Just a Phase [Worm]

[Nikas_Zekeval]

I feel like the excuse against a lawsuit would be that they aren't denying her because she is a parahuman that didn't conform but because of x reason, which is something that happens in real life. Plus if the government can get away with violating outed parahumans' rights to privacy I can imagine the courts siding with the colleges if it comes down to it, especially considering the courts in Worm allowed the travesty that is the Canary trial to happen.

Click to shrink...

The problem is? If Earth Bet America is this much a dystopian hell hole where becoming a parahuman strips you of most human rights?

Then a major conceit of this story becomes impossible. Taylor would not be allowed to refuse power testing nor becoming an active Ward. After all fully documenting her powers is for her own good. As is branding her a Ward for all to see according to Gauss in the first interlude.

No, at a bare minimum the PRT has to at least pay lip service civil rights and privacy of parahumans, including and especially ones that are not affiliated with them and without criminal records.

So let's dial back the grimderp, okay?

It is mentioned that leaving the Wards/Protectorate is very difficult and carries various consequences, and while we don't really see an example of that in canon due to the only example of a Ward leaving I can think of being Lily that can be summed up due to the Protectorate/PRT's dirty laundry being aired at the time and Lily joining the Undersiders almost immediately after which probably stopped the organization from using their usual methods. So it can be reasonably inferred that the Protectorate does have methods to go around the Youth Guard regarding Wards who don't fully sign on once they turn eighteen.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, remember the multi-arc hell Browbeat went through to resign from the Brockton Bay Wards? No? Because it didn't happen. He left when his parents pulled him out. So it is possible, at wost like canceling a cable, streaming, or cell phone subscription. Maybe a bit of tedium, some sales rep trying to offer you a deal to change your mind, but ulimately if you want to go, they can't stop you.

In Lily's case, her being an oprhan meant the PRT managed to hold her guardianship, and didn't they fudge her birthdate in the name of 'security' to keep her a Ward past her 18th birthday? OTOH she had been part of the Wards for years at this point, she already drunk the Kool Aid, she just was tired of being yanked around to different departments because they didn't have to move parents with her as well, so she was easier to send.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Yeah, remember the multi-arc hell Browbeat went through to resign from the Brockton Bay Wards?

Click to shrink...

Wasn't that retconned to him dying against Leviathan. Plus even if he didn't there probably isn't much the PRT can do if the Ward's parents decide and to move they haven't signed custody over to the organization which Taylor doesn't have as an option since Danny signed her over to the PRT.

So let's dial back the grimderp, okay?

Click to shrink...

Worm is grimderp though.

Then a major conceit of this story becomes impossible. Taylor would not be allowed to refuse power testing nor becoming an active Ward. After all fully documenting her powers is for her own good. As is branding her a Ward for all to see according to Gauss in the first interlude

Click to shrink...

Well for Taylor she has the defense of no one can actually touch her without her consent which makes just getting her to stay in the building a test of diplomacy, and considering the Boston Department having a bit of common sense should realize that forcing her to do something isn't happening.

No, at a bare minimum the PRT has to at least pay lip service civil rights and privacy of parahumans, including and especially ones that are not affiliated with them and without criminal records.

Click to shrink...

Well the thing is they don't really have to violate Taylor's civil rights, as shown in this story and real life it is possible to fulfill all the terms of a contract and follow all the rules while still screwing someone over, and I can guarantee the PRT are at least proficient in manipulating their own policies to get what they want.

 

[tarrangar]

What might be more interesting, if Taylor can last till she's 18 in this situation? She applies to colleges, and the PRT Retainment rep gets confused. Her college isn't convienent to any PRT office, nor is her course load conductive to patrols either. Instead Taylor is fully cashing out her Ward's (by technicality) educational fund to get a degree as a full time student.

Click to shrink...

There is no Wards educational fund, that's fanon, and stupid fanon that make the Ward program worse at that, what there is is a trust fund, and there's only 1 limitation on it, it can't be accessed until the Ward turn 18, it's not something they lose if they don't have a desire to seek further education after becoming an adult.

The idea that it's a college fund, instead of something sold to the parents as money that can easily be used for college, is bad fanon that basically take Ward pay from great, but most of it is bound up until they become 18, both to prevent them from spending it on stupid stuff, and to prevent any asshole parents from stealing it, to being shitty for Probationary Wards(minimum wage) and only okay for full Wards(twice minimum wage) in any case where the Ward in question, do not in fact want to spend their money on education.

It's a trust fund, not a college fund, not a contingent on good behavior fund, there's no restrictions on it beyond turning 18, if a former Ward want to spend it all on Booze and hookers, then the only way the PRT can object to that, is if the Ward isn't over the drinking age, or isn't in a state where some form of prostitution is legal.

 

[SlickRCBD]

This seems to be a lawsuit waiting to happen.



No, it doesn't end when Taylor turns 18. "Informing" colleges that someone is a parahuman and former Ward once they left the program, just because they were a parahuman? It turns that educational promise for joining the Wards into a lie. Same reason when I speculated that the college fund might be full on paper, but is mostly IOUs from being used for other stuff. If a Ward who aged out tried to use it, those IOUs would have to be paid off to equal the amount they withdraw, otherwise part of the "Life beyond being a hero" is also a lie.

The Youth Guard would hit the roof if they found out that an aged out Ward couldn't walk away from the PRT. What is being proposed is another way to groom teenaged parahumans as soldiers, only waiting till they hit 18, then going "HA HA! We sabotaged you so you don't have any other choices but signing up with us!" Which is pretty much opposite of the Youth Guard mission.

And Jim not being told to STFU when advocating for Taylor and her insistence on not being active in the program shows they YG have enough pull they can't be run roughshod over.

Click to shrink...

Don't forget about NEPEA-5 that basically made being a rogue unprofitable. Don't want to work for the PRT? Fine, but don't pick any job where your parahuman abilities will give you an advantage or you'll be taxed back down to minimum wage.

Also they don't have to tell the schools she was a parahuman, they can just say she was "non-compliant with Authority and had issues with Authority".
Taylor can't sue them for slander because both versions of what they can tell the schools (my proposal and yours) are true.

 

[MovingTarget]

Don't forget about NEPEA-5 that basically made being a rogue unprofitable. Don't want to work for the PRT? Fine, but don't pick any job where your parahuman abilities will give you an advantage or you'll be taxed back down to minimum wage.

Also they don't have tell the schools she was a parahuman, they can just say she was "non-compliant with Authority and had issues with Authority".
Taylor can't sue them for slander because both versions of what they can tell the schools (my proposal and yours) are true.

Click to shrink...

Im no expert on US law but im pretty sure the bolded will get the PRT's ass holes resized via a massive lawsuit backed by the YG, Also its collage not the army, most wont care how compliant she was with the jackbooted thugs as long as her cash is green

 

[ConsiderableHat]

Also its collage not the army, most wont care how compliant she was with the jackbooted thugs as long as her cash is green

Click to shrink...

More than one college, her having issues with the Feds will, if not a point in her favour, at least be a tie-breaker if admissions are tight.

 

[Big Lurker]

More than one college, her having issues with the Feds will, if not a point in her favour, at least be a tie-breaker if admissions are tight.

Click to shrink...

Presuming she's going to make her own way in the world to avoid PRT/Danny, chances are she'd be going to the Uni her mom taught at. Most colleges have at the minimum discounts for children of faculty and, most likely, will be more flexible on accepting her...

Edit: Not to say the PRT can't make things more difficult, but by then Taylor will have several years of loophole finding under her belt, so she should be able to minimize the damage they can do legally, as well as knowing how to hit them if they overstep an inch.

 

[tarrangar]

Don't forget about NEPEA-5 that basically made being a rogue unprofitable. Don't want to work for the PRT? Fine, but don't pick any job where your parahuman abilities will give you an advantage or you'll be taxed back down to minimum wage.

Also they don't have tell the schools she was a parahuman, they can just say she was "non-compliant with Authority and had issues with Authority".
Taylor can't sue them for slander because both versions of what they can tell the schools (my proposal and yours) are true.

Click to shrink...

Do they have the right to tell the colleges that though? They aren't her school, so they aren't part of what you have to present on a college application, if you had a part time job while in high school, you can try to use glowing recommendations as an extra argument for why the college want you, but if you got fired from your part time job for laziness and incompetency, you aren't actually required to put down on your college application that you had said job, and that job is not supposed to seek out the college and warn them about you.

The PRT don't need to give her a recommendation, but they aren't her school, they're an afterschool job Taylor had, it would be extremely suspicious to say the least, for them to reach out to colleges and say they recommend against taking this person, because when she worked for them she was utterly useless.

Even if the Locker event and the bullying get proven in a court of law, if Emmas record is then sealed, I don't think Taylor is allowed to go to every place Emma try to get a job, and every college she applies to, and tell them don't hire/admit Emma she's an evil sadist here's the proof.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Im no expert on US law but im pretty sure the bolded will get the PRT's ass holes resized via a massive lawsuit backed by the YG, Also its collage not the army, most wont care how compliant she was with the jackbooted thugs as long as her cash is green

Click to shrink...

Also "Why are you, the PRT saying this to us? Her High School said she was fine, if a bit standoffish due to bullying in her first High School. Miss Hebert has no criminal record for you to cite either."

The PRT don't need to give her a recommendation, but they aren't her school, they're an afterschool job Taylor had, it would be extremely suspicious to say the least, for them to reach out to colleges and say they recommend against taking this person, because when she worked for them she was utterly useless.

Click to shrink...

Even more tenuously they are the after-school job her father signed Taylor up for against her wishes. And then in the vein of "If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve" never showed up for work because the employer refused to accept her quitting on the spot.

 

[BF110C4]

Right now her entry barriers to a good university are grades and income, in that order. Years of sabotage at her school plus the poor quality of education of Winslow in general means that her GPA is quite likely in the gutter and she needs to dedicate time and effort to raise it to the point she is elegible for higher education, much less to fill the requirements for an academic scholarship. I think we can assume that due to her circumstances she is more likely than not going to try for law school (if not for other thing to make her extracurricular research in how to fight the PRT/Protectorate serve double duty), which means high grades for english, literature, any other relevant social studies and at least above average in math, while doing the bare minimun for sciences.

Then the next step is to get appropiate extracurriculars or part-time jobs to pad the application. I think we all can agree that the PRT won't agree to give her a recommendation letter in the name of whatever cover the Wards program uses for these cases so she needs to do some activities on her own, separate from her unofficial hero gig. The ideal thing would be for her to volunteer on a legal clinic, political campaign or other non-profit at least tangentially related to legal issues, although any work in which she gets a letter commenting on her hard work and diligence would be acceptable. Ironically enough being a gopher in the Dockworkers Union would have been a pretty good start, but for obvious reasons I don't think that will work for Taylor.

And the final requirement is of course money. Depending on the school and living arrangements she is going to need sizeable savings, and while I agree that the Protectorate will give her the trust fund every Ward is entitled, is going to be a small amount because she was deliberately done everything possible to limit her participation to the Wards, and quite likely that includes even the most basic automatic bonuses even the Probationary Wards get for manning the console on a slow day. Student loans will be expensive and even if her father sells the house she won't get a lot of support from there so she is going to need a part-time job to get her finances up to the task, and its going to be something more legal than punching criminals and taking their wallets, because fair or not her bank accounts are going to be monitored by the PRT the next few years.

Oh, and before you mention it, the money she would get for a law suit against the government and her bullies won't count for anything until the trial is won, the appeals are rejected and a sentence with a solid number is issued by the judge, which is going to take easily to her mid-twenties and no university will accept the law suit as collateral for a loan, no matter how much of a slam dunk the case is.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Right now her entry barriers to a good university are grades and income, in that order. Years of sabotage at her school plus the poor quality of education of Winslow in general means that her GPA is quite likely in the gutter and she needs to dedicate time and effort to raise it to the point she is elegible for higher education, much less to fill the requirements for an academic scholarship. I think we can assume that due to her circumstances she is more likely than not going to try for law school (if not for other thing to make her extracurricular research in how to fight the PRT/Protectorate serve double duty), which means high grades for english, literature, any other relevant social studies and at least above average in math, while doing the bare minimun for sciences.

Click to shrink...

Perhaps if the PRT really wanted to make things up to Taylor they can wave her freshman and part of her sophomore years GPA due to extenuating circumstances. Because you know the academic sabotage is kinda on them. Of course that is not mentioning whatever programs that the Wards program provides for academic help.

Then the next step is to get appropiate extracurriculars or part-time jobs to pad the application. I think we all can agree that while the PRT won't agree to give her a recommendation letter in the name of whatever cover the Wards program uses for these cases so she needs to do some activities on her own, separate from her unofficial hero gig. The ideal thing would be for her to volunteer on a legal clinic, political campaign or other non-profit at least tangentially related to legal issues, although any work in which she gets a letter commenting on her hard work and diligence would be acceptable. Ironically enough being a gopher in the Dockworkers Union would have been a pretty good start, but for obvious reasons I don't think that will work for Taylor.

Click to shrink...

Part time jobs is gonna be a bit difficult since Taylor only has a few free hours a week for 'hoby time' which is at the moment entirely consumed by her vigilante work, and I don't see the PRT budging on things if she tries to get a part-time job since the Wards are supposed to be that part-time/full-time job. However joining a school team would be easier since the PRT can't really do shit about that but Taylor would have to make choice between school clubs and heroism.

And the final requirement is of course money. Depending on the school and living arrangements she is going to need sizeable savings, and while I agree that the Protectorate will give her the trust fund every Ward is entitled, is going to be a small amount because she was deliberately done everything possible to limit her participation to the Wards, and quite likely that includes even the most basic automatic bonuses even the Probationary Wards get for manning the console on a slow day. Student loans will be expensive and even if her father sells the house she won't get a lot of support from there so she is going to need a part-time job to get her finances up to the task, and its going to be something more legal than punching criminals and taking their wallets, because fair or not her bank accounts are going to be monitored by the PRT the next few years.

Click to shrink...

I think Taylor should be getting some extra money from the Wards program due to her sitting in for the tours, cus if not then that is unpaid labor which will be an issue. As for the taking cash from criminals I just have to say that Taylor doesn't have to open a bank account and can just stash the money under her bed until she turns eighteen, but I would like to see the PRT/Protectorate try and justify blocking Taylor from opening her own bank account unconnected to them.

 

[BF110C4]

Perhaps if the PRT really wanted to make things up to Taylor they can wave her freshman and part of her sophomore years GPA due to extenuating circumstances. Because you know the academic sabotage is kinda on them. Of course that is not mentioning whatever programs that the Wards program provides for academic help.

Click to shrink...

Probably already did to get her into the school in Boston. That said she still needs to get good grades from now on in order to be accepted in a good university.

I think Taylor should be getting some extra money from the Wards program due to her sitting in for the tours, cus if not then that is unpaid labor which will be an issue. As for the taking cash from criminals I just have to say that Taylor doesn't have to open a bank account and can just stash the money under her bed until she turns eighteen, but I would like to see the PRT/Protectorate try and justify blocking Taylor from opening her own bank account unconnected to them.

Click to shrink...

She probably will get that money, but a couple of hours a week at minimum wage (and that's a fair amount for be sitting there doing homework) is not going to be enough to pay for the bus fare to Harvard much less any other expenses.

I think Taylor should be getting some extra money from the Wards program due to her sitting in for the tours, cus if not then that is unpaid labor which will be an issue. As for the taking cash from criminals I just have to say that Taylor doesn't have to open a bank account and can just stash the money under her bed until she turns eighteen, but I would like to see the PRT/Protectorate try and justify blocking Taylor from opening her own bank account unconnected to them.

Click to shrink...

She can't, for good or naught they're her legal guardians so technically the bank statement would reach them first. And saving money under a pillow won't help her getting a credit card or a loan, she needs to show an steady income or at least prove it to the university bursar it's not from selling weed...

 

[SlickRCBD]

More than one college, her having issues with the Feds will, if not a point in her favour, at least be a tie-breaker if admissions are tight.

Click to shrink...

Don't forget that for the first half of her high school career, her grades were less than stellar. Even if she becomes a straight-A student at the new school in Boston, this combined with a notice that she has an attitude problem with Authority and is non-compliant will make her less attractive than a student with straight B's and no disciplinary issues. The issue is financing college, and with that kind of record, she's probably be turned down for scholarships.

Yes, she can easily goto a 2-year community college and get straight A's like I did, and none of it will matter save for possibly not being able to get a scholarship to a 4-year school (which she will need unless she does something like capture a member of the Slaughterhouse Nine or somebody else with a decent bounty, although using that money for school in her civilian identity can be problematic, especially if they decide to put it in a trust fund until she's 25).

I apologize if this information is out of date. I haven't looked into these details since 1997.
Community colleges are the ones that take anyone who can pay, and offer significant discounts to those in their districts, as much as 1/5 or even 1/10 of the more expensive universities. I had to go that route because my grades suffered from missing homework even though I'd consistently get A's on tests and quizzes.
Funny how I only had an issue with missing homework and "trying to blame others for your own irresponsibility" in 8th grade and high school when I was being targeted for harassment like Taylor, and only in classes I shared with bullies. Funny how those problems vanished between high school and college when nobody was harassing me.
I was able to get the second tier honors in community college, but was unable to get any scholarships and so entered the work force with only an associates degree and would not go to night school to get a bachelor's degree for a decade due to not having the money and not wanting to be saddled with student debt when I had all these other expenses.
So Taylor could goto community college even if more or less blacklisted, but she would have a hard time getting into the more popular/selective universities, and and even harder time getting scholarships to the less selective ones. Given her estrangement from her father, financing college could be an issue. It can cost $10,000-20,000 a year and the lower end 4-year schools, and up to $50,000 a year at the high end. Community colleges cost only $2,000-2,500 a semester (depends on what classes, labs have extra fees and expenses plus the price of books varies, tuition is only $1,500-2,000 but there are other expenses and fees plus books) although there is a ten year difference between those prices. The community college is from 1997-1999 the university is from 2009-2011.
I'm also typing this from memory without fact checking, assume anything that is wrong is an honest mistake.

 

[tarrangar]

And the final requirement is of course money. Depending on the school and living arrangements she is going to need sizeable savings, and while I agree that the Protectorate will give her the trust fund every Ward is entitled, is going to be a small amount because she was deliberately done everything possible to limit her participation to the Wards, and quite likely that includes even the most basic automatic bonuses even the Probationary Wards get for manning the console on a slow day. Student loans will be expensive and even if her father sells the house she won't get a lot of support from there so she is going to need a part-time job to get her finances up to the task, and its going to be something more legal than punching criminals and taking their wallets, because fair or not her bank accounts are going to be monitored by the PRT the next few years.

Click to shrink...

The Trust fund is a flat yearly amount, the money that's effected by how much work a Ward put in is their direct pay, the Trust fund is 50K per year you're in the Wards, then you're additionally paid twice minimum wage as a full Ward, and minimum wage if you're a probationary Ward.

So unless she get out before turning 18, she should have 100k in her Trust fund.

Don't forget that for the first half of her high school career, her grades were less than stellar. Even if she becomes a straight-A student at the new school in Boston, this combined with a notice that she has an attitude problem with Authority and is non-compliant will make her less attractive than a student with straight B's and no disciplinary issues. The issue is financing college, and with that kind of record, she's probably be turned down for scholarships.

Click to shrink...

Where are these notes about attitude problems and non-compliance coming from? She's supposed to have a secret identity, so the PRT can't just pass such note on to the colleges, and at least at her new school Taylor seem to be doing well enough.

There might be some of such notes from Winslow, but the question is how many, and how much they matter considering Winslow is a shit school, so if Taylor get recommendations from her new better regarded school, those are likely to weight more than notes from Winslow.

The PRT don't have a justifiable reason to pass on notices about Taylors problems with authority, both because her secret identity is meant to be just that, and because it's in fact not the the norm or even accepted conduct, for workplaces that were dissatisfied with a former employee, to proactively reach out to colleges said former employee are applying to, and warn them about the employee, they can deny the employee any form of recommendation, but that just mean having worked there get left out of the application, it don't actively drag it down.

 

[SlickRCBD]

Perhaps if the PRT really wanted to make things up to Taylor they can wave her freshman and part of her sophomore years GPA due to extenuating circumstances. Because you know the academic sabotage is kinda on them. Of course that is not mentioning whatever programs that the Wards program provides for academic help.

Click to shrink...

NO, I don't think they can. They can get the academic sabotage put on record in her school file, but that's about it.

Part time jobs is gonna be a bit difficult since Taylor only has a few free hours a week for 'hoby time' which is at the moment entirely consumed by her vigilante work, and I don't see the PRT budging on things if she tries to get a part-time job since the Wards are supposed to be that part-time/full-time job. However joining a school team would be easier since the PRT can't really do shit about that but Taylor would have to make choice between school clubs and heroism.

I think Taylor should be getting some extra money from the Wards program due to her sitting in for the tours, cus if not then that is unpaid labor which will be an issue. As for the taking cash from criminals I just have to say that Taylor doesn't have to open a bank account and can just stash the money under her bed until she turns eighteen, but I would like to see the PRT/Protectorate try and justify blocking Taylor from opening her own bank account unconnected to them.

Click to shrink...

The I-9 form employees have been required to fill out since the mid 1980's requires a parent or guardian signature from any minors starting a job. Also Taylor would have to get her hands on certain identification documents such as her birth certificate (since she's too young for a driver's license and probably doesn't have a passport), which are either in her father's hands or the PRT's.
https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/statutes-and-regulations
See the actual form:
https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/complete-and-correct-form-i-9

I'm not sure about a savings account, but she can't open a checking account without her guardian being a cosigner on the account until she turns 18. This is a legal protection for the bank because of minors and contract law, so the minor doesn't write checks she can't cash and then void the agreement.

I'm almost certain savings account also require an adult signature, but I opened one when I was 8 and don't recall for sure. I do know my mom's name was on the account until I was 18.

I know somebody who had an alcoholic father that also smoked who would steal money out of his teenage son's wallet for beer or cigarette money, and would search his room for a stash of cash. The kid tried opening a bank account with mom's help to keep his money safe, but dad found the savings book and was able to drain the account and there was nothing the kid could do about it because he was a minor, the dad was his guardian, and even though the account only had his and his mom's name on it, it was a Community Property State and absent a legal separation the dad was allowed access to the money. The mother wound up threatening to divorce him and take the kid with him if he didn't get help and pay the kid back and the father went into a rehab program.

Taylor's guardians work for the PRT, and have a conflict of interest, but they are entitled to look at her bank statements and HAVE to sign off on any bank accounts until she's 18 (or emancipated). I believe they also have some measure of control over any such bank accounts and can deny Taylor access to her money. Embezzlement might be an issue for outright taking it, but they can keep her from accessing it until she's 18. They also might pass on expenses to her in order to drain her funds if she's a doing things like wasting it on lawyers working against the PRT.

TL;DR? Those plans for getting a job and opening a bank account on her own are torpedoed because she's a minor and minor's can't do a lot of things legally these days without a parent or guardian [co]signing off on it.

 

[tarrangar]

TL;DR? Those plans for getting a job and opening a bank account on her own are torpedoed because she's a minor and minor's can't do a lot of things legally these days without a parent or guardian [co]signing off on it.

Click to shrink...

Except in terms of getting recommendations, they're mostly irrelevant anyway, the Trust fund have her mostly covered, and the PRT can't in fact touch that, we know that from canon, when Piggot is cutting the Wards pay as punishment for the damages at the bank, she outright say that they should be glad their trust funds are untouchable, if even Piggot who's very willing to play lose with the rules to punish her capes can't/wont touch the trust fund, Armstrong sure wont either, and since Taylor will be in the Wards for more than 2 years, it will have more than 100k in it for when she turns 18, as the Ward trust fund is in fact based on how long you have been in the Wards, not how many hours you put in.

The trust fund is 50k a year, a Ward then either get either twice minimum wage or minimum wage, depending on whether they're probationary, so Taylor don't really need a part time job to save up money for college, she needs an extracurricular that will look good on her college application.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

There is also the fact Taylor's expenses should currently be zero. The PRT is paying for her housing, the cafeteria is free, or at least reimbursed, they're obligated to cover her clothing expenses (within reason, but Taylor's tastes just aren't that expensive) her internet, utilities, etc., are all paid for, so whatever she makes as a Ward should only grow. The real question is the fact minimum wage is usually on a per-hour basis, and how do they determine the number of hours she's working? Normally, you could at least assume that if a Ward is in costume, they're on the clock, but besides the tours, Taylor isn't doing anything that could be considered 'working.' On the other hand, Taylor may consider herself 'on the clock' 24/7, maybe less her 8 hours per week of 'hobby time,' and Youth Guard regulations put a cap on weekly hours a Ward can work. I could see a 3-way fight over just what Taylor is owed on her paycheque once she gets her first pay stub. Are the Wards paid weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly?

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Normally, you could at least assume that if a Ward is in costume, they're on the clock, but besides the tours, Taylor isn't doing anything that could be considered 'working.'

Click to shrink...

I imagine that Taylor considers the forced socialization to be working, which includes things like the upcoming movie nights with the Wards. Plus she can make the case that whenever she is given an order by anyone she is working.

As for the tours I imagine since the PRT/Protectorate want to integrate Taylor as fast as possible they are getting her placed on the tours as much as possible, and since she doesn't have any other duties at the moment they can basically have her on tour duty for her maximum hours. If we go by information from Implacable, Wards are only required to work two hours a day, and can voluntarily extend it to six hours a day which I doubt Taylor is doing. So considering that Wards make twice minimum wage, which Taylor does because the PRT have no grounds to place her as probationary, and the minimum wage in Boston at 2011 was $8 so Taylor makes $16 an hour as a Ward. Putting that all together Taylor makes about $32 a day times five for about $160 a week, there are 52.143 weeks in a year so her yearly income is about $8,342.88 from doing nothing but the bare minimum for Wards duties.

I could see a 3-way fight over just what Taylor is owed on her paycheque once she gets her first pay stub. Are the Wards paid weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly?

Click to shrink...

Another method Taylor can use to get back at the PRT is to demand a fee whenever they give her orders, cus most tasks they can order Taylor to do probably take less than an hour but it is still time Taylor is 'working' as a Ward so a flat fee would be appropriate. Plus I imagine Jim might be able to get on board with the idea since the PRT/Protectorate could use the method to cheat Wards out of pay by giving them frequent short tasks to do during off hours.

As for how often Wards are paid I am not really sure it is not being brought up in the story, mostly because Taylor never asks about it, but I imagine it might be an automatic thing were it is deposited to a savings account seperate from the trust fund one. Which then brings up the complaint as to why Taylor hasn't been given access to the account yet.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

Another method Taylor can use to get back at the PRT is to demand a fee whenever they give her orders, cus most tasks they can order Taylor to do probably take less than an hour but it is still time Taylor is 'working' as a Ward so a flat fee would be appropriate. Plus I imagine Jim might be able to get on board with the idea since the PRT/Protectorate could use the method to cheat Wards out of pay by giving them frequent short tasks to do during off hours.

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure they just take the fraction of an hour you worked, and pay the corresponding fraction of the hourly wage. For example, at $16/hour, a 15-minute task would earn her $4. Employment law isn't that easy to game.

As for how often Wards are paid I am not really sure it is not being brought up in the story, mostly because Taylor never asks about it, but I imagine it might be an automatic thing were it is deposited to a savings account seperate from the trust fund one. Which then brings up the complaint as to why Taylor hasn't been given access to the account yet.

Click to shrink...

Taylor may have access to her account, but doesn't mention it because right now she has no use for it. As for the pay period of the Wards, I mostly ask for the frequency of pay stubs, which she should receive even if they pay her by direct deposit. Once she receives a pay stub, she can learn how they're counting her hours 'worked,' and decide if she disagrees with their accounting.

 

[SlickRCBD]

I'm pretty sure they just take the fraction of an hour you worked, and pay the corresponding fraction of the hourly wage. For example, at $16/hour, a 15-minute task would earn her $4. Employment law isn't that easy to game.

Click to shrink...

Most places that use time sheets round to the nearest quarter hour with a minimum of 15 minutes.
This was with both paper and electronic time sheets, although I haven't seen paper timesheets in a decade.

 

[BF110C4]

Most places that use time sheets round to the nearest quarter hour with a minimum of 15 minutes.
This was with both paper and electronic time sheets, although I haven't seen paper timesheets in a decade.

Click to shrink...

PRT/Protectorate probably keeps their employees tracking as precise as possible, not for economic reasons, but instead because knowing the complete schedule and activity logs of actual hours labored helps with the M/S countermeasures, and from there passing the relevant data to accounting can be done automatically.

 

[SlickRCBD]

PRT/Protectorate probably keeps their employees tracking as precise as possible, not for economic reasons, but instead because knowing the complete schedule and activity logs of actual hours labored helps with the M/S countermeasures, and from there passing the relevant data to accounting can be done automatically.

Click to shrink...

I imagine it works the same as Jewel food stores. Both when I worked there from my senior year of high school through community college (the school wouldn't let me get a job when I was minor due to "discipline problems" since I was blamed equally for being attacked repeatedly) and back in 2018 when I worked as a temp upgrading the computer system.
The time clock system works when you swipe your nametag, and it records the exact time so the boss can yell at you if you're a minute late.
However, the payroll department rounds to the nearest 15 minutes, so if you start at 6:03 it treats it like starting at 6:00. If on the other hand you start at 6:08 you get paid as if you started at 6:15.

Now there was a temp agency I worked for in 2008 called Technisource, which merged with Radaslab Technologies in 2012. In that one they wanted ME to do the rounding on the time sheet I had to fax to them every week as they wanted me to be less precise with my start, lunch, and break times and just round to the nearest 15 minutes.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Omake: Please Explain 2 Electric Boogaloo


Emma felt like vomiting as she listened to Armsmaster's report her breathing slowly becoming ragged as she processed what he said. It had come in yesterday from Boston, a false Master/Stranger warning had been called on Taylor and one of the Protectorate members attacked her causing her to flee and no one has seen her since. Boston sent out an alert to nearby departments after they couldn't find her after a few days of searching the city.

'It's all my fault, I did this, I ruined everything,' Emma thought to herself on repeat as Armsmaster continued to talk treating Taylor like she was some criminal to be caught.

"While not confirmed it is assumed Phase would return to Brockton if she isn't still hiding in Boston. Phase is to be considered potentially hostile to members of the Wards and Protectorate, if you do spot her call it in and wait for back up to arrive so she can be subdued," Armsmaster stated like he was going over what to do if they spotted Hookwolf on patrol.

It made her sick how Piggot and Armsmaster used the emergency to put the Wards back on patrol, calling all hands on deck as if they actually cared about what happens to Taylor. No it was just an excuse to get more boots on the ground, and the Youth Guard investigation put on hold. Apparently there was a clause that allowed Wards to be returned to duty in the case of an emergency and a runaway Ward certainly counted as one.

'If you hadn't pushed her down so much this wouldn't have happened you worthless monster. You hurt her so much that they thought her smiling was because of a Master, truly one for the record books you must be so proud just imagine what Auntie Annette would think,' Emma's thoughts relentlessly taunted her.

"... The exact nature of Phase's powers are unknown as are their limitations. Currently their is no known limit to her phasing, and it is assumed she possess an extra sensory element to her powers but no further reports have been made as well as a total lack of testing. But due to their potentially lethal applications it is advised that confrontation be avoided by any member of the Wards at all costs, if confrontation is inevitable maintain your distance and only engage at range. At this time no guaranteed counter measures exist so be advised," Armsmaster said like he already assumed things would turn violent if Taylor was ever found.

He was probably still sore about the sensitivity training and wanted to get back at Taylor for it. A feeling that was apparently shared by the rest of the Wards team by the way she saw them twitching with barely concealed excitement. They had been benched for a month now and finally they were gonna be let out again, and against the one who got them benched in the first place undoubtedly they wanted some payback as well.

It was Aegis who interrupted Armsmaster from continuing his slander against Taylor.

"Do we know if she has any goals in mind, or anywhere she will go in particular?"

"At the moment no, but she is on record for numerous complaints about certain members of this department," He looked directly at Emma as he said this he would have looked at Sophia too if she was here, but apparently an emrgency wasn't enough to end the investigation into her. "Other than that her father's house is under surveillance so we will know if she shows up there."

'They are wasting their time spying on Danny,' Emma thought but didn't voice. 'Taylor is certainly smart enough to know going there would be a bad idea, and isn't dumb enough to believe her worthless sack of shit father would help her. He never noticed what she and Sophia did to his own daughter for nearly two years, and his first action upon finding out was to get rid of Taylor.' It just made her blood boil thinking of that man to the point that the only person she hated more than Daniel Hebert was herself.

She was so lost in her thoughts of hatred and self-loathing she almost missed Armsmaster's next announcement.

"Additionally we are going to receive support from the Boston Department in tracking Phase. While their local search is still on going hey managed to spare two of their own Wards to aid in the search. The Wards who volunteered for the search are Flechette and Valve, they are on record as having the most positive relation with Phase and are here to aid us in potentially convincing her to come without issue. Their ETA is approximately twelve hours to finalize the temporary transfer. If there are any further questions speak now," Armsmaster finished flatly.

Now this caught Emma's attention, 'Best relationship with Taylor? Did this mean they were her friendship in Boston?'

A brief spark of happiness lit in Emma as she thought of what to ask them talk to them about Taylor, 'And ruin her friendship with them like you did before to keep her alone forever because you are too weak to stand seeing her happy?' The taunting voice in her mind returned reminding her of what she did.

'Shut up!' She thought back in anger, 'I am not like that anymore I won't hurt Taylor again.'

'Oh yes just like how letting Sophia have her fun was just toughening Taylor up so she can be your friend, and the locker was just a fun prank no harm done. You didn't realize you were hurting her then so how will you realize it now.'

Deciding not to have an argument with herself Emma did the only thing she could and went up to Armsmaster.

Armsmaster looked up from his tablet at her and asked in annoyance, "Ampere do you have any questions about the announcement?"

Emma steeled herself for what she was about to ask, "Yes, I would like to volunteer the search. I want to make things right with Phase so please just let me help."

Armsmaster looked back down towards his tablet before answering, "Your determination is admirable but unfortunately due to your past history with Phase it is believed that your presence during the search will only increase the risk of a violent altercation so it is best that you sit this out until the matter is resolved. If that is all I need to be going have a nice day."

And with that he left leaving Emma alone with her thoughts as her last hope of making this right slipped through her grasp and the voice in her mind laughed at her failure.

---

A.N: Well I finally got the inspiration to write a sequel to one of my older omakes. Not sure if I will follow it up again but if I do it will probably be a Danny or Flechette PoV omake cus I don't think it really works if I write it from Taylor's PoV but who knows I might. Anyways let me know what you think, and FirstSelector here is a new one for you.

 

[FirstSelector]

I agree that getting this omake series to work from Taylor's PoV will be tricky, but you're doing a great job with everyone else anyways!

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Omake: Please Explain 2 Electric Boogaloo
A.N: Well I finally got the inspiration to write a sequel to one of my older omakes. Not sure if I will follow it up again but if I do it will probably be a Danny or Flechette PoV omake cus I don't think it really works if I write it from Taylor's PoV but who knows I might. Anyways let me know what you think, and FirstSelector here is a new one for you.

Click to shrink...

Would Taylor even bother going back to Brockton Bay? Doesn't seem to be much there for her unless she wants to go on a roaring rampage of revenge. Familiarity? Well okay, but OTOH no support structure, similar to just picking a random place off a list. So is the PRT just throwing shit at the wall, hoping they'll get lucky?

Taylor's POV could show where she is hiding out, perhaps showing how off base the PRT's guesses are. How much of a lid is the PRT able to keep on this mess BTW?

 

[KingCrimson1081]

So is the PRT just throwing shit at the wall, hoping they'll get lucky?

Click to shrink...

Pretty much this, Taylor never shared much about herself to anyone in Boston so no one really knew where she would go in the event that she ran. So Brockton was at the top of a short list of possibilities due to familiarity and the presnece of Emma and Sophia. Plus they can't use Thinker support to track her so they are relying on educated guesses, glimpses of people who look like Taylor on traffic cams, and any reports from the gangs they can get a hold of which isn't a lot.

Taylor's POV could show where she is hiding out, perhaps showing how off base the PRT's guesses are.

Click to shrink...

That was my thought too but I actually haven't thought about where Taylor is, so at the moment she can still be hiding in Boston, recently returned to Brockton, stowing away on a flight to Europe, or camped out on Lisa's couch.

How much of a lid is the PRT able to keep on this mess BTW?

Click to shrink...

They have kept a pretty tight lid on things for the most part considering when the incident in question happened Taylor hadn't even done the PR tour yet so her presence on the Boston Wards team was limited to just a few pieces of paper with her name on them. So currently the only people aware of the situation is the Boston Department and the other PRT branches who were told to keep their eyes out for her. Currently they are keeping things as quiet as possible to not let the gangs know there is a lone parahuman on the run to prevent Taylor from being grabbed by any of them. Of course this won't stop the Youth Guard from raising hell over the situation internally, while Piggot thinks she got one over them with the situation all she managed to do is by a moment of reprieve for her department.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

Would Taylor even bother going back to Brockton Bay? Doesn't seem to be much there for her unless she wants to go on a roaring rampage of revenge. Familiarity? Well okay, but OTOH no support structure, similar to just picking a random place off a list. So is the PRT just throwing shit at the wall, hoping they'll get lucky?

Click to shrink...

The primary reason is that they need some way to narrow down where to look. Is she just going 'fuck this shit, I'm out'? If so she'll need food and shelter rather immediately, and her sole remaining family is probably the only likely place to get that in a hurry. If she needs a sympathetic ear and/or a shoulder to cry on, her dad is probably still the best choice in her mind, as Jim isn't an option in this situation. If, on the other hand, she's decided to go 'roaring rampage of revenge'? All the targets she is personally aggrieved by are in Brockton Bay. If Nebula was on the target list, Taylor would probably have acted by now.

With the motivators that both a) the PRT can think of, and b) actually suggest a location to go looking for Taylor at, all pointing to Brockton Bay, it makes sense why they would start to direct efforts and resources there. The other possibility, that she runs into the arms of a gang, in either city, will have her reveal herself eventually.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

That was my thought too but I actually haven't thought about where Taylor is, so at the moment she can still be hiding in Boston, recently returned to Brockton, stowing away on a flight to Europe, or camped out on Lisa's couch.

Click to shrink...

Lisa smirked, "You know what? I need a break. You need a vacation. And we both have so much teenage rebellion banked we got to start spending it now or some of it will expire. Let's go on a road trip!"

They have kept a pretty tight lid on things for the most part considering when the incident in question happened Taylor hadn't even done the PR tour yet so her presence on the Boston Wards team was limited to just a few pieces of paper with her name on them. So currently the only people aware of the situation is the Boston Department and the other PRT branches who were told to keep their eyes out for her. Currently they are keeping things a quiet as possible to not let the gangs know there is a lone parahuman on the run to prevent Taylor from being grabbed by any of them. Of course this won't stop the Youth Guard from raising hell over the situation internally, while Piggot thinks she got one over them with the situation all she managed to do is by a moment of reprieve for her department.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but as Ben Franklin observed "Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead." The more people that know, the more the risk increases of a leak, intentional or not.

The primary reason is that they need some way to narrow down where to look. Is she just going 'fuck this shit, I'm out'? If so she'll need food and shelter rather immediately, and her sole remaining family is probably the only likely place to get that in a hurry. If she needs a sympathetic ear and/or a shoulder to cry on, her dad is probably still the best choice in her mind, as Jim isn't an option in this situation.

Click to shrink...

Flechette: "This would be the same father that signed his daughter up for the Boston Wards over her very vocal objections, correct? The father she's deliberately cut all contact with? Why should Phase think he wouldn't immediately call us?"

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Lisa smirked, "You know what? I need a break. You need a vacation. And we both have so much teenage rebellion banked we got to start spending it now or some of it will expire. Let's go on a road trip!"

Click to shrink...

Taylor and Lisa promptly move to New Orleans and start a detective agency.

Yeah, but as Ben Franklin observed "Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead." The more people that know, the more the risk increases of a leak, intentional or not.

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah it is a very loose lid on the situation and the longer it goes on the looser it gets, already the Boston Department has had to ask for help from neighboring departments to find their missing Ward and eventually someone is gonna notice that the local heroes are looking for something or rather someone.

As for the Youth Guard while their own regulations prevent them from annoucing the situation immediately it does let them say 'Hey if you don't find her in x ammount of time we will go public about everything, and we do in fact mean everything.' So either the PRT finds Taylor soon or their dirty laundry will be announced. So far they have held back over concerns for Taylor's secret ID and alerting the gangs to Phase being on her own but eventually they will consider it worth the risk if Taylor isn't found soon.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

Flechette: "This would be the same father that signed his daughter up for the Boston Wards over her very vocal objections, correct? The father she's deliberately cut all contact with? Why should Phase think he wouldn't immediately call us?"

Click to shrink...

Who else would she go to? The only other possible option I can think of is Emma's family, which obviously she has even less reason to trust. Also, if she did go back home, and they missed her because they didn't think it likely, they'd look like massive idiots. In this kind of situation, I suspect that keeping an eye on her home/family is explicit SOP.

I mean, they're probably also checking if her PRT-issued credit cards are being used, warning hotels and motels to look out for an unaccompanied teenager paying in cash, and checking for an uptick in petty thefts, but all that is probably all being handled by PRT agents, with no involvement from the Protectorate/Wards.

Of course, the biggest problem the PRT has isn't finding Taylor, it is what they do when they find her. Foaming her won't work, no restraints they have can hold her, and she can phase through any attempt to tranq her. The only possible way to get her to come in is willingly, and that's not looking likely.