Saturday, Jan. 29th…

Danny woke up to the sizzle of grease and the smell of bacon and eggs. Momentarily confused by his surroundings, it took a moment for Danny to realize that he had fallen asleep in his living room, and that it was now morning.

Groggily rubbing his face, Danny got up from his recliner and moved towards the kitchen, where he saw Taylor cooking breakfast, dressed in a loose pair of jogging pants and an old T-shirt rather than that red Christmas blanket she was using as a robe. That was a good sign at least.

"Father." Taylor's respirator buzzed, "You have awakened. I have prepared sustenance for us."

Danny tried not to wince at Taylor's strangely formal language and mechanical voice. Well, at least she wasn't turning the oven into a flamethrower or something. Small victories, he supposed.

"Thank you, Taylor." Danny said with a strained smile as he sat down at their kitchen table.

Taylor then divided the food between the two of them, eggs, bacon, and some toasted bread with butter on the side. Not exactly a healthy breakfast, but after the day both of them had yesterday, he supposed they both needed a hardy meal. Sitting down herself, Taylor removed her respirator, pulling it down around her neck and the two ate in silence. Danny almost cringed at how normal this was. How comfortable it was to not speak to his daughter.

Part of Danny wanted to not say anything. For them to just go back to the way they were before, living separate, but parallel lives. Being together, but alone at the same time. He killed that thought. When did he become so afraid to talk to his own daughter? When did awkward silence and banal small talk become the norm? No, he had to put a stop to it now, no matter how bad he didn't want to. He couldn't call himself a Father, Hell he couldn't call himself a man if he didn't.

When Taylor had finished her meal she moved to pick up her plate when Danny stopped her. "Hold on Taylor, I got that." He said as he stood from his seat grabbing his own dishes before picking up hers. "Just sit there for a bit, I wanted to talk to you before you go off doing… whatever it is you're going to be doing."

Taylor stared blankly at Danny, her eyes betraying no emotion as she was probably mentally processing his words. With a small shrug, Taylor replaced the mask on her face and leaned back, waiting for her Dad to finish with the dishes. Danny gave her a small smile as he quickly moved to place the dishes in the sink and wash his hands. He then sat down across from her, and looked her dead in the eyes. Taylor didn't flinch as she stared back at him.

"So Taylor." Danny began, taking a deep breath. "I know we haven't exactly been... the closest, since your Mother died. But given everything that has happened, I want to change that. I want us to start talking again."

"About what?" Taylor answered, eyebrow raised.

Danny rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I think it's best if we start with the elephant in the room, your future, Taylor. I know you don't want to work with the PRT, and honestly I'm ecstatic that you don't want to be a hero, but I'm still concerned, Taylor. Hell I'll even say I'm scared kiddo. Scared that some villain is going to find you, kidnap you, and I'll never see you again."

For the first time today, Danny saw a flash of real emotion on Taylor's face, her brows creasing in some combination of shame and worry. Then it was gone. "I have built some protection already." she replied. Reaching for the back of her waists she pulled a pistol with a large, blocky body.

Danny was silent for a moment as he stared at it. "Is that a gun?"

"A lasgun." Taylor said proudly.

"How… dangerous is it?"

Taylor looked at Danny like he was an idiot. "Dangerous enough. I had to perform some fine tuning this morning. It appears that in my sleep deprived state last night I had accidentally overcharged the power supply. If I tried to shoot it, it would've exploded in my hands." Taylor chuckled at the mistake. Danny didn't find it funny at all. "But I performed the necessary rites and adjustments, so it should be fine now." She holstered the gun back into the strap of her pants.

Danny tried to find something to say but couldn't. "Just… be careful with that stuff Taylor." He then took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, so you built yourself a laser gun. I can live with that, I think. But where do you want to go from here? All honesty this is so far from what your Mother and I planned for you that I'm open to suggestions."

"Next I will need a place for a new workshop, as well as access to raw materials." Taylor said. "What Armsmaster gave me was great, but it will not be enough. The basement will not be enough. I recall yesterday you spoke of good news. I assume we won the lawsuit?"

Danny nodded his head. "Yep. I'll be honest it kinda fell by the wayside with everything that happened yesterday, but you're about 2 million dollars richer Taylor." Danny still couldn't help but smile at that.

"Good." Taylor didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. "We can use that money to purchase land or perhaps a building in which I can create my workshop. Do you know of any old warehouses, factories, or industrial centers around the docks which would suit my needs?"

The question caught Danny off guard. He hadn't expected Taylor to want to expand so quickly. Then he actually took the time to think on her question and said, "There are plenty of unused warehouses along the docks that have been condemned and taken by the government. It would be cheap to purchase them from the City. Maybe even a few rust-belt factories." Danny shrugged. "I can head into the office today to check the records for any available properties."

Taylor nodded. "That would be very helpful, Father. Next, while I can slowly expand my arsenal, I fear you are correct that not only I, but we are still vulnerable. As such I wish to see if any dock workers would be willing to work for me as personal security."

"Like henchmen?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Like bodyguards." Taylor countered. "With the money you say we now have, we should be able to pay a decent salary to them, and protecting your daughter would be a more appealing job than becoming actual henchmen for the city's villains. And once I find a way to successfully monetize my abilities, I could expand that group, as well as hire workers as laborers in my workshop."

Danny had to concede that the point had merit. "That's not a bad idea, and I could think of a few of the boys who aren't afraid to get rough when needed. Though I don't think that dock workers armed with pipes and wrenches will do much against capes or gangsters armed with guns."

"A fair point, but one I believe I have a solution for. Tell me, how many Dockworkers, or former dock workers have crippling or debilitating injuries that have put them out of work?"

It wasn't hard for Danny to see where Taylor was going with this. "You want to make them cyborgs in exchange for protecting you." Danny tried to keep his voice level, but he couldn't help but be somewhat repulsed by the idea.

"I am giving them their lives back in exchange for protecting me." Taylor snapped back, picking up on her Father's feelings. Her face briefly shifted to regret for yelling at Danny, before her mask of impassivity resumed. "For protecting us."

Danny chewed on the inside of his lip, thinking of what to say, until he finally groaned, rubbing his palms on his face. "Okay… Okay I can ask around. See if we have anyone like that."

"Thank you." Taylor bowed her head. "Is that it?" she then asked, seemingly wanting to leave.

"Not yet." Danny put up a hand, keeping Taylor from moving. Taylor huffed, and remained still. "I wanted to ask what you want to do about school."

Scoffing, Taylor almost stood and walked away there. "There is no point in school anymore. I had barely learned anything when I went, and if anything it would be 7 hours a day where I would be out of the protection of my lab."

"There's Arcadia." Danny countered. "The Wards go there, as well as Carol's kids. We could see if you could get transferred there." Normally trying to get a transfer to Arcadia would be a colossal task with their waitlist, but the fact that Taylor was a Parahuman could get her in early.

"The Wards are hidden amongst the masses, while Victoria is invincible and Amy, far too valuable to hurt. The Wards and the Dallon children are not like me. " Taylor flatly responded. Danny was about to say something, thinking that Taylor was ashamed of her own appearance. He wanted to give the reassurances that a Father should so his daughter would feel comfortable in her own body, that despite her cybernetics she was still a beautiful, little girl. "They do not have the resolution that I do." That was not what Danny expected.

Taylor continued. "They try to live double lives. Half as normal humans, and half as Parahumans. That is a mistake, a literal half measure at best. They cannot do what I can, achieve what I am able, because they do not have the will to completely devote themselves to do what must be done. If it means so much to you, I can complete a GED on my own, but school is just an unnecessary distraction now."

"Do what must be done? Danny parroted. "What are you talking about? What is it you plan on doing?"

Taylor looked down, thoughtful for a moment, carefully considering her next words. "Father, my powers… are a gift. More so than the powers of someone like Glory Girl, or even Panacea. And I do not say that in arrogance. Beyond just fighting villains, beyond just making money, I feel… no, I know, I can do something more." She then looked back up and met her Father's eyes. "With my powers, I can help Brockton Bay. I can make Brockton Bay a better place. Father, I wish to save Brockton Bay."

Holding Taylor's eyes, Danny saw the sheer stubbornness of his daughter. No, it wasn't emotional, fiery stubbornness, but instead a cold, focused resoluteness. A single-minded determination, a single-minded belief that the path she was choosing was the right one. Part of Danny had to feel proud that Taylor felt so strongly about saving the city. It reminded him of Annette. It reminded him how much he had failed Taylor for her to become like this.

Danny sighed, mulling over his failures of the past few years, before he finally spoke. "I… have not been a good Father to you." he said shamefully, the seeming non sequitur confusing Taylor. "Ever since your Mother died, I've… never really been there for you, have I? Hell I didn't even know you were being bullied until I saw you half dead in your hospital bed."

This time, it was Danny looking back at Taylor with resolute eyes of his own. "But no more. I won't just… ignore you because it's easier than talking to you. Than helping you. Taylor… I failed you, and I don't know if you could ever really forgive me for that. I won't forgive myself for it. So I want to be there for you Taylor, for whatever it is you want to do. If you want to leave school, you have my support. If you think you can save the city, you have my support. Taylor, whatever it is you choose to do, I want to do whatever is in my power to help you achieve it."

Danny's words had shocked Taylor, as she sat taken aback, eyes wide at her Father's words. Hell Danny's words shocked himself.

The two Heberts stared at each other for agonizingly long seconds, until Taylor stood up from their dining table. She walked up to Danny, who then rose to meet his approaching daughter. Without hesitation, Taylor threw her arms around her Father, wrapping him in a deep hug. Danny could feel his shirt grow wet from her tears.

"Thanks, Dad." Taylor softly muttered into his chest.

"You're welcome, Little Owl."

Tuesday, Feb 1st…

Taylor stood in front of the abandoned factory her Father found for her. True to his words, there was a plethora of condemned and unused warehouses and factories within the docks for Taylor and her Father to tour and peruse. This was the third such building Taylor visited today, the last two being abandoned storage warehouses for shipping.

Like the rest of the docks around her, this factory was a dilapidated, ramshackle building with cracked mortar, rusted metal, and shattered glass. The factory itself was a red-brick building that looked to be about four stories tall and two hundred feet long. On its front, there was a massive, steel sliding door that was coated in rust and chipped paint, most likely used to move machines and tools in and finished products out, while the sides were covered with a series of small, square windows, many of which were shattered or stained to the point she could not see through it. Above the entrance, Taylor could see a faded sign that had the barely legible words, "James and Lawson Machine Tool Company."

"Doesn't really look like much on the outside, does it?" Danny said with pursed lips from beside Taylor.

"The more nondescript the building, the better." Taylor replied. "Were it in good condition, it would be a spotlight advertising my location."

Danny hummed. "I suppose you're right. Alright boys let's open her up!" he then shouted behind him.

Behind Danny and Taylor was a group of four dock workers, whom Danny trusted and Taylor had hired as muscle for the day. The four, burly men forced the main entrance open, their faces covered by bandanas or masks to protect from dust and mold. Slowly but surely the factory opened up, revealing the treasure within.

"I shall go in first." Taylor said, striding forward, but Danny then put a hand on her shoulder.

"Is that the best idea? There might be animals or Merchants squatting inside."

Taylor pulled out from his grip. "If there is danger then it is even better that I go in first. I am the only one who is both armed and armored." She then gestured not only to her laspistol on her hip holster, but a grey-gunmetal breastplate made of blocky, layered steel and aluminum-oxide ceramic armor plates. It was the second piece of protective equipment Taylor built for herself, a flak vest.

Danny shook his head as he muttered. "I still don't get how you were able to make bullet proof armor from all that scrap metal."

"Same way Tinkers create anything. Bullshit." Taylor walked in, drawing her laspistol.

The interior of the factory was as rundown as the exterior. Lights were broken, a veritable dump of trash was scattered about, and a large dust cloud puffed out as the doors opened up. Luckily for Taylor, her respirator blocked out any hazardous particulates within the air, and her eye augmetic gave her perfect vision in the dark. Taylor did not immediately see any threats or squatters, and after a scan she decided the factory was safe.

Now free to take a closer look, Taylor saw that there were a few old machines that were left behind when the owners abandoned the building. There was a large conveyor belt that ran across the length of the factory floor, as well as the remains of stations where workers would have once stood. Next to the conveyor belt, there were a few abandoned machines used for fabrication of the products this once great building produced. Taylor recognized something that looked like a hydraulic press, shaped to stamp out sheet metal into specific designs, and an industrial sized drill press.

While Taylor could think of a few uses for all of these, they were unfortunately extraordinarily corroded, and she had her doubts that she could get them running again. At least they could be used for spare parts.

"I have to say it looks even worse on the inside." Danny muttered as he walked beside Taylor, his own mask now covering his face.

"You see piles of trash. I see mountains of opportunity." Taylor said.

Danny grunted, opening up a manila folder in his hands and began reading. "According to the city's records, this factory belonged to the now defunct James and Lawson Machine Tool Company. It was built in the early 1900s, and hit its stride during WWI and WWII, getting government contracts for production of tools for the military." Danny listed off as he examined the broken down conveyor belt. "Post war the factory kept working, but when manufacturing started leaving the US in the 70s, combined with how outdated the factory was, it eventually shut down, alongside other factories like Redmond Welding a few blocks away."

"Is that factory also on the docket?" Taylor asked.

Danny shook his head. "No, unfortunately someone purchased that building a few months ago. Besides, I think you'll find that this building is far more impressive than any of the others we've seen." The crinkling of Danny's eyes suggested he was grinning at his daughter.

Taylor raised an eyebrow in return. "How so?"

"Well you see, again according to the city records, part of the reason James and Lawson went out of business was that during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the owners had something of a very justifiable panic." Using the notes, he walked up to a specific door on the right side of the building and opened it up, revealing a staircase going downwards. They descended, Danny turning on a large flashlight so he could see. They were walking through a creepy, dank sublevel made of cinder block walls lined with unused pipes and ductwork. "So they renovated the place, and expanded the basement into a fully functioning fallout shelter. Unfortunately for them, the cost of renovation, combined with the flight of manufacturing drove the company straight into the ground. "

As he said that, they approached a large, sealed door that Taylor could tell was lead-lined steel door. The door was rusted and heavy, and had a rotating handle in its center that reminded Taylor of hatches and doors on Navy ships. Without hesitating, Taylor grabbed the hatch with her prosthetic and pulled.

To say it was difficult to open the door would've been an understatement. Metal groaned and cried as it slowly moved, its displeasure at years of corrosion and lack of oil making itself known. Eventually, Danny and another dock worker had to throw on a pair of work gloves and help, and between the three of them the latches securing it eventually gave way.

Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing its insides. The fallout shelter was a long cylindrical room, extending perhaps a hundred feet in length, while the room itself, being a cylinder, was about twelve feet in diameter. The shelter's walls were made of metal, probably the same lead-lined steel as the door, and was divided into three separate sections.

The third closest to the door looked like some kind of kitchen, where there was a rotted, wooden dining table, a gas stove, and similarly rotted shelves that once contained rows of canned food, cookware, and utensils. The middle third looked to be the "living room" of the shelter, where an abandoned couch sat across an antennaed TV, placed next to a bookshelf with a variety of crumbling books and aged board games. There also looked to be a desk of some kind there.

On the far end of the shelter was the sleeping area, where about half a dozen cots hung from the walls of the shelter alongside some shelves and steel boxes for personal items. The boxes were all empty, while the mattresses upon the cots had all rotted away. The only separate room was at the very end of the shelter on the complete opposite side of the entrance, which led to a bathroom with one toilet, sink, and shower. To Taylor's surprise, they were not that disgusting or grimy, a testament to how sealed the shelter was she supposed.

"So what do you think?" Danny asked once Taylor finished her inspection and they returned to the factory's main floor.

"You were right. This building is most impressive." Taylor nodded. "I say we purchase this land. It will take some time to get it in working order, but I will be able to do much with it when it's done."

Danny flipped to the next page of his notes. "We can, but even at the foreclosed price, this is going to be pretty costly. It'll take up a good chunk of the money we got from your case. And that's not even getting into labor costs for the clean up, and whatever tools you want to purchase." He then turned to his daughter and asked. "What do you plan on doing here anyway?"

"The main floor needs to be cleared out. I will see if I can rebuild any of the machines left behind, but if not I can cannibalize them for parts. I will then convert the factory floor into something more of a machine shop. I can store larger tools like lathes, mills, drills, and saws there, using the area for large scale projects. A metal scrapper and smelter wouldn't be a bad idea either. Meanwhile, I think I will convert this bomb shelter into my own personal workshop and laboratory for more… delicate procedures, and deadly weapons."

Danny huffed as he started doing some cost calculations. "Well you certainly don't like to think small kiddo."

"Saving Brockton Bay is no small problem." Taylor coldly retorted.

Danny frowned. "I suppose not. Regardless, I can get a crew together and we can get this place cleaned up in a few days. Afterwards we can get your machines in."

"Excellent. And the other favor I asked for?" Taylor looked up at her Father.

Pursing his lips, Danny said. "Yeah I made some calls. They're all at the DWA building right now. I can get them sent over here. It's a short drive."

Taylor nodded. "If you would be so kind."

Returning the gesture, Danny walked away from his daughter. Approaching one of the hired hands, Danny asked the man to call the DWA, as Danny himself did not have a cell phone. Once the call was made, the group waited about 15 minutes until a white van drove up to the factory. The rear of the van opened up, and a ramp extended out. Two of the dockworkers helped a man in a wheelchair descend. The side door of the van also opened, and four men exited, the uniting factor between all of them being that they all had some kind of debilitating injury. Two were missing one of their arms, a third was wearing an eyepatch and had a left hand missing several fingers, and the fourth had an extreme limp and walked with a cane.

The five men were presented before Taylor, each crippled or disabled in their own ways, no longer able to perform in the laborious blue-collar work that once supported their livelihoods. And they were exactly what Taylor needed.

One of the five men, a taller, more broad shouldered man with weathered white skin and a close shaved buzz cut stepped forward towards Taylor. He was missing his left arm, and Taylor could see scars running down his left neck and face.

"So yer Danny's little girl, eh?" The man said, his voice grizzled and rough. "I was wondering why he called all of us out when he knew we were shit for dock work now, but now I can see what he was thinking."

Danny frowned as the man said that. "Merrick, you and the others aren't useless. It's just that we barely have any jobs that fit you."

The man, apparently named Merrick, just gave a hearty chuckle. "Jobs don't fit cause I'm down a fucking arm Danny. I'm just calling it like I see it." He shook his head and focused on Taylor. "But where are my manners? The name's Scott Merrick, former member of the DWA."

Taylor nodded slightly. "Taylor Hebert. Tell me, Mr. Merrick, how did you lose your arm?"

Merrick smirked slightly. "Don't beat around the bush do you? Well I guess if there's anyone who can relate it's you. Me, I was working a night shift at one of the warehouses one day when a group of E88 came to visit. They wanted whatever it was that was in the warehouse, and were led by Hookwolf of all people. Course I didn't know that at the time, and my Marine training kicked in. Beat down two of the skinheads before Hookwolf took my arm in return. Heroes barely got there in time to scare him off."

"You were a Marine?" Taylor asked with a quirked brow.

"I am a Marine, girly. Like we say, once a Marine, always a Marine. Served for almost 20 years, mostly overseas for a while before the government decided foreign wars weren't worth it with all the Parahumans now running about. Made it all the way to Sergeant Major before I left. Started working the Docks here afterwards, course as soon as I did the shipping dried up and the docks went to shit." Merrick shrugged. "How it goes I suppose though."

"Indeed." Taylor said dryly. "What of the rest of you, anyone else former military?"

Merrick, the apparent leader of this group, answered for them. "Well Charlie over there was a Seaman in the Navy, while Daryl's also a Marine."

Taylor looked behind Merrick at the referenced works. Charlie, she saw, was the man who sat within the wheelchair, an aged man even older than her father, with wrinkled hands and whitening hair. Daryl was a dark skinned, muscular African-American man that walked with a limp and cane.

Taylor hummed. "Hmm. Tell me, what maimed you two?"

Charlie shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Work accident. Shipment fell off a truck and I was sent flying, landed on the concrete and broke my back."

Taylor nodded. "And you, Daryl?"

"E88 initiation." He grunted out, frowning.

"Indeed." Taylor didn't need any more explanation than that. "Well then gentleman, for those of you who do not know who I am, I am Taylor Hebert, Danny's daughter." Taylor then pulled up the sleeve of her robe and proudly displayed her prosthetic arm. "And I am Parahuman Tinker.

"I asked for all of you to be here for one reason. I need help. The gangs of this city. The villains. They would seek to take me, put me under their thumb and force me to work for them. To create weapons for Nazis, rapists, and druggies." Taylor made sure to look at Merrick and Daryl when she said that. "I would prefer this not happen, so I wish to make a deal with every man here. Not only do I have the power to repair all of you, I have the power to make you better, faster, stronger. In return I ask for your loyalty. I ask all of you to help protect myself and my Father from the evils of this city, while I work to save it."

The men were silent, casting glances towards one another, until Merrick spoke up. "That's all well and good girly, but even with robot bits, I don't know what we can do to protect you if someone like Hookwolf or Oni Lee comes knocking."

"An understandable concern." Taylor conceded. "But have faith, Mr. Merrick, for I will not ask you to put your lives on the line for me without a means for victory."

Taylor then drew her laspistol and aimed it at a nearby dumpster. She fired, and a flash of red light shot out of her gun, almost too fast for anyone to see. Trailing the bolt of energy, they saw that the laser beam had punctured the steel dumpster with ease, putting a fist sized hole into it, and setting the refuse within on fire.

"God I hope there weren't any animals in there." Danny whispered to himself as he directed the Dockworkers to put out the flames.

Taylor ignored them and said, "This, was only the first of weapons I've created, and far from the strongest. Work for me, and not only will you have a steady job, but I will provide you with Tinkertech arms, armor, and prosthetics that I will maintain, for free." Taylor holstered her laspistol as she let her words sink in.

This time, the men deliberate amongst themselves quietly for a few moments, before Merrick spoke up once more. "You'll give all of us this in exchange for killing and dying for you?"

"I'd rather you just stood there and looked menacing to scare away threats, but if necessary yes." Taylor saw no point in lying to them about the danger she was putting them in.

"Well you sure don't sugar coat it." Merrick then smirked. "Hell girly, I'm in. Not only are you giving us jobs, but you wanna give us laser guns and robot parts too? Is it December again, because it sounds like it's fucking Christmas."

Taylor smirked. Merrick and Daryl were almost giddy, like 10 year old boys excited to receive new toys. She supposed that's just the way Marines were. The others were less overtly enthusiastic, but the prospect of free TinkerTech cybernetics and a steady job was extremely tempting. While the specifics of the contract would have to be ironed out with her Father later, eventually all five of the men had all verbally agreed to Taylor's terms.

"Very good." Taylor said, satisfied with today's work. "Today is a new day for all of us. Today, you become the first of my… guardians? No... Guardsmen! That flows much better." Taylor then turned to face the abandoned factory they all stood around. "And this, shall be the sacred ground from which we shall do our duty. This shall be my… manufactorum. And here, we take the first steps towards saving Brockton Bay."

A/N, 10/22/21: A new chapter and a new arc! As always thanks to everyone who favs, follows, and reviews. I'm still flabbergasted at how rapidly this story is growing. Anyway, lots of stuff happening here. Taylor's getting a new base and some muscle to protect her. And Danny is being a supportive Father. I know he's a little OOC in comparison to his canon counterpart, but I'd like to think that finding your daughter mutilated in a hospital, then finding out she transformed herself into a cyborg is enough to kick start some character development.

Anyway, with that I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!