A/N: Remember, Me + Interlude = no want

Chapter 20 (Interludes- Sophia, Danny)

(Sophia POV)

It doesn't make sense, she shouldn't have been able to do those things to us, to me!

But it happened, and everyone in the whole school knows about it too. But that wasn't the least of my concerns, since I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Hebert's little stunt. She made it look effortless, like it was the easiest thing ever, and like we were the prey.

Just the thought of that makes me clench m fists even tighter before wincing in pain at the attempt of stowing my anger.

Ever since the embarrassment we suffered in the cafeteria an hour ago, I was put into the nurses office since my wrists were lightly sprained due to Hebert's grip on them. I was just sitting on one of the few beds the school had to treat anything that was relatively small like cuts and bruises, so I had to wait a bit before they actually called someone to come and properly treat my wrists.

So for the time being, I was quickly treated with medical wraps until they could properly heal. Or get Panacea later on if the PRT care that much, but I wouldn't count myself to be that lucky. Then again, she's only called on when the injuries are serious enough to put us out of commission for a time, so I think this may count.

'Though I can't say the same for the others.' I thought with a bit of anger as I laid back on the bed and stared towards the ceiling.

Emma and Madison had been out of it since then, more the former than the latter though.

She didn't utter a single word when she got up from her frightened position on the floor, you would have thought she'd almost died with how terrified her gaze was before they took me away. But I don't know how she is now, since it's not as if I need visitors for my wrists. Madison had simply run off in fear like most when they can't handle a situation.

Bringing my mind back to the subject, I just couldn't understand.

She changed quite a bit since the day of our little prank. Instead of being meek and withdrawn like we'd expected, she gave witty comebacks and annoying remarks when I felt it wouldn't take much to make her back down. She didn't seem even to consider that when she looks at me in a defiant manner I can't help but see a little of myself in.

She played it off when Kid and "MM" showed up, and tried explaining as if she was someone else entirely. It was full of bullshit, and Emma thought so too, but we didn't add our opinions unless we wanted some trouble as a result.

So after that day, we opted to observe her rather than go through the usual routine. Usually we would get other people on it by making things even harder in a way that made the girl paranoid to even think about openly confronting us. It was something I both enjoyed but hated all at the same time.

But now that everyone knows she has powers, no one had the balls to try it unless they wanted a very bad day. I'm not even entirely sure if she notices the wary glance she gets from both the students and the faculty, but I'm sure she noticed something was up.

So we held off for most of that day in silence. And what we saw from her was... odd, which isn't normally what I'd say about anybody considering who I'm associated with.

She had that same posture that said leave me alone, but it was more in a 'you'll regret it afterwards' kind of thing rather than being withdrawn into herself. The same can be said when she's in class, but she has a lazy air about herself when presented with an assignment, which actually wasn't too different from most of the other students in class honestly.

Though I was surprised to hear from Madison that she was speaking to the little snot Greg of all people.

She had all of that power, but she never directly looked for payback of any kind to those who had it out for her. Instead, she was both uncaring and passive, but only because she knew that no one was messing with her for the time being.

So when we cornered her at the end of the day, she didn't recoil in fear or anything usual like we'd expect, but instead she just showed annoyance at best and contempt at worst.

Not that it mattered since she was really starting to piss me off with her snarky attitude. Just about everything I said to bring her down, she simply replied with something to make us look like utter retards in front of everyone else.

To be honest, I wanted to test her by fighting her then, but she just up and left with that same look of boredom on her face when she was ignoring Emma. Even though the redhead was one of my only closest friends, it still surprised me that she always found something old to dig up and use against her old friend.

That first day alone left me being in an irritable mood after school.

But then I saw the news report that night after our patrols had ended, and I just happened to still be in the base when it showed what had happened that night.

I was actually curious as to what was causing that noise to begin with, since it not only didn't exactly keep itself from being noticed by the general populace, but it also had the effect of getting some people wary since most were starting to think a new powerful baster and/or tinker might be in town.

And it also doesn't make them feel better when they don't know their allegiance. It was funny how quick most people would switch gears when they found out who was a hero or villain, but rogues just get the neutral treatment.

It wasn't too long after that until we received word that it was Lung who was brought down. I was shocked to say the least that someone actually managed to bring that fucker down, considering he's not easy to try and fight unless you're on Triumvirate level of power when he starts powering up.

The strangest thing came when 'Arms' brought a report to everyone that the one responsible was a new cape that goes by the name "Dr. Magi-Tech", which sounded pretty retarded in itself. But it gave me a hint that the cape in question was a tinker, if his or her alias is anything to go off of.

But what surprised me the most along with the Wards was the fact that said cape had no costume or identity to protect. Big deal though, if the cape wanted to get killed later, then it was their fault for being a dumb ass.

The fact that it was fucking Hebert of all people however, made it the most shocking. On the outside, I didn't really react at all for them to pay attention to me. Thankfully Gallant was talking to them so he couldn't read my mood like a high quality photo.

But inside was another thing, that it just couldn't be true. She isn't even capable of doing that, even after she sped off and left the school, there's no way her weak frame brought down a tough bastard like Lung!

When Aegis got curious and asked if we knew more about her powers, I thought it was nothing but complete bull. Manipulating reality to functioning like a god damn game? I'm more convinced that someone must have slipped some of the Merchant's stuff into everyone's drinks, cause there's no way in hell that's possible. And from the looks of it, no one else in our little group disagreed with that idea.

The one thing we can all agree on...a cape who seems to be as out of it as they come.

Then came today... and I can say that she has even managed to surpass the likes of Clock and Vista in terms of who pisses me of the most with the way they talk. At least those two have the sense to not talk to me once they realize I don't give a shit about what they want to talk to me about.

But after what happened, I'm thoroughly pissed the hell off after what she did to me and Emma. She humiliated me in front of just about the whole school, and treated me like a fucking waste of time.

I grit my teeth as my hands were still aching from the bitch's hold on them 'She can be the next Alexandria for all I care, all I know is that she's dead the next time I see her.' I thought with a burning determination.

One part of me points out that it wouldn't be a good idea, but I quash that thought before it could surface. I'm sure I can take the little bookworm and whatever she throws at me.

(Danny POV)

Never in my life would I have thought that my life would turn in a both sad and weird direction. Then again in my younger days, I wasn't sure where my life was going to end up.

After I found out that Taylor had simply disappeared, I had feared the worst. CJ tells me that he can bring her back from wherever she is, but it's hard to say. Even nowadays I still worry about it, even with the reassurances that he's able to do so.

Because after Annette left, I wouldn't know what to do if my little owl left my life either.

It was saddening to know that there was absolutely nothing I could do to help her with her bullying problem in the least. Yeah, the kid handed me her diary to look over, and to say that I was absolutely brimming with hot rage was a bit of an understatement. It took me a full half hour before my mind was in a condition to start being rational again since I had done nothing but curse loudly and pound the wall with my fists, thankfully they were now indestructible.

When I'd calmed down enough, I'd looked to the kid only to see for once that he seemed wary. Not enough to run or panic, but still present on his face if one looked deep enough to find it.

I was surprised to see this since he seemed so level headed even in the face of a serious situation. So when I asked him about it, he told me that my anger was on a level that he sees when his dad is legitimately pissed off, which is enough scary visuals for him to deal with.

But it still doesn't simmer down the guilt I feel.

I quickly stomped those feelings before they could overtake my mind. I had just reached home once again after the usual day of being the usual spokesperson for the Dockworker's Association. Really, it was good work all on it's own, but there are even times where I can find myself frustrated by what goes on there.

If it wasn't for the little lackluster deals that were made, we may have lost long ago. But thankfully we have what we need to get by and make it through the city, even if it hurts knowing that some will still end up losing their jobs due to plans and/or the rare budget cuts. The Mayor likes to run his mouth saying that something will be done about it, but it's been years since then, and no progress has been made to fixing the docks.

Though when I relay stuff like this to CJ, he seemed to find it more amusing than not when I tell him of some of the idiocy that happens sometimes.

I shook my head at those thought with an amused smile on my face as I thought about the kid still in my daughter's body. At first I thought I would be endlessly disturbed by that fact each time we interacted, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Sure it gets odd when I have to remind myself that he's a guy in spirit, but he and Taylor couldn't be any further apart.

Where Taylor's smart on an astounding level that would've had a shot at getting her into college early, CJ's smart on a slightly lower level due to laziness and his tendency to find amusement in the little things. I would scold him about it, but his powers kind of negate that since he can literally become anything he wishes in life.

Where Taylor's a bit shy, he has no problems telling you what he thinks unless he finds nothing he can say on the matter in question.

He was also much more thoughtful than most other people would expect. He was concerned about my well being since his identity, and by extension my daughter's, was out into the world for everyone to know. It may have been a small part of me that was unaware of a majority of the cape scene, but I still thought he might have just been a little paranoid.

Then again, I was expecting the worst when I was simply told that Taylor was gone.

Those little rings he gave me were more of a blessing with a minor curse on the backside of it. On one hand, it let me help a lot at work here and there in regards to some of the shipment that needed the heavy lifting that machines weren't too delicate with. But on the other hand, I've been getting a little attention from those who wanted to ask me about it.

Sure, I may have the position of the Head of hiring, but I don't think it hurts to assist in other areas whenever I'm available.

And this happened just yesterday.

As I put my hand on the door, I thought 'To think I was getting angry at him in the beginning when he was just helping me out.'

As soon as I had opened it, I was treated to both an amusing and interesting sight in the middle of our now slightly spacious living room area.

[Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 - Level Up Theme]

Nothing was really out of place, but the fact that the room seemed to extend past what it was capable of. Which was surprising since the house didn't have any outward appearances, and I'm pretty sure I would've noticed if my house was bigger all of a sudden.

The couch hadn't moved from it's usual position, but the wall that separates it from the TV has increased by a large margin that made it possible that I could hold a meeting of some kind with a good number of people at one time.

The most interesting thing going on however, was the actions of the kid I've become slightly fond of in a matter of days.

In the center of the living room, was CJ in some of Taylor's clothes dancing in a pretty funny and sporadic way that actually tries to follow the set rhythm that's being played for all to hear. And I had to admit, it wasn't bad in the slightest in terms of the song itself.

I also noticed that he wasn't alone in the party as well, since there was an identical copy right next to him performing the same movements in synchronization. Every moment had them performing the same dance moves in a way that only those with years of teamwork and friendship would accomplish at a time like this. The copy looked every bit as he did right now, clothes, face, and all of the other visible little details.

Currently they were both moving their arms up and down while shaking their hips left in right, all while they were both singing some lyrics I couldn't properly hear in order to understand since it was more to himself than anything.

I closed the door, and I almost wanted to laugh at the fact that he didn't notice me walking in. The door made enough noise as it was somewhat old, but he didn't even notice it as he was probably having too much fun.

So I decided to let him have this moment as I just stood by with my arms crossed and a amused smile on my face.

As I watched him and his copy mimic movements, I couldn't help but also appreciate moments like these. Sure I still felt the guilt from both my wife and my little girl, but he manages to bring me from my depression by distracting me with humor that I couldn't help but notice.

It helps keep the feelings from overwhelming me after all.

Hell, even when it wasn't his plan to be brought here, he still had wanted to learn more about me as a person. In turn I learned more about him and a bit of his home life, along with some idiotic stories of his own.

Ah, the days we look back at high school and realize how dumb we could be.

I was brought out of my short musings as the song had ended more quickly than I expected, and I saw that CJ and his clone were proceeding to high five one another.

I decided to let them know of my presence as I clapped both of my hands in applause while I also had an amused smile on my face. My expression increased as I had the pleasure of seeing him look surprised with a shocked look on his face when he and his clone spotted me at the door.

He seemed to look around in every direction before he looked back to me with a sheepish expression "Um, there's a totally valid explanation for everything that has transpired for the past couple of hours." he said quickly yet awkwardly at the same time. His clone adding a 'What he said' to the statement.

I rose an eyebrow, but kept the smile on my face "Such as?" I said humorously.

He replied "I was bored." he said with a sheepish shrug before he dropped the expression and looked somewhere else with his attention off of me. After a few moments with him looking at something in specific, he turned to his clone before punching it in the face, which also gave it the effect of turning it into smoke as a result.

He then turned to me "So... how about learning that game of DnD?" he said while bringing his arm across his chest in an exaggerated manner.

I just grinned in response.

By now we were sitting across from one another in the now normal room after his little dancing fiasco. I told him not to make a habit of doing it in the house, but even I couldn't deny it's usefulness when it comes to certain situations.

But for the time being we were just content with keeping it the way it normally is in order for me to properly explain to him how most of the stuff is done

"Okay," he started as I had explained some of the basics so far to him "I understand the stuff like building the characters, the stats and the way they can interact, but how do you make the adventure and everything pertaining to the characters journey?" he asked.

I answered "That role belongs to the dungeon master. He or she can decide exactly how the adventures and quests progress for the heroes, as well as throw some obstacles in their way. In a way you should be familiar with this." I pointed out with a roll of my eyes.

He seemed to be confused at what I said "What do you mean by that?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

I gave him an unsure look "You know, like how you can change reality by enforcing the rules of the game on them." I clarified. I didn't think he would misunderstand what I said, maybe it was just the way I worded it.

It's a pretty accurate comparison too. I admit even I was skeptical on the whole gaming reality ability as well, but who wouldn't be? I bet it seemed so farfetched for even standard capes I can guess.

But after what he showed with making the house practically invincible, and the rings of power he just handed me for safety against other capes, he's pretty much convinced me that he was telling the truth. The fact he also likes to constantly use the power was also taken into account when doing anything important was enough to get that point across.

Which surprised me on the fact he didn't see the connection.

He looked to be thinking for a moment until he shook his head "I haven't really done anything like what you just said in terms of quests and all of that. So I don't think it works like that exactly." He said as he crossed his arms, but still held that look of consideration.

I rose an eyebrow at that "Have you actually tried doing that?" I asked him out of curiosity.

He rose an eyebrow "How do you figure I could do that?" he asked me.

I returned the gesture, but more out of surprise "You told me that you can affect everything around you like your own sort of playing field. And while I don't really play those kinds of games, I figured that the quests you get would be up to you to control as well." I explained to him while I pointed to the notes I had that recorded at least some parts of the adventure that me and my old college buddies had made together.

He opened his mouth to answer, before promptly closing it and looking off in another direction. He seemed to be in deep focus with whatever he's seeing, since I could tell with the way his eyes would dart in multiple directions in a second that could be compared to those who're very observant.

It's times like these that make me wonder just what exactly capes go through when in the process of discovering their powers. For those like CJ, I can see it being sort of the same as he's doing right now, being level headed about the endeavor. But it's hard to imagine those whose abilities are pretty destructive trying to be discrete about it. The loudest my house guest has been was when we practiced at the Boat Graveyard, but no one really noticed us that day.

'It also makes me wonder just what kind of trouble he could get himself into.' I thought with a small frown marring my features. Despite how amused I appeared when he walked in last night, I was still a little worried. I knew he'd be fine since he's proven that he can be a pretty cautious person by nature, but I still couldn't help it.

I wasn't lying when I said he was a good kid. Not the kind you can use as a role model for others his age, but nice enough to where you can legitimately appreciate his company.

Which is why yesterday night I was staring at the TV with a wide eyed look at the time it happened. Out of everything he could have encountered, he just had to face the goddamn leader of the ABB the very first time he went out. They've been around since Annette had Taylor, and the gang made their point sometime ago that they were here to stay. Even though I've only heard it through the news, I was still surprised to hear he defeated the entire Protectorate team by himself, so it was safe to assume that you just didn't generally poke the metaphorical and literal dragon.

But putting that up as competition against someone who has reality warping abilities seems like a bit of a stretch if you ask me. For all I know, CJ was just showing off in order for everyone to notice.

I was brought out of my musings as I heard a thud, and looked to see that the kid himself just banged his head pretty hard against the coffee table. He was groaning loudly in a way that was familiar, since I often make the same sound whenever I screw up something that I know I'm gonna regret later.

After a minute or two, he lifted his head up and looked at me with half lidded eyes "I've really been downplaying what I can do, haven't I?" I decided not to answer him, but nodded nonetheless, in which he continued with a sigh "Well... looks like I haven't been thinking as much as I thought I have. But on the bright side, I can at least say that I can get down to business tomorrow." he said that last statement more to himself than anything.

He turned to me "But first I'm learning this thing! So let's get to it!" he said quickly before staring intently at the board.

I shook my head at what I'd just witnessed before I went back to explaining the rules once again. As I was doing so, I noticed his interest grow the more I mentioned how the characters interact, which probably means he's getting an idea.

'Yeah, he's certainly got the drive to achieve anything, but not the ambition.' I thought to myself with a small frown as I had one question that had been in the back of my mind.

If he even manages to bring back Taylor in the end, what then?

A/N: I believe I can confidently say that interludes are indeed my weak point. Though to be fair, I don't really know too much about Sophia to really get a good read on her besides fanon's version which is 'being angry all of the time when I don't smile about violence' or something along those lines. Yeah, I'm sure she's intelligent, but I don't think that really applies too much here since she already knows Taylor's (SI) identity. I'm also sure that she would still hold a major grudge against anyone, regardless of the person's ability.

I think I did okay portraying Danny at least, though I'm pretty sure the DnD aspect is fanon, but it was said that he was a bit of a geek as well, so I think it fits him a little. Next chapter we'll be back into the swing of things!

P.S: Come on! Don't tell me none of you have stopped and danced to that theme or anything else in the games. Sure it was plagiarized, but hell if the composer didn't have a taste in good music!