell broke eye contact a few seconds later.
"For the last time, I didn't vandalize anything! She FORCED me into that disgusting locker. If I never see it, or Her, again it would be a dream come true! Why won't you listen to me?!" Taylor exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the desk; just short of yelling.
*Gamers Mind Activated!*
"Well, Your wish is granted... taking into consideration all of your lies, trouble making and absences this year and with this final cherry on top... you are hereby suspended indefinitely, pending an investigation of this incident. Your father can pickup your assignments for you once per week, but you are not to set foot on school grounds until this has all been resolved." Blackwell carefully said, fully aware of the police that could easily be called as witnesses if this all went south. Beneath the surface, she was furious that the girl had had the gall to actually involve the police in this. All that could be done now though, was to adapt or suffer the consequences.
Taylor just stared in disbelief at the sheer deliberate obtuseness of the woman. It took everything she had to not vault the cheap desk and try out her new Skills on a... live target.
*Thanks to your extreme Willpower, your 'Wisdom' has increased by 1!*
"Ugh, will you all be quiet? I've got the mother of all headaches here." Sophia interrupted. She had taken her time to come back to earth, but now she was free to run her mouth. After a few seconds she spotted Danny, his still sluggishly bleeding head and the blood staining the nice white carpet"Hey Baldy, What happened? You trip in the muck she tracked in? You should really make sure she showers regularly. Proper hygiene and all that."
*Gamers Mind Activated!*
'Thank god for 'Gamer's Mind' or else I might have done something rash just then.' Taylor thought seriously. After a few seconds of the police watching and waiting to be needed, Danny taking deep calming breathes and Blackwell continuing to glower at everyone in the room, Taylor remembered one of her new 'Skills' that might come in handy here.
"Observation"she muttered, looking at Sophia.
*Sophia Hess:
LVL: 17
HP 450/625
MP230/250
An angry youth with a delusional worldview about people being either Predator or Prey. It's debatable whether it's worse to be her enemy, or her friend.*
*'Observation' has increased to lvl 03!*
'Well isn't that just weird as hell...Eh, might as well use it' Taylor thought.
"What's the matter Sophia? Upset that your punching bag is finally fighting back? You know, I almost feel sorry for you. Your life must be pretty pathetic if the highlight of your day is tearing me down. Hmm... I just realized, It's kinda like I'm the Predator and now... Now you're the Prey." Taylor lightly taunted, knowing that only she and Sophia would truly understand what had just been said.
*Thanks to your skilled taunting, your 'Charisma' has increased by 1! You have also created a new Skill, 'Taunt' at lvl 01! Congratulations!
With a scream of inarticulate rage, the teenage track star launched her way across the room and football tackled the smaller girl to the floor.
Officer Carlisle had been just about to ask the still sticky and filthy girl to be quiet and try to De-escalate when a dark-skinned blur shot past him, vaulted the still sitting Mr. Hebert, and tackled the smaller girl. Taylor had been expecting something like this though, so once Sophia had gotten them both to the ground, Taylor used her arms to cover and protect her face from the blows she knew were coming, and she wasn't disappointed. Taylor took a couple of them before using the distraction to mutter three words and strike back, doing her best to make it look accidental or at worst, like untrained flailing.
"One Inch Punch."
All of a sudden Sophia reared back, blood spraying from her mouth and nose as she attempted to continue beating Taylor with he fists and elbows.
The remaining Officers snapped out of their stupor at this and rushed forward to try to separate the girls before the situation escalated any more.
"YOU BITCH! YOU BROKE MY TEETH YOU CUNT!" Sophia spat out, spewing blood, saliva and a few small chunks of tooth into Taylor's face as the Officers worked to pull the girls apart. Jones had his hands on Taylor's shoulders to ensure she wouldn't try to retaliate while Carlisle and Mcmullen had to actually work to subdue Sophia. She was still standing, though her hands were behind her back. Since she wasn't calming down, Mcmullen was trying to cuff her. All of a sudden, even though Mcmullen would have sworn that they both had good grips on her, Sophia inexplicably slipped out of their grips and lunged for Taylor again. This time they managed to fall backwards through the sole window; shattering it and slashing both girls skin in multiple places. Taylor had a long, but shallow slash down her right calf muscle, and Sophia had 3 small pieces of glass embedded in her left forearm.
"Ahh!" Taylor yelped as she landed with Sophia on top of her. The bully turned attacker quickly straddled Taylor and proceeded to land blow after blow on Taylor's face.
"Taylor!?" She heard her dad yell frantically from inside the building.
*Thanks to your repeated injuries, you have discovered a new Skill! Congratulations!
'Damage Resistance – Bludgeoning' was created at lvl 01!*
Punch.
'Damage Resistance – Bludgeoning' is now lvl 02!
Elbow.
'Damage Resistance – Bludgeoning' is now lvl 03!
Taylor was trying her hardest to protect her face, but a few hits still made it through. Sophia had just stood and was winding up for a kick to Taylor's ribs when she began convulsing uncontrollably as the Taser prongs pierced her right shoulder and proceeded to overload her nervous system with more electricity than any normal person ever wants to experience.
Taylor looked back at the broken window and saw Officer Jones holding the black and yellow pistol shaped device that was currently causing Sophia to lose control of her bladder. Officer Jones had a frightened, yet exhilarated look on his face as he let go of the trigger and the only teen still standing dropped to the ground as if a puppet whose strings had been cut. Sophia continued to lay there on the grass, twitching occasionally before lying still.
Taylor staggered back to the window where her father was attempting to navigate the shards of broken glass and giving him a huge, two-armed hug. Unfortunately, their moment was ruined by a spitting and sputtering Blackwell; Her atrocious bowl-cut in disarray and her hands gesticulating manically.
"THAT'S IT! Forget the suspension, You're expelled! The police can do whatever they want with you, just get out of my office and my school! NOW!" Blackwell raged.
Father and Daughter shared a look while the police worked to subdue and place Sophia Hess, Taylor's chief torturer, in cuff s.
"Honestly Kiddo, I think this might have been for the best. This place can rot for all I care. C'mon, lets get out of here. Unless you fine fellows need a statement or anything?" Danny directed the last bit to the 3 officers hauling Sophia across the grass in front of the offices towards the two police cruisers.
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Quest Complete!
Confront Sophia!
Reward: 1000 XP. Increased respect from Madison Clemens, Emma Barns, Principle Blackwell, Officers Carlisle, Jones, Hestia, and Mcmullen and Greg Veder.
Bonus Reward:3 free Stat Points, $200 and a Simple wooden Shortbow and 100 blunt-tipped wooden arrows.
0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0
"Actually, I do think at this point we're going to need the two of you to come down to the station and give a statement. Miss Hess might wish to press charges, but it's unlikely since she struck first. This is a clear case of self defense; and no judge is likely to find against a bullying victim standing up to their tormentor, in front of police even. That attempted kick while Taylor was one the ground would even be considered assault with a deadly weapon. I'd offer to escort you, but someone needs to stay here until the cleanup crew arrives...All things considered, just go get yourselves looked at, get patched up and stop by afterwards. I've got your information in case you... get sidetracked" Officer Mcmullen replied before speaking into his radio. "Hestia, we've got one in custody and we'll be calling in the cleanup crew in a minute. Just hold tight where you are and make sure no one gets near the...stuff for the next hour or so."
"Copy Boss, I'm on it."
"And remember that we'll want a copy of that tape as well. But we can take care of that while you give your statements later."
Principle Blackwell took this opportunity to jump in one last time. "Tape? What tape? What are you talking about?" she demanded nervously.
Taylor just smiled wickedly and pulled the recorder out of her hoody pocket. It looked a bit banged up, but the digital screen showed that it was still recording.
At this, Blackwell clamped her mouth shut, pulled the blinds down on the broken window and sat at her desk mentally composing the call she was going to need to make to Sophia's PRT Handler.
After the police had finished collecting contact info from Danny and Taylor, and a written promise of a copy of the tape, the lead police cruiser driven by Officer Carlisle with Officer Jones in Shotgun pulled away with Sophia in the backseat, glaring daggers at Taylor and her Father. Just for shits and giggles, Carlisle flipped his siren on for a few seconds, and just like Carlisle had hoped, students started appearing at classroom windows; acting as silent witnesses to the downfall of the Terrible Tyrant of Winslow.
The remaining cruiser still sat at the curb with Mcmullen sitting in the drivers seat as a guard against vandalism. This wasn't a very nice neighborhood after all.
Danny and Taylor took this as their cue to leave and loaded into the pickup which was still parked just behind the second cruiser.
"Hey," Danny began."What do you say to going to the clinic down by the docks and getting patched up? They always give us good prices."
"I think that sounds great dad." Taylor replied, snuggling into the comfortable truck seat as the stress-tears finally were allowed to flow in relief at leaving Winslow for the final time. As the two were pulling out of the parking lot, Taylor spied Greg looking forlorn as he waved goodbye to her from in front of the Main Offices. After a moment Taylor waved back and Greg's forlorn look morphed near instantly into a wide, toothy grin as he waved even harder.
00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00
After driving to the clinic, sitting in the waiting room, and getting 14 stitches on Dannys scalp while Taylor cleaned up as best she possibly could with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and gauze pads in the restroom; Taylor knew that this day was a pivotal point in her life. Whether it would be an up-tick or a down-tick was yet to be seen.
They then spent 3 hours at the police station writing and signing statements and declining to press charges, with the desire to just wash their hands of the entire situation and move on with their lives. Especially since Taylor no longer had any injuries to use as evidence. Eventually, Father and daughter spent the rest of the afternoon just driving around, eating junk food and relaxing at one of the piers near the boardwalk. Danny received a few sideways looks for his freshly shaved and stitched scalp, but he couldn't care less.
"Hey Taylor?"
"Yeah?"
"Good aim Little Owl."
*'Suppressed Rage' trait has been removed. Good job standing up for yourself!*
It had turned into a wonderful day of bonding and neither Taylor or Danny would trade it for anything.
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AN: That's all for now. Please feel more than welcome to leave a review letting me know what you liked, what flowed well and what didn't, and of course... my likely many spelling and punctuation errors. I thrive on reviews, and my best ideas seem to come at 3am while answering reviews and messages.
Taylor at the end of this Chapter:
LVL: 4 (4,500xp/6500xp)
POINTS:18
CURRENCY: $200
HP-140 (Regen based on VIT)
MP-400 (Regen based on WIS)
STR-6
VIT-11 (+1.1% HP Regen per minute)
DEX-9
INT-37
WIS-14 (+1.4% MP Regen per minute)
CHA-10
TRAITS:
*Book lover
SKILLS:
Active Skill – [Observation] – lvl 03 - This skill allows the user to analyze their target for strengths, weaknesses and eventually, favorite Ice cream flavor! :) (Cap 100) Costs 10 MP per target lvl, per use.
Active Skill - [One Inch Punch] – lvl 02 - By striking your target using your whole body from a short distance away, It focuses all of your strength with pinpoint precision and allows scaling armor penetration. .5% of the targets armor is bypassed per skill level. (Cap 100) Costs 50 MP per use
Active Skill -[Toxic Touch] - lvl 01- This skill allows the user to cause sickness with just a touch. Anything starting from a minor stomach ache, all the way up to full blown projectile vomiting and diarrhea at higher levels. Lasts for up to 10 seconds per skill level. (Cap 100) Costs 30 MP per use.
Active Skill – [Dash] – lvl 01 - Each usage of 'Dash' will rocket you forward by up to 1m per skill lvl. Speed will increase from 20 mph at Skill lvl 01 to 120 mph at lvl 100. (Cap 100) Costs 25 MP per use.
Passive Skill – [Damage Resistance – Bludgeoning] – lvl 03 – Reduces damage and pain from blunt sources by .5% per skill point. (Cap 100) No cost.
Passive Skill – [Taunt] – lvl 01 – Taunt your enemy and draw their attention to you to cause anything between mild irritation to full-blown rage. (Cap 100) No cost.