Chapter 2.4: Territorial
Shintouyu
A Wandering Soul
SOUND THE ALARMS
Chapter 2.4: Territorial
After the celebration party, between continuing to hang out with the Wards tomorrow or going home to see Dad, I decided to go back home because I could always meet with the Wards later. Besides, it was practically a whole month since I had last seen Dad in person and I missed him and our house a whole lot.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Dad in the morning because he was already gone for work by the time I was dropped off. I was late because I decided to have a pleasant chat with the other Wards and a really big breakfast at the Base (didn't want to empty my house's fridge after all).
Being back home was an oddly good feeling. The old memories of happier times and their subsequent absence in the future would usually keep the place from feeling too peaceful.
'I guess this is what being homesick feels like.'
"I'm home," I whispered as I explored my house that was very familiar yet also changed.
Most things around the house had remained the same, nostalgic. But not all of it was the same as I had last seen. Even though I now owned protective-gloves, the PROT had replaced a number of fixtures with new reinforced objects (like the doorknobs and fridge), or completely renovated some rooms (like the bathroom), to make it easier to go about even if I forewent gloves. Likewise, a few chairs had been replaced with stools, so that I could sit without my tail getting in the way.
As for my own room, there were about two big changes. One was the bed, in which I had previously ruined the mattress when I accidentally sunk my claws into it, had been replaced with a new bed that was far sturdier and comfier to lay on. The second was the brand new computer resting atop my desk, it wasn't high-tech but still better leagues better than the old hunk of junk that I originally owned. Other than those two, there were also boxes sitting in the corner with my new everyday clothes (same as what I had at the Wards Base).
After exploring my house, I simply basked in the serenity.
Once I was sufficiently refreshed, I thought about how to spend the rest of my day.
Right now at home there wasn't much to do besides surfing the internet -- the Wards Base had spoiled me with the expansive selection of books and movies that I could read and watch. But, besides my house, there was only one other place I allowed to go at the moment...
'Today's Sunday,' I checked the clock and it was a little past 8 AM, 'If she doesn't have anything planned then Ems should still be home right now.' I double-checked with my Thinker powers and she was indeed nearby.
I left the house to visit my best friend from across the street.
I waved to some of the PRT Troopers who were watching my movements but they didn't gesture back.
Ringing the doorbell, Emma's Mom opened the door.
The woman needed a moment to compose herself, "Taylor, is that you?" she blinked her dampened eyes, then quickly stepped out and gave me a great big hug that couldn't wrap all the way around, "Oh, the awful things you had to go through...!"
"Hey, Missis Barnes," I spoke softly, "Nice to see you again and I'm alright, really."
She shook her head, letting go of the hug, and took a step back. She wiped her eyes and looked straight at mines, I bent my legs to put myself more on her level so she wasn't straining her neck.
"You're a strong girl to endure so much, Taylor. But it just isn't right that you and the girls were attacked. I told you after you came back from Summer Camp, right? That Emma and her father were attacked by hoodlums? It hasn't even been a whole year since then!" She shook her head again, disappointed, "Brockton Bay wasn't perfect but it didn't used to be this awful."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that, if I even should, because maybe Brockton Bay wasn't a total shithole two or three decades ago. But right now the city was plenty awful, likely even worst than I could imagine.
'But not for long once I start clearing out the gangs...' But best not to voice that idea to Missis Barnes, she'd have a conniption.
The woman continued, "And shame on the PRT and Protectorate for locking away a perfectly good girl like you for so long, they're supposed to be the good guys!"
"Well, they did give me lots of books to read, so it wasn't all bad."
"Books aren't worth trading your freedom away. Really, I haven't seen you in a whole month!" Emma's Mom replied with a wry smile, "Is everything really alright, Taylor? If the PRT and Protectorate isn't treating you fairly, then you know you can rely on Alan to slam the book on them."
That reminded me that Mister Barnes was a lawyer. Though I wasn't sure which kind, was it divorce or criminal? It was a mildly comforting thought that he would fight on my behalf, that he might have after I had triggered and rampaged, but I don't think Cape cases were his field of expertise, so it was unlikely.
"Yeah, I'm really alright," I nodded, "They're letting me do more stuff now, like being able to come home on the weekends. Then in another month or so, I'll be able to start going back to school and stuff." She seemed dubious despite my assurances, so I moved on, "Is Emma home?"
She sighed and let me in, "Yes, upstairs in her room."
I waved a small goodbye to the woman, along with a small greet and bye to Mister Barnes when I saw him reading the newspaper while relaxing on his armchair.
Then I was upstairs and knocking on Emma's door.
"Hey, Ems, it's Taylor."
It didn't take more than a casual moment for Emma to open the door wide. It didn't look like she was dressed to go out, and she looked me up and down with a critical gaze, "Are those clothes really the best that the PROT could make for you?"
I shrugged, "I guess, better than being naked anyways."
My best friend scoffed, "Amateurs," under her breath, and then moved side to let me in. She took a seat on her bed, "Have a seat, Tay," she pointed to a newly added stool, "Or..." she smirked, patting the bed.
"One time!" I objected as I took the seat.
She made a haughty gesture and expression as if I was losing out.
I swear, Ems was going to tease me about that forever!
"So, they finally let the big bad lizard out of the dungeon. Wards Base, right? How was it, nice?"
"Well..." I racked my brain, dividing the subject into things that I could and couldn't reveal, "Do you remember that Meet The Wards Tour we did together when we were younger and then we got to meet them at a lounge-room? The Wards Base is at least five times bigger than that with lots of books, games, and movies. Its even got its own kitchen too, though nobody really cooks, so there's just a lot of pre-made microwave meals to eat."
"Huh, place sounds funs, but the food sounds bleh."
"It's not that bad. It's just gets really boring really fast with how everything is supposed to be nutritionally balanced. I mean there's variety but there isn't variety. Though I've apparently also grown an appetite for fish."
"Fish?" she quirked a brow.
"Yeah, I'm aquatic," I said, tugging down my turtleneck and pointing to the gills on my neck, "I can basically live underwater for a long time."
"Hmm," she hummed as he eyes scanned my scales, dorsal-plates, and then to my long tail, "So you're like an alligator then. Neat."
'If an alligator could shoot out nuclear beams,' I thought in my head but replied, "Yeah, like an alligator."
The conversation continued on like that, about the new things that were going on with me and what was new going on with her.
From what I could understand, Winslow was tensely different. The rent-a-cops were more aggressive, eager to beat down on ramble rousing gang-affiliated students, likely a result of Director Piggot putting in word with Principal Blackwell at my suggestion. Due to Emma's influence as Queen Bee (and whatever influences that Madison and I apparently had) had caused the cliques and staff to further shun the E88. Then there was the growing tension between the E88 and ABB goons where more than a number of them had already disappeared, never to be seen again, likely dead in some gang-related altercation.
It wasn't ready to blow up at any moment but it seemed like all the ingredients were there for Winslow to explode.
"Why the guilty face, Tay? Not like the situation is your fault."
"I know it's not, it's Sophia's." Emma twitched ever so slightly and I felt a bit hurt that she didn't voice her agreement with me. "But I... well, I'll be transferring to Arcadia later on, as part of my Wards benefits. So I won't actually be going back to Winslow anymore. And it just feels like I'm leaving you and Maddy behind to deal with all that crap by yourselves, like I'm running away.
Emma's eyelids lowered gently, "Hey, there's no need to feel guilty about that. You've always complained about Winslow being a shithole, so it's a good thing that you're finally getting out of there, Arcadia's a much better fit for you. And you don't have to worry about me or Maddy, we'll survive."
I pursed my lips. After Mom had died, Dad and I were just surviving, we weren't living at all. There were hints of that in Sophia too, a vicious predator versus prey mentality that had evolved from her bitter experience as a mere survivor. Surviving meant a lot of things, none that I could associate with being purely good.
"I, um, sort of made Sophia promise to keep you two safe for me. If she doesn't then I'll... well, I'll get angry."
She smiled, "Thanks, Tay, I appreciate it."
I nodded, "Hey, can I get your cell-number, and Maddy's too?"
"Your dad finally let you get a cell?"
I shook my head, "No."
"Ah, gotcha," she hummed, understanding the situation. Emma prettily wrote down her and Maddy's number and handed the folded slip of paper to me. I pocketed it into the bottom-pouch of my turtleneck-apron and zipped it. "Want me to call her over right now?" she asked.
I considered it for a moment and nodded, "Yeah, that would be nice."
It didn't take longer than fifteen minutes for Madison to arrive, which likely meant that someone drove her here since I was pretty sure that she lived in one of those Downtown Apartments.
After Emma opened the room door to let her in, Madison bright-blue eyes found me instantly, she shot towards me and took my hands into her own.
"Oh my god, Taylor, it's been over a month! Where have you been, how have you been? You never kept in touch!"
"Hey, Maddy, nice to see you again. Sorry about that. I didn't know your number before but I do now, so I'll call more often."
"Girl, you can't be the only one, you might forget to call back, so give me your number too!" she said as she pulled out her own phone.
I smiled apologetically, "Sorry, you know I don't have a cellphone and you already have my house-number. So, um, I guess if you call the PRT HQ they can forward your calls to me -- I think I need to actually talk to them about that."
"Oh," Madison looked like I had kicked her dog, her hand lowering, "Are they still keeping you locked up?"
"For another month or so. Just got to learn the ropes as a Wards and then catch some thugs. You know, show myself off as a hero so the city doesn't have a panic-attack when I can start going out by myself."
She tilted her head, "Okay then, so when you're free, wanna go shopping again? We didn't get to finish last time!"
I doubted any stores had clothes in my size or shape, so actually going shopping sounded like a fruitless endeavor. But maybe Madison could work a miracle and piece together some outfits for me anyways.
Emma thought my current wardrobes were lacking and commented, "Great idea."
The idea of refusing her felt bad, so I smiled warmly, "Sure, next time."
Maddy beamed a pearly-white smile in return.
And then the three of us, Emma, Madison, and I simply chatted, about everything and nothing, letting words fill us with pleasantry of a delightful future that was yet to come. We played around with accessories and make-up, or rather they dressed me up like a doll after I had tried to describe what I looked like in costume to them. We had lunch, a deliciously seasoned spaghetti with meatballs cooked up by Missis Barnes and Missis Clements who had come over as well (though I had to cross back home to get my sturdy set of utensils and wares). We watched shows for a while in the living-room.
And then it was time to go home.
I felt reinvigorated, then bid my friends and their parents goodbye, before returning to my own abode.
There were still a couple of hours -- maybe a bit more if he wanted to work overtime -- before Dad would get home.
I decided to take a long, clean shower.
After that, I made a hot meal for Dad. 'He'll appreciate that after a hard day of work.' Normally, he was too tired to cook dinner and eat it, opting to go to bed instead. But, after my summer-camp revelation to support him more, I had started to spend more of my time trying to cook light dinners for him. Well, I say cook but it was more like heating up a small soup can of chicken-noodle or beef-barley while adding my own touch of seasonings along with a side that was typically a fried egg and a roasted quarter-slice of a tomato or something like that. Just simple and easy stuff that wouldn't be too bothersome to eat, so that Dad would have at least a partially filled and warm stomach before going to bed.
Fortunately, today was a normal workload and Dad only arrived home late as usual, so I didn't have to reheat the food.
I was out of the kitchen when Dad stiffened at the entrance upon the scent of a cooked meal.
"Hey, Dad, welcome home," I greeted, "Dinner's ready."
"Taylor!" he instantly snapped out of his daze and scrambled towards me. Despite being a thin man, he gave me a great big hug that only dads could do, "You're home!"
I hugged him back.
We did talk yesterday night about how I was coming back today. But I guess it didn't really register until now, the babbling of words over the phone didn't become real until now when we at last met again.
We basked in each other's presence as if recharging a nearly empty gauge named "Family Power."
But I knew of an actual physical-gauge that was near empty.
"Come on, Dad, got a hot bowl of beef-barley soup waiting for you."
"Dinner sounds good."
We let go and then I guided him by hand to the kitchen and his seat.
Dad ate slowly, savoring the meal, and we talked about the same things that we had said to each other yesterday but this time with more clarity and focus. The things I've been through, the things that I could now do, and the things that I would do later on. Soon enough, Dad cleaned up his bowl and plate, his spoon clinked like a bell upon release.
Dad let out a contented breath.
I was happy, it was the most idyllic I had seen Dad in a long time. And I could see the food-coma was beginning to sink into him, a pleasant drowsiness and lethargy.
We talked a little more.
Then he kissed me on the forehead, "Goodnight, Taylor, I'm going to hit the hay."
"Yeah, goodnight, Dad."
I watched him go before washing the dishes. After that was done, I made sure the house doors and windows were properly locked and then went to brush my own teeth. I returned to my room and decided to turn on my brand new computer which had the basics already set up and to my surprise the internet service was faster than before -- it only took seconds to load PHO rather than minutes.
There wasn't much of anything new on the local section of PHO, most of it were things that I had heard recently from the other Wards or seen the last time I had browsed the website.
Tension had been rising between the E88 and ABB with lots of skirmishes in Downtown or the Docks (and that had me worry if Dad would get hurt from the crossfire). With the two gangs busy with each other and the BBPD and PROT busy with them, that was apparently enough to embolden the Merchants as they were performing lightning-fast raids in disputed territory for supplies that couldn't typically be found or produced in the scrap-heaps of the Trainyard (like food or medicine and of course more drugs). Uber & Leet were being their typical live-streaming scummy selves, staying far away from the action and causing crimes in Southern Downtown. Other small time Independent Villains were also avoiding getting themselves entangled with the big boys.
Meanwhile, it seemed that the younger members of New Wave weren't allowed to patrol alone because the usual solo-heroine Glory Girl was now seen teaming-up with her cousins Laserdream and Shielder whenever she went out. And there was a post online by Glory Girl stating that her mom was making them focus on bringing down the lesser villains instead of the gangs. The subsequent heated debates of whether New Wave was useless and past their prime had lead to plenty of hammers being dropped.
Furthermore, the BGB was moving out in force, the small vigilante group (or gang, if one really disliked them) was trying to join in at every major fight that they could. With the BGB reinforcing the PROT, they had managed to take Stormtiger and Flagbearer from the E88 into custody, while also taking out Cricket (E88) and Dokkaebi (ABB) from combat for a short while. However, the two gangs didn't take kindly to losing members, and so now half of the BGB's Capes (The Big Guy and Brawler) were down for the count along with a number of their non-powered members being severely injured or dead.
The PROT and BBPD hadn't suffer any losses yet, though there were more than a few close shaves.
The online-posters from Brockton Bay were hoping that the situation would deescalate soon because we were entering the Endweek -- the week which the Endbringers were mostly likely to attack during (though that was a misnomer since the time frame was closer to seven-to-ten days which didn't necessarily fall within the same week).
With how unpredictable the Endbringer attacks were, there was apparently an unwritten gentlemen's agreement called the 'The Endbringer Truce' where Heroes and Villains alike would abide to a total cease-fire and not cause any more problems until a few days after the Endbringers were gone. Generally speaking, this was primarily a show of good faith on the Villains' part, because there was a chance that necessity would force them to team-up with the Heroes if the Endbringers ever came knocking. Furthermore, if the Endbringers were attacking elsewhere, then the Heroes were usually the ones who had to leave the city unattended for a time to participate in the fight or clean-up, and the Truce expected for the Villains to stay low during that time. For example, Brockton Bay's own Armsmaster practically threw himself into every Behemoth or Leviathan attack that he could join.
I stretched my limbs and looked at the time on the corner of the screen.
"Shoot, it's getting late."
I wasn't particularly tired or sleepy but it was best to maintain a healthy and routine sleeping schedule. Tomorrow, early in the morning, I would be going back to the Wards Base for classes and after that would be the important meeting with the Director.
I put the computer to sleep and turned off the lights -- keeping a single nightlight on.
Then I plopped down on the center of my new bed, tail curling around, as I hugged my pillow.
I closed my eyes, darkness enveloping me, and fell soundly asleep...
[Connection Established.]
Then I was suddenly awake, in a house that was home yet not -- a distorted parody with crystals growing in places where it shouldn't or things being made of crystals when they shouldn't be.
'Am I dreaming?'
The room felt too real and fake with muted and vivid colors. The air was still and sterile. The lighting wasn't dark but neither was it bright, it had this strange and eerie quality to it, like casting shadows that were too strong and long.
I pushed aside the window-curtains and stared out into an inky void.
I couldn't sense anything but myself in the house.
'Should I be glad or scared that Dad isn't here?'
Well, actually, I could sense myself and three other someones that were already inside of my house, in the living-room.
I tapped into my Thinker powers to feel out the strangers. They were an intensely familiar sensation, something that always seemed to hum in the back of my mind -- the Roiling Earth, Shushing Waters, and Fluttering Sky.
I recalled that Armsmaster had been especially interested in these three during my powers-testing.
The choices were to simply stay in my room and wait out for who knows how long whatever this was, or...
Cautiously I left my room, slowly twisting the crystallized doorknob while the door-hinges creaked like glass. An uncountable number of things were twisted and weird, the stairs were curving into a spiral and had about four-time as many steps than normal. I wanted to simply jump down but I remained careful and took the long way down.
I eventually reached the bottom and stuck close to the stretched-out walls.
Stealthily, I peeked into the living-room.
I was surprised but then again I wasn't really sure what I had been expecting to see.
Floating in place were three large-sized clumps of prismatic minerals.
These Crystal Things closely resembled the luminescent crystalline growths that were here and there within this nightmare version of my house. One was floating behind an armchair (that looked more like someone's avant-garde art project), one was floating in front of the old television (which reflected nothing at all like a pitch black-hole), and one was floating by the corner (barely geometrical and irritating to the eyes).
Apparently I wasn't stealthy enough, because the Crystal Thing by the corner had shined, which gave me the distinct impression that it was looking at me despite having no eyes.
[Statement: We greet the Twenty First Conflict-Engine.]
What.
Chapter 2.4: Territorial
After the celebration party, between continuing to hang out with the Wards tomorrow or going home to see Dad, I decided to go back home because I could always meet with the Wards later. Besides, it was practically a whole month since I had last seen Dad in person and I missed him and our house a whole lot.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Dad in the morning because he was already gone for work by the time I was dropped off. I was late because I decided to have a pleasant chat with the other Wards and a really big breakfast at the Base (didn't want to empty my house's fridge after all).
Being back home was an oddly good feeling. The old memories of happier times and their subsequent absence in the future would usually keep the place from feeling too peaceful.
'I guess this is what being homesick feels like.'
"I'm home," I whispered as I explored my house that was very familiar yet also changed.
Most things around the house had remained the same, nostalgic. But not all of it was the same as I had last seen. Even though I now owned protective-gloves, the PROT had replaced a number of fixtures with new reinforced objects (like the doorknobs and fridge), or completely renovated some rooms (like the bathroom), to make it easier to go about even if I forewent gloves. Likewise, a few chairs had been replaced with stools, so that I could sit without my tail getting in the way.
As for my own room, there were about two big changes. One was the bed, in which I had previously ruined the mattress when I accidentally sunk my claws into it, had been replaced with a new bed that was far sturdier and comfier to lay on. The second was the brand new computer resting atop my desk, it wasn't high-tech but still better leagues better than the old hunk of junk that I originally owned. Other than those two, there were also boxes sitting in the corner with my new everyday clothes (same as what I had at the Wards Base).
After exploring my house, I simply basked in the serenity.
Once I was sufficiently refreshed, I thought about how to spend the rest of my day.
Right now at home there wasn't much to do besides surfing the internet -- the Wards Base had spoiled me with the expansive selection of books and movies that I could read and watch. But, besides my house, there was only one other place I allowed to go at the moment...
'Today's Sunday,' I checked the clock and it was a little past 8 AM, 'If she doesn't have anything planned then Ems should still be home right now.' I double-checked with my Thinker powers and she was indeed nearby.
I left the house to visit my best friend from across the street.
I waved to some of the PRT Troopers who were watching my movements but they didn't gesture back.
Ringing the doorbell, Emma's Mom opened the door.
The woman needed a moment to compose herself, "Taylor, is that you?" she blinked her dampened eyes, then quickly stepped out and gave me a great big hug that couldn't wrap all the way around, "Oh, the awful things you had to go through...!"
"Hey, Missis Barnes," I spoke softly, "Nice to see you again and I'm alright, really."
She shook her head, letting go of the hug, and took a step back. She wiped her eyes and looked straight at mines, I bent my legs to put myself more on her level so she wasn't straining her neck.
"You're a strong girl to endure so much, Taylor. But it just isn't right that you and the girls were attacked. I told you after you came back from Summer Camp, right? That Emma and her father were attacked by hoodlums? It hasn't even been a whole year since then!" She shook her head again, disappointed, "Brockton Bay wasn't perfect but it didn't used to be this awful."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that, if I even should, because maybe Brockton Bay wasn't a total shithole two or three decades ago. But right now the city was plenty awful, likely even worst than I could imagine.
'But not for long once I start clearing out the gangs...' But best not to voice that idea to Missis Barnes, she'd have a conniption.
The woman continued, "And shame on the PRT and Protectorate for locking away a perfectly good girl like you for so long, they're supposed to be the good guys!"
"Well, they did give me lots of books to read, so it wasn't all bad."
"Books aren't worth trading your freedom away. Really, I haven't seen you in a whole month!" Emma's Mom replied with a wry smile, "Is everything really alright, Taylor? If the PRT and Protectorate isn't treating you fairly, then you know you can rely on Alan to slam the book on them."
That reminded me that Mister Barnes was a lawyer. Though I wasn't sure which kind, was it divorce or criminal? It was a mildly comforting thought that he would fight on my behalf, that he might have after I had triggered and rampaged, but I don't think Cape cases were his field of expertise, so it was unlikely.
"Yeah, I'm really alright," I nodded, "They're letting me do more stuff now, like being able to come home on the weekends. Then in another month or so, I'll be able to start going back to school and stuff." She seemed dubious despite my assurances, so I moved on, "Is Emma home?"
She sighed and let me in, "Yes, upstairs in her room."
I waved a small goodbye to the woman, along with a small greet and bye to Mister Barnes when I saw him reading the newspaper while relaxing on his armchair.
Then I was upstairs and knocking on Emma's door.
"Hey, Ems, it's Taylor."
It didn't take more than a casual moment for Emma to open the door wide. It didn't look like she was dressed to go out, and she looked me up and down with a critical gaze, "Are those clothes really the best that the PROT could make for you?"
I shrugged, "I guess, better than being naked anyways."
My best friend scoffed, "Amateurs," under her breath, and then moved side to let me in. She took a seat on her bed, "Have a seat, Tay," she pointed to a newly added stool, "Or..." she smirked, patting the bed.
"One time!" I objected as I took the seat.
She made a haughty gesture and expression as if I was losing out.
I swear, Ems was going to tease me about that forever!
"So, they finally let the big bad lizard out of the dungeon. Wards Base, right? How was it, nice?"
"Well..." I racked my brain, dividing the subject into things that I could and couldn't reveal, "Do you remember that Meet The Wards Tour we did together when we were younger and then we got to meet them at a lounge-room? The Wards Base is at least five times bigger than that with lots of books, games, and movies. Its even got its own kitchen too, though nobody really cooks, so there's just a lot of pre-made microwave meals to eat."
"Huh, place sounds funs, but the food sounds bleh."
"It's not that bad. It's just gets really boring really fast with how everything is supposed to be nutritionally balanced. I mean there's variety but there isn't variety. Though I've apparently also grown an appetite for fish."
"Fish?" she quirked a brow.
"Yeah, I'm aquatic," I said, tugging down my turtleneck and pointing to the gills on my neck, "I can basically live underwater for a long time."
"Hmm," she hummed as he eyes scanned my scales, dorsal-plates, and then to my long tail, "So you're like an alligator then. Neat."
'If an alligator could shoot out nuclear beams,' I thought in my head but replied, "Yeah, like an alligator."
The conversation continued on like that, about the new things that were going on with me and what was new going on with her.
From what I could understand, Winslow was tensely different. The rent-a-cops were more aggressive, eager to beat down on ramble rousing gang-affiliated students, likely a result of Director Piggot putting in word with Principal Blackwell at my suggestion. Due to Emma's influence as Queen Bee (and whatever influences that Madison and I apparently had) had caused the cliques and staff to further shun the E88. Then there was the growing tension between the E88 and ABB goons where more than a number of them had already disappeared, never to be seen again, likely dead in some gang-related altercation.
It wasn't ready to blow up at any moment but it seemed like all the ingredients were there for Winslow to explode.
"Why the guilty face, Tay? Not like the situation is your fault."
"I know it's not, it's Sophia's." Emma twitched ever so slightly and I felt a bit hurt that she didn't voice her agreement with me. "But I... well, I'll be transferring to Arcadia later on, as part of my Wards benefits. So I won't actually be going back to Winslow anymore. And it just feels like I'm leaving you and Maddy behind to deal with all that crap by yourselves, like I'm running away.
Emma's eyelids lowered gently, "Hey, there's no need to feel guilty about that. You've always complained about Winslow being a shithole, so it's a good thing that you're finally getting out of there, Arcadia's a much better fit for you. And you don't have to worry about me or Maddy, we'll survive."
I pursed my lips. After Mom had died, Dad and I were just surviving, we weren't living at all. There were hints of that in Sophia too, a vicious predator versus prey mentality that had evolved from her bitter experience as a mere survivor. Surviving meant a lot of things, none that I could associate with being purely good.
"I, um, sort of made Sophia promise to keep you two safe for me. If she doesn't then I'll... well, I'll get angry."
She smiled, "Thanks, Tay, I appreciate it."
I nodded, "Hey, can I get your cell-number, and Maddy's too?"
"Your dad finally let you get a cell?"
I shook my head, "No."
"Ah, gotcha," she hummed, understanding the situation. Emma prettily wrote down her and Maddy's number and handed the folded slip of paper to me. I pocketed it into the bottom-pouch of my turtleneck-apron and zipped it. "Want me to call her over right now?" she asked.
I considered it for a moment and nodded, "Yeah, that would be nice."
It didn't take longer than fifteen minutes for Madison to arrive, which likely meant that someone drove her here since I was pretty sure that she lived in one of those Downtown Apartments.
After Emma opened the room door to let her in, Madison bright-blue eyes found me instantly, she shot towards me and took my hands into her own.
"Oh my god, Taylor, it's been over a month! Where have you been, how have you been? You never kept in touch!"
"Hey, Maddy, nice to see you again. Sorry about that. I didn't know your number before but I do now, so I'll call more often."
"Girl, you can't be the only one, you might forget to call back, so give me your number too!" she said as she pulled out her own phone.
I smiled apologetically, "Sorry, you know I don't have a cellphone and you already have my house-number. So, um, I guess if you call the PRT HQ they can forward your calls to me -- I think I need to actually talk to them about that."
"Oh," Madison looked like I had kicked her dog, her hand lowering, "Are they still keeping you locked up?"
"For another month or so. Just got to learn the ropes as a Wards and then catch some thugs. You know, show myself off as a hero so the city doesn't have a panic-attack when I can start going out by myself."
She tilted her head, "Okay then, so when you're free, wanna go shopping again? We didn't get to finish last time!"
I doubted any stores had clothes in my size or shape, so actually going shopping sounded like a fruitless endeavor. But maybe Madison could work a miracle and piece together some outfits for me anyways.
Emma thought my current wardrobes were lacking and commented, "Great idea."
The idea of refusing her felt bad, so I smiled warmly, "Sure, next time."
Maddy beamed a pearly-white smile in return.
And then the three of us, Emma, Madison, and I simply chatted, about everything and nothing, letting words fill us with pleasantry of a delightful future that was yet to come. We played around with accessories and make-up, or rather they dressed me up like a doll after I had tried to describe what I looked like in costume to them. We had lunch, a deliciously seasoned spaghetti with meatballs cooked up by Missis Barnes and Missis Clements who had come over as well (though I had to cross back home to get my sturdy set of utensils and wares). We watched shows for a while in the living-room.
And then it was time to go home.
I felt reinvigorated, then bid my friends and their parents goodbye, before returning to my own abode.
There were still a couple of hours -- maybe a bit more if he wanted to work overtime -- before Dad would get home.
I decided to take a long, clean shower.
After that, I made a hot meal for Dad. 'He'll appreciate that after a hard day of work.' Normally, he was too tired to cook dinner and eat it, opting to go to bed instead. But, after my summer-camp revelation to support him more, I had started to spend more of my time trying to cook light dinners for him. Well, I say cook but it was more like heating up a small soup can of chicken-noodle or beef-barley while adding my own touch of seasonings along with a side that was typically a fried egg and a roasted quarter-slice of a tomato or something like that. Just simple and easy stuff that wouldn't be too bothersome to eat, so that Dad would have at least a partially filled and warm stomach before going to bed.
Fortunately, today was a normal workload and Dad only arrived home late as usual, so I didn't have to reheat the food.
I was out of the kitchen when Dad stiffened at the entrance upon the scent of a cooked meal.
"Hey, Dad, welcome home," I greeted, "Dinner's ready."
"Taylor!" he instantly snapped out of his daze and scrambled towards me. Despite being a thin man, he gave me a great big hug that only dads could do, "You're home!"
I hugged him back.
We did talk yesterday night about how I was coming back today. But I guess it didn't really register until now, the babbling of words over the phone didn't become real until now when we at last met again.
We basked in each other's presence as if recharging a nearly empty gauge named "Family Power."
But I knew of an actual physical-gauge that was near empty.
"Come on, Dad, got a hot bowl of beef-barley soup waiting for you."
"Dinner sounds good."
We let go and then I guided him by hand to the kitchen and his seat.
Dad ate slowly, savoring the meal, and we talked about the same things that we had said to each other yesterday but this time with more clarity and focus. The things I've been through, the things that I could now do, and the things that I would do later on. Soon enough, Dad cleaned up his bowl and plate, his spoon clinked like a bell upon release.
Dad let out a contented breath.
I was happy, it was the most idyllic I had seen Dad in a long time. And I could see the food-coma was beginning to sink into him, a pleasant drowsiness and lethargy.
We talked a little more.
Then he kissed me on the forehead, "Goodnight, Taylor, I'm going to hit the hay."
"Yeah, goodnight, Dad."
I watched him go before washing the dishes. After that was done, I made sure the house doors and windows were properly locked and then went to brush my own teeth. I returned to my room and decided to turn on my brand new computer which had the basics already set up and to my surprise the internet service was faster than before -- it only took seconds to load PHO rather than minutes.
There wasn't much of anything new on the local section of PHO, most of it were things that I had heard recently from the other Wards or seen the last time I had browsed the website.
Tension had been rising between the E88 and ABB with lots of skirmishes in Downtown or the Docks (and that had me worry if Dad would get hurt from the crossfire). With the two gangs busy with each other and the BBPD and PROT busy with them, that was apparently enough to embolden the Merchants as they were performing lightning-fast raids in disputed territory for supplies that couldn't typically be found or produced in the scrap-heaps of the Trainyard (like food or medicine and of course more drugs). Uber & Leet were being their typical live-streaming scummy selves, staying far away from the action and causing crimes in Southern Downtown. Other small time Independent Villains were also avoiding getting themselves entangled with the big boys.
Meanwhile, it seemed that the younger members of New Wave weren't allowed to patrol alone because the usual solo-heroine Glory Girl was now seen teaming-up with her cousins Laserdream and Shielder whenever she went out. And there was a post online by Glory Girl stating that her mom was making them focus on bringing down the lesser villains instead of the gangs. The subsequent heated debates of whether New Wave was useless and past their prime had lead to plenty of hammers being dropped.
Furthermore, the BGB was moving out in force, the small vigilante group (or gang, if one really disliked them) was trying to join in at every major fight that they could. With the BGB reinforcing the PROT, they had managed to take Stormtiger and Flagbearer from the E88 into custody, while also taking out Cricket (E88) and Dokkaebi (ABB) from combat for a short while. However, the two gangs didn't take kindly to losing members, and so now half of the BGB's Capes (The Big Guy and Brawler) were down for the count along with a number of their non-powered members being severely injured or dead.
The PROT and BBPD hadn't suffer any losses yet, though there were more than a few close shaves.
The online-posters from Brockton Bay were hoping that the situation would deescalate soon because we were entering the Endweek -- the week which the Endbringers were mostly likely to attack during (though that was a misnomer since the time frame was closer to seven-to-ten days which didn't necessarily fall within the same week).
With how unpredictable the Endbringer attacks were, there was apparently an unwritten gentlemen's agreement called the 'The Endbringer Truce' where Heroes and Villains alike would abide to a total cease-fire and not cause any more problems until a few days after the Endbringers were gone. Generally speaking, this was primarily a show of good faith on the Villains' part, because there was a chance that necessity would force them to team-up with the Heroes if the Endbringers ever came knocking. Furthermore, if the Endbringers were attacking elsewhere, then the Heroes were usually the ones who had to leave the city unattended for a time to participate in the fight or clean-up, and the Truce expected for the Villains to stay low during that time. For example, Brockton Bay's own Armsmaster practically threw himself into every Behemoth or Leviathan attack that he could join.
I stretched my limbs and looked at the time on the corner of the screen.
"Shoot, it's getting late."
I wasn't particularly tired or sleepy but it was best to maintain a healthy and routine sleeping schedule. Tomorrow, early in the morning, I would be going back to the Wards Base for classes and after that would be the important meeting with the Director.
I put the computer to sleep and turned off the lights -- keeping a single nightlight on.
Then I plopped down on the center of my new bed, tail curling around, as I hugged my pillow.
I closed my eyes, darkness enveloping me, and fell soundly asleep...
[Connection Established.]
Then I was suddenly awake, in a house that was home yet not -- a distorted parody with crystals growing in places where it shouldn't or things being made of crystals when they shouldn't be.
'Am I dreaming?'
The room felt too real and fake with muted and vivid colors. The air was still and sterile. The lighting wasn't dark but neither was it bright, it had this strange and eerie quality to it, like casting shadows that were too strong and long.
I pushed aside the window-curtains and stared out into an inky void.
I couldn't sense anything but myself in the house.
'Should I be glad or scared that Dad isn't here?'
Well, actually, I could sense myself and three other someones that were already inside of my house, in the living-room.
I tapped into my Thinker powers to feel out the strangers. They were an intensely familiar sensation, something that always seemed to hum in the back of my mind -- the Roiling Earth, Shushing Waters, and Fluttering Sky.
I recalled that Armsmaster had been especially interested in these three during my powers-testing.
The choices were to simply stay in my room and wait out for who knows how long whatever this was, or...
Cautiously I left my room, slowly twisting the crystallized doorknob while the door-hinges creaked like glass. An uncountable number of things were twisted and weird, the stairs were curving into a spiral and had about four-time as many steps than normal. I wanted to simply jump down but I remained careful and took the long way down.
I eventually reached the bottom and stuck close to the stretched-out walls.
Stealthily, I peeked into the living-room.
I was surprised but then again I wasn't really sure what I had been expecting to see.
Floating in place were three large-sized clumps of prismatic minerals.
These Crystal Things closely resembled the luminescent crystalline growths that were here and there within this nightmare version of my house. One was floating behind an armchair (that looked more like someone's avant-garde art project), one was floating in front of the old television (which reflected nothing at all like a pitch black-hole), and one was floating by the corner (barely geometrical and irritating to the eyes).
Apparently I wasn't stealthy enough, because the Crystal Thing by the corner had shined, which gave me the distinct impression that it was looking at me despite having no eyes.
[Statement: We greet the Twenty First Conflict-Engine.]
What.
==🚨===🚨===🚨==
Canonically, the tour brings visitors to the actual Wards Base. But that honestly seems weird. The tour is every two hours and to reach the Base you need to go down an elevator or stairs and then past a retina-scan. It feels like way more trouble than its worth, with issues of security-leaks or breaches, too tight for a tour-group larger than 6~10 people, and just generally disruptive to the work-flow of the Wards.
I think it's a bit more reasonable that there's a "Meet The Wards Tour" that brings you to a "Wards Lounge" instead. Located in the main-building, it's held about once a week or every two weeks with tickets bought in advance. The location would probably be "Main Lobby -> Gift Shop -> Wards Lounge", so that people coming back from tour will likely walk past the Gift Shop and be more susceptible to buying a souvenir afterwards.
Anyways, I had planned to go into plot this chapter but couldn't just jump straight into it. So here's some fluff first followed by a cliffhanger instead.
I think it's a bit more reasonable that there's a "Meet The Wards Tour" that brings you to a "Wards Lounge" instead. Located in the main-building, it's held about once a week or every two weeks with tickets bought in advance. The location would probably be "Main Lobby -> Gift Shop -> Wards Lounge", so that people coming back from tour will likely walk past the Gift Shop and be more susceptible to buying a souvenir afterwards.
Anyways, I had planned to go into plot this chapter but couldn't just jump straight into it. So here's some fluff first followed by a cliffhanger instead.
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