A Skittering Heart

by stewart92

Taylor's trigger was interrupted by a very different source of power. With Keyblade in hand, Taylor must open the way.

24. interlude post 17

Another Heart: Faceless Voice

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Topic: Portunes and Keynote
In: Boards ► Capes ► America ► Rogue ► Brockton Bay
Foxy_D_love (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (Cheeky)
Posted on April 13, 2011:

Okay, here's the thread everyone has been waiting for. Tin-Mother has given me permission to create this after the sheer amount of threads that were opened (most of which have been locked btw), pretty much after the news and footage of the (Portunes? Keynote? Hmm.) Portnote/Lung slug fest hit the interwebs.

People went to war over Portnote and it has flooded so many parts of PHO (looking at you vs forum) that a few members and Mods banded together to direct the flood here.

This thread will be the only place to discuss Portnote. You can still mention Keytune (XD) other places if she is relevant, but all power, "who would win?", questions, facts, theories and even the cries for her arrest go here. Except you shippers. You can just go back to Paraheal, we don't want your NSFW stuff thank you.

On that note , stick to the rules peeps for to our benevolent (or malicious) Mobile Oppression Devices find your tears to taste delicious. I hate to be a killjoy, really, but half this site began to worship her and the other called witchcraft while whipping out their torches and pitchforks.

Anyways without further adieu, let me summarise what we know about the Cape who duked it out with the dragon himself, Lung.

So the facts:

As far as we can tell or know (feel free to share people!) she is going by the name the Portunes. Edit: I stand corrected. Girl herself let us know she's going with Keynote, thank God for the end of that.

She works with Parian, the fashion mistress herself (thread here… thread? geddit?) as some kind of security guard. Seems like the poor girl needs it given Lung apparently trashed her house.

Portnotes first debut was a short while ago, back against Rune of Empire 88, which was respectful enough, (Link). Then the girl goes and slaps Lung around with her giant key, and I'm not the first to say it but still, WTF? When did this girl get that strong?

Everyone saw the footage (Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 these are the best quality ones I could get links to and haven't already been taken down). The amount of powers getting thrown around during the fight from Keynote alone was mind blowing, and in the case of Lung's skull, that was sometimes literal.

Then things got weird and we reach the "heated" point of all the argument.

Keynote "summoned" an animal/person/cape/projection who took her place in the fight and had no trouble fighting Lung off. (Summon footage here, look at those ritual marks on the ground! Keynote released the hounds of hell! /jk)

Now we do not know if this person (Edit: People on the scene and anywhere within a few blocks, heard the name "Efreet" "Ifrit" being shouted) is a real person or a projection controlled by Keynote.

The girl of the hour has been surprisingly tight lipped on it and the PRT aren't sharing either, though I did spot Glory Girl making a few posts in one thread.

Later Keynote and her summon (projection/other cape/demon), the two of of them "fused". I kid you not, this was like something straight out of an Earth-Aleph show or one of the older Japanese cartoons. (Link to the fuse here. Warning, extremely bright light!)

Then there was a lot of Cape action with Efreet Ifrit (Edit: That's how you spell it apparently, Word of Keynote) returning looking very different and really, well, badass? Evil? Like the Devil himself.

Then Ifrit punches hole through Lung and leaves like a badass. Still wasn't enough to take Lung out the fight (there's a reason he's the Unconquered Dragon people).

So in comes Dragon (the Tinker this time) with the save. And she's brought a big surprise, a special guest: Bad Canary! Then Canary saves the day and pretty much lays to rest all those claims about her being evil. Hope her trial goes well (Link for the feathered Cape and legal battles).

And that's where we are today. Keynote has returned to her duties as Parian's faithful knight (Down shippers, down! People can live and work together without being lesbians. Even if that video Leferts caught is yuritastic) and has been noted to be friendly by patrons of the Dollhouse (where she even gave a small speech, link here, so modest!).
Pictures from the fight here:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Pictures with fans here (including Parian's new friends Boco and Mog! We're not sure if they're more of Keynote's powers, an evolution of Parians power or a pair of cute Case 53's. Whatever it is though, I want plushies of both please.)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Thanks to Major_Session, Nazgul, and Burnt-Nobel for their analysis of Keynote's powers.

So remember folks, keep it civil, keep it polite, keep it clean, and stay cheeky ;D.

(Showing Page 1 of 74)

► Nazgûl (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I have to say that Keynote there looks really hot. And before the Mods swing their banhammer, I mean that literally!

The street is BUBBLING in the video. Her feet literally set the ground on fire. She is HOT! Like, hundreds of degrees there.

...Also have any of you heard of an Ifrit before? Are we sure he is a projection and that Keynote isn't some sort of teleporter? Maybe she just dragged a friend in from somewhere else, like Germany maybe, or Russia. I don't think projections usually talk or have separate personalities like that. He did come out of a portal and announced himself before tearing Lung a new one. (and it was BAD-ASS!) Anyone heard of him before?

► Have_You_Seen_My_Son? (Mother)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
This footage is insane! I kept thinking Lung would break her at any second!

► Soul_of_the_Bull (Gaybringer)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Lung got owned. I didn't exactly understand how Keynote here beat Lung and then saw her power list and just went "Nope!"

► FliptheCoin (Lurker)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Am I the only one really glad she's a good person? Can you imagine Keynote… but evil?

RIP Portunes!

► Glory_Girl (Verified Cape)(New Wave)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
That's my girl! Wasn't really sure what to think of Key when I first saw her, but seriously? She is awesome, I might have a new shopping spot if the DH is any half as awesome as Key here.

Just gotta persuade my sister.

► Raven-in-the-Mirror (Cape Groupie) (Seen my Senpai?)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Nazgul, I haven't seen Ifrit before and I would remember someone like him. Trust me.

► Tyan (Youth Guard)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
How can the DollHouse allow this? She could have been killed!

► Nurple_Whurple (Bitch)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Tyan No one likes you. Go away and stop wet blanketing a good thread.

Edit: Also Keynote wasn't in the heart in the ABB, Lung was near wherever Keynote was, or was she living with Parian? That opens a whole new load of questions.

No, it doesn't. I'm heading off that conversation now before I have to issue any more bans - Tin-Mother

► Man_in_Tights (Rogue-ish)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Ice and Fire? So thermal energy control?

I see inertia and movement, so can she control more energies? Wouldn't that make her a mini… never mind.

So what the heck is Ifrit? Projection? Seems pretty hardcore for an idea...

► Pilgrimage_Girl
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I hope she's okay! If she can heal, then isn't that really valuable?

I heard that there is no true healing yet besides Panacea, everything is a side effect of another power, right?

So is Keynote the same? Or can she heal at a distance truly?

I hope she helps people in her spare time. That'd be sweet of her.

► Vista (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Keynote is a hero, helping people where she could and on top of that, she is the sweetest girl! Seeing people talk about her like she's about to snap and eat a puppy is insulting.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 72 , 73, 74

(Showing Page 34 of 54)

► The Grand Couturier (Unverified Cape) (It's sweet that you think can win against me.)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
GyroRocket Really? You think you can just say that and no one would come down on you?

How silly.

Birdcage is for the worst of the capes, do you see the Protectorate arresting her? No?

Then perhaps go back to your Armsmaster fap thread and stop bothering us with your stupidity.

Once Keynote's summons have eaten someone, you can return.

► Patrick (This is)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
GyroRocket
Dude...just no. You want to hide under your bed from the girl who's entire body screams "Shy!" in the pics above? go ahead, but don't start raving.

Edit: Ouch The Grand Couturier doesn't usually hang out with us mortals. You must of pissed her off...

► General_Session (Moderator)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Birdcage is a nono, me thinks.

I'd like to add that in the video of Keynote's speech, I love how Parian puts her hand on Keynote's back.

True friendship there, yup.

► All_Seeing_Eye (Girl in the Know)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Keynote is a good person, I hope I can thank her personally one day for last night. She really did me a favor, fighting Lung like that.

► The_Tooth (Oui Oui)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I wonder what Keynote's key opens? I mean, why is her sword key shaped?

► XxVoid CowboyxX (Temp-banned)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
[Post Deleted]

I don't care that she looks like someone you know, do not guess at Capes identities. Also red hair was nowhere in the video, don't paint targets on people - General_Session

► Needle_and_Thread (Unverified Cape)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Oh no, she's going to hate this...

► Kupo_knight (kupo)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
This is just what she needs, good heroes always need to beat the tutorial boss before they get famous, kupo!

► Needle_and_Thread (Unverified Cape)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Kupo_Knight Mog?! I sent you upstairs and hour ago, how did you… ARE YOU ON MY PHONE?!

► Kupo_Knight (Kupo)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
No?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 ... 52, 53, 54

(Showing Page 54 of 54)

► Tyan (Youth Guard)
Replied on April 15, 2011:
Nurple_Whurple, The_Tooth, Nox, look I get it. You don't like 'For the Children' type groups. Never mind you're completely missing the point about the purpose of Youth Guard, we're not here to be, as The_Tooth said "Pointless buybodys to stop the ards hlping." We're here to stop the PRT and private companies, like Dollhouse, using underage capes as Child Soldiers. You saying we should all just jump of a bridge is immature. You saying we should 'butt out' and leave the Wards be?

Do you want Child Soldiers? Because that's how you get Child Soldiers.

Also, learn to spell you inbred hillbilly.

► REMOVED
Replied on April 15, 2011:
REMOVED

User was banned for inappropriate name usage in posting and had their account deleted. - Tin-Mother

► Top_Hat_Tricks (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 15, 2011:
REMOVED "Glaistig Uaine"? That name is on the banned list, how the hell did you get it?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 52, 53, 54

Topic: Canary Trial set for tomorrow!
In: Boards ► News ► America ► Brockton Bay

Bagrat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)
Posted on April 13, 2011:

Paige Mcabee, aka "Canary" has had her trial moved up to tomorrow, my sources say that her acts in the Lung fight(link) brought the media's attention back to her case and this time, it's much more neutral after her smear campaign before her last trial that never happened.

So if you want the details on Canary(Link) or her case(Link) then do not post here.

This is mostly about the court case.

(Showing Page 1 of 20)
► EdRat_Cat (Ghoulish)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
So, she sings and then world forgives her? Sounds like a Master to me...

Luminous_Wizard (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Master this, Master that. I can see this becoming another Canary thread real quick.

Canary helped people, stopped Lung and didn't Ensnare anyone else.

So yeah, people keep saying that isn't enough evidence, but as soon as she sneezes in someone's direction she's the worst mastermind in the world?

Hypocrites and fools, bah!

Matter Games (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
#FreeCanary!

Kurama of the Den
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I think she deserves a fair shake, I mean, I feel...uncormftable about how I washed my hands of her before.

Neptune
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Canary's even been seen wearing this machine around her neck(Link) to stop her powers from working, how many Capes would do that?

Avarci (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I hear Brandish is feeling good, let out a press release that the court session is allowing live footage inside the court room. So the big result will be televised.

BrokenLine
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Does anyone know what time this is happening?

Protector of Lightining
Replied on April 13, 2011:
BrokenLine

3:00 PM, I work at a tv station job, we already got the Schedule.

Dark_Lizard
Replied on April 13, 2011:
What I really what to know is how will Canary rebuild her life? It will be a long time before people forget...

Passionate_Fashionate
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Who cares? If the people have any sense they'll lock her up before she sings someone with power into doing something dangerous.
(Showing Page 2 of 20)

Lazy Bear (Lurker)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Passionate_Fashionate

You need to chill, you've been in every Canary thread, spouting the same crap. What happened? Did Canary not sign your Moobs?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 18 , 19, 20

(Showing Page 20 of 20)

Sheep of ASH
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I'm going to throw her a metaphoric cake when she gets out. Canary deserves it.

Pervert_Dragon (Devourer of Threads)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Finally caught up! So yeah, people here are assholes. Canary deserves the right of self defence and proper justice, not witch kagaroo courts.

Warrior_Bird
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Fracken_Styne

I think you should look at the other people who suggested surgery or bird cage and see the big shiny ban next to their names.

Brandish (New Wave)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
I barely use this thing as it is, so you all know how serious this is.

Canary would like to thank everyone for their support. and I have full confidence that tomorrow will go well.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 18, 19, 20

Topic: ChocoKnight
In: Boards ► Capes ► America ► Brockton Bay

The_Watching_Wisk (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted on April 14, 2011:

Okay, this is a weird one, cause we know the identity of this Cape, its Parian.

A cape who has...another cape identity which isn't a secret...

Yeah, kinda weird.

But anyway, Parian fused with her constructs here (Link to video) with the small one, Mog, becoming weapons and armour, and her bird, Boco, appearing to become a real boy.

Now, Parian's power was always listed as TK, an odd kind, but TK none the less.

This isn't the case here. Parian has yet to release a statement, but the current theoy is that it has something to do with her new teammate, Keynote(Link) since Keynote herself pulls off this trick.

So ChocoKnight as Parian calls herself in this form is faster, stronger and her weapon seems to do some really weird things, which so far have been noted as:

Ice
Fire
Lightining
Some odd colour effect that shrunk Lung(Power null?)

and then she pulls this out(Link).

ChocoKnight runs into Lung and explodes.

Lung is thrown through a building, thankfully empty, and takes a while to get his bearings back.

So is it just me, or did Brockton Bay get weird overnight?

(Showing Page 1 of 5)

Juicy_Lucy (Lurker)
Replied on April 14, 2011:
This is awesome, look at her go from gentle dress maker, to badass knight in shining armour!

Yuki (I'm a boy)
Replied on April 14, 2011:
Are Capes even allowed to do this? I think it's pretty cool!

Look at her throwing Lung away! Guys rep took a beating that night.

Noel_in_Time
Replied on April 14, 2011:
Damn! That's impressive. So are they her pets? Constructs? Capes?

Lulu_For_Belts
Replied on April 14, 2011:
I like the knight image, but I think Parian should stick to what she knows before she ends up getting hurt.

General_Session (Moderator)
Replied on April 14, 2011:
Did she transform to protect her teammate? To become her shining knight? Kinda cute.

Justice_In_my_Drink
Replied on April 14, 2011:
Does anyone else notice that the smoke stops moving for a short while after she explodes Lung? Like...just freezes?

Needle_and_Thread (Unverified Cape)
Replied on April 14, 2011:
This is embarrasing...

The_Fowled_Worker
Replied on April 14, 2011:
THATS HIM!

That's the bird that trashed my shop, the one who's been wrecking all the fast food places! I told the cops he was real and they ignored me! I've been telling people about him here for ages!

Kupo_Knight (Kupo)
Replied on April 14, 2011:
The_Fowled_Worker

I think you must be imagining things. Boco is a gentle soul, maybe you're just trying to jump on a bandwagon.

It's sad what people will do for attention these days...Kupo.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Topic: Lung Arrested!
In: Boards ► News ► America ► Brockton Bay

Lop_Sided_Bunny (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted on January 1, 2000:

So the villain, Lung(Link) of the ABB, got hauled off to the clink yesterday.

Yeah, the same Lung that breaks Protectorate teams. He was supposedly brought to heel by a semi-new cape Keynote(Link) and Canary(Link), a team up that no one saw coming.

Also credited was Glory Girl(Link), Brandish(Link) and Miss Militia(Link). EDIT: Parian was also at the scene(Link)

So the big bad dragon of Brockton is now behind bars, for people in the city itself, be careful. Studies and professionals are saying such a huge power vacuum isn't going to a pretty thing. With Merchants(Link) and E88(Link) still afoot, and many smaller gangs, it could be messy.

(Showing Page 1 of 1)

Bagrat (The Guy In The Know)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Beat me to it...this time.

Rose_of_May
Replied on April 13, 2011:
They got given Lung, but can they keep him secure is another thing altogether.

Kupo_Knight (Kupo)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Hey! You forgot Parian and her awesome partners! Just cause we're cute, doesn't mean you can forget about us.

Rising_sun101 (Banned)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Removed

Enjoy your ban, death threats aren't acceptable - Tin-Mother

Despondent_Peridot
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Kupo_Knight you for real?

Blitz_Star
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Hell yeah! Another win for the good guys!

Suplex_King
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Whoah, hold the train!

Lung is down? Cause of those two little capes? That is 100% awesome.

Tick_Tock (Temp-banned)
Replied on April 13, 2011:
Lung won't be in there for long. You all can count on that.

End of Page.

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100% Platinum: You have our attention.

Another Heart: Judgement by Fire

"Do you understand your crime?"

Ifrit would have winced if not for the need to keep his dignity with the entire court of Espers staring down at him.

The 'room' they were in was nothing more than a large platform, a floating island, chunks of crystal and other platforms slowly circling. In the distance there was only darkness and light, neither one daring to draw any closer, shrouding the place in an eternal twilight. The platform trembled for a moment, but again Ifrit didn't flinch. He did snort though as some of the others let out mumbled worrying or shifted uneasily. A gathering of the Espers, so many spirits so close together, it made the space unstable. So much chaos, so many clashing elements, the tumultuous aspects of creation, all brought together in such a small space was dangerous.

Yet the danger did not outweigh the benefits of this place, as opposed to using one of the realms. Light or darkness would only complicate things, it was why when they met, they met here in the place between. Because any unfair advantage towards one Esper over another meant unavoidable conflict would eventually occur.

They were all petty like that, not that Ifrit minded, any excuse to slap that smirk off Shiva's-

"Esper Ifrit? Would a moment of your time be available while we decided what to do with your existence for the next 1000 years?" Lord Alexander asked dryly. Ifrit snapped his mind back to the three highest platforms floating around him.

Unlike the others, these platforms did not move. Each platform, a fancy way of saying giant rock if you asked Ifrit, held one being, their shapes only barely contained to a single form.

The one in the middle held the Esper of holiness and totality, Alexander. To a human, he usually appeared as fortress or a castle with wings, to Espers... well, he made even Ifrit's eyes burn if he looked directly at him.

Mog would call him fair, the insufferable little cretin. Ifrit called him anal. The guy had a thing for order and abhorred the chaos Ifrit reveled in. The fire cared not for the tree or forest, so long as it burned.

The island on left had a coiled dragon, the limbs barely fitting on the island, claws gripping the sides as a tail lazily swung off one edge out into the void, the Esper of Destruction and Change, Bahamut.

Now there was an Esper Ifrit could get behind, he liked Bahamut and… his? hers? It's philosophy.

Ifrit didn't squint, cause that was one sure way to get your head chewed off by a pissed off dragon, but Ifrit was pretty sure Bahamut was going with male this century.

Bahamut loved destroying systems, sometimes even with humans best interests at heart, but not always. Bahamut appeared in times of great change, of upheaval, anarchy and chaos. In the human's lore, Bahamut was a dark omen, a warning of things to come.

Alexander liked building castles and Bahamut liked burning them down. It was a good system, but not every Esper fit under their banners.

Which is why the third Island was also present, the so called balance.

The being on this island was positively tiny compared to Alexander and Bahamut.

He sat upon a simple throne of plain ashwood, the chair missing any of the shiny baubles that would make it appealing to most. Though the horns adoring the helmet were regal enough to make Ifrit mentally compare his own horn to them.

Feeling secure in his Hornedness, he spotted the sword floating in the air in front of the Esper.

Odin, the Esper of Battle and Mortality. The Esper who had cut down world eaters with a single blow. Odin washed his hands of the complexity of light and darkness, of heart and soul, of right or wrong, and even of life... and death.

To Odin, what was and what wasn't were found at the end of a battle.

The victor becoming truth in every sense, the loser becoming ash upon the wind. It was a damn good way to look at things, and Ifrit had yet to really go wrong with Odin.

Ifrit was aligned under Odin's banner, a superficial act unless war broke out. If war broke out, then it it mean Ifrit would become one of Odin's generals. It was for this reason, Ifrit was still feeling hopeful at his trial of potential non-existence for a few hundred years.

"Yes, I am listening. I was just trying to remember the last time we gathered like this." Ifrit mused aloud and the several forms around the area rustled, in agitation or amusement at Ifrit's apparent lack of worry.

"Old age hits memory first." A bearded Esper said with a sigh, his beard so large it hid most of his body. Ramuh, Esper of Thunder, lightning and guidance. Ifrit didn't really want to burst his bubble, again, that he was born that old and shouldn't notice a difference.

But no reason to throw potential friends under the chocobo.

Shiva scoffed not far off.

"Memory is the least of his problems right now, I do believe there hasn't been this much of a mess since the time of the treachery. What happened again? Oh, thats right. Hades arrogance took him too far and look where he is now? Stuck in just one of his guises and that was him getting off lightly." Shiva scoffed, drumming her inhuman fingers on her stone chair, riddled with hoarfrost.

Shiva, the Esper of ice and complexity.

Ifrit gritted his teeth as she smirked at him. Shiva was a bitch. Her loose clothes that were frozen eternally to her unmarked, unblemished, unchanging skin, made her look richer than the rest of them. Which was absurd since they were Espers and money meant very little them because a locked door and a price tag was not going to stop them from simply taking what they wanted.

If there one was Esper Ifrit couldn't wait for war to break out with, it was Shiva.

His damned bitch of a sister.

Shiva and Ifrit were one of the few cases of "truly" related Espers. A title he took no pride in and often tried to forget. For when Ifrit was brought into creation, the space left behind from the sudden lack of heat was so cold that it froze and birthed Shiva.

The fraternal twins of heat and the lack thereof, of which Ifrit was born first.

Ifrit took to reminding Shiva of this fact constantly, after which she would go off to cover a section of the universe in snow storms, spawning icy Comets, and parts of the very fabric of creation freezing over, sometimes birthing worlds of ice if a planet strayed too near.

Ifrit would kill anyone who would dare harm her, but he was not above throttling her himself if the time came. He knew without a doubt she felt the same.

Their existences thus intertwined made sure that they could never forget each other and he'd be a fool not to notice that she was sitting under Odin and not Alexander, her preferred patron.

Ifrit would never thank her, not ever for the act, but maybe… he would let her win their next argument

"Indeed, Shiva, we have waited long enough, anyone late will simply have to deal with it." Alexander rumbled and the balls of white fire floating near Ifrit dimmed.

Holy fire.

Ifrit detested the stuff, tasted liked a sanitised hospital floor with extra mint. Alexander knew this, thus his use of it.

Ifrit wasn't sure how long they had been gathering, how long since he had left Taylor back on Earth pie, or whatever the place was called.

Days? Weeks? Ifrit hated to think that months could have passed already, but when you hung out with a moving castle, airships, whales, a bird that exploded every so often and a giant cactus, time got weird.

He closed his eyes and felt the tiniest glimmer of Taylor.

A bond had formed between them, a new feeling for him, and it connected him to her.

Even across the cosmos's between them, the bond persisted, glowing slightly, becoming solid and ethereal in time with an unheard heartbeat. Ifrit idly poked at it in his head and blinked as it quivered in his mind, as if reacting to his prodding.

Strange.

"Taylor? Are you...okay?" Sabah asked worried at the peals of laughter coming out of Taylor's mouth. The girl was on the kitchen floor, holding her sides.

"I don't... Oh God… My sides!"

Ifrit would have to investigate it later, because at that moment the area around them dimmed, casting the other Espers into shadow. Only he remained illuminated, surrounded as he was by holy fire.

Only one other was still visible. Alexander radiant and supreme.

His turn at the seat of high judge not to be wasted for a second.

Ifrit wanted Odin's turn to hurry up and arrive, verdict by battle was always more fun than Judgement by Alexander's court.

No one knew what Bahamut would do, the dragon liked to surprise people.

Last time it was interdimensional portal fights. Ifrit had been scattered across a galaxy when someone opened a portal inside him, and Ifrit could now say that exploding was not a fun experience.

He'd never managed to find out where his horn had got to.

Still Alexander was dependable, he liked things done in a set fashion but he was also… precarious. You never quite knew where you stood with him. So, who knows? Maybe the old fort had something planned?

"Ifrit, Esper of Fire and Ruin, The Esper Court, those who showed up to preside, have come together to judge you as one." Alexander began and Ifrit rolled his eyes slightly.

Alexander would be judging him with the only authority that mattered, none of this "one" crap was actually true. Alexander was powerful enough to smear a lot of them into smudges, but doing so harks the dragon of destruction and the blade of the end unto himself. And of all the things Alexander detested, war was at the very top.

So, diplomacy was a nice thing to have. Even if Ifrit could feel his warrior spirit grate at the grand standing. They were so conceited, so presumptuous. They judged him when they had no idea, having left this place so rarely since the Sundering. They were unlike her, so wild and determined. When was the last time any of them had thrown themselves into a battle they could not win? When had they last fought for their lives? When...

Stars and sea… he missed Taylor. He'd known her for maybe an hour, perhaps two, and it had been non stop fun from start to end.

She was a bit sad, but a good person all the same for a human. Here? Ifrit wanted to just banish himself.

Politics was the most boring of poisons.

When Ifrit was offered ascension, he had never been so glad to turn it down as today.

The idea of being one island closer to the pomp and the pretty words made Ifrit want to punch Carbuncle just to get demoted, the poor Esper being the cutest thing around besides himself, and maybe his sister.

Ifrit would have to remind Shiva to stop mooching off his good looks. Twins just weren't built equal and it was unfair that she was trying to live up to his looks.

That's how complexes start.

"Esper Ifrit. You stand accused of human sacrifice, attempted murder of your summoner, ushering chaos into a new world and allowing a Keyblade to slip dangerously close to the edge before you acted. How do you plead to these charges?" Alexander intoned, his wings pressed tightly against himself.

Bahamut yawned to the side.

"Is that all? I thought Ifrit had laid with a worlds' goddess again, now that was court worthy. What was her name again? Min? Win?" Bahamut trailed off, his grin bright in the shadows.

Great, Bahamut had returned to being 'asshole' Bahamut.

The dragon changed age, sex, mind, bodyshape and lore so often, you could pretty much find him interlinked with most ideas and depictions.

Whoring yourself out to keep your fame was a tactic Ifrit himself hadn't used. The whoring part was fine, he was a beast when it suited the moment, but tainting it with agenda just rubbed Ifrit the wrong way.

Ifrit could, however, understand Bahamut's motives.

Without belief or worship, Espers were but laughable shadows of what they could be.

Ifrit wistfully thought back to becoming his true self, his primal self and almost groaned.

The power that he had been connected to...

"Regardless, Lord Alexander has mentioned human sacrifice, an act which I care for very little." Odin's voice rang out and it was not as deep as one would think, almost princely, but never kingly.

In this form anyway, Ifrit snorted. What Espers seem to be and what they actually were, was often very different things.

"Human sacrifice? Is this why Mog and Boco are still missing?" Slyph, Esper of Gusts and Travel, asked loudly, her nature not one of deep thought.

"It is, their task requires them to remain on Earth, to be our eyes and ears where we cannot go." Alexander explained to the small winged woman, who frowned but faded back into the darkness. Odin leaned forward at hearing this, but stayed silent.

"I assume then, that Ifrit's actions are directly related to the Keyblade wielder?" Bahamut asked Alexander who glowed briefly, his wings giving a single twitch. The Great Dragon had stopped pretending that he wasn't paying attention and leaned forward inquisitively.

Ifrit snorted quietly to himself. Espers were like old women. Throw a bit of gossip their way and they could debate it for weeks on end, time Ifrit himself really couldn't be bothered wasting.

"It appears so, Ifrit's actions not only toed the line of the only true rule we have, but also pushed the Keyblade Wielder to the very edge, and almost over it into darkness with his mind games." Alexander rumbled, the holy fire flaring uncomfortably close to Ifrit's essence.

Bahamut snorted and the flames became tainted with purple, almost black light, before retuning to their calm state.

"So easily riled, you have been cooped up here for far too long, those wings of yours need to take you somewhere where you can relax and let people live in you."Bahamut said as his own wings stretched out to their fullest, making the fire around Ifrit flicker wildly with the gusts.

Alexander's central crystal pulsed gently as he sighed.

"Indeed, it has been a long time since I have left this Realm Between. But I will stay until my duty is done, which brings us back to the topic at hand. Ifrit, explain yourself and your actions with the Keyblade Wielder-" The Grand Castle began and Ifrit, his patience rapidly reaching it's breaking point, snarled at Alexander.

"Her name is Taylor. You, Odin, Bahumut, this whole court have a lot of interest in her. So at least have the decency to use her name. 'Keyblade master this' and 'Keyblade wielder that', it is irritating to hear that every five minutes." Ifrit said, snorting flames from his nostrils in annoyance. Who were they to judge him when they were too afraid of her to even speak her name? What would they have done when confronted by a heart breaking?

Silence reigned as the gathered Espers digested this. Bahamut grinned down at him, saying nothing, Odin likewise remained silent, leaning forward and pressing his lips to his steepled hands, though a smile still peaked around the edges. Alexander was normally as expressionless as a rock apart from the glow that came from his body, which now flared just that bit brighter.

"Respect is not a thing I ask for, do not make me do so, Esper Ifrit, but I… can agree to your request, as your actions are tightly bound with… Taylor's." Alexander acknowledged and before he could continue, a soft woman's voice carried from the second highest tier of islands. Almost a whisper in the Aether.

"You… like her?" A human woman stepped out the shadows. Her form was demure, almost shy, but her face was calm as she stared down the rows towards Ifrit, a curious expression on her face. Every Esper slowed their movements, words suspended on the tips of tongues until the court was silent, all listening to her.

Black hair was idly pushed behind an ear. Ifrit paused to give the idea some thought.

The answer was simple.

"I do. She impressed me. Her mind was a ruin, but her heart was strong, it holds great power for those around her and even though it is mired in darkness it holds a brilliant light within. I found her… tolerable compared to most. And she enjoys a good fight." Ifrit said and Shiva gave a little laugh.

"Dear Ifrit made a friend? Will wonders never cease?" Shiva said with a smirk as Ifrit snarled at her.

The woman above cleared her throat, and Ifrit ignored Shiva at once, knowing the action would piss her off more than any remark he could make.

"When I heard the news of a new Key… I apologize, of Taylor, a user that might ally with us of all beings, I will admit that I was worried, but Sir Ifrit, you have never bothered with trivialities of lying so I will trust your word as to the nature of her character. I too am… willing to lend aid, please remember that for when she is ready and in need. How old is she?" She asked almost hesitatingly and Alexander let her continue, seemingly not that insulted by the woman taking up the centre of his court.

"Fifteen, almost sixteen. Not the youngest wielder we've ever heard off..." Ifrit trailed off as the woman shook her head with great sadness.

"No… it is not, yet my heart aches for Taylor all the same. I wish you luck, Sir Ifrit, my blessing to you for the rest of the trial, I am… feeling tired. Please excuse me from tonight's activities, as important as they are." She said and bowed to Alexander, Bahamut and Odin, separately, each returning a respectful nod of their own.

"Sleep well, Lady Anima." Alexander replied and everyone watched the woman known as the fallen mother melt away into the floor.

Ifrit watched the Esper of Grief and Love slip away and sighed, even his usual level of bluntness was softened around her. Lady Anima wasn't aligned with any of the three, or any other, her presence and her words to him were a great boon to his defence as she was often sparse with her favour, but even that might not be enough. Lady Anima was well respected for several reasons, her actions in the Sundering...

No.

Why drag those memories up now? They were best left as a bad aftertaste in his mind.

"Diablos, perhaps later you would be agreeable to..." Bahamut trailed off, not looking directly at the devil, who stood not far off from where Lady Anima vanished, the shadows made his red skin glow slightly as he nodded, his giant bat like wings opened once before they settled about him like a cloak.

"Of course, it is but a stone's throw away. The dark lady is very firm in her routines." Diablos answered in his typical deep slow rasp. He said no more, fading away into the darkness once more and Bahamut nodded. Alexander paused to see if anyone else was going to speak then carried on.

"Ifrit, walk us through your actions." The Grand Castle said simply and Ifrit snorted once, the reflex reaction to bullshit uncontrollable.

"I did what I was sent to do, with me going past your expectations." Ifrit said and Odin leaned back into his chair.

"Ifrit." He said and the hell beast sighed.

"There isn't much to say beyond that. I was asked to investigate the world, and if possible examine Taylor. I got both done at the same time. Taylor's a good kid, but she's fucked up. Not in the 'I'm going to summon eternal darkness and devour the Worlds' type of way but in a sad one. She's lonely. So I helped her out. I drained her, yes-" Ifrit started and suddenly there was a lot of arguing and movement as the Espers erupted into noise and protests. Order and chaos ran with glee around the twisted space. People raised themselves to their full height, weapons were clutched, magic was drawn.

There was a sudden bright light and noise.

"Silence!" Alexander boomed.

Everyone did become silent then, but not of their own free will. Mouths opened and closed but no sound emerged.

Odin shook his head and the glowing magic around his throat snapped as he broke Alexander's spell.

"Right in my ear, was that truly necessary?" Bahamut asked, touching one claw to the side of the his head. Alexander glowed once and Ifrit felt the magic around his throat snap.

"Speak fast, Esper, your words do you no service so far." Alexander rumbled, his crystal glowing brighter. Ifrit knew he was charging a holy.

Holy sucked, unless you were holy then it was fine, but as was his case, Ifrit was not holy, almost the opposite actually. Still Ifrit did what he always thought he did best.

Be a smartass.

"Am I not allowed to talk and explain myself? Are you that eager to hand out your 'justice' and be done with me? Is this how you treat the potentially innocent? With death at the first sentence?" Ifrit asked loudly, and thanks to Alexander's silence spell, everyone heard him clearly. Alexander began to dim as Odin hummed.

"Ifrit is correct, he is virtually at your mercy and your actions could be seen as… judge, jury and executioner, no? It doesn't set a good example for us as a group." Odin said aloud to Alexander.

Bahamut yawned on the other side.

"It's hard to say if even you could truly end an Esper, we are so old now that we have imprinted upon creation just as it has imprinted on us. Who's to say we aren't stuck here? Existing forever, and ever, and ever..." Bahamut said, his tail sweeping back and forth.

Ifrit nodded.

"Not really caring about the immortality thing, don't want to test it either. I just want everyone off my back. I drained Taylor because her magic was out of control, it was going haywire in a way I've not seen in a very long time. The death throes of a breaking heart, magic filled with rage and darkness. It pulled me in when I was inspecting the barrier of the world and by the time I was formed, it was already reaching out to another… somewhere. Something dark and… cold. It didn't feel like an Esper to me, and it made my skin crawl. Taylor was killing herself to do it. I… made the choice to drain her, to keep her alive. Save her. I had to stop her from sinking deeper into her rage, into the darkness, so I distracted her. It was... perhaps not my finest moment, but I do not regret my actions." Ifrit said, his chin stuck up in defiance.

Alexander hummed and it was a much friendlier noise than before. Odin spoke up instead however.

"You… saved her, thrice? You appeared to fight her foe, you saved her from her own magic, and then you bonded with her to give more power to her? In such a short period? Even for you, Esper Ifrit, this is… reckless beyond belief." Odin said, sitting straight up.

Ifrit became keenly aware of voices returning to the others as Alexander seem to withdraw his spell. Glowing… with surprise.

Really? They expected him to let Taylor die? To let a Keyblade wielder fall into darkness? Ifrit wasn't that bad with people… was he?

Sure he'd burned a few… hundred kingdoms down somewhere along the line, but who didn't? Kingdoms were so flammable.

"A thrice bond?" A tiny emerald Esper whispered to a larger wolf to the side. Carbuncle, Esper of Barriers and Cooperation, a kid on an eternal sugar high. The wolf-like being Fenrir, Esper of Howling Plateaus.

"That's what I heard, well, what do you know? The old fuzz ball has heart." Fenrir said, a grin on his animal face, to Titan, Esper of Rock, Earth and Strength, who was lurking behind them, trying to be invisible, which was hard to do when he was pushing 12 feet in his smallest form.

"Uh… what does thrice mean, Car?" Titan tried to whisper and dust behind Ifrit swirled at the power of the giant's voice.

"Three! It's means three! One, two, three! See? Easy as that." Carbuncle laughed and bounced from his platform onto passing crystals and debris, climbing through the air until he landed on Titans's head. The giant's eyes looked upwards, trying to see Carbuncle through his own skull.

"Oh." Titan said to himself and Fenrir sighed, putting his head down to rest. Lazy cretin.

"Esper Ifrit?" Bahamut called out, his voice delighted, what the hell was going on? Thrice bond… Thrice bond… The name rang a distant rusty bell.

Bahamut looked at him intensely, pleased by what he saw evidently.

"Indeed, you have formed the bond already perhaps? I have never let myself save someone three times in a row without a gap, it's why we limit ourselves or use proxies, so this will be mighty interesting." Bahamut smiled, showing all his huge fangs. Shiva stepped up next him, her hand to her forehead.

"Dearest brother of mine, thrice bonds? Could you not just… meet a woman like the other demons?" She said disgustedly.

Espers whispered excitedly around the islands. Ramuh looked downright pickled.

Ifrit was about to snap at her when a light clicked on in head.

Thrice bonds, bond of three.

A bond comrades made in battle.

Ifrit paused and felt that wire in his mind.

The golden bond to Taylor.

"Shit."

"Indeed." Shiva said, crossing her arms, her face unamused.

Alexander spoke, making everyone look at him.

The bastard sounded down right pleased!

"Esper Ifrit, I declare you cleared of all but one charge brought against you. Intent to save a young child's life, the action of saving a breaking heart and the courage to help Taylor slay her demons is not actions I find in contempt, even now you have begun to glow with new fayth, have you not noticed?" Alexander intoned. Ifrit stared up at the glowing fortress of crystal. Ifrit stared at Alexander in annoyance and confusion, mostly annoyance. His hands clenched, but when he looked closer, he could see the small ribbon of ethereal light flowing into him.

Fayth? Ifrit hadn't been worshiped in some time, where on creation was this fayth coming from?

"Despite your intentions, you toed the forbidden rule of human sacrifice. Thus, a punishment must be brought about." Alexander said… sounding amused? Alexander was never amused. This… did not bode well.

Bahamut snapped his head to stare at him.

"What are you thinking? The last time you sounded this amused, Diablos ended up in a bottle." Bahamut asked and the devil below began to breath a little bit faster, puffs of dark breath making his distress at remembering the incident obvious.

"Three birds with one very hot rock, my old friend." Alexander said and his body began to glow brighter and brighter. Bahamut must have gotten the joke because he began to laugh as well, the rock below him cracking under his shifting claws.

Odin stood and stared in shock at the other two Espers.

"Madness. What madness has taken you all?" Odin demanded and the last thing Ifrit remembered hearing was Alexander answering back.

"Hope, good Odin, hope."

Ifrit felt… like he'd had a really good nap.

The lack of sound, the lack of laughter made his head feel better.

Opening one eye, he saw something horrible, something he'd never thought possible.

"Kupo, nice to see you're awake!" Mog said, looking down at him. Ifrit opened his mouth to demand and answer, when he noticed something odd.

No heartbeat. He had no heartbeat. Standing quickly, noticing quickly that he was only just bigger than Mog, if his horn counted.

Looking down, Ifrit saw… wool, orange wool, red wool, brown wool… his body was woolly.

Ifrit was not ashamed of the fact he might have screamed, and blacked out, and then waking up to find his soft, cute, paws around Mog's neck, doing nothing as the other Esper laughed.

"Ugh..." A form on the floor murmured and both Esper dolls looked down to see Taylor's woman friend sit up.

"What did I drink last night?" She asked and Ifrit froze as her eyes wandered over him and paused.

"Uh… Hello, Taylor's mortal friend!" Ifrit said, desperately trying to sound like nothing was wrong.

The girl opened her mouth and then closed it. Then a glazed look came over eyes and she didn't respond. Mog waved a paw in front of her face and sighed . Turning back to Ifrit Mog shook his head disapprovingly.

"You broke her"

Another Heart: The Dark Side

Anima sat in front of the yawning Abyss, the dark ocean ignoring her. Anima's seat nothing more than rock, but one she knew well.

The water rushed up to her and her faded yellow dress floated gently in the wave as it was submerged.

The waves continued their dance with the sand under the dark sky. The black coral that spanned the area glittered with blue veins in the odd not-light.

Anima felt at peace here, felt less burdened here. Perhaps it was the edge of it all, the lost line between light and dark, or the isolation to be alone with her thoughts, either way, the Door to the Light was comfort, as much as it was a punishment for Anima.

This place held importance for many people, the Espers as well. Anima cared little for what power or meaning that could be found here, Anima found pleasure in the simplistically of it all. The idea of a place to stop being.

Power. It made her grieve for those who coveted it, to have such power at any cost, to have nothing else worth in their life. This place was what laid behind the Door to Darkness in the realm of light

Well, one of the many Door's to Darkness, she corrected herself.

Only those without purpose can come here, not seeking, but finding. The dark beings did not tread here for it held no power to them, unlike other Doors. Anima found herself here time after time. Returning each time confused, but not unpleased.

The waves silently washed over her feet and the water was cold, but she knew under it's waves resided a darkness that one could not return from if they choose to submerged themselves into.

Everything around them was a symbol, as much as it was illusion. The sand was entropy, the waves were time and the sky was the darkness in all.

The beach was a point of entry between then realms, but only if you knew how. Anima never had the urge to traverse the dark water to find the light, because the dark realm felt more at home to her than the realm of light did now.

The realm of light would not have her regardless.

Anima pushed a lock of hair out her face and stared up at the starless sky, tilting her head slightly.

"I would like to ask a favor of you, dear Sir." Anima spoke loudly and as she expected, no response came back to her, the dark Esper didn't mind.

"Would you...go? I know your own interests lay in a different path, it's why you followed me to this lonely place, but if you would hear a wretch's request, I would be most thankful." Anima said and once again no reply came, but Anima looked up and smiled at the dark sky.

"Thank you." she whispered as she closed her eyes.

With a flick of her hand, the waves parted, the water being pushed to the side by invisible power, baring the naked black sand below for the first time. At the bottom of the bay was a door made of simple wood with iron edges, it sat in the sand untouched by the water. Anima looked at it and with a click it open, letting loose a beam of light into the realm.

Anima, with her eyes closed, smiled as the light died away.

"Thank you, good Sir."

Anima only hoped that she would never meet Taylor, Keyblade warrior, Keyblade Master, envoy of the Chaos to come, lost child to all their plots, for if she did...

Then all hope was lost.

Another Heart: Overrated

Director Emily Piggot pulled her chair in, wiggling a little as she got comfortable, sitting at the head of the table.

Hannah noticed that the Director was looking tired, even more than usual that is.

She felt tired herself really. This meeting was going to be a long one, the knowledge of which didn't help her tiredness or the worrying knowledge that at any time now they could be called away to deal with yet another problem. With Lung's capture the Empire 88 would surely make a push and trouble was doubtlessly brewing.

Nevertheless, no matter how much she might want to flee, this meeting was unavoidable.

It was best to get it over with, the information might even prove to be interesting. Miss Militia thought of the girl in the red cloak, her horn piercing her hood, and her weapon glowing with power.

If Director Piggot could make Keynote's report dull then Miss Militia would be impressed, if just a little bit dead inside. On the other side of the table from Miss Militia was Vista, the girl in green, trying to appear professional, the wrinkles on the legs of her pants where her hand kept gripping them was a sign that the normally steadfast girl nervous.

Miss Militia knew the feeling, the red dawn situation was a complete FUBAR and a God send at the same time.

The Director pushed a button built into the table and a black metal device that looked like a silver sphere sitting atop a black disk beeped twice, a red light in the middle of the metal lighting up in response. A rounded lens focused and rotated around the sphere in a full circle before the high resolution web camera came to rest on Director Piggot.

"Director." Dragon's voice said calmly, Director Piggot nodded at the small round lens in the device.

"Dragon, I appreciate you making time in your schedule to join us today. I need to wrap this up as quickly as I can, Can you make a recording of this meeting and send it to me after we are done?" The Director asked and Dragon and the camera made a noise of agreement and went silent.

Miss Militia hadn't spoken to the mysterious Tinker on a personal basis, but even she could tell that Dragon sounded distracted.

Director Piggot nodded and shuffled a few papers.

Colin sitting to her left shifted ever so slightly at the ruffling of papers, twitchy at the sudden noise that he wasn't expecting. Aegis was across from him, stoic, professional and sitting upright, his back not having touched the backrest for the entire time he had been there. The leader of the Protectorate and The leader of the Wards, Director Piggot's official left and right hand on paper. Even if it was Deputy-Director Renick who probably filled those roles most of the time, as he was doing now while this meeting took place.

Trying not to fidget at the silence, Miss Militia couldn't help but think it was just because it was easier for the woman to glare at all of them at once when they were sitting together, which they might all very well deserve. It's the Captain that is blamed when the team screws up after all.

Aegis would take his knocks and double down, but Colin… he would take this meeting hard. Miss Militia could see he was as tense as a coiled spring. Colin was… a prideful man and Director Piggot was not known for her kind and gentle words. Quite the opposite really.

"Now, this meeting will be tackling three issues all revolving around last night. Keynote, the actions of the Wards, and the report on Mush." Director Piggot began calmly. Miss Militia thought that the Director sounded less than pleased about any of those topics.

Glancing down the table Miss Miltia noted the others in attendance. On her own side of the table sat Velocity, Assault, and Battery. Dauntless was absent, out on patrol. On the far side sat Vista, Aegis Clockblocker and… Shadow Stalker. No, not Shadow Stalker. Sophia. At the far end stood Gallant, poised with a marker by the whiteboard. While the notes he'd be taking wouldn't be official, they would be a visual aid for the rest of them and serve as a reminder for the Director.

Looking back down the table Miss Militia noted no one else had spoken yet. Odd, normally someone like Clockblocker or Assault would have spoken up by now. But with Battery here, Assault should behave and Clockblocker… Hmm. Looking to the white wards side she noted the dark clad Ward sitting next to him. Sophia near the bottom of the table shifting every so often while she hunched forward, doodling on a piece of paper in front of her.

Sophia's presence was a surprise, since the girl was on base at the time of Red Dawn, she wasn't in trouble, and she wasn't required to join the meeting.

The fact that she was here meant that she likely wanted to see a few people have the wind taken out of their sails or that she was watching to see how things developed for others. Miss Militia stifled a snort as another possibility occurred to her. Sophia wouldn't be here to offer her teammates support, it wasn't in her personality to do so nor had Miss Militia had the time to beat it in yet.

So, the first would be most in tune with the girl, but the second was becoming more likely. Sophia had made some progress after all.

Miss Militia hadn't known what would happen once she was given her tentative teaching role towards the girl, the violent and rebellious attitude was expected, the following sparring match where Sophia refused to stop, refused to bend, was where Miss Militia saw the real troubles the girl had.

She was like an animal.

Sophia could talk, walk, act and even think like a person, but her desire to fight, the act of hurting someone weaker, that's what drove her.

So, Miss Militia stopped trying to gently guide her, she stopped trying to be kind. Anytime Sophia acted out, Miss Militia put her down and put her down hard.

The fighting and the injuries didn't affect her much at first. Sophia would simply heal, and get ready for the next round. Aegis had reported in his weekly email that Sophia was causing less fights among the Wards, but Miss Militia wasn't going to let it go at that.

The fights were giving the girl what she wanted, not teaching her control or restraint. So Miss Militia found the smallest, most boring, whitest room she could in the rig and put Sophia inside with a desk and a bunch of monthly reports she never got done.

Sophia put out her arms and dug her heels in, the sight of the room causing horror to leak from every pore on her body. Miss Militia twitched something on the girl's neck and she went limp, awake, but limp. Miss Militia put her in the chair and said she'd be waiting outside. Then she threatened that if Sophia tried to escape… Well, Sophia had already burnt all her bridges. So, Sophia had stayed and the results had been… interesting.

Sophia did try to escape, seven times in fact, but the room Miss Militia had carefully chosen just so happened to be on the other side of Armsmaster's workshop and the amount of wires in the wall, floor and roof made it impossible for Sophia to phase through them. The other wall led out to empty air and a 200 foot drop to the ocean below, deadly even for Sophia. The other two walls Sophia could slip out through led into the corridor and a waiting Miss Militia, while the room above held a PRT trooper with a taser who owed a favour to the gun toting cape. Eventually, after more than an hour of trying to find an escape route, Sophia had gritted her teeth and started to pen the reports.

After the first ten reports were done, Miss Militia came in with a jug of water and looked them over, before throwing all the reports in the waste basket.

"Do them right, or just sit there. Don't waste my time." Miss Militia had warned and left to bring back fresh copies of the reports, ignoring the sound of the jug smashing against the closed door behind her, thankfully the kitchen had plastic jugs and not glass ones.

With permission from the girls mother, Miss Militia had kept Sophia in that room over night, eventually finding the reports done and the girl passed out.

Miss Militia felt progress of some sort had been made and had carried the girl to her room.

So it was mixed feelings that Miss Militia watched as Sophia sat up as the Director spoke.

"We'll start off with Keynote, as per regulations with new Capes, or those who we've had little knowledge off, we will state what we know about her and create a profile. First, her powers, then her mindset and personality, and from there conclude her threat level." Director Piggot started and several Wards stiffened at this. Miss Militia wondered what they had discussed in private, had they perhaps come to their own conclusions about Keynote already?

"What do we know? I need everything, from her weapons to her abilities." The Director said, leaning back in her chair.

There was an odd moment before Aegis spoke up.

"We know a lot about her abilities, but not the full extent of them. Keynote has created or projected a giant key like weapon she calls the Keyblade." Aegis started and then paused, uncertain which line of thought to follow up with from there. Gallant seemed uncertain for a moment, before scribbling Keyblade on the board and adding 'shaker?'

Miss Militia could sympathize with them both, trying to describe what appeared to be a power shifting Trump was difficult at the best of times.

Vista broke the silence, speaking up when no one else did.

"The Keyblade isn't tinker-tech as far I could tell. Keynote let me hold it and it teleported back to her hand, which I have never seen Armsmaster's halberd do. It more resembled Miss Militia's power, like it was some kind of weapon projection. It also disrupts powers. It broke my spacial warping and I think it also broke Clock's time lock." Vista said, looking at the Ward in white who nodded.

"The PRT did all kinds of things to see if they could break my power. Guns, fire, electricity, radiation, and nothing ever came close. Her Keyblade did something in seconds. She actually unlocked a time locked object, even if it was just a sheet of paper." Clockblocker said and then became quiet again, his tone suggesting he wasn't happy about being at this meeting.

Sophia surprisingly spoke next.

"When I met her, she knocked me out of my shadow state. It surprised her too, could read it in her body language. I think she also stopped Rune's control over things she'd touched, but I wasn't there for most of that fight." Sophia said.

Armsmaster nodded.

"I think the common theme of what she is blocking is duration. Every power Keynote has effected thus far had a prolonged effect on the world. Reading the reports on Lung, I came to the conclusion that Keynote stalled Lung's healing and his control over fire, but not the fire itself. It was too spontaneous to stop, not that she had to worry about the fire after a while." Armsmaster said, an odd tone in his voice, a careful one perhaps.

Director Piggot nodded and wrote things down as she spoke over the squeaking noise of marker on metal.

"This 'Keyblade' returned to Keynote no matter what?" Director Piggot asked, sounding displeased at the idea.

Dragon spoke up next and a monitor behind Director Piggot lit up, showing grainy footage of Keynote, the video showed her throwing her Keyblade, it sailing off camera before it returned shortly after.

"Keynote has excellent control over the weapon, it seems to respond to her will and wishes, giving weight to the argument that it is not tinker-tech and more likely some kind of weapon based projection." Dragon said sounding bland but helpful as usual when in the company of PRT personnel, instead of the more upbeat tone she used when just around capes. Some kind of history perhaps? A dislike for bureaucracy?

The idea made Miss Militia slightly uncomfortable. Still, she would have to think about it later because Kid Win spoke up then, his tone unsure.

"A good Tinker can build those kind of pre-programmed things into a weapon, like a hidden button or maybe some kind of interface could control the weapon. It would also allow for a teleporter function to be added." Kid Win suggested. Miss Militia thought it was a stretch, but approved of covering all the bases.

Armsmaster spoke up next.

"I personally met Keynote, when I completed her Rogue application form for the Dollhouse." Armsmaster said.

Director Piggot's left hand clenched into a fist at this, her right hand maintaining a white knuckled grip on her pen, but the woman said nothing. Just glared.

"I asked and she allowed me to scan the weapon briefly. The results were… odd to say the least. Dragon and I looked over the data together. It was mess of energies and things I have no comparison to." Armsmaster admitted.

The Director shuffled through her papers before coming up with the report.

"I see… Are any of these energies harmful to the general public? Would any of these readings suggest radiation of any kind?" Director Piggot asked as she typed something into a laptop she had set up on the desk. Miss Militia wondered about that, if there actually was any radiation, would they even be able to find it?

Tinker or not, Cape powers often left people scrambling to keep up. No one power worked in truly the same way. Scientists just couldn't keep up with the sheer number of Capes that appeared, forever left playing catch up.

What looked like simple telekinesis often turned out to be hundreds of tiny gravity balls pushing and moving an object for example.

"No, if that were the case, and the Keyblade did emit harmful radiation, then the entire Dollhouse would have set off my geiger counter, which it didn't to any extent discernable from normal background radiation. No, these energies were more potent and yet, controlled. Her Keyblade has so many things inside it, yet allows for it's artistic appearance, it is quite a marvel." Armsmaster said, sounding both pleased and frustrated.

Miss Militia had to smile behind her scarf.

Armsmaster loved to see how far he could go and hated how little he had achieved at the same time.

"I'm glad you can appreciate it, Armsmaster, but the point remains. Are people in danger because of that Keyblade?" The Director said, bringing the mood back to its original somber state.

"No. The outer casing is made of a material my sensors couldn't penetrate or analyze, and I have studied Endbringer remains. If anything can damage it, then you wouldn't have to worry about it leaking energies as the amount of force needed to do so would, at a minimum, destroy everything within a one mile radius." Dragon said with confidence.

Director Piggot nodded, her expression sour.

"Very well, anything else about the Keyblade before we continue?" Director Piggot asked the table.

Vista spoke up again.

"It… changed when she transformed. There wasn't any good pictures online, but it was definitely different." Vista said and the other Wards nodded.

"I'll make a note of that. Now, what other powers has Keynote displayed?" Director Piggot asked without looking up.

"What hasn't she used?" Clockblocker asked, throwing his arms up for dramatic affect.

While less incensed Miss Militia had to agree, still she might as well push the conversation along, before more of Clockblocker's usual shenanigans ensued.

"Pyroknesis, both in creating and controlling." Miss Militia said calmly.

From by the white board Gallant spoke up.

"I saw footage of her creating several ice tracks and shooting ice spikes and frost from her sword." Gallant said, writing them up on the board.

"Healing as well, Glory Girl said that Keynote also boosted her shield and made her faster… Power amplification?" Vista offered and the Director flipped a page, making a note as Gallant kept writing.

Glancing at board Miss Militia felt her eyes widen slightly. Keynote was racking up a set of very versatile powers. The girl was dangerous at anything but long range and depending on the strength of her healing, a very good support type too.

"Is she a thermal manipulator?" Director Piggot asked to the room in general but nobody could answer, just a few shrugs and blank looks. The Director looked up and sighed, putting one hand on her chin.

"The PRT have had all and any Thinkers available look at her profile, we expected nothing, and received gibberish. One of the Thinkers handed in her report and asked to never to be put on Keynotes case again or she 'would quit and go work as an accountant'. She was unable to recall what she saw, only that for the first time ever she had a thinker-headache. So, everyone in this room bar myself, Battery and Dauntless have the best information about the girl. The Dollhouse's lawyer has blocked any interrogation we might have been able to do unless we're prepared to level charges, which I am reluctant to do at this time."

"'Cause she hasn't done anything wrong?" Clockblocker offered, his voice dripping with amusement and… contempt?

Director Piggot snapped her eyes to him.

"Keynote has displayed extremely destructive powers, the inability to control herself and the ability to call forth a creature capable of keeping pace with Lung, who I need not remind you all, not only faced off with Leviathan but also crippled our entire Protectorate team. Keynote is lucky that no one died and that is only the case due to the intervention of Panacea healing the most severely burned. If they had died Keynote's case might very well have been something more serious than mere threat assessment." Director Piggot said with tight lips.

Vista leaned forward at this, her own lips pursed and a frown upon her face, visible as the girl, like all the Wards currently, was maskless.

"Lung attacked her just outside her home from what she said. I think anyone would lose control at that, and that creature she summoned only went after Lung, even when we attacked it." Vista argued back hotly.

Miss Militia felt herself grimace at the girl's words. True as they may be, the girl should have known better by now than to argue with the Director.

Director Piggot shuffled her papers back into order, the woman's face deceptively calm.

"Indeed. My point stands though, that if there was any serious consideration of taking Keynote down, we would not be having this meeting, and your actions that you seem so proud of, will be up for review soon enough. Then we'll discuss your punishments." Director Piggot said waspishly, making Vista shrink a little.

The Director sighed before she settled her papers. Her tired face seemed to sink even further as she stared down at her hands.

"Do not misunderstand me, Vista. My intent towards Keynote is not one of ill will. I know that you Wards see me as an evil dictator instead of a director, but that is simply the nature of my job. I do not want to see a young girl forced in villainy, imprisoned, or worse sent the birdcage or even dead as she came so very close to last night. However, I must put the safety of the public first and to do that I must be vigilant towards any potential danger. Keynote poses such a danger and she will be assessed to determine our course of action from here. So, if you can all stall your revolt until after the meeting, if comes to that, I would very much like to get on with it." Director Piggot snapped.

Miss Militia had to smile as all the Wards took a moment to process this. Trust the Director to diffuse the building tension and snap at them at the same time. Still, she knew very well the position the Director was in. If anything was to go wrong, it would be the Director's head upon the chopping block, figuratively speaking. But if everything went perfectly, it was not Piggot who was praised, but the Capes at this very table.

Such was the price of working with Super Heroes.

Still, Miss Militia had worked for the Director for a while. She knew the subtle works of the woman that most would never pick up on, or care about. The calm face with her brow crease free for once was just such a sign. Director Piggot had a purpose, an agenda, and to the woman had pulled them all into this room, this meeting, for that purpose. She just didn't know what it was.

Yet.

Reaching down she brushed her fingers over the knife strapped to her leg. It felt reassuring as it always did, to know she had a weapon so close to hand, that no matter what she wouldn't be left defenseless. Miss Militia idly gripped the handle to try and make herself relax.

"Now, back to the subject at hand. What else can Keynote do?" Director Piggot asked with a weary sigh.

Aegis crossed his arms, his head tilted forward as he thought then spoke.

"I've seen the footage of her rolling with impressive speed, jumping much farther than normal too." Aegis said with a shrug.

Vista made a noise of agreement and leaned forward.

"When she was patrolling with me and Clock, she jumped sometimes and it was quite far, 10 feet maybe?" Vista said and Gallant added 'Mover: rolling and jumping' to the whiteboard, the marker squeaking as it touched the board.

Miss Militia thought about her own encounter with the cape, the flashes of fire and power she displayed.

"Are we counting her powers in both forms or only focusing on her base form?" Miss Militia asked the Director, who paused to think about it.

"We'll cover that next, unless there is any other abilities left to mention?" Director Piggot inquired aloud and Clockblocker spoke up.

"Keynote can tank hits from Lung, a lot of them. She was even crushed at one point, held in Lung's hand. Didn't even slow her down once she was free. Also, since we've been stuck on base, I've watched that fight from every angle I could get my hands on. Keynote never lost sight of Lung when she was fighting him, knew where Oni Lee was too, even in his ash cloud. Then she was able to charge her attack enough to crush Lung's body. The sound quality wasn't great, but you could hear this whistling as the Keyblade charged up." Clockblocker said and everyone looked at him. Even Gallant paused in writing Brute on the board.

Miss Militia stared at the boy, surprised by the insight. Miss Militia had him pegged for joker and clown, but a good heart. She looked at Director Piggot's slightly wide eyes and knew that their own experts must have missed this as well.
"...Very good, I'll make sure that is added to the relevant information on her file." Director Piggot managed to compose herself as her pen made quick work of her available paper.

"Dragon, can you pull up picture K-I 1?" Director Piggot said as she place down her pen. Miss Militia had a moment to puzzle the letters out before the image of 'Ifrit' was shown, one claw raised, his teeth bared as he looked at Lung.

Even in a still image, the beast conveyed power and menace.

"This is the clearest image we have of the being that calls itself, 'Ifrit'. From a distance we can measure it at 15-20 feet tall, heavy enough to cause damage as it ran after Lung, I am told it seems at first to be mimicking the old myth of 'Efreet', a djinn, a sort of demon from the east. They grant wishes, but in the same way as a monkey's paw." Director Piggot said as Dragon brought up images of old pages depicting the mythical creatures.

Miss Militia looked between the images of men with opened maws leering out the pages to Ifrit. Dragon brought up more images, of the less human versions and Miss Militia grimaced.

They weren't that far off from each other, the less human depictions bearing a striking resemblance to Ifrit.

Director Piggot nodded at the looks around the table.

"You all see the resemblance. This brings us to the first question. Power or Cape? Our intelligence has come up dry on any previous sightings of such a cape and his power would be hard to hide. However, we can't ignore the possibility that Keynote and Parian may have a another Cape hidden in the wings." The Director said with a grim look.

Miss Militia frowned.

If Ifrit was a Cape, probably a case 53, then it created a lot of problems for the PRT. Security for one, if this cape was currently hiding in Brockton Bay, then the PRT had no idea where or how. Triggers with that kind of power behind them were not so easily covered up. Ifrit's help had saved Keynote last night, but at what cost? Was there an average man walking the streets, ignored by everyone, hiding that beast under human skin?

Miss Militia had seen what Ifrit had become. That secondary form was unforgettable, even if she wanted to.

Miss Militia could still see it clearly. The black scales, glowing red veins, the fangs, the size and the power it radiated, and those glowing hell pits for eyes. The mere memory of that… beast... It made her burst into goosebumps.

She let go of the knife at her side, her grip shaking and uncontrolled, letting it become a pair of brass knuckles, offering a comforting weight in her hands. Armsmaster saw of course, but in an uncharacteristic act of thoughtfulness, didn't bring attention to her.

"And if it's a power?" Battery asked, her long hair tied in a ponytail, her eyes alert behind her domino mask. The green suit with golden circuit lines made Battery famous wherever she went. Not a lot of people expected the business like attitude from the playful pony tail that Battery held her hair in, but that was the power of the PR department. Behind her Assault stopped trying to balance his pen on his nose and looked around, before going back to his pen.

The Director thought about this before she spoke.

"That would be preferable. If Ifrit is a another manifestation of Keynotes powers, then it would put a lot of issues to rest while raising even more concerns about Keynote herself. Keynote creating and then fusing with her projection would be a much easier thing to sell to the public than a monster lurking on the streets, one capable of possessing any cape. However, the idea that Keynote can create potential weapons or projections capable matching Lung is a concern of its own." The Director pointed out.

Battery went silent as Assault spoke next, almost as if they had practiced the routine.

"Yeah, this speculation and heebie jeebies talk is fun but she's on our side. I met this kid, the kids have met her, Armsy met her… somewhere apparently. Also, I'm a little insulted that you didn't share that with me Beardmaster. Anyway, and Miss M has met her as well. So, does anyone, anyone at all, and don't be shy, feel like Keynote… is a bad person?" Assault said, stressing his words to seem serious despite his normal… jokester attitude.

There was silence following this. After a few moments where no one said anything and the Director just glared. Then Dragon broke it.

"By proxy, I met her too." Dragon said pointedly, her avatar giving Assault an amused but annoyed frown.

Assault shrugged, giving Dragon a grin.

"We need to have a facebook page for ourselves, 'Dragon met Keynote and Armsmaster liked this', it'd make this information sharing thing a sinch." Assault said.

Battery sighed, reaching up to steal the pen from Assault's nose where it was still balanced by his power.

"If you looked at your work emails once in awhile, you might get the memo occasionally." Battery said and Assault put his head in the palm of his hand as if thinking about it whilst giving Battery a pout for stealing his pen.

"But that would mean… I'd have to do work." The red Cape said, sounding scandalized.

Battery ignored him and returned her attention to Director Piggot, who was staring at the pair with a look of long sufferance.

Miss Militia smiled at this, her eyes unable to hide the movement. Assault was an odd one, his entire existence seem to be engineered to annoy Battery, and if anyone else was annoyed, then that was a nice bonus. But he was hard to dislike, there was something about the way he never seemed bothered by life that helped people around him to relax and forget their own worries, even if just for a little while.

Even Battery, the sternest among them, put up with him in her own way.

"I only met her briefly, but I did not get the impression I was looking at someone who didn't have good intentions. She was… a bit odd, but not a bad person." Miss Militia said slowly.

Director Piggot listened and nodded slowly at that.

"That is good to hear. We will move on to her mental status in a minute, after we finish with 'Ifrit', did he say or do anything that seemed particularly noteworthy?" she said, Clockblocker raised a hand and everyone looked at him.

"Clockblocker, did you think of something?" Armsmaster asked when the Ward didn't speak up immediately. Miss Militia was again surprised by the… tone Armsmaster had. More polite than blunt.

"I think… I think Keynote can summon more things, a lot more things." Clockblocker said finally.

At that proclamation Miss Militia sat up before leaning forward in interest, her relaxed posture vanishing in an instant along with many of the others around the table. Even Gallant had paused in his writing, now staring at his fellow Ward.

"Explain." Director Piggot said sharply and Clockblocker looked uncomfortable at the attention placed on him.

"I said think, remember that. But, well... I was there when Ifrit talked to Parian's dolls. He called them Espers, referring to them like he was one as well. Then the small one, Mog, talked about a 'Lord Alexander', and how he would be angry with Ifrit. Mog and the bird were made from cloth, so either Parian created them exactly like something Ifrit knew or Keynote already summoned more things. So, I have to think that maybe.. .they knew each other. And if they knew each other they must have met before. And if they have a 'Lord' then they can't be the only ones." Clockblocker said while he looked down at the table.

Miss Militia felt the tension return to the room as the Director rapidly typed something on a laptop, an email.

"You think Ifrit, Mog and Boco are part of an established group?" Dragon asked the boy

Clockblocker shrugged, barely a twitch really, his normal hyper expressiveness muted for once.

"I dunno, they knew each other, but they opposed Ifrit when he trapped Keynote in the bubble. Something about draining her, 'human sacrifice', Mog said." Clockblocker quoted from memory.

"Human sacrifice?" Miss Militia asked, pausing when she realized she'd spoken louder than she'd meant too. Taking a breath she tried to calm the images of a forest, of pointless, but unavoidable death. Of children marching to their doom. Of unwilling sacrifice.

"I'm just repeating what Mog said." Clockblocker said defensively.

Others were about to speak, murmurs rising and mouths opening when there was a loud slam.

"I think… that we will all calm down and shut up." Director Piggot spoke quietly in the sudden silence as she lifted her fist from the table.

"I think that what Clockblocker said has merit, but without more to go on, it is wasted energy into the territory of 'if and but'. I do not and will not have the time to spend all day in this room, we go on hard facts of what we know and note what we do not. Ifrit knew Mog and Boco, all three creatures underwent a transformation with a Cape, they knew each other and they have a possible leader named Alexander. Anything else?" Director Piggot ordered, gazing around the room where few would meet her gaze.

Miss Militia blinked at the woman, surprised. For a second there was something… more to the woman, more than just the Director she knew, the tough and dour bureaucrat.

"Mog can create or gain powers from Capes, by asking them first. He copied Clockblocker's time ability which became ranged and apparently He also copied the Mayor's niece, Dinah's, powers, which gave him the power to cause a count-down on a vehicle chasing them. When the count-down reached zero the truck disappeared." Armsmaster said causing everyone to stare at him.

Miss Militia mentally added a point to the Dollhouse.

Mog, if he truly was the source of those powers, was another Trump for what some were calling the Dollhouse crew. Now they had two Trumps to complement Parian's Shaker Master power.

The Brockton Bay Protectorate had no "true" Trumps on their side. Armsmaster could build counters, but that was Trump only in application, not context.

Keynote could directly affect powers and Mog could copy them in fashion, more like a derivative really. It was a very small class of Capes overall that were put in this category, Trump, the ability to interact with other powers or summon new powers of your own. Director Piggot nodded and typed a few more things as Vista poured herself a glass of water, Sophia had leaned back in her chair, but was paying rapt attention to every word.

"Hm, what could be told from wreckage?" Director Piggot responded.

Armsmaster stopped his fingering drumming, looking Directly at her instead of straight ahead or slightly above the Director's head and to the left. Miss Militia would swear she could hear a crackle from Dragon that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

"There was nothing left." Armsmaster repeated emphatically.

Director Piggot looked up at him cooly, but Miss Militia could read the slightest of suprise on the Dirctor's face by flaring of her nostrils.

"Nothing?" Director Piggot repeated and Miss Militia felt her eyes swing back to Armsmaster like she was watching a tennis match.

"The creature-" Armsmaster began before Dragon cut in.

"Mog."

"-Mog's ability made the entire van fade away in a burst of red light. The traffic camera's caught masked men hitting the road as there was suddenly nothing under them. Scrapings of plastic on the road support this, and the statement that the men were wearing body armor of some kind." Armsmaster explained.

The Director took a deep breath, the kind you take when you're trying not to shout after being taken by surprise.

"So, am too I understand that until now, no one informed that there is a doll that can make things just vanish?" Director Piggot half asked, half demanded.

Armsmaster crossed his arms, appearing dismissive.

"I left the report on your desk, but if it isn't in your pile of papers there, then I guess you haven't gotten around to it yet or you deemed it unimportant at the time." Armsmaster said grumpily.

Director Piggot's neck went slightly red.

"I wouldn't have ignored it if you had pegged it as important." The Director pointed out but Armsmaster refused to back down.

"Everything on your desk was marked as important, I fail to see how that would have helped." The armored Cape said simply.

Director Piggot took another deep breath as she again struggled not to shout.

"Let's… Let's just move on." Was the Director's response.

This made Miss Militia blink at her.

The Director just… gave up? Perhaps Miss Militia had underestimated how tired she was. Sleep had long since stopped giving her the comfort that it did for others, she hadn't slept in years. She didn't need to and on the odd times she'd tried anyway… only bad memories waited for Miss Militia there.

"Keynote, what can we tell of her mental status and faculties?" Director Piggot inquired.

Dragon spoke up straight away.

"Keen, good sense of right and wrong, eager to help, yet does not think of herself as powerful and she cares greatly for those around her." Dragon remarked and most of the Wards nodded at this.

"Seemed like a good kid when she was starting out." Assault said the pen once more in his hand, stolen back from Battery apparently. He tossed it up so it bounced in his hand once before it continued to bounce without the cape ever moving his hand again.

"I agree, I found Keynote to be exceptionally well meaning and conscious of her own actions, perhaps afraid and somewhat nervous, but we all felt that way when we were starting out." Armsmaster responded.

Clockblocker spoke next.

"She's shy, but not a bad person, you can't help but like her after awhile." Clockblocker added which got a nod from Vista.

Director Piggot looked around the room and quirked a brow at the Capes.

"Does anyone have anything bad to say about Keynote?" The Director asked with a hint of amusement. Sophia stood up suddenly, the action so abrupt that it took everyone by surprise.

"I do. She's too good for her own good. She didn't know what was going when I met her, but she came in swinging anyway. Didn't give a shit about consequences. Doesn't care about rules when it stops her from helping. From what I read, she wouldn't back down from Lung, couldn't. Keynote needed to fight him, needed to prove herself. She's clinging to her hero thing because her life is utter crap." Sophia spoke with an uncaring attitude.

There was a thump as Vista's chair hit the ground. It had fallen over as the green clad ward stood up so quickly, a second thump sounding as she slapped her on hand on the table.

"What gives you the right to even say that about her?! You tried to shoot her with an arrow!" Vista demanded, her lip curling and voice practically vibrating with anger.

Sophia shrugged.

"Cause, Keynote is like me. Hates her civi' life, lives in her mask. You take that away from her and she'll break. Violently." Sophia replied as she stood up. Then, without so much as a backward glance walked past the shaking Vista and out of the room.

Miss Militia watched her go, a feeling of pride warming her heart.

This action, this level of maturity… It had taken her by surprise and, based on Gallant's not too subtle glances, it was a surprise for him too.

Miss Militia wondered what he felt coming from Sophia, the usual anger barely hidden under the surface? Pleasure at toying with Vista? Or… was the girl finally growing beyond her own rage, finally feeling something more than anger, bloodlust, or pain?

Her own pride was a source of confusion until she suddenly realized why she felt it, why she was proud of Sophia.

'Keynote is like me', not 'Keynote is weak' or 'Keynote is a nut'.

Empathy. No, Miss Militia dismissed that thought, it was more… mutual understanding. Even she would admit Sophia hadn't progressed that far yet.

Sophia held grudges, Miss Militia was sure the girl was noted in her file from Aegis to be gunning for Grue of the Undersiders for a simple mismatch of their powers.

No such grudge existed for Keynote, that much was obvious at least, despite Keynote countering her power just like Grue.

"While her attitude still needs work, Shadow Stalker is not wrong. Keynote was caught on camera when Parian was supposedly burned to ashes. She broke. Violently." Director Piggot said, apparently quoting Sophia back at them.

As Miss Militia pondered that thought the Director leant back and motioned to Dragon, who then brought up the image of Keynote, far off in the camera's view. Still, Miss Militia could make out a white figure on their knees, head grasped between their hands while around them the world burned. In fact, the figure was practically kneeling in the flames.

"This was when she summoned Ifrit?" Miss Militia inquired and the silver camera that had been facing the Director swiveled to face her.

"That is correct. Keynote's emotional state seemed to be the trigger for his appearance." Dragon responded, sounding clinical yet sad.

Taking a moment Miss Militia paused to think about this. Emotional trigger was not highlighted in the sentence, but everyone in the room made the connection.

Was Ifrit a secondary trigger?

"Gallant, in your report, I didn't see the usual comments on the mental state, can you clarify why?" Director Piggot directed her question to the silver clad Ward.

Gallant looked taken back at the sudden change of topic.

"I, uh, couldn't feel anything from her. I could sort of know where she was, but everything coming off her was just… muffled? Suppressed? I think it was the bubble she was in." Gallant explained.

"And Ifrit?" The Director pushed.

Gallant frowned, crossing his arms, the marker tapping against his armor while he thought.

"Joy, rage, anger, concern, excitement." Gallant counted off and shrugged at the looks he got back.

"I don't know either, if it's Keynote's projection then it could be a construct with pre-set emotions with Keynote's leaking over?" He offered.

The Director Piggot shook her head.

"Too many guesses, we'll have our Think tanks get on it." Director Piggot replied seemingly mollified.

Gallant relaxed as Director Piggot's gaze moved off him.

"I think that will be enough, we already have far more to work with than before. If anyone has contact with Keynote, please remain cordial and pass anything of interest on to either myself or Armsmaster." The Director said, but before she could continue she was interrupted by Clockblocker.

"You want us to spy on her?" Clockblocker asked with incredulity.

Director Piggot's eyes snapped to him.

"No. If I wanted to 'spy' on Keynote I would send someone far more qualified, subtle, and less disruptive than you. I am simply asking that you keep an ear to the ground while you carry on with your duties as normal." The Director answered back and Clockblocker stubbornly refused to back down.

"Why are you so scared of her?" Clockblocker asked bluntly which made the Director pause.

"Excuse me?" Director Piggot asked tersely.

"Clockblocker, enough." Armsmaster said with a tone of… something, Miss Militia couldn't read.

"You have all these meetings, all the bigwigs are clutching their skirts and you keep saying 'mental status', and 'threat assessment'. It sounds like you're scared of a girl who just wanted to help. Of a girl who fought Lung because he was rampaging right outside her home." Clockblocker continued undaunted.

Director Piggot stared at him, lips thin and eyes icy.

"That is because we are." Director Piggot responded.

Clockblocker sat back in surprise, his expression mirrored by many of the Wards.

"We, the PRT, are absolutely scared witless of this girl because, in case you haven't noticed, she fought on par with Lung. Keynote pushed Lung far beyond anything we have seen since he fought the entire Protectorate at once. By herself. Imagine if you will, Keynote kept pulling out more powers, more variety, more destructive abilities than we have seen a single cape use since Glaistig Uaine.The only thing, and I must stress this, the only thing seemingly holding her together in a time of crisis, the only thing stopping this girl from going on a rampage and becoming an A-class threat... is a dressmaker. Perhaps I should draw some diagrams of precisely how terrifying this is to any sane person? Am I being clear Ward Clockblocker? I get that you like her, I get that maybe she may be your friend, and I get that you want her to be given a fair shake. I understand this. Keynote, for everything she has shown and done, for every rule she has broken and crime I could have her charged with… She is being left alone. Watched, but alone. I cannot think of fairer treatment right now." Piggot spoke in a very low tone.

Miss Militia nodded at this, agreeing with her words. Keynote was dangerous, especially if she was that unstable. But to charge the girl over fighting a villain they themselves had failed to stop time and again? That wouldn't have sat right with her.

Still, the PRT had to make a lot of hard choices that people picked at. But the alternative and 'what if's' were always kept hidden, always kept from the public eye because they were just too unsettling to be put out there. To leave Keynote alone was making the upper PRT echelon sweat.

"Do you understand me, Ward Clockblocker?" Piggot asked very slowly, her eyes narrowed, cold and hard.

The white Ward jerked his head in a nod.

"Yes."

"Good, do not make me repeat myself. Dragon, was there any information on the Merchants new Thinker?" The Director snapped the meeting back into focus with a single question.

On the screen Dragon brought up a grainy picture taken from a convenience store security camera. The shelves were stacked with food in packets and four paper thin figures were pointing guns at the terrified clerk behind the counter.

"The woman, second from the left, was giving orders to the rest, you can see the marks of her success in climbing their ladder, and in every known instance she has been seen directing them. An informant finally managed to get in touch with their handler and gave a name for her, and again we see can Skidmark's creativity at work. The name that they're call her is 'Smartass'." Dragon managed with a straight voice while Assault burst out laughing and Battery put one hand to her face, sighing in sufferance of her husband.

"Smartass? Really?" Vista asked in disbelief.

Director Piggot snapped her mouth shut with a click, her immediate response cut short. Swallowing the Director tried again.

"I… see. What can you tell me about… Smartass' abilities?" Director Piggot struggled not to grimace at the name.

Dragon hummed and Miss Militia thought she might be enjoying the Director's discomfort.

"Almost nothing, only that she's a Thinker that emerged after the Bakuda Bombings. Seems to be a trump thinker that works directly with capes, as her only known power usages have been in relation to other capes and their powers. For everything else she doesn't seem to have any particular insight or other power as she carries a firearm everywhere with her. The reason for the power relation I mention is that after she joined the Merchants is when both Skidmark and squealer began demonstrating hitherto unforeseen skill with their powers. It's also when Mush became a real threat, unfortunately on the same night as Lung. However, I'm not sure if Smartass's powers extended to cover Lung, so it might just have been bad coincidence." Dragon sighed as she finished.

"Was Mush really that bad?" Aegis asked puzzled. He and the rest of the Wards, and PRT in general had always considered Mush something of a joke. Trash for a power was ridiculous after all.

Miss Militia nodded though, because Mush had been no joke that night.

"Beyond anything I ever seen him do before. You are familiar with his powers?" Miss Militia asked.

Vista made a vague hand motion.

"Weird tentacle body building?" Vista guessed.

Miss Militia pondered that, it was true if somewhat inaccurate.

"Sort of. He can send his skin and veins to build connectivity to objects to construct a golem like body." Miss Militia explained.

Assault nodded sagely at her words.

"Weird tentacle body building." Assault said to which Battery and Miss Militia both rolled her eyes.

"Smartass must have had her people gather sand, garbage and other things in advance, letting him build up. Then, as he got bigger, he was able to bond with more things, like tinker made explosive truck oil as a crude napalm from Squealer. By the time we managed to stop him, he was peaking over smaller office buildings, heading towards the hospital, for drugs we can only hope. But I remember Skidmark yelling at Mush, that he was taking in too much and, this is a direct quote, 'cock-sucker ain't fucking listening to the smartass on the radio'. I think Smartass advised him not to get too big or he'd suffer drawbacks, but thankfully Mush went on a power trip and ignored her. He got too big and… couldn't move." Miss Militia told the Wards, who all looked generally taken back by the story.

"Mush is a threat. It's like Brockton became weird overnight." Clockblocker said and Piggot nodded.

"Mush was considered the bigger threat at the time, as we didn't expect Lung to be pushed so hard, especially since initial reports stated he was fighting the Undersiders who have been known not to fight, preferring to flee all engagements. Keynote's appearance made us look incompetent simply because she pushed Lung until he became the bigger threat." Piggot sighed and the adult capes nodded in agreement.

"I guess… that makes sense." Vista murmured, sounding chastised.

Piggot smiled, making everyone pause. The Director never smiled. It wasn't a nice smile either.

Miss Militia felt a chill enter the room as Piggot leant back and angeled her chair towards the Wards.

"Now, for the final subject. Can you all calmly and politely explain what went through your goddamn empty heads when you went off without permission to fight Lung?!" Piggot's smile turned frosty.

"Piggot's going to to kill us?" Clockblocker answered immediately before Vista elbowed him and Aegis slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I am very tempted to as of this moment."

Another Heart: Recoil

Tattletale ignored the mad clown to her left and the crazy ringleader gentleman to her right, trying to focus on the man in the black, tight, full-body suit in front of her.

When had her life come to this?

Oh right, when Coil put a gun to her head and gave her the 'choice' to become Tattletale or eat a bullet.

"...and that is all the information the PRT have on Keynote. I find the file to be almost a joke, but considering the footage at large, I have to accept that such a Cape does in fact exist, in Brockton Bay no less." Coil spoke softly, mostly to himself and Tattletale tried to keep a blank expression as her power latched onto his every word and motion.

Super intuition, the ability to receive facts and tidbits that Tattletale would never have known or realized on her own, with only one tiny little drawback or two.

Tattletale had to almost wrestle the information out of her power, with her friends and enemies alike helping her along, and over using it hurt like a bitch.

Hasn't slept, too busy, work? No, information gathering, why? Angry at something, what? Angry at failure, hates failure, likes control, loves controlling people, loves- and Tattletale mentally flicked her switch to her powers, clearing all stray thoughts from her head, trying to leave nothing for her power to latch on to.

There was also the small problem that Tattletale's powers often got distracted by things that held no importance. Her power's just tacked on information to anything that Tattletale had even the tiniest bit of curiosity towards, rather than what was most important, forcing it down a path of direct thought helped, even if did increase the strength of her headaches.

Tattletale briefly glanced about the room, using it as a distraction and an aid to help keep her head clear. The office was a utilitarian effort, white washed walls and nothing more than the bare essentials, nothing to give Tattletale something to work with.

"She looked pretty real to me." Trickster muttered and Circus tipped her/his chair back and without even trying, balanced on the hinged legs. Tattletale had the childish urge to reach out and push Circus, the bright garish colours of their outfit hurt her eyes so late at night.

Isn't a man or a woman, can be either in their mind. Feels feminine today. Feels like cape identity is more feminine, desires to play that up, is putting on a show, hopes Coil buys its, hope he finds her simple, hope he pays her money and leaves her alone.

"I see nothing wrong with that report, seems fu-dging accurate to me." Circus said in a snarking tone.

Coil paused to consider it.

"Yes, you and Tattletale have met Keynote have you not? And neither of you left a good impression if I recall, hmm?" Coil said lightly.

At those words Circus slammed their chair down hard.

Coil is provoking a response, wants to know how Circus feels about Keynote, wants to know how I feel about her. Needs to know about Keynote. Thinks Keynote is dangerous. Keynote is 13 of the 7 of the 3 of the 1 and the end is not beginning, the beginning is never the end, all locks have a key, all keys have a purpose, the circle breaks, the light fades, the dark withdraws, all will return to Kingdom H-

"-letale?" Coil's voice broke her out of the trance and Tattletale almost reached across the desk and slapped him.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about Keynote and Lung." She said and the wheels in her head quickly spun, fabricating one false truth after another.

"Anything of worth come from your musings?" He asked and Tattletale pretended to mull over something.

"Just that she's hiding more powers, she makes my powers wonk out after a few seconds." Tattletale said with a touch of pain, only half forced, inside there was an urge to rub it in Coil's face that every dive into thoughts about Keynote brought her closer to that… idea.

Whatever it was or might be. Tattletale both liked and hated Keynote's effect on her, when she slipped into lala land the flow of knowledge was different, almost like her power had no choice, but to talk, and more often than not, Tattletale forgot most of it, and the most annoying thing of all, was that Tattletale herself couldn't spark the mental journey, someone else had to lead her power down that road before it was set off.

But she would work on that. The pounding in her head was the first signs of the impending headache that would haunt her for the next day.

"Indeed, it is not listed on the file, but I have it good on authority that Keynote is affecting a lot of Thinkers who focus on her too closely. It's the most annoying ability of hers that she's shown so far. " Coil said with a tone of disdain.

Tattletale didn't even need to use her power for this one.

Coil's power was a Thinker type, same as hers. As much as he tried to pass it off as destiny control to everyone, his annoyance meant Keynote was interfering with his power in some way. So, if Keynote was making her powers go out of whack, then Tattletale could only guess what it must doing to Coil.

She had to resist the temptation to smirk at that. The man who needed to control, to manipulate and rule over all pieces of Brockton Bay. Laid low by another capes power… as mere collateral.

The actual details of Coil's power still weren't clear though and Tattletale was starting to get desperate. Coil was a snake and his powers made him far more dangerous. Like, he would suddenly know things, know outcomes before he was told, was able to predict certain events with scary accuracy and did it all without suffering any draw backs that she could see.

Tattletale was once sure he knew absolutely nothing about her activities for the day, and then halfway through the conversation after giving him half-assed answers, he knew every detail of her day like he had been following her the entire time, breathing down her neck.

He short-sold her power nine times out of ten and that fact alone made Tattletale hate him. The whole gun to the head, forced into villainy, general creep factor, the feeling that he was tightening the noose around her neck everyday, and the 'bond villain' attitude made her despise Coil.

That's why she'd made a promise to herself. She hated the man and one way or another… She'd see him dead.

Circus snorted, snapping her out her revenge fantasy.

"She summons a badass demon and you're worried that she's fudging up your weather forecast? Priorities are a bit weird there." Circus remarked with a chuckle.

Coil tilted his head ever so slightly in the clowns direction.

"Knowledge in advance can prevent such a demon from killing us when we walk outside, her projection, as powerful as it may be, can be dealt with. But not if I can't be sure about if it's lurking outside the door, or half a world away." Coil answered.

In response Circus just shrugged. Tattletale noticed that each movement the jester Cape made was exaggerated and awkward.

Is trying to annoy Coil, trying to make him slip up, feels confident, helping her might be good.

"Well, good luck with that. You keep pushing her though and Key is going to come here looking for answers, I know I fudging would." Circus said with a wide, leering grin.

Coil twitched ever so slightly.

Considered this. Is worried. Usual methods aren't working, lacks information, lacks control, is hoping to use the three of them here today to get an idea, keep pushing him.

Tattletale paused to think about that, something was… not right.

"Keynote will be handled. I was hoping to obtain an asset on the night of Lung's capture, but the opportunity slipped from my fingers due to interference." Coil said quietly, and Tattletale noted the man's fingers twitch. It was small but he wanted to curl them into fists out of sheer anger.

At his words though, Tattletale felt her spine stiffen. She was pretty sure that she was an 'asset'. Coil used two types of people in his line of work. Useful people and needy people.

If someone was needy, then Coil would try to make them useful, like he'd done with Grue. If they were useful, then Coil would make them needy.

Tattletale was useful to him, so he made her needy, by making her completely unable to escape him. If Coil didn't kill her himself, and she actually did manage to escape, then he'd release all her details to the world, real name, aliases, powers, blood type… everything. He'd release all her information and she'd drown.

With her kind of thinker power, she would be a boon to every group in the world, so no matter where she went, she'd be hunted. If someone recognised her, they'd be on her trail in an instant and she'd be 'recruited'. The Yang Ban, Accord, the Elite, the Black Company… Anyone one of them would snatch her up and she'd never she the light of day again; locked up forever in some pokey little dungeon and probably drugged up to the gills. And that was if Coil didn't do that to her first.

Her power was just too damn useful, not that Coil would ever make it simple to leave. Coil let her walk around, live on her own, do her own thing, it was a case of 'I could be a lot worse, so don't push me'. A Gilded Cage so to speak. Every one of the Undersiders had fallen into his trap somehow, Grue with his sister, Bitch with her dogs and Regent with… something, his past was still a mystery to her but she knew the answer lay there, likely with his worst day or his family.

Tattletale was pretty sure that both Circus and Trickster were both useful people that Coil was trying to make needy or had made needy already. They were hard to figure out but...

Circus didn't yet give off that vibe, the clown was too composed, too carefree to be in Coil's grip. Trickster… shot off too many vibes, to many conflicting signs for her to be sure.

"I had a lot of long term plans riding on having a successful night and I was… deeply upset when things did not go according to plan." Coil said slowly, almost… angrily.

Tattletale wanted to smirk. Someone had rattled Coil.

"But, where one door closes, another two open." Coil said with great amusement, seeming to recover himself.

Thinks his words appropriate, related to his powers somehow, if asked, he'll deflect, won't make any more mistakes like that.

"You have an idea? Is that why we're here?" Trickster asked him and Tattletale glanced at the top hat wearing villain as her mind whirled to the read him.

Tired. Worried. Mind isn't on the meeting, isn't thinking about Coil, isn't worried about Keynote, but worried about something else.

Trickster was part of the Travellers, Tattletale thought, trying to work her own brain for a change.

The Travellers were an odd nomadic group, who keep moving from city to city, never staying in one place for long. In fact, if her memory served, the longest they'd stayed anywhere had been in Boston before they'd arrived in Brockton bay a few days ago. Hmm.

Can't stay in one place, unable to. Don't ask, dangerous question.

"Indeed. I gathered you and Tattletale here as both of you are my direct lines of communication with your respective groups. There will be a lull in the security of the city as most of the Protectorate will be off at a function to raise morale after Lung's capture, New Wave were also invited due to Glory Girl's and Brandish's involvement, this leaves only the Wards on routine patrol. Originally this was planned for tonight, but with a bit of luck it was pushed back until tomorrow." Coil began and everyone sat straighter as the purpose of the night became clear.

Not luck. Coil directly interfered to postpone the event, cost him though.

"I need the both of you to create distractions throughout the city, it's very important that any PRT, police, capes and others are completely distracted all night. The distraction itself I leave up to your own initiative. Just make it big." Coil said with what Tattletale was sure was a smirk despite the full face covering.

Humming, Circus tilted the chair back, hands hanging behind her for balance.

"And me? I take it you have another fudging fantastic job for me?" Circus asked with a fake smile and humourless chuckle.

Coil made to start talking before he completely froze, he suddenly stood and leaned on his desk, taking deep breaths.

Something upset him, lost control over something? Loss of control biggest trigger. Angriest he's ever been. Loss of control over greatest source of control. Lost control of his powers. Is livid. Do not talk at any cost.

Tattletale blinked behind her mask.

There it was again, her powers...

"Gates!" Coil barked into a phone next to his computer, a man's voice instantly responded.

"Sir!" A gruff man said back as Coil sat back down.

"Status?" Coil said sharply and there was a second delay before the other man answered.

"No change, K is still on DH roof." The man said clinically.

Coil hung up on him, rubbing his head in frustration.

"This is becoming an annoyance." Coil said before taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"I apologize for the outburst, I run a very delicate operation, and any disturbances are a great pain." The snake theme villain said and suddenly flinched and his hand instantly reached for the phone again, his finger almost hitting the redial button to call back Gates.

He paused and slowly pulled his finger back thinking.

"Tattletale, Trickster, you are both dismissed. I will be in touch later to get details on any ideas you can think of." Coil said dismissing them.

Tattletale stood with Trickster, her eyes catching a flash of something in Circus's hands, but when she tried to look closer, there was nothing in the jester's hands at all.

But, for a Cape with an invisible pocket-dimension bag, that didn't mean much.

As Tattletale walked out of the door, Trickster turned right without saying a word, heading deeper into the base. Turning left, one of Coil's mercenaries fell into step beside her, she called him thug number 253. Thug 253 then escorted her through the twisting maze and on going construction work back to street level. She tried to remember all the turns as she left, but even with her power it was challenging. Coil's base was an underground maze, that she was sure in time, would eventually have so many emergency exits that trapping Coil in it would nigh-on impossible.

Not that this stopped Tattletale from trying to memorize the exact path to Coil's office, despite the guard making them loop twice around the same block before leading her to the exit and a large solid looking door that looked like it would grow up to be a bank vault.

With a hiss, the door opened and sunlight poured into the dark interior, making the grunt squint.

Without looking back, Tattletale left the complex and found herself in a construction yard, the 7 am sun shone on the empty field covered in large pipes, scaffolding, rusting machines and everything else you would need to build a proper villainous lair.

Ducking into a large pipe, she stripped out her of her costume, wishing that skin tight suits were less of a pain to wear. But that was the price of looking good in costume she supposed.

To anyone watching the entrance of the construction site, the sight of a young blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail leaving was just the normal sight of a girl heading to school and taking a shortcut.

No super villain here, nope, no sir, impossible, how could you say such a thing?

Tattletale became Lisa in a few short steps and the world seemed brighter.

Lisa still had all of Tattletales problems, but it was easier to deal with them without the costume. They were less in her face and the noose Tattletale always felt around her neck was that much looser as Lisa.

But that was an illusion of safety. Coil was a snake and the eerie civility of his actions could vanish in an instant and she'd hang.

Shaking of the morbid thought Lisa began the walk back to the warehouse she and the rest of Undersiders were currently using. Fortunately it wasn't that long, their new base was in the northern part of the city, in the Docks just behind the Boardwalk. Of course, Lisa had her own apartment that she could go back to, as did Grue, but the idea of going back to that bugged prison wasn't something she could stomach right now. She hated that place and only kept it because she hadn't gotten around to getting rid of it. All her stuff was at the base anyway.

Still the walk would take the better part of half an hour, but it would give her time to think about the meeting, of what exactly happened and wouldhappen because of it.

Coil had called of three of his parahuman… 'assets'... into his base for a meeting. It was easier for the snake to plan that way and make his toys play nice together in future plans. She knew he'd spent a very tense, but interesting hour reading Keynotes profile, or close to it. She spent far less time herself but after seeing Keynote fight in person and then reading that report... Lisa was glad Keynote wasn't a psychotic villain with something to prove until she dies, because she'd be just as likely to succeed or become an S-class threat. The thought was depressing as it was terrifying.

Coil was hoping that one of them had information that wasn't present in the file, a gamble, letting her meet him like that. Tattletale didn't really know more than the fact Keynote was telepathically linked to Ifrit, the demon beast from hell, but Tattletale kept that little tidbit back, and she was almost sure that Circus was holding something back as well.

Still, she hadn't called the clown out on it or even stared too hard. Tattling Circus or anything else would have tipped Coil off to her own deceit and that would be counter productive.

Though to be honest, if Lisa could make even one aspect of Coil's life more difficult, she would use everything she had, simply because you did not fuck with her and expect to get away with it. Let alone threaten her life.

So when she was ready… She would have her vengeance. Everyday Coil simply made more enemies, their grudges would grow, the dominoes would line up, and Coil would fall. The man never really seemed to consider the long term consequences, the ripples he caused or the chance he could fail. Of course that could have been part of his power, his so called 'destiny control.' However, even that was failing him now and one day, when she was ready, she would be standing there smiling at Coil with a gun in her hand while his world collapsed around him.

But not a moment sooner, not until she was absolutely sure that he was out of options. Coil was the kind of guy to take you with him if he felt defeated.

Coil was a sore loser.

Anyway, Coil wanted a distraction for something, most likely to make another attempt at getting his "asset". The job was going to be big pay because the reward was its own payment to Coil. So, asset had to mean a thinker like herself to compliment his power or perhaps make up for its recent failings. Alternatively they could be a shaker to defended him somehow.

Coil would never kidnap someone with actual powers capable of killing him.

So, he'd made the attempt the night Lung and Mush had gone on their rampages, trying to use the confusion to his advantage. The same night he'd directed Tattletale to lead Lung to Keynote, though how he knew where she'd be was anyone's guess. While Keynote fought Lung and the Protectorate dealt with Mush he'd struck.

Then Coil lost control of his powers, somehow. This was the most interesting part as Lisa had never witnessed it before, had no idea how it happened, but Coil blamed Keynote and Kenyote did block long ranged Thinkers.

That was the most puzzling thing of all really. Keynote wasn't a blind spot per se, not like Endbringers who most Thinkers couldn't even focus on. No, Keynote made Thinkers get nonsensical answers or, like herself, complete gibberish. So her disrupting Coil wasn't unlikely.

As Lisa continued musing and walking the people on the street didn't give her a second glance and she tried not to look to closely. Her power kept latching onto random things and it would disrupt her own train of thought, for instance...

Expensive suit, cost everything he had, this is his last chance.

Working single mother, running late, drug deal taking too long, her customers were annoying.

Girl her age, little older, has almost nothing, no dreams, no friends, no hope, no future, needs help, needs one act of kindness, you should talk to her-

Lisa slowed and looked at the girl sitting on a bench, stringy black hair, slightly Asian features, clothes a few days old. This was beginning to get weird, her powers were suggesting things to her now.

Had been for nearly two days now.

Deciding to test this new, hopefully not insane, trick, she wandered over to the bench and sat down, pretending to check her phone.

The girl eyed her through her hair and didn't say anything, the sun shone down, but the air around other girl seem to repel the light.

"Sorry, I've been walking all morning, you don't mind if I sit here do you?" Lisa said in a overly cheery voice and the dark depressing aura that was shaped like a human girl shook her head.

"Free country." The girl mumbled and Lisa smiled, a little sardonically.

"Doesn't feel like it." Lisa said and the other girl nodded silently.

After a few seconds, Lisa switched mental gears, already bored with the waiting game.

"No offense, but are you okay? You look kinda down." Lisa said, skipping her usual touch and tease method of making people listen to her. After Coil, she could do with a little less creepy, besides… It was refreshing to be so forward.

The girl shook her head.

"No, why you are asking? You look like you should be at the mall with your little dog." The girl said, hostility and spite dripping from her voice.

Lisa tilted her head a small smile on her lips.

Thinks there is a joke going on. Jealous of my looks. Hates how i can be so blunt.

"I have a brain and I have three very large dogs at home. Well, my roommate does. And I'm asking 'cause I want to know. I'm not going to force you, but you look like you needed someone to talk to. Sorry, I'll go." Lisa said and stood to leave. Three.

As she stood up right, Lisa slowly turned away going to leave. Walking away from… Hmm, Jane seemed fitting. Two.

One.

"Wait!" The girl, now dubbed Jane, said quickly.

Lisa looked back at Jane and waited, causing the other girl to fidget.

"I… sorry, I've not had a good week." Jane explained and Lisa could relate to that. She wondered if Jane also had fiery demons pop up trying to kill everything and demented villains hold them as a symbolic hostage?

Lisa didn't think Jane had, but didn't hold it against her either.

"How bad?" Lisa asked as she sat back down. Jane bit her lip and twisted her hands together, classic stress.

"I lost everything, I… lost my home." Jane began as tears welled up in her eyes.

Shit. Lisa tried to think of the appropriate response to this without coming off as condescending.

Wants to hear everything will be okay, just needs someone to listen, is scared that someone will listen and write her off.

"Everything will be… okay, you know? If it's just a home, then you can get another." Lisa tried and Jane looked at her, cheeks blotchy.

"How? I don't have a job, my asshole roommate stole everything I had and... and I'm pregnant. My parents won't take me back unless I get an abortion." Jane shot back and the last word sent tears down her face, burying her face in her hands.

Lisa mentally grimaced. Parents were suppose to love their kids, but when they grew a baby, or a superpower in Lisa's case, then their entire attitude changed for the worst. This woman was lucky that her parents never tried trapping her in a room like a prison.

But there wasn't much she could do about the girl, short of shrugging and her powers thought she should talk to her?

So she shrugged and a slight jingling in her pockets made her remember her earlier musings, combined with her thoughts of...

Prison, a bugged prison.

Slowly Lisa pulled out her keys. The metal glinted in her hands, the key to her apartment that she didn't want and couldn't get rid off without good reason.

A sad pregnant woman who need a place to stay that wasn't interesting at all or useful.

Problem, meet solution.

Information that Lisa needed to make her life better from information that was useless. Sometimes she really did love her power.

Lisa swallowed back a creative word, no need to upset the woman further with Lisa's world changing revelation of her powers.

"Here." Lisa said and placed the key on the painted metal of the bench, Jane raised her head at the sound and stared a the key.

"I... I don't understand." The girl said with wide eyes looking up Lisa as the blonde stood up.

"Listen to me, that key opens the apartment building on Apollo Drive, not far off the docks. Building number 13, floor 3, door 7. It's next to the graffiti mural of a castle, you can't miss it. The place is paid for a year and it's not in empire land, so you should be fine. It has furniture and hot water. The rest is down to you." Lisa said quickly and began to walk away, her heart thumping at what she'd just done.

"Wait! I can't accept this, I don't know you!" Jane ran after her sounding relieved, pained, grateful, and upset.

Lisa turned to face her, a hand out to stop Jane.

"And that is why I'm doing this. After today, forget me, don't talk about me, don't mention me and pretend i was your goddamn fairy godmother. This apartment was a charity donation from a girl who means well, but doesn't want to know you. Understand?" Lisa said, sounding cold, hoping Jane would get the hint.

Jane looked down at the key and nodded.

"I don't understand, and I'll make sure there's no bodies or drugs, but if the place is clean… I… thank you. Thank you so much. I thought… I thought today was the last straw." Jane whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

Lisa felt herself nod, a smile coming to her lips despite herself.

"I know. It's why I talked to you. Any sane person would have ran the moment I opened my mouth but you listened. Have a good life Jane." Lisa said and turned, running this time, running away from the other girl,who stared after her.

"How did you know my name?" Jane shouted after her.

Lisa ran for a while, her cardio wasn't the best, and she felt she could do with the exercise. Not that she'd tell Brian. He'd throw her onto the training mats, and push her until she couldn't move.

Still, even as her legs began to burn Lisa felt… good? Yes, good. She hadn't done something so spontaneous in… a long time.

The heart stopping terror and excitement made her blink rapidly as she pounded down the street. Jane would find nothing illegal, besides the 5000 petty cash in one of the kitchen drawers. Not that Lung would come looking for it now.

One last gift, just in case Coil did decide to mess with her. She planned it so she could get out in hurry, move to somewhere safe... like a field in the middle of nowhere. Lisa hoped that Jane would do the same then she'd meet a nice guy, raise a family, treat her child like a proper mother would…

Lisa had fantasies about doing the same one day, but she knew it was a pathetic joke, even to herself. If she ever had someone, her powers would turn on at a bad time and no one needed that much insight into their love ones.

Tattletale had been avoiding letting Coil know that she knew about the bugs he planted, or he'd just hide them better. The random act of kindness would not factor into Coil's picture of her though and Jane would be background checked and monitored. Coil just wouldn't be able to help himself but when all they got was morning sickness noises over the bugs, she was pretty sure they'd pull out fast.

Coil could ask why she moved and if he pushed her, Lisa would ask why it mattered and Coil would have to tell her, or let it go.

Still Tattletale couldn't understand, her powers had known there was information she wanted and directed her towards it.

Coil enraged, don't talk.

Jane homeless, get rid of house.

Lisa had never before been told what to do by her power, and she didn't understand why it was doing so now. Lisa didn't get why her biggest weapon was now becoming more effective. It wasn't like she'd changed anything, or messed around with her own head, or something. In fact, the only major thing she'd done in the last few days had been...

Oh.

Lisa stopped to catch her breath, ducking into the mouth of an ally since she'd entered the Docks.

Keynote was a Trump. Lisa was a Thinker.

Lisa had looked straight at Keynotes weapon and she lost control, her power going haywire, and now her power was acting odd.

Think, think… she was Thinker dammit, what did it all mean?

Lisa saw the Keyblade, she went into a trance she couldn't control, and according to Alec, she started sprouting RPG opening garbage, light and dark, good, evil, all that jazz.

Break it down...

Lisa, Power, Keyblade.

Lisa saw the Keyblade and her power reacted strangely to it. Afterwards her power began acting differently. Was it forced too, had too?

Perhaps… Perhaps her power couldn't do what it normally would, so it changed directions, tried to return to functional form? When she got away from Keynote, her power tried to act like normal, but it couldn't... or didn't want to?

Her power was absolutely silent, like it always was when she tried to reflect inwards. Her power refused to analyze itself. Lisa could share that sentiment, she never, under any circumstance, wanted to hear her own dark secrets said in the non-plus, uncaring tone of her power.

Anyway, if her theory was true though… That meant Keynote had changed her, changed her power. Lisa didn't think it was intentional, she was a villain at the time and Keynote was very much the goody good hero, god bless her. So she was unconsciously making Capes around her… adapt and grow?

Not exactly, Alec seemed unchanged, as did Bitch, both of whom were in close proximity of Keynote...

Certain powers then? Thinkers? Or powers that directly interfaced with Keynote or her weapon.

"Look at you, rubbing those fucking brain cells together." A voice said and Lisa spun away from the wall, pulling an empty beer bottle from the ground with her, using as it a threatening gesture more than a weapon.

A blond man, with longish hair stood leaning against the entrance to the ally Lisa had used to have her revelation of the day.

Amused, didn't think he'd scare you, was sure you were always aware. Knows you. You know him, look at the eyes.

And Lisa did, finding the young man surprisingly rugged in a leather jacket and torn jeans. When Lisa's eyes locked with at his eyes though, she saw it.

Eyes that were warm, chocolate, and just slightly crazy.

Circus' eyes.

"Hey, sorry about that, didn't mean to fucking scare ya." Circus said holding both hands up in mock surrender.

"Sneaking up on a girl in ally…. Yeah sure, you didn't mean to scare me." Lisa snapped at him… her… him.

Circus shrugged, taking a few steps further into the space.

"Don't blame me that you fucking aren't paying attention, you work for the big ass, that's a bad habit to have." Circus pointed out with a sly grin.

Lisa tried to mentally command her heart to stop hammering against her chest.

Is still amused. Amused, not aggressive, doesn't want to fight, wants to talk, wants to plan, wants to share, wants to help, listen.

Lisa frowned, but nodded.

"So, besides life wisdom, what does a… guy like you want with me? I don't think we're suppose to see each other outside work." Lisa said, trying to return a semblance of control over the encounter back to herself. Circus leaned back against a wall that had been sprayed over so many times Lisa couldn't see what the original color was.

"What? This? This is just two fucking attractive blonds hanging in a dark, dirty backway. Perfectly fucking normal." Circus replied, that same sly smile still playing at the corners of his lips.

"You know, I've had Coi... the ass watching me, that shit with Lung and Keynote's fiery friend, more odd things happening, and now? You. So do you mind if we cut the bullshit and get to the point?" Lisa snapped, her head thumping back against the wall she too was leaning on.

Circus nodded with approval, more warmth entering his smile.

"Agreed, I got shit to do and so far this has been the most disappointing back alley encounter I've ever had. So here's the thing, you and me both suffer from the same problem." Circus declared, suddenly standing straighter, more serious, his smile slipping away for much more grim look.

Suddenly Lisa was aware that early morning sun didn't peek into the enclosed space they were in, the entire place suddenly feeling colder and darker.

"Do we? I'm under the impression you willingly got… the problem 'cause of the benefits." Lisa retorted with a slight sneer.

Circus sighed, shaking his head.

"I went in expecting a two time herpes, what I got was full blown cancer. I need to get out, but now I can't." Circus said with a dark look, but he wasn't looking at her, glaring at the wall instead.

She blinked at him, confused.

Lisa couldn't leave because she was too valuable for Coil to ever let her go, and there was a near dead man switch on her abilities if he choose to release it.

'This girl can get secrets out of thin air.' and that would be that. She'd be dead, abducted or conscripted within a week. Her very presence a threat to everyone secrete identity. She couldn't even run to the Protectorate. Her parents would never sign the paperwork and the PRT wouldn't kick up a fuss over one girl from a seemingly good home. She'd be shipped back to her parents gilded cage and taken by the next day. Her only choice that wasn't unpalatable would be to hook up with another gang… And even that she hated.

Whereas Circus was a grab bag, not exactly world braking or identity stealing. Not like her own.

"He has something of yours?" Lisa asked, crossing her arms her expression more curious now.

Circus shook his head.

"No one has anything of mine, I don't fucking leave things lying about. No, it's his next bloody job. There's no way I can walk away from this. Not after that shit with Keynote and Parian." Circus mumbled.

Lisa opened up the pressure cooker that was her powers.

Alarmed, disgusted, wants to run, wants to help, hates this, isn't going to tell. Did job with Keynote and Parian. Went bad. This job is too similar.

Damn it, she couldn't pull anymore from that. Her temples were already beginning to throb thanks to earlier and pushing it now on so little would blow it into a full blown migraine. She needed more information.

"Money? Information? What does he want?" Lisa asked, demanded. Circus eyed her.

"Something I'm not sure I can steal."

Circus twitched his hands and a knife was between his fingers.

He didn't focus on it. Lisa felt alarm run up her spine, had her power been wrong? Was he going to kill her?

Circus idly threw the knife into the wall away from Lisa and sighed again. Looking at her stoic face, he cracked a small bitter smile.

"Calm down darling, I'm not in the mood to fucking fight. It's a stress reliever." Circus said dryly and with a much bigger grin the knife flashed to his hands in a very familiar burst of light.

"How did you..." Lisa began and then paused.

The Keyblade.

"You tried to store Keynotes weapon?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Circus grinned and threw it again, then he quickly summoned it back.

"Biggest pain in my life, had the worst headache for days. Then out of nowhere, this knife started following me, it was nearest the giant ass key in my bag when I tried to steal it. I dump it, throw it away, locked it up, even tried to destroy it, nothing worked. It doesn't do anything besides that, doesn't cut any better, but I'm not complaining and I know that you also got a little present from Key herself, as well." Circus pointed at her with a conspiratorial wink.

Lisa took a step back, alarmed. How had Circus known?

"What makes you think that? In case you didn't notice, I'm psychic, Keynote can't give me anything else." Lisa bluffed.

Circus shook his head in amusement, with the knife flat on his hand he walked closer.

"Because, the entire time I was in the room with you, it was fucking doing this. And I could see you were doing something. Maybe it was your normal fucking power, but that one time you looked surprised? Yeah, fucking different. More, ya know, you were impressed by Keynote, you know just what that girl can do. I don't think Trickster is all that fucking impressed by Keynote, but if he was changed, he would be." Circus said and the knife in his hand began to softly vibrate. No noise came from it, the air around unaffected by the moving metal.

Lisa stared at it and her powers slipped from her control.

Touched the key, saw it for what it was, changed forever, not a key, not a piece. It remembers the power. So do..."£%"!"$.

Lisa put one hand to her head as she groaned in pain.

Circus immediately made the knife vanish in alarm.

With a snap her powers broke through the haze of static.

So. Do. We.

"I think… we need to talk." Lisa managed with a weak smile.

Circus stuck out a hand.

"Jess, Jess Harly." Circus… Jess said.

Lisa rolled her eyes so hard she could see hair growing on her head.

"That is the worst fake real name ever." Lisa said.

Jess pouted.

"I thought hard about it!" He defended himself.

Lisa shot him a look.

"For about two minutes!" Jess added with a cocky grin.

Lisa made a disgusted noise, grabbing his outstretched hand.

"Lisa, Lisa Wilbourn."

"This, is the start of a beautiful friendship." Jess said and shook her hand up and down.

Lisa's headache increased with each swing.

"Let me go before I shoot you." She warned.

Jess ran his eyes up and down her body with speculation.

"Don't have much room to hide a gun on you..." Jess reasoned, trailing off with a speculative look.

Lisa smiled innocently.

"Try me."