AN. So there again me with new chapter also betareaden already too.

Disc. Still not owning anything mentioned hard.

Chapter 3 – Aftermath

Even after agreeing to go to the PRT HQ and finally getting her answers, Taylor and her dad were never close to it or getting inside the retrofitted Oil rig. As it had a tinker tech forcefield that protected it, the whole thing looked like a grainy bubble where you couldn't see inside. Even after being inside and getting a reprieve from the entire situation, she had some questions but chose to ask later.

Travis was looking around the room. While his wounds had already healed, they were still uncomfortable when he shifted. The Protectorate housed his handler and himself in a space meant for one person, making the room cramped.

He planned to accompany Taylor to her interview, but this changed because they were split for separate discussions. In the interview, they tried to get more information about his abilities or admit some crime that maybe he did. After some time, they were satisfied with his answers, and he returned to the shared quarters to find that Taylor was taking a shower.

The room may have been small, but it allowed them to hide their discussion from other people.

Taylor came out of the bathroom, pulled on a shirt, and adjusted her glasses. Looking at her, he was reminded of someone from his past. Shaking his head from remembering, he watched Taylor as she sat across him and started talking.

"Okay, I don't think we are watched closely, and my dad is busy talking with the PRT, which means you can explain this to me."

"Where would you like me to start? With my whole past, maybe?"

"No," Taylor shaking her head. "We can talk about this later. We start with your powers. What are they?" He hesitated and continues

"I am an Assassin from the Living Weapon experiment, Taylor. You can consider me a partner and a weapon, all in one package," Taylor motion him to continue. He continues, "You are my Handler, and until you die, I will stand by your side."

"Also, in the hospital when I took your blade in the fight... "

"As my Handler, you absorbed some of my skills, which the AI Eden allowed me to channel. You didn't have combat skills before all this happened?" Taylor nodded, continuing, "Well, in the situation, you tried to imitate my techniques to the best of your ability, and it was very, very well done."

Taylor shuddering slightly

"That looks like a Master effect" Looking at Travis's questioning gaze, she answers.

"People with powers that alter minds are called Masters. This is not a pleasant type of power someone can get; many of them I read about on PHO is called monstrous for a reason." Shaking her head, "Still, I tried this with your fighting moves."

He slowly shook his head as Taylor slightly deflated.

"Still, some of my memories helped you keep calm while fighting Shadow Stalker."

Taylor froze and widened her eyes.

"That's why I could fight without freaking out hard." He smiled and shook his head.
"No, you wanted to calm down and tapped into some of my powers. To do that in combat is hard, which means you are gifted."

"As an Assassin, I'm your weapon, Taylor. As for friendship, that is going to take time."

"And the second chance?" Taylor asked, then raised her hand. "Maybe outside the locker, or this is a second chance at friendship." Raising her head, she looked into his eyes. "I will try my best to trust you, but recently see how lucky I am to trust people."

Taylor hesitated, then reached the space between them with her left hand. "Travis." Looking up, he looked at her eyes. "Whatever you did when I was in that locker, you came for me. No one else in that school did. If nothing more-thank you." He gave a small smile. "Thank you for giving me this chance."

Taylor leaned slightly back. "Well, I thought having powers would be awesome when I was slightly younger. It seems like mine came with much responsibility." He nodded. "I think we both saw what happened to those who got power, destroying their responsibilities. Always been the power price, mine trough bond in my being, yours in this path ahead of you."

Taylor 's eyes narrowed. "I wanted to be a heroine. I made my chosen path" Looking back at him. She grinned again. "Partners?"

He smiled, "It would be my great pleasure."

Somewhere deep inside PRT Headquarters. Piggot was looking behind the cell's glass at the tranquillised form of Shadow Stalker.

The Ward member, or ex-member, tried to escape when she woke up. But unfortunately for her, she got stuck in a prison car with an electrified installation made for countering her Stranger/Breaker powers, and so far, she got to wake up after this.

Scowling, Piggot leaned back at the wall to this and chose the hallway behind her. Renick got after her.

"How bad a clusterfuck did Sophia cause this time?" "Very bad"-the short answer of the assistant escaped his lips with a sour feel. - "Velocity did not even block video recordings at the hospital of the fight Shadow Stalker had not long ago."-When Piggot looked at him, he added- "We need to act to this disaster. Trying to hide this would break Brockton Bay PRT. Many of these records, of course, were deleted to give certain cape privacy, and because medical interns also did this, it would cost their internships."

Piggot stopped and gave him a look. "So why is this full clusterfuck in PHO threads now?"

"Two guests at the hospital in the hall took photos and recordings."-Renick grimaced- "Also a bigger problem now. The moles of ABB and Empire88 in the hospital also did publish this to discredit the PRT." "Did we catch both moles?" "No, but there is good news from this too. Velocity's actions got support. We got both Hebert's and Miss Hebert's projection Travis for a debrief." Piggot still looked at him. "But with a lawyer at their side too."

Renick answered: "And are we calling them or doing a counterclaim? Danny Hebert is the spokesperson for media in the Dockworkers Association. They have contracts with lawyers, and that media did also show on clusterfuck; all criminal lawyers in Brockton Bay want to help in this case to get something from agreements."-He stopped- "Hebert did not accept any offers yet but responded to some, with one from Carol Dallon too." "Brandish may want to get the PRT for incompetence. I am sure she is also eyeing his daughter to join New Wave after this shitshow."-Piggot growled. - "No one interviewed the Hebert's?"

"No. She did respond to Police officers, which even confirmed the cause of the clusterfuck in Winslow and the hospital. We got documents on 18-month bullying, from what most were when Stalker was a Wards member. We now also have a transcript from Madison Clemens responding on this matter. She also was one of the ringleaders of the bullying campaign but not the Trigger Event. From today. Now she, with her family, seeks total security as Stalker gave them no info on the Unwritten Rules. She is afraid Taylor will think to get vengeance, and she will sic her Master projection after her and her family."

Piggot did not feel good. "Tell them this will not happen." Her thoughts changed a lot. "This big mess at least had no human casualties." "Yes, but are we all not afraid?" Renick returned to the hallway, continuing. "We saw Travis is protecting Miss Hebert, but still, this was careful planning. Also, this tells like this could escalate to him approving an attack on Miss Hebert too."

Piggot massaged her head. "Something tells me that its projection thinks more than its Master. So, we took her words. Besides, did no one interrogate them?" "No, Ma'am." "I heard it was a negotiation to make them come. What does this mean?"

"Easy thing Ma'am. They want a place to hide for a week, so I gave them partial accommodation for Miss Hebert for this time. For now, they do not want any compensation." Piggot swore hard. "Do not try to summon Murphy's law here, Renick. We still need to give a media response."

Piggot stopped when the PRT Brockton secretary came to them. "Director Costa-Brown sent a message and wants to talk to you later after you do your discussion with the Hebert's." "It's your fault now,"-Piggot talked to Renick. Looking at the secretary, she answered by nodding and choosing to go to her office.

"Our media response can fall to the whole Protectorate, and I'm sure that Costa-Brown wants a so-called "corrected event "but the whole clusterfuck is so bad that protocol will waste on us." Being angry when she came to her doors. "We must plan what saves PRT's face without playing Empire88 and ABB plots and that we are lying." Opening her doors, Piggot blinked.

"Assault, what the heck is this time?" Looking from the chair on where he was set in one place of the room, Assault stood up and saluted. "Can I talk to the director?" Piggot again blinked and looked at Renick. "Do I have to give Master/Stranger protocol on Assault or me?"

"Ma'am, I'm serious." "As I talked."-Piggot talked, looking at Cape-" What do you want?" Taking a deep breath, Assault talked. "What plan do you have as that one we cannot use in this situation."-He took one hand to stop Piggot's answer and again talked- "We fucked this up. And I take a hit for this." "But."-He stopped-" Hiding the truth can cause problems."