The Charms are right where I'd left them...it wasn't more than two hours ago, was it? It can't have been. But it definitely feels like longer.

The house is quiet, empty, so the sound of the shower starting down the hall isn't hard to catch. Victoria insisted on cleaning herself up before 'having to deal with more bullshit', and I don't really mind the delay. It gives me a little more time to figure out what the hell I'm going to say. What I'm going to do.

I drop the crossbow in the corner with the rest of my things, then work my way out of my coat. Spread that out on the floor so I can lay the belt with the Charms out on top of it. I'm not sure why. It just seems like the thing to do. And I guess I just want to make sure I can see them. Look at them, even as I move to sit on the end of Victoria's bed.

They look different; the Charms, I mean. Nothing's changed about them; not their shape, not the marks burnt into them, not the stupid little tags of tape I'd had the brilliant idea of sticking on them to keep from mixing them up. But I swear they're different, somehow. Maybe it's just that now I can't help but wonder…

I'd thought of them as 'wishbone shaped', but people don't exactly have 'wishbones'. They have ribs, though. Two curved bits per Charm...is that two ribs? Maybe just one, split in half? I have three charms here. Plus the one Victoria threw away, that's four. The one that...that he broke in front of me, that's five. Ten ribs? Twenty?

How many people died for those four charms? And what about the Runes? What the hell are those made out of?

I close my eyes, struggle to control my breathing as I pull my hood back and yank my mask off. 'My' mask...the one that he made. I turn it over in my hands, hunching over as my stomach twists. It's all metal, cloth. No bone. I wasn't...I wasn't wearing anyone on my fucking face.

No, I was only accessorizing with dead people.

Fuck, I need to think about something else. I close my eyes again and toss the mask, bury my face in my hands. The feeling of cool leather against my skin is a relief. Something I can pay attention to besides potential serial-killer trophies.

I sit there like that and focus on my breathing for...I'm not sure how long. Long enough that Victoria has time to finish her shower, at least. I don't bother looking up as I hear the bathroom door open, or as I mentally track her footsteps down the hall, or even when she slips into the room and nudges the door shut behind her.

"Falling asleep on me, here?"

Oh, how I wish. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep. Tonight, or in the future. Still, I try to smile. Even if my heart isn't in it. "I wouldn't mind it." I straighten up with a sigh, comb my hair back fitfully...and struggle not to snicker at the sight of Victoria in rumpled pajamas and a towel turban. It's just so at odds with everything else that I can't help it. And for a moment, my smile isn't quite so forced. "Figured I'd give you a chance to get comfortable before I dump this shit on you."

"You're all heart, Taylor." She rolls her eyes, and I have to dodge to the side to avoid her as she turns an entirelyunnecessary (and obviously power-aided) flip across the room and onto the bed. She lands in a careless sort of sprawl, frowning up at her ceiling before turning her attention to me. "So what's the damage this time?"

I shoot another glance toward the Charms, and decide that I'm really not ready to get into that. No, we'll focus on the much less sickening bullshit that is my social life. "Bad-news, worse-news then…"

"Ugh."

"Sophia Hess."

A moment of silence, and Victoria huffs, sitting up and dragging herself back to rest against the headboard. "That's...bully number two? Track star, shove-you-down-the-stairs psycho bitch."

I nod, slowly. "And a Ward."

It takes her a few seconds to catch on. "She's a what?" A pause, and she holds up her hands. "Wait, no. No, Taylor, you can't just...shit, you're saying she's Shadow Stalker?" Her expression twists. "I knew you freaked out when she showed up."

God, I hope it wasn't that obvious. "I recognized her voice. For a second...I thought that they were just there." If that had been all it was, I could have played if off. Ignored them. But of course it couldn't be that simple. "She's a Ward. What the hell am I supposed to do about that?"

"You're sure?" She moves to sit next to me, hunching forward to catch my eye. "Like, a hundred-percent, no doubt about it?"

I wish I could say I wasn't. But I didn't doubt it before, and I can't really work out any reason to doubt it now. "As close to it as I can be without actually pulling off her mask." Sophia's mask. Because she's a fucking Ward. I grit my teeth and dig the heels of my hands into my eyes. "So that's the bad news. One of the girls that's been tormenting me for over a year is also a 'Hero'. Ready for the worse news?"

"Not even slightly. Seriously, can I have a minute to fucking process here?"

A bitter part of me wants to point out that I didn't get that chance. I swallow it down with my nausea and force myself to wait while Victoria does her best to restrain herself. When she does finally give me the nod to continue, my carefully worded explanation falls apart as everything just...spills out.

"Tattletale knew about the Tinker. Enough to think that I was connected, somehow. She was trying to screw with my head, I know that, but it's not important. Because she'd been investigating him; I don't know why. Just that she was. And she connected him to a dozen disappearances. And...some bodies, that were found." I stop, breathe, and look to the Charms I'd laid out. Hesitate. But that's stupid, so I need to just fucking say it. "They were missing parts. Bones."

"...what?"

"The Charms, the Runes?" I turn back to Victoria. "I really don't want to believe it, but if Tattletale was right, then they're made from human bones."

Victoria's hand drops off my shoulder, and her attention shifts to the Charms. "That's..." She trails off into silence. I don't think I've ever actually seen somebody 'go pale', but I guess this is just that sort of situation. "Fuck. Are you-?" I nod, when she looks my way again. "That's fucked up."

"You really don't have to tell me that."

"Yes, I fucking do, Taylor!" I wince as she raises her voice; a moment later she's on her feet, tearing the towel off her head with very obvious frustration. "I told you these things were fucked up! But no, they're so fucking useful, even with the weird trances and death-traps!"

"Death-traps that would have actually killed me if I hadn't had-"

"If you hadn't had the fucking murder-jewelry!?"

"Yes." I look up at her, doing my best to communicate just how much less than okay I am with the fact. Some of her anger fades, so I guess it works. "Do you think I'm happy that I've been wearing human remains for the past few weeks?"

She stares at me for a moment, then turns away with a few more muttered curses. "...okay. So, assuming that Tattletale wasn't lying...this guy is a full on murderer." She waves at me without turning around. "So we need to tell people. My family. The Protectorate, maybe?"

"The Protectorate. The ones who let four teenagers get the drop on them and couldn't catch the two that I didn't hand deliver to them." I scowl, bitter anger cutting through my uneasiness. "I don't like this, but what are they going to do if we bring this to them?"

"...take over." She faces me again. "Shut us out. They've done it before." Another pause, and she narrows her eyes. "Taylor, we cannot do this on our own, alright? I know you have this...thing about asking for help-" I open my mouth to argue that, but she cuts me off with a sharp gesture toward the Charms. "-but this is not negotiable, alright?"

Right. I nod, slowly. It's unavoidable, bringing more people in. I've been so damn obstinate about that, because I've been afraid of having to...what? Admit that someone gave me my powers? And how many people have died in the weeks since I found the first Shrine?

Victoria's been advocating help for awhile now. Maybe it's time I listen.

"Alright." I nod again. "What are we going to do?"

Her brow furrows, and she chews her lip. "I think...tonight's a bust." She slumps, and shuffles over to settle heavily on the bed beside me again. "The family's going to be coming in late, we're not in any kind of good condition; going out now would just be sloppy."

"So we wait?"

"Until tomorrow, at least." She flops onto her back. "We can get started bright and early. I'll get my aunt and uncle on board, they'll convince my parents, and we hit that son of a bitch where he lives."

I guess that's as good a plan as any. "Tomorrow, then." And I guess that means I should head home. Try to rest. "Give me a call when you need me?"

"Totally." She reaches up to tap my shoulder with her knuckles. "And once we bring this asshole down? We're going to figure out what to do about Shadow Stalker."

My laughter is probably wildly inappropriate. But at this point, I really can't help it. It's just so stupid. It's stupid, and it's terrible.

But it's going to get better.

We're going to make it better.

xxxxxxxxxx

It's a...very long night.

I think I slept, at some point, but I really don't remember it. What I do remember is lying in bed, watching as the light coming in through my window got brighter, as a beam of sunlight crept further and further across my room. Listening to dad go through his morning routine. Hearing the door shut behind him as he left.

That was...half an hour ago, according to my alarm clock. And I'm starting to think that this qualifies as 'morning'.

Checking my phone again assures me that I didn't miss any calls. Or texts. So that's not something I need to concern myself over. Not yet, anyway. Victoria said she would call, no when she'd do it. So it's fine. Everything's on track.

Actually, I should make sure I'm ready to go when the time comes. That would be helpful.

So, I haul myself out of bed. Speed through a shower. Force down a piece of toast. No call, still, so I get to work putting on my costume. There's some trial and error involved, there, but Victoria was kind enough to hand over a little instruction pamphlet after she helped me out of the thing last night.

Eventually, everything is strapped and secured. I barely even flinched when I pulled my mask on, and looking at it all in the mirror again, I manage to convince myself that using it won't be an issue. It really won't. Not like the...Charms. The ones still threaded onto the belt that I'm halfway through picking up before I realize what the fuck I'm doing.

They clatter as they hit the floor again, and I cringe at the sound. The idea of one of them breaking is...I don't even know. How am I supposed to react to this? What do you do when you find out that you've had the desecrated remains of who knows how many murder victims sitting in your fucking desk drawer? That you've been carrying them around because they're convenient?

No, that's not why. They're more than convenient. I'd be dead almost a dozen times over if I hadn't taken them. I made the right call based on what I knew. The fact that they're made from...from people...doesn't change that. It just means that now I know better. Now I'll just...leave them here.

Before I go to pick a fight with the psycho that made them. The guy that's killed a bunch of people and has already attacked me once.

...no. No, I don't need them. I did fine without them last night, and I've got plenty of backup today. If I'm careful, pay attention, I'll be fine.

Now that I think about it, though, it might be a good idea to put them away. Out of sight, out of mind.

It doesn't take very long to bundle them up in the back of my closet with the Runes. To bury them under clothes and clutter. Out of the way. And yeah, maybe I go a little overboard there, but it's not like I have anything better to do. Besides sitting. Waiting. Thinking. None of those things are particularly appealing to me right now.

Why the hell hasn't Victoria called me yet?

"Come on, Taylor. Relax." Voicing the thought out loud seems like it helps. Although maybe it's not the best idea to start up a habit of talking to myself. I've got enough problems without people starting to think I'm crazy. It's bad enough I'm starting to feel it…

That's my phone. I fumble it out of my coat pocket...and almost immediately hang up the call. God dammit. A quick check confirms that that definitely was Victoria. So that's even better. After convincing myself not to toss my phone out the nearest window, I actually manage to call her back.

She picks up immediately, biting out something that I'm sure is mildly insulting (but meant as a joke). I'm not really surewhat she said, given the rush of wind turning it into staticky gibberish. "Are you...are you flying?" I grin, despite myself. "I can't hear you if you're flying, you know."

"W-t? -ou-." More static. "-d on." A surge of wind, a scraping hiss, and then silence. "How's that?"

"Better." I nod, tug at my mask to settle it more comfortably around my jaw. "Were you flying?"

"No way. Way too much wind." I can almost hear her rolling her eyes. "I mean, yeah, I was kind of...above the skyline. A little bit. But I figured it couldn't be that windy just hanging around there."

Right...well, she sounds relaxed enough. That's probably a good sign. "Did you talk to your family?"

"Oh, yeah. I brought them up to speed. I mean, mostly. Minus, you know, the really awkward bits. You're welcome." I barely have time to mutter a 'thank you' before she continues. "They're on board. Or at least willing to back me on this."

This is happening, then. Good...good. "When?"

"Soon. I was actually on my way to pick you up. Are you good to go?"

"I am more than ready to get to work."

"Awesome. I'll be there in, like, five minutes."

"Great-" And she just hung up. I guess she's in a rush. So, maybe I should make sure I really am ready to meet her.

Costume is set, batons holstered and secure...crossbow? Being able to knock someone out reliably (and from a distance) would be extremely useful. But it's not the most compact thing in the world, I don't know how many shots are left in it, and I've got no real way to carry it besides...well, holding it. And while I'm sure that I could club someone over the head with the thing in a pinch, that would probably break it.

So I avoid close range unless I have a chance to set it down or something. Why am I overcomplicating this? Victoria's going to be here any second-

Because she's flying. To my house. Probably in full costume. In broad daylight.

There's a part of me that hopes Victoria would be thoughtful and considerate enough not to just swoop down onto my front porch where every neighbor and their dog could see her. And I would really love to believe that.

The brightly glowing figure that swoops down onto my front porch as I unlock the front door shatters that hope into a million tiny pieces. I don't waste time mourning it, though, blinking away the enhancement and yanking the door open. Victoria blinks at me, frozen mid-knock; I use that to my advantage, grabbing her extended hand to drag her inside and, more importantly, out of sight.

"Hello to you too?"

I don't slam the door shut, though it's a close thing. "I seem to remember you sitting me down for a long talk about secret identities and why we keep them." Also why they were stupid, but important. There had also been a tangent about how bullshit supervillains were, but we'd been out patrolling at the time, and she had quickly given up on that in order to vent her frustration by breaking up a nearby drug deal.

The look she gives me could best be described as 'skeptical'. "Uh-huh...and which one of us spilled Shadow Stalker's civilian I.D. in less than half an hour?"

That...that may be true. But- "It's different."

Victoria sobers, and nods. "Yeah, it kinda is." She chews her lip, for a moment, then lets out a frustrated sound and shakes her head. "Man, I could have gotten a lot of mileage out of playing the wounded ego, you know?" When I just stand there, uncomprehending, she rolls her eyes and pastes on an offended expression. "'What, I can't have non-cape friends? I think I'm entitled to a little normality you know. That's it, just for that, we're going to hang out outside of costume. A minimum of three hours a week. No exceptions. Yes, you may consider it a punishment…'"

"I think I get the idea." I cut her off before she canget on a roll. But I'm smiling, now, so that's something. "You know I could have met you at your place, right?"

She shakes her head. "This is quicker. Everyone's getting together closer to the docks."

Right, because that's where the hideout is. I think. I remember the area well enough, but where it is in relation to everything else...it's a little fuzzy. Probably not something I should bring up right now, of course, so I just nod agreeably and heft the crossbow a bit. "Let's get moving, then."

Victoria grins, offering her hand without hesitation.

xxxxxxxxxx

I hadn't met New Wave at large before. Separately and (with most of them) briefly, yes. But standing here in some broken down parking lot, in front of the full team? With everyone in costume and the pressure of a very real, very serious situation? I feel...very out of my depth.

"Alright, so we're here." Victoria...Glory Girl...doesn't seem to be feeling it, of course. That confidence, the lack of concern, it's something I'd really like to share right now. "Did you guys work out the plan?"

There are a few glances shared between the adults, before Lady Photon nods. "This should be a fairly standard capture." She offers me what I think is meant to be a reassuring smile. "We have the advantages of surprise and numbers."

"And plenty of experience in dealing with murderous psychopaths." Manpower chimes in with a tight smile.

Lady Photon shoots him a faintly exasperated look, but nods. "That too." Her expression smooths out again as she turns back to me. "Crow, once we arrive, you'll be with Shielder and Panacea" The pair in question perk up at the sound of their names. Shielder offers a jaunty wave, while Amy offers a vaguely acknowledging nod. Personally, I just try not to cringe at the fact that that name really isn't going to go away any time soon. "You're going to keep them mobile so they can more effectively support us. You'll be following their lead, so pay attention, alright?"

"I can do that."

"Wonderful." Her attention shifts to Glory Girl. "You're going to be with Laserdream."

Glory Girl just smirks as she drifts over to join her cousin. "Bash and Blast."

"Always a classic." Laserdream's answering smile is disconcertingly similar, and I experience a brief moment of concern for whoever winds up getting in their way.

Remembering just who that's likely to be puts that feeling to rest pretty quickly.

"The rest of us will be making sure the suspect is properly attentive." Brandish picks up where Lady Photon left off, glancing toward her daughter before turning a critical frown on me. "You haven't worked with us before, but Glory Girl tells us you're competent. As long as you exercise due caution, we won't have any problems." I bristle, but nod. "If there are problems, we'll withdraw and reassess. We won't be picking a losing fight, any personal feelings aside."

"I get it."

A moment of silence, before Lady Photon clears her throat. "Then let's get moving." She lifts into the air a few feet. "Crow, you can teleport multiple people at a time?"

"At least three. Wh-?" Oh, right. Not all of New Wave are Movers. "I can probably manage everyone. I just need to have physical contact."

"Good." She offers a decisive nod and drifts back, motioning me closer. "You'll be setting our pace and guiding us in. Whenever you're ready."

My stomach clenches as the reality of this whole thing really hits me. It was probably a good idea not to go for a heavy breakfast...I step forward, watch as Glory Girl, Shielder, and Laserdream lift into the air to join Lady Photon. Which, I guess, leaves me with...everyone else.

I look at them. They look back, expectantly.

Shit, this is gonna be awkward. "Alright, just...grab on, I guess." I spread my arms out toward them. Manpower, at least, doesn't hesitate. He's smiling as he moves around to rest a hand on my shoulder; I'm not sure how much I appreciate the contact, but the attempt at reassurance is nice.

Flashbang and Brandish take up positions on my other side, gripping my offered arm; Amy stands opposite them, and hesitates for a moment before taking hold of my sleeve. Which...should be fine. As long as I stay focused.

"I'll take us up to that roof over there, first." I point, as best I can, at the building across the street. "It'll make it easier to follow from the air, right?"

Lady Photon nods agreeably, but doesn't offer anything more. And I get it, because this is part of the plan; this isn't exactly a time for conversation. We're going to catch a killer.

Right. Catching a killer. That's what we're doing...going to do.

I'm hesitating. This is stupid.

"Okay, hold on." A moment to focus, on my destination and everything I need to take along.

We appear on the rooftop. After a few seconds, the shadows of the rest of the team pass over us.

Now I just need to do that a dozen or so more times.

"This would be so much easier if you guys had a van or something."

Manpower snorts, but any response is cut off when I teleport us again.