1.4

In Brockton Bay if someone wants to not be found everyone knows the place to be is the Boat Graveyard. This fact is so well known that ironically it has become one of the most watched parts of the city. Runaways, gang bangers looking to lose heat, the city's homeless looking for a dry place for the night can all be found around the rotting carcasses of the ships. If you were looking for someone you could almost guaranty that that the Graveyard is the placed they'd hide. The one place no one would look is in a place no one can be thought to reach. Deep inside an derelict half submerged is something of a grotto. Inaccessible from anywhere but through a hole in the ship. It is here Taylor Hebert has made her home.

Pulling herself out of the water she stood up. Taking a deep breath the young girl turned around. Kneeling down by the entrance she began to heave. While breathing underwater has come in handy several times, there is a rather unpleasant downside. All the water she drew into her system has to leave when she is on dry land again.

Throwing up the last bit of water back into the bay. Taylor started her nightly ritual. First she took off her wet clothes. While she hasn't really felt the cold since her ninth target the wet sensation becomes unpleasant after awhile. Her coat especially. Taylor liked to old pea coat the moment she saw it at the second hand store, but the sturdy old thing got heavy when wet.

Now in fresh clothes she sat on her cot and stared at the rusting ceiling. Taylor didn't bother with turning on the lights. Her last target made them unnecessary thanks to his enhanced senses. Perfect night vision, and if she focused she could hear the faint sounds of people across the bay.

In the still dark of the hull Taylor had plenty of time to think. For all the good it did.

'They didn't understand' She thought. A part of her knew they wouldn't. Not right away. Not until she proved herself.

'I'm still not strong enough.' Tonight had proven that much. If she couldn't even take down the Undersiders, what chance did she have handling the big threats. She couldn't even beat the Wards. Though with them she held back. It wouldn't do to kill her fellow, well soon to be fellow, heroes.

One thought kept nagging at her. What if the Protectorate never came around? What if they never accepted that she was a hero? It hurt to even think about. She had given up so much. Had done too much to stop now. If they thought she was a monster then where would she turn? The only option left would be to-

'No!' Taylor scolded herself 'Don't think like that. Not again.'

She almost did it once too. Right after her fifth target. She had been washing up after dinner when she noticed a small bit of red on the edge of her finger nail. Thinking it was sauce from the pizza she licked it off. It was blood. Her targets blood. She was nearly sick. In that moment an almost clarity settled on Taylor. All the things she had been doing overcame her. She had gotten as far as breaking open her razor and getting the blade out. She couldn't go through with it. A part of her wanted to live. To make right the wrong she had done. Taylor thought that was the moment where she truly started to be a hero. No matter how hard it got she would see this through to the end.

That night she left home. Taylor may become a hero one day but not until she was strong enough, and that took more power than she had. No matter what the PRT thought Taylor wasn't an idiot. She knew what she had done. That people were dead because of her. How could she look her father in the eye if she had blood on her hands? She couldn't stay there. Maybe one day she could go back. After she redeemed herself. All she needed was a little more power.

'Tomorrow' Taylor thought 'tomorrow, I'll start to look for something that will really help convince them'

All it would take is the right power. The perfect power to make her so strong she could stop anyone. Then the Protectorate would have to accept her.

'Just a little more, and then I'll be good enough.'

One more she thought. Maybe two. Then she could stop.

With that the girl known as Samedi slept.