Taylor watched Haru wave at her as he entered the PRT transport. She waved back through the window as the van drove away.

"So who's the weirdo?" Sophia asked as she walked up to Taylor. Flanked by Emma and Madison, she continued, "Got a freak boyfriend to protect you? Fight your battles for you?"

"Leave me alone, Sophia."

"Let me guess, he was the one who let you out yesterday? It's a shame. He should have left you where you belong."

Taylor's knuckles turned white as she clenched her fist. She couldn't help but remember the horror she endured...all the blood and moistness...how she could barely breathe...how she had been all alone...

Sophia sensed weakness. "I bet he must have thought you were really pretty coming out of that locker."

Emma added, "I'm surprised you managed to stop crying long enough to go to school. I didn't expect you back for a week at least."

There was a feeling inside Taylor, like something sacred had been irreparably scratched, like her mother's grave had been trampled upon. While her conscious mind tried to fix the problem, the rest of her filled with fear. She didn't want to go back to that dark, terrifying hellhole. She wouldn't let them put her back there.

Before she realized it, her fist had smashed into Emma's face.


"Fighting at school? This isn't like you, Taylor!" Danny Hebert said to his daughter.

How could she explain what they did to her? She had let her guard down and they had done something so horrible that no one would believe her if she told anyone what happened.

"I'm sorry..."

"Alan told me he was going to sue!" Danny said as he drove home, his hands high on the steering wheel. "I thought the bullying stopped. What happened?"

"Nothing..." Taylor said as she rubbed her scraped knuckles. The skinny girl had been shoved onto the ground and kicked repeatedly. The bullies had then gotten a teacher and spun the story to get Taylor suspended for three days. The injustice still burned within her, making her aching muscles tighten reflexively.

She could feel various insects fade in and out of her awareness as her father drove her home. Taylor closed her eyes and watched the world go by through her newfound senses. Thousands of data painted a picture of the street, and the next street over, colored in piece by piece.

Danny spoke, "You know you can talk to me right? If something is bothering you, you can talk to me and whatever it is, I'll listen."

She wondered, "Why do I have these powers? I can't even defend myself from bullies. Why me?"

She wondered what the boy who saved her was doing.


"Let me get this straight. You want me to tell you all of my abilities and then join your superhero team where you would tell me what to do every day for God knows how long and all for a lousy paycheck?"

"To put it bluntly, yes," answered Director Piggot.

"And if I refuse?"

"It's in your best interests. It's rare for powerful, unaffiliated capes to appear. You will eventually be approached by other organizations who might not be as understanding as the PRT."

"I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can. It's just that you could do this city a lot of good. The other problem is that you don't seem to have any identification of any sort. It wouldn't be a problem anymore if you joined the Wards."

"I hope you aren't threatening me, Director Piggot."

"All I'm saying is that you don't seem to have a high school diploma. And as director of the PRT East-North-East, it is my responsibility to make sure that all parahumans receive a quality high school education. I'm sure your new friend Armsmaster would love to ensure you make it safely to school each and every day."

"I kicked his ass once already. What make you think he'll be able to do anything?"

"You shouldn't underestimate what a highly motivated tinker is capable of."

"Look, I know this girl who has super powers. She can control bugs. Can you just put her in the Wards instead?"

"Please don't change the subject, Mr. Ikari."

"That's not really my last name."

"It could be if you joined the Wards. The PRT is entirely capable of giving you whatever identity you wish."

Haru sighed deeply. "If you want me to join the Wards, my condition is that I get one hour alone with you to pick your brain for information, starting now. Also, after a month, I get to leave if I have a good reason."

"What do you mean by 'pick my brain'?" Piggot asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit," Haru said as Piggot fell unconscious in front of him, laying on the table like she was taking a nap.

Haru placed his hand on the director's head and used a jutsu he learned from Inoichi many years ago.


Miss Militia hit the alarm the moment Piggot's head hit the table. She spoke into the intercom in her half of the room, "Piggot down. Send reinforcements. Master-Stranger protocols in effect."

The glowing, crackling energy that she wielded formed a pair of handguns which she emptied into the one-way mirror. The glass shattered and fell away, revealing a solid concrete wall between her and her target.

The female cape ran out and tried to open the door to the interrogation room. Unfortunately, the door had been welded shut by another of Haru's Kage Bunshin clones.

She took out her cell phone. "Triumph, I need you here NOW."