A Hell of a Time

When we got to the door that led to the Wards'... Lounge? Office? Whatever, Agent Smith pressed a button on the door and a buzzer went off.

"We have to ring in," I asked?

"It's to let them know that they needs their masks on," the agent replied. That made sense. We have let in shortly afterward.

In the room were four teenage boys and a young girl.

"Wards," the agent began, "this is... What have you been going by, again?"

"Akuma."

"Yes, this is Akuma," Agent Smith continued, "she's interested in the program and wants to meet with you all."

the five youthful heroes turned to greet me, but I didn't catch because something appeared in my vision and I stumbled.

A moment later I had an armored hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see a kid in powered armor looking down at me, and words and numbers appeared around him: Gallant. Class: Nice Guy. Titles: Junior Hero. Level: 5. Then there were a bunch of statistics and numbers I didn't understand.

"Are you alright," Gallant asked?

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just..."

I stood straight and looked at the others. A Young man in Rust Red gave me "Aegis. Class: Meat Shield. Titles: Junior Hero. Level: 5," and more stats. Another kid in power armor, red and gold, was "Kid Win. Class: Sky Surfer. Titles: Junior Hero. Level: 5," while the young man in solid white armor decorated with clocks was "Clockblocker, Class: Joker. Titles: Junior Hero, Kid Smart Ass. Level 5." The youngest team member in her green squiggled outfit and the molded armor failing to make her look older, was "Vista. Class: Geomancer. Titles: Junior Hero, Too Old for This Shit, Amateur Demonologist. Level 11." I blinked at that one, and the words and numbers went away.

"Are you sure," Gallant asked me?

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just-"

"Something happened to surprise you," the Nice Guy finished for me.

"Yeah," I said, "how do you know?"

Gallant tapped the side of his head,"thinker power. I can pick up emotions, and I picked up surprises when you stumbled."

I'm not sure how to feel about that. "Okay."

"So," Agent Smith added, "I'll leave you to get to know each other." Then the man just left.

"Well," I said, hoping to change the subject from my embarrassing stumble, "I could have sworn that there were more Wards than this."

"There are," Aegis said, "but Triumph is doing a family thing and Shadow Stalker's running late. Apparently something came up at school, but she should be here soon." The rusty red hero gestured to a couch, a clear invitation to sit.

After reconvening at said couch, Vista looked me right in the eye, I think-visors, and said "so is that a changer effect or can you not help it?" it took me a minute to realize that she was talking about my eyes and ears... Amateur Demonologist! Did she know? "Don't get me wrong," she added, "I think it's cool, I'm just curious."

"I've been like this since I triggered," whatever that means, "if it's a changer effect, I don't know how to turn it off. That's actually part of the reason I'm here."

"Oh," Clockblocker added, "What do you mean?"

"I don't have many options when it comes to secret identities, so... Last night, I went out on an impulse and got into an altercation with some Azn Bad Boys..."

"I read about that," Kid Win interjected, "a cape by the name of Akuma took out some gangsters last night."

"Yeah," I replied, "that was me. And since I didn't have a helmet or anything to hide my eyes and ears, I went without. Turns out one of the thugs had a little brother at my school, and I can't exactly hide that I'm a parahuman looking like this. By lunchtime the whole school knew I was a cape."

"Ouch," Vista said, "suck."

"Yes," I added, "it sucks a lot. And the thug's brother swore revenge, and now I'm afraid that he or some of his friends will go after my Dad, hence my coming here."

"Well, you'll like it here," the young Geomancer changed the subject, "there's all kinds of resources here for young heroes."

"Well, um, I'm not sure if I want to join yet," I said sheepishly, "Dad just thought it would be a good idea to check it out-find out what my options are, you know?"

The younger girl continued to look directly at me. "Please join. We need more girls."

I blinked, and thought about it for a second. "Doesn't Shadow Stalker count?"

"Of course she does," the girl replied as if I'd asked a stupid question, "but there are five boys and only two girls on the team. The gender ratio is way off, we need a balanced party!"

"...Okay."

"So," the rusty red Junior Hero asked, "what exactly is your power?"

"I'm not exactly sure," I answered, "I only got them a little bit ago. All I know for sure is that I'm really strong and I can take a bullet and only get a bruise."

"Well, that's one of the perks of joining the Wards," Aegis replied, "by the time you're through evaluations, you'll know exactly what your powers are."

I shrugged. Joining up was starting to sound better and better, actually.

Then the door opened without anyone pushing that masks on buzzer button, and in walked a figure in all black, with a cloak and armor and a face concealing mask. Another set of words and numbers popped up, prompted by her arrival. "Shadow Stalker. Class: Psycho Vigilante. Titles: Probationary Ward. Level 10."

The girl in black looked around, then saw me sitting there. "You? You're joining the Wards?" She said it in an incredulous tone, and my ear twitched. I knew that voice, and... I wanted to say that it couldn't be her, but her voice, her tone, her familiarity with me... And then the words and numbers changed. Before it gave her name as Shadow Stalker. Now it gave her Name as Sophia Hess. Oh God.

Ageis greeted the vigilante and then asked her "you know Akuma, Shadow Stalker?"

If I didn't have a reason to trust the sound of her voice or the words and numbers, my most violent bully confirmed her identity by answering "She goes to Winslow. Used to be a weak little loner, then she got powers and started toughening up. Just surprised she'd go joining the Wards," she shrugged, "didn't think she was the type."

She walked past us, down a hallway to somewhere else, and... Yeah. I took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"I," I began, "I should probably get back to the director's office. My Dad's still there and..." I stood up and started heading towards the door. "I need to get back."

Gallant stood up, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I lied, knowing that he could probably tell, "it was nice meeting you all, but I really should be getting back to my dad."

"At least let me escort you there," the Nice Guy asked, "so you don't get lost on the way down."

I was going to refuse, but then I realized that I didn't remember what floor Director Piggot's office was on. So, I nodded, and the cape led me to the elevator. To his credit, he didn't say anything the whole trip down.

When the door opened to a familiar hallway, I turned to him and said "I can make it the rest of the way on my own."

"Are you sure," Gallant asked, and I answered by nodding. I stepped out of the elevator and he let it's doors close between us. I walked down to hall to the director's door and knocked. After a moment, Dad opened the door and let me in, before returning to his seat at the Desk.

"Director Piggot," I said to the woman in question, "I've decided that joining the Wards would be a bad idea."

She blinked, "and why is that?"

"I have a history with one of the Wards," I answered, "a history that would make it awkward for us to work together, and since she was here first..."

"Alright then," the director answered, before pulling out a notepad and scrawling something down. "These," she said, tearing out the page she'd written on, "are my contact numbers. The first number is my office phone, the second is my PRT issue cell. If you change your mind, or encounter a parahuman related emergency that you feel requires PRT assistance, feel free to call."

I nodded and took the page, checking the numbers... Wait, why wasn't I getting numbers and words for her and Dad? Ugh, I'll figure it out later.

Ten minutes later, Dad and I were in the car heading home.

"Taylor," Dad asked, "was this Ward you have a history with... One of them?"

"Not now. I just want to get home."