Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower 4.1
Sophia was Shadow Stalker.
Sophia was Shadow Stalker.
Sophia was a hero, someone charged with defending the population against the cruelties of villains.
Taylor wanted answers. Now.
Sophia muttered a crude, "Fuck me running." Before looking straight at her.
"I have no idea what you're talk-"
"I heard that, you know." Taylor interrupted. Sophia's eyes widened in response.
"How many powers do you fucking have?"
"Enough." Taylor replied, a scowl plain upon her face.
A brief awkward silence held between the two mortal enemies. Sophia moved to speak, "Well, I-"
Taylor moved forward and grabbed Sophia by the front of her shirt.
"Hey! What do you think you're doin-" Sophia began, only to be interrupted by Taylor slamming open the door to the Director's office, and throwing Sophia onto the floor before Piggot's desk.
Sophia groaned slightly on the floor, and Piggot looked up in surprise.
"What, exactly, is going on here?" Piggot asked.
"Why is she ahero?" Taylor hissed out.
"You have some sort of history together, I take it?" Piggot deduced.
"She's a goddamn psycho bitch, that's what." Sophia spoke, as she picked herself up from her sprawled position on the floor. "Constantly harassing me and my friends-"
She wasn't- "You-" Taylor growled.
"Enough!" Piggot shouted, hands slamming down upon her desk. "Buster." She continued. "I would appreciate it if you would refrain from tossing people about my office in the future. And Miss Hess I, quite frankly, do not believe a word out of your mouth. Now, Buster, Please explain to me the nature of your grievance against Miss Hess."
"Your going to believe this new unaffiliated hero over me?" Sophia questioned, a hint of anger slipping into her voice.
"Yes." Piggot stated frankly.
The rather hostile exchange between the Director and Sophia having left her feeling better about things, Taylor explained the situation.
At some point during Taylor's explanation, Piggot had begun to rub her temples. "Miss Hess, assuming we can affirm Buster's story, I am afraid your probation is now, quite firmly, violated." Piggot said after Taylor had finished her story.
"Fuck you all!" Sophia shouted, before slipping into her shadow state and making a run for it.
"No-" Taylor moved to stop her, before noticing Piggot shake her head.
Not a second after Sophia passed through the door a loud 'zap' could be heard.
The door opened, and Armsmaster dragged the insensate body of Sophia into the room.
"Good work, Armsmaster." Piggot stated. Armsmaster nodded in response. "Well, that certainly isn't helping your case, is it Miss Hess." Piggot commented towards Sophia's unconscious form. With a deep sigh, she turned back towards Taylor. "It is to my great regret that this was allowed to go unnoticed for so long. Perhaps the PRT even had a hand in your torment, as Winslow's principle was instructed to 'use a light touch' with Miss Hess."
"How did someone like her get to be a Ward?" Taylor questioned.
"She wasn't for a long while. It was only recently that she was forced into the Wards." Piggot replied. "She almost killed a gang member during one of her nights of vigilantism. After Miss Militia showed up and found a man speared into a wall by a crossbow bolt, screaming for help, she was put on probation. Probation which she has likely violated."
"Wait, found? As in, she had left the man there to die on a wall?" That was rather more then Taylor thought even Sophia was capable of. "If that's the case, why even give her the chance to join the Wards?"
Taylor absentmindedly noticed a few men come by and take Sophia away.
"There are two primary reasons." Piggot began to explain. "First of all, you are aware that villains out number heroes roughly three to one, correct?" Taylor nodded. "Good. Then you should know that the situation here is... significantly worse, closer to five or six to one. It's the only reason the Wards see any action at all. In most cities it is just a training program, but we are outnumbered enough that every single hand we can possibly get is needed. Second of all, her power to phase herself and other things connected to her may be able to harm an Endbringer. Those two things combined to insure that we were forced to put up with Miss Hess'... Distasteful personality."
Taylor did not like how much sense that was making. Outwardly, she attempted to remain fairly calm and composed. "I... see. That makes a certain amount of sense. I believe I need to think on these events, may I be excused?" Taylor winced internally, that came across as rather forced.
Piggot frowned. "I was hoping to speak with you about the events of yesterday. However, I can put it off till a later point in time, out of respect for your usual willingness to cooperate."
"I... Thank you. I'll come in as soon as possible." Taylor responded. "I just need some time to think."
Piggot nodded. "Very well. Do see about getting back in touch as soon as possible."
Taylor nodded in turn, and left through the door. A few seconds after she had left the room, she heard Piggot begin speaking. "Armsmaster, I want answers. And I want them now. How the hell was Shadow Stalker left this unchecked?"
Taylor paused for a moment, tempted to stay and listen in. But... she needed to get home.
Taylor continued on her path out.
Another troubled greeting with her Dad, and Taylor walked into her room. She sat upon her bed, and held her head in her hands.
It made sense. The Endbringers were devastating, anyone who could potentially help against them was necessary. Brockton Bay was teeming with villains, we needed all the help we could get. Taylor couldn't blame Piggot for trying to get anyone possible on her side, or the Wards for being forced to work with the despicable human being that was Sophia Hess.
She was terrified by this.
She wanted to scream and rage. Walk up to Piggot, drag her out from behind her desk, and demand reparations. Level the PRT for harboring her tormentor. Walk up to the Wards, and scream at them for daring to work with her,for daring to show even the slightest bit of camaraderie.
But she couldn't. She could hate Sophia, and Emma, and Madison, and everyone who had taken part in their efforts to terrify and harm her, but that was it. She could feel anger towards the teachers who had ignored her plight, and the fact that the PRT had remained ignorant to Sophia's actions for so long, but not true hate.
And she couldn't blame the Wards or Piggot at all. They were simply doing what they could to survive in a hostile world.
Taylor couldn't deny the fact that her feelings were not fully under her control any more. Constrained by some sort of terrible Logic. She looked at things, and was forced to view the situation from all sides of the problem. Forced to see the perspective of others involved.
Suddenly, loud air raid sirens began playing.
An Endbringer. Taylor almost felt like she would cry by this point.