Three months ago
She liked the feeling running gave her. She could never quite narrow down the exact emotion only that running had always been a means of relaxation. A way for her too, ironically enough, slow down and take in the world around her. P.E was one of the only classes she liked, it having been one of the few she didn't have to steal or cheat for.
Not that she'd ever had to do any of that herself, Emma had proven useful in certain girl herself had caught her staring and had stopped chatting up her entourage to wave. Sophia returned the favor.
Emma had been the lucky accident. Sophia hadn't planned on saving Emma or her dad from the ABB. It wasn't all that memorable all things considered, but Sophia had let herself be a little more open towards the girl on little more than a hunch. Initially, Emma came across someone who'd be perceived as charming by most, if not a touch needy.
At the time Sophia had been unsure whether or not befriending the girl was worth the effort. It wasn't until she confirmed that they would be attending the same highschool that Sophia had been reassured she'd made the right decision.
For the last year and a half, Emma had made nice with enough people that classes mostly devolved into idle conversation. Grades had become an issue of the past, but the real prize had been status. Sophia, Emma, and by some extent Madison were the top social clique of the school. Even in a trash heap like Winslow that meant something, not even the attending gang members acted out towards them due to the inevitable backlash.
Sophia had since realized that she'd already had all the power she would ever need. But accepting that fact only left her feeling hollow. Nothing that happened at Winslow would mean anything in the long run. It was fortunate that Sophia had met Emma but in the end she was a nobody. Her scope was too limited for her to be considered a useful tool.
Sophia's slow pace was still faster than most of the remaining students. One of the classmates she was lapping yet again was one Taylor Hebert.
It was Madison's idea to cut up Taylor's gym uniform. The result was a tardy Taylor being forced to run in her regular clothes. P.E. was their second class of the day, so Taylor would be forced to wear the same clothes for the rest of the day.
It had been noticeable when she had first started to cover up 's various layers of shirts, sweaters, and hoodie were excessive for so early into the year. It was an obvious sign of weakness but she was right to feel ashamed.
Her shell of clothing was detrimental to her run. Her denim jeans would cause her calves to chaff, and her clothes were littered with spots of sweat. Taylor had seen Sophia approach and had tried to get out of her way. She was too slow to dodge Sophia as she drove her knee, yet again into her lower back.
"Herbert! Take five more laps!"Coach Johnson shouted."You'll keep running until that gets through your thick skull!"
Coach Johnson kept a close eye on the track. Sophia was his top runner after all, and he was known to pick favorites.
Sophia could make out the awkward stomping of Taylor's run behind her. The girl probably thought that this was the extent of Sophia's bullying for the day. Normally she would've been right but today had months of planning behind it. The bullying was one of the chores of befriending Emma.
Introducing her to the concept of predator and prey was only intended as a means of reassuring her after the attack. Sophia had intended for Emma to re-categorize herself, but she couldn't anticipate how wide Emma would apply that philosophy.
Sophia had spent hours on end listening to every bit of dirt Emma could possibly bring up concerning her former best friend. By the time Sophia had started attending Winslow, it was as if she had known Taylor since childhood.
It had been years since Sophia had first heard the philosophy from Steven and it had still irked her. It was one thing to be a predator, to survive among the prey. But eventually everyone would be prey to someone else.
There had to be a way to escape the structure entirely. The fantasy seemed a bit impossible, to live free from all authority or consequence, but so had the superpowers at one point. Sophia lapped Taylor again, but was too deep in thought to kick the girl.
Whatever her solution would be, it would require her to be stronger than she was. Emma had been a tool, a convenient means to an otherwise pointless end. What Sophia wanted, what she needed was a weapon, something that would amount to one step closer to her goal. Taylor didn't seem like much, but she could be a step in that direction.
Emma had been planning to do something big to her former best friend. As her current one Sophia couldn't help but make suggestions or even her own contributions. Madison had already done her part by cutting up Taylor's gym uniform. All that was left was for Sophia to force her into the trap.
Emma through her connections had made sure most of the school had otherwise known about or actually took part in the prank. Taylor was yet again to be made a laughing stock of the school. It was all pretty routine by now, the planned prank was just on a larger scale.
The end of class came quicker than expected. Sophia had felt refreshed after the half-hour of light jogging, out of the corner of her eye she spotted Taylor. The girl moved as if walking required her full attention. She was oblivious to the glances that followed her to the locker room.
The inside of the girls locker room was dimly lit throughout. The room itself was divided between the toilets and showers that were adjacent to the rows of cheap lockers. The former half of the locker room was only occasionally used due to the foul stench emanating from toilets that had never been cleaned.
The only person to have experienced the toilets up close, was standing alone in her corner of the room. Sophia watched her from behind as she seemed to be in a trance of either tugging at her clothes or merely staring off into her locker.
"Ugh! Why is she staring at me?"Emma said, starting chorus of insults that followed her remark.
Sophia felt like a twinge of pride in how Taylor slightly cramped herself into her corner. That pride slowly turned into concern, not for the girl herself but for Sophia's plan. Was this all their was to Taylor?
Sophia had long since theorized the cause for powers being a type of trauma. For her it was a moment where she had been at her weakest. She couldn't remember all of it, but she could recall enough to trace the cause.
Would any of this be worth it if Taylor was the type to become traumatized? Sophia didn't really know the answer to that, but if she failed with Taylor she could always try again with other nobodies.
After the teasing had died down Taylor was approached by Julia, a pretty girl who had spent weeks warming up to Emma.
"You know Taylor if you want you can always borrow some of my clothes for the day." Julia said while holding out a pair of sweatpants and shirt for Taylor.
She hadn't stepped near Taylor but stood farther out extending her hand with the clothes pinched between her fingers. Her nose was scrunched up in an exaggerated expression of disgust. Taylor paused briefly before she walked out of her corner towards Julia.
Before Taylor could even touch the clothes Sophia was behind her. Taylor had turned around in alarm but the motion would only helped Sophia snap her down. She fell on her back with a hard thud against the tiled floor.
Taylor writhed and gasped on the floor. Sophia moved above her, flashing a bright smile at the shocked girl. Sophia tugged at the girls hair coaxing her into raising her arms. Sophia grabbed hold of Taylor's arms dragging her towards the chest left open in the showers.
It was an old trunk that Sophia had found deep in her garage. The paint had mostly chipped away, and small holes had dotted the exterior clearly visible but useless as a means to escape. The latches were nearly rusted over, but it was still sturdy enough to be functional.
Balanced on four wheels that squeaked with every shift it currently held months worth of used pads and tampons. All of it took weeks of collecting and donations to gather enough to fill the container. The smell alone was difficult to endure for long as Taylor immediately had realized.
She had begun to kick and scream but to no avail. Sophia easily overpowered her weak attempts at resistance, managing to easily cram Taylor face first into the filth.
Clasping the rusted hatches closed, Sophia rolled it out to the lockers where everyone had gathered around it.
Emma had started it off with a solid kick against the trunks side. "Hey, Taylor you in there?"
The chest shook with several thuds in response that ended with a desperate cry.
"Aw is the little baby scared here let me help." Emma said before pushing the trunk towards Madison.
"Hey silly no need to cry you've got all of us." she said before continuing the game with the rest of the class.
Sophia's face was home to a wicked grin. Most people would assume that it was due to the unfolding 'prank. But they would be only partially correct. The weeks she had spent stealing used needles had finally paid off. She was concerned that all the other garbage would protect Taylor, she was happy to be proven wrong.
Eventually, P.E. was over, but that didn't mean that they had to let her out. For the rest of the day, the girls had traded the chest between the three of them. Sophia was careful so that she would always be in proximity regardless of who had it. This was made easier by the fact that she shared classes with at least one of them for the day. They managed to convince the teachers that the chest was a type of art project.
None of the really cared just so long as they left the putrid smelling 'art piece' outside. Between classes each of them would torment Taylor in their own way. Madison would kick or stomp on the box whenever she could while Emma would whisper whatever insult came to mind. But Sophia would simply spin the chest in quick circles hopefully stabbing Taylor with dozens of dirty needles.
Occasionally passing classmates would stop by to join in on the fun so that Taylor was never alone. Eventually, Taylor had stopped screaming, whether it was due to exhaustion or defeat was something Sophia lacked the answer to. But it was nearing the end of the day and still it hasn't happened yet. Sophia wasn't consciously aware of what exactly it was that she was waiting for, but she'd know when it came.
It was the end of the school day, and it still hadn't happened yet. When the final bell had rung Sophia had taken control of the truck on wheels rolling it out to the back of the school near the student parking lot. Cameras littered the exterior of Winslow, but it was an open secret that only a few of them even occasionally worked.
Sophia undid the latches. For as quiet as she had been Taylor moved surprisingly fast. She nearly stood to her full height before Sophia could slam the lid over her head.
"You try that again Herbert and I promise you gonna regret it."
Sophia paused for a moment before slowly raising the lid. She lifted it only high enough to see at her handiwork while still leaning over Taylor. The smell from earlier had intensified, Taylor was soaked in sweat and blood, red clung to her clothes and hair. While the occasional needle stabbed into her.
"Why?" She asked in a raspy voice.
Sophia took a moment to stare into Taylor's bloodshot eyes before answering.
"Because I can, because I'm better than you. Looking at your sorry excuse for a life every day pisses me off. You're a filthy, weak and loveless thing. Your own parents don't even want you."
That last remark had been the first thing Taylor had reacted to, recoiling as if the truth had stung.
"You can't even deny it; your best friend since birth hates you, your mom had to abandon you, and your father can't even look you in the face without a drink first. And do you want to know why? It's because they all know the truth about you, the thing that's so clear even the whole school can see it. You're a worm, a bug, a nobody, and your entire life has been one drawn out pity party. But that's all over now you're done being a parasite, you're done dragging everyone down with you."
Taylor didn't offer any response or retort she only let the words wash over her. Sophia knew she'd hit her mark as she watched Taylor's shoulder tremble as she silently sobbed.
She needed to be pushed further.
"But I had a great idea. You see I know a few guys who want a good time, and I let them know where they can find you."
Taylor turned to Sophia with the look of fear in her eyes.
Sophia forced the lid closed before Taylor could try to escape again.
Sophia walked away from Taylor as she struggled to fight her way out. Sophia had to accept that her attempt with Taylor was a bust. The girl was spineless and now also probably diseased but she could still have some future use.
Regardless of the validity of that thought Sophia knew she couldn't just leave Taylor to die inside the trunk. There was no telling what issues could arise from that. The best thing to do was to save her as Shadow stalker, at least then Sophia could nip any incidents in the bud before they developed into something bigger. But for starters she needed her costume, Taylor could wait a couple of hours till sundown for a rescue.
A few hours had passed when Shadow stalker stood over the ledge of Winslow overlooking the chest that held Taylor inside. Only now it was surrounded by three E88 skinheads. They were kicking and yelling at the chest. They were about to open the chest when Shadow stalker had decided to intervene.
Suddenly she was somewhere else, somewhere familiar. All of her perception was overtaken by a vision of three creatures. But 'creature' wasn't the right word for them it seemed too small for what they were.
The three of them were deeper than the reality around them, sinking and folding into multiple times and worlds. They didn't move as much as they shifted everything else around them. Sophia could sense a pattern but without seeing them in their entirety those details remained hidden.
One of the entities had wrapped themselves around the other, the smallest among them. A mere meeting had transitioned to something violent. The smaller entity fractured sending shock waves along its whole body and parts of its attacker.
Sophia recalled seeing the same scene played years ago. It ended the same as it had then, with a scream that never seemed to reach a high enough pitch just escalating until it overwhelmed her.
The vision was over and the memories of it faded just as quickly as it arrived.
Sophia woke up on the edge of the roof. Peering back down at the chest below Shadow stalker could only witness as it and its contents were splattered around the surrounding area. A red blur moved from the wreckage, into one of the skinheads sending them flying into the nearby gate.
The remaining two skinheads drew their small knives but were hampered by the sudden arrows that appeared in their biceps. The creature had used the distraction to attack both of the boys with a wild punch. Shadow stalker transformed as she fell alongside the building.
She approached the crimson giantess slowly at first dropping her weapons and raising her hands. The woman wore the remains of a Taylor's uniform stretched and torn but were still familiar as belonging to the girl. She eventually had shrunk back into her regular frightened human form before she took two tentative steps away from Shadow stalker.
"Who are you?"
Sophia had to hold back her smile. Her plan had worked.
"It's okay I'm here to help."