Goddamn Teenagers (Worm, AU/time travel)

[dc2008]

"Hey, kiddo, how was your thing?"

Taylor looked up from her seat at the kitchen table, unamused. "I'm not twelve anymore, please don't call me that."

Her father laughed. "But really, how was brunch?"

"Good."Taylor looked pensive. "It was good. It's like I have friends again. Or acquaintances. People I enjoy spending time with. Whatever. It helps that other!me has vetted them all for the empowerment group thing."

Her father smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that. Tell me about them over dinner?

Taylor gave a small smile. "Only if you tell me about the new used car Kurt and Lacey picked out today."

 

[dc2008]

Brian walked into the lobby of his building and stopped dead. Standing right there wasAlec, wearing pajamas and those stupid slippers of his. He was… collecting a pizza from a delivery woman?

Seeing Brian, he waved. "Yo."

"Alec, what are you doing here?!"

"Fucking your mom."

"What!? No, goddamnit Alec, did you follow me!?"

"Did you follow me?" Alec laughed. "Fuck you, I live here."

"But…" Brian paused. Right. PRT monitored building. Fuck.

Shortly Thereafter…

"Aisha?" Brian asked, hesitantly.

"What up," she replied, not looking away from whatever training manual she was going through now.

"Lisa, your running buddy, do you know where she lives?"

Aisha remained focused on her task. "Down one floor and a couple doors over, why?" Aisha looked up and stared at him skeptically. "Wait, she was your friend, how do you notknow that?"

…

"Hey, bro? You don't sound so good."

 

[dc2008]

Amy tuned out the sound of her sister pacing around the studio apartment, until she heard a loud thud. She looked up, to see a window opened way too far.

Vicky looked abashed. "I might have, ahh, broke something on your window?"

Amy continued staring.

Vicky fidgeted. "I wanted to fly around the block, clear my head, but I didn't want to go all the way downstairs because it takes forever.

Ami sighed and pulled out her phone.

"Oh, does the building have like a repairman, that's awesome!"

"No, I need to call the security people and tell them the window alarm is my idiot sister, not a villainous flyer."

"Oh." Vicky wilted further.

---

Note: Also, to be clear, Glory Girl didn't break the window pane. There was a locking mechanism on the window to prevent it from opening too far (where "too far" means "enough to allow entry"), and to make sure if it did open too far an alarm would be triggered. Basically a higher-tech, alarmed version of the thing I have on my windows to ensure kids can't fall out.

 

[dc2008]

To be clear, the apartment building the teens are in is not some super fortress. Rather, it's a fairly normal building, with slightly stronger doors/windows on certain floors, and with alarms and security cameras in common areas that actually function and are actually monitored. In addition, there are some PRT people who get paid a small extra amount in exchange for living on-site and being "on-call" at certain times. The apartments not in use by the PRT for official business are rented out on short term leases, usually to federal employees or their dependents, to recoup costs. These rentals have a provision allowing the PRT to reclaim the unit on short notice if they need the unit.

It's reasonably likely that some of the Protectorate members have apartments on-site, although I haven't decided for sure. It's reasonably priced, passes whatever security regulations are in place around taking work home, has the ability to facilitate secure comms and is conveniently located. The apartments are also on the small and cramped side and you can't get enough bedrooms to really comfortably raise a family in one, but I expect some capes won't care.

Heck, now that I think of it, Taylor might be living there. Haven't decided.

Coil and the saner villains leave the place alone, for the same reasons that the white hats avoid anything that might be interpreted as going after dependents of capes. Skidmark likely wouldn't care, but no one would believe he was smart enough to find out about it on his own, so if he did attack the starting assumption would be that he was a cat's paw. There also is nothing there he would want.

Brian, Lisa, and Alec are technically paying rent, which is reduced by a housing allowance, and is a non-issue anyway due to Coil's severance pay.

Amy's apartment is being paid for by national office, as part of a "this girl might save the world" protective package. Her apartment has higher security than the others.

Vista absolutely does not have a unit, she is too young, but Rennick and Piggot have a vague sense that they might help her get one when she's a bit older if her home life remains awful. I'm going with the explanation that CPS in BB is apocalyptically short-staffed and underfunded, such that Missy's case is not bad enough that their solutions would be an improvement.

The teens are not living on-site at the PRT for a variety of reasons, including without limitation: (1) the PRT building is a "legitimate" target, the apartment building is not, (2) Piggot has strong feelings about letting teens run around under-supervised on what is in her mind a military base, (3) Youth Guard similarly has very reasonable concerns about what might happen if Wards become too detached from the "real world", and (4) from a budget POV it has advantages.

 

[RichardWhereat]

"Like, she went through all this brain stuff about how brains are super lazy and make super-fast judgments and by making them see what you want you can literally hack their brains"!"

"Aisha that's…" just how first impressions work, I've tried to explain it to you a thousand times. But she was still going.

"I was down on the boardwalk for like two hours and the Enforcers didn't bother me once because I hacked their brains!"

Click to shrink...

This should be taught in schools. Exactly like that.

 

[dc2008]

This should be taught in schools. Exactly like that.

Click to shrink...

Yep! With someone like Aisha you have to convince them to care. Keeping mind she has a short attention OH SHINY

 

[dc2008]

"The trainees will arrive soon," Taylor said.

Rachel nodded, slowly.

"I will be here. If there are problems, get your dogs to safety and let me handle the cops. No violence from you or the dogs."

Rachel nodded, reluctantly.

"And remember, cops are stupid."

Rachel nodded in agreement.

Shortly thereafter

"Stand down! Goddamnit!" The unfortunate trooper radically revised his threat estimate of the woman. "Back to the cars, all of you, we are done for today."

Later

Taylor watched, stone-faced, as the nervous trooper faced Director Piggot.

"To be clear, you volunteered," said the director, slowly.

"Yes, ma'am."

"To work with the parahuman dog trainer."

"Yes, ma'am. It was a good advancement opportunity."

"Specifically to learn how to handle dogs."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Notwithstanding your pathological fear of dogs."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Which you did not disclose to anyone."

"Correct, ma'am."

Piggot stared at him, then turned to Taylor. "It is clear I overestimated the abilities of my NCOs. Your request to personally screen the next batch of candidates is approved."

---

Note:
He panicked and was going for a weapon. He would have pulled a gun if Taylor had not had them disarm. Taylor did have a weapon, and physically got between the trooper and the dogs. However in the moment the troopers were not 100% sure which was she was planning on using the weapon. Taylor's reputation in the barracks has shifted a notch or two more toward badass, not just because she was so intimidating with the troopers but because of how effortlessly she took control of the situation with the half-feral parahuman.

I cut down the scene heavily though, because what remains is enough to convey the gist of it and the extra words didn't add enough to be worth keeping.

 

[dc2008]

"Lisa," Brian said, interrupting her rant. "You told me you wanted to meet over lunch to discuss quote 'matters of mutual concern'. However, so far you have simply bitched about how our PRT friend treats you like you treat everyone, except nicer."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Obviously it's a matter of mutual concern!"

"Look," Brian said, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "It's not like you are wearing an ankle bracelet, if it's that bad you could just skip town."

Lisa looked affronted. "And give up this mentoring opportunity!? Are you crazy!?"

Brian sighed. "I don't get the big deal? She's just whoever in the Chief Director's office drew the short straw and had to come deal with the Bay's nonsense."

Lisa looked personally offended. She leaned forward, her tone manic. "She's not—look, she is the PRT. She is to RCB what RCB is to everyone else. She's not here because she has to be," Lisa gestured in an incomprehensible way she clearly thought conveyed meaning. "The mentoring and intervention and stuff is something she chooses to do. Her 'day job' is, like, S-class threats and national policy! International policy! I'm 85% sure she's the reason the Nine are a greasy smear! She's, like, the most knowledgeable person on the planet for thinker and anti-thinker techniques! Capes included! It's like being mentored by, I don't know, Eidolon! Or Scion! I'd give an arm? All Coil's money? An eye? I'd give a lot for this opportunity!"

Brian was unimpressed. "So you want to have her baby. Why am I here?"

Lisa scoffed. "I couldn't talk about this with Aisha, she'd never let me hear the end of it."

 

[dc2008]

"Taaaaylor!" Victoria Dallon called out, hurrying over with Amy in her wake.

"Huh?" Taylor was not expecting this, one of the things she liked about these sessions was being able to fade into the background. She took a step back from the tall, charismatic, famous, beautiful girl.

"You went to Winslow!"

"Yeah?"

"Oh em gee! I thought you had just moved into town! We never get transfers mid-term!"

"Uhhhh…"

"Vicky," said Amy, with exaggerated patience. "You're scaring her."

Vicky barreled on. "Did you transfer because of the master thing!?"

"What? I probably shouldn't say." Especially since she very definitely deliberately didn't look at anything in the news about Winslow so she didn't know what was public.

"Aha! It was the janitor!"

"The who the what?"

"What, there was MORE THAN ONE MASTER!!!"

Not knowing what else to do, Taylor changed the subject. "What's that light?"

"What? Oh goddamnit."

 

[dc2008]

"How is the Winslow investigation going, Phil?"

Rennick paused a moment to consider…

Excerpts from the Winslow M/S Screening Staff, Parent and Student Interviews

"…and there's no way she would get with himnaturally! He belongs to me! Me! I called dibs! It must be…

"… not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, I know Legend is a good family man, but it still feels wrong! There was never any sign before, and my children talk to me about everything…"

"…so yeah, ah, I totally have been feeling weird lately, and then, ah, my grades started tanking, and, ah, then…"

"What training? Oh, that training, yeah I missed that day and she was supposed to reach out to reschedule and I guess she never did?"

"… he has always been a good God-fearing man, just like me and my father, but now he's changed…"

"… I, uh, exercise my right to sirens. My Melinda. The thing where I don't talk to pigs…"

"Of course I reported it! And sent copies to the Superintendent's office, and our PRT liaison!"

"..the way she's dressing now, that can't be natural, and always wanting to go out! And she gets all squirrelly about me seeing her phone, I bet that's how he's using his power on her, and…"

"… shemme? Wo ne parlaize anglais. No habla boo hui shu fawen…"

"… it was one of them, I just know it, I can't believe theyare even allowed in our schools, it's a disgrace I tell you…"

Back in Piggot's office

Finally, Phil shrugged. "It's good training."

---

Note:

It's an all hands on deck endeavor, and they are likely pulling in people from other departments. On the one hand, it is a massive pain in the ass. On the other hand, it really is good training. They can't say anything official yet, but all signs suggest either a very low level master or stranger at worst, or none at all. But you can't be sure without checking.

Of course, as is always the case with "good training", all the grunts involved are miserable, but if you can't take the joke, don't join the service.

From the budget side, it's expensive, but national is willing to help cover the overrun and then try to pass some on to the school system or its insurer, as part of the never ending cross-departmental pissing match over how much the PRT is allowed to meddle in public education.

 

[dc2008]

Lisa looked at her phone in confusion. Why was Alec texting her?

French Ponce: Yo liz go down and get my package for me
Lisa: ???
French Ponce: It's just downstairs the lazy ass just left it come on
Lisa: I don't live at the loft?
French Ponce: yeah I know ur like two doors down from me
Lisa: how the what?
French Ponce: yeah get exited I'd recognize those nerves anywhere

Lisa cursed. Right. PRT building.

Lisa: not just no but hell no
French Ponce: come onnnnn I'll give you a piece of pizza? Or $5?

Lisa stared dumbfounded. He knew how much they'd gotten from Coil why the hell did he think that would work?

And then she had a wonderful idea.

Lisa: no, but I know someone in the building who will likely do it for 20
French Ponce: great send me deets!

Lisa opened up another chat

Lisa: Hey, you wanna make 20 in five mins?
Lil' Gremlin: Sure!

 

[dc2008]

"Hey bro! You want a Kit Kat?"

"Sure?" He took the candy from her.

"Awesome, I'm on a roll! First Panacea then you, I'm totally doing my good deeds today. Did you know she lives here? Well not really, it's a secret so you can't tell anyone, but she has a place here!"

"Aisha, why are you telling me this?"

Aisha shrugged. "Seemed cool. Ran into her at the elevators coming up. She's on our floor! Gave her a Kit Kat too! Looked like she could use it, her grumpy face was super grumpy today."

"Wait, why do you have a giant bag of candy?"

"Oh some kid Lisa knows paid me to go buy him some. I took my pay in trade. Best job ever."

Brian eyed the large bag of candy suspiciously. Who does Lisa know that would pay that much to… MOTHERFUCKER.

 

[dc2008]

Dennis and Chris looked up from their game when the door opened.

"Hey guys," said Triumph, entering the Wards room. He was followed by a tween girl, about Missy's age, in casual clothes and a generic mask. She looked around with interest.

"This is Insight. She is a new Ward. To be clear she is not one of the villains we 'rescued', and if you do her wrong you will know vengeance beyond your imagining. You may notice a small delay when talking to her, her power reacts poorly to certain phrasing so everything you say is being filtered."

Chris and Dennis looked at him, looked at each other, and shrugged.

"Great!" Triumph said with forced cheer. "I'll leave you to get to know each other while I go fetch the next one." Then he left.

The three Wards awkwardly shuffled in place for a moment. Then Missy—no, they had a newbie, Vista—entered with a large flashlight. Upon seeing new girl, she did a double-take.

Vista recovered quickly. "Hello person I don't recognize," she said with exaggerated cheer. "Would you like to explore our glorious kitchen with me? There will be toast."

The new girl boggled, then laughed before scurrying off with Missy.

Dennis and Chris went back to their game, and paid no mind to the intermittent whispering and giggling from the other room. Girls, right?

Shortly thereafter Triumph returned with a grinning blonde girl in a purple skirt suit and matching domino mask.

"All right everyone, and here is… where did Insight go?"

"Oh," said Chris. "She and, uh, Vista are making toast?"

"Oh," said Triumph. "I didn't realize we'd gotten the replacement toaster." He looked at Chris significantly.

The purple girl started snickering.

"Actually, I don't think we did…" said Chris, confused.

Purple girl guffawed, and any further discussion was cut off by the fire alarm.

 

[dc2008]

While unsure of how seriously to take Lisa's impassioned fawning, Brian did make sure to show up early to his next check-in with Dr. Weaver.

Upon seeing his posture, the woman adopted an appraising look. "Hmm. I'm going to guess Lisa?"

Brian twitched.

The older woman nodded. "She has an over-exaggerated sense of my importance, I'm sure."

She gestured for Brian to have a seat before continuing. "How are you settling in?"

Later

Before we wrap up, is there anything else that might be of interest or concern?"

Brian sighed. "I'm worried about Aisha's 'new job'…." He explained.

Dr. Weaver listened thoughtfully and, when he finished, nodded. "I think I understand."

Taking out her phone, she put it on speaker and dialed.

Alec's voice drifted out. "Yo Boss Lady." Tinny explosions and high pitched voices could be heard in the background.

"Aisha, your go-fer, is Brian's sister. Don't make her cry."

Alec laughed. "I like you."

Dr. Weaver hung up. Seeing Brian's aghast expression, she sighed. "Alec's upbringing makes him spectacularly sensitive to hierarchies of power and protection. He might be his usual self but he won't hurt her."

Brian looked unconvinced.

The older woman continued unphased. "No doubt Aisha will be a good influence on him. But there is something else I can do to help…"

Later

"Hey doc!"

"Aisha, your brother asked me have a chat with you."

"I didn't do it!"

Taylor snorted. "Nothing like that, no he has realized that you are growing up, and there are certain topics neither he nor your father are qualified to talk to you about…" she set a box of condoms on the table.

Aisha's response was a look of dawning horror.

 

[dc2008]

It has not yet sunk in yet, but Brian's big struggle, to save Aisha? It is over. Somehow, things are working out OK. And even if something happens to him Aisha has a powerful protector. More than one, really.

When he finally does actually realize this, I expect he'll go through a phase of being a bit adrift and irresponsible, at least by his own standards. Aisha will likely enable him here. So I just don't see any long-term healthy relationship in his near future.

That said, Aisha is going to continue to try to find him an awesome GF! And Vicky needs a new project! I'm sure it will all be fine.

As for the sex ed, well I'm leaning toward sex for Taylor not actually being that big a part of emotional intimacy. Her experiences in Worm were… what they were, and post-GM I for several reasons I can see her not ever really settling into a long-term stable romantic relationship in the conventional sense. I suppose there is a discussion to be had over what exact terms could best describe her sexual and gender identity but it's not really something she thinks about and if asked she would say she's straight, obviously, despite the lack of adult male peers or partners in her found family.

Uptime!Taylor doesn't lack for emotional intimacy. Well, didn't before coming back here. Her and uptime!Lisa have a sort of mutual-support codependent thing going on where they both enable each other and keep each other in check. She is a sort-of aunt to the Heartbroken, as well as the BB orphans, and Aisha and Rachel are around, and yeah it's not conventional but they're family in every way that matters and it works. And Taylor never really stopped saving lost souls, even as she did avoid becoming primary caregiver for any child for reasons previously discussed in a prior post. In some ways she's a teen mom who never stopped picking up additional moppets, the way some people adopt stray cats.

So I figure on the technical points she can give good instruction to Aisha, and will be very clear on things like "if you aren't having fun why bother", but in terms of conventional relationships she's able to give some general guidance but not too much specific. The most normal couple she has interacted with regularly is probably Dragon and Defiant and even that is not really normal.

Overall it's going to very much come across as "sex is a thing some adults do for fun I guess and here's all the technical details", with a strong subtext of "it's kind of messy and awkward" because Taylor is emotionally healthy and doesn't repress at all and has totally normal and healthy attitudes toward intimacy and is totally OK with lowering her guard and trusting Lisa why are you laughing I will come over there.

---

Jaded!Taylor has few good role models for conventional healthy relationships. This is an advantage insofar as she is not stuck in a single rigid framework (she has seen a number of surprisingly functional unconventional relationships) but makes it harder to communicate what she knows for the same reason.

Taylor is, among other things, a master of compartmentalization. I fully expect she consciously did not allow herself to pay attention to all the sex her bugs observed.

As for BDSM, pre-GM Taylor was a walking, buzzing pile of trust and control issues. Post-GM, she gets the bonus prize of a massive fear of ever again losing control of her body (being body jacked is traumatic, even if sort of consensually), and a massive aversion to anything that might suggest she enjoyed exercising control over others, after being a puppet in her own body while her power controlled All The Capes.

I do expect Taylor has watched somewhat more closely as Victoria, Aisha and the various strays embarked on romantic misadventures, and on a technical level is likely very familiar with masturbation as a stress relief tool, as well as sex to a lesser extent. I expect she still has her idealistic view that it would be awesome if sex did come with an emotional intimacy, but it's not really something she got with Brian, during her time in the Wards she very much was not looking for a relationship, and after GM it didn't happen for various reasons. So she is in the weird place of understanding the technicals well, and having little patience for bad sex or inconsiderate partners, but still feels that on some level she has always been doing it wrong and has sort given up.

Young!Aisha is left with the impression that jaded!Taylor both knows far too much about this stuff, and somehow still misses the point.

Taylor basically has completely decoupled emotional and sexual intimacy in her life and I doubt she has allowed herself to consciously realize the fact or engage with it. And of her close confidants, they either also have unconventional preferences on intimacy (Lisa, Rachel) or absolutely refuse to dig into this mess (Aisha, Victoria).

Meanwhile Lisa and Taylor commiserate on how irrational and strange everyone gets on this topic, and they are the only sane ones.

 

[dc2008]

Victoria looked at Taylor expectantly.

Taylor cleared her throat, and recited carefully, "I learned a lot at Winslow. After much consideration it was decided that my educational needs would be better met at Arcadia. I have the utmost confidence in the investigation being conducted by the District and the PRT."

Victoria's eyes widened, and then she nodded intently, before scurrying away, already on her phone.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that was a good idea? God knows what she'll tell people now."

Taylor shrugged. "I will not say whether or not I have a lawyer, but if I hypothetically did that statement would have hypothetically been checked with hypothetical them."

Amy snorted. "God, you two deserve each other."

"Hey!"

 

[dc2008]

Sabah felt conflicted. A part of her felt relief, that the boy who had loomed so large in her fears was well and truly gone. And part of her felt guilty for feeling relief, because he was a human being and it felt kind of icky seeing as in any way positive the death of another human being. Even if it was in a stupid drunken accident.

As usual, she avoided thinking too much about it by burying herself in her work. She had been hired, on quite nice terms, to do a series of promotional events around town, and it was an opportunity she wasn't going to let go to waste. The new PRT liaison was a woman who was actually reasonable, and even the gangs hadn't been sniffing around lately.

Things were looking up.

Elsewhere

"I appreciate your concerns, Director West, but the decision is made," the Chief Director stated with the inevitably of a steamroller. "If nothing else, the Nine demonstrates that we are underinvesting in psychological capabilities, as well as in our understanding of power interactions and power-affected psychology. Jack Slash's master ability is exactly the sort of thing we can't afford to miss, and once it was realized what had been an insoluble problem became trivial.

"Directors Armstrong and Tagg will oversee the new initiative, in addition to their other duties, and we will revisit progress next quarter."

"But!"

"We're done, West. Next item."

---

Notes:

More butterflies. Armstrong is involved for the usual, obvious reasons. Tagg is involved because he understands, in that way that the better long-service military officers do, that you go to war with the people you have, and at some point you just have to make it work, no matter how broken and dysfunctional your personnel might appear (or indeed actually be). And because if you put Tagg on the project, (1) the detractors won't be able to say it's just a bunch of wish-washy nonsense and (2) due to his containment zone experience, he appreciates better than just about anyone the degrees of mental fuckery powers can bring.

Also keep in mind that part of what this group will be doing is going through Riley's notes and half-finished projects.

 

[dc2008]

"Taylor?! You're alive! I was so worried!"

Taylor looked around surprised. She, Sierra and Cassie had been wrapping up dinner at a local diner, and she was not expecting to be unexpectedly greeted by… Greg?

Later

After Greg left, the girls shared a look.

"He was…enthusiastic?" Cassie offered.

Taylor snorted. "Better than he used to be."

"Still," said Sierra. "I wonder, that's an awfully strange run of good luck he's been having. Normally I'd let it go, but with all the M/S issues at that school?

Taylor looked pensive.

With an apologetic glance toward Taylor, Sierra continued. "I'll ask Charlotte about it?"

Taylor hesitated, then slowly nodded. Intellectually, she understood now that the girl had her own struggles, but it would take a long time before Taylor forgot any of the Winslow bystanders.

 

[dc2008]

"I don't understand what's so important," said Lisa, as Aisha pulled her toward the Dallon girls.

"I told you, we need someone who knows Brian!"

"But that doesn't tell me anything!" She knows.Power offered, pointlessly. Lisa clamped down on Power before it could wander off on a tangent about Aisha's gait or hairstyle or whatever.

"But it doesn't say where they are!" Vicky said as they approached. "How will you protect yourself!"

"I'm sure it will be fine," said Amy skeptically.

"Hey, Vicky!" Aisha called out. "She's friends with Brian, ask her!"

Vicky turned her full attention to Lisa, and smiled. "Great! So Aisha says her brother is all noble and won't tell her what he wants in a girlfriend!"

Lisa snorted. "You realize that after with his job and having finally gotten custody, he probably isn't in the headspace for a full-up relationship?" Lisa asked, being uncommonly considerate.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "It's fine if he just wants a hook-up, that's cool! Bro is awesome and deserves nice things! And most high school boys are awful and Vicky's friends deserve better! He just needs to meet the right person! Or persons!"

"Look, if he won't tell you what he wants, just pay more attention to what types of girls he notices when you are out doing things?"

Vicky nodded. "That's on the right track, but I have an even better idea…"

---

Note: Lisa tried to do good!

 

[dc2008]

Brian walked into his father's gym, took one look around, and walked back out. He wasn't stupid enough to think he'd gone unnoticed, but he absolutely did not want to have this discussion in front of the patrons or worse, his father.

Shortly thereafter, Dr. Weaver came out. She nodded to Brian, and left.

Brian immediately went inside to talk to his father.

Later

"Aisha," Brian called, toweling his hair off from the shower. "Have you seen my phone?" He could have sworn he'd left it by the bed but it wasn't there.

"Uh, by the TV?"

"Thanks!"

Picking up the phone, Brian stepped into his room, shut the door, and dialed Lisa.

"Hello?" Lisa answered, confused.

"Why is my father helping Dr. Weaver find people to teach you all to fight dirty? I have never seen that man so excited to talk to a cop."

Lisa laughed. "Hun, I wish I was that good. Good luck!"

<click>

Well, he thought, now I know how she felt.

 

[dc2008]

"Where are we going again?" Taylor asked.

"Puppies and kitties!" Cassie replied, vibrating in her seat.

"I was promised coffee," Amy grumbled.

"Cupholder," said Dr. Weaver.

"Hmm?" Amy suddenly perked up. "Coooooffffffeeeeee!"

Shortly Thereafter

"No, Namor," the monitor said, as she carefully extracted a small kitten from Taylor's hair.

"Now remember," said Cassie, "they are very young and we are just supposed to socialize them, so we can't stay too long or they'll get tired."

"Mreow!" Squeaked a kitten, as she rubbed against Taylor's leg.

"How is that going to work?" Taylor asked, gesturing at the kitties that had decided she was delightful for climbing.

"Aren't you the most perfect apex predator," Amy mumbled as she caressed a particularly floofy black cat. "Those eyes! And ears! And claws! I cant believe someone would abandon you!"

---

Note: Yes, there do exist places where you can help socialize adorable little kitties.

 

[dc2008]

Note: This happens before the last chapter.

---

"They're villains!"

"What did they do, exactly?"

"Villain things!"

"They roughed up gang members and took their stuff. Is that alone villainous behavior?"

Victoria opened her mouth and the closed it, before continuing, "Hellhound killed someone!"

"Hellhound's case was badly mismanaged by the PRT and the death, while tragic, occurred in connection with her trigger event and was outside her control."

Victoria frowned. "Still, I don't like it!"

Dr. Weaver nodded. "That's fine. Keep in mind that they are teenagers, caught in bad situations, and whatever else happens they will have less chance to do harm going forward."

Victoria wandered off, looking pensive.

 

[dc2008]

"Remember what I said," Dr. Weaver said as the vehicle pulled to a stop.

The girls nodded, and got out of the SUV.

As they approached, a stocky girl came out to greet them. She was accompanied by three dogs.

Later

"The dogs are very well cared for," said Amy, after completing her inspection. "But it's clear they were hurt before. What happened?"

Happy barks and laughter sounded in the background, as Cassie and Taylor played fetch with the dogs.

Rachel gave Amy an indecipherable look. "Hookwolf."

"That fucker," said Amy with feeling. "Do you want me to come back later and fix it?"

Rachel nodded.

Amy looked apologetic. "I'd do it now but I haven't done animals much so the PRT will need to watch."

Rachel snorted. "Cops are stupid."

Amy barked out a laugh. "Yeah, they are."

Later

"What do you think?" Dr. Weaver asked Rachel.

"Not stupid."

"Ok if they come back sometimes?"

Rachel pondered briefly, then nodded.

---

Note:
Rachel uptime is one of Taylor's closest friends. And while Taylor figures that worst case, young!Lisa could mostly muddle through on her own if needed, Taylor definitely wants to intervene hard and fast to get young!Rachel in a better position ASAP.

(Taylor a long time ago got in the habit of living her life like she was on borrowed time, and the mental habits are very deeply ingrained.)

 

[dc2008]

"Finally," said the intel officer, "the Winslow situation is now being referenced in Empire messaging. It is what you would expect, statements attributing the problem to lesser races, and so forth."

"Have they identified anyone specific?" Emily asked. Whatever she thought about Hess, Emily was not going to sit idly by while the girl's family was targeted.

"No. However, the rhetoric is suspiciously strong, and it is coupled with a general increase in focus on M/S concerns by the Empire. We received an under the table message from the Empire emphasizing that they will not interfere with ordinary M/S efforts at schools. In addition, they forwarded an assortment of M/S "tips" for various schools, which are of course suspect but must nevertheless be investigated."

"What are they doing?" asked Phil, putting voice to what they were all no doubt thinking.

Meanwhile, Assault was furiously flipping through his briefing packet. "Are we sure these sighting reports are accurate?" Assault asked, looking up.

"As sure as we ever are," the briefer responded, confused.

"Huh. I wonder if Rune went to Winslow. She hasn't been seen, at all recently."

"It would explain the observed behavior," said Miss Militia.

"Dig into it," Emily ordered. "The usual caveats apply to civilian IDs, but if there is a master targeting Empire capes we need to know."

---

Note: Oh noes!

 

[dc2008]

Uptime!Taylor is benevolent but I'm not sure I'd call her "nice". She got Sophia flagged as a possible master in a way that makes it very hard for her to get herself cleared, and it's not like she has any remaining goodwill at all with the relevant authorities.

The "trigger M/S flags at Winslow" strategy worked. It was fast, effective, and solved young!Taylor's immediate problems with great finality. It similarly ensured that the people uptime!Taylor viewed as at-fault got absolutely hammered.

However, this approach definitely was not narrowly targeted. You've got a lot of students, parents and staff who are worrying a lot about possible M/S effects, and it's a huge deployment if PRT resources.

Of course, at some point in this mess, jaded!Taylor realizes that Sophia really might have a Master and/or Stranger ability. People are not always conscious of all of the effects of their power, and it's not like Sophia would be honest about it. And a lot of people who really should have known better really were complicit in her nonsense.