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Detonation 5-3

"It's going to get dark soon." I noted with a glance at the sky.

"Yeah, what the hell." Cavalier said through a mouth full of food. "I thought we were going to see more action than a few guys with guns. Where the hell are the bad guys?"

"Pfff, bad guys?" Alice laughed.

"Oh fuck right off." Cavalier pointed her spork at Alice. "You know what I mean. I thought these guys had a big fire dragon or something. I want to fight that."

"He's stuck in a time bubble at the moment." Alice's trademark smirk firmly in place. "And I have no doubt that he is surrounded by tranquilizers and foam sprayers for the very second he gets out."

"That's boring." Cavalier dropped her spork to her tray. "And this food sucks."

"I wouldn't say that too loud." Alice cautioned. "The Guard didn't have to share."

"Yeah, yeah." Cavalier grumbled.

"What time do we head back?" I asked Alice.

Alice frowned. "We should have turned over the checkpoint hours ago. Coupled with the fact we are now letting people through the checkpoint? Something happened."

"Oh yeah smarty pants and what would that be?" MP plopped down onto the picnic table we had appropriated for ourselves.

"Something dangerous if we are letting people leave the area. If I had my computer or hell even my phone I could probably figure out more." Alice shot a soft glare at me.

"It's not good for you." I told her without looking up. "You can have it back later."

"What are you her mom?" Cavalier joked.

"Her girlfriend." I corrected. "And if I don't she will over use her power and get all grumpy when she gets a headache."

"Migraine," Alice corrected. "And just because I don't have my phone or computer doesn't mean I don't come up with more plans, I just can't keep them organized." She gave me a look.

Oh, right, she was supposed to be a tinker/thinker.

"You can play with your toys later." I returned in my best patronizing tone to let her know I had gotten the message.

"Oooh, Now we are talking." Cavalier leaned over the table. "What kind of toys?"

Alice's smirk turned into a full on grin and threatened to break into a smile. "I shouldn't say. Wisp is a bit shy."

Shy? What the hell did me being shy have to do with tinker te-

Then it hit me and my face went very red.

"Oh ho, so it's true about the quiet ones?" Cavalier asked Alice.

"If I say anything she'll punish me later." Alice flashed me a smile.

"Hoo I wouldn't have figured her for the dominant type." She looked me over again.

"Well this certainly turned a different direction." MP pulled her fingers out of her ears. "I'm a little old to be listening to the discussions of sexual activity of minors. A change of topic would be nice."

"Sucks to be old." Cavalier snarked.

MP fired back. "I'm not old, you are too young to even be discussing the topic."

"Hah," Cavalier snorted. "I'm eighteen."

MP pointed at me. "Fifteen." Then at Alice. "Sixteen."

"So? They said they were together and I'm not chasing either of them." She looked MP over. "You on the other hand, eh?"

MP laughed. "Straight as an arrow I am."

"You know an arrow bends a bit when it's fired." Cavalier retorted.

"Oh my god." I placed my face in my hands. I could feel the heat of my embarrassed face clearly.

MP continued to laugh at Cavalier which seemed to cool things off.

"Bah your almost as bad as Har- Lyctor." Cavalier hooked a thumb over her shoulder at where Lyctor was supervising a quartet of skeletons from a safe while they picked through luggage the civilians had turned in to get through the check point.

"She turn you down too?" Alice asked.

"Nope."

"Then-"

"It's complicated."

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose. "Must be."

"Oh, you've got no idea." Cavalier laughed. "I'm totally into her and even though we are partners she won't let me make any obvious moves but she will get all possessive anytime I make a pass at another woman."

"Tha-"

"All while telling me she has the hottest of hots for this other chick I've never met!" Cavalier threw up her hands to bang them onto the table.

The table was silent.

"Complicated alright." MP confirmed.

Cavalier leaned back to look up at the sky. "Bah, now I'm bored again." She slumped forward and focused on Alice. "What kinda toys."

"I'm out of here." MP picked up her unfinished tray and left.

.

So many fires had broken out in the Docks that the northeast skyline of the Bay was a hazy dull orange.

"The fighting is all but over." Legend announced from the stage. "But there is still work to do. Bakuda, Oni Lee and an unknown number of Travelers are still at large."

Grumbling spread through the crowd.

"But we have performed an incredible feat today!" Legend continued. "Not one person involved in our task force has been killed! No soldiers of the guard, nor police officers, nor firefighters. No paramedics or any of the numerous volunteers. We lost not a single soul in the fight against the ABB and that, my friends, is something for which we should all be proud of. "

Pride filled my chest.

"Notice he didn't mention casualties for civilians." Alice muttered next to me.

And my stomach dropped out.

"Some of us are staying out tonight to keep up the pressure. I hope those of you who decide to stay the night will join the search in the morning. To those of you who must return to your areas of responsibility, thank you for answering the call. Your help cannot be measured nor compensated with words alone but please be assured should you need help, these faces around you just might be the ones to answer that call."

"Come on," Alice slipped into my arms careful not to jump my bruise. "I'm tired, let's go."

I focused on the Ward's locker room and when we landed the locker room lights turned on in response to our arrival.

"First ones back I guess." Lisa pulled off her hat and mask. "Come on, let's get your costume off so I can get a better look at that bruise."

She helped me out of my costume, leaving the discarded articles wherever they landed. Soon adding her own.

Lisa peeled my undershirt up to just under my breasts and I thought I should have been embarrassed to show so much skin to her.

"Fuck." Lisa traced the fingers of one hand down the the length of the bruise. "Lucky it wasn't further up, or you would have probably broken a rib."

"Hurt like hell anyway." I sucked in a breath as her fingers brushed across the center of the bruise again.

"Sorry." Lisa winced.

"S'okay," I looked down at it. The bruise had darkened and spread out more, in the colorful way all the best bruises did. "Glad it hit the vest." The moment flashed in front of my eyes and my throat tightened and eyes burned with sudden tears.

"Oh, Taylor." Lisa cupped my cheek with one hand, the other pulling mine away from the bruise. "You're okay, it's okay."

I leaned into her and cried.

She held me carefully and eased the both of us down onto the bench between the lockers. "It's okay, you're okay." She soothed. "You're safe now."

"I'm sorry," I sniffled still leaning into her.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." She used her fingers to push stray hairs out of my face and tuck them behind my ears. "Come you should shower and change before everyone else gets back." She helped me up. "I know it's sucks but run cool water over the bruise, it's way too fresh for hot water."

"Kay," I mumbled. I didn't want her to let go of me.

"Taylor," Lisa said softly. "You need to shower."

"Kay."

"Alright." She led me over to a shower and held my hand as she turned the water on. "I'll pamper you this one time." She squeezed my hand, her way of telling me she was joking. "But only cause you got shot."

"Who got shot?"

I jumped, quickly followed by a hiss of breath as muscles tightened beneath my bruise.

"Taylor did." Lisa said clearly annoyed with Lily's arrival.

"Oh shit," Lily peeled off the outer layer of her costume and tossed it into the hamper labeled Flechette. "You alright?"

"Hurts." I admitted.

Lisa molded to my back and lifted the hem of my shirt just enough to show the bruise.

"Ouch," Lily peeled off the rest of her costume leaving only her under cloths.

I suddenly felt too exposed in only the undershirt and shorts we wore under our costumes. My face heated up and I averted my gaze from Lily and placed my hand on Lisa's to lower my shirts hem.

"Cold water is best for bruises on the first day." Lily grabbed clothing and a towel from her locker and picked the shower closet to her. "If you use hot, the bruise will spread."

Lisa huffed out a small breath, she still hadn't forgiven Lily.

"Hop in the shower I'll get you some clothes." Still pressed against my back, her voice was soft in my ear.

I shivered.

She gently pushed me towards the shower.

I stepped into the stall with a glance back at Lisa.

She gave me a wink before turning to rummage through our lockers for towels and clothes.

Shutting the shower door I peeled off my underclothes, sports bra (what a joke), and underwear. The water was cool but not cold. I was still tempted to adjust it up to warm at the very least.

"Don't even think about it." Lisa draped a folded towel, sweatpants and a t-shirt over the shower door.

I stepped into the cool spray of the shower and nearly teleported out. Fuck that was cold. I turned the heat up until I was basking under a warm spray.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Lisa singsonged. "You didn't have any underwear or bras in your locker by the way."

Oh god, the hot water felt amazing on my scalp. I started my routine. "It's okay I'll get some out of my room."

The shower stall next to mine started up. "Fine with me." She said it in a way I could hear her grin. "I wouldn't teleport if I were you."

I ignored her in favor of the hot water.

.

"Ouch"

"Sorry", Lisa continued to brush my hair out from behind me. "Your hair tangles so easily."

"I know but you don't have to pull on it." I said. "How did you deal with them when your hair was longer?"

"Tug them out." She said as if it was obvious. "But my hair didn't have your curls."

"I like my curls." I defended.

"So do I, but damn if they don't make you hair harder to brush." She moved the brush more carefully. "And I've never brushed anyone else's hair other than my own."

"I can tell." I snarked.

She let out a small sort of a laugh. "Oh yeah? Maybe you don't need me to pamper and worry about you then." She poked my ribs on the Non bruised side.

"I'll be good."

She made an unconvinced sound.

"Her mother used to have the same problems." Dad sat nursing a cup of coffee.

He had not taken the news of my being shot well, as expected of a parent surely. Though, understandable as it was, his not letting me out of his site was getting annoying. He even had a cot brought down to the training room so I would stay here with all the families.

Thankfully, Lisa had gotten another, set it up beside mine, and with some ingenuity and borrowed padding from the equipment closet, made a single bed of it. For us to share.

Dad surprisingly didn't object though he did give Lisa a look that she probably understood but I sure didn't.

"Annette used to complain about how tangled her hair would get." He smiled at the memory. "Though she would refuse to cut it short. She used to say it was her best feature."

Familiar pain twisted in my chest at the memory of Mom.

Dad cleared his throat fighting his own heart ache. "She'd kill me if she knew I let you go out and get shot."

"I can't back out now." I my voice was a little horse from the tightening in my throat.

He looked down at his coffee cup. "You can Taylor. You don't have to be a Hero just because you have powers."

"I can't leave," I shook my head and corrected myself. "I don't want to leave, not when I know I can make a difference."

"So stubborn." He looked up to me with a tired smile. "Just like your mother."

Silence filled the awkward gap that had grown between me and Dad since I became a Ward.

"Lights out in 10 people. Wards who want to resume action report to Wards briefing room at zero nine hundred." Miss Militia spoke over the intercom.

Dad checked his watch. "Almost Ten. Guess that's not too bad."

Lisa tugged the brush through my hair a few more times. "We going out again tomorrow?"

"If they need us." I shrugged.

"Have to wait and see I guess." Lisa deposited the brush into the plastic tub under our combined cot. "You need anything before I close this?"

"Aspirin?"

She rummaged around and pulled out a bottle, measured dosage, and passed them over with a bottle of water. She was still worried.

I smiled at her. "Thanks."

"Anything for you." She closed the container and slid it beneath our cot.

"I'm going to hit the head before lights out." Dad got up and wandered off in the direction of the bathrooms.

Lisa shifted the blankets and patted the cot next to her as she lay down. "Shall we?"

I moved in next to her and she molded herself to my back, pulling the blanket up to our shoulders.

"Guh, wish I was taller." Her voice was less than a whisper.

"Why?"

"It's hard to be the big spoon when you are shorter."

I wasn't really sure what she meant by that. "Oh."

"This," she wrapped one arm around my torso, gently pulling me towards her, careful of the bruise. "Is much harder cause our hips are not aligned right."

I tried to picture it and it did kinda of seem awkward. "Could switch places."

"No." She pressed her forehead into me and her grip tightened a little bit. "No, tonight I want to hold you in my arms."

My face heated up and my stomach flipped. "Sounds good to me."

"We should make a habit of it." She hummed into my ear. The sound and meaning of it sent electricity down my spin to curl my toes.

Overhead the lights went out leaving only a few on, enough to navigate the arranged cots.

The over all noise level dropped as the other Wards and their families settled in for the night barring a few muttered conversations.

"I love you Taylor." Lisa pulled me closer as if afraid I would disappear.

I felt like I was going to melt, starting just below my stomachs and radiating out to warm the rest of me. "I love you too."

.

"Lisa?"

"Lisa?"

"Mmmmrrllggg." Lisa grumbled into my ear. "Over here."

I opened my eyes to see Battery standing at the edge of our sleeping arrangements. "Get your stuff we need your help."

"Fffffffffffffuu-" her grumpy response disappeared into a long yawn.

"Hurry." Battery scolded but her tone was hushed.

"Go start the coffee, I'll be up in a minute." She began to disentangle her arms and legs from mine.

"What about me?" I asked Battery before she left.

"We will probably need help later." Battery looked back to Lisa. "Hurry."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She leaned over and kissed my temple as she climbed out of the cot.

Well, I was awake now. "I'll come too-"

Lisa flopped down on top of me, smothering me with her breasts as we fell back down onto the cot. "Teleport meeee."

My bruise lit up with a vengeance.

I yelped into Lisa's chest.

She swore and rolled off me. "Sorry!"

"Ow." I squeaked.

"Let me see." She was on her knees next to the cot and lifted the hem of my shirt up to expose the bruise. "Well I do love to say 'I told you so'".

I peered down at my midriff where the bruise had spread out into a sickly array of colors. "I aim to please."

"You should stay in bed today." Battery winced as she peered over Lisa's shoulder. "In fact, I'm ordering it in place of your mentor."

"I can't let Lisa go out without me." I pulled my shirt back down and tried to sit up.

"She's not going out." We need her to look through information brought in over night."

Lisa pushed me back down gently. "Stay. I won't be long. Besides you should spend time with your Dad, he's worried about you."

I looked over to dad's cot. Only his alarm clock could wake him early.

"Okay," I grabbed her hand from my shoulder and squeezed it.

She leaned down and kissed me.

The pain in my abdomen twisted into butterflies. "Don't be long." My voice was breathy.

Battery rolled her eyes and turned away to give us a modicum of privacy.

Lisa winked at me. "Be back before you know it."

.

Author's Note. Sorry it's late, I have been busy with work and another idea wormed it's way into my brain and wouldn't leave until I wrote out an outline for it. And a prologue. Maybe a first chapter. But don't worry it's quiet for now so I am back to Taylor and Lisa.

All the love and best wishes to you all who have Favored, Followed, and/or Reviewed this story! Really, it's the best feeling to have your work appreciated. Love you all!

Happy New Year!

K. Raiden