Chapter 7-7

I never really appreciated how screwed up I was until I could compare my reaction with someone just like me. My first thought when I found out we were being hunted was simple: escape or neutralize my attackers. When it became clear that running away wasn't an option and talking wouldn't get us out of this mess, I shifted gears and did what I had to. Sam, though…I suppose she's showing the 'normal' reaction: scream, cry, beg, and completely lose her mind to the point where she actually managed to trigger.

Not that I was angry with her, or anything. Triggering is serious business and you can't blame someone for it. Just because I'm crazy enough to shoot Nazis without any issues, doesn't mean the rest of the world has to be. Besides, I had bigger problems: keeping Sam from mentally falling off the edge completely while making sure our Nazi friends didn't try anything stupid. At least the latter could be solved by waving a gun around…

I sighed. Sam was barely moving. She lay curled up in a corner, protected by whatever the hell her power did. Part of me wanted to touch the shimmering field and see what it was. Looking like a sheet of oil, it didn't seem that dangerous. On the other hand, this wasn't the time to start experimenting. What if touching the field could hurt or even kill me? The bullet it caught seemed unharmed, but that didn't say much. For all I know, the field could suck every drop of water out of my body if I got to close. Powers were weird, after all.

The police sirens were getting closer. I had to hurry. Right now, the universe at large didn't know about her powers yet. I could still control the flow of information somewhat, if I could convince her to stop using her power before someone with a camera and an internet connection sees it. The press couldn't know that Sam was a parahuman. It would only end in tears if they did. That still left the Nazis, though. What was I supposed to do with them? If Empire 88 finds out that there's a Jewish cape in the city, she'd become a target. No doubt Piggot would use that to 'persuade' her to join the Wards. Well, better that than getting killed.

"Sam?" Her head perked up a little. Good, she could hear me and hadn't gone completely catatonic. "Sam, whatever you're doing, you need turn it off."

"They…they…"

"Aren't going to hurt anyone. Not unless they want to get shot again." I shot a glare at the Nazis, who seemed to be intimidated enough. At least, two of them were. The one I shot in the knee had fallen unconscious and the fourth was desperately trying to keep him from bleeding out. Should I feel bad for them, being the one who shot them?

Nah, fuck them. Nobody becomes a Nazi by accident. They made their choice and will have to live with the consequences.

"Sam, please. It's safe."

Sam's field slowly vanished and I sat down beside her. I put an arm around her while keeping one eye (and my gun) on the prisoners. Soon, police cars came to a screeching halt outside. Before I knew it, there were cops everywhere, yelling at us. Even at me, though that was probably because I was the only one who still had a gun. Trying not to frown, I placed the weapon on the ground. As much as I understood that those men needed to do their jobs, I was really expecting a warmer welcome, having kind off done their jobs for them. Besides, just look at us: two fifteen year-old girls versus four men in ski-masks. Gun or no gun, it should be obvious who the bad guys were. At least, that's how I saw things.

Eventually the cops stopped shouting and started using their brains for once. They took us outside while arresting the other four. I finally let out a sigh of relief. It was over. Now, we just had to deal with the aftermath.

Sam still wasn't talking and by now the cops were starting to give us weird looks. I'm guessing they figured out we were parahumans. How else could two unarmed girls beat four grown men? There had to have been powers involved.

I directed Sam to a nearby bench, sat down, and took a deep breath. Now what? I was completely unprepared for this. What exactly was I supposed to do now? Talk to her? If yes, what about? Our handbook doesn't have a chapter on how to interact with someone who just triggered. I couldn't even use my own experiences: mine didn't have Nazis or guns in it.

What did the regs say? Not much, really. Just that I should report any suspected parahuman to the PRT, but that didn't help me much now. Besides, the first the PRT would do is invite her into the Wards. While I liked Sam and wouldn't mind having her as a teammate, now would be the absolute worst time for a salespitch. What if she or her parents thought the organizations was being too pushy or had a hidden agenda? What if it's the other way around and she'll buy into the false promises of safety. Scared people make stupid mistakes and I didn't want Sam to do something she'd regret later. I shook my head. All of this was out of my hands. Piggot would demand a full report and there's no way I could leave out Sam's new powers.

Speaking of parents, I should probably call Dad and let him know we're alright. As if he was reading my mind, a police officer walked towards us and threw my phone in my lap. "Next time you capes try something stupid, call the fucking PRT. Dealing with you isn't our job." Before I could say something in return, he continued. "Yeah, I know who you are. Your number threw up red flags when we traced your call."

Well, cat's out of the bag, I suppose. "Then I'm sure you'll try to keep this quiet, right? Last thing we need is the Empire coming after us."

The officer snorted dismissively. "Not up to me. Anyway, your boss wants to talk to you. Privately." Without Sam, he meant. I frowned. I really didn't want to leave her alone right now. "An EMT will take care of your friend." He then force-marched me to a police car and put me in the back. Part of me wondered if he secretly wanted to arrest me. Judging by his posture, he was probably thinking about it. Asshole.

Another police officer got into the car. A lieutenant, if I got the markings on his uniform right. He pulled out a phone. "Alright, director, guest of honor's arrived. Now, would anyone mind telling me what the hell a Ward's doing here?"

"I don't know." Director Piggot replied. "I only heard about this a few minutes ago. Maybe we should ask Ms. Hebert instead of pointing fingers."

Taking that as my cue, I told them everything that'd happened. I made sure not to leave out any details: I was talking to the director and a high-ranking police officer, after all. When I was finished, the policeman muttered: "And I'm supposed to believe that?"

What?

Seriously?

Okay, I know there is some sort of inter-organizational rivalry between us and the cops, but this is ridiculous. "I was telling the truth." I replied, trying my best not to let my voice show my feelings. "Those idiots ambushed us and I defended myself. That's it."

The man stroke his chin before saying: "Yeah, I've heard that one before. 'No, officer, I wasn't looking for trouble, I just happened to ran into it while strolling through the bad part of town.' You superheroes are a magnet for this shit."

"I resent that." Piggot said. Wait, was she actually defending me? "You have no reason to believe that my Ward was at fault here."

"And yet, one of your pet psychopaths shot three men in cold blood."

"They had guns!" I growled, defensively. "They were going to abduct me and Sam. What was I supposed to do, throw up my hands and surrender?"

"As opposed to going on a killing spree, one you were leading my men into? You get yourself killed, that's one thing, but I won't let some idiot cape throw my men into a meatgrinder again."

"That's enough, both of you!" Piggot interceded. "Banshee, you will restrain yourself. Lieutenant Jamieson, if you're going to accuse my Wards of something, find evidence and press charges. Until then, I would appreciate it if you refrained from goading her and remembered your non-disclosure agreements. Now, would you kindly leave us for a moment? I would like to have a talk with her alone."

The policeman didn't respond. He simply got out of the car and slammed the door.

"Director..."

"You have a panic button on your phone and the number of the PRT's emergency hotline is one of the first things that's been drilled into your head when you signed up. Why the hell did you call the police instead of us? We would have been there in minutes."

While I didn't like her tone, I didn't let it show. "Do you remember what you said to me about fighting Lung? How the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Just yesterday, Kid Win got kidnapped by some lunatic. If I had called it in, you would have overreacted and sent in an army. Things could have easily spiraled out of control and we could end up starting a gang war."

I could practically hear the director's frown. "I don't know if I should be insulted or relieved. While I appreciate your concern for collateral damage, that wasn't your call, Taylor. If members of Empire 88 discovered your civilian identity, we'd have to act as soon as possible to contain the damage. You got them all this time, but if one of them had escaped, they could have caused trouble for you later."

"With all due respect, ma'm, I don't think they knew who I was, at least not going in. If they did, they wouldn't have sent four normals with low-caliber pistols. That said, they might suspect it now, considering what I've done to them."

"Fair enough. Well, at least the gangsters are in custody and the ball is still in our court. If you let the police have the credit for the takedown, they'll probably forgive you for all the paperwork you've caused. I suppose I can consider that a job well done. Nevertheless, if this happens again, you will call the PRT, do you understand? You can't take a risk like that again."

I would have been touched, if I didn't know that the only reason Piggot cared was because she couldn't afford to lose a Ward like that. "Yes, ma'm"

" Excellent. Now, about the other girl…"

"Sam triggered with some sort of shaker power. I'm not sure what it does, but she used it to stop a bullet headed my way."

"A Sam Goldstein? One of your classmates in Arcadia? A friend of yours, if I'm not mistaken."

I didn't ask how she knew about that. "Yes, ma'm."

"I see. Consider this your newest mission, then: find a way to convince the girl to join the Wards as soon as possible, or at the very least put her in contact with our organization."

I blinked. Sam triggered less than an hour ago and Piggot already wanted to conscript her? "Ma'm, Sam's two steps short from catatonic right now. I don't think this is a good time to try and recruit her, assuming she even wants to be a hero."

"What she wants is irrelevant. She needs our protection. Jewish capes don't last long in a city like Brockton Bay. If she doesn't come forward, she'll be dead within a month."

As much as I hated to admit it, the director was probably right. A month might be a little quick, but that didn't change the fact that Sam would have a price on her head sooner rather than later. "And if she doesn't want to be a hero?"

"Then convince her to join us anyway. Her death might spur the Empire on, which is the last thing we need right now."

I frowned. Orders were orders, but I didn't like the idea of having to conscript someone. Besides, I got the distinct impression that she wasn't asking this out of the goodness of her heart. "No promises, but I'll see what I can do."

"Very well. On a side note, a psychologist is being flown in tomorrow to assess the mental state of our Wards team and yourself in particular. Your presence and cooperation is mandatory. Do you understand?"

She was giving us a shrink? Well, considering what happened yesterday, I couldn't say I blamed her. If I were in her place, I'd have flown in a whole army of them by now. Hell, I would have made therapy mandatory for everyone with powers, if only to spot the next Sophia Hess before it's too late.

That I'm in a position where I could be compared to that lunatic bothered me.

"I understand, ma'm. I'll be there."

"Good. Be sure to give the good lieutenant his phone back on your way out." With that, she hung up.

Well, that was the end of the debriefing, I suppose. I got out of the car and gave the policeman his cellphone back. He accepted it with a grunt. Jackass. I found Sam with my power, being led into a car with two adults. Her parents, I presume. We made eye-contact for a moment and she mouthed the words 'thank you' before stepping inside. I smiled. It looked like Sam was going to be fine.

Or at least as fine as any fresh trigger could be. I'd have to check on her soon. Being the only cape in her life, she'd need my help.

I spotted Dad looking for me in the crowd. I waved at him and before I knew it, he was hugging me tightly. Judging by his face, he'd been worried sick. Touching, if a little annoying. A patrol could easily be just as dangerous. Still, it's always nice to be reminded that he cared.

A policeman pulled us aside and asked me to give him my official statement…again. A little redundant, I suppose, but I wasn't going to make a fuss. He probably needed something official for the archive. That said, seeing Dad flinch whenever I mentioned a gun or me shooting someone with it was a little worrying. Eventually, the policeman was satisfied and sent us on our way. We got in our car and Dad drove us straight home.

When we got there, Dad pulled up on the driveway, but didn't unlock the doors. "Dad?" My gut already warned me of what was coming.

"You shot three people." He said calmly. He didn't sound angry or shocked. He just sounded normal, which made what he said all the more unnerving. "I'm just trying to process that."

"They were trying to kidnap us." I replied, defensively.

"I know, and I'm not saying you shouldn't have." My mouth fell open. Did he really just say that? "Look, I work down in the docks, I know what they're like. Some people can't be reasoned with. Sometimes violence is the only option. I get that. You're a superhero so it's only a matter of time 'till you really hurt someone. Well, it couldn't have happened to nicer people."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dad."

"I wasn't finished." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm not happy with this, kiddo. You're fifteen. You're supposed to be worried about make-up and your next test in school not…not how to gun people down without actually killing them. I'd thought that you joining the Wards and going to Arcadia would help but… I guess I just wanted you to be my naïve, little girl again."

I kept my face level, which was a lot harder than it sounded. "Dad, I think it's a little too late for that."

"I know… God help me, I know. I'm just worried about you."

"We went over this already. I'm practically bulletproof."

"But they aren't. If you shoot someone and they don't make it…If I'd come home one day and found out you've killed someone… It's going to happen. With all the violence in this city, there's no way to avoid it. When that happens…you'll be honest with me, right? You'd tell me?"

What was I supposed to say to that? I've already killed dozens of people and I had absolutely no intention of ever letting him know about it. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. "If that were to happen, they'd sweep it under the rug. It'd be classified immediately."

"Right, classified." He scoffed. "Like Hannah secretly being Miss Militia? Don't act surprised. You can tell people apart by their heartbeats. You knew who she was the moment she stood on our doorstep."

I bit my lip. No point in denying. "She just wants you to treat her like a normal person. To a cape, giving someone your secret identity is kind of huge."

"I get that, I just wished she'd have told me before I figured it out on my own. But that's beside the point." He sighed. "It's just that there isn't a lot of trust between us anymore. There still isn't. I know you're keeping secrets from me and that your work is a lot more violent than you're telling me…"

My heart skipped a beat. "You're not…"

"I'm not forcing you to quit the Wards." He said, much to my relief. "I'd only make things worse if I did. I just… I need us to be a normal family again."

"I'm not exactly normal, Dad."

"Can we at least pretend? We'll get a movie, I'll make some popcorn, and we'll be normal for one night. Just one."

That actually sounded really nice. Pathetic, but nice. "Just one. I still have some homework to do, though."

"Well, then you'll have to do that first. Can't have you slacking off, now can we?"

"Of course, Dad."

I knew he tried his best. He genuinely loved me and wanted to make this work, it's just that his best wasn't good enough. Nothing I could do about that, though.

Before I started on my homework, I had one more call to make. "Lisa, it's Taylor."

"Taylor? What do you need?"

"A favor, actually. It's about Missy. You know what happened to her yesterday, right?"

"Pretty much. Poor girl had to kill a few people. Not as many as you, but…Wait, you want me to do what?" Ah, she was catching on.

"Look, she really needs a friend right now. I promised that we'd go visit Miss Militia tonight, but I won't be able to make it. Family emergency." The way Missy was looking yesterday… she'd need someone to help her cope, be that me or someone else. Lisa probably wasn't the best choice, but there wasn't anyone else I could think off that could really help. Besides, it couldn't hurt to bring those two a little closer.

"Family emergency, huh? How convenient. You're not just… you did what?!" Her shriek was almost satisfying. Sending our resident Thinker's head spinning never stops being funny. I just wish I could have surprised her with something less horrible.

"To be fair, I didn't kill any of them."

"Yes, because that's so much better. I swear to God, you're like a fucking doom-magnet, aren't you? Never mind. Look, I'll try, but I'm no good at this touchy-feely thing."

"I just need you to be a friend, okay. Missy isn't taking this well and I'm the last person she should probably be taking cues from." I was sure that Lisa would be able to fill in the blanks.

"I see. Fine, I'll do it." She sighed. "On an unrelated note, Carlos is an idiot. He's wrong and so are you."

"About what?"

"Tell me, if you're really a psychopath, would you be calling me right now?" That actually made a lot of sense. Then, before I could respond, she hung up. Well, I suppose that's Missy taken care off. I'd have to make it up to her at some point, though.

I put my phone away and started doing homework. I promised my dad one night of being a normal girl. Just one.

I could do that.

I'd have to.