Conduit In Brockton Bay Chapter 1

/Controlling Fear\

The smell of rotten blood. Used feminine products. Decaying and molded miscellaneous items that I couldn't make out in the dark. I couldn't breathe. Even when I knew my sense of smell should have been shot the memory of the overwhelming stench and odor was unfortunately gripping and crushing. I had immediately thrown up the moment I got stuck in this locker, and it was so bad and my confines so dark that my imagination went wild with vivid imagery of it burning into my skin permanently, to where I'd never be clean.

And then the bugs. Almost worse than the stench.

Crawling, clawing, biting. Winslow had never been clean. Roaches and filth were prevalent already. I had no idea how long they had been planning this. How long everything had been sitting here. My head was filled with wild ideas, with nothing to do but scream and bang on a door I knew wouldn't open.

Maybe they had put bugs in the locker right before the break. Laughing about it. Or maybe they hadn't. And the little creatures were attracted to the rot.

I had imagined what this was what being dead felt like, but worse. Someone buried but with their senses. I hated the thought. I hated the thought of the very real possibility that I might die in the locker.

Even with all that, and the months of torment and neglect and the wearing me down... it still took hours before I finally cracked.

[Destination]

[Agreement]

I blacked out for maybe 10 seconds. I saw flashing lights, a man screaming from loss. The rage. I couldn't stop it. My whole body had convulsed. Everything about me changed on a fundamental level I still don't understand.

But I gained something I had never had. The power to fight back.

The instant I woke up I was out of that locker. The harsh sound of my phasing to ash and smoke and the softer sound of a small fire being blown signaled the first use of my powers. It was too much. There were still bugs crawling all over me. I could finally breathe but the air felt choking from my own stench. The odor almost felt liquid. Tangible, like the bugs.

I freaked, swatting at my arms, slightly jumping in the air, rapidly swatting at my clothes.

I phased forward again, sharply gasping as the reality of the situation caught up to me.

"What... what the-"

The sound of rushing embers filled my ears and suddenly I was a dozen feet forward.

"Oh God-"

Again.

"Stop! Stop stop stop!" I nearly screamed, tensing every muscle I could. I could see the-the smoke and orange light dancing off my body, whisps of black smoke coming off my arms.

"Oh my God." I shuddered, closing my eyes. clutching at my arms as I shook.

I took a moment to collect myself.

I was out. The smell of smoke filled my nostrils, burning out any other smell. It was harsh and distinct but it was welcome.

Then the bells wrang.

My eyes shot open.

I whipped my head around. I was-my locker wasn't next to any class but people still came through here! I-I couldn't let anybody else see me. Emma, Madison, and Sophia would wonder how I got out.

I had to grit my teeth at that but I had more pressing worries.

But what could I-?!

My body turned to smoke, sucked up through the vent. Maybe if I focused I could direct myself but no idea where to go.

And then I was spit out, turning tangible again.

I fell to my hands and knees, trying to steady my breathing.

Vents. Good to know.

I shakily got back up, noticing the unstable powers I had now under control.

I was in the locker room. Or well, the side room next to the PE locker room.

I quickly shed my disgusting clothes and went for a shower. I tried to be quick, thankful no class had PE at this period. It was somewhere around the middle of the day. I couldn't be sure when but probably around 2 or 3.

My eyes caught the bin of lost and found PE clothes and wrinkled my nose. It was better than nothing. Or the alternative, which was much worse to me.

After finding fitting clothes I gave my old ones a beady eyed stare.

Experimentally holding out my hand I watched it light up with smoke and super heated ash.

And let out a torrent of fire and smoke. My old clothes didn't stand a chance.

"Woah." I clenched and unclenched my hand, seeing the black trails still clinging to my hand and arm.

I had powers.

It was an obvious statement but still... intangibility, Blaster powers. I was no Alexandria type but just... wow.

How was I going to get home though?

My eyes caught a vent.

No, I didn't... have good control of my powers yet. I got lucky when I was sucked up in the hallway. I could have just as easily ended up in a classroom or another hallway.

But there was an open window.

I clenched and unclenched my fists, remembering the feeling of my body breaking down into ash and smoke.

All in all it wasn't hard going through the window, I probably could have done it without my powers. If anything the long walk back home was a lot more painful. I was barefoot in gym clothes that weren't my size. The shorts to baggy at the same time covering to little of my legs. I was a lot lankier than most people my age. Meanwhile the shirt was to small in general. I felt exposed in a way I hadn't since I started wearing baggy hoodies.

It was a not so needed reminder that even with my newfound powers I was still Taylor.

...

Danniel Hebert

I woodenly opened the door, already putting the key in my pocket.

It was later than I usually got out of work, there was a problem that needed a lot of attention, or else people would have gone hungry today.

I gave a heavy sigh, wanting to just grab the beer in the fridge while half-heartedly searching for something to eat. I knew that I hadn't bought groceries since last week, but maybe something from the pantry-

Taylor.

I hadn't seen her in...

Something in my chest, probably guilt and self-loathing, swelled up. I swallowed hard, seeing my daughter, really seeing my daughter, for the first time in...

Probably years.

She looked so much like Annette. In a way that was hard to put to words. That hair, those eyes. For some reason she was wearing PE clothes, sitting on the couch slouched over, staring at me with a look that felt so familiar. It was the same look her mother gave me that night when she decided to tell me everything about Lustrum.

I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Hey dad."

"Taylor." I shook myself, trying to brush off the surprise. "You're still up." I internally winced at my moronic speech. We hadn't had a real conversation in so long.

"We need to talk."

Well...

I moved into the living room, sitting down on the recliner opposite to the couch.

Okay. I was here. I could listen. Talk to me Taylor.

"What's going on?"

She took a deep breath.

"Today at school when I was going to my locker... I was shoved in, with a bunch of bugs and-and, tampons. Maybe some other stuff too. After a couple of hours in there, with no one helping me... I triggered. It's what happens when someone goes through a horrible event and unlocks their powers. Dad, I'm a parahuman."

I couldn't move. I couldn't even breath.

I was in shock.

I didn't know how to process something like this. The only thing I pieced together was-"You're being bullied?"

The painful cringe she made pulled me back to reality. Mostly.

"Yes."

Taylor... "For how long?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "A year and a half."

I tried wrapping my head around that. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.

"Why haven't you told me?" I couldn't keep the hurt out of my voice. How did I not see this sooner?

"I didn't want to... I just... you were already... I tried going to the teachers, but they refused to help me. Not them, not the principal, no one. If you tried it would have only made things worse. The school literally shredded my request for a transfer to Arcadia right in front of me."

I was too weak. Thats what she wasn't saying. If it was this bad, then seeing myself fail to do something...

Oh Taylor...

I couldn't keep myself from trembling. My eyes were burning.

Wait, then Emma-"Emma, is she-"

I watched my daughter's face morph into a snarl. I... had never seen her so... full of hate.

"Emma's in on it dad. She took mom's flute. She-she talks about her. About the accident. Everything I told her. I don't know what happened but after I came back from that summer camp... she was a completely different person."

I sat there stunned for a while.

Emma always seemed like a nice girl. Alan and I were friends for a long time, and the two of us always had thoughts about the two girls growing up and talk like we did, seeing their kids growing up together.

I had to focus on something else.

Trigger. Powers. Parahuman.

"You have powers?"

She nodded silently.

And it helped her escape from the locker. Without being noticed, or we'd be having a whole different conversation I think. Something that makes her intangible. Ok. I could work with that. An intangibility power of some sort. It meant that she couldn't get hurt. Good. Right.

"What kind of power do you have?"

She gave something resembling a smile and held out her hand.

Black tendrils of smoke went up and down her arm, the heavy smell of scented woodsmoke filled the room, and her hand lit up with smoke and burning ash.

"I can turn into smoke and pass through objects. I can also burn things. Really good too."

I swallowed. Hard.

Dangerous was probably the first thing that came to mind. The second was what Taylor might have wanted to do with something like that.

"You're not joining the Wards." I put my foot down. Fuck it. I don't care if I'm a horrible father, a hypocrite. I wanted my daughter safe. Maybe in any other city, but Brockton Bay? No way in hell I'd ever let my baby out onto the same streets as Lung, Kaiser, Hookwolf.

"I don't want to join the Wards team. I've... I've had enough with teen drama dad. I was actually afraid you'd want to put me-"

"No. No way Taylor. I... I know I haven't been the best father, but owl you're still my daughter. The only thing I have left. I can't lose you. And I'd never force you to do something you didn't want to do."

She started tearing up. "Dad..."

I took slow deep breaths. No matter how much Taylor grew up, I still have to be the father she wished I was.

That starts now.

"Taylor, I'm going to withdraw you from Winslow." I said firmly. "I'll talk to Alan, see what the hell is going on. We grew up together, I'll twist his arm until everything comes out. Meanwhile we're getting you into Arcadia. The next entrance exam should start a month and a half from now. Study up kiddo. We're going to get through this. Together."

It hurt so much that she looked like she didn't fully believe me. But still, I caught her in a hug, and made a silent vow to keep her safe. Keep her happy.

If it was the last thing I'd do.

...

Taylor Hebert

The hiss of spray paint was calming. I had been working on this mural for weeks now. I knew nothing about cutting out different layers of cardboard, much less about actual art.

But it was worth it.

Not like I was doing much damage in the abandoned parts of town.

Besides, this was just for me.

I ripped down the sprayed over cardboard, careful not to get too much of the wet spray paint on my hands, looking at my finished work.

A black raven hovering over a small black owl with gold trimming. The two were surrounded by smoke and fire. But the raven was protecting the smaller bird.

I took a deep breath, slipping the spray can into my inner jacket pocket.

"I love you mom." My voice was hoarse, and I tightly gripped the edges of my jacket. "And I'll always keep loving you. I'll take care of dad, I'll take care of myself. I'm stronger now, you'll see."

I gave a shaky sigh.

I wouldn't be able to hold off not being a cape for much longer. There were people out there just like me, helpless little Taylor who couldn't fight back.

Except I could fight back now. And I burned to prove Emma and Sophia wrong. Everyone turned a blind eye to me. Something inside of me felt twisted and sick at the thought of turning a blind eye to others.

I was changing. I only hoped I was changing for the better.