"Dad," Taylor said, her voice carefully controlled, "could you bring us something to snack on, some drinks?"

Dad took a moment to answer, too busy looking at her, as if asking: Is this really okay? But in the end, he decided to go along with it. As soon as Danny left the room, Loki—

"Taylor, or should I call you Loki?"

Lunged at Sophia, grabbing the knife on the table and brandishing it towards her eye.

Sophia caught her wrist, squeezing it, stopping her just inches from the eye. She had been close to succeeding, fast enough to kill her with a single blow. It had been too close.

That wasn't what was supposed to happen. With great willpower, Loki pulled back and left the knife on the table. She shouldn't have done that. Shit! Fucking shit!

"I see you're happy to see me," Sophia said, seeming distracted, thoughtful.

"What do you want?"

"Me? Nothing special. We're teammates. Sooner or later we'll be risking our lives, side by side. Do I need a special reason to visit you?"

"If you keep acting like that, there won't be such a future. You'll get the boot before it can happen."

Sophia's smile widened. It was a bit unsettling, not being sure for the first time what was going through that sick little head of hers.

"You're not so different, after all," that monster finally said. "I thought you had become a different person, as if by magic. Which has been bothering me, because that's impossible. People don't change. But now I see I was mistaken."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You're still the same scared little mouse, Hebert, deep down. You've just gotten good at hiding it."

"Like you? Because you can't tell me you aren't deeply insecure behind all that childish predator-and-prey bullshit."

"On the contrary, I don't hide. I'm more honest than most. And am I wrong? You were prey. And as soon as you tasted a little power, you immediately showed me your claws."

"If you hadn't made screwing me over your life's mission, for no particular reason, I wouldn't have any reason to get back at you."

Taylor spoke freely. She had made sure Sophia wasn't wearing a wire, that it wasn't that kind of ploy. It would be ironic if that had worked on her, considering she had thought more than once about doing something like that to the trio. She had discarded the idea in the end, knowing the recordings wouldn't count. But she had thought about it. That was the point.

"There was no reason, of course," Sophia said. "I was simply amusing myself with the easiest target. Don't look at me as if you're better than me in any way. As if you understand anything."

Danny (by the way, she'd started to suspect why he was taking so long, wondering if maybe he was listening behind the door) entered the living room then with Cokes and some snacks: nuts, a bag of sweets. He left everything on the table that separated them.

"Well, I won't bother you anymore. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

"Thank you, Mr. Hebert," Sophia said, playing the good little girl.

Taylor gritted her teeth.

"You're welcome, don't mention it. I'm glad my daughter has visitors."

He still looked at Sophia with some caution, but in the end, he simply left. If he knew that Sophia was not only a coworker but one of the three girls who had tormented her, who had almost put her in the hospital, then perhaps he would have lost his temper, perhaps he would have gone after her.

He might seem like a gentle, meek man. Well, generally he was. She had rarely seen him lose his patience, but she had no desire to see it happen again. And neither did Danny. She knew how hard he tried to control himself, the constant effort to be better. He didn't need to know any more. She would handle this on her own.

Once Dad had left and she made sure he wasn't listening, just in case, Loki turned back to Sophia.

"You said it yourself," she continued after a moment, her voice monotone, dead, emotionless. After all, her emotions were extremely repressed. "I have good reasons to screw you over. You, on the other hand, don't. It was just a whim."

"Of course. I did it because I could and nothing more. But don't tell me you're doing this just to defend yourself. What you're doing isn't on the level of high school pranks."

Pranks. Pranks. How dare she?

"What you're trying to do is ruin my life, my job, my reputation. What did you think would happen? That I'd just sit back with my arms crossed?" Sophia stood up. "It's true. Everything we did to you, what led to you getting those powers, was nothing more than a whim. But now it's personal. That should scare you."

Sophia walked towards her. As she passed, she put a hand on her shoulder.

"The next time I put someone in a locker, it'll be your dear daddy, and he'll only come out of there in a bag. So sit down. Don't make me show you what it means when I take things personally."

She walked on. Towards the door, towards the outside, towards the evening sunlight.

"Sophia."

"What is it, Hebert?"

"Do you really think I was serious before, and that this is the worst I can do? You're the one who needs to prepare. I'm not a loser anymore."

Taylor smiled. She manifested several clones, filling the hallway in an instant.

"Loki has many faces." She dissolved the clones into green smoke. "And always wins."

—

This was personal now. Taylor couldn't just sit back and wait for Sophia to self-destruct, risking her father being hurt as revenge. She needed to speed up the process somehow—in a way that was safe, one that wouldn't expose her either.

Did she really believe Sophia would dare try to kill her father? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe not now, but if pushed to a breaking point, it wouldn't surprise her. Sophia was a vile, wretched bitch. There were few things Taylor didn't think she was capable of, given enough motivation. Doesn't that apply to everyone? Loki mused.

Loki shook her head. Maybe, but Sophia was especially repulsive. What could she do to end this before Shadow Stalker had time to do something stupid? She wasn't sure, but she could fix it. First, she needed information.

Loki thought of Amy, of the curiosity gnawing at her, and her eyes widened.

"Wait… What if it was a trap?" she murmured, barely audible. A test, maybe. The idea that someone so stupid could have fooled her—just the thought turned her stomach. But it was worth considering, wasn't it? He'd gone from hunting her, distrusting her, to vaguely asking for her help with Amy.

Maybe Panacea was perfectly fine, and all Dean had wanted was for her to leave a trail—something to confirm she wasn't who she claimed to be, that her intentions weren't good. Impossible… Right? Could he have actually planned that? If so, she'd been stupid, underestimating him.

Loki clicked her tongue. No, she wasn't stupid. Not at all. She was far from stupid. It was just a slip-up, overlooking someone so irrelevant to her glorious purpose. Everyone made mistakes—even her.

Taylor crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hands. Lost in thought, she sat on her bed, secluded in her room. Her temples throbbed painfully. She didn't want to do anything, didn't feel like talking to anyone, didn't even want to think about anything else. She couldn't just stop thinking, like flipping a switch. Goodbye, thoughts. If only it were that easy. Taylor squeezed her eyes shut.

Frustrated, but she had to think carefully—because in these coming weeks or days, this plan would define the course of her life. Everything had to go right. And it would go right. She'd make sure of it, just like she had so far.

Information. That was the key. She'd have to pay Sophia a visit when she got the chance—just not in a way that would let herself be seen.

Taylor was used to being an unwanted guest.

—

Sophia came home. Hah! What a ridiculous word. It didn't feel anything like home to her, never had. It was like another world—always had been—and nothing that had happened since had changed that.

Either way, she had too much on her mind. She dragged her hands down her face, took a deep breath. Frustrated, she wanted to scream, wanted to smash things, but she knew how useless and childish that would be. She lowered her hands, staring at herself in her bedroom mirror. She looked like shit. No surprise there. Taylor wouldn't believe it, but she'd actually gone there willing to apologize. She'd probably think Sophia was too proud for that, but pride wasn't her problem. She knew her place in the world, and everyone else's. She knew when to bow her head to keep moving forward.

And she couldn't do anything to Taylor. She couldn't prove her own innocence or expose the lies. She couldn't even get rid of her without getting caught. So, she was stuck. In that sense, apologizing wasn't a big sacrifice—it was the only realistic thing she could do. Try to placate her, end this before things spiraled out of control.

"But she had to try stabbing me. Actually stabbing me." Sophia clenched her fists. After that, she hadn't been able to hold back. She'd said things she hadn't meant—empty threats—not for lack of desire, but because acting on them would have been reckless.

Obviously, Taylor wouldn't back down. Even if everything had gone perfectly, she doubted she could've won her over. Still, it had been worth a shot.

"At least I'm not the only one who left with a kick in the teeth." She grinned, sharp and nasty. "Bet I left that bitch unsettled."

Things weren't looking good, but there was still hope. She was sick of being the prey. Soon—she didn't know how—but soon, she'd be the predator. Permanently. She'd make sure of it.

Sophia heard the front door open and grimaced. Only one person would be home this late. She tried to hurry upstairs, but she wasn't fast enough. She'd spent too much time wallowing in self-pity in the living room instead of just going to her damn room. Too late now.

Because suddenly, someone had her by the wrist—gripping hard.

Who else? Her mother, Lucy.

"Are you about to lose your job, Sophia?"

"No."

"I work myself to the bone for you, for your siblings. I don't get a second of rest, and you… You can't even—"

"They're not firing me," Sophia repeated. "I've told you a million times, but you never believe me, Mom. I mean—"

Lucy slapped her before she could finish. Sophia's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't unheard of, but it didn't happen often enough for her not to be stunned every time.

"Enough of your backtalk. You don't even let me finish. I do everything for you, for your baby sister, for your older brother—the one you should try to be more like. And all you give me in return is more work, more headaches. You can't behave at home or outside it. What did I ever do to you, Sophia? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Nothing. Can I go to my room?"

"Oh, wow. Asking for permission now. How new coming from you. Fine, go. Get out of my sight."

Sophia took a step forward, heading upstairs to her room. She couldn't ignore how drunk her mother was. Maybe she'd regret this tomorrow. Maybe not. Sophia wouldn't be surprised either way. But for now, she was left alone, allowed to retreat to bed without another word. Well…

"She's going to be the death of me. That ungrateful brat's going to kill me one of these days."

Almost none. Sophia collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. It was too hot for covers, and even without them, she knew she wouldn't be comfortable—no position, no amount of clothing would help. Wasn't worth trying.

She fought to keep her composure. She was used to this. No need to overreact. She'd get through it like she always did. Just needed time, a clear head. So she'd try to sleep, even if just a little. Couldn't even think straight when she was this exhausted.

—

Lucy had collapsed on the couch and was now dead to the world. The hangover she'd have when she woke up would be legendary. Maybe she didn't drink often, but when she did, she went hard.

Something told Loki this was even worse than usual. No way to prove it, but whatever. She'd be out cold long enough for her to do what she needed.

Loki shifted, taking Lucy's form—a perfect copy, head to toe.

Now, Sophia would learn what real vengeance felt like. What happened when Loki took things personally.