The 'not enough sleep' excuse might have got Taylor out of power testing for the day, but it also meant, as she soon realised, she couldn't exactly head out for heroics without raising the sort of suspicion she decidedly did not want.

We need a better excuse for avoiding power testing tomorrow.

"How about Ana?"

"Ooh, yes I quite agree. She would-"

"I mean heading to her home after school for… whatever schoolgirls do when they head to each others homes."

Taylor couldn't suppress a shudder, the idea reminding her of happier times with Emma, and how that ended up.

"It might be the best option, one of the PRT priorities is maintaining the Wards secret identities."

"You do realise it is a bit soon to be heading home with her?"

"... The director and shield guy probably won't."

So she had the choices of attempting to extend to someone the same trust as Emma had once enjoyed, or try working with and trusting a different PRT office to the one that let Emma and Hess torture her into Triggering…

It shouldn't be this hard to decide.

On the one side it would open her up to a similar betrayal (not that she would open up to the same degree as she once had with Emma. Not even to the peanut gallery who couldn't even communicate with anyone else) while acting as an independent hero without any support structure-

"Except us."

"And the Teeth."

-while on the other she would have to keep being the Butcher secret while going through power testing, and training, and…

"The power testing might reveal exactly what is up with your power."

"If you could keep our powers out of it at least."

Both sides had their positives and negatives…

Her considerations were interrupted by a knock at her door.

Taylor took her time to ensure a lack of evidence of Butcherdom or independent heroism before approaching the door.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Bastion said that you haven't been sleeping well," a vaguely familiar voice answered. "I know what helps me get a good nights sleep, and wanted to volunteer my help."

"What did you have in mind," Taylor asked guardedly.

If he was trying to suggest what she thought he was…

"Exercise. We have an exercise room right here on base so we can wear ourselves out in safety. It's the best way to ensure you get a full nights sleep!"

Taylor hesitated.

She could do with the exercise, what with missing out on going out that night…

"Sure," she finally decided, looking for the gym supplies she'd need.

{}

Taylor collapsed onto her bed, exhausted.

Reynard, the Ward who suggested the exercise session, was a harsh taskmaster.

If it had happened to anyone else, Taylor would likely be impressed at the way the muscle burn overwhelmed her Inherited pain resistance, but right now she just wanted to sleep the damage off.

"Yeah… you do remember about being Noctis right?"

So?

"Sleeping isn't that easy."

"Plus that sort of workout needs more than one nights sleep to recover from."

"The Ward really should have listened to you when you said that was enough."

At least that made tomorrows decision easier.

Clearly it wasn't just Brockton Bay with sadist Wards…

{}

"Things seem to be improving with Phase."

The Boston PRT leadership, including the Protectorate side of course, made a point to go over incoming reports together at the start and end of the day, the combined viewpoints intended to ensure they didn't miss anything important.

"How so?"

The new Ward was a common topic at these meetings.

It wasn't unknown to have Wards who didn't want to cooperate with the system, but usually they were former vigilantes or villains, and most would act out more dramatically rather than keep their head down and simply refuse to join the program.

And there had never been a recalcitrant Ward who had volunteered to join before.

"It seems Reynard heard about her not getting enough sleep and took her to the exercise room."

"Seems reasonable. As ling as he didn't push her too hard, like Weld."

"He stopped once he saw her muscles actually starting to cause pain, to make sure she had enough exercise to make a difference. Seems she had a significantly higher fitness level than you'd expect."

"Which is a promising sign for when she's cleared for heroics. And another possible tie to the department."

"You say that, but she seemed very surprised, and not in a good way, by the power testing. Do we have anything on why she'd respond like that?"

"Thinkers seem to have a problem with her."

"We did put her power testing on hold while Aztec was active. Could simply be nerves from the unknown Butcher situation."

"Maybe. Still, she volunteered and is forging a connection with a Ward who the gangs wouldn't see as a recruitment priority."

"He is a Thinker."

"A combat Thinker who passes it off as Brute/Mover rather than Thinker."

"We are already watching her contacts outside the PRT building. It has been straightforward so far, she doesn't seem to spend time with many people at school."

"What about her runs?"

"She doesn't plan them ahead of time and her only means of communication appears to be her Wards phone, which hasn't received any unexpected messages."

"And without a working Thinker rating that can't lead to meetings with a contact."

"Right, anything else we need to check on?"

"The Teeth have stepped up their aggression against suspected Gesselschaft operations…"

{}

It was a struggle for Taylor to drag her aching limbs out of bed in the morning.

An hour or so into the 'night of agony', as some Butchers had taken to calling it as sarcastically as they could, she had managed to roll onto her side and setup the soap her predecessor had got her hooked to on her laptop.

The distraction drew her attention from her pain enough that she was finally able to sleep at around four in the morning.

The pain throughout her muscles had faded to beneath the level of her pain resistance while she slept, but the slightest movement saw her body protest the torment.

"Exaggeration."

"Well, compared to the pain blast, but she has to be the first Butcher since the original not to have felt it."

"Great," she groaned aloud, "the only way you can think of to make the pain worse is a power."

There was a pause.

"Fair enough."

"Right, you were an inexperienced Cape before killing Quarrel."

"Don't remind me!"

Taylor dragged herself to her wardrobe and considered the range of motion required to get dressed in her uniform.

"Nope," she declared.

"I don't think you can get away with another absence."

"But this ones genuine!"

"I doubt they'll accept 'too much training' as a reason for not attending. Otherwise the Wards would never maintain the required attendance."

Taylor found herself agreeing with… whoever it was.

However reluctantly.

Which meant she needed to get herself into this uniform in the most painless manner possible.

How about…

She activated her power, letting her gym things fall to the ground (and hopefully any sweat with them), before stepping into her uniform.

It was tricky, getting the timing right, but she managed to place herself directly into the clothes she must have hung up sone time yesterday.

"Impressive. Going to use that every day?"

"And just one mistake and I am avenged… go for it!"

"Maybe," Taylor hedged. It would be good practise after all…

"A good breakfast also helps with the ache from exercise. Plenty of protein for rebuilding muscles and fat for energy."

"The black pudding is especially important."

Rather than argue Taylor did her best to head directly to breakfast.

It didn't stop the question though.

Why are you so obsessed with black pudding?

{}

The way Taylor wasn't able to walk normally soon drew Anas attention, the girl taking the first opportunity to approach her.

"Is everything alright?"

"Got roped into a fitness fanatics idea of how to get a good nights sleep," she evaded.

Ana winced.

"Going by the time we had an ex-military PE instructor, I'm impressed you could even get dressed."

"Ex-military instructor?"

"We're pretty sure there was at least one Ward here at the time. So, still not sleeping? It wasn't because of what I said about seeing Aztecs death?"

"No, I guess I have just been lucky not to run into him so far."

"Sounds like you're worried he could try dragging you into another session. Shame you couldn't stop somewhere else to prevent it. I mean I would invite you round mine but…"

The setup was almost too perfect.

"But what?"

"We haven't really known each other that long… well, it's not as though I expect you to try robbing me or anything so why not?"

Taylor did her best impression of a smile at Anas response.

She had an excuse to avoid power testing for today and another for tomorrow.

And that left plenty of time to figure something out for the rest of the week.

{}

It had taken a while for Spotlight to be declared ready for patrols.

Part of this was to muddy the timing of her moving from Boston to the Bay, part was finding a way to test her synergy with Shadowmancer without breaking M/S screening.

After all, a power that could produce high definition shadows combined with a power to control shadows?

How often did such possibilities come together?

An added factor was the hope that Spotlight could neutralise Shadowmancers power if need be.

But now, finally, Shadowmancer was cleared for duty for the first time since her Second Trigger, and on an introductory patril for Spotlight.

Not one to meet with the public, just one to introduce her to the city.

"I couldn't help but notice the others don't seem to like you," Spotlight commented, taking the opportunity to learn about the Ward she was likely to spend the most time working with.

"I don't blame them. I was under Master influence," Shadowmancer responded, a second… dog? Cat? Whatever her projections were forming beside her.

Spotlight winced.

"And your actions broke their trust?"

"No- actually, sort of. I was under Turncoats influence when I joined," she responded, shifting uncomfortably.

"Isn't his power permanent?"

"It took Second Triggering from what I'd done to break free."

Spotlight winced again.

"I'm so sorry, I've heard about how much worse a Second Trigger is, I didn't mean to bring it up-"

"After what I did I deserve to suffer," Shadowmancer interrupted.

"It wasn't your fault, you were being influenced by a Master. I mean, you wouldn't do any of that normally, right?"

"That's not how it works. If I had the chance to do it to someone I hated as much as I… was close to her… I would have… I would be willing to do it all to them. And… what sort of person does that make me?"

"It sounds like you really need to talk about this with the Wards therapist."

"When we finally get on the rotation."

Spotlight nearly laughed at what she assumed was a joke, before it hit her that her fellow Ward was being serious.

"You haven't got any therapists checking in on you? But… I've heard about how all the Brockton Wards are locals, you need to have someone work you through your Trigger if you hope to stay sane!"

"It's not that bad-"

"Yes it is!"

Shadowmancer froze at Spotlights shout.

"I've seen Protectorate members get themselves killed by not working with their therapist properly. To let Wards not get the therapy they need… what is Piggott thinking?"

"She apparently has a secretary whose job it is to keep at the wider PRT about sending therapists here. If you can believe Clockblocker at least."

Spotlight stared at her in disbelief.

"Right, as soon as I get back to base I'm calling Armstrong. If you're telling the truth and there isn't a therapist on-site, rather than them just taking a while to get around to me, we need to do something."

{}

In Cauldrons base Contessa saw the failure of the Brockton Bay experiment should they fail to interfere.

A quick examination of the requirements to put the experiment back on track determined the cost far outweighed the possible benefits, thanks in no small part to the inability of Coil to work with others or find ways to minimize unwanted consequences without overuse of his powers.

As such she wasted no hesitation on calling off the experiment.

Sure, it was a shame how much they'd sunk into a wasted effort, but they had still learned some useful information for their goals.

{}

By the time she left Anas home, an apartment with her parents (even if both were working at the time, her mother on a business trip and father just not having finished his shift) that Taylor couldn't yet judge as being normal for Boston or not, Taylors muscles were no longer protesting her every motion.

This of course led to her predecessors arguing that she should be heading out as a Cape.

Arguing, because there were dissenting voices calling for more soaps.

"Cone on, you can't spend too long before your debut as 'the Shadow'."

Urgh, no way. I'm not linking my Cape identity to them.

"Then 'the Shroud'. A name that will fit when you join the Teeth."

Not happening.

"Stop listening to them and put the next episode on in your room. I think whatsisname is about to Trigger!"

"How can you not remember his name if you want to see him with powers so badly?"

"I don't want to see him with powers, I want to see him go through a Trigger event! After what he did to-"

"If you don't like the names we come up with you could just go out and see what name the PRT gives you."

And risk 'Shadow'? Or another urban legend name?

"Hey, you could always protest the name. I mean, you get to sit in on the briefings after all. And protesting an unknown getting a name linked to current Wards or online phenomenon would be more than reasonable."

It's not as though I have the costume with me.

There was a break in the conversation.

You put the costume in my bag.

It wasn't a question.

How?

"I think it was when you panicked."

Taylor considered her options.

Fine. But only because they could still have power testing ready.

There was the sensation of muffled cheering and groaning within her head, which Taylor chose to ignore.

Now where is the best place to change…

Omake: the Reports Club

(AN: because somehow the reports scene reminded me of the clubs in Victorian novels and I couldn't think of a better way to right them)

It was much easier reading the reports when printed out into a newspaper-like format, director Armstrong mused.

"Are the Teeth targets suspected to be linked to Gesselschaft by us or just them," he queried Bastion, not having that report on his broadsheet. "Ah, thank you Jeeves," he said, accepting the brandy from the departments butler.

"Just them until the Teeth brought them to our attention," Bastion responded, tapping the ash off his cigar onto the ashtray. "Our follow-up investigations have found suspicious 'donations' and expenditure which we're still trying to track down. With a little luck those nazi idiots can be cleared up and put out of the way before they can start another war."

"This one looks interesting," Armstrongs deputy commented. "Pass me that reference book would you?"

"Of course sir, which category," Jeeves answered promptly.

"Urban legends, volume three. It seems we have a recent Trigger naming themselves after one."

"Of course sir."

These meetings certainly made things run smoother, Armstrong decided, sipping at his brandy.

AN: and they continue to screw up with Taylor with only the best of intentions.

As for the Bay situation, it comes down to a personal interpretation of how Cauldron screwed them over for the sake of the 'experiment'. They needed the PRT to be a non-entity (because they couldn't just experiment to work out how the government could survive societal collapse), and so had to block access to the wider organisations resources. They did this, here at the very least, by a 'rushed' department setup, without required personnel, while ensuring that Piggott immediate calls for help would be dismissed as 'reaching for excessive resources' or the like, and turn down the requests themselves.

Combined with her refusal to transfer out, and only people in Cauldron or under Piggotts authority (leaving them seen as compromised, so to speak), know about how much the other departments have that the ENE don't, and so nobody can 'blow the whistle' on the situation.

With a recently transferred Ward, who has the ability to contact another director and knows what other departments have access to, should she be able to get word out the experiment is finished. However, blocking that contact would cause even greater problems for the experiment.