So here we are, the last chapter of the Awakening Arc. Not exactly the happiest with it, but I think it culminates what I've been aiming for in the end.

Enjoy.

Awakening 1.z+2 Sophia

While there were many things that she hated under the yoke of the PRT, in the top three of those was Console Duty.

Oh, it served a purpose, that had been drilled into her head repeatedly. The supposed idea that being stationed on the console provided them a better understanding of the what and why that took place in the decision process for if they were given authorization to intercede or not.

But it was a load of bullshit in her estimation. A total waste of their abilities to plant their asses behind a desk when they could be actually doing their damn job and putting down criminals. Let the worthless Wards do console duty if they were so obsessed with having a Ward do it, like Vista or Clockblocker.

Instead, the idiots had her sitting at a console, having to suffer through listening to Clockblocker talk incessantly about Tenshi's PHO debut. The fact that the idiot hadn't caught on that she was ignoring him only further serving to sour her mood.

But the cherry on the top of her ever-mounting irritation that had reached the point of seething was the subject matter of Clock's chatter.

If anyone ever accused her of being even the slightest bit envious of the newest "hot" cape, she'd punch them in the throat and take satisfaction in watching them choke on their breath. However, she'd willingly admit that Tenshi was doing what they should be doing, hunting down criminals and their cliques and putting them down with prejudice. Like what she just did to the Merchants. Not doing photo-ops, meet and greets, and patrols meant to make people feel safe and not necessarily place Wards at a high level of risk.

And certainly not sitting on their asses doing fuck-all but wait for something to happen. And then watch and do nothing while the so-called "heroes" do just better than jack-shit, all the while the criminal capes get away.

And they wondered why people are finding the new cape exciting, she thought angrily, maybe they should look in a mirror.

It was to her relief that the vibration of her phone in her pocket drew her out of a fantasy where she drove one of her crossbow bolts through his right eye.

Honestly, it would have been a waste of a bolt anyways, she thought with a hint of dark amusement as she fished her phone from her pocket and lit the screen, idly noting it was a message from Emma before unlocking it.

Have you read this?

Read what?

ww w parahumans forums/threads/i-am-tenshi-ask-me-anything.521271/page-5#710432318/

Fighting back her irritation at Emma of all people linking her to PHO, she ran her thumb over the link, causing her phone to open up the PHO app.

Reading what Emma had linked her, her irritation slowly turned into wariness as she reread it a second time. It was as she finished that her thoughts were racing, going over one specific pair of paragraphs over and over in her head.

I will state that if Protectorate East-North-East truly cared about the people of Brockton Bay, they would take a good, hard look into the conduct of their heroes, Protectorate and Wards alike.

I have a feeling that they will find that their so-called heroes are not as clean as they would hope they would be.

Her initial thought was confusion at who they could be referring to. It was laughable the idea that any of the Protectorate would be guilty of anything. They were straight-laced to the point that they either had a stick up their ass , or were too much of a pussy to get their hands dirty, obsessed with doing everything 'by the book'.

So then her thoughts wandered to the Wards, and it was there that her concern was ratcheting higher. Because she couldn't imagine any of them would be doing something stupid enough to gain the attention of the cape that had rolled up the Merchants.

It was as she reviewed the information again, wanting to deny the niggling feeling that was settling in her stomach, that another text arrived from Emma.

Do you think she talked to Tenshi?

For a second it didn't register who Emma was referring to before it clicked, and the confusion quickly morphed to a hot fury, before it channeled into something far colder as it all suddenly made a sickening sort of sense.

While to Emma and herself, what they had done to Emma's former friend, Taylor Hebert was nothing more than a collection of jokes and bullying meant to satisfy the redhead. But to the assholes that held her chains, what was simply harmless bullying was likely something worse in their sanctimonious opinion.

Though, she knew in truth that they only cared if they were caught, as her case worker had known about the bullying and had written it off simply as a teenager thing, instead choosing to protect her cushy job. And the school administration enjoyed the injection of cash from the PRT by hosting her in the school, so they were pretty much in the same boat, except it was in their best interest to minimize Hebert.

However, after they had shoved in that locker, Hebert had changed seemingly overnight. From gaining weight and muscle, to having a quiet confidence that seemed completely unassailable no matter what they said or tried. For a weakling like that to make a sudden change like that had made no sense—

Unless she suddenly found herself someone who could make her into what she was now.

She didn't know how Hebert encountered Tenshi, but in her mind, it made a lot more sense than Hebert suddenly doing an about face in her entire personality: from cowed prey to a predator that caused even her hackles to rise.

And that bitch had the gall to sell her out to Tenshi, who was now airing that laundry onto PHO?

There was only one way to respond to this.

Getting to her feet, she stalked to the door that would lead out of the Console room, stopping at the door to allow it to automatically open as it sensed her presence.

"Hey, where are you going," Clockblocker called out.

"Restroom," she snapped, not even deigning to look back as she strode down the hallway, phone in hand, rapidly texting back to Emma.

Yes.

That simple response encapsulated every single emotion that was threatening to break loose even as she continued her course, already figuring out what her options were, which were distressingly few.

There was no doubt that her current leash-holders were going to bray for her blood the moment Tenshi talked. They only cared about their appearance and not doing what they were supposed to be doing and put the trash in their proper place. Tenshi whining to them about what happened to Hebert would no doubt be enough of an excuse for Piggy to put her ass in juvy, considering the fat bitch had made apparent her dislike for her.

No, there really was only one option available for her, and that was to go to ground. However, before that, she concluded, the front doors to the PRT Headquarters opening in front of her and granting her access to the outside, she had a score to settle.

Bringing up her phone, she typed out a response to Emma, one that she had never expected to have to say, but she wasn't stupid enough not to plan it.

Wipe your phone and computer. Tell Madison to do the same. I'll contact you later.

With that, she pocketed the phone and transitioned into her shadow state, intent on reminding Hebert just who was the top dog one final time.

AND

It had taken her over an hour to reach the Hebert household, partially because she had to hit one of her stashes to arm up. It would have raised too many flags for the PRT if she were to suddenly arm herself before leaving. Still, even if it had been a delay, it allowed her to switch out those stupid tranquilizer bolts for her broadhead ones and a pair of knives.

And it appeared that no one had informed Hebert either, as the household was dark, only the moonlight providing any ambient light to see. Perfect for slipping in and out without anyone noticing before it was far too late.

Phasing once again once she was close enough, she landed upon the roof right in front of the window where Hebert's room was. She had made it a point to recon the place last year, in the event she would have to do what she was doing now. Collecting herself, and ensuring that she was still remaining silent, she peered into the window, noting angrily that Hebert was tucked in her bed, blissfully unaware of the bullshit she had put her through.

Just the vision before her caused her to change her plans. Putting a bolt through the bitch's face wasn't enough, it was too clean, she wanted the snitch to suffer, to know that she brought all of this upon herself because she couldn't fucking accept the reality of her life. That she was prey.

Withdrawing a knife from her sheathe, she shifted again, phasing through the window and coming to a stop at the head of Hebert's bed, looking down upon the teenager one more time. The fact that she hadn't even reacted to her presence was the final nail in the coffin of her opinion for the girl, as her face curled into a visage of hatred, before she ripped the blankets off her body. Grabbing at the girl's hair, she yanked up, taking satisfaction at the fact that girl was just waking up with a yell, and exposed her neck, before drawing her knife across her neck, making sure to cut to the bone.

"Release."

Her eyes widened at the soft voice, one that was too familiar, before everything became white light. The next thing she knew she was on the ground, blinded, and her entire being was both agony and fire, the acrid hot smell of ozone clinging in the air.

What the hell just happened was repeating over in her head, even as the conscious part of her that wasn't screaming internally at the pain could hear paper fluttering in the air causing her to immediately figure out what happened.

Fighting to resist curling up into a ball, because she knew if she did, she was dead, she fought her body up, reaching for her crossbow and looked up, bleary vision catching the sight of Tenshi sitting on the bed, her leg crossed, burnt orange eyes glowing in the dark.

It was enough of a sightline as she brought up her crossbow and fired, the bolt flying straight and true and right into the forehead of Tenshi, head snapping back at the force of the bolt. Sophia forced herself to her feet, unsteady legs just barely managing her weight as she turned and began shuffling towards the window as she willed her body to shift into her breaker state.

"Activate," that damnable soft voice caused her metaphorical eyes to widen, as she was once again wracked with pain. The only thing she could do was to pull herself away from the pain and stumble back into the bedroom and onto the ground, no longer able to resist the urge to curl up into a ball, tears leaking from her eyes.

"You know, I should be thanking you," came the voice again, no longer a whisper, and through all of the pain her mind finally realized that it wasn't Tenshi's voice, but was Taylor Hebert's. She didn't have enough time to even respond before the fluttering of paper was a dull roar, and she found her limbs wrapped in paper and she was pulled upright.

There, sitting in Tenshi's place on the completely unblemished bed, was Taylor Hebert with a crossbow bolt still lodged in her head, like a macabre third eye.

"Hebert," she rasped, her throat impossibly dry.

"Getting trapped in that locker was probably the best thing you could have ever done for me" Hebert continued, reaching up to her head, and slowly withdrew it, before dropping it onto the ground with a soft thunk as metal met wood, "without that, I would have been—weak."

"You are weak," she snapped, before trying to phase herself out of her paper bonds, only to be wracked by more pain as electricity was run through her.

"Maybe I am," was the murmured response, her gaze shifting to the side as she seemed to lose herself in thought, "but what does that say about what's between us right now, Sophia. I was willing to let go of the past, leave Emma and you in the dust, let you rot in your pettiness and hate for the world as it changes around you."

"I guess it's our weakness that has brought us to this point," Taylor continued, looking back to her as a decision was seemingly made "you, in your hate, selfishness, and need to prove yourself superior, and my own need for any advantage I can gain."

Leaning down, Taylor picked up the crossbow bolt, palming it contemplatively before she rose to her feet. As Sophia opened her mouth to say something, paper closed over it, leaving her screams muffled as she realized exactly what was about to happen, as she struggled and fought with bonds that were simply too strong to be paper.

Taylor came to a stop before her, reaching up and removing her mask, before tossing it aside.

"A troubled, but wise friend, once said that "We are but men, drawn to act in the name of revenge we deem to be justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance. And trigger a cycle of hatred". I wanted to forgive you, truly, but I find that I can't afford to after this. So thank you, Sophia, for allowing me to break this one cycle of hatred. Goodbye."

Everything seemed to slow down as Taylor's left hand came up, the broadhead bolt gleaming in the moonlight as she held it off to the side. Then time seemed to speed up again, as it came straight towards her. There was a brief sensation of contact as her brain only had moments to process what was happening.

And then there was nothing.