Disclaimer: This is a fan work that was written with no intent for profit and within fair use laws. Worm by Wildbow and The Gamer by Sung San-Young are not owned by me. If you haven't yet, I strongly suggest you give both a try.

Character Creation 1.2

"Ow!"

Instead of cracking my head on the floor, I hit something soft and yielding. Well, bony and yielding. And by 'yielding' I mean 'collapsing under my weight'. Either way, I didn't die.

[-3 HP]

Barely.

[Quest Completed!]

[You have gained Freedom! and 200 XP]

What about my relationship boost?

"James, were you in MY locker?"

"I think Sophia wasn't creative enough to stuff me in a different locker," I say as I roll off of Taylor. She picks herself up and takes in the sight of the mangled locker.

"At least it's clean this time," she said with a shudder.

I'm not in any of the same classes as Taylor, but we talk occasionally. Even if she wasn't the best balance of well-informed and not-spazzy of the other cape geeks, I'd have known about her after her significantly worse stint in the locker.

Sophia, Emma, and Madison (les trois chiennes) locked Taylor in her own locker with fermented femine hygene products a few months ago. Everyone knew who did it. Most people didn't even try to help. I got my first ever broken bone (clavacle) when MADISON of all people (creepy cutesy twit) tackled me when I approached the locker despite threats to my manhood and reputation if I tried to help.

When I tried to tell Principle Blackwell what happened, Emma's dad threatened my parents with a defamation suit. My mom made me write an apology. If it weren't for the clear signs that nothing I did at that point would help, I wouldn't have done it. As it was, I used a simple misspelling code to describe my true feelings on the matter in lurid detail.

Next time I'll remember the bitch can't spell well enough to catch it.

I take a moment to come to my feet and look Taylor in the eye.

[Taylor Hebert]
[Level 12]
[Unaffiliated Parahuman]

I don't need... No, I don't want to know that. Using powers to discover a cape's secret identity is a huge breach of the so-called "unwritten rules". (Not only are the "unwritten rules" available in whole on at least sixteen parahuman fanboards, including ParaHumans Online, the freaking Protectorate AND PRT websites have them as well. And there's a truly intimidating video that KEEPS popping up on Youtube of the Marquis laying out the rules.) This is a ticket to getting my ticket punched if anyone finds out.

I think my face must have gone white, because Taylor started trying to comfort ME. "Hey, there's nothing in there, and I wasn't using the locker or anything. We'll just leave and no one will blame you for the locker. Unless Emma or Madison or Sophia says you did or something. But the dent is from the inside, so maybe the teachers will believe you were locked in there or-"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." Did I really regenerate four health without her taking a breath? "I think I just need to..."

What do I need to do? School isn't actually even over yet. But I'm not up to going to class. Especially since I'm pretty sure I'm supposed be in gym, and that dodgeball might kill me right now. And going home is kinda pointless. No one else will be home until at least 6. I kinda want to talk to Taylor about my maybe powers, but if she is a cape she might kill me or something if she thinks I'll out her or something. Parahumans are notoriously touchy about their secret identies.

[Relationship with Taylor Hebert increased!]

[Relationship with Taylor Hebert has advanced from 'School mates' to 'Friends']

Fuck it. If she hasn't destroyed San Guchi for what they did to her flute or for the locker before that (and that was a trigger event if I've ever heard of one) she wasn't going to kill a friend. As long as I was careful. I hope.

"I'm hungry. And I hear Fugly Bob's lost the whole 'frying veggie-patties in lard' lawsuit. I'll pay?" I swear, if I was half as well-spoken out loud as I am in my head...

Taylor's expression reinforced my poor opinion of my speaking skills. "You'd better not mean-"

"Do I look like Greg? No, I just wanted to talk with you. And eat something. Preferably lard-free. And meat-free. And Bob's is closest, and I wouldn't presume to ask someone to come along without paying."

Apparently that was good enough.