Grind 1.3

Battery promised me she would explain the whole thing with Shadow Stalker trying to kill me once we got to the PRT headquarters.

Normally I wouldn't want to wait for that kind of an explanation, but after everything I was basically running on fumes. I'd found out I was a cape. I'd walked all over Xanth, avoiding death and magical traps. Then I came back to reality and had an actual hero tell me they were going to deal with the terrible trio! Then another cape took me hostage and tried to shoot me, only to be foiled by the blessedly bullshit power that is plot armor! Honestly tell me you wouldn't be tired after a day like that.

So back on track, I agreed to wait and tried to catch a quick nap during the ride over.

I woke up to Battery shaking my shoulder and giving me a warm smile. "We're here Taylor. You're Dad is waiting for you inside."

I yawned and stretched out my arms as I nodded. I fallowed her through the lobby and into a small conference room. My Dad was nervously tapping his foot against the floor as he stared at a wall. "Hi Dad."

"Taylor." my Dad rushed over to give me a hug. "I was so worried, why didn't you call me?"

Oh yeah after all the excitement with Shadow Stalker and getting plot armor, I had forgotten to call Dad. I turned to Battery. "Did you tell him?"

"Tell me what?"

Battery gave me a small smile. "We thought you might want to be the one to tell him."

That got a grin out of me despite the exhaustion. "Hey Dad, you remember how I always wanted to be a cape?"

"Yes of cou... Wait, wait, are you saying?"

"Yup, surprise. I have super powers." My grin must have split my face.

The look on Dad's face was the funniest thing I had seen in months.

Dad took a deep breath. "OK, what's your power."

"Good question, so far all I know is I got sucked into a book and probably walked out with a new power."

Battery's head whipped around at that. I really wish she wasn't wearing a mask. Her expression must have been even better than Dad's. "What new power, are you sure?"

I wiggled my hand back and forth. "Not really but it makes sense. The main character from that dumb book had plot armor as his magic ability. I don't really know how else I could be lucky enough to catch a crossbow bolt on a cell phone."

"You did WHAT!" Oh right, Dad. Shit.

"Mr. Hebert, please, it was a tranquilizer bolt. Though your daughter makes a good point, stopping the bolt with her eyes closed is unlikely."

Dad took a deep breath. "OK, so you stopped a tranquilizer dart shot from a crossbow, with a cell phone. And you're attributing that to the power of plot armor, which you got from a book you were physically sucked into. That just leaves two questions. What kind of ridiculous power is that, and why was someone shooting at you?" Huh, Dad was taking this a lot better than I had expected. Maybe he would fall apart later when it all sank in.

"I don't know, Battery?"

Battery looked nervously between us before sighing. "I wouldn't even hazard a guess about your powers. As for Shadow Stalkers actions, the director wants to explain that personally."

Battery started dipping her head as she spoke. It was strange seeing such an important hero acting so nervous. But whatever it was, I'm sure it couldn't be that bad, right?

"OK then that's fine, I guess."

Battery nodded and led us to another office. The secretary outside the door waved us in.

The director was a very fat woman in a cheap suit. But what stuck out most right now was how very tired she looked. "Mr. Hebert, Miss Hebert. Please, have a seat."

As we sat she slid a pair of matching legal documents across her desk to us. "I'm Director Piggot. First let me say that I am deeply sorry. The Protectorate has failed you rather spectacularly I'm afraid. There are a great many things we need to discuss at length. Unfortunately I am legally required to have you sign these non disclosure agreements before we can proceed any further."

I shrugged and made to pick up the pen. Dad placed his hand on top of mine and gently pushed it back down onto the table. "I'm going to need a few minutes to read this over." Oh yeah, I guess that made sense even if they were the good guys I suppose you should always read a legal document before signing.

"Of course." Director Piggot replied, nodding as she leaned back into her chair.

After a few minutes, in which I did my best not to doze off, Dad finally spoke up. "This form is to prevent us from disclosing the civilian identity of a cape. Neither of us knows any capes civilian identity, so why are you giving us these?"

"Part of what we need to discuss involves the civilian identity of one of our capes. I'm afraid that's all I can say until after you both sign."

"We aren't going to like what you have to say." Dad made it a statement instead of a question.

"No, you won't."

Dad nodded. "Is there any reason why we shouldn't just walk away right now?"

Piggot looked at the ceiling like she expected to find an answer there. "Because we can help your daughter learn about her power." She paused gathering her thoughts. "We would like to develop a working relationship with your daughter. However, lying, even by omission, is a very bad way to start any kind of relationship. I won't proceed with that working relationship until we have cleared the air and appropriately apologized for our failings. Unfortunately I am legally obligated to have you sign those documents before I can do so."

Dad looks at me obviously asking what I thought. I shrug, what is there to say. I could probably use some help figuring this stuff out. Besides she worked with the heroes, and she was trying to apologize for whatever it was she thought she had done.

How bad could it be?

I picked up the pen and signed. Dad hesitated for a second before fallowing my lead.

Director Piggot seamed grimly determined. "Thank you. Miss Hebert, when Battery picked up your evidence binder this evening she noticed a name connected to us."

There was a hero at Winslow, and they never helped me? They had maybe even participated? Was it one of the Jocks or, no, no they meant Shadow Stalker. That was why she was so aggressive towards me. She must be one of the trio's tag along girls. After all I knew full well how scary those three could be. It shouldn't really surprise me that they could cow a hero.

"You mean Shadow Stalker right?" Piggot nodded, "Well I can't say I would like working with one of their errand girls. But if anyone knows how scary those three are it's me. I couldn't really blame anyone for being too afraid of Emma, Sophia and Madison to help me. I mean she's a hero, she must have wanted to help me right?"

"Wait Emma, Emma Barnes!" Oh right I hadn't told Dad, shit. "And what's this about an evidence journal."

"Dad, maybe now isn't the best time." Dad gave me a very hard look before finally nodding. I could tell from how tightly he gripped the desk that this was not over yet.

The Director seemed to be struggling with something. "Miss Hebert I can assure you that you will never have to work with Shadow Stalker. She has violated the terms of her probation and is going to spend the next two years serving in Alaska." That caught me by surprise. It must be because she tried to shoot me. "Regretfully I have to inform you that Shadow Stalker wasn't a, as you say, errand girl. Her civilian name is Sophia Hess."

I couldn't really think. I felt like the whole world was spinning around me. This didn't make any sense. Sophia, a hero. I needed to get away from this.

"Excuse me. I think I need to go." I got shakily to my feet before bolting out of the room. I didn't really care where I ended up. I just wanted to be somewhere else, someone else. Anything had to be better than this.