Foxtrot 3.2

"Yellow sundress, or the blue and black? Blue and black, should've figured." Lisa added the garment to the pile, which was quickly growing to intimidating levels.

"Lisa, I'm not trying all of those on," I warned again. "I'm still stiff, that's gonna take all afternoon."

"Then you need to stop making me do the work, and pick the ones you actually want," she said primly, flicking through another rack. "You still need clothes for the Loft, and we're not going to leave here without something nice."

I gave up on the argument, and started going back through the stack to pick out a few things. Besides, the blue and black wasnice, it reminded me a bit of my costume. Picking a few things, with a reggae beat in my stride, I made my way to the changing rooms.

Lisa seemed to have settled on a strategy of forcing me out of my shell, and I was trying to let her. It wasn't easy. I didn't dress like this. My costume had been a huge step for me, the flowing fabric shawls and tight suit unfamiliar compared to my usual wear, because Earworm was supposed to be nonthreatening and showy where I was not. Part of me wanted to fight to keep that separation, but…

Don't worry… about a thing! Cause every little thing's… gonna be alright…

Lisa and Alec were right. I'd already crossed lines that couldn't be uncrossed, and punishing myself wasn't going to do anything for the consequences. I had to move forward. My cape identity was that of a villain. My civilian identity had finally started winning against the tide of shit.

Three little birds… pitched by my doorstep…

I stared at the mirror, taking in the peach-colored blouse and skinny jeans I'd decided to model. Trying not to focus on the little things in my appearance that I hated, the too-wide mouth and criminally flat bust, I silently told myself that I deserved this.

Singin' sweet songs... of melodies pure and true...

"I'll keep this one," I decided aloud, peeling it off to don another. The stiffness from this morning wasn't completely gone, but Alec's help had taken it from a straining sensation to something closer to the soreness of a good dance session or run. I knew how to move to deal with that, at least.

Singin', 'This is my message to yo-oo-ou!'

Over the next twenty minutes, I worked my way through ten outfits, forcing myself to show them off for my friend, pushing myself to stop thinking that I hadn't done this kind of thing since Emma. In the end, I decided to keep six tops and four bottoms, plus the blue-black dress. I couldn't fill it out quite to my liking now, but I liked the design and I told myself I could still grow a bit.

Lisa applauded as I emerged for the last time with the outfits in hand, and I felt my face heat up.

"Proud of you," she said more quietly, as she took the items from me. She trotted ahead to the front of the store, leaving me to lay out the rejects and catch up.

"I was going to pay for those," I noted as I joined her at the entrance.

"My treat. You want to get lunch? Mind guiding us to our wayward companion?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling out for familiar chords among the crowds. To my surprise, I found four, Lisa and Alec included.

"I think he's down at the arcade on the second floor," I said, curiously plucking at the others as I made my way to the railing and looked down. A glance confirmed who at least one of the melodies was, as my eyes swept the food court four stories below.

"See something?" Lisa joined me.

"Nothing too important, I hope," I said carefully, as we watched Aegis fly away from a group of fans to alight on the balcony above.

After a moment, she relaxed a little. "Looks like he's just here for a patrol, to reassure people, that sort of thing. Let's go get our loveable idiot before he asks for an autograph, yeah?"

I thought about the possible list of other people who could be familiar enough to notice, and didn't like it. Even if they weren't all Wards, the list of people I could recognize had depressingly few allies.

"Yeah," I agreed, "Let's find him before something unfortunate happens."

We were too late. Something unfortunate was happening.

"You're like, the coolest Ward," Alec was saying, laying the fawning on thick.

Kid Win shuffled awkwardly, forcing a smile. "Just doing my best out there," he said, sounding like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"No, really! You're so awesome! The armor and the hoverboard and everything, you're like the best!"

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead with my palm as I dragged Lisa into a faster trot. Alec saw us rounding the balcony, and his grin widened as other mallgoers began to gather and snap pictures.

Kid Win rubbed the back of his head. "The hoverboard isn't really anything speci-"

"Nah, it's super great," Alec egged on, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "C'mon, here come my friends now! Don't you wanna show off some tricks?"

I was going to kill him.

"Alec, are you giving the junior hero a hard time?" Lisa called out as we drew close. "I'm sorry Mister Kid, he really can be a bit of an annoyance."

I shot Lisa a look of betrayal, and briefly contemplated making them both dive over the railing. Too many witnesses here, I decided.

"No, no, he's fine," the tinker said nervously, turning to Lisa and flushing a bit. "I, um, I was just about to show off my hoverboard, if you want to watch?"

"That's really fine, we should get going," I ventured.

Kid Win was already detaching the device from the back of his armor, and the only attention I earned for my trouble was a few frustrated looks from the onlookers. Alec walked over to join us on the sidelines as the Ward hopped aboard his device and started zipping and swooping in an invisible skatepark, drawing oohs and aahs from the growing crowd.

I couldn't say I was surprised when Alec's hand twitched and Kid Win lost his balance just as he was pulling out of a dive. The board flew out from under him like a pool float rushing to the surface, and his red-and-gold armor left scratches on the tile as he tumbled to the ground and slid to a stop.

He groaned, not in pain but embarrassment, but plastered a grin on his face. "I'm okay!" He told the crowd, elbowing himself off the ground and getting his feet under himself. "That's why I wear armor, eh?"

There was a sound of metal boots on tile behind me, and I belatedly noticed a tall figure in armor was approaching the group. "Kid Win," a deep voice rang out, "care to explain why I had to capture an errant hoverboard just now?"

I turned with the crowd, carefully hiding my growing concern as Armsmaster arrived. Three heroes were in this mall, at least; We'd never fought the Protectorate, so who knew how many of them might be here. Worse, I was realizing as I checked, there was barely even a rhythm coming from the man in front of me. I was having trouble even picking it up when he was right there, to the point it was disorienting; I'd gotten used to feeling people just as much as seeing them, and it made him seem almost illusory in a way.

As the crowd parted and the hero said a few inspiring words, I wondered why he felt so different. He certainly might be human, just… muted, to the point where I doubted I could control him. Maybe the tinfoil hats on PHO were right for once, and he was a cyborg, more machine than man beneath the armor? Or was this some kind of remote controlled drone, a neural link feeding his actions to it while he stayed back at the Rig?

Lisa opened her mouth to call out something to the two tinkers, and I made her jaw twitch to make my displeasure known.

"We're leaving," I muttered as she shot me a pout, reaching forward to tap Alec on the shoulder and gesturing towards the escalator.

"Good idea!" Alec muttered excitedly as he looked where I was pointing, pulling free of my hand and skirting around me. I belatedly realized what else was in that direction.

"Oh my god, you're Aegis!" Alec cried loudly. "You're like, the coolest Ward!"

I felt Kid Win slump a little behind us, and sighed. So much for not drawing attention.

Dad got home late that night.

"Hey," I called from the kitchen as he opened the door.

"Sorry I'm late," he called, squelching towards the stairs. "Got caught in the storms, roads were a nightmare. I'm gonna go change, but something smells great!"

"Thanks!" I called, stirring the pot on the stove and sitting down to rest again.

A few minutes later, he finished up and came downstairs, bringing a folder down with him. "Oh, wow," he said, seeing the kitchen. "Clams? Where'd you get fresh clams?"

"I wanted to get out of the house, and I was finally back on my feet," I explained, carefully stepping around the parts that would make him worry. "I got Lisa and Alec to drive me around, and we picked up some seafood at the fish market on the way back."

He eyed the pile of shells in the strainer basket. "You didn't stress your injuries shucking all those, I hope?"

"I'm fine, Dad," I said, though my stiff hands disagreed. "I wanted the work. Can't stand sitting still this long." I smirked, trying to inject some levity. "I'm almost out of books, too!"

"Can't have that," he said, smiling.

"Come give the chowder a taste, tell me what I'm missing?" I waved in its direction. "I followed Grandpa's recipe card, but it feels like it's not quite like I remember."

He set down the folder and obliged me, taking a sip and humming before browsing the spice cabinet. "Take a look at those documents while I do this, would you? Updates from Mrs. Dallon and the police."

I turned the packet my way and flipped it open, glossing over the legalese as he added this and that to the pot.

"This looks… I mean, this is great," I said, as he slid a steaming bowl of creamy stew onto the table by the growing array of papers. "They're moving quick, huh? Wonder why, any ideas?"

"Yes, actually. Near the back, it mentions that the PRT got involved somehow," he said, oblivious of the ice that flooded my veins at the words. "No solid details on why, but it seems the investigation found some kind of parahuman involvement, and you know how the cops are about handing off cases to them."

There was music playing, as always. Focus on that. Breathe, don't react. Breathe.

I forced myself to nod, feigned a look of mild interest. "Well, at least they're working fast."

The heroes at the mall were just there to socialize, I told myself. Coincidences happen. There were no vans full of troopers in my range, no heroes in costume. It was raining, so anyone on the streets would stand out especially well, but if there was a trap set, it was a very subtle one.

Maybe they weren't onto me? Brockton Bay did have a really high parahuman ratio, I wouldn't have been all that surprised to hear there was at least one more at Winslow. Less likely for that one to be involved in the case, but… I'd talk to Lisa about it, after I ate dinner. Getting up suddenly to call a friend would draw too much attention, after the work I'd put into the food.

Dad seemed to pick up on something of my mood, despite my efforts. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," he said, reaching past me to gather up the files. "Mrs. Dallon knows her way around the PRT, she has to with her line of work. Nobody's gonna shove this under the rug."

"Y-Yeah, I- um, I know," I said, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "Just wondering if one of my teachers was a villain or something, that's all. Maybe Gladly's actually Uber- um, nevermind."

-suffocating, the membrane pulling tight against skin, muffled sounds of my teammates trying to cut Bakuda free. Uber was dead, just another victim of my actions. A more deserving one than most, maybe, but one I regretted on principle.

"Best not to speculate," Dad said, sitting down at last and sipping the soup. "Goodness, this is delicious Taylor! C'mon, forget about the legal stuff, tell me about your day."

I forced a thin smile, pulling over my bowl. "Alright," I said, and told him happy lies built on foundations of the truth. The court case could wait, heroes could wait, Heartbreaker could wait. For just a few minutes, I was the daughter my dad still thought I was. I hoped it'd be enough.