Room and Ward 1.5
"Hey Weld, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go for it." he said while standing on the ceiling. Or was it the floor, since I was technically standing on the ceiling? Fae's gravity room really messed with my sense of perspective; up was down, left was right, red was blue and somewhere a cat and dog were living together. I'll admit, the gravity room was very cool, and it was variable. Some sections had reversed gravity, others had lighter gravity and a few had heavier gravity, though those sections only increased gravity by a small percentage. If the gravity was too intense, it would do nasty things to a person's body.
Fae didn't have much use for us, and aside from taking my measurements, had been content to let us explore her our lab, with the condition that we had to ask before we touched anything she was working on. While we did, she was casually spinning in a null gravity zone of the lab, working on some new device that had come to her, muttering excitedly to herself. As far as punishments went, I'd definitely had worse; it was the boredom that was the worst part of it.
My mind had started to wander, and it had wandered into an uncomfortable territory I had been trying to ignore for the past few days. Given that tomorrow I was due for my official public reveal, I felt I couldn't really put it off any longer. It was good luck that Weld was here with me to answer my questions, at the very least.
"Do you… like, going to a public school?" Glenn's words and advice to me had stuck with me, silently gnawing away at the back of my mind even as I had tried to ignore them. The idea of going back to any public school, especially in my current state, twisted me into balls of anxiety so dense, I was pretty sure I was going to create a gravitational anomaly. The fact that hsi logic and reasoning made sense to me, only made it worse, because then I couldn't just dismiss it on the grounds of Glenn being completely nuts (though the jury was still out on that), which would've been so much easier.
Basically, I really needed a second opinion, and Weld was excellent for it. I would have asked Hunch, but I hadn't seen the boy since Weld and I had wrecked the dojo yesterday. He was probably lying low until the whole incident blew over and everyone forgot.
Weld folded his arms and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, well it's definitely different. You get stares for sure, at least on your first week or so; that's the hardest time. But once people get used to you, it's how I imagine school life is supposed to be. You'll get more attention for sure, but it'll mostly be from fans. The downside to being what we are, is that a secret identity is out of the cards, so people will definitely try to talk to you about anything and everything related to the Protectorate."
That was something I had considered and the idea made me nervous. At Winslow, if someone you didn't know approached you, it typically meant you were probably about to get mugged. My instincts probably wouldn't transfer well to a public school that wasn't located in a metaphorical hellhole.
I could see the headline now: 'Local Bubblegum Teenager slams innocent students head through locker! Details at eleven!'
No thanks.
"Once the shine wears off though," Weld continued, "People just kind of… accept you. Heh, we're all in this suffering together, I guess, and that tends to bring people together."
I squinted an eye at him and said, "You have a very optimistic view of the world, you know that?"
He shrugged and smiled at me. Fae took that moment to interject her two cents. "Personally speaking, I think it would do you good to go to a public school if only so you get used to interacting with people in your new body. I mean, if you're nervous talking to us, how nervous will you be patrolling the streets or talking to civilians when the time comes? Just something to consider."
I looked between them both, and bit my lip, "I'm not… nervous around you guys."
Weld took a sudden interest in a toolbox on the floor, and Fae continued spinning, probably to hide that cheeky grin on her face.
"I'm not!" I protested.
"If you insist." Fae sang.
She stopped herself, and stared at me while floating upside down. "Regardless of your choice, just remember that it is your choice, Taylor. You have the final say in this."
Somehow, that didn't fill me with confidence.
-M-
So technically, since I was still a minor, dad had the final say in whether or not I attended a public school or took private courses. When I called him about that, I was disappointed to find that his decision was, "Whatever you're comfortable with Taylor, I will support you 100%."
Great, a supportive and caring father, just what I needed a time like this.
It was hard not to get frustrated. Emotionally, every fiber of my being railed against the idea of putting myself in a public school again. The Trio had turned my experience into hell and it scared me even think about experiencing that again. Rationally, I agreed with what everyone else was saying; for my career as a hero, it could only help. Of course, that side also thought that, if I wound up going and having a repeat of Winslow, that would be just as bad as not going at all.
I wound up wandering the halls after calling dad, trying to clear my mind. It was by pure accident that I found Erica's room. How did I know it was her room? She had painted her name on the door in bright blue letters, and had a miniature mailbox glued to the wall next to it with a note that read 'All complaints and summons here. Knock at your own peril'.
Joke was on her, I could regenerate.
I knocked once and the door immediately slid open and I was buffeted with a blast of frigid air. A colossal figure of ice towered over even me, it's horned head scraping against the threshold. Its body was made entirely out of shards of crystalline ice and steam poured off its body in droves. A pair of glowing blue eyes illuminated its otherwise expressionless face. They narrowed at me before flickering with recognition and then rolled in exasperation.
The ice golem groaned and shifted to the side, revealing Erica standing in her frost covered room wearing a tanktop and shorts. She looked more bemused than annoyed, and completely unaffected by the cold.
"Hey Bubblegum, you can read right?" she said in a chipper tone.
I grinned, "Yeah, but this was… kind of important. Maybe. I need your advice."
A frown spread over her lips, and she stuck her head out into the hall looking both ways. She sighed and pulled it back in, "Is this big long winded advice or short? I'm losing the cold here."
"Short, I think." I said, eyeing her golem nervously. It's crystal clear body was slowly fogging over and it's glowing eyes had vanished, leaving it as still as a statue, which somehow made it more unnerving.
"Fine, shoot." she sighed.
"Do you think I should go to public school with Weld and Hunch?"
Erica groaned and covered her face, "Oh christ, Glenn talked to you about that didn't he? Fucking PR Toadie…"
I blinked, "So you know him?"
"Everyone knows him." she hissed with surprising venom. I think my stunned expression got to her, her tone softened. "Look, whatever Glenn says, even if it makes sense, he can't actually do shit. He's just a PR advisor. Yeah, he's the top dog, but there is literally nothing he can do except pull funding for your costumes and public appearances. And even that can get overruled if Armstrong says so. So if you're worried about the whole school thing, tell him to take his idea and shove it up his ass."
I blinked again and made no attempt to hide my surprise, "Um, okay… I'm sensing a history here."
Erica glared at me, "If you saw the outfits he tried to get me to wear once I started to 'develop' you'd understand. He also tried manipulating Kelvin and I into a relationship because 'fire and ice make a nice thematic pair'. He's a manipulative little toad that sees us as merchandise to be marketed, that's it."
My opinion of Glenn dropped at that. "I see… That's… enlightening. But I talked with Weld and Fae about it. She agrees with it, and Weld is…"
"Terrifyingly optimistic in the face of the grim reality that is this joke of a planet?" Erica finished.
"I was going to say supportive."
"Same difference."
I frowned and put my hands on my hips, "Okay, so your hate for Glenn aside, what do you think?"
Erica rubbed her temples and grumbled to herself.
"If you want my honest opinion, you do you. But if you're going to do the public school thing, lay down your ground rules."
I cocked my head to the side and she sighed again. "The PRT and Protectorate are legally responsible for you now. You live on site, so education, shelter, food, they're responsible for all of it. You have sway over them; if there's something you're worried about, and I'm guessing there is, then make it clear that you want certain conditions met before you jump in. If they're not willing to jump through your hoops, then just take up private tutoring like I did. Just be hard about it; if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile."
I had to admit, I liked her way of phrasing it. It felt a lot more grounded than Weld's view of things, and I hadn't considered what kind of control I might have over the PRT and Protectorate. It made sense in hindsight, given that they were willing to buy our home off our hands for its original market value and to provide a new one in Boston for dad. They were obviously willing to move a lot around just to add me to the roster.
A grin spread over my face, and I felt that familiar mischievous feeling again. "Thank you Erica, I think I'll put your advice to good use."
-M-
"Miss Hebert, Director Armstrong will see you now." the secretary said.
I had decided to go straight to the top about my little issue. My plan was simple, I would lay out the issues I had with going to a public school, and list the concessions I needed before I'd even consider it. If they couldn't meet them, I would take private tutoring instead. I would be as civil as I could, Director Armstrong had been nothing but patient and kind since my arrival, but I also wasn't going to budge either.
Steeling myself, I nodded to the secretary, stood up, and pushed open his office door and stepped inside. Armstrong didn't have a window office, but his office felt surprisingly open despite that. A large oak desk dominated the room, the PC set to one side and a stack of neatly organized papers occupied the other. The light was soft, and to my surprise there was an aquarium on the left side of the room that was filled with colorful fish and bubbled softly. On the right side of the room, a bookcase dominated the wall and a set of comfortable lounge chairs were set before it and around a coffee table.
Armstrong was seated in one of those chairs, pouring boiling water from a kettle into a mug. I recognized the smell, earl grey with a hint of honey; my greatest weakness.
The director smiled at me as I walked in, "Miss Hebert, it's wonderful to see you again. Please, sit."
I walked over and did so; the chair was comfortable, but not too comfortable. Was that intentional? I decided I was probably overthinking it and focused on the man in front of me, relaxed and confident as he always seemed to be.
He gestured at the kettle, "Tea?"
"Yes please." I said.
His movements were calm and deliberate and once my cup was filled, he added a touch of honey. Okay, this was definitely intentional. And it was working, damn it. I took a sip and savored the taste. It was an effort to drag my mind back to the matter at hand.
"Director, I'm here to talk to you about my education."
Armstrong nodded, "I thought so. Glenn told me he had talked to you about that, I hope he didn't pressure you too severely. I would hate for you to think you're obligated to appease him."
I carefully selected my words and tried to speak with the same calm he had. I think I managed it, "I'm willing to attend class with Weld and Hunch, but I have a few conditions."
"Name them," Armstrong said, spreading his hands, "If there's anything we can do to make this easier for you, I promise I will try to make it a possibility to the best of my abilities."
He was being way too calm about this. I shook off that thought and started listing off my conditions, counting off my fingers as I did. "Okay, then: First, I want a direct line to PRT support, second, I want full control over which classes I take and I want to go to a respectable school, third, I want an agent assigned to the school to act as a liaison with the staff if anything comes up, and fourth, I want Glenn to keep his nose out of my social life there. If you can do these things, I'll happily go to whatever school you send me to."
Armstrong raised a brow, but said nothing. He clearly and calmly reached for his tea and took a long draw. He finished with a satisfied sigh and set it on the plate with a soft clink of ceramic.
"Well, I see you have your priorities in order, Miss Hebert, that's good. As for your conditions, well… The first three of those are standard operating procedures for the Wards."
I opened my mouth and froze, "I… what?"
The man hid his smile well, but the corner of his lips twitched upwards, "We issue standard cellphone equipment with direct lines to our support staff. If something happens, we're a phone call away from providing support. When a Ward moves schools for whatever reason, we streamline the process and give them as much freedom as possible; your academic career is important to us. We always have a liaison on site, both to ensure the staff avoid preferential treatment and to report if Ward's are abusing their powers on the students. As for Glenn, I can only promise to try; that man technically operates independently of any one branch of the Protectorate, and he can be persistent. But if you think he's crossed a line, don't hesitate to tell me."
I stared at Armstrong, not entirely sure if I was processing what he said properly. He looked amused, but in a doting grandfatherly way.
"I... I see." my voice came out in a strained squeak.
Armstrong's amusement faded and he sighed. "Miss Hebert, we are not your enemy. My job, my duty as the director of the PRT and partner to the Protectorate, is to ensure that the Wards are taken care of. To make sure that each and every one of you is given every possible resource available to us so that you can not only survive but thrive. I want you to be comfortable, to be happy, and I want to see you to become heroes worthy of the title."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "I know about Winslow, from what you've told us. I've researched what I can about the school. Your treatment there was terrible; most Parahumans in some way suffer like you suffer in some way shape or form. That's why it's so important we work together. I can only help you to be a hero if you let me, understand? So whatever you need, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll do what I can to provide it."
The smile returned, "Within reason of course."
Without a word, he grabbed a napkin off the table and offered it to me. I took it and wiped the tears from my eyes. My chest swirled with emotions, far too many; I didn't like it, I felt like I was about to burst into sobbing fits. I swear, I wasn't this emotional before my trigger event.
Then again, I hadn't been given a genuine offer of help in a very long time.
I dried my tears and took a calm steadying breath, "Okay, I understand Director."
"Good." he patted his knees and pulled a pad and pen out from a drawer in the desk and clicked it open. "So, lets go over it then. What exactly can I do for you, Miss Hebert?"
I recognized one of those emotions swirling around inside me. As cheesy as it sounds, for the first time in a long time, I felt genuine hope at the day's to come. Oh sure, I was nervous as hell, but for once, I didn't feel alone. Someone outside my family actually gave a damn about me, and it felt good.
A/N: I hope that ending wasn't too corny, I have trouble with fluff/feels. Editor will be looking over this and the edited copy should go up tomorrow ish.
Anyway, with that out of the way, this brings us to the end of the first Arc. We've got a general establishment of characters that are important, got to see some of Taylor's powers in action and had her come to a decision on her schooling. Now, I need to ask something of y'all. Next chapter is going to include a PHO interlude that goes over Taylor's public reveal and I am garbage at writing internet comments. So if you're interested, feel free to leave comments or DM me ideas for them. Next arc we should start seeing the plot moving with a little less character stuff. This story has surprisingly caught my attention so I hope to be posting more consistently, but we'll see!
Hope y'all enjoyed it, feel free to leave comments and criticism below and (God willing) I'll see you all on Friday!
