[x] Get more evidence.
[x] Full disclosure
[x] Follow the email and get more information.
X.x.X
Seeing the email address, thought of possibilities. This is an incredible opportunity as well as risk. On one hand, Taylor might find some answers to what she desperately sought. On the other hand, this whole thing could blow up spectacularly. In the end, she judged that the risks were worth it. A quick search on the net showed that this Marie Susan Smith was a real social worker. Even if she was a member of the PRT, she should be quite low on the totem pole. Too low to have a tinkertech defense.
Or so Taylor hoped.
Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful. A few minutes later, Taylor cobbled a nice fictitious advertisement for credit cards. She sent it using a fake email account. To anyone, this would appear as harmless spam that gets sent to email accounts all the time. The genius about this one was the fact that the receiver doesn't even have to download or click on anything for the virus to spread. She just needed to open her email account and then the virus will spread into the computer.
Taylor programmed said virus to erase itself once the task was done which was to copy all the text documents inside the computer within a small frame of time and send it back to the net.
Hopefully, this would work out. Now all she can do is wait.
Done with the Principal's computer, Taylor shut it down. She also set a program to monitor all the computer network for anything suspicious. In the meantime, Taylor began to organize all the video evidence she collected against the trio.
The sheer volume of the harassment should be sufficient to get them into a lot of trouble. The question was what to do with it?
Giving them to the school is not an option, the funding that the PRT gives just for Shadow Stalker attending was large enough that they might continue to turn a blind eye even when it was staring at their faces.
What's left then?
Giving it to the PRT itself? Blackwell's file point that they might not know the whole picture. Supplying the evidence to the PRT would then be giving them a chance to make things right. Still, the question remains if they would do the right thing. Taylor doesn't like leaving things to chance. There was also the question of how Taylor would give the evidence to the PRT. While she could send it anonymously, the subject matter would make Taylor the obvious suspect.
What else?
Going to a lawyer and taking the trio to court. It has a certain possibility but finding someone trustworthy would be hard. Making it a court case as well would be expensive and the other side would undoubtedly have more money than they do.
Both methods might also out her as a cape if she didn't play it right. Taylor sighed, swallowing her unwillingness to leave the matter alone.
For now, it's best to quietly collect the evidence and continue to wait for her chance.
X.x.X
"Taylor, what are you doing?"
Was there someone calling her? Taylor paid it no heed engrossed on making sure the capacitor was aligned well enough so it won't overheat while she was using the computer. She was about to make a solder to keep it in place when a hand shook her.
"Taylor! Taylor!"
The moment she looked away, she found the worried face of her Dad, staring back at her.
For a moment, Taylor felt like a child who was had found her hand on the cookie jar, "I can explain. Just let me finish something so it won't explode."
Danny looked like she wanted to say something. But, he let her be, his hand touching his thinning hairline. "Ok. But, you have to explain everything."
In a few moments, the two of them found themselves staring at each other from the dinner table. Taylor tried to read her Dad's face, trying to find the best way to explain everything. How everything has been going to pieces ever since Mom died. That Emma had betrayed her ever since she started high school. That Shadow Stalker, a known hero was bullying her. All that came out was though was, "I'm a cape."
Danny appeared to be taking this with a great deal of calmness, "I can see that." Taylor noticed that his finger was gripping the dinner table. "Since when?"
"Since a week ago," Taylor replied with forced calm.
"How did it this happen?"
At this Taylor went silent. Even now unwilling to speak about her situation at school.
Danny though fired another question, unwilling to allow the conversation to die down, "What are your plans?"
"Nothing much but I will be a hero," Taylor replied.
If possible, her Dad's face became more worried, his brow knitting together."Taylor, it is dangerous out there. You could be killed. At least get some support first. If I'm understanding right, you're a tinker? I've heard those type of capes are pressganged into the gangs. We may need to talk to the PRT first, get you in the wards---"
"NO! Not the wards," Taylor raised her voice vehemently.
"Taylor, you can't go solo---"Her Dad started getting worked up, Taylor knew she needed to nix this argument before her Dad got invested, even if she had to talk about that.
"Do you know how I got my power's Dad?" Taylor shouted over him, "It was because of Shadow Stalker, a ward, keep bullying me at school. I can't be her teammate. I just can't."
"Taylor..." Her Dad got up from her chair and hugged her.
It was warm. How long was it since someone hugged her. Something dropped from her eyes.
"Emma and I aren't friends anymore."
The dam burst. The two of them talked for a long time.
X.x.X.
The beginning of the week was nice. Taylor and her Dad began talking again. Danny also volunteered to get some of the 'boys' in the union to buy some of the material she needed and her tinkering was proceeding smoothly. While the trio could dampen her mood with their comment at school, Taylor consoled herself that every barb and snide remark were them digging their own grave. She didn't even care that her homework was stolen. She had photocopied it before taking it to school and have even handwritten it. Another arrow on her metaphorical quiver.
Everything was going great.
That is until Sophia Hess happened.
Anger. Disgust. Anger.
Taylor as usual thought about positioning herself near a camera. Something told her that this was different from the others, more threatening. Taylor compromised by finding the camera to the nearest exit which was predictably at the school gate near the guard. Trying to act natural, she made her way there,
In a few minutes, Sophia barreled toward her, the crowd parting like the red sea. "Fuck you, Hebert!"
Taylor instinctively stiffened her muscles and breathed out.
Sophia punched her in the stomach.
That hurt. Hopefully, the camera captured that.
"You freaking coward!" Sophia kicked her and punch her again. This time Taylor went down.
Danger
Taylor bent her head. Sophia's foot barely missed it.
"Hey, break it, you two!" At last, the security guard made a move. Finally. "To the Principal's office, the both of you."
Holding a bruised nose, Taylor looked at the face of Sophia Hess brimming with contempt at the sight of her.
X.x.X.
Your Matter Phase Change appears to have gotten stronger! (QA HALPING)
[ ] +200 degrees Hotter!
You can freely tinker to change the phase of materials even from 0 degrees Celsius to 300-degree Celcius.
[ ] -100 degrees Colder!
You can freely tinker to change the phase of material from -100 degree Celcius to 100 degree Celcius.
[ ] No invulnerability here!
Know a way to make equipment that can phase for 1 full second!
[ ] No phasing here!
Know a way to make equipment/material that makes it hard to phase.
X.x.X
GM Note:
Noticed almost everyone doesn't want to join the Wards even if they picked full disclosure in the thread. Some even said that is the reason why they picked the opposite. So made note of that and made sure that Danny isn't going to go in that direction any chance soon. Though, full disclosure have some unintended consequences as this update can relate.
Also, since "Find Evidence" is basically a holding action. I picked the next two vote which is Find Lawyer - Brandish and Give it to the PRT and will begin organically to make Taylor think about it. So when the time is right, the option just doesn't jump out.
I think the next update is going to be an interlude. I just don't know which POV I will set it yet.
And oh yeah, I was monitoring the download data rate from QA and Shadow Stalker and you got enough XP for your minor tinker to broaden. So there is that. ^^
