"I'm not going to get myself killed. At least, that's not the plan." He raises his hands as though to make some gesture to defend his action, then he just drops them again. "I'm not going after capes and gang members. I think we all learned that lesson a while ago. That's just a recipe for trouble. Thing is, there are plenty of bad people who aren't capes. They can't flick my head off or burn me with their minds. They're regular people just like me. They see a cape, or someone they think is a cape, and they'll run away. That means whoever they were hassling can go home without getting beaten to a pulp or shot or stabbed. Or at least will have someone around to call 911." He shrugs. "I did some thinking after the Privateers went kablooie. Somewhere between Brockton Bay and here, we forgot what we were doing and why. The goal wasn't to crush the gangs beneath our feet. It was to protect regular people who couldn't protect themselves.
"Just because I'm by myself instead of part of a group doesn't mean I can't do something to help, even if it's just a little thing like this."
The angry expression on Lacey's face fades as Paul keeps talking, and when he finishes she shakes her head. You can tell she does not have the heart to argue with him about why he is doing what he's doing, even though she still disagrees with the what. "Who gave you this idea to dress up like a cape, anyway?"
He flushes and winces. "Animal Planet?" he answers in a whisper.
"Wha?" Normally you would be more articulate, but that answer makes absolutely zero sense.
"It was late! I was flipping through channels! There was nothing good on, so I figured hey, I'll just watch some animals run around for a while before going to bed. This British guy was the narrator, and he started talking about something called biological mimicry. It's where animals that aren't dangerous have the same colors or shapes as other animals that are, or patterns that make them look bigger and scarier than they really are. That got me thinking about how everyone sees a costume and immediately thinks cape even though there's no way to know for sure unless they use their power, and anybody with brains is going to skedaddle way before that happens. If I look the part, nobody questions it."
