"Emma, you're snarling at me and insulting me, trying to make jabs as if each little gesture will give you a higher spot on the totem pole, but there's no point. I'm not even a student here," I said, wearily. This conversation was getting on my nerves. My self-control was starting to slip.
"You're a dropout. A failure."
I could have laughed at that. As ruler of Brockton Bay's underworld, I was far from a failure. I realised too late that I had laughed.
"You think this is funny, Hebert?"
I had had enough of this. I would give her one more chance to leave, but if she didn't take it...
"Emma, calling me a failure was never going to hit the mark. I've had more success than you can possibly imagine, while you left town like the wimp you accused me of being. You've lost this argument; why don't you go and pick on someone on your own level, rather than someone higher, before you lose more than just your pride." I slowly started pulling the swarm together, keeping them hidden in the nearby grass.
"You think you're on a higher level than me?" Emma laughed cruelly. "You're delusional, Hebert. Maybe that locker did make you insane, after all."
That was a step too far. I was about to call in the swarm when I had a better idea. "Emma. No matter how far you push, I'm not going to be bothered. You think you can break me by mentioning that locker? I have to say, now that the locker is in the past, thank you for pushing me in there. I couldn't have reached where I am today without it." I barged past her, wanting to be long gone when Dad called, leaving Emma with a very confused expression on her face.
Dad had called only a couple of minutes after I had left Emma behind. We had met at a small café off the boardwalk (which had only just reopened), and eaten a light lunch. There hadn't been much conversation, and that which there was was made awkward by my thoughts that he might suspect the truth.
After leaving the café, I put my plan against Emma into action. Confusing her with the thank you was a good short term getaway tactic, but now that she was back, I ran the risk of running into her in the street at some point. She wouldn't stop trying to get a rise out of me if that happened, no matter how confident I acted.
I wanted her gone. Tonight, it would be made official that Emma Barnes was not welcome in Brockton Bay. I called Grue.
"T. Celery," I said.
"R. Peas. What's up, Skitter?"
"Do you remember what I told you about my trigger?"
"The locker thing?"
"Yeah. That's the one."
"What about it?"
"One of the girls that did it is back in town," I said, "and being as much of a bitch as ever. I've had enough of it, and I don't want to risk running into her ever again. I'm calling in the Undersiders. We're running her out of town."
I could almost hear the smile in his voice as he replied. "Sounds like fun. What's the plan?"
"We show up outside her house in the middle of the night. I send in a swarm clone to wake her up and have a little chat with her. She gets twenty-four hours to leave town or the Undersiders come after her. Well, maybe not Parian, since she's not a fan of this sort of thing, but the rest of us."
"Works for me," he replied. "Do you want me to call the others? I've got way too much time on my hands today. Where does she live, by the way?"
"It's in my territory. We'll meet at my base and I'll lead the way."
"OK. See you there. Bye."
We rode on Bitch's dogs to Emma's house. I spent the journey gathering insects for my swarm clone, and by the time we arrived, I had a sizable swarm following me.
I sent a few ahead as scouts to see if Emma was asleep. This would work so much better if we woke her up. They landed on her. I smiled: fast asleep. Perfect.
I sent the swarm in through the cracks, and soon had enough in her room to build the clone. Grue sent darkness into her father's room to make sure he didn't hear anything, and I made all of my insects make the loudest noises they could.
Emma opened her eyes and screamed at the number of insects in her room. I took that as my cue to form the swarm clone. "Emma Barnes," I said through the swarm.
"What... What do you want?" she whimpered.
"I have it on good authority that you are nothing more than a bully. I dislike bullies, especially bullies who betray their former friends."
"I... I didn't mean it."
"Yes you did. You meant every single thing and you know it." I was kind of enjoying being on top against Emma for once.
"I won't do it again."
"Not good enough, I'm afraid. Are you aware of what a trigger event is?"
"Y... Yes."
"Oh, of course. Sophia 'Shadow Stalker' Hess probably told you all about it. But let me enlighten you anyway. You see, to trigger, you have to go through the worst experience imaginable. For some, that could be getting attacked on the street. For others, it could be losing a family member. And for some..." I paused for dramatic effect. "It could be being shoved into a locker full of used tampons."
I really wished the senses translated better; I would have given anything to see her face right now.
"Emma, you have twenty-four hours to get out of town, or the Undersiders will find you and make you leave. By this time tomorrow night, I want you gone." I dissipated the swarm clone, leaving Emma by herself.
Alan Barnes came down to breakfast the next morning to find his daughter at the table, crying.
"What's wrong, Emma?"
She looked at him, desperation in her eyes. "We need to leave," she wailed.
"Why? We've only just come back."
"Do you remember the things Taylor said about me?"
"Of course. I can't believe she would lie like that."
"She..." Emma sobbed. "She wasn't lying. And now she wants revenge."
"I must say I'm disappointed in you, but it's been so long. Why now?"
"I... ran into her at school yesterday and went after her again. She said something funny about the locker incident and walked off. Last night Skitter sends insects into my room, talks through them, all but states that she triggered in a locker, and gives me twenty-four hours to leave town or she sends the Undersiders after me." By the time she finished, she was wailing nearly incoherently.
"You think Taylor is Skitter?"
"Duh! We have to leave now!"
Alan thought for a few seconds. As a lawyer, he knew he could have Taylor arrested, but if the authorities hadn't been able to catch her as Skitter, he doubted they would be able to catch her as Taylor either. Plus, the other Undersiders wouldn't be happy about that, and there was no way he could deal with all of them. He eventually had to agree with his daughter that the best plan was to run.
"OK, Emma. We'll go."
The relief on his daughter's face was clear.