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.

25. Chapter 25

Chapter 18: Seeker of Knowledge

Beta Note: Sorry it took so long people. Hope the wait was worth it.

Thank you so much Major! Sorry for the delay on my part I've been reading To my Death I fight, if you have any interest in Kill la Kill or Bleach, check it out.

Taylor felt ill, her sides hurt, and her throat was so raw she'd swear she'd swallowed sand-paper. But she had to push on, had to go faster. Her ankles ached with the steady thump, thump of foot on pavement, her thighs felt like she'd torn something they hurt so much, and her arms were jelly.

She carried on though, that same thump, thump, thump of her footfalls almost jarring now… and yet oddly soothing. Still, her scalp felt disgusting, rivulets of sweat sliding down her head, her eye brows wet and clogged, the occasional drop dripping past and making her eyes sting. Stepping up the pace she gasped and her breathing hitched as she her legs screamed for mercy. Just a bit faster, she needed to be just a bit faster.

As Taylor ran her long legs ate up the ground, leaving the park behind as she headed home. The solid concrete of the footpath beneath her once more she kept up her stride, gasping as she pushed herself even harder. Still, as much as it hurt… she felt great. Everything felt so so clear. There was the cool, crisp spring wind blowing in her face, bringing with it the smell of salt and seaweed so intimate to the Docks. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her blood rushing through her veins… It made her feel alive!

Taylor had missed this.

The adrenaline flowing through her was a magic of its own, the sheer thrill of running until she would drop, the green scenery and sea smell. Sabah's studio had been a home when Taylor had needed one, when her own had been empty and cold. But the streets around it were too narrow, too busy for a good run. There were no parks and it just lacked that smell she hadn't even realized she'd missed, the salty air a reminder of happier times... Though they weren't so bad anymore either. She'd stepped out of her grey world and found something worth living for. Someone.

She had a friend now, she had Sabah.

As she ran, Taylor couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. The thought of the dark skinned girl, a remembered smile stretching that wonderful face and making Taylor feel what she'd have once thought impossible.

She felt happy.

Gasping for air, she kept going, the day so early that the mists fleeing back into the ocean were still present and swirling around her feet, just visible in the pale light as the sun peaked over the horizon. It was so early even Sabah would probably still be asleep. Well, either that or on the stairs, crawling towards the tea pot.

The mental image of Sabah, hair mussed from sleep like it so often was in the morning, hands wrapped around a cup of tea while the older girl cursed all Mondays… or Tuesdays, or whatever day of the week wasn't Sunday… It even tore a laugh from Taylor despite her ragged breath.

As she pounded down the street on the home stretch Taylor realized that while she'd missed the salt air and convenient parks… She hadn't missed her home. Not really. Without her Dad… or her Mom, it was just a house. Living with Sabah in her flat these last few weeks had felt more like living at home than even living with her Dad had been after Mom's death. With Sabah she'd felt safe and warm, comfortable in a way she found hard to describe. And she loved it, even if first Circus and then Lung had proven it wasn't the safe haven she'd thought…

And now their flat, with its lazy evenings watching movies on the couch, cold morning made bearable with hot tea, and warm dinners with friends she'd never dreamed she'd make… It was gone. All gone.

Lung's rampage had literally brought the roof down on Sabah and Taylor's comfortable little sanctuary. Then he'd burnt the remains and salted the earth, baring them to the world. He'd destroyed their home.

Still, they weren't out on the streets yet. When Taylor had asked about Sabah's mother the older girl had calmly replied that her mother's home was an option slightly below sticking a needle in her eye to stay in the hospital.

Taylor hadn't pushed Sabah on the subject, Sabah had given her space about her own Dad and taught Taylor that silence is sometimes the most appreciated gift. When things were more settled, Taylor was sure that Sabah would get in a funny mood one night and just start talking about it and Taylor would stop what she was doing and listen. It'd happened before occasionally, Sabah would stop to tell her Taylor about her life, going to College and hating Engineering, meeting Ingrid and once about her life in the refugee camps, before she'd come to America.

So, given Sabah's misgivings about her mother they'd still had nowhere to stay. But Taylor's house was free. With her Dad still in hospital the house was sitting empty and unused, perfect for them to move in on short notice. That reminded her; she needed to go see him again tomorrow. She'd already missed a day thanks to Lung and moving in, buying food, new bedding and clothes… Well, not that last one. Sabah had used the opportunity to force more new clothes the fashionista made on Taylor and she now owned a disturbing number of skinny jeans and tops that even exposed her stomach.

Anyway, Taylor doubted her Dad would have minded Sabah moving in even if he was still home. He'd never been one to turn away someone in need and she knew he'd have opened their door to her friend.

Turning onto her street Taylor pushed herself, squeezing the last drops from her aching muscles even as they protested, heart hammer at her ribs for freedom and she tasted copper at the back of her throat.

Despite the pain though, she felt alive. It hurt, but it was fantastic! Even as her lungs begged for air and her breath came in ragged wheezing gasps she felt amazing. Running… running was great! The only downside was stopping… and not because it hurt afterwards.

Taylor hated Sabah seeing her like this. Her friend would wear this wide eyed stare whenever the older girl saw Taylor finished with her run. When she breathing like an angry bear, her clothes plastered to her with sweat, only highlighting her lack of curves, her hair in disarray, and face flushed bright red… Sabah would wear this wide eyed look and then turn away, unable to even look at her like that. It embarrassed Taylor.

Still, she knew that a sweaty run was no beauty regime, but after Lung, after everything that had gone wrong… After she'd lost. After that Taylor wanted to be able to go from a crawl to a sprint in a second. She needed to be faster, needed to be stronger, needed it, needed… She needed to protect Sabah. Taylor couldn't lose her again. She just couldn't.

A mask of pale white lay on the ground, slowing turning black amidst the flames as ruby eye liner ran like bloody tears.

Taylor shook her head, grimacing. The image of a burning doll mask haunted her sleep, and even intruded on her during the day… day nightmares? Daymares? Whatever their name, it hurt. Still, everything was bit of a blur these days, after Lung was arrested four days ago.

The applause she had gotten only a few days ago in the Dollhouse, the beaming faces and praise, the cheering and whistling… All that didn't matter in the long run, it was nice but it wasn't helpful. Praise wouldn't make her strong or protect Sabah. But the idea that people still wanted her to be their hero, that despite the damage she'd caused they still liked her, it was humbling and at same time uplifting in a way Taylor could never thank them enough. Everyone had put their trust in her and she would not let them down. She may not be a 'Hero', but she would be their hero, everyone deserved a hand when needed and she would be glad to lend them hers.

So, when it got too much, when she couldn't sleep for dreams of fire or closed in darkness, stench and blood… She thought of that room, the cheering and the happy people. It chased away the burning mask pretty effectively, never failing to put a smile on her lips.

As she stopped, panting before the front door hand resting on her knees Taylor felt a little mischievous. Opening the door she steeped inside, and after closing the door again, she opened her hand and with a flash held the Keyblade.

Taylor raised Melody of the Lost over her head, and as she felt the word 'Cure' reach the tip of her tongue… when a voice came from the darkened living room.

"What time do you call this?" A gruff voice said from the darkness.

Taylor blinked rapidly, blinded momentarily as Boco clicked on a lamp with his beak. Once her vision cleared Taylor looked into the lunge to see the three Espers. Mog sat in an arm chair with Boco standing beside him while Ifrit had claimed the couch.

"Kupo, Taylor..." Mog said with tone that made Taylor hide the Keyblade behind her back, feeling like she had when she was younger and her mom caught her reaching for the cookie jar.

Swallowing nervously, Taylor tried to give them a winning smile despite exhaustion and her sweaty state.

"Oh… H-hey, guys, what are you doing up so early?" Taylor said while trying to slow her rapid breathing.

The Espers just continued to look at her. They weren't buying it.

Crap.

Taylor's eyes flicked over Ifrit's tiny form, his scowling face surrounded by a fluffy mane of orange… he looked adorable now, nothing like the demon she'd met or… thing… he'd turned into.

His appearance had been as much as a surprise as Mog's actually. Sabah hadn't set out to summon either of the Espers, unlike Boco. Instead, the older girl had been forced to fetch his soul out of the ether and fashion him a body, in a dream walk that she had zero memory of.

Ifrit had calmly tried to explain that it wasn't his fault as Sabah tried to banishing him first by waggling her fingers, then by strangling him as Taylor stared opened mouth. When Ifrit had escaped he'd fled behind Taylor who'd picked him up gingerly with one finger and thumb, causing the now small fire demon to hiss and scratch at the air, before Boco, the biggest thing in the room, raised one foot and kicked him out Taylor's grip, into a wall where he bounced with a squeak back into Boco's waiting foot, before he was hurtling back to the wall again.

Apparently Lord Alexander had seemed to think it was a fit punishment that Ifrit work off his debt to the Dollhouse crew for the trauma he had caused.

Not that Ifrit was even remotely happy about this, at all.

Nor was Sabah really, though Taylor was prepared to give Ifrit a chance. After all, he'd given her one. She owed him that much.

Still, for Ifrit, being the same size as Mog was a new experience. And, now being the same size as Mog they were throwing themselves at each other in mortal combat.

It turned out Ifrit was the better warrior, but Mog could fly.

Although Taylor would never admit it out loud, it was pretty entertaining to watch two small, fluffy animals trying to beat the literal stuffing out of each other.

And Boco would just step on Ifrit anytime the bird felt like he was winning.

"Well, Ifrit was up 'flixing the net', and you took an energy bar, kupo. Boco can hear food wrappers a mile away, he ran downstairs, which woke me up." Mog explained and Ifrit hugged the TV remote closer.

"Mortals have a talent for their entertainment. I tried to watch the adult channel, seeking wisdom, but it required currency which I do not possess currently." Ifrit said with a longing look at the black screen.

It took Taylor a moment, and she was already flushed and yet she still managed to turn a brighter red as she realized what Ifrit meant.

Stupid demons.

"I was just out for my morning run." Taylor said and shrugged, realizing she was no longer holding the Keyblade. She hadn't noticed when it had vanished but it would always be there to call again.

AS Taylor fidgeted Mog floated off the bed and came near.

"I saw that Keyblade, kupo, you were going to use cure on yourself!" Mog accused pointing at her with a fluffy paw.

Taylor sighed, running a hand through her wild hair to try and remove the sweaty feeling and the tangles, only making her hair worse.

"You said you were going to tell me why I shouldn't, but you got lost in my Dad's truck engine and I passed out before I saw you again." Taylor replied, defending herself.

Ifrit groaned as he smacked his head into the remote.

"Of course he did. Tell me flying vermin, can you ever look at a piece of machinery and not want to rub your pom-pom all over it?" Ifrit sneered.

Mog spun back to face the tiny demon, fur bristling.

"Oh you have some nerve, kupo, maybe you should just go back to your Lady Polly?" Mog snapped back at Ifrit who clutched at the remote, his voice quiet.

"How did you? No... It doesn't matter. Lady Polly is a great woman born of aristocratic birth, who desires to represent her family at the noble tournament. You, you little flying flea! You will not mock her when I can hear you! Understand?!" Ifrit growled out and snorted, sparks flying from his nostrils.

Taylor was worried he'd set himself on fire. Or the couch.

Still, that name sounded familiar...

"Lady Polly? As in... The Rose of May?" Taylor asked sounding surprised that she remembered the show that was circulating her schools female non-gang members.

Ifrit peered at her, looking for signs of a smile or laughter while shifting uncomfortably.

"That's it, I found it last night when I couldn't sleep, haven't needed to sleep for a long ass time. Never had a body like this before Alexander thought he was funny..." Ifrit muttered before trailing off into unintelligible mumbles and curses.

Mog looked at Ifrit, opened his mouth and then closed it, before shaking his head at the futility of it all.

"Oh, that's cool. It's better than trying to set the oven mitt on fire..." Taylor said before she realized her mistake and trailed off.

All four of them looked towards the kitchen where, through the open door, the green glove could be seen resting on the counter.

Ifrit shook his head in disgust as Mog floated off to the kitchen.

"Heat proof my horn! I will burn it when it's least prepared." Ifrit swore to himself making Taylor sigh.

The fire Esper had not been the easiest of guest to suddenly welcome into their home. Sabah had almost booted him out the house, her memories of Ifrit trapping Taylor in the bubble still fresh, but the doll managed to explain his actions… Well, somewhat.

Something about how Taylor was going to have a heart attack if he hadn't intervened when he had, though that didn't entirely make sense. More, from the way Ifrit had described it, he'd made it sound like something more akin to something the Slaughterhouse 9 would do than a simple heart attack. Just what was a breaking heart anyway? None of the Espers had been willing to tell her or Sabah that one.

Still, when Ifrit had been explaining, saying how he'd saved Taylor's life… She'd wanted to deny it, to reject it and the idea… the idea… the idea she'd wanted to die. But she couldn't. Thinking back on her thoughts during that stage of the Lung fiasco was… not a fun. She could see how stupid she'd been now, how idiotic her fears had been and yet they'd seemed all to real. Ifrit had saved her and she owed him for it. So she'd bit the bullet and tried to believe Ifrit when he said he had done her a favor by appearing when he did.

The worst part though, when they'd talked about that… was that Taylor hadn't even noticed, hadn't realized she was marching to her death. She hadn't wanted to. She'd just wanted to match Lung, to beat him at any cost...

Even her own life.

Shaking her head, Taylor returned herself to the now. Staggering into the living room she slumped into the free end of the couch, her skin prickling at the sudden coolness of the fake leather.

A few moments more and Mog returned with a glass of milk, placing it down on the coffee table that was the center piece of the room and conveniently in front of Taylor… when she had the energy to sit up.

"Kupo, you have the sad face again." Mog teased lightly grinning at her.

Taylor rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the tug of a smile that played on her lips.

It was weird to have people notice her and call her out on things, like frowning or feeling sad. It wasn't bad, but it was weird, so different to her former life when no one noticed her. When no one cared. Now she had friends and they did care and it was jarring at times. Still, she relished it and despite how weird she sometimes felt, Taylor loved every minute of it.

Looking at Mog Taylor gave him a nod while she debated the merits of sitting up to get her milk versus continuing to lie there.

"I'll work on that, but now that you're here, how about a lesson? I kind of want to sit down before I go for a shower, so I wouldn't mind learning more about magic and the Keyblade. I have a lot of questions, and you guys are my only source of knowledge." Taylor said, her thirst finally winning out over her exhaustion. Sitting up she grabbed her milk before lying back and taking careful sips, the cool liquid making her throat feel a lot better.

Ifrit made a noise that could have been agreement or he had an imaginary hairball. It was hard to tell.

"I guess we are, kupo, to be honest, you're lucky. Even in highly magical places or worlds that know of other worlds, not many people could tell you much about the Keyblade." Mog told Taylor, who blinked in surprise as she placed her glass down.

Frowning, Taylor looked at Mog.

"Yeah, tell more about that, for example. Why are Keyblades so rare?" Taylor asked

Mog opened his mouth but it was Ifrit who answered first.

"Tell me, how did the Keyblade come to you? I assume it wasn't by Moogle Mail." Ifrit inquired dryly while he crouched protectively over the remote.

Looking back at Mog, Taylor imagined him in a blue postman outfit.

"Kupo?" Mog asked at her look.

Taylor felt her smile stretch into a grin at the small hat and post bag she mentally overlaid on Mog. Realizing what she was doing Taylor coughed, before she pushed the cute image away and thought about the question.

The Keyblade, it came to Taylor when she was in the Locker.

That was… it. Taylor certainly hadn't applied for giant magic key, or even replied to one of those chain emails she use to get which threatened to curse her with a giant key if she didn't pass it on to ten friends in the next hour. The Keyblade had just…

"It just appeared when I needed it, I didn't do anything special." Taylor relied honestly, frowning slightly.

Ifrit nodded as if he'd expected that.

"Exactly. A Keyblade isn't alive, but it is sentient; aware of its wielder and aware of the world around it. They appear to those that have certain qualities; courage, compassion, determination. They look for something that beings on the physical plane cannot see. Personally, I think the stupid things delight in annoying people." Ifrit sniffed lightly before he curled up like a demonic cat, wrapped around his precious remote.

Mog nodded as he floated down and sat between Taylor and Ifrit.

"It does have the habit of appearing at the worst times for people, kupo." Mog agreed.

With a flash, Taylor called the Keyblade to her. Tilting the blade left and right she looked at it. Really looked at it.

Melody of the Lost. It was beautiful and tragic, a sort of sad innocence and even though there was no sound… Taylor could almost hear mournful tones of her mother's flute. Ifrit was right. It wasn't alive, but Taylor knew it could understand. That it chose her of everyone? It was humbling.

Still, that didn't answer how she got it.

"What do you mean? I mean, how can it do anything other than what the wielder wants it to do? I know it can sense but, you said it wasn't alive?" Taylor asked, feeling a bit lost at their words and her own conflicting feelings and logic.

Mog thought about it and Boco warbled something that made the moogle nod.

"The Keyblade has two methods that we Espers are aware of to appear in the hands of mortals." Mog began and his tone took on a pompous tone, causing Taylor to smile again. Mog loved his lectures.

"The first is the most common. A Keyblade Master may perform a ritual of inheritance with another person, passing on a piece of the light in their heart that attracts Keyblades, kupo. The ritual is normally complex but at its most basic it is simply letting someone hold your Keyblade, and willing them to inherit your idea. Each Keyblade Wielder has an idea, a concept, the thing that empowers you as a Keyblader. It could a dream to see the stars, the desire help the weak, or a thirst for knowledge." Mog explained, arms waving dramatically.

Taylor frowned. That sounded like something she would remember and she couldn't recall anything like it. Also…

"I have no idea what empowers me. Should I know this? I feel like I should know this." Taylor said her frown deepening as her breathing finally began to really even out.

Mog chuckled, pom-pom bobbing about.

"That's why you're not a 'master' yet. There's supposedly lots of tests to take before you're ready. Me and Ramuh once theorized that until your heart matures and becomes truly bonded to your Keyblade then wielders are unable to do the ritual, kupo." he spoke in a very rushed tone, excited to talk about the subject.

The excitement was hard not to share.

"So why isn't the universe filled with Keyblades and their wielders?" Taylor asked curiously. If a Keyblade was really that easy to pass on and their wielders so powerful… Earth could do with dozens, hundreds more really. They were over-run with villains and monsters and even with the little training she'd had Taylor had been able to fight on par with Lung.

At her question though, Mog slowed then stopped, one paw still in the air as he floated above the coffee table, to excited to remain sitting.

"There were. There were so many of them, hundreds of thousands, millions even. So many that they went to war." Ifrit said with a yawn.

Taylor's head snapped to Ifrit in an instant, unable to truly comprehend what he'd just said.

"War… with Keyblades?" Taylor asked, her chest feeling tight suddenly. She'd heard Mog tell stories of Keyblade wielders who could slay gods, if thousands, millions of such warriors went to war…

Mog nodded sadly.

"Keyblades are wonderful tools of the heart, kupo, but if your heart desires war..." Mog trailed off and gave a small shrug.

Taylor swallowed hard, shocked by the concept.

"Why were they fighting for?" She questioned. Taylor wasn't sure she wanted to know but she had to ask, even if the rising sun cast odd shadows in the room and it made her feel scared, creeped out.

Mog and Ifrit shot a look at each other.

"No point hiding it, it won't do us any favors in the long run. Just tell her." Ifrit told Mog.

The moogle nodded even as he looked about awkwardly.

"I suppose..." Mog said while Boco huffed sadly.

Taylor had no idea what they were talking about, but even Ifrit was avoiding her gaze.

"Kupo... the Keybladers… They fought over the Light. Do you know what I mean?" Mog asked slowly and carefully.

Taylor shook her head.

"The way you say it, I'm thinking you don't mean sunlight or anything like that." She responded.

Mog nodded.

"You'd be thinking right, kupo. Where to start... Well why not from the recent beginning?" Mog mused as Taylor curled her legs up on the seat and got comfortable as she stared at Mog intently.

"As far as we knew, the Espers mind you, kupo, there was originally only one world. Just one big world where every sentient race and non-sentient race existed together; humanity, elves, aelfrin, moogles, monsters, ducks, Espers, hundreds of races all resided. The world was huge, interconnected and faceted across a thousand realms yet all one whole that could be traversed if you knew how or had the patience. And, above it all, the Light shone down on its land giving prosperity and protection. The Light is more than just radiation; it is an idea, energy, religion, hope, unsearchable, unavoidable and most of all, found in every heart. Even the darkest of hearts, inside beings so foul and loathsome even Ark would smite them, they have a tiny spark of light in them." Mog said softly, enchantingly.

Taylor was caught by his words, entranced. It was like a fairy tale, a story, but the way Mog told, the way he spoke, it sounded like it was the truth. So, despite the absurdity… Taylor believed him.

IfRIt sat up then as Mog paused to take a breath.

"The Light also captured the hearts of… men? Risyh. There isn't a good translation. All warriors, all sentient, all those who wielded a Keyblade, all those who could perceive the Light were entranced by it. They stared into the heavens until their eyes turned to dust and their hearts filled with greed and hate." Ifrit said, stretching as he finished before curling up again.

Mog looked offended at being interrupted. But he sighed and nodded once before picking up the tail again.

"The Light was everywhere in the universe, like the Darkness that was in between, kupo, but it shone on the world so very strongly. It was here, on that world, the first world, thatt he first Keyblade was forged. The Keyblade was made with but one purpose in mind, one very special purpose. For you see the brightest of all the Light was locked behind a door, kupo. A door that rested above the world and was the source of all Light." Mog floated upwards as he talked, spinning softly.

"A door... of Light?" Taylor repeated and there was an odd lilt to her words as something sparked in her head. It was like the sense of a memory remembered and then forgotten, the shadow of a thought, or a flash of light that she couldn't shape, a half remembered dream.

"The door stood alone untouched by time or space, kupo. It floated alone atop it's own land, it's own fragment of the world, high up. Yet everyone could see it and it shone Light down upon all. The people loved this door, and they built everything around this door of Light, kupo. The built grand city's in it's shadow, to bask in its radiance. They created religions and relics, copies to be prayed at, or pictures to take away. The people loved this door that shone down on them, that gave so much... and they wanted it for themselves." Mog's tone changed then to one of utter sadness. He sounded so hurt that Taylor wanted to swallow hard, but her throat was suddenly dry and it hurt.

"So they forged the first Keyblade, a key forged of light and heart and magic and steel… A Key, a blade unlike any other… Kupo, but it could not open the door. So they tried again, and again, each time a little differently. Shape, the balance of light to magic or heart, some were even forged with Darkness. They kept trying kupo, until they forged a Key that could open the lock. The Χ-blade. The great key to open the door of Light. They made a way for everyone to see what lay inside the door and bask in the radiance within… but no one wanted anyone else to be the first to look inside." Mog said, his voice melancholy with loss.

Taylor felt her mouth move, unable to find the appropriate words. If they loved the Light so why not just look over their shoulder or…

A flash of red hair and a tinkling, sinister laugh.

No, Taylor could well understand actually. She could understand no wanting to let someone else share something like that, as much as she didn't like to admit it. She'd left Emma behind but the scars would remain.

Mog continued even as he twisted his paws together.

"Their love for the Light had twisted, made them blind to anything else, filled them with greed. Then using the prototypes and defects of the great key, kupo, for even if they could not open the door they were still forged of the heart and very powerful, they waged war for the Light. All sides wanted the same thing, but none were willing to bend, to let any of the others look first. They used their blades that were meant to be keys, signs of their love and compassion, a project meant to bring everyone together… They used them to strike each other down, to unleash magic and spells the likes of which had never been seen before." Mog continued.

"From this chaos many of the Espers were born, created by the clashing the magic, kupo, the discordant light, the chaos. From the great fire came Ifrit, and from the cold left behind came Shiva. Diablos was born from their hate and Tonberry from everybody's grudge. The Darkness welled up inside them even as they fought for the Light. Even their cities burned, and millions, billion, trillions died, kupo… As the world splintered, coming apart at the seams, the passages linking it together breaking and pieces, places, all falling away one by one… Still they fought on. It was war like nothing ever seen before or since, kupo. You see, they were blinded, blinded by the Darkness in their hearts. Only a few got in between them and tried to stop the fighting. Too few, kupo." Mog said, speaking as if he was reciting from a memory of long ago.

Ifrit snarled suddenly.

"And what good did it do them? Twenty four fools tried to stop the fighting, and what did they do?! They destroyed even more! They shattered what little remained! The opened that damned door!" Ifrit shouted, flames jetting from between his woolen jaws.

The sudden spike in volume startled Taylor who jumped in her seat while Mog wobbled in the air, falling a short way before catching himself. Shooting Ifrit a dirty look he turned his gaze back to Taylor and softly began to speak again, almost as if in a trance.

"Light spilled out from the door and those who had finally opened the door rejoiced… And then the Darkness came too. For as much as they loved the Light, they could never think that it could exist with such a force. That behind that door, inside the Heart of Hearts there could be Darkness too. But alas, the door was broken and it could not be closed, kupo. The Darkness spread forth, carried by the creatures who had lived on the other side of the door. The beings of darkness, those without light at all, without hearts. The Heartless had come and they drowned the remnants of the world, swept aside the last of warring Keybladers and threatened to engulf and devour all that the remained of the world… They would kill us all!" Mog spoke into the room, not speaking to anyone anymore.

Taylor slowly stood and looked up at him.

"Mog?" Taylor tried tentatively.

"Then with the greatest act of all, with their sacrifice… The eight most bless with Light fixed the door of Light, kupo. They closed it, closed the door… but the world was fractured, broken, sundered in the fighting. And even as the survivors tried to hold what little they could together, as we Espers struggled to along with so many others to keep hold of what had been, kupo… Then its pieces fell away, drifted out into the dark, and the twilight or out across the light. They became smaller worlds, mere fragments becoming a whole, becoming their own isolated worlds, their people lost to time and space." Mog finished, slowly drifting down to sit upon the coffee table.

"Then... my world… Earth, is the same?" Taylor questioned softly.

Mog looked up at her.

"I... don't know, kupo. The realm of Light has pieces of different worlds, some with humans, many with other inhabitants from the first world. They can all be traced back to the world of origin though. This space, this world... it's on the edge of that realm and it seems to be far odder, different from any world Boco and I have been to before. Some parts of the Origin world are stuck in time, others advance faster than should be possible, some retain the magic of the universe, while others have lost it completely. Your Earth could be a piece, probably even, but I couldn't tell properly, not without looking at the Keyhole, kupo." The moogle said.

Seeing him still distressed Taylor leant forward and scooped the small fluffy fairy into her arms, giving him a soft hug. Then sitting him on her lap, Taylor tilted her head.

"Keyhole? Wait, hold on one question before you go on. You said this door of light was fixed, but how? What was the greatest act of all? Who were the most blessed? What did they sacrifice?" Taylor wondered and Mog looked up at her with a serious face, which was the same as his actual face, but just felt more serious.

"They were children who loved the Door, but did not convent it, there was eight of them, after that day, they were known as Princesses of Light, Kupo. And their greatest act… was love." he whisper and then looked down, away from Taylor.

"Then there was seven"

Sabah sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea clasped between her hands, staring off into space with a curious expression on her face.

"So, and this is really weird just so you know, Mog claims that once upon time there was only one big world with humans and Espers and aliens on it. That had this magical door they all covented and so they started a war with giant key swords because the door gave off lots of really addicting light vibes. Then they killed each other in a battle over who got to look inside the door in like something out of a cheap Aleph action flick. Finally, someone opens the door and 'darkness' spills out. After that they break the world into a trillion pieces and scatter them across the stars? And the only way we can know if our world belongs to this 'mega world' is if you and Mog find a keyhole, a big one, somewhere on Earth that leads to Earths heart, which in itself raises questions by the way. Then once you find this keyhole, you have to seal it before the darkness, and the monsters it spawns, the Heartless? Them, whatever, not the theoretical matter state, but genuine space monsters spawn and get inside the keyhole and eat Earth's Heart plunging our world into yet more darkness. That sound about right?" Sabah summarized the abridged version of the tale Taylor had told the older girl, with some help from Mog.

Taylor nodded in response, while nibbling on a piece of toast, her hair still damp from the shower.

Sabah looked Taylor in the eye and made what could only be described as a face.

"Anyone else and I'd call them crazy, but with you… This seems perfectly normal to be honest. So, should I add 'world savior' to your job description then?" Sabah joked and while lifting up her cup of tea for a drink.

Taylor shook her head, mouth too full of honeyed toast to respond, so she swallowed, struggling for a moment before the food slid down. Coughing she looked at Sabah and gave a self deprecating smile.

"It sounds arrogant, plus I haven't actually saved the world yet." Taylor pointed out reasonably.

Sabah's voice took on a funny tone as she snorted with a half smile.

"Of course, silly me." Sabah replied shaking her head.

Mog floated back into the room then, carrying a bag of objects.

"Kupo, all ready." Mog struggled to say as he dropped the heavy looking duffle bag on to the ground, resulting in a lot of clanking and crashing sounds as if there was something heavy and mechanical inside.

"Mog, what is that?" Sabah asked, shooting her empty cup a forlornly look.

Mog puffed up his chest in pride, ignoring Sabah's inattention.

"I got all the basic things Taylor needs to practice some more magic, kupo!"

Sabah looked at the clock and stood.

"Okay, had my world view broken and the house is about to be blown up, all before ten in the morning. This is going to be one of those days. I'm off to work." Sabah said and pulled Taylor's wet head into her body for a one armed hug.

"I'll see you at one." Sabah said half said, half threatened holding a hand on Taylor's shoulder.

Taylor gulped and nodded.

Today was the... no, best not to think about it.

Sabah swung out the front door and a minute later, the her car sputtered to life before the sound of it's coughing faded away.

Back in the kitchen Taylor looked down at the bag and raised an eye brow… Though it was hard to tell really given her eye patch and burn scars.

"What have you got there Mog?" Taylor said as she resumed nibbling on her toast.

From the bag Mog pulled out a long metal rod, which took Taylor a moment to recognize as her father's one time only fishing rod.

A couple of years ago, shortly after her mom died a few of the dockworkers had managed to drag her dad away for an evening to go fishing, even though her dad had never fished before in his life as far as Taylor knew. The rest of the story, such as why there was a large crack that traveled the length of the metal rod was unknown as her Dad went red in the face and quickly changed the subject when she'd asked.

"I found it the basement, lots of spiders down there, kupo. It's perfect for your magic training!" Mog said excitedly as he opened the back door. A moment later he flew back in to grab the rod which he'd forgotten and then vanished back outside where high fences thankfully kept him hidden.

Finishing her toast, Taylor dragged herself outside after Mog, still exhausted from her run having not cast cure for once due Mog's unfinished warning. Outside Mog was busy sticking the rod into the ground. There was a clicking of claws behind her and Boco rushed passed Taylor as he joined Mog and her in the yard, excited to be outside on the semi-nice day. Ifrit was on the birds back, curled up and ignoring them all.

Taylor would think he was sleeping, but he kept adjusting himself whenever Boco moved to avoid falling off. The giant bird twirled once and sat abruptly near one on of the fences, bright eyes locked on Taylor. Encouraging her, but not sitting in her direct line of fire.

Did… Did Boco think her aim was really that bad? Well, that was comforting.

The sun shone softly down on them, summer was here Brockton Bay was one of those odd spots on the east coast that was naturally warm all year long, the summers making the warmth an actual heat while in winter snow was rare even this far north. Looking up Taylor closed her eye and enjoyed the rays on her pale skin, soaking up the first of the spring warmth. Idly scratching her under eye-patch, she watched as Mog admired his work and nodded to himself.

"Kupo! Are you ready apprentice Taylor?" Mog said, his paws behind his back.

Looking back down Taylor saluted and stood straighter.

"Ready to learn boss." Taylor quipped with a bemused expression.

Mog spun in the air and pointed to the rod.

"Today we are going to learn about the destructive, but mostly harmless thun-" Mog began to say, but a sudden thought made Taylor interrupt him.

"Mog? You never got around to explaining cure or the second method of getting a Keyblade. You distracted me with your story." Taylor crossed her arms and gave the moogle an inquiring smile.

Mog deflated as he sunk towards the ground.

"Kupo... I forgot again? This magic training stuff is hard to keep a track of, kupo. Boco, make a list, we need to do better for Taylor!" Mog shouted towards Boco who nodded seriously in reply. Satisfied by Boco's response, he turned back to Taylor and floated down to sit on the grass that needed to cut slightly, inviting Taylor to do the same.

"Cure is a really good spell, kupo, but do you know how it works?" Mog asked gently.

Taylor shook her head.

"It's magic? Does it need an explanation or science? Wouldn't it stop being magic if you figured it out?" Taylor replied.

Mog chuckled.

"You would cause stubborn wizards in their towers to balk and have the scientists in their labs ready to string you up for that. But I agree, kupo. Does simply knowing how it works down to the last detail make it less magical? Yes, but there are a lot of the factors with magic we simply cannot test, as it depends on the person, their will and determination. Each of those are different for everyone because there are no true or stable facts in life, kupo. But that doesn't mean we can't understand how it works. Science and magic aren't opposites but partners in this mysterious universe. Used correctly, kupo, then they can be your sword and shield when venturing into the unknown, both used differently, but both equally important. In regards to cure, what we know is that it takes magic energy, converts it to mass and heals basic wounds; scratches, cuts, small burns, and even some bone fractures, kupo. Somehow the spell just knows how and where to restore a body to better condition. All it needs is energy, will, and intent. Energy can be measured if you try hard enough, but will power? What makes one person will stronger than another, kupo? Those are areas that science just hasn't being able to reach in regards to magic." Mog spoke as Taylor listened intently.

It still made Taylor feel light inside whenever she thought about it. She could do magic! She was, for all intents and purposes, a magical girl. She had a bat, fairy, teddy bear creature telling her what to do and how to do it as she learnt. More, given she had one dead parent; she was practically a Pixar Princess… minus the actual royalty. Her life was weird, but Taylor loved it.

"So why is my using cure bad then? It makes me feel better after running and by your own words, heals any damage I've done to myself. I thought it was just decent way of recharging. What am I missing?" Taylor asked as she leaned sat down on the cool grass, a pair of Sabah's infernal skinny jeans pulling tight around her legs. Idly Taylor pulled at her top trying make sure it stayed down, too many of the shirts Sabah had made her drifted up to expose her stomach.

Mog pulled at some grass as he joined her on the ground.

"Simple, you're not letting your body train itself, kupo. By using cure to skip the rest, you're body isn't learning its limits and that's dangerous, kupo! If you keep doing it, you might find yourself suddenly collapsing one day as your body expects you to use cure and you can't 'cause you used up all your magic doing something else, kupo. Magic is a part of you, but your body is a part too and it needs to grow on its own as well." Mog told Taylor gently.

Taylor felt her cheeks get a little hot in embarrassment at that. She had been using cure a lot after all.

"I guess... that makes sense. It just made life easier." Taylor admitted quietly.

Mog sighed.

"I know, kupo. Magic has that effect. But! Because we can use magic, we must be aware of it more. There is nothing wrong with having fun with magic, kupo, using it to clean dishes or flying for fun and profit, but we must make sure we don't use it in a way that hurts us, kupo." the Moogle said as Ifrit leapt from Boco's back, landing near the two.

"The talking hairball is correct. Magic is, at its core, alive. It acts on its own whims, leaving effects on the world that won't be seen for years to come. Take our bond and fusion, we almost lost ourselves and became a new being altogether because the magic interpreted our desires as such. Such a powerful act has meant that neither one of us were at full strength afterwards, hence why I could not escape this cotton prison, and why we won't be able to fuse for some time to come. At least until your heart is ready again, the burden placed on it during the fight with the dragon was immense and it almost broke."

Ifrit told her bluntly.

Taylor put a hand to her chest without thinking.

"We can't fuse?" Taylor asked surprised and shocked. What if she need to fight again?

Ifrit rolled his shiny eyes.

"You're doing it again. Focus less on how to be helpful and focus more on the heart breaking." Ifrit said with a scowl directed at her.

Taylor looked down at the grass.

"I guess I was... What will happen when my heart breaks? Will I die?" Taylor forced herself to ask. Ifrit and Mog both shrugged at the same time, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Hearts are tough bastards, I can't remember really if anyone had one broken. But I think you'd lose your heart and what happens after that? You don't want to know. It is a fate I would not wish on even my accursed sister." Ifrit mused aloud.

Mog tilted his head towards Taylor.

"Hearts are odd, you might sleep for a long time or you might do something else, kupo. Hearts are magical at their core and science seems to particularly fail when it comes to that subject." Mog responded, sounding unsurprised.

Taylor nodded and thought about being broken hearted.

Best to avoid it, she thought.

"And the second method for getting a Keyblade?" Taylor asked, moving the discussion onwards.

"Being chosen by a Keyblade. It's far rarer. We espers think it only happens when a meant to be wielder has failed in some way, kupo. Someone was destined to receive a Keyblade by inheritance but for whatever reason the Keyblade cannot or will not go to them. So, instead, the Keyblade seeks out to someone nearby who the Keyblade thinks is worthy. This could be what happened to you, since you don't remember meeting anyone else with a Keyblade to have inherited it from, right, kupo?" Mog shot her a curious look.

Taylor shook her head.

"I think I'd remember that." Taylor said with amusement.

Ifrit scoffed in response.

"Humans think their memories are untouchable, some of our brethren take memories as penance for humans using their power. Do not be so careless with them, Keyblade Master, memories are fleeting birds in a never ending storm, lost as easily as paper to the flame." Ifrit told her.

Taylor stared at the small demon.

"They do what? Ifrit... Did you…" Taylor half asked, half demanded, not entirely sure what she was feeling. Shock, horror, fear?

Ifrit snorted, sparks flying out.

"I have seen your memories, you may keep them. I have better entertainment on the TV." Ifrit said with a grin.

Mog floated over his head then, a grin on chubby his face.

"Ifrit and Polly sitting in a black-hole, looking at each other and D-R-A-W-I-N-G." Mog teased.

Ifrit snarled and shot a tiny stream of fire at Mog, who easily float out of the way while giggling.

"Accursed brat! Lady Polly is a fine woman of battle!" Ifrit defended himself as he started to chase after Mog, leaving Taylor alone, feeling much better about the whole memory thing. Ifrit was rough, but kind of cool in his own way. Boco trotted over and sat down next to Taylor, his blue eyes sparkling at Taylor, who smiled at the giant bird, scratching under his beak.

Nudging her hand aside, Boco leaned in close and pressed his forehead to Taylor's own.

A feeling of reassurance and nudging played in Taylor's head and for a moment, she felt as if she was at the center of a storm.

Grey clouds obscured the sky when suddenly a spear of light lit the sky and the planet trembled beneath a thunderous boom.

Blinking she stared at Boco, who stared right back.

Slowly Taylor put her head back onto Boco's.

Again the sudden image flashed before her eyes, of black clouds and flashes that lit up the sky, of power and energy, the feeling of instant emotion while a single word echoed in her head.

Thunder.

"Okay, that is seriously weird and really cool that you can do that, but you can't read my mind can you?" Taylor asked in a low, slow voice.

Boco just winked at her.

Glaring at him Taylor pouted.

"You're lucky you're cute. But Thunder? Seriously? Shouldn't it be Lightning?" Taylor asked.

Boco just ruffled his feathers before he stood up again and shuffled off to the side lines once, but not before giving her one last word of wisdom.

"Kweh!" Boco said cheerfully.

Taylor sighed and stood, the Keyblade appearing in hand.

So… Thunder. Taylor mulled the word over in her mind and… It just didn't stick for her. Thunder was loud and roaring, and while she may have felt like that when fused with Ifrit, it just wasn't her. Lightning wasn't a good match either as it just… didn't resonate, didn't work.

So she'd just have to wing it then. It was, after all, the core idea of Taylor Hebert's hero mentality. And if she accidental opened a black hole, she'd apologize for it later.

Raising her Keyblade, she pointed it at the fishing rod.

Taylor tried to imagine it, to recall the image Boco had shown her. The flash of light and booming roar, the streak that lit the storm sky, the power of nature itself.

She also tried to imagine what emotion that would translate as.

Closing her eye Taylor pictured her first night as hero, the drop from the window, the meeting with Sabah, the fight with Rune, meeting the Wards. Suddenness, the jolt of emotion, the sudden excitement.

The bolt of adrenaline.

Bolt... Bolt!

There was a sudden crack in the air and Taylor felt a wave of warm air become wash over her.

Opening her eye in a snap, she saw that she had been successful at casting. Just not at aiming as the fishing rod was unharmed but behind it...

Ifrit lay smoking on the ground a short distance behind the rod. He didn't seem overly damaged, but his legs were twitching in the air.

Taylor ran over to him, seeing the grass around him scorched black at the tips.

"Ifrit? Are you okay? I am so sorry!" Taylor said quickly as she knelt beside the miniature demon.

Ifrit coughed out some black smoke.

"Open... your damn eye next time." Ifirt said with a choked voice.

Mog floated down next them, no longer fearing Ifrit would try to burn him.

"You always keep going on how attractive you are, kupo, guess you were right." Mog taunted.

Ifrit glared weakly at the giggling moogle.

"I… will end you."

The red light glared down at Taylor, who stared balefully back at it. The sun was in full force shining down on her from overhead and Taylor felt really warm in her white coat and boots. Looking back down she sighed and patted Boco's neck as he stood diligently still in the middle of the road. Trying to make Boco obey the road rules, especially traffic lights, had been hard. The only reason she'd actually succeeded was Mog who was floating around her while Ifrit was curled up just behind her, claws dug into the chocobo's feather and hanging on for grim death.

Around them, everyone was staring, and it was making Taylor feel self-conscious. But Boco was just too big for the side walk and if bicycles had to go on the road, then, by that logic, so did Boco, who could go a lot faster. As Taylor fidgeted the car to her left rolled down its windows and a woman leaned out a window with a pen and paper, a smile on her face.

"Can I get a quick autograph from my daughter please?" The woman asked, flustered.

Smiling slightly Taylor lean down and took the proffered stationary, spotting the woman's daughter in the back, her face pressed to glass, eyes wide as the little girl stared up at Boco and her. As Taylor's smile stretched wider at the cute sight Mog floated down and waved at her, causing the girl to let out an excited squeal.

"No problem, what's her name?" Taylor asked, turning back to the woman her eye flicking over the still red light.

"Jackie, thanks, this means a lot to her." The woman, Jackie's mother, said.

Taylor nodded.

"It's fine, 'To Jackie, your Mom is cool, come say hi anytime, Keynote, Mog, Boco and Ifrit', there we go." Taylor said as she handed pad back. Then Boco reached back and nipped a feather off, dropping it into the window after the woman, who handed both of the objects back to the little girl who bounced excitedly, waving furious at Taylor, the feather grasped in her hands.

The light blinked and began to change, Taylor barely had time to wave back before Boco surged forward, before ducking left into an alley.

"Boco? This is a dead end!" Taylor yelled as they hurtled down the narrow lane.

Boco suddenly crouched and with a spring that made the bottom fall out of Taylor's stomach, soared into the sky, easily clearing the building's height and landed on the roof. Boco didn't slow down then, but instead ran full speed towards the edge where he leapt over a road to another roof, quickly hopping to another, a happy sound trilling from his beak.

Mog flew steadily behind them, sucked along in Boco's wake. Behind Taylor, Ifrit was holding on with his claws screaming something that would have gotten Sabah to slap him and that made Taylor was glad the little girl wasn't around to hear.

With their much faster route, the Dollhouse rapidly grew closer Boco's sense of Sabah never faulting once. So, instead of the sedate and above all slow approach Taylor had planned they were almost there in minutes. Accursed meddling bird.

As they ran across the roof tops Taylor peeked down below her, watching as Brockton Bay moved below her, a steady rhythm of life flowing beneath her like a river. It was a chaotic river even, one of varied color and hue. People of all races, all incomes, walked the streets in clothes of near limitless variation and color. It was a river of movement that woke up at nine, dined at five and then slept at ten.

That wasn't really true of course, sure people could have those routines, but you could never know. You might have someone like herself who woke up at 5 or someone like Sabah who'd sleep in till 12 if she could. You never knew exactly what made some one tick. Like that man there, the tall, thin man in his late forties Taylor guessed. He could secretly be a super villain, plotting in his secrete base… or he could be boring as day time TV and his only outstanding trait being he liked to chew on his pencil.

Taylor spent a lot of time assuming the worst of everyone, out of a survival mentality more than negativity, she'd had to to survive her time and Winslow before she'd met Sabah. It hadn't mattered if the person passing her in the hallway was pretty or ugly, popular or unpopular, if they had problems of their own, or were maybe a psychopath waiting to snap. She'd been wary of them all as even if they hadn't attacked her… None of them had helped her either. Taylor had just filtered them all out as 'Not dad', ro 'not bullies' and if they were a 'bully'… she'd run or hid or simply tried to endure.

Those days were behind her though, those grey empty days of simply existing. Now the sky was blue and everything seemed bright. Taylor felt alive again for the first time in years and she'd become more accepting of possibilities. Her trust in Sabah, the Espers and even herself only seemed to make each day easier.

Over the months spent with Sabah, Taylor didn't know what made her tick, but she was enjoying figuring it out, one slice of home-made chocolate cake at a time.

The heavy metal playlist on her i-pod was still a bit of a world shaker, but Taylor had found she'd rather enjoyed listening to it, the heavy beat seeming to make her heart pound. It had even been fun to dance to when Sabah had pulled her up off the couch and they'd jumped around together.

"Kweh!" Boco cried, snapping Taylor back to the present as they floated gently down over the high security fence and into the employ parking lot behind the Dollhouse, just brushing his claws on the razor wire, his wings furiously flapping.

With the gentlest bump, the giant bird touched down, and warbled a happy trill. The lone desk clerk taking a vape break stared at her with an open mouth, her short hair messy and wild, looking untouched since she'd rolled out of bed. The standard blue smock and black pants of the Dollhouse uniform were clear of any dirt or residue though, looking clean if a little rumpled; because Ingrid could spot stains on a uniform across the room. No one had ever been fired for such a small error, but no one liked making Ingrid frown at them.

'You are the Dollhouse's first and finest, Please be more careful in the future, hun.' Or similar chastisements were enough to make even Taylor to check her boots for mud.

"That was pretty awesome, that bird of yours has, like, total air mileage!" The clerk said with wonder.

Taylor patted Boco's head with affection.

"Thanks, Boco beats taking the bus by a mile." Taylor replied, sliding off the chocobo to head inside.

Ingrid was milling around delivery boxes, checking contents and ticking them off on her clipboard, which had half the back charred black.

When Taylor had asked about it Ingrid had said it was the fault of a mid-life crisis and the success of PRT. Taylor wisely decided not ask her to elaborate after the steel glint that had been present in the older woman's eyes. Still, Ingrid kept the board for reasons of fondness more than efficiency.

"Keynote, good afternoon. Ready for the day?" Ingrid asked without stopping her stock taking, even as she smiled at Taylor, pen flashing across paper.

Taylor thought that was pretty cool that Ingrid seem to be able to make her brain do two different things at once. Taylor sometimes wished she could multi-task like that, it would be an awesome power.

"I'm… not sure yet. But I'm not running away either. Is Parian out front?" Taylor asked, staring with some minor horror at the endless mugs, dolls, shirts and other paraphernalia with her face on them, sometimes with Parian as well or just by herself, sitting in neat rows.

"Are those... action figures?" Taylor asked in a small voice.

Finally pausing in her stock taking Ingrid beamed at her.

"They are going to sell like hot cakes. Each one comes with your weapon and we're making the red form of yours a super rare, for collection value!" Ingrid said while her grin turned feral.

Taylor felt like her insides were melting in embarrassment.

She had action figures.

She had action figures.

"This is... so bizarre. I used to buy actions figures of heroes and now I have one." Taylor admitted with a dazed sounding voice.

Ingrid smiled at her, a genuine smile now, instead of her shark like one.

"Besides the fact we're going to make money had over fist? You deserve it, hun. You've being doing a lot of good the best you can. You did what the Protectorate wouldn't and took on Lung, helped give that monster what he deserves. Action figures is the very least you get. Just wait until you get cosplayers at Capecon in New York. Hmm, we might have to get ourselves a booth this year."

Cosplay? There were people who would want to dress up as her? Like people did with the triumvirate? Like she'd done with Alexandria when she was small? Taylor felt herself take a deep breath, almost by habit.

Then Taylor felt something brush against her leg and looked down to find Ifrit leaning against her boot.

"Those are dolls... of me?" Ifrit asked, shaking of his shock before he jumped onto the boxes near Ingrid, who to her credit, didn't jump herself. Blinking, Ingrid looked down at the esper and there was the sound of internal screaming as Ingrid scooped Ifrit up, dropping her clipboard on to a box, and smothered Ifrit into a hug that made Taylor wince.

"Oh, you are just best looking plush yet, and you talk! You're so soft and warm, oh you'd do great on the under five shelf. Ah, Parian mentioned you, you must be like Boco and Mog." Ingrid said, suddenly holding Ifrit at arm's length.

Gasping for air, Ifrit scowled at Ingrid even as he wheezed.

"I... am Ifrit, the Lord... of Hell!" Ifrit began, sounding alarmed and afraid.

Ingrid frowned, still holding the plush demon at arm's length.

"It would never fly with the PR. How about the King of Flames?" Ingrid suggested.

Ifrit breathing's began to return to normal plush standards as he slowly nodded.

"That is… acceptable, but my ultimate attack 'Hellfire' is non-negotiable. I have an image to up hold and all future action figures must be met with my approval." Ifrit said as Ingrid placed him gently down on the boxes. She seemed to be mulling his words over.

Taylor stared at them, they were... just accepting each other? Taylor expected some degree of fear or holy water being thrown at Ifrit, not business deals!

Ingrid rubbed at her chin as they other hand retrieved her clip-board.

"Hmm... If we put it in small print under everything, maybe it won't be so bad. I'll mock up some ideas for it, but welcome to the Dollhouse, watch out for the kids, they'll eat you alive." Ingrid warned and after giving Taylor a nod and shooing gesture, returned to her counting.

Mog zoomed past them all then and vanished into the front, eager to mingle now he had Ingrid's permission.

Boco the followed his smaller friend, though walking with more casual grace than Mog's enthusiastic flight. Taylor thought they had the right idea, and so after scooping up Ifrit Taylor marched on heading for the store front when a tiny recorded voice echoed behind her and made her freeze.

"This key fights for justice!"

Turning slowly, Taylor looked over her shoulder and what she saw made her go pale.

In Ingrid's hand one of her action figures repeated the message and Ingrid's smile was right down maniacal. The co-owner looked up at Taylor and Taylor was sure that room rose a few degrees in temperature with the strength of her blush.

"Gotta collect them all." Ingrid said to Taylor's frightened stare.

Taylor leant against the front wall, to the left of the door, just enjoying the chaos of the Dollhouse's general Saturday business. There were people admiring Sabah hard at work, fabric and needles flying as clothes took shape under her careful control. Yet more people milling about to the 'on sale' section, which Taylor noted had more of Sabah's odd tops or those that were far too short like she insisted Taylor wear. In the far corner, kids were demolishing the new toy section where all new action figures and dolls where, and in particular she was enjoying watching the big crowd of kids circling Ifrit, who was sat on a chair telling stories.

"So, after breaking open the Doors of Sorrow with the combined forced of the Four Elemental Orbs, my summoner and I stared at the mad jester, but of course he was mad and only laughed at us. Then the battle was joined at it was glorious! And intense struggle back and forth lasting hours, of course I did far more work than my summoner, as per norm. Then the jester laughed once more and changed!" He ended in a stage whisper and the kids around gasped appropriately.

"He transformed?" Cried a little girl with pig tails.

Ifrit nodded solemnly.

"It wasn't even his final form." Ifrit said seriously and the kids all shifted with anticipation. Ifrit basked in the attention and sat a little straighter.

Taylor smiled, when she'd brought him the little demon was immediately assault by the roaming kids brought in by their parents.

So to save himself and everything flammable around him, he'd plucked a story out of the air and the young kids had latched on to it with glee.

"After his 'Sanity Destroyer mark VI' failed to stop us, the battle was won, I reached down and with one hand crushed his h-" Ifrit suddenly choked as Sabah snapped her head around to look at him.

Ifrit slowly turned his own head to look at back Sabah and the older girl only seem to glare harder.

"-ope, I crushed his hope, where he had no choice, but to become a boring accountant." Ifrit hastily finished and the sea of children all looked at each other and shrugged. It wasn't as gory as they'd wanted but they were still satisfied, Taylor supposed.

Shaking her head, Taylor decided to head over to Sabah, not actually having had the chance to talk to her much today given she'd been in such a rush this morning. As Taylor approached she waved at Boco who sat at the dress makers side, vigilantly passing materials that Sabah hadn't infused with her telekinesis yet.

"Ifrit is a big softy." Taylor told Sabah making her sigh, but Taylor, could see with the way she tilted her head ever so slightly, that she was grinning.

"I told the staff to make sure to keep him in sight at all times. I'm actually afraid some kid will kidnap him because he is the 'awesome fire kuppy'. I'm hoping kuppy is just a kitten and puppy mix but I could be wrong..." Sabah trailed off.

Taylor hummed in response.

"I think you're doing a pretty good job of watching him yourself. How did you hear him across the room just now?" Taylor asked, wanting to know.

Sabah shrugged.

"It's the same with Mog and Boco, I have vague ideas about where they are and sometimes, what they're doing. It was hazy at first, but I've been getting a lot better at it. Like Mog is about to land on you." Sabah said without looking up and true to her word, something soft landed on Taylor's head.

"Kupo, this place is the best! So many people want to talk to me and they all said I'm adorable!" Mog babbled and Taylor reached up, pulling the Moogle to her chest in a hug.

"Don't let your pom-pom get to big." Taylor teased.

With a clatter of claw Ifrit hopped on to the table and cocked his head at her.

"Why not? Mortals are so free with their praise! I feel nourished just sitting here. If I keep this up, my throne will be... awesome." Ifrit said his muzzle splitting into a maniacal grin.

In the Space Between

Shiva glared at the red throne across from her own.

The fur line leather seat had a braziers on either side which, for the first time in a long time, had embers slowly appearing at the base of each bowl, illuminating the throne and the red gem that fitted at the top of the the throne, causing it glow softly.

"Stop it." Shiva commanded but the embers only flickered brighter. Her lips thinned.

"I command you to cease that infernal fire!" Shiva ordered and the throne dimmed slightly, causing the Ice Queen to smirk… before the bowls erupted into flames.

With a scream Shiva hurled ice at the throne, which melted before it even got close.

A girl sat far above her, legs dangling over the edge. A pale red cloak wrapped around her body, fluttering slightly as she leant forawrd into shining light. The flames of Ifrit's throne revealed beneath the girls silvery helmet a face which was almost human, too thin and angular. Tilting her head slightly, causing an almost too large helmet to slide down her white hair.

"I can't wait to tell Ifrit about this!"

Taylor was sure Ifrit didn't actually have a throne, I mean he claimed to be a Lord and King every other minute but that was just boasting right?

Right?

Well, Taylor supposed Ifrit might do, after all, from his descriptions he'd gotten around and was old enough he might actually be royalty somewhere.

Scary thought that.

Turning away from the fire demon as he began to argue with Mog who'd drifted over Taylor went back to admiring the store. The sun was shining through the glass windows and now she was actually in the sunlight she felt even warmer than before, and she'd been a little warm even in the shade of her wall. In an hour or two she be up on the roof doing her gig, but until then...

"I'll be right back, I'm going to soak up some rays, maybe attract more people in by being me I guess." Taylor told Sabah who nodded distractedly, thin lines of colored thread spinning at her command.

"Don't fight any more super villains." Sabah said off handedly.

Taylor rolled her eye

"That happened twice." Taylor defended herself.

Sabah looked at her. Taylor threw her hands up in mock disgust and walked away, feeling her mouth twitch at their antics as she weaved in between the customers.

Having a friend was fun.

Taylor had forgotten that.

But now she'd remembered she couldn't understand how she'd ever survived without it, though she supposed she hadn't. Not really.

Shaking of the mordbid thought as she stepped outside Taylor let a grin split her face. What did the past matter? She had friends now and that was what was important.

Taking a deep breath to refresh herself as she stretch Taylor grinned. The fresh air was a treat and she was going to enjoy every moment of it. As she walked forward people immediately created a bubble of space around her. In response Taylor moved away from the door to make sure that she didn't stop people from going in. She was here to promote business, not stifle it. Taylor didn't know why people gave her space, she was just... her.

Yeah she kicked Lung around for a while, but that didn't mean she was scary. She just wasn't that special.

Still, people stared at her, while some took pictures, which she waved cheerfully for and some brave ones even asked for a picture together or an autograph. Taylor smiled at each of them and agreed to all the requests, feeling shy at first, but quickly getting over it. Taylor could have been imagining it, but she'd swear the number of people leaving the Dollhouse with Keynote action figures was increasing.

Ingrid popped her head out and with a bright smile, told Taylor that she was doing great and just to keep doing whatever she was doing.

Taylor had no idea what she was doing.

But she'd keep doing it anyway, or at least try to.

Looking out at the crowd moving around her Taylor noted all them were looking at her. From the business man out for a late lunch, to the gang members as they slunk past, the housewives taking the kids out on the town, to the fashionista's come to sample some of the latest and most radical fashion.

Taylor remembered what it was like, to be in that crowd, staring at the hero, hoping that they would do something cool.

Most heroes just waved politely, but Taylor wanted to do better, to be better.

Holding her hand high, she called out.

The public gave various noises of excitement and alarm as Taylor held the Keyblade aloft.

Turning to the Dollhouse, she spied the space between the entrance and the first floor windows.

Pointing her Keyblade, she focused her intent, the necessary emotion feeling replaced by practice and acquired skill.

Pointing at the ground on side, she whispered to herself.

"Ice."

And then a stream of white frost shot from the Keyblade and formed a crystal pillar as Taylor aimed it up and over the Dollhouse entrance in an arc, the beam following her aim and will, the ice exploding out to form an arch. The glass was just't plain though, no. It had a core of deepest blue and surrounded by a more familiar clear ice, from which sprouted a thousand leaves and thorns, rose stems circling the pillars to occasinonally burt into icy flowers. Admidts the icy plants twisted musical not bar, a song she'd thought long forgotten etched in white frost upon the arch. As she continued to pour her magi fourth she finally moved tip back down to the ground level on the other side of the door, her arch now framing the entrance.

Stepping back to admire her work, Taylor nodded, satisfied as the ice glittered in the sunlight, creating a dazzling display.

Suddenly there was a loud whistling behind her. Startled, Taylor turned as people began to clap and cheer. Taylor gasped, feeling both amazed and slightly out of breath, she bowed her head in embarrassment. There were flashes as people took pictures and Taylor turned back, taking a step forward to put one hand on the ice, checking to make sure she hadn't created skin peeling ice, instant frostbite, or something.

The ice though, was just… cool. Not even freezing.

Blinking, Taylor stepped back and Mog was suddenly there, flying out the open door as people rushed out to see the spectacle.

"Remember when you froze the toilet? Kupo, look at you now! You created magic ice! I bet this won't melt for days, kupo." Mog said as a woman stepped forward from the crowd and slowly, carefully put her hand on the ice. Her face light up and she beckoned a man over, who looked horrified that she just touched it.

"It's fine, I don't mind!" Taylor called over and scuffed her boots.

Mog hummed with a pride.

"My student is quickly surpassing her teacher, kupo, but you still have a long way to go!" Mog claimed.

Taylor felt herself break out in a smile. She'd been doing it so much these days it was hard to remember how she ever hadn't. And she didn't want to either/

"I'm in good paws." Taylor teased when suddenly there was a tug on her coat.

Looking down she saw a boy, no more than ten or so. In his hand was a pen and paper.

"Hi there, what can I do for you?" Taylor asked as she crouched down so she was level with the kid. A woman floating not far off had to be the boy's mother based on the worried and exasperated look she bore.

"Can… Can I have your autograph?" The boy asked quietly as he stared at his feet.

Taylor nodded, taking the paper and pen, writing down 'Keynote' though somewhere deep inside, there was a wail of 'Portunes'.

"What's your name?" Taylor asked kindly and the boy looked up at her, barely making eye contact before he looked away agin.

"Tyler." The boy, Tyler, mumbled.

Taylor blinked at that, for a second replacing Tyler with a young girl about ten years old, holding an Alexandria notebook, looking hopefully up at her.

Shaking her head slightly, she wrote a short sentence on the paper and beckoned Mog over.

"Have you met my friend Mog?" Taylor asked and the boy's eyes lit up, surprise and excitement replacing his previous nervousness and fear.

"Hello, kupo!" Mog said as he floated down over Taylor, holding out a paw, the boy took it and shook it with barely contained energy.

"This is really cool! Are you really real?" Tyler asked with wonder.

Mog puffed his chest up.

"I am Mog the Moogle, business Moogle extraordinaire! And I can do magic, kupo!" Mog told the boy.

Taylor noted they were drawing the crowd away from the crystal arch, which was sort of helpful really as it let people enter the store more easily.

"Really, can I see?" Tyler asked as his mother came closer, clearly ready to tell him off for being rude.

Taylor looked a Mog.

"Only if your Mom is cool with it." Taylor said, turning back to the boy.

Tyler instantly turned to face his mom, his eyes large and shining, pleading. Tyler's Mom thought about it and then sighed before nodding.

"If she turns you into a pumpkin, it'll make the laundry easier." The woman said dryly.

Tyler turned back to Taylor and Mog, practically vibrating with excitment.

"She said yes!" Tyler almost shouted.

Mog floated down to ground level, raising both hands and looked like he was drawing on the cosmic power of the universe.

Taylor rolled her eye so hard she was afraid it'd roll straight through her head and into her empty socket. Mog was such a drama queen.

"Float!" Mog cried and Tyler promptly began to... float.

Not much, just a few feet of the ground, like Taylor had in the bathroom. Tyler looked down, causing his entire body to fall forward, looking more like a flying cape than a floating boy, his body free of gravities control.

Tyler's mother's mouth fell open as Mog floated up to join him, showing the boy how to move in zero gravity.

"It's okay, he'll float back down gently in a minute or so." Taylor reassured the Mom, who put her hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile.

"That's good, he's a wild child, but I don't want him to float away. Thank you… For being so kind to him. This will be all he talks about for weeks, I can see it now." The woman said quietly.

Taylor scuffed her boots again.

"It's no problem, I know from experience that an autograph without actually being spoken to can be... less than nice." Taylor told the mother, who nodded.

"Tyler had that before, Armsmaster. He wasn't rude, but I just don't think he knows how to speak to children. And Tyler needed this, he doesn't have any friends and this... Well, this is the first time I've seen him smile in a while. I think he gets bullied, about having no Father I guess, but he won't talk to me about it." The older woman said sorrowfully.

Taylor felt her hands instinctively clench, her knuckles turning white around the Keyblade's hilt.

"What's the matter Taylor? Going to cry for a week straight?"

"Bring him around anytime, I'll talk to him whenever he wants when I'm here. Mog is usually here if I'm not. I'll give him someone to talk to. I know... about being bullied." Taylor admitted.

The woman looked at her in shock.

"But you beat up Lung. Who would bully you?" The asked incredulously, obviously questioning the sanity of anyone willing to deliberately antagonize such a powerful cape.

Taylor ran a thumb over the leather work of the Keyblade's handle.

"I wasn't always Keynote." Taylor said quietly, barely loud enough to be heard.

The woman paused, her mouth clicking shut momentarily.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I'm sure Tyler would love to come again. Speaking of, he's coming down." The woman pointed up and Taylor saw she was right.

As the boy landed he ran straight to his Mom, speaking excitedly, waving his arms about.

Taylor looked down at him, wondering.

If Taylor gave him her autograph and just walked away, would it change anything? Would showing him magic, letting Mog play with him, and having him come see her when he was down… Would it change anything? If Tyler triggered like she had, would he look back on his life and think that no one cared? Would he look at heroes and hate them a little on the inside for not being there when he needed them the most? Or would he look back and remember this, remember her offer and decide to help someone else instead?

Taylor didn't know, she could only do what she could here and now. Authority figures weren't Taylor's favorite people, but if she could help a kid feel like they can be a better person, then wasn't it her duty to try?

Tyler and his Mom began to walk away, their goodbyes enthusiastic when a loud voice called out from above the street, from the roof of the Dollhouse. The voice was loud, it was attention catching and it was full of energy.

"Excellent show Keynote of Brockton Bay! You're actions are most impressive! Fitting for such a fine Paragon of Truth, Justice and well fitted bras!" A figure on the roof called down, a cape billowing behind them. Taylor looked up just in time to dodge as something smacked the ground right next where she'd been standing. Looking down Taylor looked at what had nearly hit her.

It was a red boot.

"Please don't be a shoe super villain, please, please, please." Taylor chanted to herself as a person was suddenly standing above the shoe. The white body suit and red mouse helmet was both reassuring… and deeply distressing.

Mouse Protector was in Brockton Bay.

Taylor tried to speak, but Mouse Protector was one of those weird phenomenon that appeared and disappeared so fast.

"Speechless are we? I do have that impression on people." Mouse Protector said as small disk on her fore arm expanded out in a blur to form a shield with three circles on it forming a head and the two round ears of a mouse. Taylor noted on the other capes left hip a sword was strapped.

Without pausing she bent down and pulled on her missing red boot, her pink sock visible to the world. Then it clicked. It was Mouse Protectors power, instant teleportation to anything that she'd touched in the last day. And her shoe was the only thing the Protectorate Hero had touched that she could throw down without risking hurting someone. But that raised a question.

Why was Mouse Protector on the roof? And just how the hell did she know her, Taylor wasn't that special.

Was she?

"Mouse Protector? You know me?" Taylor finally managed to say without her tongue freezing on her.

The white and red costumed woman stood, brushing her pants with her red glove.

"Sure! You're only the hottest thing since the sun. You laid the beat down in Lung, can transform like a girl magical girl from Earth-Aleph, you have a wicked cool weapon and all that jazz! Us swordswoman have to stick together, you know? So I, the amazing, cool, awesome, Mouse Protector, Hero of Justice, happened to be in the area. So I thought I'd come see the new big cheese of the town and offer my respect to such a fine and chivalrous Knight, defender of dressmaking damsels." Mouse Protector proclaimed as numerous people whipped out their cell phones to start recording.

Taylor felt her mind going blank in panic. What should she do? Moments like this were that made or ruined a Cape's career.

A Mouse Off.

Before she realized what was happening Taylor found her moving on its own having clearly decided the brain was taking too long.

"Well, I'm glad you've taken note of me." Taylor replied, as she began thinking back to the PHO boards and the endless jokes and puns she'd read. There were several which thankfully sprang to mind and she made a mental note to go there later and leave a nice comment on her thread thanking the trolls and jokers for their material.

Mouse Protector put her free hand on her hip and when she spoke there was a clear delight behind her words.

"Nice, I ain't talking to no stiff. Huzzah for small favors! Capes with no sense of humour are boring. No one likes boring. So come on Key, wanna cross swords of wits with this mouseketeer?" Mosue Protector asked as the street continued to fill as people stopped for the show.

Swallowing, she noticed Ingrid was leaning out the first floor window, unable to get out the front door. Looking closer Taylor could see a piece of paper in her hands, with only one word written on it in red marker.

'YES!'

Taylor felt herself go red, and everyone held their breath to hear her answer. So Taylor hardened her resolve, suppressed her shame and tried not to let her blush mare her stutter.

"I can't think of a more valiant way to spend a day like this. We good here or are we going somewhere anonymouse?" Taylor fired back, trying not cringe while some of the crowd near her groaned and others hooted their appreciated.

What was she doing? Taylor could barely talk to people she knew without feeling like she had to dissect every word, and now Mouse Protector wanted her to entertain a crowd? To speak in public and say the cheesiest lines and worst puns she could think of? What was she doing?!

Still, this was only going to end one way and seeing Tyler look up at them both, his face lit up with childhood wonder, Taylor already knew what she had to do.

Mouse shook her fingers like they had touched something hot.

"Oh, not bad. Puns are weapon of choice, but come on, let's stop monkeying about. You and I have some things in common!" Mouse shouted

Taylor crossed her arms and pretended to think, the Keyblade tapping against her thigh.

"You mean, besides our dashingly good looks, amazing humor and awesome costumes?" She asked as she spied Sabah at the store window, shoulders shaking.

She was laughing at Taylor. It wasn't a bad thing though, it wasn't like before. Sabah liked her and this was… fun. But still! Some back up would have been nice out there.

"Of course, of course those things have already noted after all. I was thinking of our cool as anything weapons!" Mouse said drawing her sword and pointing it skywards.

Throwing all shame to the wind, Taylor pointed her own Keyblade to the sky, its green and silver metal glinting in the sunlight.

"Our tools of crime fighting, defenders of the weak, and all around impractical, but awesome swords?" Taylor replied in the same jovial tone as Mouse Protector.

"Them's the ones, you see, being an awesome swordswoman and kickass knitting master, I can teach you a thing or two. Saw your footage when I was on the plane, you got talent Key but I think I can make it look like skill. So when my plane landed and I teleported over, skipping the flight, I knew this was the first place I had to go. I haven't even told my old friend and roommate that I was coming, speaking of... one second! Mouse Protector away!" And with that the mouse themed hero bent down, touched the ground once and vanished, leaving Taylor alone with the bewildered public

Hannah looked down at the brick held between her hands. It had been sent to her room on the rig with three suitcases and she'd been studying it intently for several minutes now. But despite her best efforts and upmost scrutiny it appeared to nothing more than a perfectly normal brick. With a note attached.

The note read 'T.G.A.B.H.M.P'.

The letters meant nothing to Hannah, but yet deep down there was a growing feeling of dread she couldn't quite explain.

Then Kat appeared, touching the brick, almost nose to nose with Hannah

"Hey Hans! Forgot to call, staying here for a while, love to chat, but got to go, me and Keynote are bonding, ciao." And then she vanished while the brick fell to the floor.

Hannah blinked and before she could even begin to respond, Kat reappeared in her costume, her tone serious.

"And it stands for 'The Great and Badass Hero, Mouse Protector'."

And then Kat was gone again.

Hannah had several thoughts racing each other to the front of her mind, the one that won and was thus the most pressing and worrying was Keynote and Kat bonding. Keynote was bonding with Miss Silver Age comic expy. That could not end well. Worse case scenario? Mouse Protector multiplied. Hannah hoped to god Parian would put her foot down, she seemed like a down to earth type of girl.

The second thought was that Kat was moving in.

The third was Armsmaster didn't know about this, or they would all know and have taken appropriate counter measures.

The fourth was that Armsmaster had just given up coffee to combat what he called a 'dangerous dependence on foreign stimulants' and Kat was moving in.

The fifth was that Kat was moving in.

"Oh God, she's with Keynote." Hannah whimpered as her knuckle duster turned into a giant net.

"Colin!" She yelled racing out the door.

"Sorry about that, got ahead of myself, so what do you say potential student of the great and awesome Mouse Protector?" Mouse Protector asked.

Everyone looked at Taylor, who thought about.

"I'm not with the PRT..." Taylor began…

Mouse waved her off.

"Free time, no contracts, no hassle, no stress, and most importantly, no Glenn. I'll be busy for a couple of days but afterwards I'll come look you up. Here on business you see. So, I'll see all you folks at Canary's trial! Keynote!" Mouse Protector yelled, pointing her finger at Taylor.

"I'll see you there, at noon!" She shouted and pointed at the sky dramatically before disappearing.

Taylor stared at the air where Mouse Protector had been, almost taking a step to wave her hand through the air to make sure she was really gone forward when Mouse Protector reappeared.

"Actually, the trial is at two, so don't come at noon, I just wanted to say that because it felt awesome. Toodles." The Hero said and once again, vanished.

There was some general applause and everyone began to slowly drift onward, the show over. That was the most embarrassing thing she had ever done in her entire cape career.

Taylor's eye scanned the street and she turned just in time to see Tyler almost swallowed by the crowd.

A last minute wave caught his attention and he burst into a wide grin, waving back madly.

Worth it. Every second of it was worth it for that alone.

"So besides helping our ratings shoot through the roof, Keynote is a member of staff with rights just like anyone else. Like Parian, I expect you to know not to ask personal questions, look too hard at their features or bother them when they are working, is that understood?" Ingrid told Taylor, a sparkle in her eyes.

Taylor fought to keep her face straight when she nodded in response.

It was bizarre, being at the Dollhouse in her civilian clothes, just a hoodie and jeans.

Taylor had been dreading this day. It was her first day as a model and every one of her instincts was screaming in terror, planting ideas about jumping out the second floor window in her head… Not that doing so would kill her anymore, but it was the principal.

Outside, Taylor managed silent interest, trying to appear as if she had never seen the inside of the building before.

The odd clerk walking past nodded at Ingrid, while trying not to stare too hard at Taylor.

The eye-patch was, ironically, very eye catching.

"Now, Parian will be personally directing this session, it's been a while since we've had any new models. So fair warning, Parian's friends, you might have seen them on the news, if not... they look a little odd, but they're real sweet hearts. Our usual camera guy couldn't make it so my understudy is taking over, had no idea he had any skill with a camera, but he started babbling about lens and lighting, completely took over the studio so I'm feeling good about today." Ingrid said with a grin.

Taylor nodded, not sure she'd actually ever met Ingrid's student.

When they both entered a room with no windows, they found Sabah with her hands on her hips, staring down a man leaning against an expensive looking camera on a tripod, the giant umbrella things that all the realty TV programs that Mog sometimes watched were positioned around the room infront of white backdrop curtain.

The two other members of staff were milling around racks of clothes trying to not look at the argument taking place.

"And I'm saying, that there must be someone, anyone, else that could do this job right now! Why are you here anyway?!" Sabah asked heatedly and the man leaned forward, the shadows on his face pulling back to reveal a clean shaven blond man, with eyes that gave off manic energy.

"Well, you see. The guy coming in today fudged up and Ingrid here, well she was in a bind and I could help, I mean why wouldn't I? I'm a nice fudging guy, real good with the camera." Jess Quinn said, his grin not just that of the cat that caught the canary, but raided the nest and chicks too.

Sabah clenched her fist and in a tight voice spoke back.

"I'm glad you think you're being helpful, but why did you want to work here? Surely for a talented man as yourself, there was plenty of opportunities elsewhere?!" Sabah said through gritted teeth.

Jess just shrugged, looking completely unruffled.

"I like it here. Never boring." He replied as Ingrid ushered the two staff out and closed the door behind them, leaving Ingrid, Taylor, Sabah and crazy Jess alone in a room together.

"Jess? What's going on? Is Coil trying to steal my stuff again?" Taylor questioned wearily.

Jess sighed, rubbing his brow.

"I have a fudging legit job here you know? Yes I was using this place to hide from Coil at first, you make thinkers like him throw a fir ya know? But I kinda grew to like the place and before you start getting into a fudging snit, I'm not reporting back to him. 'Parian fitted a fat girl into a really nice dress, and she managed to make it not burst' is not really something the C-man cares about. I mean, how the fudge did she not break that dress?" Jess turned on Sabah, who looked bewildered at the question, before looking away slightly.

"It... doesn't matter!" Sabah said quickly, but Taylor could tell she was embarrassed.

So could Ingrid who hummed, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hun, did you keep her dress closed with your powers? You know that we don't do refunds on custom fittings, if she took it home and broke it, it'd be the same as swindling her and could cause a real blow to our reputation." Ingrid pulled herself up to full frown and lecture mode.

Sabah shook her head, denying the allegation… to an extent.

"It didn't fit originally and I needed to keep it on, but I increased the waist size when she wasn't looking. Her size tag might be... a bit weird, but it won't break." Sabah said defensively.

Ingrid nodded, and then gestured to Jess.

"Anyway, you know him? Personally?" Ingrid asked her tone relaying the hidden meaning.

Sabah nodded while Jess fiddled with a dial on the camera, grabbing a cap off the wooden stool next to him.

"Yeah, he's... someone we know." Sabah practically spat.

Jess rolled his eyes. Mog, Boco and Ifrit were cluttered around the snack table, stopping to stare at them.

"Just spit it out for eff's sake. Look, I pissed these two off by busting into their home. Bad intel on my end then me not doing the smart thing and just bugging the fudge out of there. Couldn't lose ya know? But I've been making it up ever since, even went and helped out against dragon boy when Tay-tay here needed it. Anyway, I've seen what Keynote can do and she's firmly in the 'do not fudging mess with' category. Ya know, the kind of cape who could fudging paste anyone. So, seeing as I like working here I ain't going to do anything to any of ya. O mean, I'm a fricking klepto and I ain't stolen a fudging thing. It's that sweet a gig I got here." Jess told them all.

Ingrid looked unsure at Sabah and Taylor. Sabah puffed herself up, one finger raised before she suddenly deflated, and nodded after a second. Taylor thought she looked tired already.

Jess eyed Taylor with a flick of his eyes, and there was something Taylor didn't see pass in his eyes.

"He's right. Just forget about this, but why did you hire him? You can spot a fake resume from a mile away." Sabah asked exasperatedly.

Ingrid gave a knowing grin.

"He spotted someone trying to return a fake hand bag for a full refund with a legit receipt during our talk about a job, pointed out the amateur stitching to her face and called her a, and I'm censoring this a bit, 'A cheap butt crack, street working woman of the night who needs glasses more than they needed money for drugs'. Saved the store about $90. None of the staff had the guts to stand up to her but Jess here did. So I hired him on the spot even knowing that his backstory was fishy. He's been a real help to me. How he got the dolls shipped in on such short notice I'll never know but it was a real help." Ingrid laughed as she spoke and Jess beamed at the praise as he fiddled with a few racks of clothes.

"So... he's been helping you?" Taylor asked, thinking that Jess's habit of helping people was extremely at odds with her or his night career. The 'sorry' coffee table he had left for them, helping the Dollhouse by making Ingrid's life easier, and stabbing Lung in the eyes for her.

One of those things was not like the others, but it was the thought that counted right? He was also right that Coil gained nothing from stationing Circus the evil clown here.

So... Did that mean that Jess, the person, not the cape, wanted to be here?

Or was there some hidden agenda.

"Maybe we should postpone this, until we're sure of everything?" Taylor offered and three sets of eyes locked on to her.

Sabah paused then nodded, liking the idea. Turning she glared at Jess despite her mask.

"Right. Jess, we'll talk later now then Taylor you need to get ready. Ingrid if you'll see to her make up I'll organize the first…" Sabah said and paused, spotting Taylor using the distraction to head for the door.

"You put one foot out that door and I will carry you back in here with my powers if needs be." Sabah said with heat.

Taylor froze, before turning guiltily back towards her friend and boss. She gulped nervously as Sabah began talking to Ingrid again, discussing things Taylor wasn't sure she'd ever understand. So she eneded up just standing their fidgeting nervously, looking at her feet and wishing she was anywhere else.

Now that the surprise of finding Circus, or Jess rather, working here Taylor's nerves were returning with a vengeance. How could Sabah or Ingrid thought this was a good idea? She wasn't good looking, she wasn't pretty. She was no model and when they all saw how ugly she looked no matter what make up they tried or clothes they put her… Taylor wasn't sure how she'd deal with that. It must have just been a flight of fancy on Ingrid's part when the older woman had shut down Emma. Or when Sabah had…

A hand landed on Taylor's shoulder cutting her thoughts short.

"Hey Tay-tay, no sad faces yeah? You're a fudging model like so many girls dream of. You'll be fan-fudging-tastic." Jess said with another avery swallowing grin.

Taylor just shook her head, denying it.

"I… I won't be. I'm not pretty, too skinny, too tall, I've only got one eye and…" Taylor began babbling.

Jess clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Look, listen to me, I get it. You think no matter what fudging clothes we put you in, no matter what make-up we apply, it's not going to fudging work. That you're going to look like yourself." Jess said, a chain around his neck clicking slightly.

Taylor nodded slowly and Jess smiled at her.

"Well, in the end, you're fudging right. You will look like Taylor. But what the problem is here, is that you don't seem to fudging get that is what we want. We want the pure, raw, Taylor!" Jess said, shaking Taylor's shoulders slightly.

Sabah appeared at their sides then and calmly peeled Jess's grip off Taylor, putting herself between them before turning to Taylor.

"Jess is right, this shoot is about you. Were not making you into something else, we want you to be yourself. I've seen people come to the Dollhouse and expect they have to change everything for a shoot, but what I want is for you to make each style, yours. I want you to be you, Taylor, the girl I met in a dark alleyway beating up thugs and the girl who can dance to heavy metal. You are unique Taylor, just like Ingrid said. There's no other you Taylor. You're beautiful… You've just got to open your eyes." Sabah told her with a heavy tone earnest and Taylor looked helplessly around, feeling overwhelmed.

She was beautiful? She remembered Sabah saying that when they fought Lung but…

She'd meant it?

Sabah really thought she was beautiful?

Ingrid smiled as she approached.

"I think Taylor needs some space to breath, first of all. Now, how about we skip the trying to tell her how it's done and show her." Ingrid said, stressing the words. Jess and Sabah looked at each other, an instant agreement forming between them in the span of a second.

They both turned to Taylor and reached for the same rack, for the same dress. They mirrored each other so perfectly and so silently that it made Taylor take a step back.

"I need an adult." Taylor told herself

Ingrid patted her shoulder with reassurance as she led Taylor over towards the make-up set.

"We are adults."

"Ready?" Jess said and Taylor looked at the white sheet with the glaring lights.

Taylor took a breath and looked down at her cream sweater, the jeans were crisp and clean. This wasn't so bad, even if the purple lipstick made her feel like a fool and the amount of eye-liner was something she'd never even dared to consider wearing.

Taylor adjusted her shiny black eye-patch with white stitching. It was a new one, one that covered her whole eye and the area around it, hiding the burn scars around her eye. Taylor wanted to know where Ingrid or Jess had gotten them, but decided it was better not ask, she could see even more exotic looking ones in the box and they made Taylor nervous. Still, it wasn't as nervous as she felt being without her glasses.

She blinked again, the contact feeling odd. Just how Ingrid had known her prescription Taylor couldn't even begin to guess at, yet here she was using a piece of plastic in her eye instead of glasses for the first time ever.

Tugging on the top again Taylor couldn't help but gulp at what was to come .They were starting off with styles that didn't need much effort, or 'boring' as Jess called it and 'uninspired' according to Sabah. Ingrid called it 'necessary'.

Taylor took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to psyche herself up for this. Walking forward, Taylor turned to stand in front of the white backdrop, the floor covered in even more white sheeting. The glare of lights made her eye sting and she felt stupid and self-conscious. Even… even if she admitted she might be sort of pretty, maybe beautiful if she believed Sabah… How was she supposed to do this?

"No, no, no." Jess scolded her as Taylor stood trying to pose. "Look, Tay-tay, we already fudging said not to change yourself for this ship. Just… be yourself, spunky, ya know?"

Taylor shrugged helplessly. She didn't know how to do that. Sure, when she was in costume she felt confident and strong but as just herself? Just as Taylor she…

Sabah interrupted her.

Taylor… We went over this. You just…" Sabah tried before she was interrupted by Ingrid pushing her aside.

Walking up to Taylor Ingrid grabbed her by the shoulder and marched her over to a mirror by the curtained off dressing area. Positioning Taylor in front of the full length mirror Ingrid poked Taylor's back and pushed her shoulders back, then lifted her chin until Taylor was standing tall and facing the mirror with squared jaw.

"Taylor, sweety, the shy act is adorable around your friend but it's not what we're after. We want the you that struts around in her costume, the girl who took Lung without a second thought. We want the girl who's not afraid of anything that I know is there." Ingrid said, her arm wrapped around Taylor.

Softly, Ingrid gave Taylor a knowing smile.

"Tell me Taylor… That girl in the mirror, imagine for a moment she wasn't you Tell me… Is she pretty?" Ingrid asked, her smile widening.

Taylor gulped, staring at a stranger. She barely recognized herself. With the clothes, make-up, the new eye-patch instead of just a blacked out glasses lens, the lack of glasses, and the styling Ingrid had done with her hair like a wild mane… She barely recognized herself.

The girl in the mirror… She looked…

"She looks pretty." Taylor admitted quietly.

Ingrid frowned.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that. Speak up sweety." Ingrid chastised.

Taylor gulped and steeled her nerves.

"She looks pretty!" Taylor said louder able to actually be heard this time.

Ingrid shook her head.

"No, she doesn't. She looks hot. You're going to be on fire! I know it wasn't your dream, but literally thousands of girls would kill to look like you right now, to be where you are right now. You're going to be a super model Taylor, now start acting like it. Jess? Put on that song you played for Mellissa the other day." Ingrid snapped, eyes still locked with Taylor's own in the mirror.

As the music began to play Taylor felt herself nodding to the beat.

Ingrid's grin turned manic as she saw Taylor starting to get into it. Giving the younger girl a gentle push, Ingrid steered Taylor back over to a smirking Jess and dumbstruck Sabah.

"Come on Taylor, get over there and give that camera something to look at." Ingrid said with a laugh.

Retaking her position in front of the camera Taylor took a deep breath and nodded to herself. She could do this. She would do this! She through down with Lung and was the one to walk away. She was a Hero and she was going to act like it!

Then grinned, put one hand on her hip and tried to imagine she was staring down Lung, the shiny camera lens turning into dragon fire, the bright flashes becoming explosions.

"Fudging hell, now that's what I'm talking about! That face made me want that sweater." Jess cried as he pushed the flashes to maximum. Taylor titled her head forward, to blink away the light and her hair fell forward, framing her face and Jess went wild, the camera clicking away.

Ingrid was grabbing more potential clothes off the rack and Sabah... Sabah was staring at her, her mask pushed aside for the lack of anyone to hide from, the two junior staff not reappearing. There was a smile on Sabah's face that made Taylor's cheeks burn slightly, her smile fighting its way into a grin despite her best efforts.

Striking a few more poses she thought might be good Jess eventuially told her to stop his grin positively manic as he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Ingrid, get D-12 lined up, I want to go a total different direction after this. I think the jacket will enhance her hair more." Jess said.

Sabah looked at him as Ingrid flicked through different racks.

"How do you know so much about clothes? I work with them for a living and I can tell you know what you're talking about." Sabah asked casually.

Jess just shrugged.

"I've worn a lot of different clothes." He said simply.

"And the camera?" Sabah pushed and Jess smirked.

"I moonlighted as a camera woman once to steal an urn. Had some dead king, who was apparently some hot shit back in the day." Jess said fondly.

That made Sabah go quiet, contemplating that statement and what it could mean. Meanwhile, Ingrid ushered Taylor into the curtained off area and passed her a hanger with a protective sheet over the clothes inside.

Opening the zip a little, Taylor's mouth fell open as the next outfit was revealed.

"Come on Taylor, daylight is wasting away here!" Jess shouted as Taylor gingerly pulled out the fabrics.

"Just dump the other clothes on the floor, they're all easily cleaned." Ingrid added helpfully.

Taylor nodded, then realized that no one could see her.

"Sure, won't be a minute." Taylor called out pushing aside her nerves, still feeling the song pounding in her veins. With quick movements, Taylor slid into the new clothes. They felt a lot heavier which sense she supposed. Leather jackets were heavier than sweaters after all.

Ingrid handed Taylor a sort of tight necklace she'd have thought more a collar given the spikes, but she put it on while Ingrid returned with boots, putting some dock martins down for her. Slowly, Taylor put her feet into the large shoes and then stomped back in front of the camera.

Jess looked her over and slowly whistled.

"It... looks better than I thought. Now give me a pissed look!" Jess said with a smile.

Taylor clenched her hands. That was easy.

Any day of school before Sophia left, when Emma reigned supreme, they were more than enough to piss her off.

Hebert.

Aw, poor Taylor.

Going to cry loser?

"Ouch, I'd hate to be whoever you're mentally pushing down the stairs." Jess muttered as the camera flashed.

Taylor's eye looked down as she gave a predatory smirk.

"Me too."

"Sabah, you made this?" Taylor said with interest, the blue rib-knit duster reaching down to her legs quite comfortable, the black cycle shorts were less so, they revealed way too much of her leg… Even if she could admit now they sort of looked good, given all the running she'd been doing.

"I just started to doodle and then I was designing before I knew it. How's the arm warmers?" Sabah replied.

Taylor eyed the blue cloth on her arms

"Warm... I guess."

"Less talk, more clothes!" Jess clapped his hands and Taylor rushed off to the curtain.

"I like this." Taylor said earnestly, adjusting the rose worked tie down her black button up shirt, her eye patch discarded for a pair of black aviators.

Sabah and Jess stared at her. The bright lights making the dark purple suit Taylor wore glow slightly.

"We could make it her official uniform?" Jess said without looking away.

Sabah didn't say anything as Taylor whipped her hands into a karate pose.

"I'll think about it." Ingrid said as she moved past with more clothes.

"I feel like a school girl." Taylor muttered, the black stockings covering nearly her entire legs them feel a just a bit too hot while the top of her thighs were freezing, exposed as they were. The red tartan skirt was just way too small. You could see the straps of the garter belt Ingrid had forced her into!

The white button up shirt and thin semi-transparent sweep at the bottom cover her belly button made her feel extremely girly.

"That's what we're aiming for, the awkward thing is cute, keep it up." Jess said sounding excited.

Taylor crossed her arms.

"No problem."

"Taylor, do you mind trying on this one? It's the last one for the day and it'd really help." Sabah asked.

Taylor nodded without even thinking.

"No problem, give me a sec and I'll be right back." Taylor said enthusiastically. This modeling thing was fun, more fun than she'd ever expected. Jess sometimes made her do the same pose again and again, while at other getting her to change so fast she got a little sweaty. And on top of that the clothes were always interesting and diffrent.

It wasn't like Taylor expected a judge panel or anything, but she did think maybe Ingrid or Sabah would shake their heads and Taylor wouldn't be able to give them what they wanted.

But... it was awesome. She found it hard to stop smiling. Prancing about up here in clothes made and designed by Sabah or Ingrid, strutting about as if she was queen of the world… It was something she;d never known she'd been missing.

She felt pretty, attractive for the first time ever.

Sabah gave her a thumbs up once in a while, the directing part completely over taken by Jess who could make a super model sweat or blush with some of the things he asked.

'Look pouty, but not upset, but also excited with a glimmer in your eye!' or 'Now look super excited, like you just got a puppy after having the best night of your life!'

Taylor could do smiling, not smiling, and indifferent. Anything else, Jess would have to deal.

As she got changed once more, the outfit she'd been given for the last time turned out to be a very conservative thing.

Taylor slipped into the white blouse and the blue skirt. Taylor had been made to wear four different skirts today and she couldn't remember is she had even ever worn a skirt before, something to ask her dad about when he was better she supposed.

Pulling back the oversized cuff's Taylor thought about what had her life had turned into.

Hero by day, model by more day, and Taylor at night. The shirts blue collar was easily folded down, and on the hanger was a blue scarf that she wrapped loosely just under the oversized collar.

A broach with a bird on it came next and Taylor ran a thumb over it, the shiny stone glinting before she pinned it to her breast. The last item was her eyepatch, it was a soft white to match her shirt and was embroidered with blue flowers. It tickled slightly when Taylor put it on, thin balck bands hiding the connection amidst her bushed up hair.

Opening the curtain she walked out, watching as the three people in the room turned to her, but she didn't pay attention to Ingrid or Jess, her eye only for Sabah.

Sabah's face was blank for a second before a slow smile appeared.

"Almost perfect, just needs one thing." Sabah said walking over. A piece of fabric flew form the table at Sabah's command, a blue ribbon slipping into the air.

"Your hair is perfect, but I think it hides your face from the camera." Sabah teased and with a quick flourish had Taylor's hair bound together in a high pony tail with a tight bow.

"There, you look beautiful." Sabah whispered with a soft smile.

Taylor felt her face go red. No matter how many times she heard it, Taylor didn't think she'd ever get sick of Sabah calling her beautiful. And, sh had to admit, this outfit made her... feel good. Special.

Wearing so many different outfits today had shown her the subtleties of having a leather jacket on compared to a cotton dress. The difference in raw emotion each one inspired was surprising to Taylor.

She did miss her own clothes though and their comfortable conformity... but she also could admit she wouldn't mind wearing some of the clothes she worn today around more.

"Wish me luck." Taylor said as Jess double checked the equipment.

"You don't need it. You look amazing." Sabah told her and gave her a hug before a few final words of encouragement.

"Knock 'em dead."

Taylor was glad to be back in her costume, but there was a lingering feeling of disappointment when Ingrid called the session.

It was her first shoot and they had so many pictures for the first monthly catalogue that Ingrid had said they wouldn't need to do another shoot, at least not till next month. Other models had been or would be called in to do some shots, their pictures used to muddle the connection between Taylor and Keynote, Sabah had explained. Having multiple models meant Taylor wouldn't stand out and help protect her identity.

Taylor was sort of glad that the Dollhouse wasn't depending entirely on her. If the photos bombed then Taylor wouldn't know how to deal with that, especially if it cost her friend her business.

Back up on the Dollhouse's roof Taylor looked out across the city. The sun was setting out over the bay, a golden path winding back past the Protectorate Headquarters as it floated out in the bay and onto the beach by the Board walk. Taking a deep breath, Taylor inhaled the musty city air, enjoying the smell as only a city girl could. Sabah was downstairs grilling Jess some more about his exact involvement in the Dollhouse.

Taylor herself was feeling too conflicted over Jess to actually feel like she could contribute. Jess and them had gotten off on the very wrong foot, but every gesture since had been helpful, unasked for, and appreciated.

Lung was scary and Jess had stabbed him without thinking about it o save Taylor. Sabah, on the other hand, had the right to defend her business from villainous schemes. Taylor wasn't sure Jess had any other than making honest money and frolicking about in the dresses, late at night.

Coil wouldn't strike at them here.

Coil.

There was that name again.

The villain was the oddest of one in Brockton Bay, not really having any well-defined ideology or goal, not even seeming to make much money despite the obvious wealth and expense of the mercenaries he employed.

Coil wasn't connected to drug running or extortion like the Merchants. He wasn't about race, or sex, like the ABB. Nor even race and weapons, fighting, and gambling like the Empire 88. He didn't even have a religious angle to full the last open niche.

And yet Taylor got the impression the man had lofty goals. He used cat paws and information as his weapons and, possibly, currency too.

It made Coil both hard to spot and hard to deal with. But Taylor was sure he wouldn't do anything to the Dollhouse, they were too high profile, caught in the public eye for now given the disaster with Lung and her part in it.

Which meant that went ditto for Keynote and Parian.

More, if Mouse Protector showing up, Taylor was pretty sure a guy who ran a secret organization like Coil seemed to would be going to ground until the end of Canary's trial and the extra Heroes brought in by the Protectorate left.

But cat paws meant you could act without acting.

Jess, for example, could think he was here on his own business but could be helping Coil in some unknown way. Maybe he was wired unknowingly? Possible, but unlikely given Jess' particular power set.

With her legs dangling over the side of the roof, Taylor blew out a sigh, snapping her fingers, she smiled as electricity sparked between them.

Villains and their villainous plots, how they very vaguely vexed Taylor felt for finding fault.

Taylor's poetic ramblings were interrupted when Sabah appeared next to her, two ice creams in hand, held up by wooden sticks.

"I swear, that guy, girl, whatever. He just keeps popping up like a bad foot disease."

"I kind of like him. I know he's a villain, but he he's done more to help us that to hurt us." Taylor mused.

Sabah handed her the red ice cream, keeping the brown one for herself. A single lick told Taylor it was strawberry. Sabah had remembered that story?

Taylor loved strawberry ice-cream. She remembered her Mom had used to buy them both cheap ones on the way home from the college classes she taught, always surprising a young Taylor when she arrived home with the frozen treat. She'd told Sabah the story once and, apparently, her friend had remembered and decided to surprise her… It made Taylor's eye prickly with a bitter-sweet feeling.

She was sad her mother was gone… and yet she couldn't help but smile at the friend she'd made. It helped Taylor knew her mother would have wanted her to be happy.

Sabah spoke then after licking her own chocolate flavoured treat.

"That we know of. He could be selling our identity to some parahuman warlord in Africa for all we know." Sabah grumbled but Taylor could tell the older girl was smiling just like her.

Taylor peeked at her from the corner of her eye as Sabah sat next to her.

The fading sunlight lit up the white doll mask that Sabah wore, pushed aside to let her eat.

Capes were odd creatures, Taylor mused. The mask became more important than their real face, the secret identity larger than life and casting the civilian they really were in shadow. Taylor idly touched her own white hood, thinking of the darkness that obscured her face.

Was Keynote more important than Taylor?

Taylor thought so, Keynote was well known, liked, respected, and even had fans. Keynote was a hero, a Rogue, a celebrity who people couldn't ignore like they did her. And yet… Sabah always called her Taylor when they were alone, Sabah thought she was important even if no one else did. Oddly, she was okay with that.

The public only knew Keynote through news, cell phone videos, blogs, podcasts, second hand stories bad camera footage, and the odd post she made on PHO.

Only Sabah really knew Taylor Hebert anymore.

Taylor thought about that. Sabah had been with her for months, through Shadow Stalker, the Empire 88, Bakuda and her Dad… and now Lung. Sabah had even attacked Lung to help her. Sabah had been there for her when no one else had and she'd promised to be there as long as Taylor wanted… And Taylor never wanted it to end.

And now, here they were, together, eating ice cream in the sunset. It was something Taylor felt deeply grateful for, in the days before her powers and the Keyblade, she couldn't have even begun to imagine where she was today. The Dollhouse, its friendly faces, the espers and their odd, but fun, way, the staff who smiled at her, Ingrid who ruffled her hair and told her she was hot. The idea that each day she would wake up and actually look forward to the day, not dread it like hell on Earth… It was so comforting, so amazing she had no words to describe it.

Sabah, Mog, Boco, and even Ifrit.

Taylor couldn't imagine being with people who were happy to see her day after day with no consequence, no price other than her smile.

She wasn't a legal hero, but she was legitimate, a Rogue working like anyone else. And it had been Sabah who had helped her every step of the way, every action Sabah had taken supported her unconditionally. Even when the Wards came into their lives, Sabah kept close to Taylor, whispering encouragement all the way. Taylor couldn't even imagine being at the Dollhouse, being at Cape, even her whole life without Sabah now.

Taylor knew, without a doubt, that her Mom and Dad would be proud of her. The way she treated Tyler, the way she acted, the people she swore to defend. Her Mom would be beaming while her Dad would be blotchy and on the verge of crying. Taylor smiled to herself, her parents had been embarrassing but Taylor was proud of them, proud of where she came from.

Returning to the conversation after licking her ice cream for a few minutes of thought, Taylor mused her next thought aloud.

"I'm sure Jess has his own ideas, but if he wanted to sell us out and vanish, he would have done it already." Taylor pointed out.

Sabah grunted petulantly.

"The way he just turned up here annoys me, but Ingrid kept gushing about him and she seems so happy to have help… It makes me wonder if I haven't noticed how much I dump on her." Sabah said and sighed.

Taylor shook her head, giggling at her friends antics.

"I'm sure if things were that bad, Ingrid would fix it. She doesn't put up with hassle." Taylor let out another at the thought of Ingrid solving the world's problems.

One scathing critique at a time.

Sabah shook her head.

"I guess. I just... I feel like Jess is just easy to get angry at. I have no idea who Coil is, or what he wants, why he keeps targeting you, or how to stop him. Now, Jess is here, at the Dollhouse. One of the few places left that's ours." Sabah admitted quietly.

Taylor mulled that over.

The only place that was left, free of any other Cape was Taylor's house.

And that place was quickly becoming unbearable, the memories stifling for even Sabah.

"It's fine, Jess only showed himself to us because Ingrid needed help. I think he would have stayed away if he could help it. I get the feeling we, and Coil, just don't know him that well, or at all even. I just get the feeling he wanted to talk to me about something, but changed his mind at the last second. I know it's hard, but maybe we can give him a chance to prove himself, prove that he is here just to work like the rest of us. And if he messes up? You and I will have him out here before he can say 'fudge'." Taylor said brightly.

Taylor's enthusiasm made Sabah smile, despite her mood.

"You're right. There isn't anything we've faced that we haven't overcome together. Jess is annoying, but if he just wants to help... Well, I'll try to keep an open mind." Sabah offered as Taylor took a small bite from her red ice cream, the sides beginning to melt in the fading light.

The two of them sat quietly together for a few minutes after that, enjoying their ice-creams and the presence of the other.

Soon enough though, before Taylor could help herself, there was nothing left but the stick, which claimed 'winner!'

"Oh! You got a winning stick!" Sabah said with awe.

Taylor stared at the word carved into the wooden handle and blinked back up at Sabah.

"What do I win?" she asked confused.

Sabah rolled her eyes.

"More ice cream. Hold on to it, you can trade it in anytime at the store. It's a nice place, I'll take you there soon." Sabah promised then cocked her head as she stared at something.

"What?" Taylor said defensively as Sabah's eyes never left her, the mask pushed aside slightly to eat exposing the odd tilt to Sabah's lips.

"You have something..." Sabah murmured and the older girl used a single thumb to wipe away a splotch of cream that Taylor hadn't noticed off her chin.

Taylor opened her mouth to thank her but stopped when Sabah didn't move her hand, gently cupping Taylor's chin. Instead Sabah's hand was left resting on her skin making Taylor feel warm, extremely warm. She felt odd, like she'd swallowed something that didn't agree with her as her stomach fluttered and yet she felt… excited? Why?

There was a lot of things happening inside Taylor's at that moment she didn't understand.

The time stopping crash was one, the world seeming to slow to a crawl. The breath stopping moment was another, her lungs feeling like she breathed in too much yet unwilling to breathe out. The pounding of her heart came next, hear heart racing as fast as it had whenever she went running. Finally, there and the screech of her mind failing as every thought just seemed to fall away.

The atmosphere had suddenly and completely changed with one action and Taylor couldn't follow it, didn't understand what was happening.

Sabah stared at Taylor and Taylor, ever aware of Sabah's hand resting on her chin, stared back unmoving. Slowly Sabah leant towards her and Taylor felt her lips part in anticipation of… of… of what? What was happening?

Suddenly Sabah recoiled, standing instantly, wobbling on the edge of the building they'd been sat on.

"I... Sorry, I didn't mean... I… I have to go." Sabah stammered before the older girl bolted, rushing for the stairs that lead down from the roof.

Taylor opened her mouth and tried to call out to her, but no sound emerged, due to shock or lack of something to say, Taylor didn't know.

There was noise on the stair way then and Taylor finally managed to make her body move in response. Heading over towards the door and small shack that housed the stairs Taylor peered inside at where the noise had come from and where Sabah had fled.

Inside Jess and Ingrid were half knocked down on the stairs, looking guilty.

"What the fuck happened?" Jess demanded.

Taylor shook her head without saying anything, her face a picture of panic.

"Did you say no or what?" Jess demanded, as he righted himself, pulling Ingrid to her feet beside him.

"I don't know! I don't know what happened! What happened?! What was that?!" Taylor asked in desperation.

Jess grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Did Sabah talk about feelings or relationships?" He asked seriously.

Taylor shook her head.

"No, just about us overcoming anything together and then she wiped some ice cream off my chin and then she left it here and it got weird and then she freaked." Taylor babbled.

Ingrid sighed, slapping a hand against her face.

"That girl needs a wack to the back of head." Ingrid said and there was a sound that carried to the open door, an ancient engine starting.

"I think she needs a brick, she's running away!" Jess cried with dismay.

Taylor gripped her own hands, wringing them worriedly.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Taylor demanded now completely confused.

Jess and Ingrid stared at each other. A conversation seemed to happen in that single glance and then Ingrid threw her hands up before stomping down the stairs.

Jess turned back to Taylor.

"Sabah likes you, you fucking brick wall." Jess said in a heavy tone.

Taylor stared at her. What was he saying? He couldn't... It couldn't be. That was impossible.

"You're wrong. She's just upset about something or maybe something came up or she-" Taylor began to say but stopped as Jess narrowed his eyes at her.

"Is her liking you such a bad thing? Do you think if she likes you like that, that it makes her less?" Jess asked quietly and Taylor's next words lodged in her throat.

Taylor's mind shut off, her heart closed off and the idea that Sabah, her rock, her friend, her support, her only inspiration, her light, her motivation, her...

What?

The idea that Sabah could ever...

That anyone could ever…

Taylor shook her head in denial.

"No. Sabah is my friend, and she means everything to me, I don't... I can't mean that much to her. I just can't! There has to be another reason." Taylor argued almost hysterically, her hands reaching up to clench in her hair beneath her white hood.

Jess paused, a look of dawning horror on his face.

"It's not her that you have the problem with... It's you. Yourself." Jess said slowly, comprehension dawning.

Taylor's mouth closed with an audible click, her retort swallowed as Jess stuck a finger into her chest, hard.

"Are you fucking serious? You think that Sabah can't like you because you don't think anyone fucking can?! How can the girl who whooped bloody Lung be so god damn fucking stupid?! I mean, I like you and we're barely co-workers. Ingrid likes you and she barely likes fucking anyone who isn't a fashionista. And Sabah? The girl who's had your back from the fucking start? She likes you so much she got into business with the Nazi wannabes for you, she fought against mother-fucking Lung for you, she put her business on the fucking line for you and you think she can't possibly like you as more that a bloody friend? I hate to piss you off, but get a fucking grip! I don't know Parian that well and even I can fucking see how much you matter to her. That girl loves you and now she thinks she's done the worst thing fucking possible to you and you're standing around talking to me?! Chase after her you idot! Get moving! Go, go, go!" Jess yelled his usual handsome face red with fury.

Taylor bolted without arguing, running down the stairs three at a time.

The only thing on her mind was Sabah, the need to find her friend who… who… who loved her consuming her.

And there was only one place she could go. Home.

Well, there was the Arab girl's mother's, but Sabah would rather stick a needle in her eye.

Hitting the back door running she crashed through, the door bursting open beneath her strength. Racing towards the gate Taylor didn't bother punching in the code, just leaping up and over as an alarm began to blare behind her.

Landing on the pavement outside, Taylor turned and ran, sprinting towards home, hoping desperately Sabah would be there when she arrived. That she wouldn't be too late to fix things. She couldn't afford to lose Sabah… She refused to.

Still, even as the pavement blurred beneath her Taylor could help the tingling at the back of her mind, like she'd forgotten something. But it was pushed aside as she focused on the only important thing.

Sabah.

"I think... we just got left behind, kupo." Mog said, peering out the third story window from Sabah's office.

"Wouldn't be the first time... Mortals and their damn hormones, and their hearts, and their romances, and their need to make everything complicated, the inability to think of anyone else, or the idea that maybe demons have feelings as well and-" Ifrit went on, oblivious to Boco staring out the window, his head resting on the wooden ledge, his blue eyes sad.

"Kweh..."

Taylor didn't know how fast she ran or how long. All she knew was her destination and the need to keep going.

Rounding the corner at a sprint Taylor found herself pounding down the final stretch towards home, the houses on her street whisyling past. As she drew nearer Taylor slowed, trying to catch her breath before she arrived.

Reaching the front steps Taylor wheezed for a few moments before deciding to hell with and cast cure on herself. Sometimes there were important things than her health or potential consequences.

Looking up Taylor felt scared. The house was dark and quite, appearing empty to the world.

Was she wrong? Had Sabah not come home? Or was she already too late and Sabah had grabbed her things and left? Would today be the last time they were friends? Would…

Taylor snarled, shoving aside her fears and intrusive thoughts. She didn't have time for doubt, not when Sabah needed her. Then she spotted Sabah's beat up car in the drive way. As she walked past, Taylor ran a hand over the hood, feeling the warmth coming from the engine. Sabah couldn't have beaten her hear by too long them. She still had time.

Taking a deep breath she realized belatedly that it had started raining while she ran, the once sunny day turned as dark as her mood. Looking up Taylor felt some of the cool droplets hit her burning cheeks. It was spring rain, so it wasn't heavy, but as she listened Taylor realized the rain was the only sound she could hear. She also realized she was till in her costume but… she didn't care. She didn't care if anyone saw her now.

What waited for her in that house was far more terrifying and Taylor wanted to run, to hide and not have to face it. Because as scared as Taylor was of losing Sabah, of not making it… She was afraid.

Afraid of what she would lose if she couldn't figure things out, fix things so that everything would be fine again.

Afraid that going in there might mean the end of her life or worse...

Afraid that like Emma, Sabah would betray her too, but…

You're beautiful.

With shaky, rattling breathes and cold, numb fingers… Taylor opened the door.

The old hinges creaked loudly and the sound made Taylor's heart pound, the blood thundering in her ears. Taylor almost sobbed in relief as, on the floor, she spied a set of fresh wet foot prints. Only one though, which meant Sabah was where they lead to, the kitchen. Taylor hesitated for a only second before following them.

Stepping into the dark kitchen Taylor looked towards the kitchen table. There, with her back facing Taylor, was Sabah.

The older girl was just sitting there, alone in the dark and gloom. In her hands was a white doll. There, being spun gently between tan fingers was a doll of Taylor, of Keynote.

Sabah didn't say anything, didn't make any noise. The older girl didn't acknowledge or even look at Taylor, her eyes cast down, in shame or something cut from the same cloth.

Taylor pulled back her hood, taking the empty seat next to her, trying to think of what to say when Sabah spoke.

"There was a… guy… in my class, back at college, when I was doing engineering." Sabah said in a quiet, detached manner, like it was old news. Maybe it was.

Taylor listened all the same, afraid if she interrupted to apologize it might spook Sabah back into silence.

"He liked me, and he made it really obvious. I... turned him down. I don't like guys you see? Mum was always pushing me to meet a boy and seetle down and she just refused to listen whenever I tried to explain. So when he asked and kept asking… Maybe I turned him down harder than needed. You see, he was the type of guy that was everyone's friend, really selfless. He shared study notes, brought you a soda when he got one. A real nice guy." Sabah said, idly making the doll Taylor spin.

"I was outcast after that, no one wanted to work with me, no one wanted to study with me, no one wanted to even talk to me. I was alone because I wouldn't, couldn't, return his feelings. I was called a bitch, a prude, and a slut." Sabah said with a humorless snort.

Taylor's hand clenched under the table and ember of fire flicked off one her fingers, fading harmlessly into the air.

"I... broke. I couldn't take being so alone. So I apologized and let him get cozy, nothing dirty, I had some respect, but... I hated the loneliness, the feeling that no one liked me. So I forced myself to smile and get on with it, to let some guy paw at me and steal kisses that made me want to vomit every time. My Dad died three weeks later and… I triggered. It was all too much. The classes, my Dad, the guy... earlier when I... when I made things bad, it snapped into focus and I realized something." Sabah said, finishing with a wet near hysterical chuckle.

Taylor stared at her, now understanding… Sabah's trigger, the stress, the loneliness. It was eerily resembled her own, just with a pushy guy instead of a traitorous best friend. Still… what she didn't understand was what Sabah had realized? How could what have happened earlier relate to her trigger?

Sabah took a breath and let out a watery sob, tears tumbling down her cheeks.

"I realized I was that guy. I was everyone's friend, I was their income, their boss, their symbol, their mascot and I made a move on you, not knowing if you would return it, not knowing if you felt the same, and if you didn't and you couldn't handle it... I… I thought that the Dollhouse would turn on you, or you'd feel pressured to act like you liked me to keep things normal. I know how much you love working there, how much you'd sacrifice for me, how much you do just because it's me who's asking. And I knew that if I asked… You do it. You'd pretend to be something you work just like I did. And so I'd become the thing that I hated. I tried so hard not to make our friendship complicated, tried not to put my foot in it, t-tried to not let my f-feelings get in the way and I... I… I'm s-so sorry. I'm so, so s-sorry." Sabah choked, sobbing as tears dripped from her chin on the table, her head bowed in shame.

Taylor sat there. Unable to stand what she was hearing.

"You're wrong." Taylor said, her chin stuck out in a stubborn expression.

Sabah shook her head, still not looking at Taylor.

Taylor grabbed Sabah's hands with her own, pulling them away from the doll which clattered to the table. Holding their hands together between them, Taylor felt the familiar prickling from her empty socket as tears began trail down her own cheek.

"You're wrong. Sabah… Look at me, please." Taylor asked, begged.

Sabah's wonderful blue eyes, rimmed red from crying slowly looked up on to her own. Taylor struggled to say three different things at once as tears began to drip off her chin too.

Taylor, not for the first time, wished she had both eyes, to convey the full emotion she was feeling.

"Look at me Sabah. Listen to me. Sabah, you are the most important person in my life, just as much as Dad is important to me. You saved me. When I had no one, when I only wanted to die… You opened your home and your heart to me. You've helped me so much and in more ways that I could ever say. I could never, never, thank you enough for what you've done for me. I didn't know... about your past and I'm sorry that I didn't even think to ask. I know that my own trigger... was bad and I didn't want to bring up bad memories. But I guess we can't help that now. Still, the last few months may have had some bad times, but at the same time… I've never been happier. Weird right?" Taylor said, her voice watery and rough.

Sabah pulled Taylor's hands close, bowing her head till she pressed her forehead against their linked hands, still sobbing. Taylor took a huge shaky breath, leaning forward herself until her own head rested atop Sabah and she was speaking directly into her ear.

"I didn't see how you felt, but everyone else did I guess. You didn't mess up, you didn't hurt me and you've never made feel like I had to do anything but be your friend or work at the Dollhouse. And even if you had, I wouldn't have minded. Because… Without you… I don't know where I would be, but if I'm honest? I'd probably be dead. You saved me Sabah. You've been there through some of the worst moments in my life recently and that's far more than anyone else, even... even Emma left me. She was my best friend, my sister in all but blood. When mom died I broke, and it was Emma that pull me back together. Then, just as I thought everything was finally going to be okay. She met Sophia and she turned on me. I lost her… Please don't make lose you too." Taylor sobbed, burying her face deeper in the warmth and safety of Sabah's hair.

Sabah sobbed even louder, squeezing Taylor's hand

"Emma is a two faced cow. She has no idea what she lost." Sabah whispered, her face buried in Taylor's hands, making Taylor's fingers wet with, what Taylor hoped, were her tears.

"Yeah, we'll I m-moved on from her. Like you moved on from this guy. I don't care if he was a nice guy. I don't care if he was the nicest guy on Earth. He made you feel like dirt and that makes him the world's biggest asshole, but... Sabah, your feelings aren't wrong or hurtful. You never forced them on me, or made it a huge deal, you've always been my friend first and foremost." Taylor said, as she pulled back, pulling Sabah up with her.

A soft watery smile lit Sabah's face as she looked into Taylor's.

"You're my best friend too, I would never hurt you, I promise." Sabah said, her lips trembling.

Taylor's felt her lips curve in response in a watery smile of her own as she felt more words begin to tumble from her mouth.

"When you said you were planning to move out of here, I was sad you know? I thought that was the end of us. The end of our time living together. I thought about waking up in this house alone and it made feel so crap. I dreaded it, the silence, the cold, the loneliness… It would have been horrible. There would be no you cooking breakfast, no Boco sun bathing, no Mog dismantling everything and now there would be no Ifrit hogging the TV. Then… Then you asked me if I wanted a room facing the sunrise or sunset and I had to just nod. All I had to do was say yes to keep living with you, to keep the greatest thing in my life. I went to the bathroom and cried like I was five again. I was so happy you wanted me to still live with you, I felt... I finally felt like I belon- Like I belonged somewhere." Taylor's voice cracked half way through.

Sabah's closed her eyes as she sobbed, almost curshing Taylor's hands she was squeezing them so tightly.

"I don't want to live without you Sabah, we've only known each other for almost four months now. I just can't imagine life without you anymore." Taylor told her, her voice rough and raw.

Sabah nodded, her voice equally horse.

"I don't want you to leave either, but I had to muck things up, I couldn't control myself..." Sabah replied

Taylor shook her head frantically, hair flying everywhere.

"No! You mucked nothing up. You hid you feelings well enough from me. I... like the idea of us living together, watching over the espers, cooking, baking cake, modeling clothes, eating ice cream… Together. I want to do them together with you, Sabah. I... I like you. I like you a lot." Taylor admitted her words faltering.

Sabah slowly opened her eyes and looked sorrowfully at her.

"Taylor... you don't like girls." Sabah pointed out, her voice more stable now, perhaps with a glimmer of hope coming through.

Taylor nodded in response, her breathing easier now the crisis seemed to be over.

"I don't, I like guys, mostly. I think? I... I don't know. I like the look of some guys, but it's always in hindsight, or like a second thought, you know? I just… I had the puberty from hell. When Emma was talking about boys I didn't get it, but Mom said I was 12 and to not worry about it. Then she died and I… I couldn't bring myself to care about anything for almost a year. Then Emma happened and it was all I could do to survive. I guess what I'm saying is that I've never experimented. And I don't plan too either. The idea of kissing someone makes me uncomfortable. With anyone. I don't think I've even thought about anything more." Taylor said, trailing off with a contemplative look.

Sabah's breath hitched, hope blooming inside her heart.

"But?" Sabah asked, hardly daring to breathe.

Taylor gulped, nodding.

"But when I'm with you, I feel warm, I feel… I feel like I can't stop smiling. The day is better, the night is safer and I feel like I can do anything. I like the idea of being with you, being around you, holding hands, laughing together, sharing food, even sleeping together but not... sexually. I just… I just can't picture it. I want to be with you, I want marry you, but I can't… I can't make it official. I just… can't. I know it sounds stupid, and I know I'm weird. I just… I'm still trying to figure things out and it doesn't make any sense!" Taylor back pedaled and tried to pull her hands away, in shame.

Now it was Sabah who held on tightly, pulling the others hands to her.

"What you feel Taylor isn't weird. What you feel isn't stupid, and I don't want to hear you ever say that again. It just means a lot that you're even talking to me right now. Taylor, I have a question; have you ever felt sexual feelings towards anyone?" Sabah asked calmly, her eyes still red and puffy but no longer crying.

Taylor thought about it. She tried to remember if anyone ever had, if she'd ever been able to bring herself to think about anyone that way ever.

"No, it just wasn't… I just couldn't. It wasn't important to me and the idea, I don't know. I kept thinking I might enjoy that sort of thing, but that was more to do with who I was with than anything else. I just… I thought when I found someone it would just click." Taylor tried to explain.

Sabah nodded, comprehension dawning.

"Taylor, you're not weird, sometimes people aren't...just don't feel sex is something they want. You can still love, want to be loved and enjoy being with someone." Sabah said, brushing some hair out of Taylor's face where it had come to rest.

Taylor thought about that.

"That... I never thought I would ever get close enough to someone to do it, so I guess I just… I never thought about it." Taylor fiddled with one of the many zippers on her cloak as she spoke.

"And now?" Sabah asked, her face almost sad. Taylor looked around the dark room and then on to Sabah, her thoughts churning madly, Taylor took one of Sabah's hands into her own.

"I don't know if I will ever love you the way you want, but I want to… I want to be with you. To live with you, to work with you, to watch movies really late at night on a school night, to make sure Mog doesn't burn down our house, or to stop Boco from blowing up fast food places. I want to be with you Sabah, because you make me happy, and if… If I can make you happy in return… I want to try. I'm not sure that I can but, I want to try. Just… I just need time to… to…" Taylor whispered unsure how to finish.

Sabah squeezed her hand tightly.

"Taylor, I never wanted you for sex. I want to be with you because you make my life better, because you make me happy. I'm a grown woman, I can live without sex. It's not like I've had any before to miss it or something." Sabah mentioned casually.

Taylor blinked at her.

"You've never...?" Taylor asked hesitantly.

Sabah blushed.

"I've been busy, okay?!" Sabah defended herself.

Taylor cracked a smile.

"I guess so. So what do we do now?" Taylor asked in the fading light.

Sabah squeezed Taylor's hand gently.

"We keep doing what we're doing, taking life one step at a time, talking about how we feel, about problems that come up. Even if we don't end up working, we're going to be best friends regardless. We figure out what we want slowly, carefully and if either one of us, maybe, feels like it's too much, then we'll stop before we hurt each other." Sabah offered.

Taylor grinned, feeling elated.

"Frovers?" Taylor suggested impishly.

Sabah's face turned into a frown.

"No." Sabah said instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere, as their eyes dried.

Taylor's grin just stretch even wider.

"Lovends?" Taylor offered.

Sabah sighed.

"Not if you want to walk out here alive." Sabah warned

Taylor chuckled, making Sabah chuckle.

"Benefits with friends? Really good friends?" Taylor said and her face creased into a smile. Sabah rolled her eyes and leaned forward.

"We'll work on it. No matter what, no matter the shape or way, I do love you Taylor. I like to see where we can go, where we are going." Sabah whispered, leaning her forehead against Taylor's to stare into the younger girls solitary eye, breathing in the scent of tea-tree oil from Taylor's hair.

Taylor lips shook a little, before Taylor took a deep breath.

"I think... I like that."

The room was cool, not enough to get cold, but cool enough to stay focused.

Fitting for a court room, Taylor mused, were comfort wasn't exactly the order of the day.

Paige sat at one of the tables in the front of the room, her neck brace drawing a lot of attention to her orange jump suit and feather hair. Carol Dallon, or Brandish, sat next to her, her business suit looking crisp and unwrinkled, her hands steepled in a controlled manner on the table.

Ingrid would have approved, Taylor thought.

The session had been a long one with several breaks and long series of questions and debates. Taylor was sitting in the front row, right behind Paige, dressed up in her costume as Keynote. It was a show of support, a sign that she, and by extension Dollhouse, were on Paige's side. Ingrid had said she didn't have to do this, but Taylor felt she owed a great debt to Paige for saving her from Lung. The wait of that debt was on Taylor's conscious and she was determined to repay it any way she could.

Even now, sitting there, with a visible space around her, Taylor still felt like this wasn't enough, that she needed to do more... yet there was nothing she could do.

Here, in this room, this house of law, Taylor just couldn't do anything, for all the powers she gained, for all her strength and speed, there were just times when she felt more useless than ever. Taylor supposed everyone felt like that when someone they supported was on the accused side of docks.

With a subtle shift in her space, Taylor blinked when Mouse Protector appeared next to her in a flash of red and white. Being Paige's escort and warden for the her arrest, Mouse Protector showing up behind Paige was another show of support.

Looking at the mouse themed cape next to her, Taylor received a grave nod, before Mouse Protector turned back to face the front, watching the court continue. The judge paused for a moment, eyeing Mouse Protector while frowning before carrying on.

Taylor wished Sabah had come, but the DollHouse couldn't spare them both and Sabah was infinitely more important to the running of the business than Taylor.

The judge, a type of seen-it-all woman, had run the case with care and strict neutrality, ignoring the camera at the back of the room with a will of iron. On the other side of the room was the man seeking to put Paige away.

He had used everything he could, exploiting every angle of attack from assault with a parahuman power, to rape with an object and mind control and implied Pairge's nature as master was inherently dangerous. He'd been reprimanded when comparing Paige to Heartbreaker though. Taylor would like to do more to him, as Sabah was technically a master too.

Taylor would have hated him if the man himself wasn't so utterly bland and forgettable. Grey suit, grey hair, grey eyes, grey personality, grey mug...

Taylor couldn't even remember his name. Grey McGreyson maybe?

She called him Dick, in her head, having picked up the habit of using the word as the worst insult she could from Sabah. Dick was alone on his side, the ex-boyfriend still hospital, recovering apparently. Though how that was the case when he'd received a personal visit from Panacea was anyone's guess.

In court, Carol had steam rolled the guy. Throwing everything from Eidolon using master type powers, to helping calm and capture Lung, her willingness to come quietly when arrested time to show she had upstanding morals and even levied the accusation of sexual assault against the ex-boyfriend.

Somehow, footage of the backstage of the night Paige's ex stormed into her room was 'found' by Dragon. It clearly showed him pushing several people out of the way, ignoring the warnings they called out to not enter the room.

Paige's calm down sessions were well known by her staff by then, how the affect of her power lingered and how Paige deliberately isolated herself to mitigate its affects. The man even admitted via video link that he knew of Paige's need to work off the excess energy after singing, he just didn't care.

Or as Carol had accused, deliberately used the state to try and pressure Paige when he knew she'd be reluctant to talk back. Carol went on that if the man had stood in front of Paige if she was at a gun range weapon cocked and loaded, then why would he be surprised if he got shot when he stepped onto the firing range? The injuries were entirely his own fault for ignoring all safety procedures.

Paige had admitted under cross examination that perhaps better precautions could have been taken to secure her room after a show, but it had never been an issue before and neither she nor any of her staff seen the need too.

There was lots of good arguments to save Paige, but a really damning one to hurt her.

The man had hurt himself under her power. Paige's intentions were shown not to have the meaning to cause harm and the boyfriend put himself in that danger, which put both parties at fault. Because even if the man walked onto the shooting range Paige shouldn't have pulled the trigger.

The jury stared and listened to both sides impassively, and then vanished into a side room to make the choice that would decide the rest of Paige's life… or condemn her death in the Birdcage, which the Prosecution was pressing for.

The thought made Taylor sick.

Still, time passed and soon enough the jurors filed back into the court room, their choice quickly made. The look on Carol's face was both surprise and worry at the swift verdict.

Now Taylor watched as a guard passed a piece of paper over to the judge. The woman took it with the gentleness of holding a bomb.

"Rise." The judge commanded. Paige and Carol stood, Dick mirroring them on his side. Taylor herself stood alongside Mouse Protector and the rest of the public and media.

"The case of Paige Mcabee vs Larry Shells is now brought to this final judgement, I hold here the verdict of the twelve members of the jury who, breaking record time, have come to a swift judgment. After witnessing all evidence that was to be presented, seeing everything that was to be seen, and hearing everything that was to be heard, they have come to their verdict. I know, that in the light of the circumstances surrounding this case, it easy often to easy to be swept up in mass hysteria and panic. That one mistake, on both ends, that both parties may recover from does not earn a life ending punishment, , your peers in the jury of this court find you Not Guil-"

"OBJECTION!" A voice yelled, the sound so loud that Taylor felt all the wooden benches slide forward a few feet beneath her, trapping her legs between the wall that separated the spectators and the actual people involved in the case.

Turning her head so fast, she heard something crick, Taylor saw two men standing in the open doorway leading to the hall as music blasted from some unknown source.

Both the men wore domino masks.

Capes.

The one on the left with the bad posture wore a deep blue suit with a red tie, his hair gelled to spike backwards, a microphone held near his mouth. The second man was much taller, stood straighter, and was wearing a red suit with a white cravat fluffing dangerously over his suit collar. His hair was more realistic with two huge bangs framing his mask.

"I'm afraid, court is now in session." Blue said and raised the microphone once more.

Carol jumped the desk, her hands glowing. The red one raise some odd ball and the lights in the room began to flicker wildly, plunging the room into an odd twilight, Carol's hand flickered too, barely lighting up her palm, let alone creating one of her famous light weapons.

Blue leaned forward and waggled his finger.

"Not so tough now." Blue taunted.

Carol looked down at her hand before looking back up and decking him, her closed fist smashing into his nose in a spray of blood.

Blue went down howling while Red tackled her.

Then all hell broke loose as Mouse Protector dived into the fray challenging the pair to a duel of justice or something similar.

All the while Paige was sitting, staring around her at the carnage as her hopes crashed and burned.