AN: Little bit of insight into Theo. We don't see a lot of him through Worm, but we see enough to know the type of person he is. I think toppling the Empire would be a viable long term goal for him if it hadn't done so own it own. He's more focused on his hatred of Max and the Empire here than normal, but this would generally be how he feels about them.

"You have everything?" Kayden asked, going through her purse as she walked towards the door of the apartment.

"This isn't the first time I've babysat, Kayden. I'll be fine."

"I know, I just want to make sure." She stops and looks at him. He can tell she sees a lot of his father in him. She nods before turning back to the door. "I should be back around eleven thirty, so you don't have to wait up after putting Aster to bed."

"Okay. Bye, Kayden."

"Bye, Theo."

She leaves the apartment and Theo turns back to the living room to handle his little sister. She looked a lot like her mother, which he was kind of glad about. One less reminder of his father was always nice. It was bad enough he couldn't escape the man when he looked in the mirror or even in general since Kayden could see his father in him. It was still a bit early, so he decided some TV would be the best way to spend his time until Aster had to be put to bed.

Clicking through channels, Theo couldn't find anything to watch. Aster was on the couch next to him and it wasn't like he could turn on a horror movie with her there. He ended up settling on a kids show to keep her entertained while he slid into his thoughts. Largely about his father and the Empire. Max Anders was… Well, "Not a good person" would be an understatement. The man ran a gang of Neo Nazi's and all he cared about was power. He was a manipulative bastard who got his way by any means necessary. He more than tried to force Theo into his lifestyle, chastising him for not being as driven, as in to sports, as ambitious as he was. It was funny that the one thing he did inherit from Kaiser, his intelligence, didn't seem to rank very high on the board.

But that was fine. Kaiser underestimating him would eventually lead to his downfall. It would take years, possibly a decade or longer, but he'd be the cause of Kaiser falling from his high horse. Theo would be the one to topple that tower that Kaiser liked to lord over everyone else. He'd bring him down to level.

Aster's crying shook Theo from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock to see it was a bit past her bedtime. Hopefully Kayden wouldn't find out. He picked his sister up and started the process of getting her to sleep. It took half an hour, but Aster finally got to sleep. Theo decided on eating then, and maybe going to bed after some TV.

Theo appreciated Kayden. He probably didn't tell her that enough, but eating the chicken she'd made before heading out, he figured he should tell her. There were other reasons beside the cooking, namely that she pulled him from his father. Living with Kaiser was… It wasn't a place for people who thought for themselves. His older cousins, Jessica and Nessa, were over often to "Spend Time" with his father and he either left or was forced into training with the rest of the Empire. Crusader and Krieg were alright enough, though he didn't know if the latter was simply because he was his bosses son. Hookwolf was a supreme asshole. Treated Theo like dirt because he wasn't a fighter at his core.

Kayden, despite having been under Kaiser's thumb for so long, got out and was looking to be her own person. He could over look her racism for the moment. He didn't like it, but he had to be around white supremacists more often than not. He often wondered whether Kaiser really believed in the things the Empire stood for or not and whether it made him a worse person if he preached the hate just to manipulate simple minded people into following him.

Not like it mattered. The Empire would fall eventually. He'd do his best to make sure of that.

As it neared Kayden's return time, Theo opted to watch the news. The late night and early morning news casts were usually most informative in the Bay since they had the highest chance of telling you about Cape fights that could could have lasting effects. Theo gripped the remote tightly as the anchor went over a deadly cape fight that had happened barely a half hour before. First there was the fight with Oni Lee and Storm Tiger and Cricket the night before, and now The Empire had brought a fight to the border of ABB territory in retaliation, sending Hookwolf and Krieg to cause damage. Apparently Oni Lee had some new bombs to play with on top of the damage Hookwolf and Krieg were causing. The damage was ridiculous, even by Cape fight standards. Over fifty casualties and twelve people confirmed dead as a result.

It was news like this that really fueled Theo's desire to get rid of the Empire. He wanted the Bay rid of all the gangs, but knew that wasn't quite realistic without a stronger force to keep the peace and keep other gangs from trying to occupy territory. It would be easier if he had the power and knowledge to do so, but he didn't. The knowledge would be easy enough to get, but the power was a different story. Even if he triggered, there was no guarantee he'd be powerful enough to make a real difference. He would be a third generation Cape if he got powers, so the chances of him being particularly powerful were low.

And that was a problem. Not necessarily because he wanted the power to crush his enemies under heel, he wasn't maniacal like Kaiser, but because the power to destroy was the only one that was truly respected. Political power, social power, monetary power, they were all good, but the power to destroy, the power to bring enemies to their knees with no visual effort, was the power that would allow him to accomplish his goal. It was why Eidolon was well respected. It was why Lung was able to run a gang that rivaled the Empire 88 despite only having one other cape and being out numbered six to one. If he could wield such power without falling into the same pit his father had, that so many other parahumans had, he could be a great force for peace.

Suddenly, Theo felt himself shudder. A chill ran up his spine and left him feeling cold for a few seconds before the heat returned. He felt a compulsion he couldn't quite explain as the door opened.

"Theo? You still up?"

"Yeah, in the living room." He called back, holding off his desire to do whatever it was he felt like doing.

"I told you not to wait up for me. You still have school tomorrow." She said.

"I was watching the news and lost track of time."

"Alright. You put Aster to sleep right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. You get to bed."

Theo stood and started for his room before stopping.

"Kayden?"

"Yes?" She asked, turning to him as he pulled her into a hug. She was mousy and short, so he was easily half a head taller than her even at 14. She was stunned for a second before returning the hug. "What brought this on?" She asked.

"I know you care a lot more about Aster, but I really appreciate everything you do for me. It means a lot." He said. "Anyway," He let go, "I'm kinda tired, so I'm just gonna pass out. Good night."

"Goodnight." Kayden said, watching him walk down the hallway, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Theo entered his room and locked the door for good measure. He let the compulsion he'd been feeling overtake him and drew a finger across the air. His eyes widened in excitement as the air split open like jagged teeth. He rushed through the portal, more than ready for what was on the other side.