...Reports of my death were highly exaggerated. Thanks to all those of you who took the time to read my silly story so far, and especially to those wh took the time to leave some reviews.

To Greatazuredragon (ever so faithful!), yes. I knew this last chapter was short and superficial, but I wanted to cut somewhere and I couldn't see a better place than there. And I doubt I could have added elements to that scene without it being just padding. This is a fanfiction, not Naruto.

To all those who complain of the slow update pace...I'm sorry. My muse is a fickle thing, and she seems to be more focused on pushing me to construct an rpg system and rp than to give me ideas for this; Still, I apologize and will do my best to do better.

To oldwolf...There seems to be something with FFnet that messes with my formatting. I try my best to fix it up afterwards but may have left some ugly bits and bobs (I think it might be CSS? That one language to present text.) If you do spot something feel free to tell me by review or mp so I can fix it!

Anyhow, this is still a thing and the next part is coming...Right now. After the disclaimer, obviously. Usual disclaimer : While I would definitively like to, me managing to write something as great as Worm probably is probably one of the signs of the apocalypse, somewhere between the locusts and the rivers turning to blood. So yeah, I do not own. With that said, have fun.

Harmonics 4 : Authority and chaos

There was nothing to be said as we followed "Mister G" to the headmistress' office. It seemed to be a battle already lost. But as we passed the door, Mia seemed to regain focus, all of a sudden. She still seemed shaken, but she was there. The headmistress' opening salvo was direct.

"What have you done this time, miss Hebert."

Ah, yes. Because in doubt, I was the one to blame. After all, I had been nothing but trouble for a year and a half, a truant with an attitude problem that dared to blame three star students for her issues. How dared I. I felt the famous Hebert temper rising and did my best to quash it and answer. Something I did not have the time to do, since somebody else spoke up. A whisper filled with venom.

"I blame you."

Holy shit, was that hate coming from my favorite little munchkin? She had been so peaceful so far. I hadn't seen much, but she had really seemed...Soft, to be honest. That was the girl who game a chance to Hess after she tried to stab her in the back,the girl had had been on her knees begging for forgiveness for a perceived slight, the one who seemed to be afraid of her own powers. But right now, if a voice could kill, Blackwell would have likely melted right away from the sheer acidity in her voice.

"What was that, miss...Farks, was it?"

"It is Farkas, milady. And I say it as it is."

Blackwell's stare was cold as ice. Mia's gave her a run for her money. I could read cold calculation in those eyes, and suddenly I felt myself really out of place. In a pool full of hungry sharks.

"Explain."

"Do you know why I demanded a transfer here?"

"Let's say I don't."

"I did because Taylor Hebert here is my friend. A friend which I discovered had been bullied for a year and a half. Something which you allowed."

"So, you got caught in her web of lies."

"January 3rd Anno Domini 2011, 1135 hours. Brockton Bay General."

"What are you babbling about?"

"The timestamp of a certain incident. I believe you know the one."

I could see Mia's lopsided smirk, showing just a bit of teeth. The headmistress gritted hers.

"I believe we should go through this in a closed commitee."

"Let's. Mister Gladly, Mister Wilson, please leave. I shall hear of you later."

Exit stage left for them, apparently.

A stack of papers crossed the desk, landing neatly into the headmistress' open hands.

"What, do pray tell, is this?"

"Classical nondisclosure agreement."

"And why should I sign a legally binding document just to hear a teenager spout some hogwash to protect a deluded bad apple?"

I could clearly see Mia grit her teeth even harder. Yet her voice was calm. Cold, in fact.

"Because, lady Gladly,"

And I could hear the dripping sarcasm from the faux-respectful words.

"The situation is far more complicated than you believe. It includes a hefty amount of classified information."

"I-"

"MOST of which you have no damn clue of. Sign the bloody paper."

"Then why only one?"

"I trust Taylor. I do not trust you."

Oh, was that a snarl I heard? But she signed still. After checking the contract, obviously.

"For starters, I know what you are doing are doing. I also understand why."

"Really now."

"I know a few of you cameras are still functional. I am the one initially known as Haven. Shadow Stalker attacked me in her civilian guise."

A moment of silence. When she speaks up, my friend's voice turned strangely soft. There wasn't anything like appreciation, but respect was there, somehow.

"I understand what you're doing. Believe me, I do..."

"Do you now? DO YOU? I'm crawling to the PRT because it's the only way I get the money in this FUCKING city! No one upwards gives a damn about this place. I'm not doing it for standing or allies, I'm doing it for them!"

"For an asylum, for a place where all these children can do something else than fight and die, for a place where they can break fate and become something better. I know. And I know it must have been hard, bending the knee against your ethos. I think I can offer an alternative."

I see the mask of indifference shatter. Sad anger, as if to say...

'How dare you comprehend me?'

Mia gives me a glance, asks a silent question. Without a word needed, I understand what she's asking. Can I? Dare I?

...

I nod. There is a need here. I hope this won't cost me too much.

"Have you ever read about parahumans?"

"...Who hasn't."

"Then perhaps you know what a trigger is. What Taylor Hebert has lived through, the 3rd of January AD 2011."

Blackwell looks like she took a punch to the gut, and Mia just keeps the combo up.

"What I myself lived through, nearly a decade ago. I have money in reserve. Money I do not truly need. And the two of us would have leverage on the PRT. I'm fairly powerful-"

Mia Farkas, black belt second dan at the legendary art of understatement."

"And believe me, Taylor will be a HEAVY weight in this game of superheroes. Even if she moves, something only logical after what she lived through, we could fight for you. In exchange, all I ask of you is that you do your job."

"Why?"

"Because, while I might not look like much,I have lived through too much. And the only thing that keeps me afloat is hope and belief. So, I suppose I want to believe in you."

A pregnant silent, giving birth to a whole litter of small ones.

"So. Perhaps we should go back to the initial issue. What were you *thinking*, young lady?"

"I...It started when that brute wanted to gratuitously beat up my friend. I asked him to apologize or take it outside. I...Had forgotten, I do not hold here the respect I do in my homeland. So we fought. I...May have mopped the floor with him."

"So I have been told."

"What happened next was entirely my fault. I asked him why. And his answer was..."

"Was?"

" 'Because it's fun! She's like a squeaky toy, you can chew on her, all she does it make some stupid noise and pop right back in place!' That is, I am afraid, when I lost my contenance. I beat him black and blue. That is all there is to it."

"How to handle it..."

There is a beat. I can almost hear the gears turning.

"Please do treat me like you would any other student in the same situation."

"Then. For assaulting another student, I give you a week's suspension. Obviously, mister Wilson will suffer the same treatment. Harsher, in fact, since this isn't his first warning."

"That seems reasonable."

"Oh, miss Hebert. You still seem pale to me. Your medical leave is extended, come back in a week."

...Well that came out of nowhere. It would be tempting but...That would be conceding. Losing to them. I shouldn't just pick the easy way out.

"I feel fine. I should just go back to class."

An exasperated sigh.

"Miss Hebert. I know you do not trust me for a number of various reasons. But believe me, your...Protector's rash actions may make things worse. Those who enjoy seeing you suffer are probably riled up, right now. Sure, if anything happened, punishment would ensue, but better prevent than cure, as the saying goes. A week of absence should push their attention elsewhere. Now go, you are dismissed."

As we left, I found the time to think. It feels...Unnatural. As if left was up, back was red and right was before. It's funny. I was just so focused on the fact that some people were against me that I never even considered there could be good reasons for them to be. Like a simple delimitation. Those who would help me would be good people. And the others, bad people. But...Things are never this simple, are they?

Cut. Well, that was a thing. As the time I'm finishing this, it's a bit over 3 AM. Yes, it's bloody late, but I believe I have made my readers wait far too long already. So, my point is...My tiredness may make me miss something. Please do tell me. I hope I made Blackwell stay in character enough, there's probably some unholy amount of fanon influence in there. Again, please do tell me. Writers need criticism to get better! I hope you enjoyed.