2.4

In a small side room in PRT HQ the pair of heroes sat across from the Wards' resident black sheep. The room officially was a debriefing room. A small table with a few chairs. Sophia herself sat with her arms crossed, attitude radiating off her.

A part of Assault couldn't help but feel for the girl. A few years ago he was in the same place. A bigger part, the part that Battery had help bring out of him, was angry that someone was willing to throw away their second chance just to hurt someone.

"We visited Winslow today Sophia," Battery began. "Asked around about Taylor Hebert. Some of your teachers had some very interesting things to say about you and her. Do you know what they might have said?"

Sophia shrugged, looking quite bored, but Assault noticed that she seemed quite unwilling to meet his or Battery's eyes.

"Well it seems you and Samedi had more of a history than you let on."

"So I may have known her a bit. So?"

"It was more than just a bit." Sophia merely folded her arms and looked away. Battery's face didn't change much but Assault knew his wife long enough to know she was getting pissed. Most of the time he found it cute. Not so much right now. "Here's your options right now Sophia, either you cooperate like a good Ward or we start taking drastic measures."

Sophia growled under her breath. "What do you want from me? So I knew her. Lots of people knew her. Why am I getting-what's it called-the third degree?"

"Because none of them are Wards."

Sophia looked like she was going to say something in response, but Assault jumped in before this could get ugly.

"Listen maybe we can try and stay on task. Sophia's issues aren't why we're here. Samedi is. All we need from you Sophia is to find out if you know what may have happened over last winter to cause her to trigger."

"Last winter? I don't- wait that's what triggered her? Shit I knew she was pathetic but that takes the cake," Sophia answered in an amused tone.

Battery was far less amused. "So you do know what happened."

Sophia at least had the sense to look abashed at Battery's tone.

"Yeah but I didn't have anything to do with it. I was out of town. My mom took us to my grandma's for a big family Christmas. I even had to clear it with Piggot."

Assault didn't know how a person could go from panicked excuses to thinly veiled aggression in less than a sentence, especially when talking about Christmas with the family but Sophia managed it. That was...worrying.

"But you do know what happened? Right?"

"Yeah, but this is all-what's the word-con-something? The thing doctors do? All secret like."

"Sophia you know as well I do that we can't promise that." Assault told her "If something criminal happened we have to report it. You swore the same oath. Just start at the beginning and tell us everything. The more you try and hide the more we have to assume. And from the look of things you're not going to like our assumptions."

"OK jeez. It wasn't a big deal. It was just after Thanksgiving some new girl comes to school right? And she starts to hang around Hebert. Don't ask me why. Now I really didn't care, but Emma sure did. She decided to talk to her. Tell her how stupid it is to hang around Hebert. I come back to school and new girl has stopped being around losers. Emma said they had words. See no big deal. Nothing worth going nuts over. I didn't even think about it 'till you said something."

"Why?" Battery asked in a strained tone. Most people wouldn't be able to tell but Assault knew his wife well enough to know she might as well been shouting.

"Hmm?" Sophia however lacked such insight.

"Why do you hate this poor girl this much? What did she ever do to you?"

"It wasn't my idea alright. I didn't give two shits about her 'till last night. It's mostly been Emma's thing."

"Emma's not a Ward. You are. Why did you follow her despite your status?"

Sophia shifted uncomfortably for a moment before looking down at her hands.

"She's got a great ass."

Assault let out a chuckle that he tried covering with a cough. Judging by the glares he was less than successful.

"Look can I go?"

"Go on." He said, the girl started to leave "But Sophia, we'll be informing Piggot about your conduct at school. She'll want to talk to you about this."

The teen simply scowled and left.

"Jesus, can you believe her?" his partner slouched back in her chair. Pulling off her mask Kristine shot him a glance. Following her lead Ethan pulled down his own mask.

"You never were her biggest fan," he pointed out.

"She's just another thug with a badge. We have enough of those," Kristine folded her arms. "You were always quick to give excuses to the hard cases."

"You've read her file right?" She nodded. "Well let's just say I can empathize."

His wife shook her head slightly.

"It's not the same and you know it. Sophia is just looking for an excuse to lord her power over others. She doesn't belong with the Wards. People like her don't change."

"I remember a stunning brunette who said the same thing about me. I changed once upon a time."

"You wanted to change. She doesn't."

"She needs someone to show her the better way to do things." Ethan knew that much.

"She has enough people doing her favors. She needs more people telling her no."

Ethan knew better than to continue. Kristine would never budge from what she thought was right, it was one of the things he loved about her. It helped him see north in a fog of grey he used to live in.

"Well it's in Piggot's hands now. Sophia is in for a unique hell soon enough." He placed a kiss on his wife's forehead. "Now puppy let's head to bed. I'm exhausted."

Kristine gave him a soft smile. It was like looking at an angel.

"All right. It's been a long day."

He couldn't agree more.