My name is Taylor Hebert, and my life is a mess. And I would say it became that when my mom died over two years ago, which started a downward spiral that ended in me getting powers.
But then Verity Mendex entered my life, and it seemingly started to be turned around as one person decided to be kind to me.
For Verity had helped me, cared for me, been there for me at my lowest moment, and if I was honest, despite having only known her for a little over a week. I trusted her more than anybody.
And then she told me she kept the fact that Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker from me, that Sophia was part of the Wards team that I had just joined.
And that had me so goddamn angry; Verity had manipulated me and kept information hidden from me.
But what made it even worse as I sat with the other Wards, getting to know my new comrades, their names, the likes, and dislikes.
Was that I understood?
I understood why Verity had done what she had done; I realized it had hurt her to keep secrets from me just to get me where I currently was. With people my own age that would be able to depend and go for assistance. Since I had already felt and experienced what going solo meant.
My hand went down to my stomach where the claws of Bitch's dog had torn my stomach open.
I shuddered a bit.
"You okay Taylor?" Missy asked.
"Yeah, I am fine just thinking about things," I replied.
"Ah okay," The youngest Ward said back. "So did you get to keep your costume?"
"Haven't talked with PR about it yet, I need to do that power testing thing first," I told her.
"You probably will," Dennis commented. "Shadow Stalker kept hers, Miranda is actually rather lax and dark scary capes are in this season."
"I am not scary… Am I?" I asked, as I tried not to scowl at the mention of Sophia's cape name.
"Well you're a walking biblical plague and a giant spider girl, you're instantly any arachnophobe's living nightmare," John said.
And I pouted at the second newest Ward here in Brockton Bay, whose debut had been alongside Verity's. And now my thoughts returned to her, and with that came anger and also thankfulness, joy, happiness, loathing and a lot of frustration at the happier feelings .
I really needed to figure out how to deal with my mixed emotions for her rather soon.
"Yeah you're definitely one of the strongest Capes here Taylor," Carlos stated, my team leader obviously trying to make me feel a bit better with that statement. By simply saying that I was strong instead of scary which was something I didn't want to be.
"Anyway, Taylor, are you going to join us at Arcadia, or are you staying at Winslow?" Dean asked.
"No, I am going to Arcadia at the start of May, my dad wanted me to join next week, but the Director said that would be a bad idea, as Arcadia has a waiting list and if a new girl bypassess it and then a new Ward shows up…" I let them come to their own conclusion and the others seem to get what I was implying.
"Yeah that would get you unmasked immediately, they probably want to pick out other girls that look similar to you to create further confusion," Chris said as he looked up from his laptop, and I guessed he was either doing homework or working on a Tinker project.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I replied and before anything else could be said, the door to the Ward HQ opened and in stepped Sophia dressed in her full costume, and my lips went into a thin line as she glanced at me for a second and quickly walked past all of us.
"So you and Stalker both go to Winslow right?" Dean asked. "I guess you have a history with her in her civvies?"
"Yeah, and that is what I am going to talk to her about," I said as I stood up and quickly followed Sophia into her room. "Hess."
"Hebert," She replied almost fearfully, which made me feel a form of vindication, it was a terrible thought that entered my head but it felt nice for a singular second to have our usual relationship reversed.
"I think the two of us are going to have to talk, no not a talk, you're just going to listen to what I have to say," I stated. "Now I am pretty sure when one breaks their probation which what you did to me definitely qualifies as one goes straight to jail. But it seems that Verity is an infinitely better and kinder person than the both of us."
"I know," She replied in a quiet tone of voice, which took me by genuine surprise. But I didn't let it show on my face.
"And you also know that if you even try anything again to me, I will fucking rip your head off before anybody else has a chance to," I stated and I knew I could. "So here is the deal, you're just going to continue to do here what you've been doing at Winslow, you don't talk to, you don't interact with me if we cross paths during our separate shifts, though thankfully I will only have to deal with you at Winslow for the rest of the month." I informed her. "Is that understood Hess?"
"It is," She complied without any fuss, taking me even more by surprise as I was pretty sure Sophia would argue with me about it.
"Though before I put it into effect, I would like to know why? Why did you?" I asked as Sophia was the only I could get answers from, as Emma, my former best-friend and sister in all but blood was now in a psychiatric hospital for Parahumans, and Madison well… she was just the primary hanger on really. In hindsight I could see that it was not really trio, just a duo with an extra.
"Do you wanna know the truth?" Sophia asked in such a way that sounded like the answer would destroy my world view.
"Obviously," I growled at her.
"I did it because I was bored, because Emma wanted to, and because it made me feel better about myself," She answered.
"...Wow you're pathetic Sophia," I responded.
"I know, I know a terrible person, and I am sorry," She apologised to me, the bitch actually apologised to me.
"Sorry? You're sorry? Do you have any idea what you did to me? What you made me go through? You made me Trigger Sophia, what you did gave me powers!"
"And I didn't mean to, I didn't think, I didn't think."
"Of course you didn't, if you did you would have realised what kind of shit human being you are."
"I know, I know Hebert, okay? I know I wasn't thinking, and I didn't because I… why did we even?" Sophia asked herself, seemingly unsure of where the idea of the Locker had come from. "I… I did it because I could Hebert, there were no consequences until…"
"Until I told Verity," I said.
"Until you told Verity," Sophia repeated.
"And she actually managed to make you realise what a shitty human being you were?" I asked. "How?" I could kinda guess that Verity had put the fear of god into them, but I was curious as to how she had made it stick. As Sophia had kinda gotten off scot free compared to what her actual crimes were.
"She made me feel guilt, she made me realize I was being exactly like him," Sophia spoke that word with genuine venom in her voice. "And it also helped that… Hebert, I've been to an Endbringer fight, I was doing search and rescue when Behemoth appeared last August, and I thought I had seen the height of power. But when Verity stood before me, I knew that Behemoth wasn't power, she was. And it really made me reconsider my place in the universe and my worldview."
"Yeah, she kinda does give off that presence doesn't she?" I added.
"The presence of a god? Yeah, it felt like she was judging my sins with those eyes of hers," Sophia said, and to my ears it sounded like something I couldn't quite place, but it sounded close to a mix of respect and admiration.
"I see, so what do you plan to do now?" I asked Sophia.
"Keeping my promise to you and Verity," She replied.
"Good, but know this Sophia," I said. "I am never going to forgive you for what you did to me, not now, not ever, nor forget. But if you're actually guilty, remorseful for what you did, maybe one day, I will be willing to accept an apology and work with you Sophia. For I am better than you, any of you. That is why I didn't lash out, why I never retaliated, because I was comforted by my own maybe misguided thoughts that your toxic personalities would destroy your lives, while I live a happy one."
"That's fair," Sophia replied. "But Hebert, I never intended that to be your Trigger Event, I have powers you know, I know how it feels."
"I actually believe you when you say that," I replied as I turned around and walked out of her room. And as I returned to the lounging area, I found everybody else staring at me. "Shit you heard that didn't you?" And I realised that I had forgotten to close the door behind me.
"You were kinda loud," Missy said.
"Taylor, did she really?" Dennis asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Dean asked.
"No," I snapped back. "Sorry, maybe later, much later, just not now."
"Okay…" Dean replied in acceptance.
"So… cards?" Carlos asked, moving the subject along, probably unwilling to think about what their teammate had done.
"Cards." We all said in agreement.
Xxx
A/N: If you like this or any other of my stories, you can donate to my P A Treon. com (slash) StreamingViking and read commissioned stories. Along with voting for which stories will be updated next via Polls. And chapters before they are released here.
