The refreshing flow of cold air greeted Taylor as she slowly came to wakefulness. The gentle sounds of nature, the trees rustling in the gentle breeze and the chirping of birds a massive change from the electronic hum of the Ice Box. Stretching her limbs one by one, Taylor let a small smile slide onto her face as she heard the faint bell-like tinkle of frost cracking from her movements, the small crystals harmless flaking off her pajamas as she luxuriated in the calm. However the call of nature eventually demanded that she rise, and Taylor gracefully slung herself out of bed and into the bathroom.
Exiting the bathroom, shaking small ice crystals off her hands, Taylor was stopped by the sight of Missy sitting up in the top bunk. The small girl was completely swamped by the sleeping bag that seemed to be far thicker than any that Taylor had seen before, and the balaclava that covered the girls face was made of a thick fabric that hid any skin aside from her eyes.
"Morning Taylor, how did you sleep?"
"Alright. I didn't cause any problems for you did I? I forgot about how my power seeps out while I'm sleeping."
Missy smiled, the balaclava not doing much to hide the facial motions as she wriggled around inside her sleeping bag.
"Nah, it's not a problem. Armsmaster figured that something like this would happen so he provided me with a real fancy sleeping bag, he says its not tinkertech but I have my doubts. It is way too comfy for it not to be!"
The delight in the girls voice helped settle the tension rising in Taylor's shoulders, and a faint chuckle escaped her. The noise wasn't missed by Missy who's smile turned into a grin.
"Ready for another day of silly nonsense?"
"Yeah, I am curious about what the adults have planned. Yesterday seemed a little short sighted when you factor in powers."
"True, but Assault and Miss Militia probably chose them because they were silly. We do lots of training on how to fight, and little about how to use our powers non-violently, it was a nice change of pace."
Taylor worked through Missy's words as she gathered up her clothes for the day. A lack of opportunity to use her power non-lethally was a major issue, it seemed that the PRT had been aware of that and used the training trip to initiate those opportunities. Perhaps they had seen her ice skating, it would make sense with her being under surveillance. Reinforcing her non destructive urges made a lot of sense from that perspective, and it was something that Taylor wanted. If she focused she could still remember how it felt to wipe out the Empire 88 capes, it was effortless. It was comforting, and that comfort made her uneasy. To be so easily capable of killing that she didn't even notice the collateral was something that scared her.
"Hey Taylor, would you mind getting changed and heading out so I can as well? As comfy as this is I think Militia would be upset if I spent all day lounging around."
Taylor's head jerked upwards towards Missy as she was wrenched out of her thoughts. Her hands busied themselves with scooping up the sportswear that she had packed.
"Sure."
The fire-pit was full of ash and the lingering scent of smoke was present as Taylor made her way across the open area to the cafeteria. Sliding the door open she saw the bleary eyed form of Dennis sitting next to a quiet Carlos, the pair eating a meal of bacon and eggs. The PRT troopers were over in a corner, lightly talking as they enjoyed their breakfasts, and Assault was working an electric fry-pan while wearing an apron that said "Born to cook, Forced to work". His giant grin greeted Taylor as she approached, eyes searching for an alternative meal.
"Morning! How do you like your eggs?"
"I don't eat many anymore, too painful."
Ethan's grin dropped and a hint of concern bled into his voice, even as he lowered the spatula he held.
"It hurts to eat eggs? That has got to be one of the most unusual responses I've had to that question."
Taylor let out a polite chuckle as she spied a glass jar of juice, and filled a large cup with it. The tropical mix was tart and ice cold, the perfect means to soothe her slightly worn nerves as the heat from cooking filled the air around Ethan.
"I can't eat anything hot anymore, it causes me immense pain. I've had to give up tea, except for iced versions."
A faint whistle escaped Ethan as he looked at Taylor, and then around at the breakfast spread. Toast, eggs, bacon, and some of the troopers had tomatoes and mushrooms with their meals. There was a small box of generic brand cereal and some milk in a pitcher on a side table, but nothing else that was intended to be eaten cold. Taylor waited as Ethan darted over to the side table and filled a bowl with cereal for her.
"Voila, one deluxe cereal with full cream milk, nothing but the best for our Wards!"
Taking the bowl in hand, Taylor fixed him with a disbelieving look.
"Yeah, fair enough. I didn't know about the whole hot food thing, and I was in charge of the shopping. Is there something that you like in general that I can put down on your file? It'll mean that you won't get served hot food going forward."
"Yoghurt, oats, and berries are generally a pretty good breakfast. I will happily eat leftovers as well, just so long as they aren't reheated. It's not a big deal really, you don't have to change anything for me."
Ethan fixed Taylor with an unusually serious gaze, resting his hands on the table as he leaned forward to speak.
"It kinda is a big deal, dietary restrictions are a serious matter. Imagine if you had an allergy to something and we served it to you without knowing, it's the same thing. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to cause any of the Wards harm from something as simple as bad communication. So yes Taylor, it is an issue and something I will be addressing with the people who are meant to be keeping an eye on you. This should have been something that was noted and added to your file weeks ago."
Taylor stood still as Ethan spoke, her heart pounding. He thought that she was important? That her condition was worth bringing up with the PRT? Taylor knew that he had promised to be in her corner and to support her as much as he could, but this seemed like he was really doing so. That he really was going to be there for her when it came to the PRT.
With her eyes slightly watery Taylor thanked Ethan, who waved her off with a comment that it was something that should have been done well before now. He seemed to notice her rising emotional state and kindly didn't say anything, instead mentioning that she should eat up soon as there was going to be a full day of activities once breakfast was over. Taylor took the opportunity to scuttle away to an empty table, wolfing down her cereal while relying on her lengthy hair to hide her expression from anyone.
Shortly after finishing her meal and halfway through her glass of tropical juice, Miss Militia stuck her head in and called for the Wards to assemble by the fire-pit in ten minutes. Missy dove in after her message and started devouring her meal, much to the amusement of Carlos and Dennis, the latter of which mimed trying to sneak a rasher of bacon and then pretended to recoil in pain as Missy slapped his hand away.
The day flew by in a rush of activity, the morning spent in small team building activities such as building model structures to hold certain weights, which Taylor won with judicious application of structural ice to support the sticks used. There was a game of charades, and the Wards also participated in the PRT troopers exercise routine to stay fit and build teamwork. The troopers were nonplussed at the young capes, but encouraged them to keep up and generally supported them through some of the more intensive parts. The Wards finished, gasping for breath and with a new respect for the physical fitness of the PRT troopers, before they had a lunch of cold sandwiches and juice.
Throughout the day Taylor had noticed Missy and Dennis pausing at odd moments and watching her, their expressions conflicted. They didn't say anything, and often shook off whatever they were thinking, but the observation left Taylor feeling a little uneasy. She tried to ignore the feeling and when it got too strong, allowed her power to fill the inside of her shoes with ice, the small release of power soothing her and letting her maintain an outwardly calm appearance.
After lunch the Wards split up and hid, as they were told that the PRT troopers would be hunting them in a high stakes game of hide-and-seek. The last person caught would get an extra serving of desert and the first person would have to clean the kitchen after Assault had finished with dinner. This had pushed Dennis to proclaim that he would be willing to supervise whoever got caught while he enjoyed his ice cream. Missy rolled her eyes and Carlos laughed, Taylor grinned at the comment. She had far more experience hiding from prying eyes than anyone in the Wards, she would put money on it. The relentless bullying at Winslow had taught her to walk silently as much as possible, and to spot hiding locations, they would always be found but only after a day or two. It was the only way to eat lunch peacefully.
The afternoon passed quickly for Taylor, as she found a small blind that was created by a falling tree getting snagged on two others. The majority of the trunk had fallen, but right towards the tip it was held up by a low hanging branch, creating a small nook where the foliage created an impromptu tepee. Swiftly settling into the shadowed interior Taylor allowed herself to relax. A moment away from the constant noise of the others, the need to stay aware of what was going on around her. Taylor sunk into the leafs covering the ground and allowed her tension to seep out.
It was late afternoon when a pleased shout woke Taylor from her slumber, the inside of the tepee having frozen solid from her power. The black boots of a PRT trooper crunched through the underbrush as Taylor watched, adjusting her glasses back onto her nose properly from where they had fallen during her sleep. The trooper made a beeline towards her shelter and Taylor knew she had been found.
"There you are! Only one more to go now."
Taylor grumbled under her breathe as she emerged from the tepee, the trooper had a broad smile across his face, his cheeks reddening with the cold air that billowed out from Taylor. She quickly reigned in the cold, and the trooper gave her a wink which caused Taylor to gaze away.
"Little tip, next time you hide try not to leave the AC on. I found you by following the drop in temperature, it stands out a fair bit."
Taylor blushed as he offered her a hand to help her out of the small depression the tepee was in, her ears burning as she felt the calloused grip around her wrist.
"I fell asleep, couldn't help it."
The trooper laughed, his voice delighted.
"Ah, that reminds me of my SERE training. Although it was generally after a couple of days and not the first afternoon"
The gentle ribbing had Taylor's blush spread further.
"You said there was only one to go?"
"Yep, Clockblocker got himself caught first. Tried to pull the old classic of hiding under the camp, got caught almost immediately when we checked under the cafeteria. Vista was next, she forgot to cover herself fully when she went to ground. Impressive though, head to toe in mud to try and camouflage herself, but left a trail of mud to her hiding spot. Still haven't found Aegis yet."
Taylor nodded along as she was escorted by the trooper back towards the camp, laughing at the schadenfreude that befell Dennis. Him cleaning her plate tonight would be delightfully entertaining. The ground crunched underfoot as the pair approached the camp, the trooper peeling off once Miss Militia indicated that he was free to do so. Dennis sat by the fire with a chagrined expression and Missy was missing. As Taylor sat down Dennis answered her question about Missy's location, apparently she was showering and changing to get rid of the mud that she used. Taylor caught the hint of a smile on Miss Militia's face as the woman returned to her e-reader, and felt much the same. It was a good idea, but not one that Taylor was willing to entertain. Dishes and cleaning really wasn't that bad, but Missy really didn't want to deal with them it seemed.
The two Wards chatted as they waited for Missy to return, Taylor shifting her position so that Dennis was between her and the fire. After a half hour Missy returned, with a pack of cards in hand and the group started playing games to pass the time. Occasionally Miss Militia called out to veto Dennis' suggestion of poker or similar, but otherwise the trio was left alone to interact. Missy still glanced at Taylor with apprehension when she thought Taylor wouldn't notice, but Dennis was more composed than earlier. As the dinner bell was rung, the troopers returned with Carlos, who grinned broadly at Dennis and preformed a bow to the applause of the Wards and Troopers.
Dinner was filled with quiet chatting, as the group downed the hearty lamb stew that Assault had made. Taylor was prepared to use her powers to cool her meal when Assault pulled her aside and presented her with her meal, a large bowl of Chicken Caesar Salad that he had prepared for her. Taylor was momentarily overwhelmed by the act and didn't know how to respond, and when Assault rested a hand on her shoulder she had to choke back a sob. He didn't mention it as she gathered her meal, and let her go back to the others with a kind smile.
As dinner was wrapping up, the troopers threw some more wood onto the fire and Taylor moved back from it, Missy accompanying her. As they moved Missy swung in close and whispered quietly.
"Don't go to sleep tonight, I have something I have to tell you about but it can't be here. I'll move us somewhere we can talk."
Then she went back to the fire and sat next to one of the troopers who was telling a story about local cryptids. Taylor stood frozen for a moment, her mind racing at the message. What was so important to require the secrecy? Why did Missy not want others to know about it? What was going on?
These thoughts swirled in Taylor's mind as she tried to engage with the others, but she quickly called it a night when her anxious air was caught by Carlos. Taylor tried to wave it off, saying that she wasn't looking forward to returning to the Ice Box and it seemed to placate Carlos, who spent a half hour talking to her and trying to encourage her. The promise to send several books to her was appreciated, as it seems Carlos had picked up on her enjoyment of reading. Eventually he left her alone, and Taylor headed to her cabin early.
Slipping underneath her blankets without changing her clothes, Taylor laid down and tried to read to kill time. The slowly building tension in her made it difficult, as the sporadic sounds of laughter and shouting outside stoked her anxiety. It seemed to take forever for the evening to wind down, with Taylor checking the time on the digital alarm clock constantly. It was finally 10:57 by the time the last of the troopers headed to their bunks, and she heard Miss Militia instruct Missy to go to bed because she needed the sleep. As Missy approached the bunk, Taylor saw Miss Militia enter her bunk, and sat up to receive Missy.
As the door opened Missy immediately gestured for Taylor to be quiet, and quickly typed out a message on her phone.
"Wait 15, then we can leave through the window. Bring shoes."
The time passed with interminable speed, Taylor watching as Missy seemed to go between confidence, to uncertainty, to fear, and to determination. Finally the time had passed and Missy eased open the window a fraction, and with a twist of space it seemed to expand to allow Taylor to simply walk out. Missy followed, and then lead the pair through a series of space-stretched corridors, quickly making their way to a small creek that babbled quietly. Missy paused as they arrived and looked around furtively, before turning to face Taylor who by this point was clutching her hand into a tight fist inside her hoodie to try and control her tension.
"Okay, I think we are far enough away that they can't stop me. I have something I have to tell you Taylor and it is going to make you angry. I don't want to upset you but you deserve to know this, and the PRT and the Protectorate are trying to keep it from you. Please don't shut down on me okay?"
"This sounds really serious Missy. What is going on?"
Taylor's voice took on a faintly accusatory tone, while she stepped closer to Missy who closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. Exhaling heavily and staring at Taylor she spoke, and Taylor's heart sunk and her gut coiled.
"Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess."
Last edited: Mar 21, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
Mar 19, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
Mar 25, 2023
#810
Missy's words hung in the air, the young girl staring at Taylor with anxious fear writ large across her face. Taylor was motionless, trying to process the claim.
Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess.
It would mean that her bully had been a hero, and not just a hero but one that Taylor had wanted to meet. It would mean that her impression of the Wards was wrong, that they weren't as good as she thought they were. Had they only been humoring her attempts to befriend them so that they could get closer and be better positioned to break her will? It wouldn't be the first time that something like that had happened, Emma had convinced some of the other Winslow students to befriend her in order to betray Taylor later, and that had hurt even more than the acerbic barbs Emma spat.
Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess.
It would explain why she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Shadow Stalker, why she had mysteriously gone missing immediately after Taylor had gotten her powers. That was when she told the PRT about her bullies, when she had told Shadow Stalkers superiors that she was a bully par excellence. Why her name hadn't appeared on any Wards emails that Taylor had received while in the Ice Box, why the other Wards didn't mention her much around her. It would make sense that they wanted to keep the information from her, but it hurt. It stung again, another betrayal added onto the mound of indignities that Sophia fucking Hess had inflicted on her.
Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess.
Hadn't Clockblocker asked how she had gotten rid of Shadow Stalker? It had seemed strange and insane at the time, despite his reasonable spiel on how it was all tied together. Yet if he was right? If Missy was right? That she had spoken about Sophia and then Shadow Stalker had vanished, it would mean that the PRT knew about her actions, knew that she had been abusing Taylor. And decided that they would stay quiet rather than say anything.
Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess.
Taylor tried to stop the anger from bubbling up, the hot wave of hate and rage that flowed through her system, searing her nerves and shortening her breath. Angrily running her hand across her face she dashed the tears that had started to form as she thought, the visible signs of her hurt. Underneath her stomach roiled, the confusing waves of emotion flickering too fast to process clearly, but stirring up a storm of anger at everyone involved in yet another betrayal.
A faint sound of distress drew Taylor's ire, her angry gaze bearing into Missy.
"Why the fuck did you bring me out here to tell me this? Did someone put you up to this? Is hurting me a group activity for you Wards? Do you all sit around and discuss the best way to make me miserable, because I'll say you scored pretty fucking high points here Vista."
"No!" The distressed girl started to babble as she winced under the verbal assault from the much taller Taylor. "I didn't want to hurt you at all! I wanted to tell you because you deserve to know and it's bullshit that the PRT are keeping it from you!"
Taylor clutched her hands tightly together, a block of ice forming as she compressed it with all her might. The soothing cold seeped into her hands and provided a counterpoint to the heat that was consuming her. The ice ground and shook as she forced it together tighter and tighter, the swiftly reaching the level of density that her staff was and exceeding it.
"You wanted to tell me that the Ward that I wanted to meet the most was the utter bitch that has been one of the three key figures in fucking up my life? Why the fuck did you think that I wanted to know this?"
"Because it was wrong to keep it from you! Piggy and the others gave us orders not to discuss the matter with you, they know its wrong to hide this from you but they are doing it anyway. I couldn't just sit here and let them get away with it!"
Missy watched with apprehension as Taylor stalked around the clearing, the tears falling from the older girls eyes a clear sign of how much the situation had affected her. The accusation that she was anything like Sophia burned Missy, but she was intent on making things right.
"Taylor, please listen to me. Miss Militia and Dauntless sat us Wards down and gave an overview of your trigger, how you had been bullied and that your powers where not under control. It was Dennis who put things together. Did you know that Dauntless and Velocity went through Sophia's room and collected her phones? Dennis saw that and when you came up as a new Ward who had been suffering from bullying it wasn't hard to put it all together, especially with how much of a bitch Sophia was."
Taylor frowned as Missy spoke, that Sophia's phones had been taken was something that sounded good, sounded like a positive action but that was over a month ago and nothing had happened. If there was going to be something happening then there should have been some word, some email, something! Yet there was nothing other than Missy's word and she was part of the Wards, she had been Sophia's teammate.
"So I'm expected to believe that Sophia was being her usual charming self around the Wards and no-one thought anything was wrong?I suppose it's just perfectly normal teenage behavior to tell someone to take a flying leap off the staircase, or to call someone prey only fit for scavengers? I suppose you'll tell me next that all friends greet each other with gut punches, and pouring soda into my hair was just friendly banter."
Missy winced before responding.
"She wasn't as bad as she was with you. I know that doesn't help and it probably sounds like I'm trying to cover my ass but its the truth. Sophia was a real bitch, she was mean and snarky. She belittled me over my age and size, she insulted Dean about his family and belief in the best of people, she mocked Chris about his dyscalculia, she even taunted Dennis about his dad. She was horrible but the adults never saw it as much as we did. She was always careful to avoid being too belligerent in-front of them, they saw her be bitch sure, but not like we did."
"So that makes it okay then? She wasn't so bad because she didn't physically assault you and therefore she gets a pass? Stick and stones and all that right? I get to be assaulted weekly, almost daily by that fucking cunt and everyone gets to look the other way because she was a Ward, because she had more value than some random school girl."
The lump of ice in Taylor's hands speed away from her as Taylor hurled it into a nearby tree, the dense block embedding into the wood. Taylor's form shuddered as she took in a wavering breath, trying to maintain a level of control over her emotions despite the emotional and slowly growing physical pain. She slumped to the ground, the leaves scattering as she did so, and looked up at the sky. The stars twinkled clearly in the clear night air, the faint sounds of the forest being the only noise aside from Missy's light breathing.
As Taylor tried to maintain her composure a small figure sat next to her, Missy cautiously extended a hand towards her shoulder. Taylor numbly watched as the hand made contact and Missy spoke again, her voice low and slow.
"I can't imagine how bad it was for you, and I really can't put myself in your place. What I can sympathize with is being forced to stay in an environment that caused your trigger."
Taylor's aching eyes fixed on Missy's face, the young girl sounding so very tired as she elaborated.
"My parents don't get along. It's not wrong to say that they hate each other, but they refuse to get a divorce for stupid reasons. And while they are fighting about that, they end up forgetting about me. I make my way to school, I cook most of my meals, and I do almost all the laundry, which would be fine if I was older, but I was eleven. And it never really got better, my Dad got cancer and then Mum cheated on him with his brother, and in revenge he got rid of her dogs. Things just kept getting worse and worse, every night they screamed at each other and everyday I was being forced to go along with their stupid plots to annoy each other. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't leave, I couldn't make them stop, and I couldn't get them to sit down and talk."
Taylor's rage had started to cool as she heard the sorrow in the young girls voice, the weight of her experiences clear.
"So when things finally came to a head one night in summer, they were arguing again and I was trying to get their attention. My school had a trip coming up and I needed both of them to sign a permission slip, but they wouldn't even be in the same room as each other. Dad was upstairs in the lounge room screaming at Mum in the dining room, who was shrieking back. I just couldn't stand it, I wanted them to just be together and listen to me and suddenly the house twisted, and they where together. Kind of. I finally got attention and they stopped arguing for that night, but ever since they have used my trigger against each other, accusing the other of neglecting me."
"But both of them are my parents, and because there is no direct abuse or proof of harm I have to stay with them. They still scream, they still fight, and I am still trapped there. I can't escape them because of my contract with the Wards, and I can't make them be together. I am right back where I was before I triggered, but I feel even more helpless now."
Missy lifted her hand off Taylor's shoulder, her skin reddening from the cold, and faced her, her green eyes boring into Taylor's brown orbs.
"I don't want that for you Taylor, I think that we could be good friends and I don't want you to suffer like that. I am going to be in major trouble when Piggy or Armsmaster figures out that I've told you, but it needed to happen. You needed to have someone to tell you the truth, despite it being dangerous."
Taylor winced as Missy mentioned the danger inherent in telling her. The damaged tree was a small scale example of what she had risked, her cold hand a mere prelude to the potential devastation that Taylor could have unleashed. Guilt started to fill her chest as she pictured the fear that Missy must have felt as she was yelling, when she threw the ice block. Did Missy have her power at the ready to make distance if she snapped, or did she trust that Taylor would keep herself together enough to avoid that?
Sighing to try and let the guilt out from her chest, Taylor tried to understand where Missy was coming from. How was her situation similar to hers? Taylor had been bullied and betrayed by her ex-best friend and a vicious psychopath that took joy in hurting her and others. It wasn't the same, at least not on the surface. Taylor was betrayed by someone who was as close as family, Missy was being used by her family, they both didn't have a way to fix the situation, they both had to suffer for a long time before anything happened. And in the end nothing changed. Missy was still being ignored by her squabbling parents and Taylor was still alone and being hurt by authority figures.
It hurt that it took a Ward going against orders to tell her the truth about the matter, that they PRT decided that Sophia was more valuable to them than Taylor so she got left out to dry. In a way Taylor could understand it, Shadow Stalker was regarded with fear by the gangs of Brockton, and Taylor was a random schoolgirl, and now dangerous liability who's power wasn't suitable for urban environments. From a purely utilitarian perspective the PRT's decision made sense, but it hurt to be considered lesser. To be put below Sophia.
"Missy, you didn't have to tell me this you know? It should have been Armsmaster or the Director, they should have been responsible for dealing with this. Why was it you?"
"I know." Missy smiled sadly. "But Dennis and I talked about what was going on and neither of us had seen anything happening, even when I listened in on some meetings I wasn't supposed to. So we had to do something."
"I don't know what to say. I am furious at the PRT, I feel betrayed by all of the heroes that knew but haven't said anything, and I feel like I expected something like this to happen. Good things don't happen to me, so why should this be any different? Why should things go well?"
Missy snorted, then laid down next to Taylor, the two gazing up at the stars. Time passed as Missy slowly spoke about how Dennis and her had planned a more delicate reveal, that they had wanted to get the other Wards onboard to tell her but the sudden training trip had just seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. No cameras or phones to record things, away from anything that might get hurt, and both her and Dennis had ways to survive if Taylor had taken things poorly. Taylor felt the guilt grow as she realized that Missy had pictured fighting her and that someone who she was starting to desperately want as a friend had been concerned about their life around her. It raised the thought that Taylor had tried to avoid, that she wasn't safe to be around. That the Ice Box was possibly better for her and everyone than her staying with the Wards at the Rig.
Taylor started to speak to Missy about some of what she had experienced at the hands of Sophia, and how the complete lack of action by the teachers and staff had her feeling hopeless and abandoned. How the blatant preferential treatment was noticed by other students who piled in on the abuse, and how Taylor had learnt to vary her routine to try and avoid harm. Eating lunches in out of the way classrooms, janitor closets, and bathrooms to avoid the Trio, how she had learnt to bring her assignments inside plastic sheets to avoid them getting damaged by juice or water being poured into her bag. How she had tried to complain to the principal and was told that she was making things up and that such star students couldn't be doing such horrible things. Her voice choked as she told Missy about seeing the school secretary shred her transfer application with a little wave towards her.
The two lay there, pouring out their grievances towards the world for hours. Taylor had started to remember to concentrate on her power after Missy started to shiver, trying to direct the cold towards one side of her body and away from the Ward. It became easier as she vented, the years of pressure pouring out with each passing minute, and the resulting empty feeling being incredibly cathartic.
It was only when the sun started to crest the hills, and the morning light sparkled off the frozen forest to Taylor's side did she see the results of her focus. In reaching an empty and contented state, her powers had slowly risen higher and higher, and the effort of focusing them away from Missy had prevented her from noticing the ever expanding cone of cold. Three hundred feet of trees in a 45 degree arc had been frozen solid, the expanding tendrils of ice shining under the morning light. Taylor started in shock as Missy sat up and gazed over towards the woods.
"Shit, I don't think we can really hide that."
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Mar 25, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
Apr 22, 2023
#869
Spoiler: Author Note
Sublimation 4.5
The young pair scurried back to the camp, the frozen forest left behind to slowly melt and thaw in obscurity. It wasn't running away from the problem Taylor mused as Vista twisted space to cover more ground, it was choosing her battles. As they speed past the healthy forest, Taylor felt a twinge of guilt at her actions, but a larger part was just relieved that it was only trees and not Missy, who apart from a cold hand and that mildly tingled was unharmed completely. The level of relief that Taylor felt with knowing that she could at the very least direct her powers into the environment selectively was immense, it meant she could be around her fellow Wards.
Fellow Wards, it was a strange though Taylor considered as she vaulted a log that seemed to shrink before her. Sliding down a cliff on an ice slope that gripped her shoes, Taylor watched as Missy let out a little whoop as she skated down after her, the younger girl seeming to be in her element with the morning run. Someone that she could trust to stand near her without worrying if they were going to blindside her, someone that had put her interests first. Danny tried, his efforts with the PRT to ensure that she had access to anything she requested at the Ice Box was appreciated, but each time she saw heard him speak of his new viewpoint all Taylor could think was "I caused this." That she had caused irreparable brain damage to her own father. It colored all their interactions, and despite his insistence that he didn't blame her or resent his new condition Taylor couldn't help but wonder. There wasn't that lingering fear with Dennis and Missy, and to a lesser degree the other Wards.
Dennis was willing to engage with her, their emails slowly expanding to include discussions about more than just heroics. How he had interests in obscure comics from Aleph, and confided that he has frustrations with how little the PRT seems to be achieving on a day to day basis in Brockton. The communication was free of judgement towards Taylor for being very closed off initially, and despite her initially short responses his continued relaxed approach towards her had slipped past her emotional walls. Missy was different, the young girl was a whirlwind of topics, seeming to leap from idea to idea with little connecting material, but always with an undercurrent of intensity that seemed to define her. Dennis may have slipped into friendship, but Missy had stormed the walls and planted her flag. The other Wards were more distant but still friendly, it was something that Taylor wasn't used to. Distance was for condemnation and judgement, to provide a deniable barrier for harsh words and muttered jeers. The distant warmth and support from the Wards was weird, and she still hadn't decided how to approach it.
As the distance closed, Taylor and Missy slipped through the window that had been left cracked open in their cabin. Quickly changing into casual clothes, and packing their belongings the pair gave each other a quick once over to ensure that there was no detritus from the forest left on their clothes. Missy gave Taylor a cheeky grin as she plucked a few twigs from her long dark hair, and stifled a giggle as the taller girl began to worriedly brush her hair, seeking any other errant objects.
"I think that we got everything. Ready to head back to the Bay?"
Taylor reluctantly put the brush back into her toiletry bag and nodded, hefting her bags and letting Missy open the door. As she emerged she spotted the other Wards loading their gear into the mini-bus and Assault standing around, seeming to be needling Dean who was trying his best to ignore him while Dennis was laughing. Miss Militia however was seated by the fire-pit, and as Taylor left the cabin, she stood up sharply and began making her way over. Missy followed Taylor outside and the pair stood still, exchanging a guilty glance, as Miss Militia approached.
"Missy, Taylor. I went around to each cabin this morning to ensure that everyone was awake and getting ready to leave, and I noticed that your cabin lacked the ice that would have been there had you been present. Would you like to explain this?"
Taylor quailed slightly, trying to contain the small tremors that wracked her as Miss Militia spoke. Authority figures accusing her wasn't anything new, but it was always difficult, especially as Taylor actually liked Miss Militia and didn't want to upset the senior cape. Keeping her voice steady was a challenge as Taylor managed to get out a reply.
"Maybe it just didn't show up on the outside?"
Miss Militia's eyebrow raised at the feeble excuse and Taylor immediately began to berate herself, she could feel Missy's incredulous gaze before the young girl piped up.
"Yeah, we were there all night. Gotta get my beauty sleep after all."
"Hmm."
The doubtful response burned Taylor's ears, and she kept her eyes low as Miss Militia slowly responded.
"Please don't treat me like an idiot girls, I know that you were not in the cabin this morning. I am giving you a chance to explain yourselves."
"Does it really matter?" Taylor managed to force out. "We are here now and nobody else is ready to leave."
Missy hummed in agreement, and Miss Militia's brow crinkled. The discussion between the three women had been noticed by the other Wards, and Dean was looking on with interest, even as Dennis and Assault jockeyed with each other for possession of a particularly large acorn.
"Taylor, I understand that you haven't had the best experience with authority figures and that is coloring your interaction here. I am asking you to clarify because as the Protectorate member in charge of this outing, I have a duty of care for all the Wards. Part of that includes knowing what they are up to and where at all times, so in the event of an emergency we can respond appropriately."
The burning in Taylor's ears grew fiercer at the words from Miss Militia. A duty of care sounded fine, it was probably a good idea even, but it was a gut wrenching blow to have it put before her. A duty of care would have meant that the Protectorate and the PRT would have known about Sophia and stopped her. A duty of care would have meant that Taylor was never in this position. A duty of care would have meant she wasn't locked inside a freezing waste filled locker and left for dead.
Taking a deep breath to try a wrench back the angry retort that was rising to her lips, Taylor instead focused her powers into her hand. A jagged and angry looking icicle erupted from her palm, and Taylor's hand clamped down onto it, her tendons bulging with the pressure she was applying. Miss Militia's sight to the manifestation was blocked by Taylor's body, but Missy saw and after a brief moment of silent debate, reached her hand out to rest on Taylor's forearm.
"Hey, I can take the blame for this one. Just back me up, okay?"
Missy's murmured into Taylor's ear as she step around her, sliding between the two other capes. Taylor continued clenching down on the ice, her grip compacting it and focusing on smoothing it out, trying to make her temper match the glossy ice. Smooth and unstained. No fault-lines within, no shatter points.
"Sorry Militia, I took Taylor out for a DnM and lost track of the time. It won't happen again."
"No."
Missy and Miss Militia both seemed off-put by the tightly leashed anger in Taylor's voice as she bit out the syllable.
"I don't believe you when you are saying you have a duty of care. It has been made evident to me that the only reason the PRT is acting is because I have powers. If I was on this trip as an unpowered individual would we be having this conversation? I am not one to believe everything that an authority figure says, because I have been let down and betrayed by them far too often. "
Taylor turned herself to face Miss Militia square, and her eyes were cold chips of brown that bore into the cape.
"So, please don't treat me like an idiot Miss Militia, and be upfront with your concerns. Why do you really care where I was? Its not a duty of care, we both know that the PRT don't care about things like that."
Missy's eyes steadily grew wider as Taylor spoke, the clipped cadence cutting into Miss Militia who winced minutely. The air around the trio grew colder as a light wave of fog fell off Taylor's form, and Miss Militia's hand fell to her hip, where her power was fluctuating between different forms of firearms.
The tense stand off continued as the onlookers started to gather closer, the PRT troopers slowly getting out of their van and walking into a wide arc. Assault seemed conflicted as he directed the Wards to stay back, making his way over towards the tense scene.
Taylor let out a deep sigh, fog billowing from her breath as it spilled into the morning air.
"I have had a very emotionally draining night and I am not in the right state to have this discussion. We can follow up about this another time, for now I just want to sleep in my bed and get myself centered, something which we can all agree is a good idea."
The increasingly tense shoulders of Miss Militia loosened at Taylor's words and she nodded her assent, hand sliding away from her hip as she did so. Missy had a relieved expression on her face as she picked up her bags, giving Taylor an encouraging smile as she walked towards the bus. Taylor stood with her neck tilted back, gazing up into the morning sky as she tried to regulate her emotions, seeking the right balance of distance and engagement. Angry enough to be de-powered but distant enough from the wellspring of anger to not let it control her. Assault strolled over to her and exchanged a look with Miss Militia, who shook her head and started to corral the other Wards.
"So, that was awkward."
Taylor snorted at the blunt statement, Assault's skill with words evident.
"Yeah. Like I told Miss Militia, I've been having a really rough night and I don't want to do anything right now."
Assault nodded and held up his hands to placate her, the hero lowering them to scoop up the bag that contained Taylor's costume.
"No problems with me, Puppy always tells me to respect when someone isn't feeling like talking. Although I think she is just saying that so I don't talk during her soaps."
A small smile graced Taylor's face, and Assault continued to natter away as the pair stowed their gear on the bus, Taylor followed Assault as he did a final check of the camp, wanting a bit more time away from the curious eyes of her fellow Wards or the tension around Miss Militia. After five minutes of ambling around, picking up loose pieces of rubbish and ensuring that the fire-pit was clean, Assault started to lead Taylor back to the bus.
"You ready for a rousing three hour long rendition of "99 Bottles on the Wall?""
The accompanying grin to that question clued Taylor in that Assault was serious and she started to plead that he at least vary the song. The two bickering as they entered the bus after the others, and Taylor made her way down the isle and sat next to Dennis who gave her a friendly smile as he dug around in his backpack for a comic.
The engine started as Miss Militia directed Assault to sit in the passenger seat, and the bus pulled away from the camp, the PRT troops following behind shortly afterwards. As the cabins faded into the distance Taylor thought over the experience. Despite the stress that the conversation with Missy had brought about, the overall experience had been rather enjoyable, Carlos and Dennis had been good company and Taylor was starting to believe that there wasn't a shoe waiting to drop. Even the troops had been friendly and talkative. She was aware that there was a tension with Miss Militia that seemed to based around her, and Taylor could understand that. After the disastrous power testing that lead to her staying at the Ice Box, she could imagine that Miss Militia would be uncomfortable around her. It didn't seem to be affecting how she treated her though, despite taking the older cape a few moments to compose herself around Taylor.
All in all, Taylor had been pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the entire trip had gone. She knew that there was going to be an excruciatingly awkward and upsetting talk coming in the future once she got back to the Ice Box, but for now Taylor relaxed into her seat and just watched as Carlos and Missy chatted. Things were going well for once.
205
Silent_Sepharim
Apr 22, 2023
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Threadmarks Interlude- Miss Militia and Director Piggot
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Silent_Sepharim
Apr 28, 2023
#882
Hannah locked the door behind her, resting her forehead against the cool wood as she let out a trembling breath. Embracing the cool feeling combating the knot of tension between her brows she removed the keys from the door, slowly turning around and letting her back slump against the door as she slid to the ground. Her shaky breathing was interrupted by a broken sob as Hannah tried to choke down the fear and tension that had been growing over the last week, and had come to a head less than five hours ago.
Taylor Hebert knew about Sophia.
She knew and she had stopped just short of calling out the PRT and Protectorate. Somehow she had found out, and Hannah was willing to wager that the sudden closeness with Missy had a lot to do with it, which would not be an issue but the young girl had to go and hand a potential disaster everything she needed to erupt. The two girls had thought that she couldn't see that Taylor had been manifesting her ice, and she doubted that Taylor was even aware that it had formed into a knife. A sharp, gleaming reminder of the cold that would overtake her.
The cold that had snap frozen her, turning her into little more than an ice statue. She could vividly remember the sensation of her flesh hardening, the stabbing pain of ice forming in her lungs as she inhaled, the horror of feeling her eyes solidify and before darkness claimed her. Even now, Hannah avoided standing in-front of the freezer in the break room for too long, and had started wearing long thermal under layers with her uniform, anything to avoid feeling cold. Her bed, when she used it, had been changed with the addition of a pair of thick comforters to create a sweltering nest, sure she woke up sweaty but the heat was a comfort. It meant that Taylor wasn't nearby. It meant that she wouldn't have to put on the mask of a professional around the walking danger that she represented.
Rising to her feet with lurching movements, Hannah made her way to her computer. A top of the line gaming rig that she used to decompress when the stress of the job was too much, the fact that it warmed up her apartment when in use was a pleasant benefit. Slumping into the chair, she opened her work email through the remote portal, and composed a brief message and sent it off to Director Piggot, letting her know that Taylor had found out about Sophia being a Ward. She then logged out and booted up a familiar comfort game, letting the peaceful atmosphere of Stardew Valley carry her away from her current woes, modded to remove winter of course.
"Fuck."
Director Emily Piggot didn't like to curse often, it cheapened the effect of the words when it was done so. Skidmark was a fine example of this, every third word was a curse of some description and it lost all meaning, simply becoming filler. Yet she felt that the email that Miss Militia had just sent was sufficient grounds to curse. Her most recent, and quite significant, headache had found out that the previous record holder had been on the Wards was not what she wanted to deal with on a Tuesday afternoon. Glaring at the cup that held a light herbal tea instead of the strong dark coffee that she wanted, Emily internally admitted that she was surprised that the deception had lasted this long. It really wasn't hard to work out who Shadow Stalker was once you had a few pieces of information, and the journals that Hebert had supplied had plenty of information in them.
It had been grizzly reading, and while most of it was petty schoolyard shit there had been a few instances that had incensed her. The destruction of a family heirloom, defacing it with shit, and then taunting the girl was an example, another was the carefully crafted friendship between Taylor and a new student, just for said student to leave her standing alone on the boardwalk, crying in public. There had been more, but overall it was a master class of psychological assault, and if it hadn't been for Sophia and her minion, Emma, keeping evidence they likely would have gotten away with it. Still, she mused, Sophia's talent in screwing up had come back to haunt Emily again.
From a barrage of complaints about excessive force, to broken regulations, to some of the Wards submitting grievances about her attitude, Sophia had always caused more problems than she had solved. Yet Washington had insisted that she was an asset, that her powers had the potential for great use when she reached majority and therefore Emily was saddled with the little reprobate.
Calling her assistant into her office, Emily informed him that she was about to make a secure call and would be unavailable for the immediate future, and to direct any calls to Renick or make a note of it for her to address later. Nathan nodded and once her left, the office was sealed, the tinkertech security systems coming into play. Emily sighed as she dialed the direct number for Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown.
"Emily."
"Rebecca."
"What is this call about?"
Emily paused as she took a breath, and launched into her speech.
"As I told you it would happen, the Herbert girl, Snow Maiden, has found out about Shadow Stalker. And just as I said would happen, she is furious and is likely going to gather support from her father before coming at the PRT. I am once again requesting permission to disclose the status of Shadow Stalker and lodging my complaints about the lightness of her punishment."
The line was silent, save for the sound of a pen swiping over paper as the Chief Director processed her words.
"No. Stalker is being punished and further actions will cause her to defect, and Think-Tank information suggests that she will be of great use against the upcoming Endbringer attack."
Emily stifled an angry noise that came from deep withing at the thought of any parahuman, let alone the Hess chit, getting away with crimes because they might be useful. It was the same reason she was unable to secure support to target Lung, that and his powers but there where ways around that.
"Chief Director, suspending her punishment on a maybe is presenting a horrible precedent that any cape can commit any crime they want, and with a promise of attending the Endbringer fights, get away with it!"
"Director Piggot, I assure you that Shadow Stalker will be attending the next fight, and the one after that and so on until she either reaches the age of 25. The rest of her sentence, including incarceration and mandatory therapy is suspended until she reaches 25 or fails to meet her own stipulations."
Emily paused, that sounded very much like Shadow Stalker was being coerced into participation.
"If I am to understand, Shadow Stalker will be at every single Endbringer attack for the foreseeable future?"
"Correct."
"And what am I to tell the Hebert girl? I doubt she will be pleased to learn her abuser is getting away with everything so long as she fights every three months."
"Tell the girl the details of the suspended sentence, just don't clarify that it is suspended. I trust that you will be able to manage a single Ward, Emily."
The icy tone of Costa-Brown brooked no argument and Emily couldn't really find it in herself to argue, Sophia had been an incredible burden to deal with so her fate was one that Emily couldn't find herself arguing over. At least the malcontent might get lucky and help drive away the real monsters before civilians got hurt.
"Understood. I will keep you updated as things progress."
"Good-bye Emily."
"Good-bye Rebecca."
201
Silent_Sepharim
Apr 28, 2023
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Threadmarks Consolidation 5.1
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Silent_Sepharim
May 5, 2023
#953
Taylor felt a great deal of relief once she was safely ensconced within the Ice Box once again, the stress of being near people fading away as she shucked off her costume and replaced it with sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. Finally having the opportunity to fully relax her control over the ice inside her, a wave of frigid air swept out from her as she sunk into the beanbag that her father had arranged to deliver once she asked for it. The comforting sensation of sinking into its embrace convinced Taylor to close her eyes and luxuriate in the moment, her luggage ignored by the doorway.
After an indeterminate time, Taylor's stomach drove her to motion. The feeling of hunger forcing her to her feet as she navigated her way to the kitchenette, preparing a quick meal of Chicken Orzo Salad, and making her way to her study area. Sliding into her chair, she placed the meal to the side of her keyboard as she started browsing PHO, Missy's comment about the amount of criminal activity causing her to be curious. Quickly navigating to the local forums, Taylor saw that there were several pinned threads, including the Protectorate members, the Empire 88 roster, one devoted solely to keeping track of Lung, and more. Clicking on a link that had been recently updated with a "Weekly Crime Report" from active members on the site, Taylor slowly worked her way through her dinner as she devoured the thread. It seemed that there had been a small drop in crime near the time that the Empire had attempted to kidnap her, and even remembering the event caused a faint stirring of unease to fill Taylor, and since then there had been a steady lull. Current speculation was that the Empire was scrambling to adjust now that some of their top members had been killed, Krieg in particular had been noted as a major loss.
Taylor scanned through the replies, and noted that many people were not optimistic about the situation, fearing that the Empire would retaliate in order to regain its standing and reputation. The obvious ABB shills heckling that the Empire had no standing were ignored, but the overall sentiment was that this was a lull, and that things would go back to normal. More assaults, more kidnappings, more lynch mobs, more theft, and more of the same.
Backing out of that thread, Taylor browsed more of the most active local threads. It appeared that Glory Girl had been filmed bouncing off a building as she was texting while flying, Oni-Lee had been spotted near the downtown area, and the BBPD had arrested two dozen Merchants who had gotten into a fight amongst each other and started shooting. It was surreal to see that life had continued on, Taylor had been through such massive upheavals in her own life that she had unconsciously thought that the same had been happening on a wider scale. Yet it wasn't the case. Snegurochka and her attempted abduction had fallen to the fifteenth page on the local forum, and even then the last comment had been a week ago. It simply wasn't news to Brockton anymore. Sure they didn't know she was a Ward, but it had been a wide scale cape fight that had resulted in the deaths of three capes, and it wasn't relevant anymore. Some Empire sock-puppets had been proclaiming that the loss of Krieg, Stormtiger, and Fenja would not stop them, and that more capes would come forth to "fight the good fight". No evidence of that had happened yet and no new capes had been added to the Empire's forces, so Taylor was inclined to ignore it as more racist howling.
Eventually though, her attention turned away from PHO and towards her email. Bracing herself by swallowing the last of her meal, she looked at the email marked as a priority, and clicked on it. Director Piggot had messaged her.
Required Meeting.
From: The office of Director DirectorENE@PRT.GOV.USA
To: Snegurochka Snegurochka@WARDS.PRT.GOV.USA
Good Afternoon,
Your attendance is requested at a meeting held online through the PRT Secure Communication Channels, the link is provided below. The meeting will be held tomorrow at February 22nd, 10am. Failure to attend will be noted as a lack of cooperation with lawful authorities.
Kind Regards,
The Office of Director Piggot
Taylor looked over at the email and grimaced. It was rather more confrontational than she had expected, but well in line with what Dennis and the rest of the Wards had told her about the director. The comment about lack of cooperation with lawful authorities did cause her to click her tongue, the blatant threat that was unnecessary but again not unexpected. She sent off a quick confirmation and emailed her Dad about it.
Waiting for a response, Taylor washed her bowl and gathered a thermos of iced tea from the fridge. Sipping at the rose lemonade infusion, she made her way back to the computer and settled down for a quiet evening of browsing the internet, occasionally messaging the other Wards through an internal chat program, discussing new books to read and movies to watch.
Her alarm roused Taylor from the comfortable huddle she had made in her beanbag, the fabric crackling as she flopped towards the clock. The entire study was covered in a thin layer of frost and the area around her computer had thicker icicles from the heat melting away the frost, which then flowed to nearby surfaces and re-froze. It reminded Taylor of the pictures of old candelabras that had been left uncleaned for too long, the wax reforming in twisting patterns. Enjoying the sight that greeted her, Taylor turned on the monitor and checked her email. Danny had responded to her request for advice, and Dean had sent through a list of novels that he had enjoyed. Putting the reading list to the side for the moment, Taylor read her fathers message.
Re: Advice about a meeting
From: Danny Parent4721H@PRT.GOV.USA
To: Snegurochka Snegurochka@WARDS.PRT.GOV.USA
It's good to hear from you Little Owl, I'm glad that your trip went well. It sounds like you and Vista are making a close connection, your mother would be proud of how you are handling the situation. I am proud of how you are handling the situation.
Now, with regards to the meeting that Piggot wants to have with you. It is most likely to do with whatever it is that you found out that they don't want you to know. I really would prefer if you tell me what it is, so that I can help you with specific advice but I won't push you about it. You have the right to choose what you tell your old man, and while we may have had issues with talking in the past, I don't want to create new issues by demanding to be part of everything in your life. You are a young woman who is coming into your own, and I could not be more impressed with how you have been handling what is an extremely difficult situation. Without knowing what it is that the meeting is about, all I can advise is to make sure that you don't let them rush you to make any decisions, don't loose your temper and don't shut down. As a teenager you are going to be fighting an uphill battle to be respected, and you don't want to give away any ammunition against yourself there.
Go into the meeting with an idea of what you want to happen. If you have an end-goal you can steer yourself towards it, without one you are rudderless.
And if you are really feeling out of your depth, cancel the meeting. Put it off and call me. I will drop everything and make my way over to the Rig. I've got plenty of sick days that I can cash in if needed, and you are worth doing so.
I love you Little Owl.
Love, Danny.
Taylor sat back in her chair, a smile creeping across her face as she read the email. Her Dad offering to step away from his work at the docks was significant, and far more comforting than the advice he gave. Even as she re-read the contents, Taylor was already feeling less stressed about the upcoming meeting.
Leaning back, Taylor thought about what it was she wanted from the PRT in the meeting. Piggot to admit that they had fucked up, that Sophia had been an abuser and had bullied her. There was evidence for it sure, her journals and the multitude of email accounts that had been filled with hate mail were examples, but for someone in authority to actually admit that there was a problem, that it wasn't Taylor just acting out for attention would be incredibly cathartic. Although it was just a start, Taylor did want the Trio punished, especially now that she knew how they had avoided all previous punishments.
Emma had been the worst of them all, and Taylor still felt very uncomfortable thinking about her. Regardless of whatever punishments she could get put onto the red haired harridan it wouldn't fix the hurt that her betrayal and constant assaults had done, it wouldn't bring back her best friend. The Emma that had been wearing her down for a year was not the same as the girl who had helped her learn to braid her hair, or had played capes and robbers with her in the back yard. That Emma was gone, and it hurt to realize that. It hurt to think that she was gone and would not ever be back, couldn't ever be back for Taylor because of the new Emma's actions.
Letting out a pained mewl, Taylor backed away from her computer and made her way towards the large area she used as a gymnasium and formed a set of ice shoes as she did, creating blades on the bottom as she stepped into the large ice rink that she had created within the building. Skating across the surface, pushing herself to reach the highest speeds she could, thoughts tumbled through Taylor's mind. Madison honestly didn't really rate on her mind, the hanger on always seeming to be following along with Emma and Sophia's actions, she really only rated as a problem because she marshaled many of the students to commit minor acts of sabotage and spread gossip. Ideally she would be sent to juvie and never Taylor never heard from her again. It was Emma and Sophia that really caused her torment.
The steady sound of ice grinding against ice filled her mind with comfort, as Taylor raced around the rink. Legs powering her, arms serving as a counterbalance as she turned. The thrill of motion kept her from brooding until a bell rang, Taylor glancing at the mechanical clock that she had placed in the gymnasium two weeks ago now. It had just reached 9am.
Slowing her pace, Taylor coasted towards the exit, and as she reached the edge of the rink allowed herself to simply step off the ice and onto the floor, her ice-skates shifting into shoes as she did so. She couldn't distract herself any more. She had to go to the meeting.
"Good morning Miss Hebert."
The severe expression on Director Piggot's face matched the bland tone as she addressed Taylor, who had taken the time to dress in her costume for the meeting.
"Good morning Director. Will anyone else be joining us for this meeting?"
"Armsmaster will be reviewing the logs later, he is currently engaged in a collaborative project with Dragon and is unavailable."
Taylor frowned at that. Not having a third party present meant that there was nobody who could defuse the situation if things devolved into a confrontation. Still, it also meant that there was no-one who would interfere when Taylor called out the PRT for their negligence.
Taylor had decided that she would go on the offensive, call out the PRT for housing Sophia and allowing her to run roughshod over Winslow without any consequence. Danny had told her to know what she wanted, and Taylor wanted nothing more than to never have to deal with any of the Trio ever again, and having them punished was a good start to that.
"Very well Director. I assume that we are meeting about my statement towards Miss Militia during the training exercise."
The director continued swiftly after Taylor finished speaking, her words clipped and her gaze intense.
"Indeed. I find myself wondering why you used your power in a threatening manner towards a senior officer and why you believe that the PRT should overlook this serious breach of conduct?"
Taylor blinked.
Apparently they were not on the page.
"I protest the accusation that I used my power in a threatening manner, if anything I have been exercising control to minimize its effects and potential threat to others. The real issue is why I needed to make such a statement towards Miss Militia in the first place."
"Your feelings on the matter do not excuse you actions, your powers were noted by several PRT troopers as having formed a weapon that you held in an offensive stance towards your superior officer."
Taylor was again surprised, the focus on how her power manifested seemed to be ignoring the point. Yes, she had made a knife, but how was that different to Miss Militia and her endless arsenal? Taking a moment to process the accusation, she glanced at the side of her screen, where she had her Dads email open.
"As a teenager you are going to be fighting an uphill battle to be respected, and you don't want to give away any ammunition against yourself there."
Taking a deep breath Taylor focused her attention on the flinty gaze of Director Piggot.
"You have a point. My manifestation could easily have been misconstrued as an offensive or threatening act, which was not my intention. I am willing to write a formal apology to Miss Militia and attend some lectures for the Image department to ensure that I avoid this mistake in the future."
Director Piggot was silent for a moment and Taylor felt a frisson of satisfaction through her. Watching the older woman stumble as Taylor refused to play the part of a petulant teenager was more satisfying than the humiliation of having to write an apology letter, although she did feel bad that Miss Militia had felt threatened.
"Hmm, your acceptance of the fault is noted."
"Excellent, as we have addressed the issue you have brought up, I would like to address another issue. Why it was that I addressed Miss Militia in the manner I did."
Director Piggot sat forward in her chair, her bulk moving forward and casting a more imposing silhouette as she gestured for Taylor to continue. She did so, taking a moment to clear her throat as she prevaricated.
"As you know, my trigger event was the caused by three girls in particular. I went over the details when I first interacted with the PRT and I don't particularly want to go over them again."
Director Piggot nodded in assent to Taylor's statement.
"In particular, I named Sophia Hess as one of the principal individuals behind the campaign of bullying and the incident that lead me to trigger. I have since identified her as a parahuman, specifically Shadow Stalker."
Director Piggot stayed silent, her form still on the call as Taylor paused, watching for a reaction. The older woman's face was completely blank, showing only a professional interest in her words without a shred of guilt. Taylor continued her pause, the silence stretching out into long seconds as the two stared at one another.
Eventually Taylor cracked and continued speaking.
"Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker Director, and she was employed as a Ward while she assaulted and abused me daily. How did this happen? Why was she allowed to get away with this? And where is she now?"
Taylor watched as Director Piggot slowly leaned back, her face still as unreadable as it was at the start of the call. The older woman reached into her desk, pulling out a folder and opening it. Taylor couldn't read what it said due to the camera angle, but Piggot started speak after she flipped through some of the pages.
"To the best of our knowledge, the reason that Sophia was able to perpetrate her actions on you was that her handler had decided that keeping reports of poor behavior from the PRT would be the best way to ensure that she received a favorable performance review. She believed that the appearance of a troubled teen that had become a model student, according to records, under her watch would allow for a sizeable bonus."
Taylor sat motionless as the director continued to speak, her words ponderous.
"Reports from Winslow were repressed and destroyed, then after a visit, a portion of the money that had been earmarked for Ward related expenses at Winslow was directed into Principal Blackwell's secondary bank accounts. From there, Blackwell and Leanore, the handler, lent on the other teachers at Winslow to ignore any misdemeanors from Sophia, and it appears that she took that as she had been given carte blanche to behave as she wanted."
Money.
It had been money for someone she had never even met that had allowed Sophia to assault her. Blackwell's bank account was enough reason to ignore as Emma destroyed her mothers flute. A promotion gave Madison permission to spread rumors about her being a merchant whore.
Taylor felt her vision pulse as rage flared up within her, racing through her in a hot wave that threatened to overtake her. Her hand balled into a fist under the table, and she could feel her nails biting into her palm, the blood feeling cool against her flushing skin.
Director Piggot continued as she watched Taylor from the other side of the monitor.
"The PRT as a whole, and the Wards program, had no knowledge of Sophia's actions, nor do we condone what she has done. The reason you haven't heard anything about her is because an investigation was ongoing, which has now been concluded."
"And?" Taylor's voice was tight and sharp. "What is going to happen to her?"
Director Piggot fixed her with a steady gaze, her finger tapping a steady beat on the folder before she spoke again.
"She has been given a sentence that includes incarceration at a maximum security parahuman jail, mandatory therapy, and a bevvy of further restrictions to her freedoms that I will not go into."
Taylor barely managed to prevent herself from leaping to her feet. Jail! Maximum security jail! It wasn't Sophia on her knees begging for forgiveness like she had been picturing in some of her darker dreams, but it was a damm sight more than she had expected. It had been lingering in the back of her mind that somehow Sophia would get away with it, that she would avoid punishment and Taylor would be left without any resolution.
"Furthermore, the investigation has revealed that Emma Barnes and Madison Clements were willing conspirators in the assault upon you that lead to your trigger. Investigation of the bio-hazardous materials that were located in your locker have lead to charges of bio-terrorism being levied against the girls."
Taylor did leap to her feet and let loose a joyous shout, her mind light from the whiplash between intense rage and immense satisfaction. The Trio would be punished for hurting her. It meant that they had been wrong. That she wasn't worthless and that she didn't deserve to be hurt like they had done. She wasn't prey, or weak, or any of the epitaphs that they threw at her.
Taylor barely noticed as she started to dance, her hips wriggling and her shoulders shimmying as she tried to express her joy.
A few moments passed by before the sound of a throat clearing drew Taylor back to the present, and the call she was on with her overall superior. Her boss that had been watching her preform the most awkward and uncoordinated dance ever seen.
"Yes. Quite. I will leave you to your thoughts once this meeting has finished. Do you have any follow up questions or can I get back to the business of wrangling the gangs?"
Taylor's face burnt as her cheeks flushed, and she barely managed to stammer out a negative, with Director Piggot's disapproving gaze on her. The moment the call ended, she leapt back to her feet and started to run back to the gymnasium, she needed to burn off some of this energy.
It wasn't everyday that you got proof that the world wasn't out to get you.
Last edited: May 6, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
May 9, 2023
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Consolidation 5.2
"I can't believe you were dancing in-front of Piggot!"
Taylor held her face in her hands as the delighted voice of Missy rang out from her speakers. It had been a day since her meeting with the Director, and Taylor still was having difficulty believing that it had gone as well as it did. While Director Piggot pushed the blame onto Sophia's handler, and seemed to head off any thoughts that the PRT as a whole was responsible for the serious breach of conduct, the news that the Trio were in prison or would be shortly after some serious charges had been leveled at them was so out of her expectations that Taylor was half expecting the other shoe to drop. She had followed up with an email requesting more details about the upcoming court cases and was given the court date, set on the 14th of July, it was still many months away, but Piggot had noted that the two non-powered members of the Trio where being kept in a secure detention facility and had not been granted bail.
It was something that Taylor took no small amount of pleasure in, the knowledge that the appearance obsessed and fashion savvy Emma was forced to make do with issued jumpsuits and none of her expensive cosmetics. It may have been petty, but Taylor had taken the time that night to luxuriate in her cold shower with an expensive pair of shampoo and conditioner that she had asked to have delivered to her.
"Still worth it, even if everyone sees that video. I don't have to deal with Sophia ever again."
Taylor's grin poked out from behind her hands as she mastered her embarrassment and replied to Missy.
"Oh? So they actually gave you some answers instead of jerking you around?"
"Yeah, it turns out that Sophia got sentenced to a maximum security parahuman jail! She is well and truly gone and won't be coming back."
Taylor lent away from the speakers as Missy let out a delighted squeal, the younger girl matching Taylor's wide grin.
"YES! That is awesome! I gotta tell the guys!"
Taylor quickly waved a hand to keep Missy from running off, the excited girl ready to tear space asunder to share the good news.
"I had an idea about that. Dennis mentioned that none of the other Wards liked Sophia, and now that we know she is gone for good, I thought we could throw a small celebration. Call it a "Going Away Party" or a team building exercise if anyone asks."
The grin on Missy's face seemed to stretch even further, starting to worry Taylor at the level of glee she saw in the expression.
"Yesssssssssssss, we should definitely have a celebration. I can get some supplies from home and school, put in some req forms with Armsy, and bribe Assault to bring some extra drinks. Leave it with me!"
Taylor blinked at the enthusiasm that Missy showed, she had not been planning on doing more than a few pizzas and soda. It was more a way to bond with the other Wards, but the response seemed to indicate that Missy was far more invested than Taylor had thought.
"Not tonight though, there isn't enough time to get everyone in. Could you arrange it for tomorrow night?"
"No problem Taylor, I have this!"
After her chat with Missy, Taylor returned to the day to day activities of a Ward. Working through some of the assignments that she had been given and preemptively looking up what classes she could take to fulfill her pledge to Piggot. It turned out that overtly threatening powers was something that the Image department was specifically there to help with, and a short email garnered a response from them.
It seemed that Image wanted to discuss with her about her debut, which was going to scheduled for the coming Friday, only 4 days away now. They wanted to speak with her about the kind of questions that were likely to be asked at her announcement, and how to display her power in an inoffensive manner while in public. It was acknowledged that she had reached a level of control sufficient for longer trips to the Rig and its attendant facilities, and as such she had been scheduled for a meeting in two days, at 10am on the 25th.
Taylor typed an affirmation, and let the matter fall to the wayside. While she was looking forward to getting out of the Ice Box, she was lightly dreading her public reveal. The endless rows of cameras that were at each Ward reveal, the barrage of questions that they faced, and worst of all, the inevitable scrutiny of her every action. While the isolation of her current situation had been a balm for her frayed nerves after the Trio's relentless assaults, it did leave her ill prepared for having to present a friendly and approachable character to the public. Hopefully the Image people would have some advice on how to handle that, as Taylor was at a loss.
With the majority of her face concealed by a veil, only her mouth and chin would be visible to the public, and she was nervous about how they would respond to her rather frog like features. Far too wide and with thin lips instead of the more feminine features of a heroine like Battery, it would far too easy for the public to ridicule her for them. She had tried to get a full face mask, but image had shot that down, saying that with the rest of her outfit, it would come across as too closed off from the public and engender concern and resentment instead of the curiosity and admiration the veil was liable to invoke.
Still, it was something that she could address with the professionals, so Taylor tried to put it aside as she instead spent the remainder of the day alternating between doing her required readings and daydreaming about the many petty inconveniences that the Trio would be going through.
An alarm shattered the quiet peace of the night as Taylor leapt from her beanbag, a thin column of ice propelling her to her feet as a knife condensed into existence in her hand. The study was unchanged from when she fell asleep, and it took Taylor a few moments to piece together what the alarm was.
There was only one type of alarm that had this particular cadence, it had been covered in school, and it screeched through the air every three months.
The Endbringer sirens.
Taylor scrambled for her actual bedroom, flinging the door open as she quickly shucked her clothes. Wrenching out her bodysuit from its storage unit, she started frantically dressing in her cape costume when the landline in the office area began to ring. Hopping as she forced her legs through the holes, Taylor picked up the phone.
"Snegurochka preparing to report to the Rig."
"Good." The terse note in Gallant's voice made perfect sense, he would be more sensitive to the general panic throughout the city. The waves of fear and anxiety that bathed Brockton. "I am going to get a vehicle sent to pick you up, and then we all will gather at the Rig. No word yet about the target, but it's the Simurgh on descent."
"Okay, I'll be ready when they arrive."
The phone line cut out as the background noise spiked on his end, and Taylor stared at the handset for a moment before slamming it back into its cradle. It took only a few minutes to finish dressing and to gather her staff, her non approved sword bundled into a thin tube that she carried in her off hand. Ideas ran through Taylor's mind about how to make it more convenient to transport her weapons, perhaps creating a small hollow within the staff where the sword could reside? It would simply look like a different colored piece of ice to outside observation while allowing her to access it in a heartbeat if needed.
Taylor cursed as she waited for the approaching PRT car, which she could track by the high-beams of the headlights tearing along the road towards the Ice Box. It had been less than ten minutes since she had spoken to Gallant, and less than fifteen since the siren had gone out, so whoever was on the way must have been halfway towards her in the first place or breaking all sorts of road laws. Seeing the car come screaming towards her, the throaty roar of the engine shattering the nights stillness, Taylor would put her money on the later.
The driver tore through the gates, and with a sharp turn and the screech of brakes, pulled up next to Taylor who promptly jumped into the back seat. The wheels where already spinning as Taylor slammed the door, and by the time she had buckled herself in the car was pulling back out of the facility and towards the city proper. The familiar face of Alicia Stevens, the PRT agent who had escorted her on her only trip back into the city, greeted her as the engine roared.
"Hey there Snow Maiden. Looking good in your new duds."
Taylor forced down the instinctive rush of happiness that came from being complimented by an authority figure, and instead focused on the present.
"Agent Stevens, have we heard anything new about the attack?"
Alicia threw the car around a bend, feathering the brakes as she drifted around the corner, before slamming her foot back down on the accelerator, the force pushing Taylor into the backrest.
"Yep, looks like Dragon has managed to pinpoint a likely landing point. Looks like she is going to land in Australia."
Guilt warred with relief at the news, Australia was far away and it meant that her Dad was safe. It meant that her home wasn't under risk of being blockaded from the rest of the world on a maybe, a precaution that dammed anyone left alive inside the exclusion zone. It also meant that someone else would be in her situation, their house at risk. Their family in danger.
"Hey, none of that there. Nothing wrong with being glad that its not your home. I won't lie, I'm really happy that I don't have to deal with the winged witch."
Taking the words at face value it was a reasonable approach to the matter, but it didn't sit right with Taylor. It felt like she was giving into fear towards the Simurgh, and Taylor hated to give into fear. Even at the worst moment of her life, it wasn't fear that drove her, it had been acceptance driven by the concussion that she had received. Admittedly, people might think she had a head injury if she said she regretted that it wasn't her city that got attacked, but it wasn't a matter of pride or ego. It was the feeling of helplessness at events occurring outside her control that made Taylor feel so wrong about her relief. While the Simurgh attacked Canberra, Taylor couldn't do anything to mitigate the damage, which ate away at her, yet the knowledge that she likely wouldn't be able to do anything anyway kept pushing her to feel foolish about her thoughts.
"Seriously Maiden, I've spoken to survivors from her attacks, the stories are nightmarish. Its not like a cape fight, you can't just fight your way out of trouble. Even your ice wouldn't be much help against her, if anything it would just give her more ammunition to throw at the capes. Take the time to be around your team, talk to them and see how they are feeling, I can assure you that they are feeling the same kind of stress you are. Most capes want to fight, and the Endbringers are the biggest targets around, but please, think about if you really should. You have a family that you seem to love, from what I've heard around the place, the other Wards think highly of you. Don't try and throw that away for some misguided sense of duty."
Taylor's throat felt tight as Alicia spoke, and she felt her power waver as the heartfelt words reached her. The two of them sat quietly in the car as Alicia tore towards the Rig.
"Snegurochka! Over here!"
The loud call from Gallant drew Taylor's attention as she stepped out of the car, pausing to say a heartfelt goodbye to Alicia, who gave a soft smile and a wave, before accelerating away again as she went out to collect another individual.
Taylor made her way over towards Gallant, noting that he was in his full kit of futuristic looking power armor, the silver and gunmetal grey contrasted by the gleaming blue lights dotted around. Trotting over, clutching her staff and the wrapped sword closely to her chest, Taylor noted that he had cleared a small space around an elevator and directed her to step into it. Doing so, Gallant followed her and punched in the number for the Wards floor.
"I'm glad to see you Snegurochka, we weren't sure how long it would take you to get here."
"I got ready the moment I heard the alarm, is this the normal procedure for Endbringer attacks?"
Gallant shook his head, the faint blue light coming from his visor casting the lift in a faint cyan tone.
"No, normally we wouldn't call in the Wards at all, seeing as Endbringer fights are volunteer and generally only adults get to participate if it is out of state. However we received some concerning information from some of the criminal contacts within the city, and it was decided that the Wards would need to come in for safety."
Taylor tilted her head slightly in confusion, her veil casting a shadow over her mouth as she worked her jaw. Concerning information from the gangs about the Wards? That could mean many things, and it likely was just poor timing that meant it was discovered at the same time as the Simurgh attacked. Probably. It wouldn't do to write off some sort of influence from her, but it likely wasn't.
The elevator doors opened and the pair walked briskly towards the door of the Wards area, pausing as the scanner went over them and Gallant spoke the access code. Waiting a few moments, the door cycled open and Taylor noted with surprise that this was the first time that she had seen every Ward together. Vista paced around the room in impossibly fast circuits, her green visor snapping towards Taylor and Gallant, giving a brief wave as she continued to pace. Clockblocker lounged on the couch, and was focused on a video that was playing, Kid Win next to him scratching something into a notebook as they watched. Aegis got up from the console were he was listening to the comms chatter and started walking his way over to greet them, giving Gallant and Taylor a firm handshake, up close Taylor could see the tightness around his eyes. The last member was someone that Taylor hadn't met before, clad in a blue bodysuit with a white diamond pattern, they towered over her in height and were roughly three times broader than her. They were leaning against a wall and had locked eyes onto Taylor the moment she had entered the room.
"Hi, I don't think we have met before."
Taylor shuffled her staff into the same hand as her sword, awkwardly balancing the two as she extended her hand towards the new figure.
"We haven't."
They made no effort to reach out and embarrassment started to creep into Taylor as her hand hung in mid air. Fortunately Gallant came to her rescue before she could open her mouth again.
"Snegurochka, this is Browbeat. They joined a week after you and has been worked to the bone with all the paperwork that comes with joining so he hasn't had much opportunity to be social."
The newly introduced Browbeat gave a small nod to Gallant and continued to stare at Taylor, who had replaced her staff into her hand. As she started to feel awkward again she tried to keep herself from talking, ever since her trigger people had been the ones to reach out and initiate conversations with her and suddenly encountering someone who didn't was throwing her off, it was reminiscent of her time at Winslow where no one spoke to her if it wasn't to insult or degrade her. A faint mist began to seep out from under her coat as she tried to breathe deeply and compose herself, but it seemed that wasn't helping as the noise around the room seemed to build. Taylor focused her attention on the staff in her hand. Cold, sturdy, and unchanging.
"Alright everyone! Now that we are all here we can go over the information that the PRT got earlier today."
The baritone of Aegis drew her from her meditative state and she turned to face him, noticing as Browbeat pushed off from the wall and walked past her. His massive form carefully skirting around the small patch of ice she had created at her feet, Taylor tried to issue an apology but the continual stare from Browbeat had the words catching in her throat.
The rest of the Wards all gathered around, Kid Win putting the notebook away even as he unscrewed a small panel on his signature pistols.
"So what do our benevolent overlords have for us? It must be pretty juicy to get us called in despite the worlds worst opera being in session."
"Jesus Clock, can you keep the jokes to a minimum. Really not the right time."
Clockblocker bobbed his head in acknowledgement of Gallant's chastisement even as Aegis shot him a dirty glare.
"Anyway, it seems like we were meant to be called in for this soon, once they had finished going over the information, but the Endbringer attack has the Director acting cautiously."
"What information?"
"I was getting to that Browbeat, but it seems like there are some radical members in the Empire that are planning on targeting Snegurochka and the rest of us in retaliation for the losses that they have taken."
Taylor was stunned. Villains didn't target Wards. Especially when they wanted to portray themselves as the best option in the hellhole that is Brockton. It was something to note that despite the insane amount of danger that the Wards encountered in Brockton, with gunfights, attempted stabbings, and drugged up Merchants, that not a single one had ever died. Required serious healing, sure. There had been a small drama when a former Ward by the name of Requiem had to leave Brockton Bay to get medical aid before Panacea had triggered, but even so they had gone on to a full recovery and had graduated to serving the Protectorate in Florida.
The other Wards where not silent, Vista cursing a storm at the idiocy of Nazi scum, Kid Win had stopped his tinkering and was focused on Aegis.
"Wait, they are going to target us? Like how? Cause that could mean a lot of things."
"Good question Win, initially it seems like there is going to be a sort of public relations attack, after that we don't know yet. Well, I don't know yet, the information still is getting examined."
Taylor sat back as Browbeat leaned forward, his imposing stature drawing attention.
"So its simple. To get rid of the threat, Snegurochka leaves Brockton and serves elsewhere."
Floored by the suggestion, Taylor gaped at the other cape. Leave Brockton? It was her home, it was where she grew up. There might be a lot of negative memories in the recent years, but there were more positive ones from childhood and things had been improving. She could finally speak to her Dad about what was going on in her life and rebuilding the relationship that the two had allowed to falter. And to suggest she leave that? That she let some spiteful Nazi drive her from her home, to let fear direct her actions? It was ridiculous.
Anger began to seep into her as she turned to face Browbeat directly, the other cape never having looked away from her.
"I will not be driven out of my home by a fucking Nazi! How could you even suggest that?"
Browbeat stayed still as Taylor rose to her feet. The other Wards starting to rise as well, Vista standing to the side, her hands raised as she prepared to separate the two quarreling.
"I do not want to be killed because of your actions. Even now you think only of yourself. This threat affects all of us."
Taylor rocked back at the accusation. How dare he? She was thinking of others, her father wouldn't be happy in a different city. He had poured so many years and so much effort into trying to keep the DWA functioning, that abandoning it would be throwing away his lifework. It would also give the Empire the idea that they could drive capes out from the city, ceding more power and control over to them and causing them to grow even more bold.
"I didn't do anything! The Empire attacked me, and now the Empire is sending threats. Why don't you blame them for this instead of me?"
Aegis stepped between the Taylor and Browbeat, holding his hands up as he interjected.
"Okay. Okay. Things are getting a little out of hand here. This isn't the time to be making any decisions, or any enemies. It's just a briefing okay?"
Taylor hand tightened around her staff as she stared down Browbeat who met her gaze without a flinch, even as the temperature slowly lowered. A tug at her cape drew her attention to Clockblocker who lead her away from the group, even as Gallant directed Browbeat to a different area of the common room.
Taylor followed as Clockblocker lead her to a hallway lined with doors. He stopped halfway down the hall and lent against the wall, his faceless helmet directed at her.
"Well. That went well."
Taylor snorted, and rested her forehead against the wall. She knew that she had over-reacted to Browbeats comment, it did make sense even if it was incredibly insensitive.
"Yeah, making lots of friends today."
"Ahh but you see Tay-Tay, you have started stage one of the cape friendship program, You got into a fight."
Taylor couldn't help but let an amused smile slip onto her face at the idea of making friends via fighting.
"Now all we have to do is get steps two, three, and four done and we are all golden."
"I dread to know what the answer is, but what are these steps?"
Taylor could hear the grin in Dennis' voice as he replied.
"Step two, punch each other out. Step three, have a tear filled bonding session. Step four, profit."
She couldn't help it, she laughed at the ridiculous imagery. If her laughter sounded a tinge hysterical, Dennis was kind enough not to comment.
Last edited: May 9, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
May 24, 2023
#1,020
It took a while for the Wards to return to the common room, drifting back in one-by-one as they sought out each other to help steady their nerves. The Endbringer sirens had been silenced hours ago and the Rig itself was eerily quiet, the numerous troopers on duty having stood down and returned to their homes, leaving only a skeleton staff on duty. Kid Win informed Taylor once she returned to the common room that almost every hero from the Protectorate ENE had gone to join the fight in Canberra, with only Triumph staying behind as a precautionary measure.
Taylor slid into a recliner that faced the young tinker, watching as he worked on a complex looking board of some kind, filled with circuits and nodes that she could not even begin to identify. The knowledge that Assault was off and risking his life made Taylor feel uncomfortable, he had begun to really feel like an ally that she could rely upon, and his death would leave a large wound in her slowly strengthening self-esteem. Taylor knew it wasn't healthy to rely upon the validation and attention of outside figures to support herself, that she should be able to stand on her own and use that support to grow further. Yet the campaign of emotional abuse and degradation by Emma had severely crippled her ability to feel good about herself.
Shifting in her seat, placing her staff by the side of the chair, Taylor curled up her legs and braced herself as the light from a small flashlight wielded by Kid Win glared into her eyes. The veil did serve to lessen the effect, but it still smarted.
"What are you working on?"
Kid Win startled at the sound of her voice, and Taylor held her breath at the movement. Hopefully she hadn't offended him, two Wards that hated her would be too much to deal with today. He turned the flashlight off and sat back from the table, his back audibly cracking as he stretched.
"I'm trying to tweak the output of my hover-board, I think that I can get it to operate more responsively at higher speeds without sacrificing performance at lower speeds."
"Oh, do you often need it to work at high speed?"
"Not too much, there is enough urban sprawl that maneuverability is more important than straight line speed, with the exception of some Merchants that try and run using Squealer's vehicles. Its more of a personal project."
He turned to face Taylor, his visor-clad face seeming to relax from a light scowl into a more neutral expression as he left his work.
"But enough about my work, Armsmaster mentioned that you had been forming some ultra-dense ice substances. How do they work?"
Taylor mulled over the question, it was one that she had been asked frequently by the PRT and Armsmaster once she had discovered that she could increase the density and strength of her ice. Image wasn't a fan of the darker color, mentioning the phenomena of "Black Ice" that formed on roads and was considered a major hindrance to safe driving, so they had asked her to minimize its usage.
"I haven't been able to work out exactly how it works, but as far as I can tell it serves as a repository for my powers, allowing me to channel them more effectively through it. If I throw a chunk of black ice, I can spread more ice from it faster than I could with regular ice. It does take a while to make any large amount though."
Kid Win nodded as Taylor explained, massaging his forearms, and sat back against the couch.
"That makes sense, if it holds more of your energy it would take longer to make. I run into the same issue with a lot of my gear, its difficult to get a large enough throughput to make what I want sometimes."
"Exactly!"
Taylor blushed as she realized that she had raised her voice, but Kid Win had struck the nail on the head. Her power was strong, and when she released herself into it there didn't seem like there was much that could stop it, not without serious effort anyway. Yet when she was in control, she often felt limited. Reaching for something that was supposed to be easy to grasp but kept slipping away. The Black Ice Sword helped with that, serving as a bridge to her powers, and a tangible anchor to focus on to maintain her calm when memories of the Trio came to her. In the long dark nights when she was alone in the Ice Box, it served as a steadying reminder that she was strong now, that Sophia couldn't abuse her anymore. That no matter what Emma said, she was valued and wanted. That no matter what Madison did, she wouldn't be ignored anymore.
"Sorry."
It was a sheepish apology and Kid Win took it with grace, not mentioning her delay before responding.
"Would it be possible to have a few samples to run some tests with? It could be an interesting joint project and something that would let me get more funds allocated to my tinkering."
Taylor paused at the idea of being used to get more funds, it was something that she hadn't expected. It did make her feel as though Kid Win didn't really value her aid, and just wanted a way to get more materials for tinkering, but on the other hand it was nice to be valued. Working her jaw for a moment, Taylor looked closer at Kid Win.
The other Ward was roughly the same height as her, and he lacked the same bulk as Aegis and particularly Browbeat, but there was a dexterity present in his hands that was visible as he fidgeted with a small tool of some description. His brown hair was kept short and seemed to be styled to avoid getting into his visor, but he lacked the self assurance that would allow him to carry off the style. Overall he appeared a bit twitchy, and Taylor wasn't too sure that she was impressed by him.
"Sure, it would be a good opportunity to get to know my teammate better."
It felt odd to be the one that was creating distance, but Taylor knew she was already emotionally overloaded. Establishing friends, dealing with her powers, interacting with her Dad while being responsible for his brain injury, and the entire bullshit with the PRT and Sophia had been wearing her down. A purely professional interaction were she wasn't the main focus would be a nice change, something that she could point towards as a stepping stone of progress. It would make Danny happy at least, he had asked how she had been doing with the other Wards.
Taylor's eyes flew open and her legs shot out. Flinging herself to her feet, she briskly made her way towards the Wards comms console, ignoring the faintly panicked squawk of Kid Win as he fell back to avoid getting in her way. She had forgotten to call her Dad!
The phone rang for a few long seconds, the dial tone heavy in Taylor's ear as she anxiously chewed on a strand of hair. After what seemed like an age, the line engaged and the placid voice she was expecting answered.
"Hebert Household, Danny speaking."
"Hey Dad, I'm sorry I took so long to call. I'm okay and at the Rig right now."
Taylor could hear a deep breath over the phone, could picture him slumping down slightly into the kitchen chair by the phone.
"I'm really happy to hear that Taylor, I was worried when you didn't call."
Guilt churned inside her stomach, after all their talks about trying to communicate better she had completely forgotten that he was there when the sirens rang. The moment her adrenaline spiked she had written him off and focused on what she could do with her powers.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey now, you remembered and did call me, that's all I care about. Are you safe at the Rig?"
His support made her feel even worse, the idea that she was at the forefront of his mind was agonizing. Unconsciously she started to lean into the cold, a faint mist billowing out from under her veil and keeping her face cool.
"Yeah, the Wards got called in on something unrelated, and as there were lots of transports active we got moved in during the general mobilization."
"Something unrelated? Is it something you can tell me or is it secret superhero business?"
Taylor flushed lightly at the question, secret superhero business was what she had called it when playing capes with Emma as a kid. She remembered tying a cape around her neck and pretending to be Alexandra and refusing to elaborate when her parents asked what she was doing, pretending to be on important secret missions.
"Daaaad, come on. Please don't try and embarrass me while I'm at the Rig."
"Alright Little Owl, I'll save it till the next time you come visit alright? Maybe I'll see if I can find some old photo albums and we can look for embarrassing pictures of you as a little tyke."
Taylor knew what he was doing. Getting her to make a commitment to a future meeting, making it so that she was invested in the moment rather than stuck in her head. And there was no way she was going to broach the idea of having him visit the Ice Box to meet Missy and Dennis if he was talking about baby photos.
"Fine, I suppose we can do that. I'll tell you what I can when we see each other next, I just wanted to let you know I am okay."
Danny's voice thickened with emotion as he responded.
"I appreciate that Taylor, and know that I love you and Annette would be so proud of you. I'll let you get back to your friends now, I know you've got better things to do than to chat with an old fart like me."
Taylor choked back a watery chuckle, and said her goodbyes. Lowering the wireless handset back into the charging port, she backed away from the console and stood still for a moment. It was difficult to speak to her Dad, her confused mass of emotions was always at the forefront but despite that she always felt a tiny bit better afterwards. Finally hearing words of love and support after the years of distance and emotional neglect was extremely satisfying yet at the same time she felt as though she shouldn't be so affected. That she shouldn't need the validation from someone who had abandoned her in her time of need. It was a mess that Taylor didn't want to touch, and the cool sensation of icicles forming on her veil and tapping on her chin allowed her to change her focus.
It was a rough day and the sun hadn't even risen above the horizon yet.
"Maiden? Do you mind stopping what you're doing, we kinda need the console in the positive temperature range."
Taylor flinched away from the voice to her side, low and quiet. Gallant was standing close to her, his armor tinkling as he flexed to break the forming ice crystals.
"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't realize what I was doing."
Gallant lived up to his name as he gave her a small nod, not inquiring as to her thoughts as Taylor brought herself back to moment. Looking around as she noticed that the Wards had gathered back together at the couch, with Browbeat staying on the far side from her. Vista gave her a small wave and a smile, gesturing for her to sit beside her.
"Now that we are all back here, I have some good news from the fight."
Aegis drew attention as he stood in-front of the group, his voice carrying clearly to Taylor as she quietly slunk next to Missy. A gentle pat on her shoulder from the younger girl had her giving a grateful smile before focusing on Aegis.
"The Simurgh has been driven off and it sounds like there has been no losses from our contingent that went. So we can rest easily knowing that our friends are all coming back to us."
A heartfelt cheer erupted from the longer serving Wards, with Taylor and Browbeat sitting quietly as they celebrated. The relief was palpable and Aegis waited patiently for them to finish expressing their joy.
"There is some clean up work to do over in Canberra, its looking like there won't be transport available for a few hours. So we shouldn't expect them to return until the afternoon, the evening at the latest. I've been instructed to tell you all that we are to stand down, and return to normal activities for now, go home and spend some time with your loved ones."
Missy leapt to her feet, space around her twisting as she moved to stand in-front of Aegis. With a wide grin and a bounce to her step, she addressed the Wards.
"So! Snow Maiden and I had an idea that we should have a going away party for the recently departed Shadow Stalker. I even put in some requests for party supplies to be provided to us, and it got signed off by Renick. Which means that we have a decent budget for a party today, and considering that we managed to get through an Endbringer attack without anyone dying, we should add that to the celebrations!"
The Wards murmured amongst each other as Aegis pointed for Missy to sit back down, who complied with a small pout. Taylor let a small smile slide onto her face as Missy flung herself next to her on the couch, touched that she had remembered despite the sudden drama of the day.
"Sure, I'm down for a pizza party. And I can celebrate the fact that Stalker is gone."
Taylor blinked in surprise at the support from Kid Win, she had expected him to deflect away from the party, possibly claiming some sort of tinkering obligation or familial engagement. It was also interesting that he was supportive of Sophia leaving, she had only heard from Missy and Dennis that Sophia was an unpleasant teammate, perhaps she also had inflicted her personality upon Kid Win? Either way, it would be a nice opportunity to get to interact in a less formal and less highly strung environment. Socializing with the Simurgh attacking was not something that Taylor was particularly enthusiastic about, and it seemed most of the other Wards felt the same.
"Pizza and I don't have to pay for it, sign me up!"
Clockblocker's acceptance was touching, and while Taylor didn't think that he would refuse to attend it would be a comfort to know that he was there. While most people her age caused her to feel a level of anxiety that she had to push through, the consistent support from Dennis had wormed its way into her comfort zone. His earlier support when she was enraged at the callousness of Browbeat was still extremely fresh in her mind, and the ease with which he interacted with her normally was a balm to her often strained nerves.
"I have to pass sadly, I have preexisting obligations that I have to attend. I do hope that you all have a great time without me, and try and keep the mess to a minimum Clock."
Gallant sounded disappointed and his jibe towards Clockblocker was met with faint laughter from the other Wards, it had the ring of an in-joke that Taylor didn't have context for. It was a shame that he couldn't attend, but Taylor assumed that he had some family meeting or something similar one and she wouldn't blame him for that.
"I'm heading home but I'll come back for the party this evening, plus I'll check if any of the adults are available. Triumph might be interested in rejoining us for a party."
Aegis' voice rumbled out as he planned his evening, evidently his attention was far away as he tried to sort out what to do. Taylor burrowed deeper into the couch as she listened to his voice, it was low and had a rumble that she didn't imagine was possible for a teenager. She noted that Gallant twitched momentarily as she enjoyed listening to Aegis and embarrassment caused her cheeks to flush.
The Wards quickly etched out plans to have the party at seven, and they broke off to do their own activities, with Gallant giving a farewell to all as he left. Missy gave Taylor a grin as she dragged her off towards the room that served as her space at the Rig. Inside there was a sparsely decorated room with a desk, bookcase, and bed that bore signs of significant use. There was a collection of schoolbooks on the bookcase, and the desk was littered with various pieces of stationery that Missy had left out. The young girl swept into the room, grabbed the desk chair and gestured for Taylor to sit even as she flopped onto the bed. Taylor lowered herself into the chair, it was set for Missy so she ended up with her knees at an uncomfortable angle and feeling far too low to the ground.
"This party should be a lot of fun, it's been ages since we did something like this."
The joy in Missy's voice was clear, and Taylor was confused. The Wards seemed like good friends, and they had plenty of resources for small parties. The couch and chairs in the common room faced a large entertainment unit, so there was the opportunity to enjoy movies or games together, it didn't really make sense that they didn't take advantage of it.
Missy seemed to notice Taylor's confusion, grimaced and resumed speaking as she laid back on the bed, her feet slowly bouncing off the edge.
"Things were great for a while, we had a lot of fun with Triumph leading. He was always pushing for us to do group activities and to hang out together. When he graduated to the Protectorate, Aegis took over and things stayed good for a while, he wasn't as fun as Triumph but he tried. He spoke with us in one-on-one meetings, tried to help with any issues that came up outside of patrols and generally be a supportive leader. It worked for a while, and while we didn't have as many events, we all grew closer and started to view each other as a second family."
Missy's feet stopped bouncing off the bed as she spoke, her voice lowering and slowing as she recounted the days before Taylor joined. Taylor was leaning forward, her elbows braced against her knees as she listened, knowing that there was going to be a turn that made the young girl sound so melancholic.
"Then Sophia joined. She didn't join voluntarily you know? She got caught using lethal bolts and nearly killed a man when she was arrested and then forced into the Wards."
Taylor wanted to be appalled, wanted to be shocked but she couldn't. It made too much sense that Sophia with her twisted mind would hunt down criminals like animals.
"So she was forced onto us, we didn't get a choice in it. One day we all got along together well and the next there was this bundle of rage and bitchiness. She constantly lashed out at all of us, and no matter how many times we complained to Armsmaster or Miss Militia we were told that she was there to stay. So when she started to insult me for being young and small, I didn't have anyway to stop her. Sure I made her trip into the wall a few times, stumble when walking up stairs and everything but it didn't change things. And the way she treated the others wasn't much better. If anything it was worse. She verbally abused Kid Win so much. Constantly insulting him for not being a better tinker, for not knowing what he wanted to do. It was enraging and we always got told to "be the better person". It sucked."
Taylor wasn't expecting this outpouring of resentment. She knew that Missy was happy that Sophia was gone, but she didn't realize that she felt so strongly about it. It was depressing to hear about how much Sophia had gotten away with, especially when the other Wards had complained. It sounded just like Winslow, with the Wards being sacrificed to keep Sophia happy and around, it enraged her that the PRT and Protectorate would do this.
"So when she vanished one day I couldn't help but hope that she was gone forever, I even had the hope that someone had made her disappear."
Missy's whisper had Taylor leaning in, and she barely caught it. Missy was so still on the bed, but her chest was raising and lowering quickly, and Taylor knew exactly what that was. It was something she had gone through hundreds of times. Forcing her crying to be silent, to suppress the tears that came up so that she didn't appear weak, didn't let anyone know how badly affected she was. To see the vibrant young girl in-front of her doing the same tore at Taylor, and she panicked.
Was she meant to give her a hug? Did she stay silent and pretend she didn't hear what was going on? Did she leave the room and give Missy some privacy? She really didn't know and so she stayed on the chair, her hand hovering halfway towards Missy as she tried to figure out what to do.
"Then you joined, and I was really hoping that you would be better than her. I was so happy that you are, that you don't mock me for being young. I know that I can get a bit too enthusiastic about things, I know that I also try and be more mature. You don't mock me for that, you don't call me a "pathetic midget with delusions of competence" or a "weakling who will never be able to do anything". So when Miss Militia came to speak to us about you and explain why you where being kept away at that facility I was really invested. We had been speaking by email so I thought you were a nice girl, and wanted to know why. So when she told us that you had triggered because of Sophia I cried. I cried a lot."
Taylor made her decision. She swept up from the chair and laid herself on the bed next to Missy, her longer torso allowing her to wrap the small girl up in a tight hug. Missy turned into the embrace and her tears started flowing, ugly wrenching sobs coming through as she clung to Taylor.
"I'm so sorry. I wish she never did any of that to you but I am really happy to know you so I feel guilty that I am glad it happened and I don't want you to feel that I wanted you to trigger but you are the only other girl on the team and so nice that I don't know what to feel."
The outpouring of words was muffled, but Taylor pieced it together as Missy shook. There was a small spark of hurt that Missy was glad she had triggered, but when she tried to look at it through her perspective it made sense. Taylor's trigger had lead to Sophia being removed, getting the abusive girl out of Missy's life and turning the Wards back into the supportive atmosphere that it had been for her. Taylor knew that she viewed her home as a safe space from Sophia, and that if she had ruined that she didn't know how she would have reacted. The Wards seemed to be that same place for Missy, and Sophia had ruined it.
Taylor gently ran her hand up and down Missy's back, trying to channel the memories of when her mum had done the same for her.
"It's okay Missy. I understand and I don't blame you. It's okay."
The young girl shook more and started to sob audibly. Her hand reached out and snagged one of Taylor's and clutched onto it. The two girls stayed there as Missy let out the pent up guilt and joy that had been raging inside her, a cathartic cry that had Missy slowly drifting off as she stayed close to Taylor.
Taylor looked down at the sleeping face of the young Ward and her current closest friend. Tear marks and red cheeks made the normally pretty looking girl appear disheveled, but Taylor felt closer than ever to her.
Last edited: May 24, 2023
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Jun 10, 2023
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Taylor woke up in an unfamiliar situation, with her legs dangling off a bed and a faint crick in her neck. She looked around and spotted Missy curled up inside her blankets, creating a cocoon of warmth that helped stave off the chill that Taylor emitted as she slept. Levering herself up, Taylor looked around and noted with a touch of guilt that the entire room had a faint layer of ice over most surfaces. As she leaned over Missy, she checked that the young girl hadn't suffered any issues as a result of being around her, and aside from a red nose Taylor couldn't see any immediate problems which helped tamp down her fears. Taylor forced herself to her feet, and started jogging in place while taking deep breaths, trying to get her heart rate up. The light slap of her boots against the icy floor combined with some shadowboxing quickly got her pulse roaring, and Taylor rode that to make herself feel more energetic.
A disgruntled noise had he stop and look down at the bleary eyed Missy, who was staring at her in confusion as she huddled deeper into the blankets. Taylor gave a sheepish smile and a small wave, which Missy grunted in response to. Taylor bit back a chuckle at the sight, and the young girls grumbled "What are you doing in my room?" made that task harder. It took a few moments for Missy to recall what had happened before she fell asleep and shortly afterwards her cheeks matched the red of her nose as she bit down an embarrassed groan. "Never mind, I remember." The young girl seemed to pause for a moment before she sighed, "Thanks for listening to me. I don't normally break down like that, I feel kinda bad for unloading on you that way."
Taylor felt her own cheeks heat lightly, it still felt odd to receive positive comments from anyone. It ran counter to a year and half of targeted degradation, and despite knowing this, despite knowing that she had value, it was still hard to hear anything positive without feeling like a fraud. Swallowing down a reflexive deflection, Taylor instead managed to force out a response. "It's okay. You have done a lot for me, listened to me when I broke down, so the least I could do is the same for you." The words felt awkward and uncomfortable to force out, this wasn't an anger filled outburst like at the forest. This was a quite possible her closest friend and Taylor was anxious not to mess it up. Missy seemed to be such a strong person that seeing her cry like she had was confronting, it just seemed against the image of the young cape. "I don't know if there is anything that I can say or offer that will help, but like I said earlier, I don't blame you for feeling the way you do."
Missy fought down a sniffle as she tried to contain her embarrassment, she looked about as awkward as Taylor felt. With a deliberate glance around the room, Missy took in the ice covered surfaces. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to get some new winter clothes for around the common room." Taylor looked down, allowing her veil to drape over more of her face as she burned with shame. Missy quickly noticed the change in body language and chirped up again. "It's fine Taylor. You can't control it while sleeping and I don't blame you. Besides I got all the blankets so I'm doing okay. That said, would you mind waiting outside for a moment so I can get changed into something for the party? The clock says that it's only an hour or so away and I want to double check that all the food is going to be there."
Taylor nodded quickly and sped outside, feeling a little embarrassed about falling asleep and potentially damaging Missy's room. With a sigh she reached into a small pouch that was sewn into her vest, pulling a vial of serum from Armsmaster and staring at it. The faintly green liquid moved smoothly back and forth as she tilted the vial, viscous like gel and unappetizing. Still, Taylor popped the stopped off the top and drank the contents in a single long gulp, a faint wince coming across her face as she did. The sensation of warm tingling in her extremities was uncomfortable, and had been growing with each dosage over the last week. So far she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, as Taylor felt that her position with the PRT was still very shaky, and didn't want to cause any more fuss after throwing her weight around to have the training trip arranged. The sound of the hinges of Missy's room squeaking as they opened drew Taylor from her reverie and she slipped the empty vial back into its place.
Missy had changed into a set of comfortable clothes, some sweatpants and a short sleeved shirt that was over a long sleeved compression top. She gave Taylor a shaky smile as she bobbed her head towards the common room, slowly strolling towards it.
The pair had a brief moment of relative calmness, with Taylor enjoying the break from the emotional roller-coaster that the day had been. As they entered the common room Missy broke away from Taylor to check on the console, commenting that she was going to make sure that there was going to be enough pizza to make everybody waddle to their rooms. Kid Win had overheard that and snorted, nodding politely as Taylor made her way towards one of the smaller seats by the central table. He had cleaned up whatever he had been working on and replaced it with a Rubik's cube that he was fiddling with. Taylor lowered herself into the plush recliner and tried to think of something to say. It was a difficult thing to do. She had after-all gotten into a screaming argument with one of his co-workers and then vanished for a few hours and despite agreeing to work with him on some tinkering Taylor still didn't know much about him.
"You know, I wasn't too sure how to act around the others when I first started." Kid Win's voice was quiet, introspective. "I had seen them around the city and they where all big damm heroes that had saved people and I was a kid who couldn't afford to make the machines I saw in my head." He lowered the Rubik's cube as he spoke, the soft clack of the plastic rotating slowing as he focused. He didn't look at Taylor, attention focused on his hands but Taylor knew he was speaking to her. "Then when I began to make public appearances we had much more to talk about, things in common beyond being capes. It helped. It should help you too."
Blinking slowly at the comment, Taylor tried to decipher if it was supportive or not. It had the words that were supportive but the context was strange. Was Kid Win saying that she wasn't connecting with the Wards currently? It wasn't exactly wrong Taylor had to admit. She wasn't very close with Aegis, Gallant, or Kid Win, and the less said about Browbeat the better. So if she looked at it that way it was something that could be supportive, but it stung to have her lack of social graces pointed out.
"That's good to know." Taylor winced as she responded. It was short and didn't really add anything, and she could see Kid Win slow down further on his Rubik's cube. "I mean, I have a meeting with Image tomorrow in the morning to go over some last details before I am announced to the public on Friday." Seeing Kid Win lean forward at her words spiked anxiety momentarily, before his pleased chuff reached her.
"Oh that should be fun. I remember that my time with Image was a bit of a nightmare, because I didn't have my specialty pinned down they really weren't sure what style to go with. I think in the end my parents managed to get them to go along with a style similar to Armsmaster so that I would be safe." He placed the Rubik's cube down on the table as he looked over towards the console, spotting Missy watching the pair talking with a smile on her face. He stretched and stood. "Hell, if you want I can bring up some videos of other Ward reveals and we can go over them and see if there is anything helpful?"
Taylor tried to fight down the smile that was threatening to grow across her face, the tingling in her fingers and toes strengthening as she did. "I'd like that, thank you Kid Win."
Kid Win paused for a few moments, making Taylor fear that she had done something wrong, before he reached up and unlatched his helmet. Underneath was a pale faced boy with brown hair that fell in a messy heap on his head, his features were rather plain Taylor thought. Although the slightly nervous smile gave him a certain boyish charm, he generally seemed to be a bit mousy.
"Hey Snow Maiden, I'm Chris. Nice to meet you, let's get these videos up."
The party started when a group of PRT workers wheeled a few trolleys full of food and drinks into the Wards common room. They left after exchanging greetings and expressing some jealousy about how good the pizza smelt, and Gallant lived up to his name by offering them a few slices from the stack of pizza boxes. As the PRT workers left, each with a small paper plate of pizza, the Wards descended on the trolleys and swiftly unloaded all the goods onto the central table. There were an even dozen pizzas, bottles of fizzy drinks, loaves of garlic bread, and to Taylor's surprise a sealed bag that was labelled "Snegurochka". Awkwardly balancing it as Dennis lobbed it into her arms, Taylor shuffled back to the recliner she had claimed as her own. Sliding the bag open, she saw what appeared to be a tray of pizza that was cool to touch, with a note attached.
"To Snegurochka,
We at the PRT catering staff would like to apologize for the mistake that occurred during the Wards training trip recently, we where not aware of your dietary issues and as such didn't provide suitable meals for you. We have been informed by Assault that you are unable to eat heated food, and have added that to your file so that issue will not appear on our end again.
When Vista contacted us about running a pizza party, we took the opportunity to look up recipes that where designed to be eaten at room temperature or cold. This is our current effort, based off a family of recipes called Pizza Bread. We hope that you enjoy and if there are any issues please contact us via email at D.West@CATERING.PRT.GOV.USA
Kind Regards,
Damian West, Head of Catering for PRT ENE"
Taylor felt her cheeks warm as she read the message, feeling incredibly guilty that she had made an entire department have to change how they treated her, but at the same time it was very satisfying having someone acknowledge that she was not the same as the rest of the Wards. Especially because it seemed like Assault was carrying through with his promise of being on her side in regards to the PRT, she knew that he was displeased that her condition wasn't considered at the camp. Yet he actually did something about it. It wasn't just making her a meal himself, he went out of his way to ensure that it wouldn't happen again. Taylor was unsure how to feel abut it, even with her time at the PRT she was still predisposed to expecting people in authority to make things worse or ignore her.
Pulling apart the pizza bread, she saw that there a delicious combination of spinach and feta that she quickly tore into. Taylor watched as the other Wards joked with each other as they scoffed down pizza, Aegis laughing at a joke from Chris. The environment felt lively and Taylor felt a sense of warmth that didn't hurt. For once the laughter was something she was involved with, rather than the target of it. The jokes included everyone and didn't target anyone, and the closest thing to targeting was Dennis making a joke at his own expense.
It was an atmosphere that Taylor wasn't used to but could see herself growing to appreciate. Missy drew her into conversation with Aegis and Dennis about a new movie that had come out recently based upon an Aleph book, and Taylor noticed that the two boys actually listened to her and didn't just mock her points. Sure, Dennis scoffed at her insistence that the movie would not be as good as the book, calling her a "literary purist" and a "film snob" but the warmth in his voice removed any sting that the words might have had. It was here that Taylor allowed herself to think that she might really have made some new friends, that she was really a proper part of the Wards and not just a threat that the PRT had to mitigate.
A loud beep heralded the entrance of Triumph to the Wards common area, and the others responded with a loud cheer as the former Ward waved at them. Conversation changed as Aegis loaded up a plate and directed Triumph to sit on the couch, with Missy filling a cup for him. The hero gratefully sank into the couch with a relieved groan, and accepted the food and drinks with a smile.
Triumph wasn't someone that Taylor had much experience with, the young Protectorate member hadn't been assigned to interact with her after-all. She had looked up all the heroes in the E.N.E and his tall form, skintight suit, and muscular body did mean that she spent a little longer on his profile than most, but in person it was even more impressive. Trying to hide a blush by tilting her face down, Taylor let a quiet thanks to the Image department for the veil out.
"You guys know how to throw a party! Where was this when I was in charge?" The rumble of Triumph's voice was tied to his power, even now he was slightly louder than everyone else. He bit down into a slice of supreme pizza and let out a sigh of pleasure. Aegis chuckled and told him that he should have been the one to set up more events if he wanted the pizza. Triumph shrugged at that, sipping his cola, before he turned to face the Wards as a whole. "So I know that we are celebrating, but I'm not clear on the why. Unless it's a party for surviving the Simurgh, in which case feel free to praise me more."
The hero raised his hands to bat away the shower of garlic bread that Dennis and Missy launched at him, and Aegis snorted at his attempt at humor. Taylor watched, perched on the edge of her seat at the action. She was unsure how to approach the situation. Did she tell him that they were celebrating the removal of Sophia or leave that to someone else? Or did she just stay silent and let the more senior Wards run the conversation, it would be safer and remove the chance that Triumph would take offense at her. Missy glanced over at her, and smiled as she grabbed a new slice for her plate.
"No you dork, we are celebrating our new members! With Snegurochka and Browbeat joining we are up in numbers even with Stalker leaving. Plus, Maiden is awesome and deserves a little celebration for her." Missy's words had Taylor extremely glad for her veil once again, and she lifted some of the pizza bread to her mouth to help hide her embarrassed blush at the praise. Missy raised her cup up high and proclaimed to the group. "Here is to our newest members!" The Wards all raised their cups and made various affirmative noises, none of which matched as they seemed to be caught up in the silliness of the moment. There was a brief pause before she continued, "And to Triumph and the others getting back safely too I guess."
Taylor snorted at the snark, and it seemed Triumph felt the same, launching some retaliatory garlic bread at the sassy Ward. The party continued on for a while, with the Wards catching Triumph up on how they had been since he had aged up into the Protectorate. Eventually he turned to Taylor, and her throat seemed to contract at the direct attention. "It's good to meet you Snegurochka, although I hear that you go by Snow Maiden as well?" Taylor nodded at the question, trying to swallow and respond. "How are you finding the Wards, I trust that they are treating you well?"
Taking a sip from her cup, hearing the clink of ice cubes, Taylor tried to compose herself. Sure there was a hero asking her questions. That wasn't new, Dennis and Missy asked her things all the time. It just was different when it came from an adult, especially a young one who wasn't directly involved with her situation. When Assault asked if she was doing well, it came across as if he was an uncle that wanted to make sure she was okay. Armsmaster was more like a man going through a checklist, impersonal but still invested in her well-being. Triumph didn't really feel like that, he was closer to her age, and the question was little more than idle curiosity.
"I'm doing well, and I go by both. I understand that my name can be a bit of a mouthful to say, so Snow Maiden is easier to use in casual conversation." Taylor was pleased with her response. It covered everything and wasn't full of awkward stammering. It seemed to please Triumph too, as he smiled at her and leaned back into the couch. Taylor noted that his costume was in good condition but there was a delicacy in his motions. Something that she knew well, a care that came with trying to avoid aggravating an injured stomach. Taylor's gut clenched in sympathy.
Triumph chuckled as he leaned back, gesturing to the Wards at large. "It might be a bit more of a mouthful than the rest of this lot, but I think we can all agree that a mouthful is sometime a good thing." He punctuated his words with a bite of pizza, to the laughter of Dennis and the sighs of everyone else. "Anyway, I'm always happy to talk to my old comrades, give some of that hard won wisdom that comes with age. Shoot me a message if you want to chat, or just hail me down."
"I'll keep that in mind." Taylor's quiet response prompted a nudge from Missy who had slumped down on the arm of her recliner. The young girl prompted Taylor to keep talking, even as she handed Taylor a plate that had a few pieces of candy on it. Somewhere the young girl had pulled out some sweets and was sharing them around. "You seem to be in pain, are you going to be alright?"
Triumph flinched for a moment as the Wards focused on him, shrugging a shoulder and then taking off his lion headed costume. He looked over at Taylor afterwards, noticing that she had winced after she asked her question. "I'm fine, no real harm done." Aegis gave him a skeptical stare that had the older hero slowly wilting before he threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright, I'm a bit beat up. I caught an incoming chunk of concrete with my stomach rather than my hands and it hurts a bit. The healers at the site cleared me, just going to be dealing with some soreness for the next couple of days." He looked weary, his eyes a little shadowed as he spoke.
"Triumph, we know everyone else is coming back alive which is great. But is anyone else injured?" Aegis finally sat down opposite Triumph, and Taylor watched carefully as the older hero rubbed his brow. He looked worn. Earlier his helmet and good cheer had hidden it, but Triumph looked like he had run a marathon and then did an exam.
"Like you said, we are all alive and there are no serious injuries. Most of us were on S , so we avoided the worst of the fighting. I think Militia was the closest to the fighting, and she was unharmed. Velocity caught the worst of it, he had his forearm ripped off by high velocity rubble." He let out a darkly amused chuckle. "Probably the Simurgh's version of a joke. Anyway, aside from a few bumps here and there that is about it. We got off pretty easily. It was the locals who really bore the brunt of it."
The Wards sat quietly, taking onboard the news. Triumph chewed on his pizza and the others took the cue to do the same, Taylor nibbling on her gifted candies as she processed. It was a relief that nothing permanent had happened to anyone that she knew, but that was at the cost of the distant capes in Australia. Not to mention the civilians. Which reminded her that the fate of Canberra still hadn't been announced. "What is going to happen to Canberra? Has there been any decisions made?"
Triumph looked down at Taylor's question. The grimace across his face answered that question. Canberra was to be quarantined. It was a horrible fate, to never be able to leave your city for the fear that you have been compromised by the scream. Taylor felt her stomach clench at the thought, and suddenly her new snacks didn't taste quite as good. The party as a whole was quiet for a few minutes as the collection of heroes sat in contemplation of what was befalling the city of three hundred thousand. The only sounds were the chewing of food, and the sipping of drinks before Aegis forced himself to stand, and started towards the TV cabinet.
"Well, that is depressing. And not what we are going to focus on, instead we are going to watch some videos that have been saved for a special occasion." He turned on the TV and faced the group, with a wide smile. "Who wants to see the time that Dauntless got caught in the elevator?"
Last edited: Jun 11, 2023
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Jun 15, 2023
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Taylor fiddled with the tips of her gloves as she stood outside the meeting room where she was due to speak with the Image Department. She knew that appearance and presentation made the difference between a hero being seen as a guardian or a destroyer, and she desperately wanted to make sure that she didn't screw up her debut. Tapping her fingers against her staff, Taylor went over what she had done with the Image people before. The design of her outfit was meant to convey a level of control and responsibility, the multiple layers using clothing typically associated with upper class individuals and nobility. Pulling her long open coat closer to her, Taylor tried to take comfort in the fact that the design was good. It covered her entirely and complimented her rather lacking figure, with a focus on her legs, which aside from her hair was her only good feature she thought. She wasn't thrilled with the fact it didn't provide any real protection to her, but considering the nature of her powers it was decided that an armored look would be too confrontational.
The staff was her favorite part of the entire outfit, especially because she had learnt to hide her black ice sword within the length of it. It created a fascinating visual contrast that drew attention away from her and onto her staff, which she had been preparing to defend to whoever she had for the meeting. It made her feel confidant. Capable.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Snegurochka, my last debrief lasted longer than expected. Thanks for your patience." The rough voice of Davian Crease stirred Taylor from her thoughts. The local head of Image, he was a tall man who sounded like he enjoyed far too many cigarettes each day. Taylor had seen his name referenced in several email about her Wards debut but hadn't met the man before. "Come on in and we can get started."
He pushed the door open and waited for Taylor to rise to her feet and walk in, before closing and sealing the door behind him. As Taylor sat down, he placed a briefcase onto the table and opened it, pulling out several folders and arraying them in-front of him for easy viewing. He stopped, and with an embarrassed chuckle pointed out the location of the mini-fridge. "Help yourself to anything you find in there, this is one of the family friendly offices so there wont be anything alcoholic in there."
"Okay." Taylor left her staff resting against the table and ambled over to the mini-fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and a small carton of orange juice. Returning to the table, she snagged a glass from a cabinet and made herself comfortable in her chair. "So from your email this meeting is about specific questions that I can expect at my debut on Friday?"
Davian hummed an affirmative as he looked through the files, and his brow furrowed as he flipped past a picture of a frozen wreck of a car, and the still image of a broken Fenja standing above it. Taylor felt her gut seize as she recognized the picture. It had been almost a month since the attack and she still could remember the reverberations through her staff as she struck the helpless woman. The sound of her neck snapping under her blow. The entire situation still had her waking up at night on occasion, reaching for weapon before she remembered that it was in the past.
"Right. Well let me start off with the obvious. We are working uphill with your history here." Taylor winced at the blunt assessment. Worst of all, she couldn't fault it. Davian gestured towards a file, and prompted Taylor to collect it. Inside there was a collection of transcripts from previous Ward debuts. "It's not ideal, but we can make this work. In the world of PR there are a few ideas that apply when we want to control the narrative. Sadly, we can't get ahead of the narrative, its been too long since the event and there has been too much conversation online."
Taylor knew that her actions had been debated online extensively, she had spent a few hours scrolling through the thread about the Empire attack. It had hurt, to see so many people call for her to be arrested or to be Birdcaged, but it also felt wrong that so many people just blamed the Empire and left her alone. She felt that she had some guilt and responsibility for the entire situation, if she had been more controlled she could have limited the spread of ice to only the street and not the area around her. If she had been more controlled, she could have stopped after sealing the capes up to the waist in ice. If she had been more controlled, Sarah Newman wouldn't have had to face Stormtiger.
"Hey, look at me." The rasping voice drew Taylor out of her maudlin thoughts. Concern was clear on Davian's face, and he had reached out a hand towards Taylor. He pulled it back as Taylor shook her head and focused on him, a wan smile on her lips.
"Sorry, I was caught up in my thoughts." That was an understatement Taylor thought. Caught up in her thoughts would not really cover how she could still feel the crunch of ice under her feet, or the wondrous feeling of relief as she allowed her power to fill her.
"That is understandable, while we do need to go over this, there are other things that I can turn towards for now if you prefer?" The offer was kind, and it matched the tone from Davian. It was a little odd to hear from such a raspy voice but it matched her memories of some of the dockworkers that she had seen when she visited her Dad's work.
Taylor steeled herself as she responded. "No. It needs to be done and the sooner the better. I won't run from it." Her veins thrummed with blood as she forced herself to stay composed, to keep down the ball of guilt and shame that writhed inside. The lure of the cold called to her, to let a little in. Just enough to take the edge off the pain. Taylor forced herself to refuse it, to stay present and fully immersed in her emotions. It would be a cop-out if she didn't, disrespectful to those who had died that day.
Davian seemed to evaluate her, his eyes focused closely on hers before he nodded and continued speaking. "Alright, as I was saying we can't get ahead of the narrative but fortunately we have been able to do some work on controlling the evolution of it. Some of our employees have been working to paint you as more sympathetic and highlight the Nazi capes that caused the entire situation. It won't sway those who are deadset against you, but it will and has for those who were unsure." Davian paused as he opened his own bottle of water and poured it into glass. He paused for a moment, before reaching towards Taylor. "Would you mind chilling this?"
Taylor placed a hand against the glass, bemused. Three small ice cubes quickly formed and the glass became cold to touch as Davian pulled back.
"Thanks. Now we have managed to get the general public blaming the Nazis for all the deaths. It wasn't too hard from what the reports say, people enjoy shitting on Nazis after-all." A conspiratorial grin from Davian was met with a weak smile from Taylor, who had to agree. Nazis really were the worst. "So what we are going to be doing is going over any remaining talking points and establishing our responses. Starting with the fact that you are going to have to retell the story from your perspective."
Taylor gulped at the idea of reliving her actions, especially in front of press. "Is that essential? Surely we can say that the Empire was at fault and leave it at that. I really do not want to go through that in front of the paparazzi."
With a sympathetic grimace, Davian shook his head. "People love to see heroes fall. Its a trope throughout literature and cinema for a reason, and it flows into why we are going to do so. So you can take away the leverage it has against you, also it allows us to set up a redemption arc for you. The Empire can't harm your reputation if you make your guilt part of your armor." He shuffled the files around and pulled out a sheet that was covered in redaction marks. "This isn't quite the same, but there was another Ward over in Colorado who joined after he hunted down and killed an entire street gang."
Taylor recoiled. She felt terrible enough about her one deliberate kill, and simply couldn't fathom actively wanting to kill. At least wanting to kill while not using her powers. Davian noted the disgust flashing across her face and went on to point out a specific section of the file. A trigger event report.
"That gang had kidnapped, tortured, and sexually assaulted him and his entire family. Over the course of a week they where subjected to all sorts of depravities that I wont go into, but he was the only survivor. His badly burnt body was dumped into a shallow trench, on-top of his mutilated family. He triggered then, knowing that he wouldn't survive long enough to get his attackers caught."
It was ghastly, and Taylor let a sliver of her power in to curb the bile that was starting to build in her. The story that Davian told was matched with the file that she read, what parts weren't redacted gave more details and made her feel sick. Davian continued on, his features downcast.
"So he got up and proceeded to track down his attackers, chased down the van they had used and made his way back to their hideout. Tore every single one apart with his bare hands. No one survived. The noise had attracted the attention of some scared civilians who called in the PRT, and when they arrived he was sitting outside, coated in blood, and surrendered without a fight. He was a model prisoner, and he helped to identify the gang members and his family."
"Now you might be wondering why I am telling you this story." Davian fixed Taylor with an intense stare. "I am telling you this because this man is now a well respected Protectorate member who has saved hundreds of lives with his abilities. He has turned his life around and made a point of serving as a mentor to young capes who are in bad situations." He leaned forward. "If I can turn a blood drunk berserker into a success story, I sure as hell can turn an unfortunate young woman who was doing the right thing into a hero."
Taylor was still, her mind racing as she tried to contain her thoughts. Davian had compared her to a mass murderer, which was accurate but the styles where so different it felt insulting. Then she was confused she felt insulted, why did she take pride in the fact she had killed with her ice? It was something that puzzled her. She didn't notice as Davian reclined back into his chair and started writing out a small script. Her powers had killed just as surely as this other Ward, but her powers had killed without causing massive trauma. She hadn't torn anyone apart. There was no torture. No pain. Her ice simply encased them and they stopped feeling, then stopped breathing, then stopped. It wasn't violent unless she was forced to do so.
Fenja would have been left at the truck if she hadn't tried to kill Taylor, if she hadn't attacked Taylor wouldn't have defended herself. It was not her fault, and it was not a cruel death. She didn't revel in the slaughter like the other person, and they had managed to become a successful hero! Maybe there was a chance that she really could work to put this behind her, to move forward. It was an intoxicating prospect, to not feel a shade of guilt whenever she lifted her staff. To have her dreams turn into nightmares of screaming civilians. To simply dream of that still tundra that called to her.
Brushing a tear away from her cheek, the frozen droplet pulling at her skin as she did so, Taylor looked up Davian. He had been writing out several short paragraphs that he laid out facing her. As she squared her shoulders he paused, glancing up and then lowering his pen. "Good. I see that you understand that you aren't trapped with your current image forever. It will take work, it will be awkward, but it can be changed. Are you ready to work with me?"
"Let us get started." Taylor's voice cracked on the first syllable, but steadied and grew more composed and melodious as she continued. "Do we want to start with my trigger, or shall we focus on the attack?"
Hours had passed and Taylor left the meeting room with a stack of papers to revise before her debut. Most of it was just a record of the plan that she and Davian had hashed out, but there was the matter of wording and the approach towards specific questions. It was something that she planned on bringing back to the Ice Box and curling up in her bean bag to read. The thought of her bean bag made her groan slightly, the comforting embrace was something that she needed after the emotionally draining conversation. Davian had a way of pressing her just far enough that she responded to questions emotionally but not far enough she needed her powers, the constant emotional ride had left her dehydrated from her tears and needing something to eat. The head of Image was aware enough to not mention her tears until immediately before they left the room.
Juggling the papers, Taylor made her way towards the Wards common room. She intended on collecting a box for easier transport and to wait there while her escort was gathered to return to the Ice Box. As she made her way through the warren of passages that formed the Rig, the jovial tone of Assault interrupted her.
"Well if it isn't my favorite portable air-conditioner! How are you doing today?" The effervescent man bounced over to stop in front of Taylor, his grin wide and welcoming. A second set of footsteps followed along closely, and Taylor came face to face with Battery for the first time since her disastrous debrief after the Empire attack. Taylor drew slightly back into herself, allowing her hood to fall further forward and the hunching of her shoulders drawing her coat to drape over more of her. She noticed that Assault's grin faded slightly at her response, and the hero rebounded with more energy. "I feel like I should be lodging a complaint with you, I hear that you threw a pizza party and didn't even invite me! I am betrayed, my own little Iago has spurned her valiant hero. Woe is me."
The dramatic fainting gesture that ended with Assault falling into the unamused arms of Battery drew a snort from Taylor. "I did not pick you as a fan of Shakespeare."
With a have, Battery tossed Assault to his feet and the irrepressible hero rolled with it, allowing the momentum to lean him against the wall.
"I am cultured. I even know my Latin and everything. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc and all that." He turned towards Battery and beckoned at her. "Even Puppy can attest to my knowledge."
Taylor noticed that Battery had an incredibly faint smile at the antics of Assault, even as she denied the idea that he knew anything cultured. As the two bickered Taylor saw that Battery took a deep breathe as she steadied herself before facing Taylor.
"Snegurochka, I have to apologize for how our last interaction went. I was far too confrontational and wasn't thinking of how you where dealing with your first brush with parahuman violence." The hero was petite up close, if Taylor had to guess she would pin her at 5'3 or 5'4, but it didn't do anything to take away from the slight fear and resentment that Taylor felt for her. "I hope that you can accept my apology and we can work together well going forward." She extended a hand towards Taylor, her mouth set into a rueful smile.
It took Taylor a moment to realize that the grinding noise she was hearing was her teeth as she forced herself to relax her jaw. It was all well and good to apologize, but at the time she was the one to suggest that Taylor be restricted to the Ice Box. To be trapped once again. It had enraged Taylor at the time and even now the idea of her freedom being removed caused her significant anxiety and rage. Assault had taken a step back, his face not expressing anything that Taylor could pick up, but when he noticed her look he responded with a smile. "I'm not the one to look at here Snow-cone, this is something that you need to choose on your own. I'd like if you can get along with Puppy, but I don't blame you if you need more time"
Battery's smile was growing increasingly strained as she kept her arm outstretched, as Taylor took the time to examine her thoughts. On one hand it would be the heroic thing to do, to let bygones be bygones. It would be the right thing to do. On the other hand Battery had been the one to suggest that she be incarcerated for an indefinite time, and since then she hadn't even been bothered to send an email or any form of message of apology.
Taylor wanted to refuse, to stand up for herself and let the PRT and Protectorate know that their behavior around that meeting was abominable. Yet the larger part knew that was a mistake. That she had been working within the system to address those issues, and with the assistance of Assault she had started to reach a point where she could stand comfortably among the heroes.
Shuffling the papers all into the crook of her arm, and placing her staff against the wall, Taylor reached out and grasped Battery's hand. The older heroines smile broadened. "Thank you Snegurochka, I appreciate your understanding."
Taylor kept her grasp firm as Battery started to pull back, the heroine looking at her in askance as she did. "I am willing to work with you going forward, and even to forgive you recommending that the conditions of my trigger be recreated. I do however want you to know that I will not forgive another action like that. I have been betrayed by almost every single authority figure in my life until recently, and I no longer will accept this as the Modus Operandi. If you do anything like that again, if you betray me in any way, we will no longer be on good terms. I am extending this olive branch because Assault, Vista, and Clockblocker have proven to me that people can be better than I expect. That people are not there just to gather information to use against me." Taylor leaned forward as she bared her teeth in a snarl. "I will not be hurt again. Am I understood Battery?"
Battery slowly relaxed her tight grip against Taylor's hand, her eyes wide behind her mask. She glanced over to Assault who had shifted his stance, ready to intervene if needed. With an audible gulp, she turned her attention back to Taylor, who's eyes bore a cold promise. "I understand."
Taylor let her grip go and Battery took a swift step back, her other arm coming up to massage her hand. She nodded at Taylor and turned on her heel and walked away swiftly, her boots ringing against the floor in a staccato beat. Taylor watched as she left, feeling herself starting to return as the unconscious dive into her powers was slowly released. The walls had lines of hoarfrost spreading in fractal patterns, and the air misted with her breath.
"Welp. Not too thrilled that you threatened Puppy but I see where you came from."
Taylor yelped as she remembered that Assault was next to her. Next to her and a witness to her threat to Battery. Why did she threaten Battery? It was stupid. She had just meant to tell her that it was difficult to trust her but she intended to try, why did it come out that way? It wasn't wrong per-say, just far more confrontational than intended.
"I'm sorry!" Taylor squeaked out, shame causing her face to flush.
"I get it Tay, I do. It hurts to be betrayed, and especially by those who are meant to protect you. And being asked to try again can feel like a cruel joke, and if I'm not mistaken someone did that to you." Taylor burned with shame as she remembered the Trio and their manifold efforts to break and demean her. Getting a new student to befriend her and then tear that burgeoning relationship apart was something that Emma had masterminded. It hurt more than any barbs that Madison could sling, and punches from Sophia didn't even measure up. "I'm proud of you for taking the risk and opening up again, although we could probably workshop the details."
The gentle smile from Assault had never left, even as he brushed off the fine coating of frost that had spread across him. The hero reached out and patted Taylor on her shoulder, and she barely kept back the sniffle that threatened to break free. Her face burned with shame and she wanted to embrace the cold, to return to the clarity of ice where there was no shame, no embarrassment. It was a struggle not to, but she didn't want to disappoint Assault. At some-point he had established himself as figure of trust, and despite everything Taylor still craved the approval of adults.
"Oh, before I forget. I was asked to tell you that your room at the Rig has been finished. Maintenance installed the upgrades needed to prevent anyone getting frostbite near your room, so you are now free to stay at the Rig if you want."
Taylor couldn't help it any longer. She dropped her papers, let her staff clatter to the ground, and buried her head against Assaults chest. The cape was evidently confused as he took a few seconds to respond to the suddenly crying Ward clutching him, but eventually he started to pat her back and make soothing noises. With a delicacy that would surprise anyone that didn't know him well, he managed to nudge the papers and staff to the side of the hall, and slowly lowered himself down to a sitting position. Taylor followed without struggle, her mind a whirl of emotions that flowed too fast for her to grasp. All she knew was that they had to get out, and that Assault was a safe place.
Last edited: Jun 16, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
Jun 15, 2023
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Threadmarks Interlude- Lisa New
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Silent_Sepharim
Jun 24, 2023
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It was frankly incredible what could be done with the correct application of makeup, Lisa thought to herself as she smiled at the PRT officer who escorted her into the press section for the new Ward debut. A few touches here and there and suddenly she was a successful mid twenty journalist, and the cover ID provided by Coil backed that up. Although if she was honest, she didn't really want to be at the event, it was too much of a risk, but when her erstwhile boss insisted she had to obey. She had thought herself free of his meddling, the man having gone to ground ever since the initial appearance of the new Ward. Yet when Coil had appeared, in person no less, to give her a demand to attend the reveal and gather as much information as she could, it wasn't something she was willing to say no to.
Especially as she had negotiated a substantial payday for her time, five thousand dollars for simply attending the show. Another five for her insights, and a final variable pay based on any secrets or valuable information she could glean beyond the confirmation of the new Wards powers. It was a sweetheart deal, and something that made her deeply suspicious.
Slipping into a chair "Cleaned within the last 24 hours, high level of salt due to salt spray on the air" she made herself comfortable. With a nod to the middle aged man who represented a small news channel "Affiliated with the Empire, hiding tattoos under makeup poorly applied. Here to scout information, not an approved action. Too sloppy, unaided by Victor or professionals. Likely personal initiative." As the crowd trickled in, Lisa watched as the PRT patrolled around, keeping a close eye out for any indicators that they had noticed her. Lisa was sure that her disguise and fake ID would be sufficient, but didn't put it past Coil to have screwed her over. Fortunately it seemed that they were occupied with directing the curious public to appropriate seating, and she had slipped in unsuspected.
Aside from the E88 plant, there was a smattering of small and medium size news crews attending the announcement. Most of the bigger name players in Brockton such as The Announcer, The Times, and the gossip rag, Brockton Inquirer, all had closer positions to the stage than the rest of the media. They had to make do with directional mikes and a slightly elevated position for cameras. The public milled around in temporary seating that had been erected for the announcement.
Lisa glanced around and counted a good number of people "Thirty seven media, forty PRT personal, two hundred and twelve civilians" and it seemed that there was a good heroic turnout. Lady Photon, Manpower, and Brandish all had seats in prime real-estate, and Glory Girl and Panacea were mingling with the Wards who where posing for a photo-op. It was clear to Lisa that Collateral Damage Barbie had some reservations about the whole thing, and stuck close to Gallant. Keeping the Wards as a whole between her and the stage, with Panacea standing slightly off to the side.
A crackle over the speakers drew her attention back to the stage, where Director Piggot stood behind a lectern. The overworked woman had the makeup artists do their best, but the bags under her eyes and the tension of her jaw couldn't be fully masked. "Deeply unhappy, resents being present. Believes that this is a mistake." Lisa perked up, her mind trying to interpret the information that her power had fed to her. The Director of the PRT thinking the reveal of a Ward a mistake? That was something that Coil would like to know, and it was something juicy. She focused her attention closer as the woman leaned into the microphone.
"Good morning citizens of Brockton Bay, as you are all aware, we are here today to announce a new Ward joining our lineup." The Director paused for the polite cheers from the crowd, her flinty eyes incongruous against her pleasant PR smile. She launched into a short speech about the purpose of the Wards, and Lisa watched as her knuckles clenched slightly as she mentioned the "betterment of the city" and "opportunity to do good" that the Wards provided. Leaning into the insight of her powers, Lisa focused.
"Disgusted at the phrases. Recent change, growing discontent pushed to boiling point. Likely in regards to the Wards." Lisa turned an eye towards the Wards, quickly counting them off in her head. Gallant, Aegis, Clockblocker, Kid Win, Vista. There was no Shadow Stalker, it wasn't a real surprise as the menace hadn't been seen for a few months, but the rumors of her being kept inside the Rig seemed to fall apart. There was no way the PRT would pass up the chance for an ensemble shot that today would provide. "Shadow Stalker missing from patrols the last three months. Lack of activity that matches unsanctioned patrols during this time. Anger at Wards combined with absence, implying Shadow Stalker the cause." A small smile grew over Lisa's face as she processed her thoughts. This was very juicy indeed.
"Without further ado, let me introduce our newest Ward, Snegurochka!" Piggot stepped back from the lectern as she gestured towards the empty stage. As cameras focused a thin sheet of ice formed on the stage, which quickly spread and grew towards a nearby building. As it stretched over the edge of the stage, it grew upwards. A matching tendril of ice extended from the building, the two meeting in the air above the street, with a delicate column descending from the intersection and splitting to frame the road while providing stability to the newly manifested ice bridge. From atop the building, the new Ward started to descend. The long black boots standing out in stark contrast to the white trousers underneath, and the dark navy blazer accentuating the slim figure of the cape. The veil over her face, and it had to be a her, glittered in the light as ice crystals caught the sun. The long, light blue, fur lined coat trailed behind, creating an image of luxury as she strode down the bridge. Every second step accentuated by the steady thud of the large staff she carried striking the ice in time with her footfalls. The shaft was a brilliant color that reminded Lisa of a glacier, but inside was a darker core that caused the light to reflect in strange ways, the large fractal snowflake that served as the staff's head sending the light scattering into a riot of color as it diffused.
Lisa was still, as was the media personalities around her, although for different reasons. Her power was screaming at her. "Manifestation of ice currently being greatly limited. Supporting column unneeded, ice exceeds conventional tensile strength while under active manipulation. Staff is heavier than appears, thud is not exaggerated. Discoloration within is concealed weapon, staff is a distraction. Handicap." Lisa felt the air around her cool in response to the sudden creation of hundreds of pounds of ice. The Empire plant across from her was trying not to swallow "Reflexive fear action" as he watched.
The new Ward, Snegurochka, "Russian in origin, chosen as a rebuke to the Empire", walked onto the stage, and a hush fell over the crowd as she approached the microphone. The teenage hero, and Lisa estimated her at sixteen or seventeen based off her height, looked out over the assembled crowd and spoke. Her voice had a clipped cadence, not quite cutting off the words she spoke but making each one harsher than they would otherwise be. "Nervous about public speaking, not natural speech pattern. Playing into a character. Enjoying playing the character, leaning into powers to aid the performance."
"Greetings Brockton Bay, as the Director has stated, I am Snegurochka. My powers revolve around the manipulation of ice and I look forward to serving the public. I will be joining the Wards patrols effective tomorrow, and will be pleased to speak with you as I patrol." The cape took a moment to breathe, and the cold wind around her billowed as the ice bridge started to bend back over itself, folding into an ever smaller and smaller layer. "I have been given permission to demonstrate the control I have over my ice, please enjoy the show." It twisted and bulged as it creeped across the stage, and unfolded to create a towering wall behind her, thin enough to allow the light to pass through. Casting a dazzling rainbow effect across the crowd as it flexed and shifted, all without Snegurochka looking behind her.
"Power is not dependent on sight, does not require physical connection to manipulated ice. Control is based upon effective area, has slowly increased over the course of the speech. Snegurochka leaning further into power to control the display." Lisa held her phone in a vice grip, her gut screaming at her to run. "Is pleased to be announced, wants opportunity to use powers. Wants to engage against foes. Likely vendetta against Empire." The cheap plastic that formed the case creaked in protest of Lisa's grip. "Decrease of emotional inflection during speech, power induced. Currently believes she has control. Does not. Mouth is expressive, is displaying relief and suppressed joy. Power has a narcotic effect. Cape is addicted to own power."
"I will now be taking questions."
The other journalists broke out of their reveries and started to snap out questions in a verbal torrent. A cutting remark from Director Piggot got them to slow down and follow the assigned roster for questions, and they lobbed a few soft questions towards the Ward. How did she find the program? Did she like her co-workers? What did she look forward to as a cape? Each question was answered with the same clipped tone, the Ward seeming to take an effort to push the muted emotion in her voice forward as she did. Lisa noticed that Snegurochka glanced over towards the other Wards as she answered, and a minute smile flickered across her face as she did so. "Values the other Wards, has higher value on Vista. Female solidarity among male workforce? No, displays no discomfort around males. Something personal. Lesser but still significant sentiment toward Clockblocker. Similar cause?" As her time approached, Lisa had to steady herself. She had a question that Coil wanted her to ask, but she really didn't want to do it. The potential to backfire was too large, but with all the cameras she couldn't pretend that she had asked. She was stuck with a hard decision.
Before she could decide, the Empire plant asked his question, rising to his feet and drawling out in a strong Boston accent. "Reports place you at the center of the disaster that occurred in the outskirts of town. What do you have to say about the deaths of sixteen civilians from your ice?" There was an audible intake of air from the public section, and the other media personalities leaned away from the Empire plant. There was a hush, and Lisa was sure that the PRT officers where about to haul the man away when Snegurochka spoke.
"I regret that I was made to defend myself." Before the clipped tone had been something that Lisa could see as charming, a good way to establish a favorable impression with the public. This was not the same. It was cold. It was controlled. It was sending the hairs on her neck crazy. "The deaths of the many citizens of Brockton weigh heavily on me. Lenore Fosse didn't deserve to die. Totty Chadwick had nothing to do with this. Gabriel Belanger was a young student with his life ahead of him. Isebella Jackson and Douglass Oakley had plans to marry next August." The Empire plant winced with each name, the complete focus of Snegurochka on him. Even the close proximity that Lisa was in felt uncomfortable. "Charla Bendbow was a single mother who's children were thankfully visiting their father. Miranda Horn and Kim Leighton recently graduated from Claredon Highschool and had new jobs lined up. Chance Haward survived the Vietnam War, and should have been with family when he passed. Moira Leighton served in the city hall for thirty years, dedicating her life to the city."
There was no noise aside from Snegurochka. The crowd was silent as they listened to the list of victims, delivered with a relentless focus at the reporter. "Maggie Wilton moved to Brockton Bay only three months ago. Elyse Norman had just returned from rehab, turning her life around and making a new start. Yolanda Read taught science at Imaculata. Sherman Seward and Anima Hope had just found love, and had placed a deposit on a house in Captain's Hill." Snegurochka stepped closer to the lectern, and her voice rose. It didn't waver, it didn't crack. It beat down, akin to a physical force on the crowd. "Stu Jagger was only five. I regret every single person that died as a result of the attack."
The Ward strode past the lectern, holding the microphone as she faced the public. Her attention turned from the plant, he slunk to his seat, face pale and clammy as he tried to compose himself.
"It was an attack. I had turned myself in to the PRT as soon as I realized that I was a parahuman. I had hurt those close to me in my panic, and I didn't want to do that again. I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be someone that could inspire hope in others. Then the Empire 88 sent capes to kidnap me." Snegurochka paused as the crowd gasped. Details of the attack had been scarce, and while the PRT shills online touted that she was not responsible or had been attacked, it was not the same as the raw pain that leaked from the Ward. The grief that lay behind each word. "Six capes. Six capes to kidnap a new cape who was scared and trying her best. Trying my best. I watched as Fenja and Rune trapped the PRT escorts in their vehicle. I watched as Stormtiger approached and Krieg grandstanded. Playing to the cameras that were not there. I watched as Officer Sarah Newman fought to protect me, and was dragged from the car and assaulted by Stormtiger. I heard her bones break, and saw the smile on his face. Then Krieg tried to haul me from the car."
Lisa could picture the scene vividly, her power filling in the blanks. It was a horrible picture, something that she had feared before Coil turned it into a reality. "Speech semi scripted. Overall points prepared in advance, specific wording new. Snegurochka speaking from the heart. Distress is overcoming power based emotional suppression." The Ward paused as they stepped back from the stage, returning to the lectern. The ice wall behind her thrashed in place, sending a psychedelic wave of lights throughout the area. As Snegurochka took a deep breath, the wall stilled. The air grew colder and there was ice starting to spread from her feet. Creeping across the stage in slow growth. "Has taken deeper refuge in powers to mitigate distress. Distress not addressed, still present. Once power recedes it will return."
"I panicked. My powers lashed out and people died. I won't humor the ghouls who want to hear the details. Fenja, Stormtiger, and Krieg died in addition to the innocent civilians. People died because the Empire decided that they had a right to kidnap people. I have spent the last month intensively training and now have far tighter control over my powers. I have sought out people to support me through my grief, people who I owe a great deal towards." Lisa spotted the emotional response from the Wards, with Aegis and Gallant bowing their heads to hide tears. Kid Win and Clockblocker both standing awkwardly as they tried to control the emotions that flowed through them.
Lisa focused closer on the Wards, something about their stance tickling her power. "Clockblocker demonstrating sorrow, Kid Win guilt. Why? Emotion deeply personal, not conventional hero guilt complex. Feels responsible for the deaths? Partial. Responsible for the situation? Possible." Shifting her attention towards the youngest Ward, Lisa was surprised to see Vista with a small, soft smile as she listened. "Not pleased by subject, pleased that it is being addressed. Personal investment in situation. Sad that Snegurochka had to control powers, pleased to be valued. Small amount of guilt present, similar to Kid Win. Smaller degree, why?" Her attention was dragged back as Snegurochka resumed her speech.
"I should have had the freedom to do so without being assaulted. As far as I am concerned, and as far as the PRT are concerned, these fault for these deaths lie with the Empire." A brief pause, and a faint sniffle caught by the microphone. "I will always carry the weight of the dead with me. I will always wish things could have been different. Yet they are not. The Empire is responsible for the deaths of sixteen innocent civilians, and the bravest officer I have ever seen. That is what I have to say about it."
Snegurochka made a gesture towards the Director, who quickly stepped forward and began to end the event. Lisa stayed seated even as the journalists grumbled lightly about not being able to ask all their questions, even though the soundbites from Snegurochka would be far better than anything they could get. Focusing on the Ward, Lisa saw that the air around her was starting to fog, and that her every step left an imprint of ice as she marched away from the stage. The Wards encircled her and formed a wall of bodies as they left towards the Rig. While she didn't have the opportunity to ask her question, the answer was clear to her.
Snegurochka held a grudge against the Empire. She would not respond well to the knowledge that Hookwolf and Cricket had placed a bounty on her, that they had left the Empire after being told to drop their revenge fueled plans.
Last edited: Jun 25, 2023
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Silent_Sepharim
Jun 24, 2023
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