January, 22nd 2011 Sunday Brockton Bay, PRT building. 2:53am.

To be Taylor, is to suffer.

This was a thought that ran through her mind as she lay in the surprisingly comfortable bed staring at the flat gray ceiling of the room she was in.

Director Piggot hadn't lied, this certainly wasn't a cell, it was more like a moderate priced hotel room with two beds, a small kitchen, and a full bath. Her dad had run back home gathered up a number of things she asked for and a change of clothing himself before coming back to the building. He had actually been driven there by the PRT as no one wanted someone as exhausted as he was to drive home on his own.

He was currently in the bed next to her snoring like a jet engine.

True suffering.

How had mom been able to stand it?

Taylor herself wasn't in the slightest bit tired, she was actually kinda jittery, it felt like the one time she had tried one of those energy drinks some people seemed to live on.

Running through her mind were a million things. She didn't trust Director Piggot, everything she said seemed far too much like the woman was used to being in control and felt like everyone else should just follow suit. She didn't think the woman was bad per-say, but she reminded Taylor of some of the teachers in Winslow the ones that thought students were there to shut up and do what they were told.

She wasn't sure if that was fair to the woman or not, their first encounter was a bit friendlier than the pitch meeting. The woman said she wasn't going to press charges for any of the attacks though Taylor wondered if that was a 'not pressing charges if she joined the Wards' or an actual 'not pressing charges'.

The rest of it seemed nice, and the fact Miss D'liss would offer advice to them if they wanted, and suggestions for other lawyers to try if she decided not to join the Wards. There were decidedly mixed signals here, and Taylor was still trying to unpack everything that had happened up to this point.

She was pretty sure she had died and some strange voice and noises kept bringing her back while she was in the locker. Then it went silent save for a voice she now recognized as Alucard's though she didn't know what he was saying. Then she woke up sitting in Aegis' lap with her teeth buried in his neck.

Shit escalated from there.

She was brought here checked over, cleaned up, then found out that Sophia fucking Hess was a Ward. A Ward she might well have to work with.

She was of two minds about that. On one hand she could test tomorrow and wind up being much more powerful than Hess and maybe use that to get the girl thrown in jail or something.

On the other hand she couldn't muster the hate for her like she had earlier. Oh she really wanted to punch the girl in the face, but that anger had burned off and now like with Emma she just wanted to know why. There was no closure with Emma no reason for why she turned on her. Madison she could kinda understand as she was a yes man or woman depending, who just did what the other two wanted. Sophia though, she wasn't sure why that girl did what she did, particularly if she was supposed to be a hero.

Heroes didn't beat up random people for no reason, they didn't make their lives hell for nothing.

Taylor sighed getting out of bed and making her way to the door. Maybe she could walk up and down the hall a little burn off some of this energy, she didn't think what ever guard was outside would have issues with that.

Opening the door she peered out into the hall, looking to the left there were about six more rooms before the hall ended in a wall. Stepping out to look to the right there were two more rooms and a L turn that led to the elevators. At the end of the hall she could see a chair propped up against the far side of the L with what looked like a teenager sitting in it.

Taylor blinked as she walked down the hall a little closer, pausing as she realized she looked under dressed in a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt of her dads that was several sizes too big. Though before she could slip back into the room the teen in the chair looked up to focus on her and looked down the hall he had black hair cut close to his head and a darker skin tone, he was also wearing a disposable domino mask like the one she had been given and a rust red and silver t-shirt with the front of it designed to look like the front of Aegis' armor.

"Hey Taylor, can't sleep?" He offered before waving her towards him and setting the laptop to the side.

She considered a moment, looking back into the room as another rumble of a chainsaw sounded from her dad before she winced and closed the door behind her walking barefoot down the hall with more than a little worry.

The teen was seated next to a small table with his laptop, some hand held game console thing and a small stack of energy drinks, most of which were empty.

He gestured to another chair on the other side of the table or the couch in front of the elevators nearby it as both were encompassed in the same gesture. He then took a sip out of one of the cans and picked the laptop back up and started typing away again.

"Surprised to see you up this late after everything you've gone through." The boy offered . "Hell of a day all around."

"You can say that.." Taylor glanced to the energy drinks, and the empty cans. "Those things will kill you..."

"Bah everyone says that, I'm fine."

"You're awake at three am."

"So are you. Besides it's the weekend, you're supposed to stay up late."

"Did you hear my dad?"

"They can probably hear your dad at the Boardwalk." he smirked. " I used to drink grape Nos, but turned out Vista liked the taste of them too and after a rather intense couple of days I switched to these, she hates the taste of these."

"Okay... so what, are you here to stop me from leaving?" Taylor frowned.

"Do I look like I'm geared to stop you from leaving?" he asked looking up over the top of his screen.

"Not really?" Taylor added hesitantly.

"If you leave I just call it in. Most that will be done is they'll have some one follow you or try to convince you leaving is a bad idea, no ones gonna flat out stop you unless you look like you're going to hurt yourself. The Director might have said the testing and staying here is mandatory, but I'm pretty sure if you wanted to leave they'd let you. I'm here cause I agreed to stick around and talk if you needed it. Druid is already pushing her hour limit for this week and Clockblocker should not be left alone to answer any questions for anyone ever. Took me a week to convince Spitfire half the things he said were bullshit."

"Okay... and you are?"

"Huh? Oh … I guess I do look different without my armor. I'm Aegis."

Taylor blinked at that and turned her head as she felt her face flush recalling how she had been in his lap earlier. All the shit that had happened to her today and that was what her brain focused on, stupid gray ball of salt and fat.

She moved to take a seat on the couch a bit further away from him, feeling far more self conscious now, despite the fact his attention was back on the screen. It didn't seem like he was ignoring her as when she spoke he looked to her to talk, but he also seemed focused on the screen when she wasn't talking allowing her to set the pace of the conversation if she wanted.

"So. Director Piggot suggested you might have some questions, so long as it's not classified stuff, I'm allowed to answer them." Aegis finally spoke for himself in the lull of conversation.

Taylor frowned thinking on it a moment of silence, Aegis simply continuing to tap away at his laptop before taking another sip of his drink. Taylor was starting to realize that if he drank that many of those things and she drank his blood it was no wonder she was so wide awake.

"Why is Sop... Shadow Stalker here?"

Aegis lifted his head and considered. "She was a vigilant who went too far one night and was caught. She was given the choice of joining the Wards or being sent off to Juvie, she chose the Wards. She's... difficult to say the least. Clock hates her, Vista isn't fond of her, Gallant tolerates her somehow and I have to being the Wards leader. The only one I know is on good terms with her is Druid, and Druid is on good terms, terrifies, or both, everyone."

"She seemed pretty nice to me."

"Oh she's a sweetheart. Until she isn't." Aegis smirked. " Her cat is a friendly thing too, especially if you have food."

"Cat?"

"You haven't met Apocalypse Meow?"

"That's a name?"

"Yup."

"I don't think I have..."

"Trust me if you meet her, you don't forget it. She usually follows Druid around everywhere."

"As to the why of her being here I can't tell you. Not that I can't can't but that I don't know. She's not a good team mate but she is a skilled Ward, she's also improved a bit in the last month or so but that's probably due to Druid's interactions with her, or the Director, trust me, don't listen to Alucard, Assault, Clock, or Mouse, you do not want the Director mad at you, if Stalker had anything to do with last night we won't be seeing her again. I know the director had a word with her earlier and I could hear the yelling from here."

Taylor was silent for a time and Aegis didn't press her, though he spared a few glances her way.

"So, what's it like being a Ward?" Taylor finally asked.

Aegis stopped typing again and stared at the screen a moment before looking her way. "I take you don't want the PR friendly answer?"

"Not... really?"

Aegis nodded. "It's a job. It's a fun job at times but in the end it is still a job. Simple as that, we get paid we get benefits and we have long boring meetings. We have coworkers we like and don't like. Like a really weird 9-5 job at a cubicle farm." Aegis offered, though he smiled. "We also get to be heroes and help people out. It's usually small stuff, to us Wards anyway. Stopping a mugger, a shoplifter, returning a stolen purse.

It often seems like a simple thing to you, probably just need to grab a guy and hold him before he runs off, give back what was stolen and that takes maybe ten minutes tops plus police statement.

But to the person who lost that wallet or purse, it could be their paycheck, their rent or car payment, their ids and credit cards, photos of their kids who might be moved or passed, heck the purse or wallet might an heirloom or a gift, something that would devastate them to lose.

You never know. What seems small to you is the world to them. So even the small things add up, and it's training for the Protectorate so you can go out and do more, help more people."

Taylor blinked.

"Sorry that might have seemed a bit preachy, but it is true. I've got to learn to be better to help more people." He lifted the laptop as if gesturing with it. "It's why I'm tracking down as many classes as I'm allowed to try and get EMT training. The half class of CPR didn't cut it today... well yesterday now." Aegis frowned. " I didn't know how to help and I don't plan on letting that happen again if I have any way to fix it."

Taylor curled her legs up against her chest as she sat back on the couch.

"Thanks for that..."

Aegis looked over to her and smiled. "You're welcome, I'm glad I could help you, it's what heroes are supposed to do."

Earlier in the night

"Wake her up."

"Did you leave your gun at your desk?"

"No."

"Give it here."

"What?"

"Your gun mom, gimmi it. I know how you get and I don't want the med bay shot up, or Stalker."

"I'm not going to shoot the girl, that's what the taser is for."

"Mooooooommmmmmmmm..."

"It will be fine, besides shooting her would just end it quicker, I need answers and right now Hess is the best way to get them. Honestly I would prefer you head out for the night too. You're at your hour limit for the week, and no you cannot just hang around until they reset in an hour or so. Go home get some sleep and feed the cat. Where is Pocky any way?"

"Probably hiding, she took off running the moment she saw Taylor." Druid sighed. " She's probably begging for scraps in the cafeteria right now though."

"How did she even get access to those floors she doesn't have thumbs to type in the required codes or a badge to scan."

"She's a cat."

"Fair enough. Wake her up and go home, I want you back here around ten for the power testing, you've got more experience with figuring out Alucard than any one else, I want you to watch over Hebert."

"Don't be too hard on her mom. She has improved."

"I know, I've seen the reports. But this is a pretty big thing."

"Yeah. Okay she'll be waking up in about five, goodnight mom. You should get some sleep too."

"Goodnight Amy, I'll try but no promises."

To be Sophia was to suffer.

It wasn't the first thought in her mind as she woke up but it was pretty high up there, her head hurt, her mouth tasted like shit and she was pretty sure she was developing a cramp.

This had been a rather shitty couple of months truth be told. Yanked from her school and her friends... well Emma was a friend any way, and dropped into a new school with a sword at her neck to take her out if she fucked up. But that was fine, she'd laid low before, bid her time and came back harder than ever once the threat cleared, like a stalking cat.

Except this time it was a little different. And she could place all of that on Druid, or Amy Piggot, whichever. The girl was like a freaking limpet staying close to her, talking, ignoring most of Sophia's usual attitude, and acting like they were friends, even if they were across the mat from one another, and no matter which of them wound up on it at the end.

Amy was a force of personality that was rather hard to ignore and after a month of this she found she was actually kind of enjoying it.

The girl had a strong interest in biology which actually meshed fairly well with Sophia's own interests. How the damn girl had gotten her desire to be a zoo keeper when she was younger out of her Sophia would never know, but it started down a long path of conversation that in the end had Sophia actually petting that freaking massive tiger of hers.

That cat was beautiful and Sophia wanted her own so bad she could taste it.

Still by the start of January she realized she was settling into her illusion of being normal. Amy wasn't like Emma. She didn't want anything from her, didn't ask her to do things or target people, it was... different. When she switched to Renik's rescue hero thing she expected to hate it, there was no hunting, no stopping bad guys it was just saving weak prey from stupid stuff, some of it they likely did on their own.

Then Amy had pointed out wombats helping other animals during the Australian wild fires.

Sophia had countered that with the information that many animals already used the wombats massive burrows as shelter and the wombats just didn't care, they didn't herd anything.

Amy then switched gears and brought up dogs and wolves raising other animals that were lost and abandoned.

She had countered that with a comment about material instincts and emergency rations.

Amy then pointed out that the most dangerous predator in the world was several tons and ate plants.

Sophia had no idea where Amy was going with bringing up hippos, so she let her rant.

In the end the girl had some how worked into Sophia's mind that some times a sheep dog was needed to take out the wolves and protect the flock.

And so Sophia was sent out to save people.

She couldn't say she actually enjoyed it as much as hunting, but there was a great deal more action than a normal patrol, lot more paperwork too.

Of course there was being side kicked to Mouse Protector, which was it's own version of hell.

Suffering indeed.

But oddly after the fire tonight, Sophia was in a pretty good mood, maybe there was something to this after all, school hadn't been that bad, she wasn't stupid she just didn't care in Winslow because she was on track and she would pass no matter if she did anything or not so long as she kept running and winning.

Now she actually had to learn things. She hated that, though Amy kinda made it tolerable.

Then Herbert had been in the Wards room. And everything went to shit again.

"Don't try to pretend to still be asleep, you're not a good enough actor."

Yup, this was gonna suck.

"Gimmi a minute my head hurts."

"Here. Water and a Aspirin. " Emily offered tapping a rolling tray next to the bed. "Take it and drink fast because I have questions and you are going to answer them."

"Actually gonna ask what happened instead of just taking Herbert's word and shipping me off?"

"She has full documentation and checking your phone, and school computer records was easy and proof that at least your part of those emails was true. "

"Figures that stupid would come back on my ass." Sophia muttered sitting up to take the pill and down the glass in a few gulps. She considered running, just dropping into her breaker and shooting through the wall, there was a window on the other side of the Director, no wall outlets, probably clear. She dropped that line of thought, she was good, but this was an angry mama Kodiak before her and she wasn't about to make any sudden movements.

"So first question is simply why."

"Why what? Why do all that shit to Herbert? No idea. Emma was so set in putting her in her place I didn't even bother asking why."

"Emma Barnes?"

"Yeah."

"And I expect you're going to try and point out how it was all Emma and you're sorry?"

"Nah."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah well okay going after Herbert that was Emma's thing, but it ain't like I questioned it. At first I was all for it, wanted to see what she would do when she broke, I figured she'd beat the shit out of Emma and I'd see which one of them was the bigger predator, but she never did she just fucking turtled up and never did anything back. A total waste of time.

No idea how she got in here, but fuck that was something to see, those teeth, fucking great white right there... hmmm nah, she went after me, more a bull shark, great whites are just big and scary not nearly as bad as a bull and that girl wanted my head."

Emily raised an eyebrow, this was not how she expected this to go at all.

"You are rather forth coming on all this."

"What's the point of lying, I'm fucked. Ain't like Emma's dads gonna get me out of this one, hell I don't even know what she's doing, girl ain't called me since early December and didn't answer the one time I called her for Christmas. If Herberts here she's probably told you all the shit that went down and I was already up a shit creek with you ready to take me out back and cap me like Old Yeller why the fuck would I even try to lie or hide this shit?"

"On that you are correct. I would still love more than anything else to dump you some where to be some one elses problem, and I might get that wish too, but unfortunately for me, that is out of my hands." Emily grumbled.

"You see I promised you that if you screwed up from this point on I would end you. And from that point on while you have been far from an exemplary Ward, or even a decent human being, you have toed the line to the point that if I did anything it would be seen as breaking my word, and getting rid of you is not worth anything that would happen if I did that."

Sophia blinked at the phrasing, her eyes drawn to the wall behind Piggot again, and the dark shape with red eyes sitting outside the window, with a fanged Cheshire grin.

Sophia shook her head and looked to the window again seeing nothing.

"So here is how this is going to work you are going to tell me everything, you are going to tell the officer I assign to you everything, we are going to investigate the shit out of everything and if I find you so much as looked at that locker you are gone. " Emily snarled. " Now then even if you are scott free from this event it's all going to come down to one thing, what Taylor Hebert wants.

She's going in for testing Sunday morning and if she can do even half of what I fear she can I will fucking give her your severed head on a gold platter if she asks for it to get her in the Wards. So from this point on your fate is in the hands of the girl you bullied, you better hope she's the forgiving sort, because I don't think her father is, so you better make a very sincere apology and pray it's enough."

"Nah."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not apologizing. No point, even if I was sorry, which I'm not, she wouldn't believe it. Emma was really big into psychological crap. " Sophia explained considering a few things, she was so fucking hosed.

"So you're giving up?"

"Nah, but words don't mean shit. I got something better, might keep her from killing me at least." Sophia frowned, She was not the Alpha here, that much was true there were far too many big predators in this building. She was starting to feel less like a wolf and more like a Raccoon or some shit, still dangerous but not in a way that anyone really cared about, and still prey for far too many things.

"So what are you planning?"

"So look, like I said Emma did the psychological crap, and Herbert had this flute, I dunno what the deal with it is, I know that shits expensive, but that's about it. Anyway Emma has me steal the thing from Herbert's locker and then phase it into a gap just behind her locker in the cinder block wall. Something about it being so close but Herbert would never get it back amused the hell out of her. I can get that out and give it back to her, might be enough of a bribe, might not be. Shit's prolly dusty, but it's still in the case."

"Emma Barnes knows you're a cape?"

"Yeah I saved her and her dad from some gangers before I got conscripted here. Made friends with her after that. Wasn't long after that I first me Herbert, Emma was ranting on how strong she was, then when the girl showed up Emma just kinda changed her mind or something. Fuck if I know why, never bothered to ask."

"I want the whole story on this. Everything."

"Can I at least get another drink?" Sophia sighed this was gonna be a long night.