Just a Phase [Worm]

[KingCrimson1081]

Taylor shrugged, "It's good exercise, and even my Youth Guard rep is worried about my lack of friends. So now I have my new running buddy, Lisa."

Lisa sighed, "And when they ask my last name for a background check?"

Taylor shrugged, her voice going as dry as the Sahara. "Given my last friend had a PRT background check and the shit she pulled that they missed? I don't really trust them to find threats to my person."

Click to shrink...

PRT Background Check:

Lily: "Guys we have a big problem with Phase."

Weld: "What did she do this time?"

Lily: "Well I was concerned about all her 'late night runs' so I followed her out yesterday, and what I saw might disturb you."

Weld: "Saw what is she in danger? Is she doing something illegal?"

Lily: "Worse, I saw her with a friend that isn't one of the Wards."

Weld: "What?"

Lily: "I know I was just as confused as you are they had a whole meet cute and everything!"

Weld: "Lily I don't think this is as bad as you are making it out to be."

Lily: "Don't you get it Weld! I have been trying to get Taylor to open up to me for over a month with no success then some blond bimbo comes along and steals her from me in less than a day, unacceptable!"

Weld: "I feel like there is more to this than Taylor just having a friend, but against my better judgement I am going to stay."

Lily: "It was supposed to be sweet you know first I would start as her only friend in the Wards slowly cracking the baby lesbian out of her shell, and then we would become more than that once she realized her feelings. I had a flow chart and everything!"

Lily pulls out an exceedingly long and detailed flow chart titled 'Seducing Befriending Phase.'

Weld: "My instincts were right this was a mistake and I am leaving now."

Lily: "Weld! Weld! Come back here this is serious!"

 

[FirstSelector]

Omake: A Fate Unlearned

In retrospect, I should have known it was a trap.

I had to give some credit to the PRT — I did actually have a second cousin named Katharine who lived in the area, and I had considered going to see her and her family more than once in my loneliness. However, I had not wanted to try to describe the sequence of events that had landed me in Boston (or why we hadn't called in so long) for fear of making even more problems for myself.

The last time I had seen Katharine had been Mom's funeral, of course, but she was only a year older than me and it had been nice to have another shoulder to cry on. There hadn't been much time to bond further than that, though she had stuck with me during the whirlwind of other family members coming to give their condolences.

I heaved a breath — now was really not the time to be worrying about Katharine. I sincerely doubted she had anything to do with my current predicament.

At the front of the streetcar-subway-thing, the obvious PRT plant glanced back at the sound. He had seemed apologetic, for what little that was worth, but I was still stuck here on the MTA until I could suddenly magic a nickel out of thin air.

A nickel. That was all that stood between me and freedom.

If I was being honest with myself, I had let my guard down. Discovering that my cousin lived in Roxbury — just a short ride away — had seemed innocent enough, especially how much I used the public in Boston transportation to escape the PRT's clutches during the weekends. Hop on the Green Line, hop off a few stops later… it had seemed simple at the time.

I still might have avoided the trap if I had realized that the driver of this particular train was much bigger than the typical MTA operators. Even sitting down, PRT troopers had an air of alertness that was probably necessary to survive in their jobs. I remember thinking that the driver seemed strange, but I had put it out of my mind in lieu of thinking about what I would say to Katharine.

What had really given it away was his voice. When I had gone to leave, he had informed me in no uncertain terms that due to unusually large passenger traffic, the MTA was instituting an exit fee of a nickel. It had not been the 'follow this rule but I won't stop you if you are threatening me' that was necessary to not get shanked for normal drivers, but the cold, clipped tones of someone who expected their order to be obeyed.

As it turned out, that was actually a rule on the books. The price obviously hadn't been updated from the seventies when the law was initially implemented (it had been unpopular at the time, too), but nonetheless I was barred from exiting the subway for lack of a nickel.

The most galling part was that I was sure I could leave whenever I wanted. The PRT was obviously hoping I would crack under the pressure and the absurdity of five measly cents, after which I was sure they could cook up some even more absurd reason why they should take what few rights I had left. Becoming a probationary Ward over something so stupid would be just my luck, and I refused to give them the satisfaction.

So here I was, riding the MTA around in circles instead of seeing my family.

My phone buzzing was actually a welcome distraction from watching the same buildings and stations come and go again. Lily had been uncharacteristically angry when I had texted her about my predicament, specifically the fact that I hadn't eaten since breakfast due to being stuck on this damn train. She promised to handle everything for me, and while I was usually loathe to trust the PRT or its minions, the hunger really was starting to get to me.

Thus, as we pulled into the Government Center station, I followed her instructions and discreetly rolled down the window. Escaping myself was out of the question, but Lily was going to bring me something and this was the easiest way for her to help without getting involved.

"Taylor!" she called from the edge of the station as we rolled in. "Here, take this!" She brandished a bag at me, and I was barely able to hook it out of her hand as we rumbled through.

Inside the bag was a sandwich.

The PRT agent driving the train didn't offer any complaint as I unpacked the food and ate it with as much grace as I could manage. It was a good sandwich, and while part of me wanted to find Lily and ask her for the recipe for the sauce, the rest of my mind was consumed by a different question:

Why hadn't she brought me a nickel?

 

[Mr.unlucky]

(this was rush feel free to used it for a one-shot)

Omake: Sacrifice

'why did it come to this' Lily thought looking through a one-way window. Taylor sitting in the interrogation room across the table she is sitting in Armstrong pleading with her to cooperate.


about two months ago Rebecca Costa-Brown herself send an agent of hers to force Taylor to get with the ward program it started with a disciplined exercise, then she was forced to see some videos of victims of Slaughterhouse 9. they hope it would promote empathy but it seems to do the opposite.

Armstrong was against all this saying this will push Taylor to be a villain but had no choice but to let the agent do what he want's. the Youth Gard was blackmailed and bribe to not get involved with Taylor. after a month of this, seeing no sign of changing her mind the agent decides the best way to force cooperation is to put her in isolation.

trap in her room with nothing but a bed and toilet. giving a tray of food three times a day. everyone in the base fully expects her to use her power and leave some wouldn't blame her but the strange thing is she didn't. she was told "When you are ready to be a real hero just knock on the door" Days go by everyone on edge not knowing what when she will run. after a week with no response, the agent opens her door with a smirk believing she would comply after being isolated for so long. he was shocked when Taylor told him to "Fuck off" and went to bed completely ignoring the agent.

every week he would come, and Taylor would say the same thing every time after a month of this the agent decide it would be best to send her to a special camp for troublesome kid cape's Armstrong asks to give him a chance to change Taylor's mind before they send her away. which wasn't working as Taylor is not responding to Armstrong pleading or what will happen to her once she is send to the camp.

"Taylor it's a Bootcamp You won't have any privacy or any sort of freedom. I can't stop them, not unless you at the very least do the Power Testing" Taylor stared at him with a blank face before responding "I want to talk to Lily" Confused by her statement Armstrong agreed hoping Lily will convince her.

entering the room, Lily worried for Taylor and wondered why she was asked to come hare. "tell me Lily do you know how I trigger?" shocked by her question she shake her head no. smiling back Taylor replay " i was shoved in my locker that was full of biowaste from the girl's bathroom. I was stuck there for hours." Lily was horrified by this before she could say anything taylor continue.
"as you can guess i wanted out. i would hit my locker door over and over again begging to be let out. i was getting desperate, i scream 'i'll do anything please let me out'." Taylor's face was full of despair A tear fell from her eye "I never before regret more than uttering those words." both Armstrong and Lily were confused by that statement before she continues.

"my power is not intangible. it's sacrifice. i was unable to control it at the time and my memories of my Mother were gone. I don't remember her face. her name, her personality, her entire exiting was gone. the only thing i remember of her is that ward of yours taught me how she's dead."

shock and horrified by this revolution Lilly didn't know what to do. "with that sacrifice not only i can't be touched, im a blindspot for all thinkers. I wonder what sort of power would i get when i sacrifice everything you hero's done to me for the past two months?"
Taylor's eyes started to glow blue "Let's find out shall we?"

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Random idea, how to get through the PRT's self image about how much Taylor distrusts and despises them.


Are We the Baddies?

Kamil held out a cup of coffee for Gauss. Endbringer fights were always bad, even if you were lucky and didn't lose people like this time. Still something got the head of his Protectorate team to immediately meet him after getting back, rather than waiting and resting.

Gauss took a long pull from her coffee before launching into the problem. "As we were mustering to leave, I caught Nebula and Roulette trying to talk Phase into joining. Saying independents showed up and they weren't power tested either."

Kamil closed his eyes and cursed, "Right, I'll get Weld in on how to discipline Roulette..."

Gauss kept going, "That is the least of our problems, Kamil." The use of his first name and not Director got Armstrong worried. "It was Hebert's reaction." That worried Armstrong even more. Besides OpSpec, everyone tried to use Phase's cape name, like repeating it would actually make her a willing part of the Boston department.

Gauss closed her eyes, "She laughed at them. And said "so you want an Endbringer to do your dirty work for you?""

Kamil sat up straight in shock, "Phase seriously thinks we'd shove her in front of an Endbringer to get her killed?!" He knew the situation with his reluctant Ward was bad, but not to this extent.

Gauss looked, broken, in a way Kamil had never seen her before. "She described it as a Uriah Gambit. Basically that when she'd need help or support on S&R we'd hang her out to dry and say none was available." Gauss looked at her cup, as if wishing it was something more alcoholic. "In Taylor's words? She thinks we'd find her a more useful and cooperative Ward as a dead martyr than a living conscript. And she isn't ever going to paint that kind of target on her back."

Kamil rubbed his face, "I knew things weren't going well, but I never thought Phase's view of us was this toxic."

Gauss took a sip, "Where did we fail, Kamil? When did we become the bad guys in this?"

Armstrong couldn't give her an answer.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: A Lack of Introductions


For the Protectorate hero Nebula or rather Derek as he is out of costume grumbled to himself as he had to once again jog to catch up with the most difficult Ward in Boston's history.

It seemed like a fine idea in his head, just follow Phase around and catch her in the act of playing vigilante, send those pictures to her Youth Guard friend and Armstrong, and then they can finally do something about her insubordination.

Unfortunately thirty minutes after leaving base Phase had yet to do anything other than jog around Boston. At first Derek thought that she might have noticed him with what the rest of the department assumed was a sensory power so he pulled back out of what the theorized range of that power would be, not that it changed anything.

At this point he was just about to call it quits to try again another time when he turned another corner and spotted Phase hurriedly talking with a police officer. She was macking gestures with her hands when she turned her head and spotted him.

"That's him officer, that's the man who has been following me," she said while pointing directly at Derek.

Derek only had a moment to turn on his heel and start jogging the other way not wanting to deal with this when he felt something strike his back and the tell tale feeling of electricity course through him as he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

His last thoughts before losing consciousness was wondering how he was going to explain this mess to Armstrong and Gauss.

***

"... And completely unacceptable behavior of a Ward," Nebula finished yelling out in the conference room.

He sat at one end of the table alongside Armstrong while Phase and the local Youth Guard rep sat at the other end.

"Phase why exactly did you think it was appropriate to call the police on Nebula," Armstrong asked while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't know it was Nebula," she said simply. "He was out of costume and I thought someone was chasing me, and not wanting to possibly reveal my abilities to someone with potentially criminal intentions I followed the instructions laid out in the Wards handbook and sought a law enforcement officer for aid."

"But before I did that I attempted to lose him or to see if he was actually following me, however he continued to follow me for over thirty minutes of my pre-scheduled run. At which point I thought it prudent to seek aid from the local police department upon which Nebula attempted to flee and was detained," Phase continued as Nebula felt a cold sweat build.

"I see, Nebula your response," Armstrong asked.

"She is lying sir," was all he could say. "She knew it was me and deliberately acted in such a way as to harm the reputation of the PRT and Protectorate."

"That is a serious accusation Nebula what your justifications for accusing Phase on such a manner," the Youth Guard rep asked from across the table a slight smile forming on his lips.

"I have interacted with Phase before out of costume along with Gauss and Bastion not long after her arrival in Boston," he said while feeling a bit of reassurance settle over him, oh Phase has stepped in it this time no way will Armstrong let this slide.

"I do not recall such an event, and even if I did at no point was I briefed on the identities of the aforementioned Protectorate members. If I had been I would have been required to fill out the necessary NDA forms as stated in both Wards and Protectorate handbooks. Which I have done regarding the identities of the other Wards after having such files reviewed by the local Youth Guard as such records of which identities I know and don't know within the organization should be within my file, but don't worry I can wait while you retrieve it."

And with that said Derek felt what hope had returned to him shrivel up and die once more.

"While you do that I find that it would be prudent to ask Nebula as to why he had been following an underage girl through Boston at night," Jim said with a look in his eye like he was a hungry wolf who had just spotted a wounded deer.

Derek gulped as he once more broke into a cold sweat, "Well, you see, ummm..."

---

A.N: Just a short little omake about the Protectorate once again fucking up.

Also FirstSelector so it gets thread marked.

 

[Ashley9469]

Looking out over the Boston Harbor as the black sky gave way to the pinks and reds of morning, Taylor Hebert cradled her cup of hot tea in hand as she watched the great mass of metal serenely float on the water as if it didn't have a care in the world.

Taking a slow sip to distract herself from the emptiness in her heart as memories of the bay made their unwelcome presence known, Taylor focused on the gritty bland taste of cheap peppermint tea instead of old feelings as she tried to figure out where to go from here.

Having walked away from the Boston PRT, and with it her last home, Taylor had walked for hours after she had gotten up around 4 in the morning from her nightmare about the BB Wards and made the decision to leave.

Armed with a backpack of her stuff, and what she pulled off the PRT credit card they gave her, Taylor's meandering path led her to the Harbor until an absolutely MASSIVE amount of pings had descended on her forcing her to either stop to phase through them, or give herself up.

Phasing through a wall into an old building was the better of the two.

Still, while watching Gauss run around the docks looking for her was funny, it didn't exactly help her desire to leave Boston.

FirstSelector

 

[libertinlary]

Snip
FirstSelector

Click to shrink...

Prt report

the ghost of the Appalachian Trail

A few weeks After disappearance of codename phase, it was reported by local authorities, the tale of a ghost by singer description who's seen wandering the trail numerous attempts have been made to capture phase all have been unsuccessful.

( folk song )

Hair of Brown And will of iron,
the ghost does walk the trail
into nights so long and days so bright
she tells the whole of her her tale
from the bay she comes
her home she does regale
of mothers death and fathers wails
the ghost does tell of witches three
there torture she reveals

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: A Confession Too Late


Emma realized that there was something wrong with her as she walked down the sidewalk after getting off the bus. Well that was a bit of a lie, she had realized that there was something deeply wrong with herself after she shoved Taylor into a locker of rotting garbage and thought that was a good time to restart their friendship. But what she was doing now certainly measured up to that, or at least had similar chances of getting her arrested. Especially since she was planning to break into Taylor's house and root around her things while no one was home.

But in her defense she was desperate, Taylor had been gone for nearly two months now and there was no sign of her coming back anytime soon with even the Boston Wards being silent on the matter when asked. So Emma in all her wisdom decided it would be a good idea to commit a bit of breaking and entering to try and find something that would at least give her a starting point to try and mend things with Taylor. After all if the PRT were willing to let her get away with attempted murder then a bit of home invasion wouldn't be noticed, or at least that is how Emma justified it to herself.

Besides it wasn't as if Emma wasn't taking any precautions to keep from getting caught she wasn't stupid despite what she had thought privately to herself for the past few weeks following Taylor's meeting with the Wards. She was wearing one of her sister's old hoodies that she left when she want to college, it was a bit big on her but good enough to obscure her form and any other defining features. To anyone watching she would appear as just some teen skipping school, which she was, not worth a second glance or that was what Emma hoped.

Coming down the painfully familiar street that she had walked down countless times in the past when going to visit Taylor she spotted the old house. It looked almost exactly like she remembered it from when she had last visited over two years ago, sure the paint was noticably more faded and the yard a bit more overgrown but the details were more or less the same. But more importantly there wasn't a car in the driveway it had seemed that she was right about Danny still pulling double shifts at the docks. Her plan would have fallen apart it he had been home but now it seems she has a few hours to complete her objective.

Stepping up the porch steps and nearly face planting on the broken step which had also remained the same since the last time Emma visited.

Picking herself up and making sure that no one had noticed her stumble Emma quickly and quietly searched around until she found the hidden key the Heberts always kept. The key of all things brought up more painful memories for Emma of better times when she was trusted to know where it was for emergencies by Auntie Annette who was no doubt looking down at her with scorn for what she did.

Brushing aside these thoughts Emma unlocked the door and stepped inside relocking the door behind her. What she saw inside was almost exactly the same as what she had seen outside. Everything was exactly the same as it was two years ago just more worm down like the depressive fog that had surrounded Taylor and Danny following Auntie's death had spread to the house itself. In the fact the only thing that had changed was the accumulation of garbage all over the living room and kitchen. There were empty beer bottles and food wrappers on nearly every surface and both the sink and garbage were filled to the point of overflowing, clearly Taylor was the only one in the house that made an effort to keep things clean.

The state of the house wasn't Emma's concern but she couldn't help but blame Danny for if he had been stronger and had actually cared about Taylor this would have never happened and Emma would still have a chance at fixing things.

No that was wrong she was just mad at herself and assigning blame to Danny because she couldn't come to terms with her own actions. Repressing her thoughts further Emma made to Taylor's room something she could do with her eyes closed despite the distance that had formed between them.

Opening the door despite the growing voice of 'this is wrong' playing on repeat in her mind Emma stepped in.

The room was unchanged, but not in the same way as the rest of the house. There were differences less pictures for one particularly any that had her in them and a new bed for another. Instead it had been left in the same condition probably since Taylor left, her bed was unmade and a thin layer of dust was forming on everything.

Emma felt dirty like she was stepping into a place she was not welcome, it was almost enough to make her turn back but she had come too far and to turn back now was to make this all for nothing. So with that Emma got to work searching going through the drawers and looking around what Taylor had left behind when she went to Boston.

It was when she was rooting through Taylor's closet she found it. Burried all the way in the corner was a box, Emma took it out and looked at it. There wasn't anything special about it but it was the only thing in Taylor's room that she had put any effort into hiding so it was her best hope.

It wasn't locked so all Emma had to do was open the latch and look inside. Within the box there were several items a notebook that had been completely filled, two matching handmade bracelets that made Emma sad to look at, pictures that had been deliberately turned upside down which after a quick inspection revealed they all had her in them, and at the very bottom was a piece of paper that had been folded until it was just a little square.

Looking at the contents of the box Emma realized that thisbwas ironically what she had been hoping for. Everything that Taylor thought of her was in this box, if any place had the clues to fixing things with Taylor it was here.

Taking the journal out first Emma flipped through it before putting it back down unable to read anymore. It was a diary containing everything she had ever done to Taylor described in agonizing detail. Emma took some shaky breaths to calm herself down this whole endeavor was looking more and more like a mistake, but it was too late to back out.

Next was the pictures each one had her and Taylor in them, or occasionally their parents or Anne. Emma knew them well she had the copies back in her room tucked away after Sophia had commented on them, a decision like most other choices regarding Taylor she had come to regret. Finding nothing that could help her in the pictures she put them back in the box this time face up.

The bracelets came out and quickly put back in Emma already knew what they were, at camp Taylor had made them friendship bracelets which had been the first thing she had mocked about her for being childish and stupid. If Emma could she would have gone back to that moment to throttle her younger self for being so stupid but it was too late to go back now despite how much she wanted to.

Finally, there was the paper it was old partially torn, written on a sheet of notebook paper, and folded repeatedly that Emma was afraid it would fall apart if she tried to unfold it. Taking it out gingerly she slowly unfolded it until it was back to full size and what she saw made her heart skip a beat...

Dear Emma Hey Emma Emma, I wanted to say this to you personally when I saw you once I got back, but well I but you weren't in the mood I guess and that's fine. I have been thinking about you us a lot recently and at camp I think I finally realized why. I don't know what you have been going through recently and I don't care I will be there for you, after all you were there for me when I needed you. I know you made it very clear that you don't want to see me anymore, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you. It doesn't matter if you hate me or don't want to see me again after this but I owe it to you, you were there for me when I needed you most and it wouldn't be right for me not to do the same. Emma Emma Emma Emma I love you, not as friends or as sisters but I love you, I everything about you and I think I always have. I know you probably don't feel the same but that is okay I can live with that just so long as I know you are happy that would be enough for me, even if that happiness means I won't be there for it.​

Love, Taylor.​

Emma blinked tears from her eyes as she choked back a sob once she finished reading Taylor confession. It hurt, it hurt more than seeing the look on Taylor's face when she walked into the Wards room and saw, it hurt more than all the times she looked back at what she did to Taylor and hated herself for it. Taylor loved her, and she had taken that love and used it to hurt Taylor in everyway imaginable until Taylor couldn't stand the sight of her. She had come here thinking there was a way to fix what she had broke but now she knew, in her stupidity and bullheadedness she had destroyed the last shreads of hope that she had there was no fixing this nothing she could do that could make this right.

So there she sat sobbing holding the letter because she didn't know what else to do.​

---

A.N: This was actually inspired by the recent chapter of the completely unrelated fic Sisterly "Love" where Taylor admits that she was in love with Emma at one point. So I thought that sounds like a great idea to hurt Just a Phase Emma so this was born. It is mostly just build up to the end there, and I don't think I did the love letter quite enough justice but it still works.

Anyways let me know what you think.

Also FirstSelector

 

[Ashley9469]

I've got another one here for you FirstSelector

Rubbing the bridge of her nose as the poisonous words flew around her, Taylor Hebert let out a sigh as she waited for Director Piggot to finish her pitch to her Father Daniel.

"The Boston Wards program would love to have her, and its only an hour away. Even with the distence, you will retain full guardianship over Phase." The Director finished as she pushed a pile of papers towards Daniel.

"What do you think Little Owl?" He asked looking at her.

Looking back, Taylor saw only defeat in his eyes. As if all the fight was gone leaving a robot behind.

"I think... that I...." She slowly said trying to gather the words.

Biting her lip, Taylor took a moment to clear her head and think.

"I think, that I have been listening to a lot of talking that has refrained from touching on the core subject of this meeting." She finished after a moment.

Looking Director Piggot in the eyes as she sat back shoulder squared and spine stright, Taylor asked the question that she knew would determine everything.

"Director Emily Piggot, Deputy Director Rennick, Armsaster and Miss Militia." She began enunciation clearly.

"You have been supplied with information supporting my accusations towards Sophia Hess/Shadow Stalker, Emma Barnes/Ampere and their minion Madison Clements of a sustained bullying campaign assisted by members of the PRT, Police, and Brockton Bay Public School District"

"Having been supplied with firm evidence of said actions, do you have any intention of arresting Shadow Stalker, Ampere, and their minion for their crimes against me, and charging them for said crimes without any form of suspension or plea deal?"

Closing her mouth, Taylor waited patiently for the words that would decide the next chapter of her life.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Failed to Send


Ampere: Taylor did you get my message the other day? I know what I did was wrong and I can't express how sorry I am. Please call me back.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: Hey Taylor I know you don't want to hear from me and I get that but your dad has been worried about you came to my house about it too. I know I fucked up but please don't let that ruin things with your dad.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: What's up Tay! Saw you on PHO and I wanted to congratulate you on your first cape fight. I remember my first I almost pissed myself but don't tell anyone that . Anyways how are things in Boston I noticed they haven't said anything about new Ward over there I hope everything is okay, please call me.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: Taylor my girl how are things? Me I've been better the other Wards are still upset cus of the Youth Guard . Maybe you can lay off a bit? I know it sucks that Piggot won't do anything about what me and Sophia did but please don't take it out on the rest of the Wards. I have been doing what I can but the others aren't really happy with what you have been doing in Boston.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: So things have been busy in Brockton recently if you haven't heard. We got a new gang the Undersiders or something they have been going around hitting the other gangs and running away and they are pretty good at it. Sophia doesn't like them cus their leader Grue's power messes with hers and they keep escaping due to their Tinker. But don't worry there is a plan to deal with the Undersiders we just need to work out a few more details with the rest of the Wards. I'll keep you updated on how that goes .

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: I messed up but what else is new. We were so close but then everything went wrong so fast and it is all my fault. I talked them into it it was my idea from the start now Chris and Dean are. Sorry I shouldn't be bothering you with this.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: Taylor.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: Please.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

Ampere: Please pick up.

Your message could not be delivered due to access control restrictions.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hey Taylor! Know you haven't heard from me in a while but things got very busy in Brockton for awhile there. But things are good now better than good great even. Got a new phone in case you were wondering though this one isn't have the Wards apps but my new friend Riley was able to get me access she is so smart just like you and she is excited to meet you. Ditched the Wards it was painful letting go but the Protectorate was just holding me back you know, keeping me from you and all that. They ment well but they just didn't get us we are sisters and it was a mistake to ever stay apart from each other. Anyways me and my new friends are coming to visit you in Boston isn't that exciting! We are an hour or so out and I know that is short notice but everyone wants it to be surprise you know and who doesn't like surprises. Can't wait for you to meet everyone I am sure you will get along much better with them than the Wards I promise you that, and guess what Riley even promised that she will make sure we will never be apart ever again isn't that exciting!

---

A.N: Whelp it's almost Halloween so I thought that this was appropriate. Tried to use regular texting format and swapped to an unhinged rant for the last message there hopefully it came out alright. Anyways let me know what you all think and happy Halloween.

Also FirstSelector got a new omake.

 

[WindCall12]

Well that escalated from sad to terrifying rather quickly.

Click to shrink...

Tay: Wait so I get paid loads of money if I kill you?

Emma: Yup

Tay: Sweet! Business AND pleasure.

Later

Tay drops the severed heads of Jack, Bonesaw and Emma on Armstrongs table.

Tay: SO when do I get my money?

Armstrong: They go into your trust and you will get it when you turn 18

Tay: FUCK!

Armstrong: Language.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Spoiler

[/]

Click to shrink...

*With the guards outside Armstrong's office*

Guard 1: Aren't we supposed to stop this.

Guard 2: The man attempted to deny payment to the girl who killed three members of the Slaughter House 9, two of which were Jack Slash AND Bonesaw, so I say let him have it.

Taylor *Inside the office*: Where's my money man!

*Things breaking*

Guard 1: Are you sure? Things are sounding rather nasty in there.

Guard 2: Give it another two maybe three minutes if it hasn't stopped then we'll help him.

 

[Ack]

Frankly I'm surprised he didn't say that as a member of the Wards, they are not entitled to collect bounties because apprehending criminals is part of their duties as Wards.
https://www.aele.org/law/2011-04MLJ201.html

Click to shrink...

Taylor: "So ... let me get this straight. I can't claim this money as a member of the Wards, but I can if I'm not? Is that really the position you want to take?"

Armstrong: (starting to get the idea that maybe he shouldn't have said that) "That's, uh ... a fairly biased view of the matter."

Taylor: "Well, do I get my money?"

Armstrong: "... trust fund."

Taylor: "Fine. I quit."

Armstrong: "You are aware of the penalties--"

Taylor: "I just quit the damn Wards. Give me my money."

Armstrong: "You will get your money, but--"

Taylor: "As I understand things, Jack Slash and Bonesaw alone add up to about thirty million dollars. That's quite a legal defense fund. So, how attached are you to being a Director here? Because with the thirty million that villains can claim without a hitch, but which you just forced me to break the law to legally claim, I can truly fuck up your career until the end of time."

(Door opens and a reporter enters, with a camera crew) "Is that true? Did you just force a Ward to break the law?"

Armstrong: Well, fuck.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Twelve Days of Malicious Compliance


On the first day of joining
My department did receive
A very angry teen

On the second day of joining
My department did receive
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the third day of joining
My department did receive
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the fourth day of joining
My department did receive
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the fifth day of joining
My department did receive
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the sixth day of joining
My department did receive
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the seventh day of joining
My department did receive
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the eighth day of joining
My department did receive
Eight Youth Guard a-braying
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking auidts
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the ninth day of joining
My department did receive
Nine Thinkers screaming
Eight Youth Guard a-braying
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the tenth day of joining
My department did receive
Ten secret outings
Nine Thinkers screaming
Eight Youth Guard a-braying
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the eleventh day of joining
My department did receive
Eleven PR failures
Ten secret outings
Nine Thinkers screaming
Eight Youth Guard a-braying
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

On the twelfth day of joining
My department did receive
Twelve vulpine grins
Eleven PR failures
Ten secret outings
Nine Thinkers screaming
Eight Youth Guard a-braying
Seven Wards a-whining
Six fucking audits
Five written warnings
Four loopholes
Three blocked numbers
Two cover ups
And a very angry teen

---

A.N: I did a thing and merry early Christmas to you all.

Also FirstSelector

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: A Roundabout Way


Taylor was spending time participating in her newest hobby since being drafted into the Wards. No not running around being vigilante out of spite, but instead the far more dangerous one in the PRT's opinion deciphering the byzantine ordinance of the Wards charter. And tonight well tonight Taylor may have just found the answer to all her troubles as she reread the passage she had just stumbled across.

Taking out her pen Taylor circled the brief paragraph and took a picture on her phone which she then promptly sent to Jim along with a request for a meeting tomorrow. Hopefully if she was right then Jim would help her with the next step of what to do.

Bookmarking the page and closing the book Taylor smiled as she went to sleep feeling hopeful for the first time since getting out of the hospital.

***Two Days Later***

Kamil Armstrong walked into the PRT office steaming cup off coffee in hand feeling relatively good about his week so far. Reports of incidents have been down, Accord was still quiet, Blasto still recovering from his latest endeavor, and the Butcher was still out of town. Overall barring the continued pressure from above about Phase he was looking forward to closing out his week on a high note.

Speaking of Phase there she was waiting outside his office next to the local Youth Guard representative. If the smile on Jim's face was anything to go by Armstrong certainly wasn't going to enjoy whatever legalese the two of them have dug up this time. He is still getting complaints from Piggot about their last report about her department.

Sighing to himself Kamil decided to get whatever this latest issue was done with. If he was lucky then whatever it was they wanted to discuss wouldn't turn what was a good week into a bad one.

"Ah Phase and Jim what do I owe the pleasure today. But before that please come in." Armstrong said ushering the two of them into his office where the three of them took a seat.

"Thank you Director but as for why we are here well we would like to discuss the department's failure to fulfill their full duties as Phase's legal guardians." Jim said a smug smile spreading across his face.

"Failing to fulfill our duties in what way?" Armstrong asked. "As you can clearly see she has both been cared and provided for to the best of our abilities."

"Yes but we are not arguing about your department's ability to feed or house Ms. Phase but rather the complete and utter neglect of your duties to represent her legally. As per article 15-C in the full and unabridged Ward's rules and regulations all Wards are entitled to full legal support and counsel, and according to amendment 3-B that includes the filing of civil suits against those considered responsible for the Ward's trigger event."

Kamil winced, he was vaguely familiar with the rule but in all his experience it was only ever used when some gang member attempted to sue a Ward for being too rough in their arrest. Never before had he heard of it being used regarding the events of a Ward's trigger event. But it was understandable that most triggers were probably resolved through criminal charges when they could rather than civil suits.

Armstrong wracked his brain for answers about what to do in this situation. Saying no clearly wasn't an option, not only would the Youth Guard jump down his throat for denying a Ward one of their privileges but it would also be the final nail in the coffin for any hope of Phase actually becoming a full Ward. Unfortunately he also couldn't say yes no matter how much Kamil wanted to do so to just be done with the issue.

Fuck it when in doubt talk like a politician.

"There is an issue with what you are suggesting." Armstrong said doing his best to come off as helpful and supportive.

"And what is that?" Jim asked still smiling his smug smile.

"There would be a considerable conflict of interest for the PRT or the Youth Guard to take up this case against another department. And considering the issue with the identities of several Wards being involved transferring it to a third party law firm would also be impossible according to the Youth Guard's own charter. As unfortunate as it may be it seems that my hands are tied here."

"Oh but whoever said anything about suing the ENE? No these charges are against Winslow Highschool who facilitated the environment that caused Phase's trigger event. We have written records of Ms. Phase's complaints, documentation of the school's inaction from their own records regarding the bullying, as well as hospital records from the incident. Therefore my colleagues and I as well as Phase herself consider the school itself to be partially responsible. The fact that they haven't been charged until now is rather baffling in my opinion." Jim finished with a grin.

Forget smug this man is downright gleeful like a dog given a turkey leg all to themself. To make matters worse Armstrong couldn't even fault the man on his logic after having gone over Phase's file himself. The only reason why Winslow hadn't been taken to task on what happened already was most likely due to whatever stooge in Brockton's legal department wanted to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. But unfortunately it seems them distancing themselves from Winslow has left a vulnerability a vulnerability that Phase and the Youth Guard are now exploiting. They couldn't even block the attempt because if they did then they would have to inform the Youth Guard and the judge as to why they are blocking the lawsuit which will bring the whole house of cards Brockton has built crashing down.

Armstrong grimaced. "I understand I will let legal know and I trust you to transfer over any relevant evidence you may have. Now will that be all?"

"Only that none of what is going to happen would have if you had just done your job from the start." Phase said speaking up for the first time in the meeting before getting up and leaving.

"Well she said it better than I could and yes that would be all, and don't worry we will be sending over copies of the evidence very shortly." Jim said before getting up to follow Phase. "Oh and one more thing Director make sure you stress to the legal the department the importance of this case. The Youth Guard has already taken a great interest in it and will be watching it very closely. Now then have a good day."

With that Armstrong was left alone in his office with a lukewarm cup of coffee.

He sighed to himself he better call up Piggot and let her know the shit storm that was about to hit her.

Or he could not do that he thought. After all the lawsuit wasn't against the ENE and technically didn't involve any of its members so their wasn't a reason to inform her of it. Besides she started this mess by tossing the frag grenade that was Phase into his department before slaming the door behind her. Call it vengeance or karma Kamil honestly didn't care at this point. Either way he just hoped that this would finally put an end to the mess with Phase that should not have happened to begin with.

Reaching under his desk Kamil pulled out the bottle he had been saving for whenever the Butcher came back to Boston and poured a healthy amount into his coffee mug before taking swig.

Yep definitly a bad week.

---

A.N: Anyways another omake that is slightly based on the discussion from a few weeks ago about whether or not the PRT is required to represent Taylor legally. Also please note that I have zero knowledge on lawsuits or anything law related so please attribute any inconsistencies to timeline divergences between Earth and Bet. Also don't forget to let me know what you think about the omake in general.

FirstSelector got another omake.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Hype Trainwreck


The ins and out of the PR department wasn't something Director Armstrong usually concerned himself with on a day to day basis. Sure he had to give frequent public speeches whenever something happened in Boston and the occassional interview with the press, but those events could be planned for and handled in advance. Besides maintaining good public relations more often than not fell under the perview of the Protectorate and Wards, and both Weld and Bastion tended to keep a good handle on things baring a few minor slip ups now and then.

Which is why it was a surprise for Armstrong to see O'Hannon the resident head of PR in Boston looking ragged and waiting for him when he came into the office.

"O'Hannon what do I owe the pleasure." Armstrong said while taking a seat at his desk.

"No pleasure I'm afraid just one giant fucking messes is about to explod in our fucking laps if we don't do anything about it." O'Hannon said skipping all formalities if he was swearing like a sailor already.

Armstrong sighed, "What is it this time Bastion say something he shouldn't near a mic or one of the Wards posted something confidential."

"The latter is close but not quite and I am sure you know what I mean by that."

"Let me guess Phase." Armstrong asked already knowing the answer, "What could she have done this time? We already banned video during the tours and the other Wards are running damage control if people start asking questions."

"It's more like what she has already done and continues to do, and I hate to admit it but part of it is because we fucked up in handling it." The PR chief said, "You remember her first tour right and the mess it caused my office."

"How could I forgot we got calls all night asking us if we were really drafting children against their will into the Wards. But I thought your department already handled it so why is it an issue now?" Armstrong asked.

"Because we only thought we handled it instead all we did was turn one problem into a different one. All we did was calm down the reporters but we forgot about the viewers those who saw the video and got interested. I hate to say it but that girl somehow got people hyped to learn more about her." O'Hannon explained.

"Hype? What is that." Armstrong asked confused.

"Anticipation, interest, followers, a catch all term for people eagerly awaiting something new and interesting, and Phase has it and its growing." The head of PR detailed looking increasingly frazzled obviously having had one to many coffees.

"And this is a bad thing because?" Armstrong asked not quite getting what the issue was.

"Well normally it isn't a bad thing, in fact most of the time in my profession it is a good thing. People get interested in the new hero we release a pieces of concept art for their costume, and when they debut they get a nice boost to their popularity to start with. But the issue is with Phase she unknowingly turned this against us, now instead of being interest in a new Ward joining the team they are interested in her situation and why she hates the program." O'Hannon said.

"Well I don't know what you expect me to do about it, I don't control the internet after all much less what people discuss on the forums. And besides we already banned recordings during the tour so there isn't much more we can do besides removing Phase from them entirely."

"Unfortunately banning videos seems to have only made the problem worse in the long run from what my department has seen so far. People caught on to the video of Phase telling the organization off and the ban immediately after and now seem to think we attempted to keep Phase from telling the public things we don't want them to know about the Wards. Which isn't necessarily wrong but sounds far worse when filtered through conspiracy theorists and forums on the internet. As for taking her off tours entirely forget it if we do that now it will only add gas to the fire. We may have stopped them recording but people still talk about what they see during the tours and they haven't missed how everyone walks on eggshells around Phase or that the tour guides keep giving her the evil eye. Removing her now will only convince them that they were right and something is going on, in fact the issue has gotten so bad that my department thinks that the recent increase in ticket sales are due to people wanting to see Phase go off on the other Wards or looking for evidence to report back to the forums. It has gotten so bad we can't even release the regular Wards status updates without the topic inevitably turning back to Phase." O'Hannon finished with a grimace.

"Again I fail to see why this is a major issue the internet will be the internet and we can't change that. Besides the PRT and Protectorate have survived worse hits to our reputation give it a another month and people will simply move to the next topic." Armstrong explained to O'Hannon.

"Normally yes that would be the standard way of doing things, we take the hit and move on and the hype dues down when nothing happens. That is if it wasn't for this." He said taking out his phone and showing Armstrong a video he had seen before while going over after action reports. It was of Taylor's fight in the electronics store, someone had apparently found the video from the security cameras and posted it in a thread about new capes in Boston.

"I'll get over the fact that you didn't let my department know about our most disobedient Ward's new past time leaving us scrambling to make plans incase the worst happens on our own. But this is a major problem if it gets out." O'Hannon continued.

"There is nothing tying Phase to the vigilante Ghost as far as anyone else knows they are separate people." Armstrong said attempting to placate O'Hannon.

"Are you fucking serious?!" He asked, "The 'new vigilante's' power is phasing and our new Ward's current name is Phase. You don't need to be a Thinker to put those pieces together let alone notice that they have the same hair and body type. Once people notice that if they haven't already then they will start questions on why a Ward is acting as a lone vigilante. At which point online conspiracies start getting actual attention and we have to answer some very uncomfortable questions. Or worse they start trying to ask Phase directly and we both know whatever she will say will in no ways make us look good."

"Fine I see what you mean and why it's a problem, unfortunately I have already checked our own rule book and there isn't anything official I can do about her hobby." Armstrong admitted.

"What do you mean there isn't anything you can fucking do? You're the god damn director!" O'Hannon exclaimed.

"Yes and as such there are rules even I have to follow. If I could I would stop Phase from going out there but she has us stuck in a technicality so my hands are tied. We can't do anything about her secondary identity until she gets a permanent one with us, which we can't give her until after she goes through power testing something she has been rather firm on not doing." Armstrong said back almost yelling at the PR chief.

"Fine." O'Hannon said taking a deep breath to calm down, "Then our options become to get her onboard as soon as possible and hope we can turn the hype she gathered in our favor if they see her willingly join, or transfer her to another department and pass the buck like Brockton did."

"Well we still haven't made any progress getting her to join the normal way but we are still working on it. As for transferring her not a chance, and before you say anything it isn't my choice. While we do have custody of her we still have to pass certain things through to her father and he has refused any transfers further out. Besides I don't want to mimic Piggot's brilliant strategy by dragging a third department into this mess." Armstrong explained.

"Jesus fuck this is a shit show isn't it." O'Hannon asked rubbing his eyes.

"Welcome to my world, it's like a trainwreck that you can see coming in real time but are helpless to stop and all you can do is sit back and watch your imminent demise." Armstrong said while pulling out a bottle he kept for whenever shit hit the fan and poring himself and O'Hannon a drink.

O'Hannon accepted the glass that was offered, "The only other idea I can think of is getting Phase herself to defuse the situation."

Both men shared a look at each other before bursting out laughing.

"God no, just look at what she has done with the Youth Guard imagine if she found out she had a group of people willing to hang from her every word. It would be a disaster for both us and the ENE, well more of a disaster then it already is." Armstrong said.

"It is a shame though." O'Hannon admitted, "If this is what that girl could do unknowingly imagine what she could have done if we got her to play ball. It would have been great I bet."

"Well to lost opportunities then." Armstrong proposed.

"If that's what we are drinking to you are gonna need another bottle." O'Hannon replied.

With that the two men tool a swig of their drinks before having to go back to their other duties, and trying to think of new ways to disarm the increasingly destructive bomb Boston's most frustrating Ward was becoming.

---

A.N: Well here is a new omake just something I wrote to get back into the swing of writing omakes now that my semester is ending and it kinda spiraled from there. So anyways here is an omake about the internet hivemind taking an interest in Taylor, and I might have messed up on Armstrong's characterization at the end there. Anyways as always let me know what you all think.

Also FirstSelector

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

So here is a thought, Weld mentioned during the second interlude that he already has an idea of where to assign Taylor once she joins the team.

So how long until he or the other Wards get the bright idea to start mentioning villainous activity within earshot of Taylor as a means of controling her actions, and if the other Wards just so happen to be in the same area around that time all the better right. Or are they more likely to leave those locations alone until Taylor actually joins the Wards so they can give the new member a popularity boost once she joins. Either way I do full expect the other Wards to start interfering with Taylor's new hobby with or without orders from their higher ups. Maybe as a means of trying to get her to socialize in a more comfortable environment since the Wards base clearly isn't that for he, or as a means to catch her in the act and slap a probationary contract on her.

Still I am interested in other thoughts anyone might have on this.

Click to shrink...

If the Boston Wards 'just happen' to talk about patrols and threats around her? That is where Taylor won't be.

"It's like she takes every hint as a place NOT to be."

Lily looked at Weld, "And why should she neatly walk into our amateur sting?"

Weld's head snapped around, "That isn't what I'm trying. I just want her to have some backup when this tantrum goes wrong and maybe get her to relate to us as fellow heroes!"

Lily leaned back, "You just don't see it, do you Weld?"

Weld glared at her, "See what, spill Flechette."

Lily sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You believe in the Protectorate and Wards in a way Taylor doesn't and frankly can't right now. For God's sake, you don't even have your own name outside of the hero one PR gave you." She held up a hand to forestall Weld's outburst. "Let me lay it out for you as best I understand it. Let's start at the end, "fellow heroes", to Taylor the Ward's aren't automatically heroes at best, can't be heroes at worst. Really her home town team being so toxic she got transferred into another state should have been a clue something was wrong. That is what she thinks of when we say "We are the Wards and we want to help you." That it is all a lie, a trick. To either to get her to give in, or catch her in something Armstrong can get a judge to charge her for, and slap Taylor with a plea deal to force her to be a Ward or go to Juvie."

Weld looked at his teammate with dawning horror. It's like one of those optical illusion pictures that twist into a new shape when you look at it in the right mindset. And he didn't like what it was showing him now. And then Lily dropped the other bomb, "Not that it would work."

Weld shook his head, "If Phase did accidentally break the law or get someone hurt she'd have to be a Ward or..." He didn't have a stomach in truth, but it dropped none the less at Lily's nod.

"Taylor would find going to jail safer and more preferable than being here? I'm pretty certain. That or running, and have you figured out a way to stop her if she doesn't choose to stay?" At Weld silence Lily nodded, "Didn't think so. To Taylor this isn't a tantrum, it's not going into the field with people she expects to stab a knife into her back." Personally Weld felt like Lily was stabbing a knife into his.

Weld rubbed his face with his hands, "How the hell do I fix Taylor's mistaken impression of us?"

Lily casually tossed her soda can into the garbage, "I don't think you can. We got so smeared by the team in Brockton. Maybe if Piggot gives up her Wards that are to Taylor what March is to me we might be able to start turning things around, but at this point even that's a long short." Lily stood and patted Weld on the shoulder, "If I had a clue how to fix this, they'd probably give me Armstrong's office."

Lily left the room, leaving Weld to his uncomfortable thoughts.

As for running into Wards during her patrol well she might not have a say in it if the Wards are actively trying to run into her.

Click to shrink...

Given Taylor's Thinker and Breaker Powers? I'm sure she can make it damn hard for a Ward to meet her, just Ghosting out before they get in view.

 

[NooneImportant]

Nope. That would require the existance of the fanon console to be canon.

Click to shrink...

Not sure if it was specifically named the "Console," but it was a thing in the Sentinel Arc, (Chapter 9) and the Wards do sit at it. (I think Clockblocker or Kid Win, specifically.)

In the name of not necro-ing: Threw this together in about two hours.
(Look, I know the set up to this's spotty, but let me have my escapism.)

Spoiler: Tailwind Flight Plan.

"Here's your band. Remember: Phase, Boston Wards, Hero." Nebula hands me a snap band with a box stuck in the middle. I idly swipe it from his hand, looking at the mess that used to be the Boardwalk.

So, a supposed evacuation drill was actually an Endbringer alarm, and I've just been voluntold under false pretenses. It took me turning around and being shocked at Strider of all people performing the mock "Emergency Teleport" that was actually real to realize something's wrong before I'm back here. In Brockton.

I survey the scene. Everyone else was in professionally tailored costumes, power armor, or some handsewn handicraft. I, however, was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, long pants, running sneakers and a standard black eye-mask the Wards get when off-duty, being handed to me by a fuming Weld after Strider left to pick up other people from a different zone. I'd like to believe that he's mad for me and not at me, this time. I'd like to.

A polite woman's voice echoed from the yellow and black band after I snapped it over my right upper arm. "Please state your Cape Name, Affiliation and Disposition."
No point tying Ghost to me, and I know that they want me to "accept my place" in the Wards if I want to have backup going into this Endbringer Fight. I thought they couldn't get lower but, wow.

"Taylor Hebert. No Affiliation. Unwilling Conscript."
Honestly? Have they forgotten how stubborn I am? There's no way I'd trust them to have my back even if I was in the Wards proper.

Legend's gotten through his spiel of "Thanks for sacrificing yourselves, don't expect to come out alive, but celebrate if you do, don't kill each other, we quite literally have bigger fish to fry."
I flickered through two buildings when I saw Ampere headed towards me, Shadow Stalker in tow. No way in hell am I going to stay there.
I'm currently sitting on a rock looking over at the E88 and ABB, since I lived in the same city but never saw them in person before.
The constant ringing in the back of my head identifying that someone's trying to spy on me again is back, and really, can't they give me a break, it's an Endbringer fight I'm forced to participate in. I'm pretty sure that's in violation of the Truce, but it's not like this is the first time someone's gotten away with committing a crime against me. It's probably the Protectorate Think Tank this time.

I see a shadow covering me and look up. It's Alexandria floating down to me! I hop up and turn towards her.

"Hi, Alexandria, so, I'm not supposed to be here, there was a mix-up on the roster and-"

...She just snatched me on the back of my collar and flew straight up into the air.

"Phase, you will do great things today. Your position will be with your fellow Wards on search and rescue."

Something's up. "Hey, I'm not supposed to be here! There was a mistake!"

She floats over towards a different section of the city.

"You have been obstinate for far too long, Hebert. We need your power. The world needs your power."

Ah. I see how it is. "But it doesn't need my rights or freedoms like the other human beings?"

The silence is too telling. When she looks for the Wards near where she wants to drop me, I drop down, phasing through her grasp and the roof of an apartment.

"Come, your friends are waiting for- where did you go?"

It's been about 3 hours since the waves started, and I haven't seen a chance to make a move yet. I've been sticking to Search & Rescue as they intended, but I have managed to attach myself to Rune, an E88 villain about my age, after dodging Emma, Weld, Nebula, and even Alexandria when she was distracted by a particularly large tsunami.
I chat her up on the ride across the waterlogged ruins, interspaced with diving through concrete and water to pick up bodies, corpses and armbands. It feels a bit scummy to talk so casually with a nominal villain, but I haven't been able to spill the truth to anyone since Lisa back in Boston, and live or die, I'm probably never going to be able to talk about the unfiltered truth to anyone again, so I might as well.
Rune filled me in on what I missed in Brockton Bay since I was transferred: apparently a team of three small timer villains named the Undersiders faced an unfortunate end to their careers against Lung, and only after their deaths were certain details that the powers-that-be decided to cover up were released.
Apparently, Grue could've been convinced to work for good if he was given a chance to support his sister, who vanished soon after the PRT came to recruit her after his death.
Hellhound, who preferred Bitch, was persecuted for the death of the matron of her orphanage... who tried to drown her puppy right before. And apparently, Regent was Hijack, who just ran away from Heartbreaker. It really reinforced that I wasn't the only one the PRT pulled this shit on.
Soon after their collapse, the mayor's daughter went missing without a trace, and the Wards in Brockton Bay were placed back on active duty despite the investigations into the ENE division, as the ABB got a fucking BOMB TINKER, who naturally went nuts the moment she got here. Uber and Leet died live on camera during a collab episode with her, and Aegis died to being an idiot that wasn't careful around explosives that were not just regular bombs, but Tinker Bombs.

The relatively peaceful conversation wouldn't last; the 'water-echo' of Leviathan flicked his tail mirroring what a swiping Leviathan did a few seconds ago, catching Dauntless, who was flung mid-air, on his unprotected side. We didn't have time to react before his body crashed into the chunk of rubble we were surfing on, folding over backwards and splitting it down the middle. I fell off and phased through and into a ruined building, Rune was forced to retreat after a crash landing.
"Dauntless Deceased, 0-4." He was gone just like that, sent flying as an afterthought...
Picking up his spear, I hurried off towards the action, with a very stupid idea.

I head up towards the beachfront, where I could see Armsmaster on the Leviathan's forearm. He was driving his halberd deep into the skin of the beast, but not deep enough to slow Leviathan down. The Leviathan shakes him off, sending him towards a leaning building next to me. I leap up to catch him.
This was not a good idea. It felt like I was the one crashing into him, and I even felt the edge of a square pillar right before I went intangible, popping out the other side. I get up, but he's stuck in the pillar, folded in a way where he cannot get leverage to pull himself out. I plant one foot on the floor, one on the pillar, and try to pull him out by the arm, but after a few seconds of ineffective effort, Armsmaster stopped me.
"Useless. Get my halberd."

I guess he loses his ability to be polite when he's in a lot of pain. There's an issue with his request, though. I look over to check.

"Problem. Your Halberd's stuck in the Leviathan's arm. And he's healed around it. I've got Dauntless' spear right here though."
"That will do."

I hand the spear to him, and he cuts the sides of the pillar before wrenching himself out, the top part of the pillar falling behind him. He looks up at me.
"You are not Dauntless. Why do you have his spear?"
"He's dead. Crashed into the platform Rune and I were on at high speed."
"Oh. That is... very problematic."
"Yes."

The awkwardness was forcibly ended by Armsmaster hopping onto the broken pillar and stabbing Dauntless' spear into it to brace against the incoming wave. I just stood there and let the water pass over and through me.

"You are... Phase."
"Yes, Taylor Hebert."
"Where's your costume?"
"I did not attend this Endbringer willingly."
"That's illegal."
"So is what Sophia and Emma did. Apparently Alexandria approves."
"Of bringing you here or covering up what they have done?"
"Definitely the first, probably both."

Armsmaster pulled himself up by the spear, looking down at his arm and ponders. Checking his armor's stats, I guess. But a blast and rumbling was heard around and above us.

"Bakuda's leftovers! Shit."

Thankfully, an off-balance man in blue armor is easier to pull than a hurtling-towards-you man in blue armor, so I was able to pull him off the pillar and into the hip high water, before the concrete fell on top of me... And through me, and around me. After fifteen seconds of waiting, the rumbling stopped. I climbed through the rubble, and pulled out Dauntless' spear to see Armsmaster replacing a plate on his mud-encrusted boot.
"Thank you. My Boot Thrusters were not operational. I have rebooted them and will not need more of your help."

That's good. He could've been nicer, but he's probably still a little shocked. Either way, one less person needing her help means two less eyes on her.

"It's fine, shame this isn't the time to ask for an autograph. So, what are you planning now?"
He stares out to the south end of the beach, where Lung is sent sliding back towards the heart of the city from a double shoulder check from the beast and the echo. "My halberd cut it's way into Leviathan's flesh. It can cut it's way out."

Sounds... cocky? But also cool. He's probably got a plan, then. "Alright. Will you need this spear then?"
He shakes his head before clambering up the rubble and along the flooded street.
"No. You would be unarmed, and soon I will be armed. I just need to hold out for an opportunity."
Hold out for an opportunity? I can get behind that.
Now that that distraction was done with. I head south, through the blocks. I had an overgrown fish to hook.

I pulled a couple more people out from rubble, on my way which unfortunately included Weld. It would be rude to dunk him back in, so I vanished through another building looking for a better position to set up.

And sure, I could survive this Uriah Gambit attempt to rake them over the coals online for forcing me into an Endbringer battle under false pretenses, but the only thing you could trust the Protectorate to do well is cover up their ass. Even if they let Danny know of my involvement as probably per law, he wouldn't make enough of a fuss to do anything about it. But then again, sticking it to the PRT was never my goal...

Armsmaster has finally pulled his catch out from the sea colored flesh of the Leviathan, before the beast spins around, hurtling him clutching his halberd through two windows, into a balcony. Other capes are also sent flying, either from a limb, tail, or high volume of water hitting them like a wrecking ball. I think one tiny slip of a girl in all green ended up being sent into the sky. A wild guess from the trajectory: Her corpse will crash land in Boston.

"Armsmaster Down, 0-1" rings among the many other names I do not recognize at the moment from my band, and a crowned and curvy figure clad in white and gold flies over to the balcony he crashed into.
Glory Girl doing the glamourous job of Rescue? More likely than you think.
While the Blue probably-not-steel-clad man is ferried off to the Med bay, I am close enough to Leviathan while no longer have any eyes on me.
I lie in wait, Waiting for the chance to strike at the Leviathan. Knowing full well I won't get nearly as deep as Armsmaster did.
It may look like I'm stupidly trying to spearfish the Leviathan, but I'm actually trying to bait the Leviathan to hook me.

As the Leviathan passes by, I phase up through some rubble and leap, hoping to stick him and get him to spin in place again, when I feel a searing pain, ripping in and out my left shoulder. I scream and turn, seeing a stick in the back of my arm, and a broad arrowhead sticking out.
"Well, this wasn't planned."

I look up and see the Leviathan's three sea-green eyes staring at me in an unidentifiable expression I think is confusion, before turning away. I react right at the tail's impact, and am sent flying through buildings.

After two buildings, (I assume because I felt at least four crashes against the spear,) I phase the armband through my arm, where it's caught on the spear. Once the light glows red, I smile, and I let go of Dauntless' spear and clutch my bleeding shoulder, as I let the world pass by me.

"Taylor Hebert deceased, A-4."

When I'm fully intangible, I can pass through the air itself. That means no air resistance.
I can even skip across the water at this speed or just hurtle through it if I crash into the ocean on my way, and I can selectively use my power to negate injuries other than that arrow for some weird reason.

Burning the PRT to the ground was never my goal. It was always about getting out of their clutches.
What comes next depends on my flight path: If I was smacked north, Canada. If south, Mexico.
I never got to finish Physics or Geography, so I don't actually know where I'm going, only that it's away from Boston, Brockton, and those Bitches.

I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I'll figure something out, later.

Help, @FirstSelector ! It seems I have written an omake in my need to "um… actually" someone!

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Tailwind Flight Plan.

Click to shrink...

Omake: Air Traffic Control


Rebecca Costa-Brown leaned back in her chair as she hung up on her twentieth phone call of the day. The aftermath of an Endbringer attack on U.S soil always sent the entirety of the PRT into overdrive, and made Rebecca constantly thankful for the fact that her power made her immune to headaches and migraines.

And speaking of headaches the experiment with Phase turned into a complete disaster with the girl having been killed during the battle. Not only had her official designation thrown the Youth Guard into a frenzy but the girl had managed to put the truce in jeopardy. The girl apparently hadn't kept her mouth shut and went against the typical parahuman response of avoiding mentioning her trigger event. So when a friendly fire incident between her and Shadow Stalker took place more than one person was quick to claim foul play. It also didn't help that said friendly fire incident took place moments before Leviathan flung the girl into the afterlife.

Such a shame to Rebecca had placed a fair bit of hope into the Phase experiment. It was by chance that Rebecca had unknowingly run into the girl during a visit to the Boston department, and by unknowingly she ment she had accidentally run into the girl because she couldn't actually see her. After playing off that incident to avoid suspicion Rebecca had decided to do an investigation of her own and low and behold the girl was also immune to both the Clairvoyant and more alarmingly Contessa herself. Further investigation revealed that their was perhaps a chance that like Rebecca the Endbringers would also be unable to properly perceive the girl.

So Cauldron made a plan and cashed in a favor from their plant in the Boston Protectorate to get Phase to the next Endbringer battle. From there their plant would remain close to the girl and make sure she stayed alive while Cauldron collected their data. Unfortunately it seemed that the girl's file had understated just how disobedient she was and Rebecca had to step in, while relying on an audio recorder and shadow placement to interact with her, when she attempted to separate herself from her group only to lose her in turn.

In the end though it seemed that Phase had the last laugh, dying while kicking up one final shit storm for the organization. The worst part was that based on Cauldron's best analysis of the battle their hypothesis had been correct about her invisibility to Endbringers. Not once had Leviathan made an attack directly against her even when she was essentially right in front of the monster or even when she was riding on top of it. In fact it had only tossed her off after Shadow Stalker's bolt had pierced her, so the claims that Stalker had gotten Phase killed weren't completely inaccurate after all.

Not that it mattered the girl was dead and any use she could have given the PRT or Cauldron against the Endbringers was dead with her.

Rebecca was broken out of her musings by another call.

"Hello Chief Director Costa-Brown speaking what is it?" She asked.

"Rebecca I have news you will want to hear." The voice on the other end said.

"Armstrong." She said recognizing the voice of the Boston Director, "This better be good after the mess you and Piggot got the organization in."

She knew he was innocent, at least more innocent then Piggot in this mess, she had sent the order after all not that he needed to know that is.

"It is about Phase I think she might be alive." He said.

Now that got Rebecca's attention.

"I'm listening." She said.

Maybe this latest experiment wasn't a failure after all.

***

Emma wished she had died against Leviathan as shivered in a fetal position in the dark of her Ward's quarters at least then she wouldn't have to feel like this anymore. When the sirens alerted them that Brockton was about to be struck by Leviathan she had been terrified to the point that Sophia and Dean had to snap her out of it. It was thanks to them she had been able to muster up the courage to volunteer for the fight against her parents' wishes.

Even then she had almost chickened out until she met up with the Boston Wards and found out that Taylor was also there. So she decided to go and wish her luck and apologize again just incase the worst happened, she even convinced Sophia to come along and do the same. But Taylor must have spotted them because she ran off before they could get close. She attempted to run into Taylor again during the battle when she spotted her again but ended up getting knocked out by a wave for her troubles and getting evaced out spending the rest of the battle unconscious in the medical tent.

When she awoke everything had changed.

There was yelling all around her as she watched Sophia get dragged off by security guards armed with tasers. She tried to get answers but was stone walled by the nurses who refused to speak to her. It was only after she was cleared to leave did she find out what happened.

Sophia had been taken into custody after several people had come forth saying she had gotten Taylor killed. They say she deliberately shot Taylor with an arrow while Taylor was fighting Leviathan distracting her allowing Leviathan to hit her.

Emma didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe it. She had talked to Sophia convinced her to at least give Taylor a chance when she next saw her, and she had said as much to the investigators when they came to question her as Sophia's best friend. Though considering they had also been read in on what she and Sophia had done to Taylor she doubted they had believed her. Hell they probably thought she had planned to kill Taylor with Sophia based on how they had treated her during the interview.

After that she hadn't heard anything else about the investigation nor had she seen Sophia. She had attempted to talk to Director Piggot or Miss Militia about it but they had refused to talk, but based on how they looked at her when she brought it up odds were she wouldn't be seeing Sophia again. The other Wards were to busy dealing with their own issues after Leviathan to help either and she couldn't blame them besides Sophia they had also lost Dean and Missy during Leviathan. That left the only remaining members of the team as her, Dennis, and Chris.

From what little she had been able to pick up after the Youth Guard investigation, Aegis dying to Bakuda, and now Leviathan it was very likely that the Brockton Bay Wards were going to be disbanded. Already her dad had tried to talk to her about transferring to Boston, Taylor's former department, it was almost enough to make her laugh.

Instead she came here and locked herself away praying to herself that this was all just a nightmare that Taylor will wash up on shore the next day alove and well and the mess with Sophia would be over and they can be friends again.

But she couldn't keep deluding herself she promised she wouldn't after Taylor cut her off after the locker. Taylor was dead and it was her fault if she hadn't been so obsessed with proving that Taylor was strong when it was clear she already was then she would never have triggered. She would have evacuated with her dad never having faced Leviathan, and Emma would still have her friends.

"I promise Taylor we will see each other again even if I have to go to a hundred Endbringer battles I will see you again." Emma said to herself as she slowly drifted off in the darkness.

***

Taylor was having a good day, sure her arm was in sling for the next week or two after that underground doctor got the bolt out, but Leviathan had managed to sling her all the way to Miami of all places. Which if Taylor was being honest a major step up compared to Brockton or Boston; sun, beautiful sandy beaches, and an active yet laid-back cape scene was all Taylor needed to be happy it seemed.

She had to remember to thank Lisa for showing her how to locate the those unlicensed doctors. Having to deal with the bolt in her shoulder on her own probably would have soured her mood a bit.

Speak of the devil and she will appear it seems as Taylor watched a purple and black camaro pull up to were she was sitting. She smiled as her favorite blond popped out of the driver's side.

"Hey Taylor so glad to see you're okay." The freckled Thinker said pulling Taylor into a hug, "I know you called but I just had to see fpr myself."

"Thanks Lisa it really means a lot coming from you." Taylor said returning the hug, "Also are you sure you are good coming all the way out here what about your set up in Boston?"

"Oh it's no big deal Boston was starting to get a bit stale anyways, and I really didn't wanna stick around for what was about to go down." Lisa explained.

"Has it gotten that bad over there I haven't really been paying much attention since leaving." Taylor asked while the two of them got into Lisa's car.

"Taylor baby sweetie I love you but you put unwilling conscript for your designation and people noticed that. The Youth Guard couldn't lockdown Boston fast enough, and a little birdie told me that a certain Brockton Bay Ward landed themselves in some pretty hot water due to a friendly fire incident." Lisa said with a vulpine grin.

"Wait seriously? I wasn't even trying to screw the PRT over there I was just trying to piss off Nebula."

"And that is why I love you." Lisa said, "But yes seriously and when the Youth Guard finally clears out the PRT will start busting all the minor villains and villainous leaning rogues to recoup the lost PR and I wasn't staying around for that mess."

"Sorry I know how much you enjoyed things in Boston." Taylor apologized.

"Eh no biggy I was wearing on Accord anyways and we both knew it so this was probably my best time to get out anyways. Plus I can't really blame you for sticking it to them after they dragged you to an Endbringer fight of all things, I mean seriously who even does that." Lisa exclaimed.

"The PRT apparently." Taylor snorted.

"Leave it to them to sink lower than most villains, but enough about that Miami cape capital of Florida and two girls with their whole futures ahead of them I bet you we will be running this place in a month tops." The Thinker happily announced as the two of them drove off into the city.

---

A.N: Decided to write my own continuation of the omake and like the original author said it is free for anyone to add their own contuation on. Besides that please let me know what you all think.

Also @FirstSelector got a new omake and don't forget the one above.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Cat's Out of the Bag


Kamil Armstrong adjusted himself in his seat as he looked out to the multiple projectors in front of him. In each one was a fellow PRT director and Protectorate leader each with a severe expression on their faces, at least those with their faces unobstructed, and at the head of this meeting was Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown her self with Legend standing to her right.

"Now that all of us are here let us begin." Costa-Brown started, "Piggot since it is your department that caused this mess why don't you begin."

At the sound of being called out Armstrong watched as Piggot grit her teeth before replying.

"At approximately 1500 East Central Time on February 30th we were alerted us to a massive security leak. There was a release multiple classified documents to local news agencies and on multiple websites. Unfortunately, by the time we became aware of the breach it was too late to prevent the information from being exposed." Piggot said struggling to keep her voice at an even level.

"And what exactly was in this leak?" Costa-Brown asked.

Piggot took a breath as Armsmaster visibly stiffened beside her, "It contained the identities of two of our local Wards, Shadow Stalker and Ampere, as well as information on an ongoing investigation regarding them."

"I trust that everyone here knows what that investigation was about." The Chief Director asked rhetorically to the grumbling of the other directors, "Right so it is now public knowledge that two Wards attempted to kill a classmate and the PRT covered it up."

This admission made the already tense atmosphere in the meeting even more potent, enough so that Kamil genuinely believed in that moment he would find it hard to move if he tried to stand up.

Before anyone could say anything Costa-Brown let out a deep breath and continued, "Has the leak been tracked down at the very least?"

This time it was Armsmaster who responded in his usual mechanical fashion, though to those who knew him it would be pointed out their was an unusual tenseness to his speech.

"We have it was one Luis Sanchez a mid-level clerk in the PRT. Currently it is unknown whether he did it due to a connection with one of the gangs, but due to his Puerto Rican heritage we can rule out both the Empire and ABB respectively. However, that still leaves Coil as a possible backer behind this action, and questioning is still ongoing as of this meeting."

"Good keep on it and inform us of any developments going forward." Rebecca replied.

"There is another option," Kamil was surprised to hear himself talk even as words came out of his mouth, "And that is this leak did it for purely moral reasons upon finding out the ENE department covered up an attempted murder of an innocent girl."

Kamil could almost hear the servos in Armsmaster's armor whine through the projector screen as the man visibly grit his teeth.

"Yes that is possible." He admitted, "The man does have a daughter around the same age as the victim who also attends the same school as Shadow Stalker and Ampere. It is entirely likely that he objected to the disciplinary actions taken by the the department in regards to the incident."

"You mean the fact that those two brats are still going to the same school." One of the other directors spoke up causing the others to add in their own comments on the issue.

"Yes."

"Regardless the information is out there now and the PRT has been getting calls on both local and national level asking us what we are going to do about it." The Chief Director spoke up interrupting the bickering.

At this point Piggot decided to take over from Armsmaster while shooting a glare at the other director, "We have taken Ampere and Shadow Stalker's families into protective custody following the leak, and not a comment too soon as Shadow Stalker's apartment complex was burned down by what we believe is Empire agitators attempting to incite a riot. Thankfully there were no casualties beyond smoke inhalation, but that was just the start."

"The one black Ward on the team gets caught attempting murder and the PRT covers it up the local neo-nazis must be having a field day over there." The Miami director said.

"They are." Piggot revealed, "Already I have had to pull troops and reroute patrols to Empire territory to avoid full blown race riots, and Kaiser has been holding rallies about the topic since the release."

This caused Armstrong to visibly grimace in his seat, and be privately thankful that Accord was proactive in nipping any similar gangs in the bud whenever they attempted to expand into Boston.

"And what of the two Wards who caused this mess what are you intending to do with them." The New Orleans director asked.

"Currently both Shadow Stalker and Ampere are confined to base and are on a complete media lockdown to keep them from causing anymore issues. We were awaiting further orders before committing to anything else with them." Piggot admitted.

A complete non-answer from Piggot Kamil thought in the same breed as the ones he had gotten used to hearing from her whenever he asked about the status of the investigation.

"Fine, but I expect a report about why something wasn't done sooner about them later." Costa-Brown ordered, "But as for their victim what is her status Armstrong she is a Ward in your department."

All eyes turned towards Kamil as he cleared his throat, "The Ward Phase, permanent name pending, is currently on base and I have Gauss and Weld keeping an eye on her in shifts so she doesn't do anything, but there is a noted agitation to her due to this mess and she has refused to give her opinion on the matter. Though if there is any silver lining to this it is that her identity wasn't also released in the leak, but it remains at risk."

"The last thing we need is that brat blabbering to a reporter." Piggot muttered.

This caused Kamil to growl, "May I remind you Emily that we are in this mess because you couldn't control your own damn Wards when they thought it would be fun to torture a classmate for months! One of whom was on probation for murder already!"

"Don't act high and might with me Kamil!." Emily spat out, "If you had simply laid down the law with that brat who couldn't handle a little schoolyard hazing and harsh words it wouldn't have become a major issue. And don't pretend that I am blind to that girl's activities in Boston I am not a fool."

"Hazing! That was an attempted murder worthy of any Teeth initiation if it was up to me you would-."

"ENOUGH!" Chief Director Costa-Brown shouted, "You two are acting like children and your bickering won't solve this problem. Now will you two act like adult or will I have to remove you both from the conversation."

Kamil took a deep breath to steady himself, "The issue still remains that Phase's identity is at risk if someone connects her to Shadow Stalker and Ampere's victim if they haven't already and remained quiet about it. We are already in hot water for covering up the crime we do not need for them to also find out we took custody of her and transferred her before any form of investigation could take place. The only reason she hasn't left already in my opinion is that she believes she will benefit more from letting the tension build more, and intends to use her statement as a guillotine over our heads to get what she wants."

"Agreed." Rebecca said, "Now if no one else has anything to add I will call this meeting adjourned we will contact ENE with a press statement and an official sentencing for both Shadow Stalker and Ampere soon."

With that the other projectors shut off and with one final glare from Piggot Armstrong was alone in his office.

"What a fucking nightmare." Kamil said to himself.

***

Rebecca leaned back in her seat as she flicked the recorder off as she looked towards Legend and Glenn Chambers each situated at either side of her.

"So what are our optics on this Glenn?" She asked the head of the national PR department.

"Not good, it was already an open secret that the Protectorate and Wards rebranded former villains but most people were willing to look the other way provided their crimes were minor and they stayed on the straight and narrow. This whole crisis puts the whole probationary program at risk because if one can do it."

"They all can." Rebecca finished for him.

"Exactly, and that doesn't even touch the fact that their victim suffered a trigger event because of them. If that got out then it would kill our relationship with independents the majority of which already have issues with the PRT."

"And we need those independents to pick up the slack that Protectorate teams simply can't on their own either due to powers or bearacracy." Legend added.

"So my suggestion provided it gets cleared with legal is to make this seem as much as an issue with local corruption rather than a national issue. Piggot will have to be removed of course either have her willingly step down or be forced to both have their benefits, and luckily the Youth Guard investigation Phase kicked up gives us plenty to work with in addition to the cover-up. Also Shadow Stalker and Ampere both need to go with her preferrably to different prisons since they can't be trusted together, and make it public when we do it we can't afford to waste time on this."

"No chance to station them at a containment zone they are just kids after all?" Legend asked.

"Not possible with this. If it had been anywhere but a school then maybe we could have swung assigning them containment zone duties but attacking someone in a school even if it was without powers isn't something the public will accept and if that girl had died we would be talking about a Birdcage sentence and not juvie three strikes be damned."

"He is right we can't afford to go soft on them because they are Wards the public when the public is already accusing capes as having a two tiered justice system." Rebecca confirmed.

"But that still leaves the question of what to do about Phase?" Legend asked.

"The best option would be to work out a settlement with her and tie it to an NDA." Glenn suggested, "Do we know what we want so we have something to tell the lawyers."

"Based on all reports about her the only thing she wants is out of the Wards the sooner the better." Legend said.

"Makes sense considering what happened." Glenn said, "And are you sure we can't just let her go then. Give her a cash settlement and send her on her way."

"Her powers are both rare and valuable, already other notable departments such as Vegas, Los Angeles, and D.C. have requested her be transferred, so ideally we should convince her to remain with the program." Costa-Brown explained.

"If it helps I can swing by Boston to talk to her convince her that she gets more by staying with the program then by leaving it." Legend offered.

"Yes do that, and I will go to Brockton to deal with Piggot's mess." The Chief Director answered, "And Glenn make sure that press release is ready by tomorrow and send it to me I need something to say when I arrive in Brockton."

"Done." The PR manager replied.

"Now we all have our jobs lets get to them and hopefully we will have this dealt with shortly without further incidents." Rebecca said as the other two nodded.

***

"Gauss what is it? Phase? What do you mean she is missing?!"

---

A.N: I decided to write something since classes start for me again in a day or so and I came back to this with a what if it all got exposed. Anyways let me know what you all think.

@FirstSelector

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Later


Emma looked up at the imposing Protectorate building in front of her as she got off the bus dressed as casually as the eighteen year old could. Finishing off her coffee Emma tossed the cup into the trash and made her the way into the building. Recalling the instructions given to her she went up to the front desk where there was a receptionist waiting.

"Hello I am Jessica Holden and I am here about the five missing watches." Emma said recalling the code phrase she was given over the phone.

"Ah yes the missing watches so glad we were able to get ahold of you Ms. Holden, please follow me." The receptionist said moving from behind her desk and beckoning Emma to follow her.

Following the other woman Emma was led to an empty meeting room with a table and two chairs already set out along with water bottles and mints.

"Please wait here and someone will be with you shortly." They said before leaving Emma alone in the room.

Seeing nothing else to do Emma took a seat in one of the offered chairs. Letting out a breath that she had been holding Emma took a moment to think about her situation.

It was hard to believe that after everything that had happened she would find herself back at the PRT. When she had been in the Wards with Sophia the only thing the two of them had talked about regarding their futures was going independent when they turned eighteen. Emma would keep working as a model, of course, to pay the bills and Sophia would manage the hero side of things not once had either of them seriously considered transferring into the Protectorate. When Taylor had got powers she thought she would join those dreams, but time as it seems has a means of making fools out of everyone.

'Some more than others.' Emma added on mentally as she membered the past three years.

As she finished up those thoughts the other door in the room opened up and in stepped the leader of the local Protectorate, Weld.

Taking the other seat in the room with an audible creak he began to speak, "I hope the wait wasn't too long Ms. Barnes, or would you prefer Ampere?"

"Just Emma is fine." Emma responded.

"Alrighty then Emma lets get down to the reason why we are both here you sent in a request to join the Boston Protectorate." Weld stated plainly.

"Yes I think that it will be the best place for me going forwards and keeps me close to Brockton." Emma replied.

Weld nodded while pulling out a file no doubt full of her personal history. Her entire time in the Wards, her crimes, and her time in juvie.

"While the Protectorate is always looking for more heroes you have to admit given your personal history you joining this department specifically has a couple of issues." He said placing her file on the table, "Have you considered potentially joining a different department? One less likely to incite issues in the near future."

"I have thought of it." Emma admitted, "But any other department would come with different issues. At least in Boston I will get less judgement for what happened and who my former teammates were from my potential coworkers."

Weld let out a sigh, "It was a shame what ended up happening to your teammates."

"And that's why I want to join here and not anywhere else. In any other department I would simply be another member of Brockton's Bay's Bad Batch. At least here I will be given a fair chance for the good and the bad." Emma said head down as her hands fiddled around with her water bottle.

"Have you had any contact them?" Weld asked.

"In the beginning I did but we fell out of touch as things went on, and So- Stalker never wrote back to begin with." Emma explained putting the water bottle back down.

"Things weren't much better in Boston after Brockton was closed off and all the gangs migrated here." Weld said with a dark look in his eyes.

"The Second Boston Games is what they called it right?" Emma asked, "I heard a bit about it while in juvie. Did Tay- Phase participate?"

This actually got a chuckle out of Weld, "In her own way, but to admit the truth when word of the Brockton team shutting down, her dad moving to Boston, and you and Shadow Stalker's arrest I had hoped she would put the past aside and finally join up. Unfortunately very little actually changed. Of course that didn't stop any of her extracurricular activities."

"Ho- how was she if you don't mind me asking." Emma pried.

"Distant always distant and angry to say the least. I think she warmed up to Valve and Flechette a bit and that gave us some hope she would get along with the rest of us but it ended up biting us in the ass in the end. But to make a long story short she isn't a part of the organization anymore left at the first opportunity along with Valve and Flechette." Weld said shaking his head.

"Oh sorry about that if I-."

"Wasn't your fault." Weld said cutting her off, "Honestly I actually blame the PRT more for them leaving they attempted to drop the hammer on Phase and they ended up catching the rest of us in the crossfire. With the new gangs moving in the already present tensions simply caused things to spiral and when the time came to move into the Protectorate whatever desire they had to do so was gone. Still see them every now again while on patrol. It hurts to see how good of a team those three make and seeing all the missed opportunities that could have been. Doesn't help that the higher ups still give me and director Armstrong shit about it whenever they make the news."

"Well at least she is doing well." Emma said seeking a silver lining.

"That she is." Weld said flatly, "Though it goes without saying that if she was still part of the organization we wouldn't even be considering bringing you on."

"So are you considering it." Emma asked bringing things back to the original topic.

Picking up the file he had set on the table Weld flipped through its, "Well going off your past as a Ward it is a mixed bag. On one hand you do have a decent arrest record but your disciplinary record is another story. Unregistered patrols, disobeying orders, and that isn't even mentioning the you know what in your civilian identity."

Emma sank back in her seat as Weld reminded her of her greatest shame.

Going on Weld kept going through the file, "If taken alone I wouldn't recommend you become a member of the Boston Protectorate. However it is your juvenile record that saves you ironically enough."

"Really?"

"Don't act so surprised no major or minor incidents during your stay and out early on good behavior. When compared to your contempories in the Wards you look like the good egg as strange as that sounds to you."

"So the final verdict?" Emma asks hesitantly.

"Is yes with some caveats given your history." Weld responded.

"Of course."

"Due to your past with Phase you are not to engage or seek out her team unless you have no other option. You will not use your authority as a Protectorate member to seek out the civilian identities of any former Wards, or attempt to call them. Additionally you will be on a six month probabtionary period to ensure you can follow thoss rules." Weld laid out to her.

"What if Tay- I mean Phase has an issue with me being here." Emma asks.

"Well quite frankly she doesn't get any say in the decision since she isn't a member anymore. If she causes any issues with you bring it to us and we will sort it out." Weld said a slight bit of anger entering is tone.

"So that's it then." Emma asked.

"Yep once I touch base with the legal department for a contract that will be it." He said before reaching out a hand, "I look forward working with you Ampere."

"Likewise." Emma said reaching out her own hand.

With that the two shook hands as the meeting concluded.

---

A.N: Another omake after awhile been sitting around in my head for a bit but finally got around to writing it after reading a different fic. Anyways as usual let me know what you all thing.

@FirstSelector

 

[NoBeeswax]

@FirstSelector Another omake for the pile Sorry for committing the worm heresy of showing Emma in a semi-decent light lol.

Snip

Click to shrink...

"Today is the day. It's going to be a good day, I just know it! Hopefully Phas…Taylor will be in a really good mood when we meet and she won't punch me in the face on sight..." Emma fretted to herself as she marched towards Taylor's apartment block in downtown Boston.

She was wearing an entire new wardrobe just for the occasion and she spent hours getting her makeup just right. Her new haircut was perfect, her bottle of "please forgive me" tinkertech super wine was carried carefully in her arms, and her posture was as inviting as she could get it after absorbing advice from a PR posture coach in the Protectorate headquarters.

Seriously, just act friendly to a guy and almost every time they will happily eat out of the palm of her hand. The man was so delighted to give her advice when she asked that she almost got embarrassed for his sake.

Emma liked men most of the time but sometimes they could just be, ugh.

What was she thinking about again? Oh yeah, getting Tay back into her life. No biggie.

Technically, she was pretty sure Weld and the PRT would not be happy if they found out what she was trying to do, but her 6 months of probation ended just yesterday so theoretically she wasn't doing anything illegal. Probably. Hopefully?

Everyone in her new job was pretty firm that Ampere was not to have any contact with Phase unless lives were in danger and even she couldn't help but agree that it was probably for the best…

However, what if a young part-time fashion model from Brockton Bay just happened to want to make amends with a former best friend that also happened to be in Boston?

If Emma was being honest with herself, which was something she still struggled doing even now, she knew the excuse of meeting Taylor in their civilian identities was not going to fly with the Protectorate if they got word of this.

She was really hoping that Taylor wouldn't report her.

Hey, it's not like she hasn't done anything for Taylor after getting out of juvie. She paid good money to get Auntie Annettes's flute found, fixed and shipped to Taylor. The restoration Tinker she hired was not cheap!

She even made sure to call Taylor's useless father just to confirm that her former best-friend did receive the package. Apparently, from what he observed, Taylor didn't really react much outwardly but stared at the flute for a long time and then went on patrol with her teammates without saying anything.

Emma couldn't tell if that was a good reaction or not. She did indeed keep the flute and Daniel seemed happy about it so…yay?

It had to count for something. She'll take anything at this point.

She finally regained her bearings and stopped in front of the lobby of the resident block her sources told her Taylor was living in. Shiny wood paneling and pleasing red bricks dominated the facade of the apartment with marble flooring finishing the display. It looked nice and spacious like everything else in the neighborhood.

It was kind of obvious that the Heberts were much better off financially now than back in the Bay.

Emma stood still and took deep breaths as she rehearsed her lines for what she was going to say.

"Hi Tay! It's me, Ems! I know we drifted apart since high school, but I just happened to be in the neighborhood and I thought it would be nice to stop by to chat. What do you say? What, you don't want to talk to me because I'm a psychotic bitch that emotionally tormented you for two years then almost killed you with a deadly prank? Pshaw, that was nearly three years ago Taylor, let's give our relationship another shot!"

…

…

That was not going to work.

Emma covered her face with her hands and groaned in misery. This was going to be a disaster. What the fuck was she thinking?

She decided to sit down on a nearby bench because she suspected coming up with a decent opener was going to take a while.

"Well Taylor, the thing is is that Sophia kinda lost interest in me and she hasn't responded to any of my texts in 2 months. Since she apparently ghosted me, the position for being best friend's with Emma Barnes is now up for grabs! What do you say? What, you already were my best friend since we were in preschool and then I tossed you aside like a bag of dogshit when you got back from nature camp and then I tried my best to ruin your life until you triggered? Oh come on Taylor, you should stop focusing on the negatives all the time! Everything will go great this time if you come back to me!"

…

Holy shit that was even worse. For fuck's sake Emma, get your shit together!

The redhead rubbed her forehead in agitation - carefully of course because she didn't want to ruin her makeup.

Okay, looks like she was going to have to bring out the big guns. She would do something completely unprecedented, something no one would ever suspect.

She was going to be honest.

She started taking deeper breaths and she braced herself for what she was about to do.

"Taylor, I don't have any friends. Everyone in the Protectorate either sees me as a useful tool to exploit or a total nutcase that they have to tolerate. My ward teammates from Brockton…the ones still alive anyway, don't like being around me. Sophia thinks I'm boring and dumped me as her confidant. I stopped talking to Madison and the other girls from Winslow years ago. Anne still loves me but after she found out about the locker our relationship hasn't…been the same…"

Her eyes were getting wet and her nose was running. Fucking shit, her makeup! Emma forgot to bring her handkerchief so she had to sloppily use her hands to forestall the damage her tears were enacting.

"Taylor…Tay…Please take me back. I know I don't deserve it and you can do way better than me but…I don't have anyone else to go to! Please take me back! I'll do anything you ask!"

"Stop crying already, people are staring at you." Taylor muttered grumpily as she awkwardly held a napkin towards Emma's direction.

Emma screamed and jumped at least a foot into the air.

Taylor didn't react to Emma's totally heroic screech. Based on her sullen expression as she sat next to the part-time model, she really wanted her ex-best friend to take the fucking piece of paper already.

The redhead took it and Taylor sighed in relief because now she could go back to not looking at her uninvited companion. Emma wiped away her tears with as much dignity as she could muster - which is to say not a lot.

"Um, Hi Taylor! How are you doing?" Emma verbally vomited out in pure panic.

"I'm fine." She replied emotionlessly. "I was going to go out shopping for groceries and I saw you sitting here on the way out."

"That's great! I'm glad to hear you're fine Taylor!"

"Hm."

"Did you do anything with your hair recently? It looks great!"

"Thanks."

"Isn't the weather great today? I love the sunshine!"

"Hm."

Their reunion just started and it was already a fucking trainwreck.

'Wait, how long was Taylor sitting next to me?' Emma thought to herself.

"Um Taylor…" Emma started with mounting dread. "How long have you been…"

"A few seconds after you sat. You really should improve your environmental awareness."

"...Oh."

Taylor leaned against the bench and sighed out loud. "Did Hess really ghost you?"

"I-I mean, I…I don't know for sure but I suspect it? She's definitely still active and not doing any classified work as far as I can tell. She just doesn't…reply to anything I send her…"

"Hm. Well, If she did ghost you and didn't even bother to tell you why then she's a bitch."

"I-I mean I'm not sure I would go that far…"

Taylor glanced at Emma with anger growing on her face. Oh shit, bad call.

"What I meant to say was yes! She is a total bitch! The queen of bitches! Please don't leave."

Taylor continued to look at Emma with an unidentifiable expression on her face. "What do you want, Emma?"

"...I want a lot of things Taylor. But for now, drinking some very expensive wine with you is my primary goal." Emma replied as calmly as she could.

Taylor's eyes narrowed with intense suspicion. Oh no.

'Oh shit you're losing her. Reel her back in!' Emma thought to herself in panic.

"It's not normal wine! It's a 'reverse century super vintage' made by Ambrosia!" Emma almost shouted out in desperation as she tapped on the bottle's seal.

Taylor's anger seemed to recede slightly as she rubbed her chin. "Ambrosia? Isn't he that culinary French tinker from the EU's Paladin Order?"

Emma sighed in relief.

"Yeah, the very same. He visited New York recently as part of a diplomatic conference and donated a hundred bottles as part of a gifting exchange. I barely managed to get one and…I thought about you and…well…here I am."

"How much does his wine normally cost?" Taylor eventually replied after a moment's silence.

"Usually it's fifty thousand dollars a bottle."

"Wow, and you want to share it with little old me instead of bragging about it to all your sycophants on Capebook?"

Emma took some deep breaths. "Taylor, seeing you having fun is worth more to me than anything else in the world right now."

The quiet cape just stared back at Emma with her customary emotionless face. Silence reigned. Emma started to sweat in growing fear of being rejected.

Suddenly, Taylor let out a big sigh and stood up. "Fine, let's go inside."

As far as Emma was concerned, a light from heaven was now shining down on Taylor and her. This was officially the happiest day of her life in Boston.

"A-Are we…cool Taylor?" She asked quietly with badly restrained excitement.

Taylor snorted rudely. "Absolutely not." Emma wilted. That wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it was still fair she supposed.

The tall woman rubbed her hair in muted frustration at Emma's reaction. "Look Emma, it's - look, I'm willing to admit that you're…not the same girl that I knew in high school."

Emma held her breath as she used all her senses to comprehend every word that came out of Taylor's mouth.

"You're a hero now and you've been doing good work. I can respect that. You earned your hero credentials. But I'm never going to forget what happened. Every time I use my powers a part of me…will always remember you know what."

The locker. That fucking, stupid shitty locker. Who knew that a metal box could haunt the dreams of two young women for seemingly forever after they left High school.

"But…you're still letting me go to your apartment?" Emma muttered aloud in confusion.

Taylor shrugged her arms. "Life is short Emma and especially for capes. You haven't annoyed me in a while and...I appreciate what you did with my mom's flute...so…let's just say that I'm willing to tolerate your presence for now and we'll see what happens in the future, yeah?"

"I don't know what to say Taylor."

"And you better thank Flechette when you see her. She always gets emotional every time we fight off March and she's been pestering me to not immediately toss you to the curb if you ever showed up to try to fix your mistakes so...yeah."

"Taylor, I don't know who March is but I really want to hug the hell out of you right now."

"Please don't."

---

I've always been a fan of Taylor/Emma redemption stories, but I also admit that I have a really hard time seeing canon!Taylor ever forgiving Emma for what she did. I was trying to reach a middle ground here by taking advantage of the fact that time has passed and the two of them are now older and more mature. It also helps that they are both heroes, have been visiting therapists for years by this point, and are generally lonely - Emma more so than Taylor.

Taylor is not going to forgive Emma anytime soon, but Emma also just brought her a very expensive gift and her team have been having a particularly productive week arresting criminals so Taylor is in a better mood than normal. Emma got lucky here.

 

[NoBeeswax]

Yeah that would be amusing and I imagine such a continuation would start with Emma being chewed out by Weld.

Click to shrink...

(Later in Boston Protectorate headquarters)

Weld: (Failing to control his temper) "Are you serious?! What part of 'stay the hell away from Phase' did you not understand?!"

Ampere: (Completely unrepentant) "No offense Weld, but I've known Ta…Phase a lot longer than you have. Granted, our first meeting in Boston was a little…tense, but Phase eventually decided to give me a chance and so far our little détente is working out!"

Roulette: (Irritated and tired) "Look Ampere, you took a really big risk here for seemingly little gain. What were you trying to accomplish with this stunt?"

Ampere: (Flippant) "This is personal business. I missed her, a tiny, microscopic part of her apparently missed me, and now we're trying to see what can grow back from the ashes. There's not much else to say."

(Protectorate heroes look at her with very unimpressed eyes)

Ampere: "What?! It worked out didn't it? Phase never sent you a formal complaint did she?"

Weld: (Rubbing his forehead in exhaustion) "Look…It's just…yeah, it seems like Phase is way more patient with you than any of us expected, but this could have easily backfired. If Phase had reacted negatively, you would have put us in a very awkward situation."

Nebula: "Not to mention that our long-term plans to gently encourage Phase's team to return to our fold might be in jeopardy due to your actions!"

Ampere: (Skeptical) "Yeaaaahhhh, I don't see Phase working for the government anytime soon. She loves her freedom way too much. Trust me, she told me. Repeatedly. Ad nauseam."

Gauss: "Did you at least get any useful intel out of her? Anything we can use to keep better track of her movements?"

Ampere: (Stern and a little upset) "Contrary to popular belief, I'm actually serious about being a good friend to Phase…for real this time…so I really would rather not tell you details about her private life."

Gauss: "Seriously, nothing?"

Ampere: "If you want, I can tell you about the nice sandwich shop I've been going to with Phase and Flechette every other Sunday. Their menu is delish."

Roulette: "Wait…You've been having sandwich brunches with Phase?"

Ampere: "...Yeah? What of it?"

Roulette: *Strangely upset* "It's just…Phase never invited any of us to brunch when she was with us…"

(A lot of the former wards in the meeting room look oddly depressed at the little preview into Phases's life and Ampere looks away in embarrassment)

---

The Boston wards meant well, but they don't have the elusive 'childhood friend' seal that Emma holds - even if it's currently rusty, cracked, and held together with duct tape and prayers.

If there's anything this thought exercise has told me is that Taylor and Emma seemingly trying to patch things up between them would create very mixed feelings with the Boston Protectorate. On one hand, the Protectorate wouldn't have to be so afraid and hyper vigilant hiding Ampere away from Phase all the time which is good. On the other hand, Weld and his comrades will privately become even more bitter towards Taylor since Emma is the main culprit in Taylor's trigger event and yet somehow she gets the opening into Phase's life but not them after 2 and a half years lol.

 

[NoBeeswax]

Probationary Friendship

I rubbed my eyes and didn't bother holding back my yawn as I leaned over the oaken wood counter in the hopes that the smell of pork broth might rouse me from my current state of exhaustion.

Last night was very active - maybe a little too much even for my thrill seeking taste.

Granted, I considered taking down a major Teeth drug den with the aid of Flechette's bolts and Valve's steam powered drones to be an excellent use of my team's time, but the crash that came after the adrenaline rush was more debilitating than I wanted to admit.

The cape fight that I got dragged into against Vex and Hemorrhagia certainly added to my current state of drowsiness.

I yawned again. I probably should have listened to Lily and slept in today, but I really wanted to try out this new ramen bar that a lot of the indie capes in Boston wouldn't stop raving about on PHO and the restaurant was only open for a limited amount of time a day so if I ever wanted a bowl it might as well be now.

I think the owner was some sort of Michelin star chef from Okinawa who retired and decided to open the restaurant as some sort of hobby? I'm hardly a foodie but the line outside was already pretty big (but service was quick so waiting time was minimal) and it was only 11 AM so I guess he must be doing something right.

My cell phone began playing the Exorcist theme and an entire suite of emotions rushed through me.

Breathe.

I specifically made it so that the musical cue only played for one particular number on my contact list.

I continued taking deliberate breaths.

Glancing at my messages on my phone, I saw a simple text message.

Red: I'm here.

I glanced around and shortly saw distinct red hair blowing in the wind outside the ramen bar's large window.

Every time this happens, my fight-or-flight response becomes shorter and less intense. Nowadays, it's barely noticeable.

Even after all this time, I had to admit that Emma was still gorgeous. No longer a teenager, her natural beauty only matured with age and she looked every bit the fashion model that she deserved to be. Her makeup was immaculate and her new shearling winter coat matched her blue eyes perfectly.

Just a few short years ago, her visage filled me with nothing but cold indifference tainted with an extra helping of indignant rage. But now? I felt a strange combination of cautious wariness and…maybe a measure of hope?

She let out a small, hesitant smile and waved at me. I waved back but with muted enthusiasm. She nodded and leaned against the brick wall next to the ramen bar to wait for Connie to arrive.

She didn't enter the bar. She didn't dare.

When I finally decided, against my better judgement, to give Emma one more chance at redemption after all her pleading, I quickly made a list of non-negotiable rules that Emma would have to follow if she was serious about cleaning up the wreckage of our previous friendship.

First one on the list? I didn't want to be alone with her. Not for a long while. Maybe not ever.

To her credit, Emma didn't object even though I could tell the command privately dismayed her. If anything, she went beyond the rule I made by going out of her way to bond with Lily and Connie and even my dad so that her new position as the team's occasional third wheel whenever we were off the job was as seamless as possible.

Emma always was good with crowds and I did feel a little resentment for how quickly Connie and Lily seemed to accept Emma's presence in their lives. Connie's strange acceptance particularly surprised me because I was sure Emma wouldn't be able to crack our Tinker's hard shell.

But my resentment was only minimal because Emma seemed terrified at the thought that I might think she was doing her old social engineering bullshit to try to isolate me again.

She waited for the three of us to meet at a local tavern owned by Connie's uncle before frankly telling us what she did to me back in Winslow and almost begged Lily and Connie to tell her to fuck off if they thought she was restarting old habits.

It was one of the weirdest team meetings in my life. Emma was crying and used up an entire pile of napkins due to nasal congestion, Lily was her usual sweetheart self and comforted her, and Connie got super drunk. I never wanted to repeat that experience if I could help it.

The mead was pretty good though, two thumbs up.

Emma was way more honest about…everything than I was used to. Maybe too honest. Sometimes I wished she would just shut up about Winslow because I really didn't like thinking about that time in my life.

But compared to before, I very much appreciated this new candor of hers.

If Emma had been more honest from the start and just told me what happened to her in the alley while I was at summer camp, then my life would probably be very different right now. At least, I like to think so.

But then again, what do I know? Sometimes it's almost like my life was cursed during my teenage years. Most likely some other tragedy would have happened to me and I would have triggered to get bug control powers or something similar. Who the hell knows.

The sound of a train whistle came out of my phone and I made a sardonic grin. Valve's college lecture was over and she finally arrived at the bar which was close by to her campus.

Connie, wearing a thick brown jacket and tool themed beanie entered the bar and rubbed her hands together to warm them up. Emma quietly followed closely behind her.

I already put my own jacket and backpack on the two stools on either side of me to reserve them.

"Thanks T. You didn't wait too long I hope?" Connie chirped at me as she gave me a short side hug.

I earnestly hugged her back. "It wasn't a problem, I've only been here a few minutes." Connie sat down at my right side and quickly snatched a nearby menu to look at the ramen options.

Now to deal with the elephant in the room.

Emma stood awkwardly by with her arms fidgeting in front of her as her eyes shifted about in uncertainty.

It was obvious that she also wanted to hug me, but she wasn't allowed to do so.

This was the second rule on my list. She wasn't allowed to touch me without my permission. Any physical affection that happened between the two of us had to be initiated by me.

Was this arrangement weird? Yes. Did I feel an unwelcome semblance of guilt when Emma gave me puppy dog eyes when she wanted to touch me and couldn't? Infuriatingly, yes.

Was I going to allow cracks to form in this new arrangement of ours by giving up more of the reins to Emma? Absolutely fucking not.

I'm perfectly aware of how anal retentive my rules were but I really didn't care. After all the fucking shit my high school tormenter made me go through, I think I deserve a little payback.

If my ex-best friend wanted me back so badly, she had to earn it.

I was very upfront about these rules and my former childhood friend didn't disagree. I told Emma that we were not going to be "real friends" for a good long while. I intentionally described our new relationship as a probation period that would end when I said it ended and not a second earlier. I openly told Emma that I was still angry with her and that I still occasionally had nightmares about the bullying and the fucking locker. That I had bad days and I would probably take it out on her even when she didn't deserve it. That I had to fight the urge to physically strike her sometimes.

I wanted Emma to know what a minefield she was entering by wanting to be my friend again.

And yet she entered the killing field with zero hesitation. I still don't know how to feel about that.

With a deep sigh, I stood up and stared evenly at Emma as she continued to fidget nervously in front of me.

"Hello Emma." I eventually started with only a sliver of the warmth I gave to Connie.

"Hi Tay. Thanks for inviting me." Emma shyly returned and she slowly took out her jacket.

I didn't let up my stare. I refused to do so. The moment dragged on.

"A-are you having a bad day Taylor?" Emma eventually let out when the silence became too awkward.

I kept my face as unreadable as possible. "If I said yes and that I changed my mind and wanted you to leave, would you?"

I don't know why I said that. It just came out and I refused to take it back.

Connie stilled in the background and I could tell that she was listening to our discussion but didn't want to get involved herself. Probably for the best.

Emma nodded her head and had the audacity to return a gentle smirk. "Tay, I know what I was getting into when you gave me your ultimatum three months ago. You're the boss. I'll leave if you tell me to."

If anything, my stare became more intense. My clairvoyance field fully enveloped Emma so I could feel every micro-tension of her muscles and every one of her heartbeats. Her body was telling me that she desperately didn't want to leave, but she would if ordered.

Just like she promised, she was not lying to me. Emma was willing to sacrifice her own satisfaction if that's what it took to satisfy me.

"I just - I just want you to be happy Taylor, even if that means that I have to make myself scar…woah!" She squeaked when I suddenly marched up and wrapped my arms strongly around her.

"Stay." I whispered to her as my head rested on her warm shoulder. As always, Emma's naturally hot body temperature felt scorching compared to mine.

Emma melted. She hugged me back tightly and pushed her face into my hair and breathed deeply.

"I missed you Tay."

"I missed you too. Sorry for being difficult."

Emma hugged me tighter. "Taylor, you are literally the nicest, most patient person I've ever met. Don't you dare apologize."

My heart clenched. Where was this Emma during my high school years?

These good feelings were not going to last. It's happened before. My walls always go up automatically when I encounter Emma or Ampere, she and I have a back and forth until I finally lower my guard, I relax and have fun, she leaves and the bad feelings and worse memories always come back.

But, the lifespan of the bad feelings have been getting shorter and shorter while the part of me that looks forward to meeting Emma again was slowly gaining strength. Personal progress I guess?

"Hey cranky and crazy, not that I don't appreciate the diabetes-inducing spectacle, but I'm really hungry and I have a study group that I have to meet in 45 minutes so can we order already?" Connie suddenly interrupted with a hangry look on her face.

Apparently someone felt that the situation had calmed down enough to engage in banter.

As team leader, I should probably scold her, but I'm too busy enjoying my Barnes sauna to really come up with a suitably snarky reply.

---

Finally we have Taylor's POV of this whole situation. She's trying her best.

@FirstSelector