The car's engine hummed softly as Taylor and Danny drove towards the docks, the morning light filtering through the windows. Taylor stared out at the passing scenery, her fingers tapping nervously on her knee. She glanced over at her dad, who seemed equally tense but trying to mask it with small talk and reassuring smiles.
"You look a bit on edge, kiddo," Danny said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Feeling nervous?"
Taylor sighed, shifting in her seat. "Yeah, a little. I mean, this is a big step. Testing my powers, figuring out what I can do... it's a lot to take in."
Danny nodded, understanding. "I get that. Are you sure you really want to do this? Going fully independent isn't going to be easy. It could be dangerous."
Taylor turned to face him, her expression serious. "I do, Dad. I need to know what I'm capable of. If I have enough powers, if I'm really powerful like I think I might be, it'll put me on the gangs' radar. But it might also deter them from trying to recruit me. I'm not Asian, I'm not a neo-Nazi, and I'm not a druggie. They wouldn't have any reason to pull me into their mess."
Danny glanced at her, a mixture of worry and pride in his eyes. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I have. I sincerely hope my guess is right. It would mean a lot of help for you too, Dad. I want to be able to protect you and myself. And... I already have a plan in mind if I find out I have the Alexandria package."
He raised an eyebrow, curious. "The Alexandria package?"
"Yeah," Taylor said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "You know, super strength, flight, invulnerability. If I have those powers, I could really make a difference. And it would mean the gangs would think twice before coming after us."
Danny took a deep breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."
"I promise, Dad," she said softly. "I'll be careful. But I need to do this. I need to know."
They drove in silence for a few more minutes, the weight of their conversation hanging in the air. Finally, they arrived at the docks, the familiar sight of Danny's office building coming into view. Taylor felt a mix of nerves and determination as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
Danny walked around to join her, giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together. You're not alone in this."
Taylor smiled up at him, feeling a surge of gratitude. "Thanks, Dad."
Danny and Taylor entered the building, drawing immediate attention from the workers. Surprise was etched on everyone's faces, but Taylor did her best to seem unfazed. Internally, her nerves were a mess, but she kept a calm exterior. She had been lifting anything she could find at home and was eager to test her powers further. The docks were the perfect place for it. Besides, it was time she started mingling back with the public.
She also had another motive: she wanted to survey one of the warehouses for potential business purposes. This trip would serve both needs.
Kurt greeted them with a broad smile. "Taylor! Good to see you. It's been a while."
"Hi, Kurt," she replied, smiling back. "Yeah, it has been."
Danny chuckled. "I think the last time she was here, she was still in high school."
Taylor nodded. "Feels like forever ago. How have things been?"
"Busy, but manageable," Kurt said, then turned to Danny. "So, what's on the agenda today, boss?"
Danny glanced at Taylor. "Taylor wants to take a tour of the Boat Graveyard. Can someone accompany her?"
Kurt immediately volunteered. "I'll do it. Happy to help."
"Thanks, Kurt," Taylor said, feeling more at ease. "I appreciate it."
"Taylor! Is that really you?" called out a burly man with a thick beard suddenly. It was Greg, one of Danny's longtime colleagues. He was also one of Taylor's favourite members of DWA. The man had a never ending supply of jokes while she was little.
Taylor smiled back heartily. She hadn't seem him in near half a year. "Hi, Greg. Yeah, it's me."
Greg gave her a hearty handshake. "Been too long. How've you been holding up?"
"Pretty well, all things considered," Taylor replied with a smile. It was the best thing she liked about him. There was no pity in his eyes. He was just taking her as another normal person. "Just trying to get back into the swing of things."
Another worker, Linda joined them. She waved enthusiastically to her with a charming smile. "Taylor, I remember when you used to come here after school! You've grown so much!"
"Thanks, Linda. It's good to see everyone again," Taylor said, feeling more at ease with each familiar face.
Soon, a small crowd had gathered around her. Danny joined them, a proud smile on his face as he saw his daughter interacting comfortably with his coworkers. The people had offered condolences when they had heard about Taylor's state. Some wanted to join him in burning Winslow to grounds. However, he had kept a cool head to dissuade them. They all were people who had long buried feelings inside them. It would just take a spark and an entire inferno may overtake the city. The last time they had rioted, they had bodies dropping beneath them. And while he wasn't proud of it, it certainly added to the need to remain cool in such situations.
Tom who was another dockworker stepped forward with a worried look. "We heard about what happened. You doing okay?"
Taylor nodded. "Yeah, I'm doing okay. Just taking things one day at a time."
Danny put a hand on her shoulder. "Taylor wants to check out the Boat Graveyard and maybe look at some warehouses for a project she's thinking about."
Linda raised an eyebrow. "A project, huh? Sounds interesting. What kind of project?"
Taylor hesitated for a moment, then decided to share a bit more. "I've been thinking about starting a restaurant. It's still in the planning stages, but I wanted to see if there were any suitable locations around here. I mean, I want to have a test run at first."
The workers exchanged glances, intrigued. Greg nodded approvingly. "That's a great idea. We could use a good place to eat around here. You will be giving discounts for your old man's people?" Greg added with a booming laugh.
Taylor nodded excitedly. She was okay with that. Besides, she was just planning to do good with it. She could feed so many needy people.
Kurt, standing nearby, chimed in. "Taylor's also looking to test some... personal projects. So if you see her doing anything unusual, don't be alarmed."
Tom chuckled. "Unusual, huh? Well, as long as it's not dangerous, we won't mind."
Taylor smiled, grateful for their support. "Thanks, everyone. I appreciate it."
Danny looked around at his team. "Alright, back to work, everyone. Kurt and I will be with Taylor for a bit. If you need anything, just give us a shout."
The workers dispersed with friendly nods and waves, leaving Taylor, Danny, and Kurt to continue their walk.
"So, where do you want to start?" Kurt asked, looking around at the derelict ships at the distance and rusting metal.
Taylor took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the eerie landscape. "Let's start with the ships. I want to see how much I can lift and move."
Danny stopped suddenly. "Woah! Start small kiddo. No need to directly jump there. Just take it slow. No need to rush."
Taylor smiled. She understood his worry. However, she fully believed that she could take it. She had telekinesis mixed with super strength. Granted, it was foolish to simply believe it without never testing it before. But she surely felt more confident than ever in her. "Got it, Dad. Let's do this."
She moved to an electric pole which had been snapped in half and gathering rust. She gripped it and was amused that she could easily lift it. The half broken pole was easily above 1000 pounds considering the heavy concrete. It could be more too. Taylor had never lifted weighs before, so it was hard to tell. She could only speculate. It might be even only 500 pounds. She wasn't sure.
She moved on to the next set of items, stacking heavy pieces of rusting metal and debris with a determined focus. She approached the first pile, focusing intently. With a deep breath, she lifted the entire stack effortlessly, as if it were a bundle of feathers.
Danny and Kurt exchanged stunned glances among themselves. The typical electric pole of concrete weighed around 2500 pounds to 4000 pounds. If it was even half considering the half broken patt of the pole, then Taylor had lifted nearly more than 1200 pounds. No one had lifted that much weigh ever.
Heck, the world record for a normal man was around 1000 to 1100 pounds something. Taylor had simply broken it in 1 try.
"Did you see that?" Danny whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yeah," Kurt replied, eyes wide. "It's like she's lifting paperweights!"
Taylor continued, stacking more and more heavy items. She even started piling metal pieces on top of each other, creating increasingly heavier loads. With each attempt, she lifted them with the same ease, a look of focused determination on her face.
"Holy shit," Kurt muttered, barely able to contain his amazement. "How the hell is she doing that? That's nearly a ton."
Danny shook his head, equally astonished. "I don't know, but it's incredible."
Taylor paused for a moment, considering what she had just done. She realized that part of her ability seemed to be a minor form of telekinesis combined with a battle of will. If she concentrated hard enough and truly wished for it, the weight seemed to become lighter, almost inconsequential.
She turned to Danny and Kurt, a triumphant smile on her face. "I think I figured it out."
Danny raised an eyebrow. "Figured what out?"
"How my power works," Taylor explained. "It's like... I can make things lighter by willing them to be. It's not just physical strength; it's mental too."
Kurt scratched his head, still in awe. "That's... impressive, Taylor. Have you found a limit yet?"
Taylor shook her head. "Not yet. I haven't hit a wall, either at home or here. I can keep adding more weight and it still feels easy."
"Jesus, that's something else," Kurt said, shaking his head. "You're like a real-life superhero."
Danny looked at her with a mix of pride and concern. "Just be careful, alright? I don't want you to overdo it."
"I will, Dad," Taylor reassured him. "But I need to keep testing this. I need to know what I can really do."
Kurt nodded in agreement. "Let's keep going, but remember to take breaks if you need them."
Taylor agreed, and they continued to test her abilities. With each successful lift, her confidence grew. She stacked heavier and heavier items. She dearly wanted to test how far she could go. It was necessary for what she had planned. Despite the increasing weight, she showed no signs of strain or fatigue. She even compressed the wider metals to ball like shapes easily in her arms in order to stack them.
"Goddamn, Taylor!" Kurt exclaimed, watching her lift a particularly massive chunk of metal, saddled with other heavier chunks which were twisted and added together by her. "That's gotta weigh over 5 ton!"
Danny stared, slack-jawed. "Unbelievable. Just... unbelievable."
Taylor grinned, feeling exhilarated. "I haven't found a limit yet, but I think I'm getting closer to understanding how it works."
Kurt laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're a natural, kid. A damn powerhouse!"
Taylor nodded excitedly. "Dad, I wanna lift one of the boats. Please..." She pouted with a smile to her astonished father.
Danny for his part was already in his disbelief. He had seen plenty of accidents in his time in the docks. Some due to carelessness, some due to other factors. Never had he seen someone toying with such heavy weights. Yet, his daughter had done the impossible for him. She was easily lifting tons of metal as if they were no heavier than a piece of paper.
He wanted to deny but Kurt spoke up in between. "Let her try Danny. Besides, she's being safe." Danny looked at his fellow member of DWA and one of his closest friend. Perhaps, he was right. He should allow Taylor to have her choice.
"Fine, but be careful." Danny finally said in a grumble.
Taylor beamed. Her red eyes simply lit up in joy as she turned towards the boats docked at the coastline. They were at a little distant, however it won't take long to reach there.
They slowly moved deeper into the Boat Graveyard. Taylor was scanning the area, her eyes locking onto one of the big boats. It was rusted and weather-beaten but still intact—a perfect candidate for her next test.
Danny, Kurt, and a few other dockworkers gathered nearby. They all had joined when they spotted their boss moving towards the rusted boats, their curiosity piqued by her previous feats. Once word of her had spread, everyone wanted to take a peek at her.
Taylor finally approached the boat, examining it for a good grip. It took a moment to find a suitable spot on the hull, but she eventually settled on a solid-looking section.
"Alright," she muttered to herself, taking a deep breath. She placed her hands on the hull and began to focus, willing the boat to lift. At first, it felt awkward and incredibly heavy, but she summoned all her determination and strength, both physical and mental, to make it move.
To her relief and amazement, the boat began to rise. Slowly but steadily, it lifted off the ground, its massive bulk seemingly defying the laws of physics. The onlookers were struck dumb with shock for sure. Taylor herself was shocked to her core. It had fucking worked. The entire boat felt no more like a paper in her hands correctly. It was as if it didn't even weigh anything.
"Fucking hell!" Kurt exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers.
Danny's jaw dropped. "I can't believe it... She's actually doing it."
The boat remained perfectly balanced in her grip, not splitting or tipping. Taylor's confidence soared, and she decided to push her limits further. She slowly shifted the weight to one hand, her muscles straining a little, before relaxing, but holding firm.
"This is unreal," one of the dockworkers muttered, barely able to tear his eyes away from the spectacle. He brought out his phone from the pocket and immediately started to record it. It was something he was gonna always take a look from now.
Taylor, feeling a mix of exhilaration and no strain, started to experiment. She removed her fingers one by one, testing her control and strength. She wanted to test how controlled her telekinesis is. Finally, only her pinky finger supported the entire weight of the boat.
Danny's face turned pale with disbelief. "She's... she's lifting that entire boat with her pinky finger."
The workers, including Kurt, watched in stunned silence as Taylor held the massive boat aloft with just her pinky. The sight was extraordinary, a clear defiance of conventional physics.
With a triumphant smile, Taylor carefully set the boat back down. It landed with a heavy thud, kicking up dust and debris.
Kurt let out a low whistle. "Taylor, that was... incredible. I've never seen anything like it."
Danny meanwhile only dumbly nodded at her.
Danny was sitting in the office of his boss, Mr. Anderson, the head of the Dockworkers Association (DWA). The boss was quite surprised by all the sudden hubbub in his office when he had arrived. Granted, he soon got into the depth of it.
They were sharing an amused conversation about the incredible feats Taylor had demonstrated earlier in the day.
"I still can't believe it," Danny chuckled, shaking his head. He was still baffled as of now. "You should've seen the look on Kurt's face when Taylor lifted that boat with just her pinky finger. He nearly fell over."
Mr. Anderson laughed heartily, leaning back in his chair. "I've heard stories about parahuman powers, but seeing it in person must've been something else. How are you dealing with all this, Danny?"
Danny shrugged, a mixture of pride and bemusement on his face. "It's been a whirlwind. I'm incredibly proud of her, but it's also a bit overwhelming. I know, I haven't been the best dad as of lately. She's determined to understand her powers, and I'm just trying to support her the best I can."
Mr. Anderson nodded thoughtfully. "It's a lot to take in, for both of you. But if anyone can handle it, it's you and Taylor. You've always been a solid team. Besides, I always warned you about it. Not that it's time to talk about it. What's done is done. You will have to tackle it. You have always been good at salvaging situations."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mr. Anderson's secretary, Sarah, entered the room, looking visibly shocked.
"What's happened?" Mr. Anderson asked, his brow furrowing as he noticed her expression. Few things could get her in this frenzy.
Sarah took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "There's a... situation at the Boat Graveyard. You both need to see this."
Danny and Mr. Anderson exchanged concerned glances before rising from their chairs and following Sarah out of the office.
They all walked outside and emerged from the office. The office was nearly empty of any staff as everyone there was near the boat graveyards to see the ongoing drama.
Nearly everyone from the Dockworkers Association was gathered, phones out, capturing photos and videos. Danny's eyes widened at the sight before him.
Floating above the sea, unmistakable due to her pink skin, was Taylor. But it wasn't just her hovering in the air that caught everyone's attention. Above Taylor, held aloft by her raised hands, was a massive sunken ship. It was the container ship which had been sunken and was a cause of blocking the route for another ship. The sight of her lifting such an enormous vessel was beyond anything Danny could have imagined.
"My God!" Mr. Anderson muttered, patting Danny on the back with a mixture of shock and admiration. "I guess I was wrong about your daughter's strength."
Danny could only nod. He was too stunned to do anything. His eyes were glued to Taylor as she carefully maneuvered through the air. Her concentration was evident as she balanced the enormous ship, which had disrupted the entire route for years or perhaps decades. The ship seemed to defy gravity, held perfectly steady in her grip.
"Unbelievable," Danny whispered, feeling a mix of pride and anxiety. "How is she doing this?"
"It looks like she's holding the entire ship together," Sarah, the secretary, added, equally astonished. "And she's flying too!"
It took nearly ten minutes for Taylor to reach the coastline, the air and the balance of the lifted ship requiring careful adjustment. Danny and the others hurried to the shore, anticipation and amazement buzzing in the crowd.
As Taylor descended, her focus remained unbroken. Slowly, she lowered the ship onto the shore, placing it gently on the ground with a soft thud. The ship settled perfectly, without a single wobble or imbalance. She landed gracefully beside it, looking both exhausted and exhilarated.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Danny rushed forward. "Taylor! Are you okay?"
Taylor nodded, panting slightly. "Yeah, Dad. Just... that was a lot harder than I expected."
Mr. Anderson approached, shaking his head in wonder. "Taylor, that was incredible. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."
"Thanks, Mr. Anderson," Taylor said, offering a tired smile. "I figured if I could lift smaller things, why not try something bigger? This ship was blocking the route, so I thought I'd clear it out."
Danny pulled her into a hug, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm so proud of you, Taylor. But please, take it easy, alright?"
"I will, Dad," she promised, leaning into the embrace. "I just wanted to see what I could do. And I think I'm starting to get a better idea. Besides, the Mayor won't agree to remove it due to the budget and anyone else was unconcerned. I thought to give it a try directly. Otherwise with permission and all, it would have taken a hell lot of paperwork."
"I agree on the second part. The Mayor had always denied it." Mr Anderson said with a soft chuckle.
"You don't know how much you have helped us Taylor. The DWA would be ever grateful to you for help." He added with a smile to the young kid he knew from her childhood. He still remembered the time he had seen the girl for the first time after her birth. So much time had passed. There was a time where she was so tiny. Now, she was lifting ships above her head.
Anderson knew it was no small feat. The ship alone weighed in thousands of tons. That coupled with water and the extra things added in it while lifting, certainly added more weight. The girl had a good head on her shoulder too. Just like her dad. He could certainly see a new Alexandria in front of his eyes.
He was not alone. They all could see a new Alexandria in her.