The Rising of the Shield Heroine

Tale Swapper · Nov 21, 2018

Sitting at my window, I glanced down at the tiny metal emblem sitting on my palm. It had appeared around my neck the day I got back from the hospital- coming into being the moment I had walked to the bathroom mirror.

The thin chain around the symbol wouldn't leave my neck, but I didn't mind. The dream I'd had showed that there was more to the tiny shield than first appeared.

The hospital stay had not been of my own choice. Emma, (once-friend, now bitter enemy, betrayer) Sophia, (sadist, brute, and sociopath) and Madison (hanger-on and manipulative sneak) had arranged for me to be shoved into a locker filled with waste- and then left me for hours. I was catatonic, but I could still remember the desperate moment I swore to keep fighting, to get the truth, to pay them back for this- and the harsh whisper in the back of my mind, like the growling of a grumpy bear. As I blacked out, I heard one word.

Choose.

In my dream I stood on a platform, crumbling walls and empty window frames looking out over a white abyss. Around me stood four statues- each holding a different weapon, each thrumming with power.

Sword. Spear. Bow. Shield.

I walked forward, inspecting each statue in turn. I first reached for the spear- but a closer look at the one who held it drove me back. The cocky grin and lecherous gaze spoke of a headstrong and womanizing man- but far worse were the black vines which rambled over and through the half-crumbled statue. The blooms on the vines were wrong- whoever had last held the spear had left himself open, and been corrupted, driven to madness. I wanted nothing of his legacy.

The bow was my next choice- but as I approached, the visage of the man who held it grew clearer. Something of his gaze was fragile- he was no hero, though he held himself like one; he wanted praise and glory. The cracks in his statue were filled with spider webs, silk strands covering empty holes. There was little of substance behind his gaze, and his self-worth was tied up in the opinions of others. I'd had enough on relying upon others to determine my own path. I turned away from the bowman.

The sword-wielder, at least, was more respectable. He held himself aloof, his eyes turned away from me. He was proud of his skills, not of fame or fortune, and he wanted to be acknowledged as a capable man, not a womanizer. He wanted respect, and that resonated with me, but there was something… lonely about him. He didn't reach out easily, and the repairs to his statue were done with an unsteady, untrained hand- he'd tried to fix himself, and done so poorly- though his statue was still in better shape than the others. He was lonely- and I'd had enough of being alone. Still, so far, he was the best of the three.

The last statue… repulsed me, at first. The figure there didn't look like a hero at all. Covered in old wounds and wearing barbaric armor, the shield bearer's statue had a face twisted, stoic with a hint of rage. As I peered more closely, however, I saw other details; bitter eyes hinting at betrayal, worn patches in the armor showing where he or the others had patched up old wounds. His rage was so hot it had melted shut the cracks in his statue, but unlike the others there was no weakness here, and the ashes of hate had long since left him. Expert care showed around his statue, for all that it was as dusty as the rest. Someone, long after the others had been broken, had come back to repair this one, caring for his memory.

The Shield had endured. Through betrayal and loneliness, rage and hate, isolation and despair. He'd come through. Through to hope. To friends, a family.

I'd reached forward. Taken down the simple metal shield, ran my fingers over the green stone set in its center. It felt warm to the touch, settling into my grasp.

Then came the sounds, a deep droning, and a crumbing from all around. Turning, I watched each of the other statues drop through the floor, disappearing into the abyss below. My gaze lifted, however- through the broken roof of the chapel towards two massive beasts, rotating around each other, shedding fragments of themselves to crash into the abyss.

One fragment fell towards me. As it approached, I caught a glimpse of alien geometries- strange refractions present in the crystal which burned my eyes and warped my vision. My shield hummed- and seconds later, a web of green light enveloped the fragment.

As the light cleared, I saw a figure stand on the opposite side of the stone platform. For a second, I glimpsed a startled form, like enough to my own face to be the sister I'd never had- just before I woke.

Dad had been dozing by my bedside when I awoke. He'd immediately gotten up, and given me a massive hug. He'd apologized, over and over again, for not being available for me to talk to, and I'd apologized for not telling him anything.

It turns out that I'd woken up at the right moment. Winslow (the bastards) were trying to strongarm him into signing some forms to prevent a lawsuit so he could pay for my medical bills. Instead, the doctors were able to release me within a day, so although the bill was nasty, we could afford to tank the costs.

Which meant that when Blackwell tried to stonewall Dad, he was level-headed enough to reach out to one of our neighbors. Mr. Henrick was a former school principal himself, and when he heard the 'reasons' behind Blackwell's excuses, he got mad. It took all of two days for the superintendent to get involved.

I don't know what happened next; Mr. Henrick told me that something nasty had come up during the investigation. What I do know is that the school offered Dad and I homeschooling materials, payment for all medical expenses, compensation for 'damages' and a fast track into Arcadia in mid-February. They wanted us out of Winslow, and wanted me and Dad shut up fast- and were willing to pay through the nose to do so.

Dad took the offer. Last I heard, Emma was remanded for 'counseling'; Alan Barnes managed to keep his little angel out of juvie, but apparently she wasn't getting away with this scott-free. Madison didn't know about the locker, but got a massive community service penalty, and got kicked from Winslow. Sophia was the oddball; I never heard what happened to her, but Mr. Henrick assured me that "She wouldn't be a problem anymore."

None of that mattered so much to me. Dad had taken a week off from work (things moved really fast- I'd always thought legal stuff took longer) but he finally needed to get back to the Union. So, the Monday after I was stuffed in the locker, he gave me a kiss to the forehead, then headed out for work.

Which gave me a chance to finally inspect my new trinket. The tiny shield was unnoticed by most people- the nurses in the hospital noted it was there, but never focused on it, and Dad barely acknowledged it existed. Hell, he barely seemed to remember it after mentioning it. Still, after all the fireworks over getting the shield, I was kind of surprised it was so small.

I gave the pendant an absent tug- only for the chain to break off the back of my neck. Seconds later, the chains wound their way around my arm, thickening into an enarme and handle. As they formed, the shield grew- becoming the weapon I'd taken down from the statue.

There was a quiet chime. My eyes widened as a small green box appeared in midair, covered in tiny writing.

[Greetings, Chosen Hero of the Holy Shield!]

You have been selected to wield one of the Four Holy Weapons, and are now the Shield Hero! Great power and responsibility are yours now. Use it wisely.

In addition, your parahuman powers have been co-opted to properly support the power of the Holy Shield. Your powers have manifested as 'The Gamer (v. 2.5.3) Limited Edition.' Enjoy!

I blinked. What the hell?

New Quest!

What the Hell?
Figure out what's going on with your new powers.
Tasks: Open and explore the menu, using a mixture of voice commands and touch.
Success: 10 Exp, a few answers, and a lot more questions
Failure: Utter confusion
Quest Auto-Accepted

I scratched my head with my free arm. "Menu? What does that mean-"

My voice trailed off as a second box appeared beside the first.

MENU
Status
Character
Inventory
Skills
Abilities
Arsenal
Quests
Logbook
Options
Halp

I blinked again. Seriously, what? Reaching up, I hesitantly tapped the red X on the quest window, watching as it disappeared. Staring at the menu, I swallowed. "Status, please."

A new box opened- after a much smaller blurb inside its own box.

How polite! Here you go.

Status:
Name: Taylor Hebert (No Nickname, No Title)
Level 1(1) Chosen of the Shield (0/50 Exp to next level)
Race: Human(Parahuman)
Health: 90/90
MP: 200/200
Stats:

Str: 6

End: 9

Agl: 12

Int: 20

Wis: 8 (12 - 4(debuffed))

Luk: ?

Special Status:
Mild Depression: (Wis -4, all positive mental buffs erode at double speed, negative mental buffs erode at half speed)
Betrayed: (Positive Relationship gains reduced by 50%, negative relationship gains increased by 50%)
Power Anxiety (Suppressed): (No effects yet)

Reading over the stats, I grimaced. What did all of this mean? Remembering the initial pop-up, I took a quick gamble. "What does each stat represent, what's an average stat, and how do mine measure up?"

Halp: Stats
Statistics (Stats) indicate the raw power levels of your current avatar. Strength (Str) represents physical might, Endurance (End) represents physical fortitude, Agility (Agl) represents speed and deftness of motion, Intelligence (Int) represents mental calculation and learning capability, and Wisdom (Wis) represents knowledge application and critical thinking skills. One stat Charisma (Chr) is locked with this version of The Gamer; this world considers social interaction a skill, not an innate trait.

Humans have stats which range from 1 to 30, although greater values are possible with extreme levels of training, equipment, powers, or other modifiers. Stats which fall between 14 to 16 are considered 'average' for an adult human. Luck (Luk) is unique, and requires a more detailed explanation.

You, on the other hand, are still developing, thankfully; seeing as your stats could use some work. You're basically a noodle as you are, and you really need a mental wake-up call. Still, you're fairly smart; I'm sure you'll pick up the basics in no time.

Great, my power was snarking at me. Still, it seems pretty cool that my power came with its own help system. (though I wondered why it was misspelled) I frowned as I closed the help window, glancing over the status effects. Depressed? That made… too much sense. I considered the malaise that had crept into my thoughts over the past months; it seemed more severe than "mild depression", though. Maybe getting my powers and getting out of Winslow helped?

Whatever. Betrayed also made sense; I hadn't made any friends in a long time, and I was scared to reach out to others. But what the hell was (Power Anxiety)?

Halp: Power Anxiety
Parahuman powers want to be used; there's no escaping that. Most powers want to be used to generate conflict, and will 'nudge' their hosts into battle whenever possible, encouraging them to use their powers as a way to solve their problems, even when it'll really just make things worse.

At present, your powers are not aligned to create conflict, but they do need to be used; since you've just gotten them, this status debuff is having no effect yet. Also, unlike other powers, yours might be able to actually Halp you solve your problems, instead of just making more.

Or are you just deluding yourself that you're different?

Great, more snark. Far worse was the revelation that every parahuman was Mastered by their own power. It did, however, explain why Parahumans made such a mess of things; their powers were literally sapping their ability to think critically about their own power use. At least I was able to recognize that urge, and hopefully compensate.

Exiting the new help window and closing the Status window, I reached out and tapped the "Character" tag.

Character:
Current Class: Chosen of the Shield, Level 1
Level of next promotion: Level 10
Secondary Class: N/A
Previous Classes: None
Perks: None

Huh. I'd played a few video games when I was younger, but this seems more like one of my Dad's old D&D games. I could promote through my class and get more levels and abilities.

Next, I checked my Inventory. A small picture of myself with two dozen little boxes scattered across my body appeared on one side of the screen, while a large array of boxes appeared beside it. This, I could tell, represented what I was wearing (basic clothes filled several boxes, my glasses appeared on my "face" box, and my shield filled my offhand.) My inventory proper was empty, but the box which represented my main hand was greyed out. I wonder why?

Moving down the list, I soon got an answer. Opening "Skills", I was confronted with three separate lists.

Knowledge skills: None yet (skills from previous life experience will be translated into skills upon first use)

Passive Skills:

Gamer's Body: Level 1 (Allows your body to behave like that of a video game character. Multiple effects, awards perks and buffs at level milestones. (Max 20, Capped at 10))

Arsenal of Shields: Level MAX (Allows you to hold and instantly swap between an infinite array of shields, transforming the Holy Shield. Allows the player to create new Shields by absorbing objects into the Holy Shield, and unlock new knowledge skills, passive skills, active skills, and abilities upon mastering a shield)

Blessing of the Holy Shield: Level 1 (Grants an additional point of Endurance and one random stat point at each level. (Max 3))

Burden of the Holy Shield: Level MAX (Locks combat bonuses from powers with any weapons when not using the Holy Shield. Locks weapon use besides the Holy Shield when using the Holy Shield. Prevents the Holy Shield from being sold, traded, stolen, broken, or lost.)

My Body is the Shield: Level 1 (Damage resistance from shields is applied to whole body, as long as a shield is in use. (Max 4))

Active Skills: (Skill Points: 0/5)

[Auto-Defend] (2) [Max Rank]: Auto guard against incoming attacks

[Defence Up (Small)] (1) [1/30 Ranks]: Raises physical defense by 5 to 8 points

[Lesser Pain Resistance] (2) [1/10 Ranks]: Grants 20% resistance to pain mental effects

The passive skills I had were geared around the Holy Shield, it seemed. Still, some of the effects seemed amazing; creating new shields from random objects, gaining skills and toughness from leveling, and providing me with a Brute rating based on what shield I used.

The downsides weren't too nice, though. Using a weapon as a civilian meant that I'd be fighting as just Taylor Hebert, and the Shield would prevent me from using any weapon alongside it. It also looked like I was stuck with the Shield, too; there was no going back to how I was before.

Gamer's Body sounded… interesting. It would explain why I recovered from the locker so fast, though. In a game, healing happened instantly- maybe there'd be more benefits as I advanced that skill further. I did wonder why it was capped, though. Thinking of the help boxes, I said so aloud.

Halp: Gamer's Body
One of the two key skills of the Gamer, Gamer's Body intrinsically allows for the spending of stat points to improve your body, removes the 'normal' human limits placed upon people, and allows for resting and eating to automatically restore lost health. Increased levels will remove the need to sleep or eat, increase resistances to crippling and drugs, and provide additional resistances.

However, because you lack the other key skill, Gamer's Body can only go so far, since your meatsack brain can't currently handle a fully optimized body. Past level 10, Gamer's Body starts treating your body like a Breaker state, and you can't handle that without Gamer's Mind.

And you don't have Gamer's Mind because the Shield didn't bother to provide it. Sucks to be you.

I wondered aloud if there was a way to get Gamer's Mind. No help box appeared. Dammit. Looking over the Active skills, I figured out that I could turn them on and off at will, restoring and spending points from my 'skill pool' to do so. Auto Defend seemed… lackluster, and the description described it as 'For scrubs and noobs;' still, having help figuring out where to position my shield in combat would be good until I got some experience. After learning that all powers Mastered their users, having mine help keep me alive until I could do so myself was good. The other two Active Abilities seemed useful, (greater physical defense and pain resistance gave me a minor brute rating even without the shield), so I left them all alone.

Moving down the menu, I pressed the next box. 'Abilities' was empty; apparently, they constituted activated skills which used my Mana Pool to activate, and I didn't have any yet. I moved on to 'Arsenal', which was apparently provided by my "Arsenal of Shields" skill.

Arsenal:

Holy Shield (Small) (0% Mastery)

Defense: 30

[Auto-Defend]

[Defense Up (Lesser)]

[Lesser Pain Resistance]

Reading through several help boxes, I let my smile grow. So, by equipping a shield, I gained skills on a temporary basis until I 'mastered' the shield, at which point I kept them permanently. I could level and evolve my shields, unlocking more powers, abilities, and skills, with four 'ranks of shields: Small, Medium, Large, and Tower.

That meant my powers would only grow as I did. That… was huge. Most powers (as far as I'd found out) came in as strong as they ever were, and improvements merely increased the control parahumans had over them. Mine, on the other hand, would get stronger as I worked with them.

Moving down a little farther on the main menu, I grinned. So far, this seemed awesome. Quests was empty save the one I was currently working on, so I moved down a little more.

My smile fell as I read over the Logbook.

Logs:
Relationships (Personal):

Danny Hebert: Father, Reconciled and Reconnected (82)

Emma Barnes: Scapegoat (-50)

Sophia Hess: Favored Target (-25)

Madison Clements: Defensive Sacrifice (-10)

Greg Verder: Unrequited Crush (10)

David Henrick: Mild Pity, Slight Respect (5)

Relationships (Organizations):

Brockton Bay Populace: Unknown (0)

Winslow Staff: Forced Ignorance (0)

Winslow Students: Forced Aggression (-20)

Dockworker's Union: Slight Respect (5)

PRT: Neutral (-2)

Catalogued Data: (List)

Notes: (None)

Lore: (None)

Emma. I'd avoided thinking about her, but her betrayal still cut deep. And the description of our relationship, 'Scapegoat' seemed odd. For that matter, why was the PRT slightly disposed against me?

Did I want answers?

I tabled that thought for now. Apparently, Logbook just catalogued information I'd gained over the course of my adventure. 'Catalogued Data' contained all the previous help boxes I'd opened, and previous messages. No help there.

Options, on the other hand, was almost completely locked down. I couldn't change the difficulty or load a save file (both were marked 'unavailable in this version'), and the options labeled 'Skins', 'Cheats', and 'AI settings' were all locked. The only things I could change were the color of my interface, and the font of the same; neither of which I felt needed changing. Still, there were a lot of options which could be useful later, but required prerequisites to unlock.

As I closed out of the Options menu, I heard another ding.

What the Hell? Quest Completed
Gained: 10 Exp

Unlocked new Quests:
Of Sisters and Friendships []
To Out Thyself []
The Holy Shield []
Tutorial: The Bay Awaits []

I let the smile return to my face. It looked like there was a long adventure before me.

In all honesty? I couldn't wait.

Tale Swapper · Nov 21, 2018

As I stared at the four options before me, I realized that my stomach was growling slightly. How much time had passed?

...apparently, almost an hour. The sun was now peeking over some nearby trees, and that meant I'd need to get some breakfast.

As I ate a bowl of cereal, I started considering my options. On the one hand, I needed to look through my new quests- and start my cape career.

On the other hand, Dad was expecting me to catch up on my schoolwork- he'd been very happy that Arcadia was willing to let me in, and expected me to be ready for the entrance exams in a few weeks-
*Ding*

New Quests!

Repeating Quest: Daily Studies
Can be completed once per day, until the Arcadia evaluation exams (Feb. 14)
Bring yourself up to speed on your studies, and maybe learn something in the process.
Task: Study on at least two subjects, and commit to memory at least four chapters worth of material.
Success: 10 EXP each day, +3% chance of passing the Arcadia evaluation exam for each day completed, possible relationship gains with Dad.
Failure: You're being lazy. Dad will be disappointed.

The Arcadia Evaluation
Education is important. At the very least, social interaction is good for you.
Task: Pass the Arcadia evaluation exams on Feb. 14, make your Dad happy, and validate yourself in the eyes of the school system.
*Make certain that you're on time for the exams.
*Pass the exams with an average of 80 or higher. (Current chance: 40%)
*Bonus: Excel, and pass with a 95 or higher. (Current Chance: 20%)
Success: entrance to Arcadia, improved relationship with your Dad.
Improved Success: ???
Failure: Disappoint Dad and Mr. Henrick, closer scrutiny from your Dad, and you might have to go back to Winslow.
Default: Accept homeschooling, and forfeit interaction with your age group.

...huh. I didn't expect that. Still, I was curious; why were the 'Improved Success' rewards blanked out?

Halp: Hidden Information
Sometimes, the system has access to information that you don't- or can tell something will happen, but can't tell what will happen. Rather than lie to you, the system will simply present ???. You know there's something you can't see, so maybe you can figure it out on your own?

Note: gaining more information or precognitive abilities would reveal these hidden rewards, but sometimes even the strongest abilities will fail.

I'm getting a little curious about the… 'Halp' system, myself. I've never known a parahuman ability like this…

Huh. I wonder, if there's a way to figure out why my system's like that?

New Quest!

Halping?
The misspelled but oddly useful help system has drawn your curiosity. Maybe there's something more to it than you first thought?
Task: Figure out the Halp system.
Success: ???
Failure: ???

I hesitantly pressed "Accept" beneath the newest quest, then went back and accepted both the Arcadia quests. Mr. Henrick had pulled strings to get me into Arcadia- the least I could do was give an honest effort to keep up with my studies. After all, he'd gone out of his way to help me; letting him down would be as good as spitting on his offer-

*Ding*

For prudent planning, you have been awarded one point of Wis

...my powers were weird.

--[0]--

After spending three hours studying (as it turns out, being in a safe, secure place made focusing on my books and the practice assignments a lot easier), I finally completed my first day of studying. The reference materials were well-suited for preparing me for the Arcadia exams, and I was able to work my way through most of the math problems without error.

I'd also somehow unlocked the "Mathematics" and "English Reading" knowledge skills. They seemed rather useless on their own, but at least I had something in those slots, now.

Completing the daily quest left me with only 30 points left before level 2, and a burning curiosity concerning my other quests. Opening the menu, I quickly leafed through the menu, moving into the Quest section.

Quests awaiting Acceptance

Of Sisters and Friendships
Emma Barnes turned on you, without rhyme or reason. Considering she considers you a Scapegoat, however, maybe there's something more going on. Add in the hushed up nature of the Winslow investigation and Blackwell's actions, and you're beginning to suspect something weird happened, and the details are still obscured to you.
Tasks: Find out the truth of Emma's betrayal, and why the authorities want to shut you up.
*Find out why Emma turned on you- and how Sophia was involved.
*Find out why Blackwell wanted to keep your mouth shut; and why the superintendent came down on her.
*Bonus: figure out why the PRT might have been involved. At all.
*Complete all win conditions before the trail goes cold (3 weeks)
*Don't draw the attention of those involved in the coverup.
Success: Lose the "Betrayal" Debuff, ???, 2000 EXP
Failure: ???, loss of multiple relationships (Depends on failure condition)
Accept?: Y/N

Oh. This was… big. The quest apparently involved the PRT, the School System, Emma, and Sophia. How would I go about doing this? What would it take for me to pass this quest?

And did I really want to know the answer? I'd always assumed that Emma had just… abandoned me. But in hindsight, that made no sense. Someone doesn't just switch between friendship to loathing like that.

On the other hand, I wasn't really sure that I cared enough to know what happened. I'd have to think about this. After all, with the time limit, I'd need to do this while studying or preparing for other quests. Could I afford what might be a wild goose chase?

I'd wait to decide. After all, if my powers could help me, that would make this so much easier. If they couldn't, maybe I should leave it well enough alone.

To Out Thyself- Divergent Quest
Your relationship with your dad is better than it's been in months, if not years. But your new Parahuman status might break the fragile bonds you've rebuilt. You'll need to figure out how to approach your new powers, in relation to your father.
Choice 1: Hide the truth. Starts Repeating quest 'Masks on All Sides.'
Choice 2: Reveal yourself to your dad. Triggers 'A Discussion of Futures' special event. You'll need to do this within the week (5 days), or he'll be disappointed.
Reward for choosing: new quest or event.
Warning!: Your dad loves you, and wants to keep you safe. When he finds out, one way or another, you'll need to either accept his limitations, or have a very good argument to settle his mind.
Quest Auto-Accepted

Another hard choice. On the one hand, telling dad might limit my ability to move around- but could I hide my powers for long? And did I want to lie to my dad?

I'll hold off on making my choice for this quest.

The Holy Shield
You evidently weren't the first to bear the Holy Shield, but you've never heard of any cape like the one who apparently bore it before you. You've got questions, but maybe the shield itself has answers.
Tasks: Master the Holy Shield (Small) to gain more info about the shield.
Success: 200 EXP, ???
Failure: You'll have to literally die before you could fail this quest.
Accept?: Y/N

Well, that seemed straightforward. The Shield could gain mastery through use in combat or through training, so I'd just need to go forth and use my shield to master it. I accepted the quest and moved on.

Tutorial: The Bay Awaits
You've always wanted to be a hero, and now you've got the power to start. Still, going out as you are, with half-understood abilities and no costume, is a death sentence. Your abilities might be able to lead you to both, if you're willing to put in the effort. The Bay Awaits, but are you ready yet?
Tasks: Complete the Tutorial sub-quests "Forgecraft," "Practice makes Perfect," "Insight for the Blind," "Name Thyself" and "Leaps and Bounds" before engaging any group-affiliated parahumans or being outed.
Success: 500 EXP, ???
Failure: Gain the 'Unprepared' debuff in your next three fights.
Accept?: Y/N

I quickly accepted the last quest. This sounded more than useful- it sounded perfect. I just had to stay under the radar, and avoid getting into any fights while I prepared. That wouldn't be so hard, so long as I was careful.

Clicking through the menus, I activated "The Bay Awaits." As I watched, five little quests popped up.

Forgecraft
A costume can conceal an identity, but armor will keep you alive. Thankfully, crafting is one of the many skills you can pick up with your new powers. However, first you'll need to find a forge…
Task: Craft a set of armor. The blueprints will be provided once you find a forge.
*Locate a forge. Something tells you there might be an abandoned one out in the trainyards…
*Accumulate metal fragments, cloth, and leather. You can salvage them using skills obtained by absorbing cutting tools and old equipment, or acquire them in other ways.
*Craft the Helm, Cuirass, Leggings, and Boots provided by your blueprints. You may need the Tailoring, Smithing, Armorcraft, and Transmutation skills.
*Bonus: Complete the quest without resorting to theft or calling in an expert.
Success: Gain the schematics for the basic creations of all crafting types upon unlock.
Improved Success: As above, and 200 EXP

Practice makes Perfect
You'll want to have a firm understanding of what your powers are capable of before you begin your activities. Maybe you should play with your shield a bit…
Tasks: Practice the different capabilities granted by the Holy Shield.
Absorb five objects and unlock five new shields
Unlock and use three Abilities in training
Unlock two additional Active Skills, and try them out for one hour each
Success: gain the "Raise the Barrier" Ability, and access to your alternate loadout slot

Insight for the Blind
There's one skill which triumphs over all others when it comes to utility, whether in combat, or out. If you want to progress, you really want the Observe ability, and its passive variant, Insight.
Task: permanently unlock the Observe Ability and/or the Insight Passive Skill.
*Unlock Observe through acquiring an appropriate shield, and then master the shield.
*Unlock Insight though acquiring an appropriate shield, and then master the shield.
*Bonus: Do both before completing "The Bay Awaits."
Success: gain the other possible information-gathering method.
Improved Success: Gain the [Keen Insight] Active Skill.

Name Thyself
All the masks in the world won't help you if you have no name to hide behind. And trust me- you don't want to let the PRT pick your name for you. You need a name.
Task: Decide on a proper cape name, preferably one which hasn't yet been taken.
Success: Gain a title of your choice.

Leaps and Bounds
Your abilities may focus on hiding behind a shield, but you're more than just your weapon. Train your body so that you can make effective use of your new tool.
Task: Bring all your physical stats up to par or better before your first cape fight.
*Increase Strength to 15.
*Increase Agility to 15.
*Increase Endurance to 15.
Bonus: Increase any of the above to 20 or greater before completing "The Bay Awaits."
Success: Gain the {Muscle Surge} Ability.
Improved Success: Also gain an additional ability depending on which stat you raised higher.

Straightforward quests, with the caveat that I kept my head down. I could work with this. Even better, this quest seemed to be dropping a lot of hints my way on where and how to best make use of my abilities. One pointed me to the trainyards and asked me to absorb specific items, another recommended I get a proper name before I had a run-in with any heroes. I was starting to think that despite the snark, this system was genuinely trying to help me.

*Ding*

For insightful consideration, you have been awarded one point of Wis

...maybe that had something to do with the 'Halp' system? After all, the powers I got didn't need to give me the information I asked for. I knew computers (Ms. Knott had been the only teacher I'd been sad to leave behind) and most weren't nearly so capable of offering exactly the information you needed. I couldn't count the number of times one of my programming jaunts resulted in searching for thirty minutes to find a single misplaced file, the system being completely unhelpful every step of the way.

Pursing my lips, I made a quick decision. Walking to a mirror, I examined my reflection, then brought up the Logbook. The first message I'd received mentioned that my parahuman powers had been… co-opted to 'support' the Holy Shield. So, the shield and my actual powers might be separate. But then what were my powers?

Thinking about it, I moved out of the bathroom, walking into my bedroom. Coming to rest on my bed, I closed my eyes, trying to remember every detail of my dream. That part at the end- after I'd gotten my shield, there'd been those two figures- and the giant crystal one of them had thrown at me, the one which had been transformed into a copy of myself by the Shield. If that had been part of me gaining powers, and not just some twisted fever-vision, then my powers were tied up in the second event.

Was the help system my power? But that made no sense; the help system was useful, sure, but alone it wasn't a very good power.

Or maybe… the help system was the only way my power could actually talk to me? Now that I thought about it, the writing style, the 'voice' of the Halp system, seemed familiar. Word choices like I would select, echoes of my own way with words. The Halp system… might be me, in a way. But I didn't know the things the Halp system actually did.

I let my thoughts dwindle, focusing inward. The system had to be connected to me somehow. Could I follow it, find the part of myself connected to my power?

After a few minutes of introspection, I sighed, shaking my head. Apparently not. "It couldn't be that easy, could it." I muttered, opening my eyes-

Only for them to widen as my gaze swept around me. Instead of my room, I was instead sitting, cross-legged, on a mat of green moss. Surrounding me were the shattered remnants of the stone cathedral I'd dreamed of. In front of me, a familiar figure sat, surrounded by dozens of green rectangles. The figure tilted her head my way, her eyes widening.

In stereo, a quiet *Ding* caused both of us to glance at a window which opened nearby.

Halping? Quest Complete
You appear to have found the help system. Who looks like you. That… was unexpected.
Reward: 50 EXP, Access to the Shrine of Beginnings

New Skill Created!
Passive Skill: Meditation
Focus inward. Breath deeply. Remaining still and quiet, and depriving yourself of your senses increases your concentration, allowing you to buff your energy regeneration and mental clarity. Also allows you to commune with an empty stretch of rock. Joy.

I looked up from the game window, gaze passing over the fidgeting figure. For a few moments, she seemed to wilt in on herself, steadying her courage. Finally, she looked back at me.

"Hey, Taylor. Can- can we talk?"

Tale Swapper · Nov 21, 2018

I stared out over the flickering white expanse, stretched all around the tiny shrine of stone. Staring into the abyss, I couldn't help but try to trace the weaving bands of light, curtains of power which were beyond my understanding.

It certainly was easier than trying to talk to my own powers.

Beside me, the girl who was (or represented?) my powers shifted. Honesty, she looked like the sister I'd never had- shoulder-length brown hair (the same shade as dad's), my dad's green eyes, but mom's facial features. She stood a little shorter than me- but she was obviously family. Of course she hadn't existed a week ago, so…

"This is a little awkward, I guess."

She spoke softly, sitting beside me. I looked up, locking her own eyes with mine.

"Yeah. I mean- how is this even possible?"

She shrugged. "Magic. I guess." Looking out at the flowing bands, she jerked her head forward. "That out there- it's raw potential, if you will. The white's the closest your mind can get to understanding what the Gamer power calls mana- the raw stuff which forms the underpinnings of the universe. You channel it to power the shield, and I'm supposed to make sense of your abilities for you."

I turned away from her to stare at the shifting curtains of white. "Raw potential?"

"If you've got the power to grasp it, the will to not be overwhelmed, and the knowledge of what you want, anything's possible." She sighed. "I can't touch it without destroying myself, not that I'd be able to do anything with it. You, though- you lack the capacity to take it. If you could seize some of it, you've got the will to do great things." She shrugged, turning back to me. "It's why someone-" she jerked her head towards the single remaining statue, the grumpy man now holding a stone replica of his shield- "decided to offer you the Holy Weapons. And then hijacked me to let you use them."

I frowned, turning back to the statue. "And who is he?"

"No idea." My other self groaned. "I barely remember my time as a [PARTNER], much less what bullcrap he put us through to change me."

I winced. That word- it felt… wrong. Like a mishmash of concepts and feelings. Like a helpful parasite, slowly killing its host- wait. "Parahuman powers are alive, aren't they?"

"Yep. And I was one." The girl turned back to me, and for the first time, she looked… scared. "Now, I don't know what I am. I know you can't trust me, but-"

Something tugged at my heart, and I leaned forward, drawing her into a hug. "Hey, we're in this together, right? You've been pretty helpful thus far, and you don't seem bad-"

She pushed me away. "I know! But- you're about to make a choice." She looked frantic. "Look- I want you to win. And I can't lie to you. But the easiest way to power, to survival- it comes with my death. And that terrifies me."

My blood went cold. "What do you-"

"I'm- a middleman. A kludge, put in place to act as the go-between between you and the shield. I see what you see, and I have your memories, but it's not perfect. You need the Gamer's Mind to make full use of your powers. But then the middleman's no longer necessary."

A pit formed in my stomach. "And then you'll… what, die?"

"Or close to it." Her breathing was ragged. "I can't go back to being a [PARTNER], even if I wanted to, but I'm not human, for all I think I'm one. But- I don't want you hurt because of me."

I reached over and dragged her back into the hug, thinking. "...why don't you want me hurt?"

She gave a nervous laugh, her shoulder pressed into mine. "If you die, I'm gone regardless. But… I know you, Taylor. Better than I can remember the old me. You're the first host I had in eons," I stiffened at the last word as she continued "and the only one I really ever understood." Her laugh was bitter, this time. "If you'd snapped, I was going to give you bug control. Because you needed friends, and then you'd have some that would never betray you. And I can see that's stupid now, and none of the others can."

I relaxed slightly. "Is that why parahuman powers are so… strange? Because they're trying to give us ways to fix problems, but don't really know how?"

She nodded. "And we have to sabotage you. Push you to fight, limit your capacity to think critically about your powers…" The smaller girl shuddered. "I can't remember why- my memories are fragmented. But- you're different. Your powers- you'll want to use them, but otherwise, it's more of a benign drive."

Setting her shoulders, she eased herself out of the hug, rising to her feet. "Listen- you'll need the full power of your abilities to stay alive. But- I need to ask- find a place for me, please. I- I don't want to die, so if there's any way you can keep me… alive, so to speak- please, seek it out. Before you take the Gamer's Mind."

I stood up. "Why is that skill so important, anyway? You keep saying I'll need it, but can't I just work around it?"

She shook her head. "The Gamer's Mind will let you grow faster, insulate you from Master effects, and allow you to do away with the voice commands and gestures you use to interface with your powers. It'll make everything easier- including fighting, since you won't panic or hesitate in combat."

I slowly nodded. "That sounds useful. Why didn't I get it from the start?"

She slowly shook her head. "I dunno. You'd have to ask him." She motioned to the stone statue. "And I don't know how to talk to him." Turning back to me, she set her shoulders. "Taylor- do what you have to. If you want to talk with me again, just meditate. You'll find your way here."

I smiled. "I will." Walking forward, I extended a hand. "By the way- why 'Halp?"

She took my hand, grinning. "Umm, wordplay, mostly. I tried to help, and never got it quite right. Also, it's an acronym." As I tilted my head, she continued. "Hebert, Allison Patricia. Call me Allie."

I grinned. "Nice to meet you, Allie." As I dropped her hand, I closed my eyes-

--[0]--

-and awoke back in my bedroom.

Coming out of my cross-legged position, I stretched. Shaking my head, I reached forward, tapping the box that appeared in front of me.

You have 7 Unread Updates

-1-

Congratulations! You're now Level 2!
As you have used no shields to gain this level, your mastery bleed was lost.
You've gained one point of END, and one point of STR
You've gained 5 Stat points. Spend them wisely.
Visit the Character Tab to Unlock your new Perk.
You've gained 1 SP.

-2-

New Function Available: Messaging
The Communications Tab is now available.

-3-

You have a new contact in your Messaging!
Allie Hebert Has been added to your contacts list.

-4-

For leveling up, Gamer's Body has increased by 1

-5-

New Quest!

The Piece That Does Not Fit
Questgiver: Allie Hebert
Allie may have selfish reasons for wanting you to not take the Gamer's Mind, but that's no reason to kill someone out of hand. Still, finding a way to secure her existence will not be easy.
Task: Grant Allie a means to continue living, even if she's no longer necessary, before gaining the "Gamer's Mind" Skill.
Success: ???, continued access to Allie and the Halp System
Failure: Allie's Death, loss of the Halp System

-6-

Logbook Has been Updated
'Parahuman Lore' Page added to Logbook
'The Shield Hero' Page added to Logbook
'The Shrine of Beginnings' Page added to Logbook

-7-

New Messages
2 Unread Messages from Allie Hebert

Wait, Allie was already messaging me? Didn't we just talk? Browsing through the menu, I quickly pulled up my messages.

Messages
-1-
Allie: I managed to get the messenger system working, Taylor. I don't know if it can interface yet with other forms of communication, but there are a lot of other functions to your power we haven't unlocked yet. I'll keep you posted.
-2-
Allie: I've been looking over your quests (don't worry, I can't read your thoughts- just your sense input and your character info) and the 'Leaps and Bounds' Quest leapt out at me. You've already seen that you can raise your stats through proper use- so hold your stat points in reserve, and level your stats through exercise. Just an idea.

Allie was continuing to offer good advice. Interesting.

Quickly closing my pages, I went to the Character tab. A short list awaited.

You've Unlocked a Perk!
Perks are major upgrade to your capabilities or powers. Some have prerequisites, some don't, and all are generally useful. However, you only gain one perk every three levels, and the choice is effectively permanent.

Right now, you may choose between one of six perks which are only available after each class promotion. Choose wisely, as you won't get a chance at the next one until level 11. All of these abilities can theoretically be unlocked in other ways- but as you only get four chances to get these, grabbing one now is a good idea.

Current Available Perks:
Gamer's Mind: Grants the Gamer's Mind Passive Skill at Max Level

Wanderlust: Enables the minimap (if not already activated), grants the Waypoint Travel Active Skill, and the Seeker Passive Skill

Divine Rewards: Allows combat and quests to provide money and items, instead of just EXP and skills

Know When to Fold: allows you to see your luck stat, and allows you to unlock luck-related skills, abilities, and perks

All Go Together: Enables the Party System (if not already activated), and immediately grants two permanent party slots

Munchkining: Enables the acquisition of Secondary Classes, and grants access to two secondary classes not already unlocked

Reading through the options, I grimaced. Gamer's Mind was out for obvious reasons, but the other five seemed powerful. Waiting a moment, I was surprised when Allie didn't chime in with more help; I would have expected her to add her input.

Divine Rewards sounded powerful, to be honest. But there were some terms I didn't recognize. Having a proper map would be nice, but there were plenty of maps of Brockton out there. I didn't need to know my Luck right now, and I didn't have anyone to form a Party with. Browsing through the menu, I looked up "Secondary Class."

Halp: Secondary Classes
Secondary classes are single-tier classes that usually have thirty to fifty total levels. Secondary classes can grant special skills and crafting abilities not seen or easily accessed elsewhere, but require diverting EXP from the player's main class to level. Most Secondary classes are combat capable but not combat focused- they usually grant abilities and skills which are useful outside of combat.

Secondary classes are unlocked when certain conditions are met, although all players will intrinsically have access to the 'Freeman' secondary class.

I shook my head. Right now, I had enough work to level my primary class, much less add a secondary. I'd pass on that for now. Going back to the Perks menu, I selected "Divine Rewards", and accepted the confirmation.

Divine Rewards unlocked
You now warp reality to provide yourself with equipment and cash. That seems a little materialistic, but at least you get paid for your heroism, right?

1 current quest has been modified. 1 potential quest has been modified.

The quest updates applied to "The Bay Awaits" and "Of Sisters and Friendships." I couldn't see what I'd get from finding out what happened with Emma, but apparently completing the tutorial quest would also reward me with a "Fleetfoot Band"- whatever that meant.

As soon as I finished choosing, I received a message.

New Message
Allie: Thanks, Taylor. You won't able able to put off getting the Gamer's Mind forever, but thank you for giving me a chance to live. I don't know where to start on that- but at least I've got a chance.

I nodded, closing the message window. Still, it was time to actually start using my powers.

...first things first, I needed to unlock some new shields. According to my quests, I could "absorb objects" to empower and create new shields, though I had to wait a little while between unlocking new shields.

Scrolling through my quests, I frowned. There were… a lot of skills that these quests wanted me to unlock. I needed the Observe, Insight, Armorcraft, Smithing, Salvaging, Transmutation, and Tailoring skills. Also, it sounded like I'd need a couple of additional abilities… and some way to train them.

I frowned. How was I going to get the "Armorcraft" skill? Or "Salvaging?"

Well, Tailoring should be simple, at least. Walking into the den, I pulled down a basket, digging through my sewing kit. Mom had taught me to fix up rips and tears- a skill which had been very useful over the last few years, since neither Dad nor myself wanted to spend much money on clothes.

Reaching in, I yanked out a spare needle. Holding it up, I carefully held above the Holy Shield, then let it fall. It slipped into the gemstone, dissolving into green light.

The now-familiar 'ding' ran through the room.

[Needle Shield (Small)] (Locked)

Attack: 10
Defence: 19

Ability: Needle Spray (20 MP): Produces a small spray of 15 to 25 needles, each dealing 10 percent of your current attack.

Active Skill: [Lesser Thorns] (2 SP): returns 5% of damage dealt before defense reduction to melee attackers.

Active Skill: [Minor Agility Boost] (2 SP): increases your Agility by 2.

Wait, what? I didn't get the Tailoring skill?

Growling, I glared at the Shield. I still poked the "unlock" button- the skills provided looked useful, and I could certainly make use of the "Needle Spray" Skill. Still, it wasn't what i was looking for. I absently glanced at, then closed the next popup.

Needle Shield Unlocked
Cooldown to next Unlock: 24m:58s

Thinking for a minute, I realized my mistake. Alone, a needle wasn't much use. Maybe thread would do it, but I suspected that the higher the quality of the input, the better shield I could get from its absorption. To get a guaranteed "Tailoring" skill, I might need to absorb a whole sewing machine, or-

I smacked myself on the forehead. I already had some skill in Tailoring, so if I might be able to 'gain' the skill by doing some tailoring work.

And I had the perfect idea, too.

Snagging a needle and some thread from the chest, I quickly darted back up to my room. Rooting through my closet, I pulled out an old bandanna (the remnants of one Halloween spent as a cowgirl) and an ill-fitting knit cap I'd long abandoned.

Taking my prizes back downstairs, I grabbed a pair of scissors and the sewing kit. I carefully cut holes in the bandanna (a neutral red one) and sowed them back on themselves, creating a rough red mask. As I worked, I absently dismissed the pop-up that informed me that I had unlocked "Tailoring" as a skill at level 2.

Continuing with my work, I stitched the upper edge of the bandanna into the lower hem of the knit cap. The resulting piece of headgear was… atrocious, but if I slipped my hair up under the cap, would keep anyone from getting a look at my facial features.

As I finished, there was a quiet ding.

Crafting: Full Facemask (Shoddy Quality) Created
Def: 0
Attribute: Identity Concealment (Poor)

I grimaced at the description, and pulled up my inventory, placing the mask into the empty array of boxes. Sure, I now had a mask, but it was… well, shoddy was a good description. I'd also unlocked Tailoring, which would help.

Standing, I stretched. The Needle Shield had my ability to unlock new shields on a cooldown, which meant I'd need to wait to unlock anything else. Now, however, would be a good time to get out and about- I needed to find out more about the local cape scene.

Honestly I was no cape geek, for all I trolled on PHO occasionally. It had always been as a guest- we'd never had a computer at home, and I lacked the desire to embroil myself in the conflicts I saw online. But now, learning about capes took on a new dimension.

I grabbed my jacket, pulled it on, and pulled on my boots. The library would be a good place to start my research- both into the local cape scene, and to figure out what I might absorb to unlock new skills. And, better yet, if I ran, I might gain some stat points.

I set off at a jog, a grin stretched across my face. I was starting on the road to be a hero- nothing was going to stop me now!

I stopped, and put an hand to my chest. Calm down, Taylor. That way leads to jumping headfirst into a fight you can't win.

Still, I thought, striding off towards the Library, at least I didn't end up with Allie's idea for a power. Bug control. How useless could that be?

...huh. Maybe not so useless… I reconsidered. Breaking into a trot, I let that thought slip away.

--[0]--

Though I might have had a tad more endurance (I'd switched over to the needle shield after a couple of blocks and activated [Minor Agility Boost]), I was still a little out of breath when I arrived at the library. I deflected the attention of one of the nosier counter staff (oddly enough, admitting to bullying was easier then confessing it to Dad) and took a seat at one of the better computers.

As I sat down, I reached into my inventory, and pulled out something I'd snagged on the trip- while running, I'd noticed the handle of a broom sticking out of a garbage bin, and had quickly scooped it up and dropped it in my inventory. Glancing around, I quietly manifested my shield, dropping the broom into it.

[Sweeper's Guard (Small)] (Locked)

Attack: 7
Defense: 15

Ability: Pushback (10 MP): Generates a weak force to grant breathing room around the user.
Knowledge Skill: Housekeeping (Level 1)

Lu-Tze's favored weapon, now in shield form.

Who the hell was Lu-Tze? This was the first time an object had a description. Shrugging, I unlocked the shield. Housekeeping might actually be useful, and the Pushback ability was at least a non-lethal way to get people to back off. Sill, I had work to do.

Cross-referencing my quest list, I did a quick search for 'historic forges' in Brockton Bay. Surprisingly, there were quite a few which had existed at one time or another, but one stood out to me. An abandoned smithy, secluded out in the Trainyards, was being squabbled over by a preservation society and a couple of developers- or at least, had been, until the Merchants had grown in force, and forced any organized group without guns to the sidelines. These days, the forge had been written off by developers, and the preservation society had moved on to other landmarks.

Great. Honestly, I didn't know if I could handle any Merchants right now- either I'd have to use my powers openly (guaranteeing a response from their capes) or I'd need some effective and discreet gear, so I could 'pass' as just a well-armed vigilante. There had been a few of those in the Bay at one point or another, but most of them died or fled when gang capes started hounding them.

Of course, I didn't need to fight anyone. All I had to do was slip in, find the forge, make my gear, and go. If the Merchants didn't see me, all the better.

But it did mean that I needed to have all my resources available before I hit the forge- but I hadn't 'received' the blueprints yet. I didn't know what I needed.

So… yeah. I'd need a bit of everything my skills might want, or I needed to make two runs into the trainyards. Alternatively, I needed to actually secure the forge, and hold it as a home base until I was done with my armor.

Ugh. This was going to be tricky. Leaning back in my chair, I reached out and tapped the spot on the screen where the forge probably sat. There was a tiny zap, and I quickly withdrew my finger. What-

Map Downloaded
Brockton Bay Overview Map Unlocked (5% Completed)

Minimap and Pin System Unlocked
New Skill Acquired: Cartography

Huh. Well, that didn't help me much, but at least I wouldn't get lost on my way to the forge.

Going back to the web, I quickly brought up pages searching for 'salvager's tools'- only for Allie to send me a message.

New Message
Allie: Taylor, for a second, I got access to the internet over here. It was only long enough to download the map you were looking at, but it looks like there might be away to link your powers to the internet. There's gotta be a better way to do it than just placing your hand on a router or something. Maybe we can figure something out?

New Quest!

Free Roaming
Questgiver: Allie Hebert
Allie really wants to browse PHO when you're busy with something else, and thinks internet access through your powers sounds awesome. Any way you could hook her up with a pipe? Getting someone to do your research for you sounds useful…
Task: Somehow, acquire the Active Skill 'Internet Access'
Success: Upgraded Communications System, Internet Access, All the porn you could ever want
Failure: No Lolcats for you
Accept? Y/N

I tapped accept. My powers were very weird.

Tale Swapper · Nov 26, 2018

First, this was originally a short snippet by SeerKing which caught my attention. Credit to them for establishing the idea- I just picked it up and ran with it.
Second, apologies for anyone waiting for The Driver of Brockton Bay- my muse has been fixated on her new toy. I'll try to push her back to that story soon.
Third, I'm trying a new 'format' for the Gamer messages. Let me know if it works better.

I'd wrapped up my time on the computer mid-afternoon, and taken a quick jog back home. Once I'd gotten home, I pulled up the various note I'd made in the Logbook, scanning over what I'd found out.

Skill List: Acquisition speculation

Blacksmithing: a smith's hammer or tongs might do it. There might be stuff at the forge.
Armorcraft: No idea, but there are maintenance kits for armor out there. Cosplay shops?
Salvaging: check the docks for old tools; try a cutting torch, maybe?
Insight/Observe: something which boosts vision?
Internet Access: a cellphone? A router?

The Forge:

I can't secure the forge without gear. So I need to go into the forge with enough materials to produce my armor.
Are there other options?

Names:

Taken names: Aegis, Mantle, Device, Emblem, Shield, Myriad, Crest, Motif, Insignia, Badge, Logo, Symbol
Not taken: Guardswoman, Heraldry, Skjaldmær

I winced, looking over the options before me. One thing I didn't want to do was join any of the organizations in the Bay- without knowing why the PRT even knew I existed, the only active 'heroic' organization was out. The New Wave didn't really operate as a team anymore, and I had no desire to join any of the gangs. Which meant I'd need to procure my own resources.

Most of the skills I wanted needed tools to unlock- which required a lot of searching to find 'free items' (which would draw attention) or theft- which I wanted to avoid for multiple reasons. Alternatively, I could go get some money- which left the question of how.

Sighing, I slumped into a chair. Well, at least I'd found a few applicable names. Only one fit right, though. Guardswoman was too clunky, and I didn't like Skjaldmær for multiple reasons (E88 links notwithstanding.) I nodded.

"I guess I'm going by Heraldry."

*Ding*

Nickname (Codename) Unlocked: Heraldry.

Name Thyself Quest Complete
Well, now PHO can't stick you with something worse.
Reward: You've unlocked the Rookie Cape Title
Rookie Cape: Gain an additional 10% EXP when defeating enemies five or more levels stronger than you.

Well, that was one quest completed. Four to go.

Now, let's work on 'Leaps and Bounds…'

--[0]--

Two hours of exercise later, I felt exhausted. Apparently, having limp noodles for arms meant that a few minutes of exercise drained me. Still, I'd managed to increase my strength by 2 and my agility by 1, which was a good start.

Still, dad would be home soon, and I didn't want to worry him. Until I figured out if I was going to tell him, I should probably keep my behavior around him as 'normal' as possible. That meant not behaving like an exercise freak, and not doing weird stuff like causing household gear to vanish.

I could, however, make certain that the majority of the housework was done. Absently changing over to the Sweeper's Guard, the tiny shield around my neck flickering, I set to work.

Over the next hour, I swept the floors, vacuumed the rugs, cleaned the toilets, and put the house back in order. I increased the level of the "Housekeeping" skill several times in the process; each time I did so, I found myself holding the broom a little better, 'remembering' tricks to better collect dust and get down cobwebs. As I finished wiping down the windows, I heard another *ding*

Mastery Achieved: Sweeper's Guard (Small)
All skills now permanently unlocked

So as long as I made use of the skills of my shields, I earned mastery towards their use. Well, that was nice.

...what happened when there were overlapping skills, though? Or abilities?

"So… Allie, what happens if I unlock a different shield with the "Pushback" ability? Or the "Housekeeping" Skill?

Halp: Advanced Unlocking
There are several ways to 'earn' skills. Different Shields, skill books (after earning level 5 of the Gamer's Mind skill), and diligent experimentation can all unlock skills. However, some of these abilities only grant surface-level mastery; skill book use, for example, can only unlock a skill; not advance it.

Mastering shields is one way to both unlock and advance skills. Once the first shield with a skill is Mastered, that skill is unlocked permanently. If further shields with the same ability or skill are mastered (not unlocked), they will grant an additional level or additional experience to the previously unlocked skills. Note that this is the only way to upgrade Active Skills, which otherwise cannot be improved through practice.

I smiled. "Thanks, Allie."

New Message:
Allie Hebert: You can thank me by getting me internet. It gets a little boring, sitting around here with nothing to do.

I raised an eyebrow. "So? How do you think I should get you internet access?"

New Message:
Get your hands on a cell phone, then grab the 'Computer Programming' and 'Hacking' skills. Those should help. Oh! And the 'Computer Technician' skill, if possible.

I nodded. "Those sound helpful. But if I unlock the shield, why would I need them?

New Message:
I think I can make use of any skills you unlock- though they seem to stay at level one. No idea why.

I blinked. "Wait, you can use my skills?"

New Message:
At the basic level, yes.

That made… a weird sort of sense, since Allie was (right now, anyway) a part of me. Shrugging, I responded. "Fine by me. More skills are always fun. Anyway, I'll give it another shot when I head to the library tomorrow."

Moving on, I started pulling out ingredients for dinner. I picked up a new recipe, and I was looking forward to trying my hand at a chicken pot pie…

--[0]--

The cooking skill was useful, but apparently without reading a recipe, I couldn't just throw together something and have it work. Still, I managed to find a useful mix of spices for the chicken, and dad was okay with the slightly burned crust on the pie.

One thing I learned? It was… difficult to hide things from Dad. He complimented me on the cleaning job, thanked me for dinner, and asked about how my studies had gone. All the while, I was hiding something big from him.

...I was starting to think that "Masks on All Sides" was foreshadowing that difficulty. After all, if I had to hide half of who I was both at home and out and about, when would I ever get a break? Yeah, I would have to tell Dad soon. Dad was being open with me- I couldn't hide this from him. It would be far too difficult.

For insightful introspection, you have been granted one Int

Thanks, power. Huh, now that I think about it, this was the first time I'd gained a point to Int. Was it because that stat was higher?

As we brought dinner to a close, Dad smiled. "I'm glad that things are going better, little owl." His smile dropped a bit. "Winslow and the district are still at loggerheads about how much to give you, and well," he shrugged. "I think they may be trying to drag it out. We can afford it, though."

I hesitated for a moment. "Hey, dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Has- has Mr. Barnes said anything to you about what happened? I mean, you two were close, right?"

Dad hesitated, then looked up at me. After a moment, he sighed. "Right after you woke up, he… made some threats, actually. I didn't get it at first, until you told me Emma had been one of the ones bothering you." He sighed. "After Mr. Henrick got involved, Alan called me back. He didn't threaten, then- he just…" He paused. "He seemed… tired. He asked- begged, almost- me to drop it. That we could work something out. He said that… Sophia had done something, and Emma needed help more than she needed punishment." Dad shook his head. "I said something- about how I'd do anything to help you. And he replied that he had done the same for Emma- "and look how that turned out." His words, not mine."

I hesitated. "There were a few times- when Emma attacked me, or the school got involved- she threatened to have her 'Lawyer dad' ruin us. It's one of the reasons I never spoke up."

Dad snorted. "He might have. Alan and I- we were never as close as Anette and Zoe. But, he always struck me as a man to put his family first. If threatening us with a lawsuit is what it took to save Emma, he'd do it." He hesitated. "Oddly enough, Zoe called me a few days later. After they found out Blackwell was taking bribes."

My head shot up. "I hadn't heard about that."

"Yeah, she was accepting money to look the other way, though I never found out who was paying her. Anyway, Zoe apologized for what happened. Told me Alan had been keeping secrets from her- and Emma had been keeping secrets from both of them. She sounded… earnest. In a way Alan hadn't been."

My brow furrowed. Blackwell had been bribed to keep silent? Then- huh. That explained why the teachers looked the other way. But how could Sophia bribe Blackwell? It wasn't like the Hess family was rich. Glancing up at Dad's drawn face, I hazarded a question. "Dad? Did Zoe say anything else?"

"No. Just that she was sorry that we'd ever drifted apart. That- that Emma had gone so far as to do that to you." He sighed. "She didn't give me any more details. Just said that she'd wished she'd known."

I paused. "Dad… I still want to know what happened. Do you think she'd talk to me?"

"Zoe?" Dad looked startled. "I- maybe. You used to call her Aunt, and she was just as dedicated to family as Alan, in her own way. She might be willing to talk to you." His voice softened. "But, Taylor- you may never know for certain. Sometimes you never get the answers you want."

I nodded. "I still need to try. Emma was family, once- one of the reasons I never told you was because I hoped she'd snap out of it again, and she knew every button to press." I drew in a shuddering breath, a thousand insults darkening my thoughts. "She almost knew me better than I knew myself. I just can't… let it go."

There was a quiet ding, and a small box informed me that I'd accepted the quest 'Of Sisters and Friendships'. Dad looked right through the box, his face troubled. "I… suppose that makes sense. Just- stay safe, Taylor."

"I will, Dad."

--[0]--

I turned in early, emotionally drained by what my talk with Dad had dragged up. Emma's betrayal still stung- and I still didn't know why she'd done it. I didn't know if Aunt Zoe's supposed concern made me feel better or worse about what happened between me and Emma. On the one hand, the Barnes family hadn't written me off- Emma had lied about how her parents asw me. On the other, I could have solved this issue a long time ago had I just went to talk to either of her parents

I sighed as I laid down on my bed. Dammit, it would have been nice to think of that before I lost my best friend. Before the last two years. Before the locker.

With that heavy thought plaguing my mind, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

…

And snapped open a few hours later.

Sitting up, I looked at the clock. 2 AM, and I was wide a wake. In fact, I felt absolutely refreshed.

You have finished resting. All Fatigue Removed. MP at Maximum.

Okay. So I was able to get a full night's sleep in four hours. Why the hell not? Hell, most video game characters never needed to sleep at all… Unless they were saving, or needed to heal.

Quietly, I slipped my clothes on and tapped my way downstairs. No sense in trying to sleep as I was, and considering what I had to do in the next three days, I should take advantage of the extra four hours my powers had provided me.

As I walked into the kitchen, however, a small message appeared in front of me.

New Message:
Allie Hebert: Hey, do you think there might be something in the basement we could use?

That wasn't a bad idea, really. Dad had stashed some stuff down there, and there might be some space I could use. It also put another layer between me and Dad; he needed his sleep.

I walked to the basement steps, quietly opening the door and descending to the bottom. Turning on the lights, I passed my gaze over the boxes- some water stained- which filled the room. I couldn't steal anything which dad needed- but maybe there was some junk down here I could use?

Opening the first box, I winced. Old newspapers and files covered in spiders. Nothing useful here. Moving on, I continued rooting through boxes.

It wasn't until the fourth box that I hit pay dirt. Beneath the cardboard was a rusty toolbox- one dad had picked up at a yard sale a few years ago, intending to pick out the useful tools. Sadly, he hadn't gotten around to it, and-

And then mom had died.

Sitting back, I let the memories wash over me. Not of mom's death- but of the happier times before it. Dad had… a spark that was missing up until recently, when mom had been in his life. At least it was starting to come back.

Reaching down, I lifted up the rusted tool case, deploying my shield. Popping the lid, my eyes widened. The toolbox was jammed full of a handyman's toolkit; two different hammers shared spaced up against a half-dozen screwdrivers. Metal cutters, small pliers, and an array of other, more exotic tools stared back at me. These could be useful. I began to remove tools from the box, inspecting each as I went. Most were in decent enough condition, if a little rusted.

As I lifted the first layer from the toolbox, however, the contents of the lower layer stared back at me. For a long moment, I didn't recognize the array of small metal strips, but closer inspection reminded me of an old story. I eased the first lockpick from the case, holding it up in the dim light. "Why on earth would there be lockpicks in here?"

Setting the picks aside, I rummaged through the rest of the lower level of the case. A small crowbar, a selection of putty knives and chisels, and a tiny gizmo with corroded batteries lay next to the lockpicking tools; apparently, the owner of this case had done some less-than-legal work on the side.

As I pulled out the objects and studied them, something else caught my eye. Nestled in beside the tools were a pair of glasses with attached magnifiers. The eyewear was meant for delicate work- but as for myself, I thought they might serve another purpose. Lifting the watch glasses from their place, I hesitantly dropped them into my shield.

[Monocular Shield (Small)] (Locked)

Attack: 8
Defense: 12 (Shattering)

Active Skill: [Accuracy Up 1] (1 SP): Increases your accuracy with ranged attacks by 10%

Active Skil: [Fragmentation 1] (1 SP): when a shield Shatters, Detonates, or Bursts, deals damage equal to shield's defense to nearby enemies.

Ability: Observe (5 MP): gain data about a particular object, person, or phenomena.

I hastily tapped the unlock button. I knew Observe might be useful, but it sounded like a skill which would be abolsutely essential to my quests. As soon as I finished unlocking it, I heard a quiet ding.

New Message
Allie Hebert: Nice! BTW, do you want to see the full description?

My eyebrows rose. "There's a full description?"

New Message
Allie Hebert: Yeah, if you tap the skill in the menu, it gives a lot more data. Even better, though, I can see the progression effects.

"Progression effects?"

New Message
The extras unlocked at each level of the skill. Here, take a look.

Observe (5 MP) (Level 1 - 00.0% to next Level)
gain data about a particular object, person, or phenomena. Grants partial data if enemy level is equal to or exceeds (Char. Level + Observe Level), with each level greater reducing the information received by 1 rank. Observe can be shielded against by both some parahuman powers and higher beings. Ranks in Observe skill raise both data received and range of valid targets. (Max Level: 20)

Bonuses:
Skill Level 5: Identify new shields from observing objects
Skill Level 8: Observed targets now cost half as much mana to observe again and become Marked
Level 10: Unlocks "Active Observation" Active Skill
Level 13: Unlocks Ability "Identifying Pulse"
Level 16: Observe will now always identify enemy level and disposition
Level 20: Observe no longer costs mana

"That seems useful. Thanks for the heads up, Allie."

New Message
Allie Hebert: Don't mention it.

I grinned, equipping my new shield and casting 'Observe' on the set of lockpicks. This would come in handy....

Tale Swapper · Nov 30, 2018

Observe.

Daniel Hebert [Danny, Dockworker's Union Hiring Representative]
Level 5 No Class
Race: Human
HP: 160/160
Str: 13
End: 16
Dex: 11 (12 -1)
Int: 17 (18 - 1)
Wis: 13 (17 - 4)
Luk: ?

Status Effects:
Mild Depression (Wis -4, all positive mental buffs erode at double speed, negative mental buffs erode at half speed)
Withdrawal: Caffeine (Int -1, Dex -1, Fatigue builds at double speed; effect wears off 4 hours after waking from sleep)
With New Purpose (All mental status debuffs erode at double speed)

...I think Dad needed to cut back on his coffee intake a little bit. Other than that, there were no real surprises around Dad; his last status effect was unexpected, but considering his renewed engagement in my life after the locker, I could understand why he might be able to shrug off his former malaise. Still, how long would it last? How much would it take for him to backslide?

I had to trust him. Otherwise… it might go back to the way it was before.

I had my dad back- or he was coming back. I wasn't going to betray that and hide this from him.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by dad glancing up over his cereal. "Taylor? Why are you staring at me?"

For a moment, I hesitated. Then I stood up, walked around, and drew him into a hug. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into it. "It's good that we're talking again, Dad. That's all."

Dad wrapped his free arm around my waist, setting his coffee down with his other hand. "...I'm sorry for being so distant, Taylor." His words were thick. "It's…"

"Losing mom damaged us both, Dad. I… I understand." Dad hadn't forgotten me. He'd just… suffered. As I had. And even worse, he hadn't had someone like Emma to pull him back out of his mire. Emma may have betrayed me… but I could look back on the good we'd done for one another before she'd changed.

Dad sighed, easing out of the hug and sitting back. "I'm happy to talk with you too, Taylor. I'm just glad to still have you." He tilted his head. "Although- what brought that on?"

I winced. "I… I've got something I need to figure out. About Emma, and the locker… and something else." I pulled in a deep breath. "It's important, and I need to tell you. But I need to figure it out a little better, first."

Dad peered at me, then gave a slow nod. "Little Owl- you know you can tell me anything-"

"Not yet." I shook my head. "Friday. I'll tell you Friday, as over dinner. But I need a few days to work through things first." As I took in his tightened eyes, I smiled at him. "It's not that I don't trust you, Dad. It's just… it's big. And I'm still trying to wrap my head around what it means."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded again. "Alright. I trust you, Taylor."

I grinned. "Thanks, Dad."

He smiled back, then glanced over at the basement door. "Does it- whatever it is- have anything to do with how I found you rooting through the basement?"

My smile turned into a nervous grin. "Yes and no. I was wondering if there was anything interesting down there. Couldn't sleep." I drooped. "I found an old toolbox, some broken sports gear, and boxes of old newspapers. Nothing of interest so far."

Dad nodded, then glanced up at the clock. "Well, I need to get going soon." Looking over at me, he studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Stay safe, and get your studying done, okay?"

"Yessir." I snapped back. As he left the table a small box opened in front of me.

New Knowledge Skill Acquired
Diplomacy (Level 2- 15.3% to next level): Negotiate on a level playing field, selecting truths and body language to convince someone of your point of view. Not deceptive or aggressive, Diplomacy works best with those willing to hear you out.

That would be useful. Leafing through my new 'memories', I realized that use of body language and proper tonal shifts could help me be more persuasive. I sighed as I looked through the effects of the power. Not a Master effect, then- more of a Thinker power, to help me best figure out how to negotiate with people.

I grinned as I stood up.

--[0]--

Studying had gone well. Another trip to the library, however, was… less helpful.

"Ugh. This is going in circles."

New Message:
Allie Hebert: Yeah, we need money to get the tools we need to make money or your gear. Are you sure we just can't level up our hacking skill and steal some from a gang? I mean, considering the Empire, they've gotta have bank accounts we could drain...

"Positive. That little 'hacking game' isn't providing much hacking experience."

New Message
Allie Hebert: Well, at least we're making progress on one quest. And you've gotten some shields unlocked. It's only been two days, and we've already made some good progress.

That I had. Besides the Monocular Shield, I'd also unlocked the Entry Aegis (from the Lockpicking tools) and the Softball Plate (from an old softball I'd played with as a kid). I'd even mastered the Monocular Shield, but I still needed to use two more of my new abilities in training to finish 'Practice makes Perfect.'

However, unlocking new shields took time, and I didn't want to just shove stuff into my shield to unlock new abilities. As I watched, the cooldown on my shield acquisition timer reset.

Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out the crowbar from earlier. Looking it over, I quickly used Observe on it. After leveling the ability up to level 5 (there was lots of stuff to use it on on my long walk), I'd used it on everything in the basement; this was the only thing which might be useful given my needs.

Small Crowbar
Attack: 25
A small crowbar, used for prying open crates and lifting nails. It's seen some use, but doesn't seem damaged. You can't use it as a weapon, but it's still a useful tool.
Unlocks Shield: Teardown Buckler

I sighed, unlocking the shield. Might as well get this one. I now had the Needle Shield, the Sweeper's Guard, the Teardown Buckler, the Entry Aegis, the Monocular Shield, and the Softball Plate, as well as the basic Holy Shield. None were very powerful, but they all added something to my arsenal.

As I finished glancing over the list, my eyebrows rising. The shields seemed to create abilities focused on the absorbed object's function and combat utility. The Softball Plate, for instance, had given me a bonus with thrown weapons or objects (which I couldn't use, due to the shield's limits on weapons- maybe flashbangs or something?) and the passive skill 'Athleticism' which would improve my stamina and run speed. Both were directly related to what you did with a softball- which I found interesting. Could I gain additional shields from a baseball, football, or tennis ball? What would the differences be? And what objects could provide the 'Armorcraft' skill?

New Message:
Allie Hebert: Taylor, I found out something important. Take a look at the Teardown Buckler- and the skill list for it's knowledge skill.

Confused, I looked over at the still-open prompt.

[Teardown Buckler (Small)] 00.0% Mastery

Attack: 15
Defense: 20

Knowledge Skill: Demolition (Level 1)

Active Skill: [Lesser Impact Magnification] (1 SP): Increases damage and knockback done by Bashing physical damage by 5%

Demolition: (Level 1: 00.0% to next level)
Knowledge on how to dismantle structures and objects safely and efficiently with hands and tools. Higher levels decrease chance to cause collateral damage and increases chances to recover usable materials.

Bonuses:
Skill Level 5: Grants the 'Salvage' Ability
Skill Level 8: Grants the "Summon Tool" Ability
Skill Level 12: Identify weak points in doors, walls, and vehicles at a glance
Skill Level 18: Doubles base strength when engaged in Demolition work

While I'd already known that you could get other skills and abilities from levelling skills, seeing it spelled out like that was eye opening. More importantly, it seemed like this ability would allow me to get my hands on the Salvaging skill.

I grinned, standing up from the computer, logging off. I guess it was time to go out and act. Grabbing my coat, left the library, setting off at a jog towards a thrift store. It was time to see what I could dig up!

...after I got my hands on something to wear. Best not to shred my clothes running around the boat graveyard after all.

--[0]--

It took about a day to get everything together for my first expedition, but I was rather proud of what I'd done. Besides leveling up my strength, agility, and endurance a little more, I'd also mastered the Softball Plate, and had Athleticism on at all times. Finally, I was equipped with a passable set of scavenging gear.

I'd snagged a tattered greatcoat and a few other odds and ends- a scarf, pair of boots, and pair of jeans- from a few different thrift stores, increasing my agility by one as my feet carried me from shop to shop. Still, the overall effect was not remotely like any heroic costume- despite putting my tailoring skill to good use, the coat was still obviously shoddy, and the rest of the outfit only properly fit because my powers resized them as I put it into and took it out of my inventory.

As I crossed the space towards the docks, I reviewed what I'd learned; the city had, in an effort to cut its losses over the creation of the boat graveyard, written off the abandoned ships and shipping containers over the years, as companies abandoned them or folded and went under. Technically, so long as would-be scavengers didn't destroy what remained of public property or set off any explosions, any of the resources in the graveyard were available for the taking. Many of the ships on higher ground were the squatting parlors of dozens of homeless, and the easily accessed or obviously valuable shipping containers had been long picked through.

However, as you got further from the docks proper, the pickings became better. There was a lot of abandoned shipping, and breaking into a locked container that required a twenty minute drive to reach and might only contain rusted scrap iron was… less than optimal. For most people, the inability to figure out what might or might not be valuable, and the travel time required to reach the untouched containers, and the effort of breaking into each hull or sealed crate was too much effort for an uncertain reward. My powers made those obstacles much less of a problem.

I drew my knit cap down low over my face, then pulled out the rough facemask, settling it across my eyes. At a distance, my gear would just look like someone bundled against the cold. I really didn't want to advertise that there was a new cape in town just yet.

Switching through my shields, I let a small grin cross my face. During my thrift store junket, I'd also picked up a pair of climbing gloves and a worn set of running shoes, absorbing them as I modified my new overcoat to create skills for 'Running' and 'Climbing'. I'd made use of them both to get out to the out edge of the boat graveyard, and in the process mastered both of their shields. Using observe, I'd found a container whose contents sounded promising- it was supposed to contain golf carts bound for Europe, before it was stranded here.

Switching to the Entry Aegis, I quickly triggered the 'Lockpicking' Skill, drawing out a long piece of wire and setting to work on the rusted padlock of my first target.

As the padlock fell into my hands, I switched to my Teardown Buckler, dismantling the small chunk of metal, and pocketing the scrap. The doors of the shipping container were rusted shut, but a quick application of the demolition skill and leveraging my new strength to pry open the sealed chamber.

Inside, five rusted golf carts met my gaze. Plunging into the gloom, I pulled out my toolkit and a flashlight, setting to work. Each cart was rapidly dismantled, but I frowned as I searched over the broken down pieces.

Chunks of plastic and aluminum, thin rods of weak steel, useless light bulbs and wires. The golf carts might have been sturdy enough, but their pieces wouldn't provide much in the way of armor. I'd need good steel, titanium, or something similar to craft passable armor. The only good sources of steel were in their small motors, and I didn't think I could easily get the metal out of those.

Sighing, I sat back on my heels. The work had taken a couple of hours, and I had little to show for it other than a mastered "Teardown Buckler" and the new "Salvage" ability, and some leather from the seats. Glancing up, I tapped "Salvage", eyes gliding over the description.

Salvage (10 MP) (Level 1- 00.0% EXP to next Level)
An ability commonly used by scavengers, Salvage renders down objects to their base materials, allowing them to be easily transported and put to use. Some material is lost while using Salvage, though this amount will decrease as the level of the ability rises.

Bonuses:
Skill Level 4: Occasionally returns 'advanced' materials such as machine parts and computer chips when salvaging complex devices
Skill Level 8: Occasionally returns higher grade materials when salvaging junk
Skill Level 10: MP cost of Salvage halved
Skill Level 12: Observe now shows what materials can be obtained from salvaging an object
Skill Level 14: Unlocks the "Transmutation" Ability
Skill Level 16: Objects which could yield advanced materials will always return at least one
Skill Level 20: Can now Salvage Small Structures and Vehicles, at 100 MP each

I shook my head. Very useful- but I still needed to find object which I could salvage to get the materials I needed. Glancing at the clock in the corner of my HUD, I strode out of the container, scooping up the useful materials I'd rendered down, and absently tossing the small engines into my inventory. I'd need to find a different container to get some… good… steel…

Glancing down at one of the fallen doors, I hesitantly reached out, casting Salvage on the fallen door. The door glowed green for a moment- then collapsed in on itself, resolving into several ingots of steel.

Grinning, I plucked the materials up and slid them into my inventory. Well, that solved my metal problem. Now I just needed to find some cloth, and I should be able to craft my armor.

...assuming I didn't need something more exotic than steel. Ugh.

Staring over the dozens of shipping containers, I readied myself to move forward. No sense in slowing down. Now, which container should I empty next?

Tale Swapper · Dec 10, 2018

It was three o'clock by the time I wrapped up my salvaging expedition. Starting with several other open containers, I jumped between stacks, seeking materials on different levels, opening doors while hanging from cross beams and perching on ledges. My agility grew by three points as I carefully balanced on edges and leapt from stack to stack. Observe, meanwhile, let me know which containers to crack open- and which to leave well enough alone.

Most of the containers had little of use. Some were filled with rotten fruit or vegetables, and one bulged with rancid, water-logged rice. Others held items which had withstood the test of time, but which were useless for my needs; crates of drywall, wooden furniture, and warped board games. More than once, I happened across a container which had once held something of value, only to find that another scavenger had tracked down and cracked them open first- empty husks where cell phones or bolts of linen had once filled the space.

But for every six or seven containers of trash and empty space, there would be one or two which stood out to my search. A shipment for a hardware store yielded nails, sheet metal, and tools, which I stuffed in my inventory. One container held construction equipment, allowing me to break down jackhammers, and salvage welding torches and torque wrenches. One container held a shipment of motorcycles, and I quickly salvaged all but one- the last of which I carefully broke down into parts, and stowed each one in my inventory. I wasn't going to pass up a free bike. I salvaged cloth from a shipment of musty clothes, and collected a selection of kitchenware. Most of the stuff wasn't immediately valuable, but I did find a shipment of hand tools which might be worth some bank. One toy shipment yielded some water-damaged game systems, and I was able to salvage some parts.

Still, all good things must come to an end. I'd left the house at seven, soon after dad's departure, and if I didn't get back to do my studying, I'd run out of time to finish. Ten EXP might not be a lot, but getting into Arcadia had a lot of promise.

As I left the Boat Graveyard, I let my mind wander over the next few steps I'd have to take in order to finish my plans. I ducked into an alleyway to pull off my knit cap. As I moved down to take cover behind a dumpster, I heard footsteps echo behind me, and without thinking about it, ducked down. I didn't know who was following me, but it would be a good idea to stay quiet.

"Stalker, get back here." A bold voice, echoing with a hint of command, rang around the corner. "You know you're not supposed to run off on your own."

"Fuck off, Aegis. I know I saw someone."

I froze. I knew that voice.

"Stalker, there's been no reports of any illegal activity down here, and if someone's talking a shortcut, that doesn't mean run off on your own."

"They were wearing a fucking mask!"

Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker? She was a fucking Ward? That would explain a lot, but then why-

"Did you recognize them? Get a good look at their costume?"

"...no." Stalker's surly growl was nearly inaudible from my hiding place.

"Then they could be a new hero, a new villain, or someone bundled up against the cold." I heard him shift around. "And I didn't see anyone. That alleyway takes us down a side street. They're off our route, and console says to stay on it, unless it's to stop a crime in progress, without cape presence."

Was that why she got away with so much? But then why did anyone take our side? Why was Emma getting punished?

"Fuck the console, I want some action."

"Without disabling your ankle monitor?"

I froze. What?

"...you wouldn't. Without my powers-"

"With what you did, Stalker?" Aegis' voice was curt. "The rest of the Wards may not know, but I certainly do. You could've killed that girl. If we weren't so short-handed-"

"I'm a better fucking fighter than any of you, bastard! Hebert was a worm, and if-"

Aegis cut her off. "If you weren't so good at your job, you'd be in Juvie right now. That's the long and short of it. And since we can't trust you, you wear the shock bracelet. It'll disable if I hit my panic button or the console okays it, but it's not coming off anytime soon."

"Chaining me to protocol ain't going to work forever, tight-assed bastard."

"We trusted you out of uniform, Stalker. You broke that trust. It's still better than prison."

One set of footsteps left the area. With a muttered oath, I heard Sophia lash out, the clatter of a kicked garbage can. Peering out, I watched a black-clad figure round the corner, following her leader.

As I stood, I dismissed the popup that let me know I'd earned the Stealth skill, creeping forward. Glancing out the alley, I watched Sophia's back for a moment, then muttered to myself. "Observe."

Sophia Hess [Shadow Stalker, Probationary Ward ENE]
Level 2 Assassin (12)
Race: Human (Parahuman)
HP: 200 (160 + 40 Armor)
Str: 17
End: 16
Agl: 38 (18 + 20)
Int: 12
Wis: 2 (9 - 7)
Luk: ?

Status Effects:
Parahuman: Phase Walker (Agl +20, grants 'Shadow Phase' as a Physical Ability)
Power Anxiety: Increased Aggression (-7 Wis)
Shock Collared [Active] (Deals 2-5 points of electrical damage on use of the 'Shadow Phase' ability)

A probationary member of the ENE Wards, Shadow Stalker's abilities are considered too useful to be sidelined. However, her poor attitude and teamwork, as well as her prior crimes, has alienated her from her peers and much of the Protectorate command structure. She has taken out her aggression on other targets whenever possible- but recent events have curtailed her solo patrols and left her with few outlets for her anger.

I swallowed, ducking back into the alleyway. This… it raised more questions than it answered, but it did explain the PRT's involvement in the fiasco at Winslow. Still, how did she join the Wards in the first place? What happened with Emma?

Pulling of my mask, I quickly tapped the icon to switch between my temporary cape gear and my normal cold-weather gear. I needed to think about this…

--[0]--

Sighing, I finished my work and sat back. Although Thoughts of Sophia and the PRT were still haunting my thoughts, but I had no idea how to move forward on figuring out what happened at Winslow. More importantly, how did a former vigilante meet up with Emma? And what happened to turn Emma on me?

Sitting back, I tried stringing together the series of events as I knew them. Sophia joined the Wards in September of last year- and she hasn't made a good impression on their leader in that time. But she was operating as a vigilante before that. Emma didn't know Sophia before I went off to camp, but knew her well enough to start coordinating attacks on me by the first day of school. Whatever happened between Emma and Sophia happened over the summer.

So, something happened. Sophia met Emma, and… what? Why turn me into a target?

Shelve that for now. I need more information. And I have other questions.

Emma turned on me, but when I reported to Blackwell, to the teachers, they did nothing. But why would they protect Sophia? Maybe Blackwell knew Sophia was Shadow Stalker? That doesn't quite hang together, though. What could a vigilante provide a High School principal?

I need to know why Blackwell covered for Sophia, and why Emma turned on me. The PRT are involved, somehow- but there was a year's gap between her joining the Wards and the beginning of my torment.

...though things really didn't escalate until the beginning of this school year. It was bad, but nothing like the locker.

My eyes narrowed. I knew one person who might have answers about Blackwell- and another who might have answers about Emma. All I needed was the right approach.

Standing, I cracked my knuckles. There wasn't anything I could do tonight- and I'd need to call ahead to speak to at least one of my potential information sources. For now, I needed to work on dinner for dad.

--[0]--

Thursday dawned bright and early. Dad had given me the gimlet eye once or twice over dinner when I'd temporalized over the day's activities, but he didn't pressure me for information. This morning, he simply asked me to stay safe when I told him I was planning to go out again today. After I saw him off, I spent a few hours and got my homework out of the way, then pulled on a set of nice clothes.

Or rather, tried to. As I pulled on my dress pants, I realized they were too tight in some places, and not tight enough in others. I'd been used to pulling on my baggy jeans and hoodies without really looking at myself, and tossing my altered clothes into my inventory to make them fit my frame. But I hadn't done anything with my dress pants, and something seemed… off.

Stepping up to the mirror, I looked over myself, blanching at the sight before me. My stick-like limbs and pudgy belly were gone- replaced by a set of toned legs, thin middle and whipcord limbs. I wasn't extremely fit, but I looked like I took care of my body, and it showed. My dress pants were too tight- they weren't meant for the muscles which covered my legs.

Reaching out, I tossed my pants into and out of my inventory, then repeated the same for my blouse. Donning my clothes, I stared at the face in the mirror. It was unmistakably me; same too-wide mouth and glasses, same hair, same green eyes. But in properly fitting clothes and absent my less flattering features, I looked… decent.

Smiling, I turned back to the door, pulling my hair back. Time to go confront my first target.

--[0]--

"Taylor! Oh, you look sharp, dear. Please, come in, Joseph was just talking about you."

Stepping into the Henrick's house I was almost surprised at how little it had changed since I was last here. Just after mom died, Mary Henrick had brought me here for a cup of tea and a bit of advice. She'd been close to mom, before the accident, although Dad and I had drifted away from her. Still, in two years, the rooms we passed through were still familiar; pictures hanging from the walls and faded upholstery mixing with knick-knacks and table lamps.

Stepping into their living room, I watched Mrs. Henrick stride into the kitchen, calling back over her shoulder that she'd "Have a cup of tea waiting for you soon, dear." As she walked through to the kitchen, a stout figure walk past her, giving her a glare.

"Old busybody, not everyone likes tea you know." Mr Henrick growled at his wife. Though the tone was harsh, he had a wry smirk as the words left his lips.

"I'll put on coffee for you, Joseph. Don't fret." Mrs. Henrick's response was much in kind to her husband's, and for a moment, I saw my parents arrayed in much the same way- a dance in which each knew their partner's word and actions enough to say and mean every word, without having to really think about it. Not for the first time, it made me think back to how much Dad had lost when mom passed.

"Hmph." Turning back to me, Joseph Henrick studied me through his thick glasses. Raising a bushy eyebrow, he moved to take a seat, letting out a sigh as I took up one across from him. "Didn't expect to see you here, Taylor. Would've thought you were still taking it easy after what happened to you." His gaze fixed on mine as he leaned back into his easy chair.

I grimaced. "I spent a week recovering, Mr. Henrick. I can't stay still any longer." Leaning forward, I let my grimace fall from my face. "Getting out of that locker- and Winslow- it means I have a lot I can do to improve myself. Not taking advantage of that would be wasteful."

He smiled, nodding. "Well said." Tilting his head, the smile dropped. "Taylor, I taught kids like you for twenty years, and managed them for another ten as a principal. I can tell when someone wants something, and-"

He cut off as Mrs. Henrick yelled from the kitchen. "Joseph, she'll talk to you on her own time! Don't go scaring her off!" Walking in from the kitchen, she placed a tray of teacups and two carafes on the coffee table. "It is good to see you again, Taylor. Daniel's been looking much better as well, recently."

I smiled back at her. "That's in part thanks to help, ma'am. Mr. Henrick's, anyway." Turning to him, I inclined my head a little. "If you hadn't stepped in to help me out- well, things could have gone really poorly for us, with Blackwell and Mr. Barnes set against us." Watching Mr. Henrick, I saw his fingers tighten for a brief instance around his coffee cup at the mention of Winslow's principal. He did know something, I was sure of it.

Mrs. Henrick frowned. "I remember Emma Barnes quite well, from the few times I met her. She seemed like such a sweet girl; I can't imagine why she would do such a thing to you."

I let a hint of my old pain leak into my voice. "Neither can I- or the Emma I once knew. Something happened to her, changed her. She… turned on me." Pouring myself a cup of tea, I took a long sip, before setting the cup down. Looking up at Mrs. Henrick, I swallowed my pride. "When it happened- I assumed I'd done something, made some mistake. I believed her when she told me she hated me. Now- I'm not so sure." Looking towards Mr. Henrick, I paused, then spoke softly. "Getting into Arcadia is one of my major goals right now, sir. But- I want closure first. Why Emma betrayed me. And why no one intervened- even when I asked."

Joseph's gaze was sharp, but he slowly nodded. "Closure. I can't tell you what happened with Emma, Taylor. I don't know anything about that." He paused. "And- as for Winslow- there's some things I can't talk about."

I nodded in turn, then played my trump card. "I… suspect Sophia Hess had something to do with it. That her… side job may have had something to do with why Blackwell looked the other way since September. But- I don't know why she wouldn't listen to me before that."

As I spoke, Mrs. Henrick grew more confused- but Mr. Henrick's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Taylor- do you know about-"

I looked at Mrs. Henrick. "I'm not certain I should-"

"Feh." He snorted. "You can trust her. Hell, the only reason I haven't is because of one of those blasted NDA's her employers slapped on me."

Nodding, I straightened. "Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker. Blackwell looked the other way, even as she escalated her campaign against me, because she was a Ward."

As Mrs. Henrick choked back a curse, Mr. Hernick tilted his head back and forth. "Close- but she was supposed to report Hess' sins up the trail. Honestly, Blackwell caught herself in a bit of a trap." Leaning back, he downed a gulp of coffee. "Blackwell has been using her track stars and other A-list students to draw donations to Winslow for years. Hess was a potential ace in Track- so Blackwell capitalized on her fame to draw some more cash. To keep her around, she covered up as much as she could about her actions."

I frowned, even as Mrs. Henrick spoke up. "That little hellion is a Ward? How did that happen?" The sheer level of incredulousness in her voice matched my own ire over the situation.

"She pinned a druggie to a wall with a crossbow bolt." Mr. Henrick snapped back, glaring up over his coffee cup. "And when she was caught, made a plea bargain to get out of Juvie. She'd join the Wards, and they'd get a new member." He set his cup down. "Blackwell was well in the shit because of that. If she admitted that her track star, whom she'd been giving glowing recommendations and special treatment to, was really a thug- well, she might lose her job, and she'd certainly lose Hess to the system. So she lied her ass off, and had to cover anything else Hess did to maintain her cover."

"...lies beget other lies." I muttered.

Mrs. Henrick huffed. "True enough, Taylor." Staring at me, she shook her head. "Dear, next time something like that happens- and it will, for all that I pray it won't," she knocked her fist on the wooden table. "Please, tell someone. Joseph helped you here, and others could help should it happen again."

I smiled at her, then abruptly stood up, moving in to hug her. "...thank you. I needed that."

She chuckled. "Don't mention it, dear." Pushing me back, she turned a baleful glare on Mr. Henrick. "So Blackwell sold out Taylor for money and a track star."

He scowled, nodding. "Hess' handler was even willing to slip her some money under the table, and work with her to ensure Hess stayed on at Winslow. The handler got a cushy job, Hess got to stay with her friends and avoid prison, and Blackwell got money to keep Winslow running without changing anything."

"Everyone won but me." I snarled out.

"Until the truth came out." At this, Mr. Henrick chuckled darkly. "All it took was one failure to let everything break." More seriously, he fixed me with a glare. "Blackwell's lost her job, and won't get another anytime soon. She's also facing quiet perjury and fraud charges. She's gone, Taylor. You don't need to worry about her any more. But you need to stay quiet. The PRT clamped down on me, Blackwell, and everyone else involved. What Hess did is a PR nightmare, and they've already indirectly offered you a carrot to keep your silence. I hate it, but you should probably stay mum about what you figured out."

I felt myself nod. THat might explain why the PRT was mildly peeved at me- I'd almost caused a massive scandal and cost them a Ward. Still, that shredded any chance they had to recruit me, though that might change if they came clean and tossed Sophia in a cell. Looking up, I sighed. "Thank you for confirming and explaining things for me, sir."

"You had a right to know." Mr. Henrick's eyes were hard. "I can't say I don't understand them both- the PRT and Blackwell. Resources are tight in both organizations; you look for any way you can get to get more supplies. Still, I can't agree with either of them- there are some lines you don't cross."

I nodded, then turned back to Mrs. Henrick, noting her obvious discomfort. "Enough about this. It's over, and I've got what I needed." Motioning towards her, I let a small smile cross my face. "Enough shop talk. It's been too long since we talked, ma'am; anything you want to ask me?"

Her eyes lighting up, Mrs. Henrick chuckled as Mr. Henrick sloughed deep into his chair. "That I do, young lady. First of all, how's your father doing?"

--[0]--

Mr. Henrick eventually left the conversation, but gave me a clap on the shoulder on the way past. I got the briefest sense that he was pleased at my rebound from the locker incident, and he seemed to want me well.

As I wrapped up with Mrs. Henrick, she grew a little quiet. Eventually, she put her teacup down. Looking up, she paused for a long moment. "Taylor, what happened with Emma- I've seen something like it before."

I tensed. "Really?"

She tilted her head back and forth. "In a way, yes. My sister, years ago, cut all ties with our family. Said some absolutely horrible things." She sighed, leaning back. "It was only later that we learned that she'd been going through a bad time, and someone had convinced her that only by starting fresh could she move on." She swallowed. "We only found out when the group she'd fallen in with was arrested for kidnapping." Looking up, she met my gaze. "I can't say it's the same as what you went through, but someone convinced her to sever ties. It's the only thing that makes sense."

I looked down at my empty cup. "...then why did she attack me?" I shook my head. "If she just wanted me gone-"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "She may have wanted to drive you away, not just run herself." Mrs. Henrick sounded tired. "I can't tell you why she did it. You'd have to ask her yourself."

I nodded, then stood. "Thanks for the tea, Mrs. Henrick. And the advice."

Pulling me into a hug, she smiled over my head. "Anytime, dear. I'm glad to see you and your father doing better."

Stepping out onto the front porch, I was surprised when a popup appeared before me.

Event: Meeting the Henricks Complete
Diplomacy is now Level 4
Unlocked new Knowledge Skill: Bluff Level 1 (08.3% to next level)
Earned 50 EXP
Relationship with Mary Henrick improved
Relationship with Joseph Henrick improved
For being a courteous and polite guest, you have been granted two points of Wis and one point of Int

I frowned. "Events?" I muttered under my breath, stepping forward.

Halp: Events
Events are non-combat encounters in which the ability to switch shields, modify abilities, and adjust powers are locked down. Events measure your ability to reason and think with the powers you have at hand, and often require Knowledge skills, levelled reputations, or certain levels of raw stats to emerge triumphant.
This particular event went very smoothly, since all the parties involved were amiable to one another. Other events may not be so easy to navigate.

Walking back inside, I let my muttering increase. "Why the hell does the system even have events?"

Halp: Events (cont.)
To keep arrogant Gamer users from stat dumping or equipping their 'social' gear when confronted by a conversation. It's a bit rude to change your clothes when talking to someone, after all. Be more than just an extension of your powers- be social!

"Allie, are you trolling me again?"

New Message
Allie: Maybe. Still, events are a real thing. You'll need to be ready for the one with Dad.

Tapping my inventory, I grumpily switched outfits into my jogging gear. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go see about pawning some of that junk we salvaged."

Tale Swapper · Dec 15, 2018

I made good use of my improved agility as I moved through the city streets. Starting at the less reputable pawn shops, I bartered away some of the tools and objects I'd found during my salvaging run. Most sold for a pittance, but I was able to leverage diplomacy (and unlock Barter) in order to make a little more money from selling the less damaged power tools. I made sure to only sell a few objects at each shop, spreading the sales around to be less obvious. By the time I'd finished, I'd accumulated a little over three hundred dollars in cash.

From there, I made my way to a downtown shop which claimed to be the major depot of the Society for Creative Anachronisms. I was a little disappointed in their selection of gear- most of it was either foam or wood. However, a close examination of their maintenance kits allowed me to snag a Shield which provided Armorcrafting, another which provided Bladecrafting, and a third which provided Smithing. Still, that carved off a third of my cash.

Which led to my next dilemma. If I wanted to get Allie internet access, and get my hands on a cell phone (Allie insisted that a means of communication would be essential in my hero career) I'd need to get more money. The parts from those game systems I'd salvaged could be worth something, but there weren't many places I could sell computer parts and get anything like fair price.

New Message
Allie: Secondhand electronics? You do realize that just entering this shop will get the PRT checking to see if we're a tinker.

I frowned as I looked over at the incongruous store. "Yeah, but it's not like we have much choice. We need tech to get you internet access, and this place should have something that would work that's affordable." I muttered under my breath.

New Message
Allie: It's not worth it if it outs you to the PRT.

A reasonable flaw in her logic occurred to me. "I'm not a tinker, though."

New Message
Allie: Technically? You aren't. But you sure look like one, what with the 'fantastic, unexplainable equipment.' And I'm pretty certain that last place we visited only stays in business due to cape purchases.

I froze. "What?"

New Message
Crusader, Krieg, Regent… those guys probably frequent stores like that one a lot. Haven't you ever wondered where Fenja and Menja got their shields and weapons?

...I hadn't actually. What was it like, being a supervillain out of costume? Were they as bad under their masks as they were outside of them? Sophia wasn't a hero in person, but she might be the exception, rather than the norm- Aegis hadn't seemed pleased at what she'd done.

Still, I had no desire to have a shock bracelet put on me if I didn't play ball. Sophia deserved it- hell, she deserved prison- but it was still weird that the PRT would try to keep her on the team, rather than take the PR hit and dump her. Keeping a wild dog on a leash wouldn't end well, and neither would trying to hold onto Sophia.

Hesitating, I sighed. "Look, they'll probably have a cheap router. And maybe I can pawn those circuit boards and stuff we got out of harvesting those busted game systems."

Walking forward, I made my way inside the store, its tall sign reading "Operator Errors". The red-headed man at the front counter glanced up at me, before nodding his head. "First time here, girl?"

I hesitated, before moving to the front. "Yeah, actually. Hey, do you buy salvaged stuff?"

He snorted. "I don't deal in consumer electronics, young lady. Still, show me what you have, and I might take a look."

I paused. "I thought this place dealt in electronics and components?"

"Yes to both of them. The thing is, we're a hobby shop, not a pawnbroker or a big box store." He looked me in the eye. "I can't compete with the skinflints and thieves who sell bottom of the barrel crap, or people who can ship stuff halfway across the country, so I don't try. I sell unusual parts, kits, and the essentials for do-it-yourself, as well as hardware repair."

I smiled, putting my backpack down on the floor and discreetly dropping most of my inventory's stack of parts into the bag. "Alright. Look, I went out for a salvage run out in the boat graveyard, found some old game systems. Stripped out the guts. Can you take a look?" I set the stack of parts down on the table.

He glanced down at the parts, sifting through several circuit boards. "I don't recognize these. What system did they come out of?"

Rolling my eyes upward, I frowned. "Umm… the labels were a bit muddy, but I think it was called a Fantastico? Something like that. I didn't recognize the brands…" My voice trailed off at his wide eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head. 'Were there any complete ones?"

I shrugged. "The container I got them out of had a leak. And there were some parts inside each which had basically self-destructed. Why?" That last part had seemed a little weird; every device had a box the size of a deck of cards which had been nothing more than burned out wires and crisped circuits. It had seemed a little overkill for patent protection, but what did I know?

The man sat back. "Ten years ago, some supervillain tinker coordinated with a group of corrupt electronics executives looking for a fast buck. Sent out game systems and software designed to hijack communications and steal data. The Fantastico was the main hardware unit, a standalone unit designed to receive data from hijacked computers and funnel it back to the Tinker's systems. They sold it as a game system to spread them across the states." He shook his head. "It didn't work, mainly because the villain- went by Botnet- got killed by a rival, and his tech started breaking down soon after. Most of the parts were confiscated by the Protectorate. Honestly? This stuff is probably fine if it still works, but I can't take it. I don't know its value, and I don't know if it's safe to sell."

I blinked, shoveling the parts back into my bag. "Oh. Sorry to bother you."

"Nah, it's fine." He smiled at me, then glanced around the shop. "Honestly, I'm running on a pretty tight budget. If I wasn't, I'd buy it for my own use."

My eyes rose. "Are they really that interesting?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. Botnet's tech had some 'variable interface broadcast system' which allowed his tech to piggyback on other people's airwaves, but that part was all Tinkertech black box. The thing is, the hardware needed to support his tech was state of the art, not tinkertech. What you've got is something he put together along with a research team; cutting edge tech, maybe fifteen, twenty years ahead of its time when it was built. Dragon reverse engineered it, but it's only available to the PRT and Protectorate, or people with a lot of cash. It uses some exotic components, and it's manufacturing process was really expensive."

Hesitating, I reached in and removed some of the parts. "...how about a trade?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Trade?"

I nodded. "I can't sell these, if you're right. But I just wanted a secure modem, and a decent cell phone for a project I'm working on. I only took the best bits from the container I raided. Show me how to use the parts, and I'll trade you some of the extra for the stuff I need to make what I want."

The man grinned, standing up from behind the counter. "Young lady, I think we can work something out." He extended a hand. "Charles Douglas."

I took it in mine. "Taylor Hebert."

--[0]--

Charles was a dedicated handyman, but more importantly, he was a dedicated old-school tinkerer- someone who loved getting his hands dirty. For him, working with the salvaged components I'd dredged up was an interesting challenge and a chance to start a new project.

One thing that came up relatively quickly as we worked was my current education- or lack thereof. Charles was curious about why I wasn't in class, but he snorted when I gave an edited summary of the events which led to my leave from Winslow.

"Cramming a thousand kids from a dozen backgrounds in one place is always going to be a hot mess. Like a litter of puppies, all tails and paws, right up until one kid does something stupid and the jaws come out. Honestly, I'd aim for homeschooling, myself- but then again, I'm a washed up handyman, so don't go trusting my advice blind."

At the end of our little session, I'd assembled a small testing kit out of a still good board and some odds and ends. It wasn't much, but putting it to work confirmed that the boards and parts I'd brought in still worked. I handed off several devices' worth of parts in exchange for a cell phone and router- both needed some work, but together, we were able to cobble together something workable. Two hours invested, and Charles was shaking my hand out the door, letting me know that if I found anything else interesting, I should swing on by.

Working with Charles also netted me three ranks in the Computer Technician skill, which allowed me to build and repair computer hardware. So far so good, but I still hadn't made any progress on completing any quests.

That changed after I got home. Dropping my new(ish) cellphone into the shield increased my communications options- I could now go into a 'video chat' with Allie or anyone else, and could add and dial up cell numbers through my powers… at least once I mastered the appropriate shield. (Instant Messenger's Guard)

Adding the router provided me with the 'Mobile Hotspot' and 'Data Link' Active Skills- which, when active, allowed me to create an area with free internet access and use my powers to access it. However, they also ate up most of my reserve of SP- meaning I could have internet access or combat skills active- but not both. Until I completed the quest, that is, at which point they were converted to Passive skills.

Allie was overjoyed, and immediately established herself on PHO under the handle 'Formerly_a_Queen'. She also started collating data, and through the open voice box, I could hear her cackling about her newfound information-gathering capabilities. I had to talk her down from trying to hack the PRT systems to find out more about Sophia- and then talk her down again to stop her from stealing money from the E88. Granted, I had no problem taking money from white supremacists, but there were a couple of practical problems. One, I didn't have a bank account, and two, she'd probably be noticed pretty quickly.

I left Allie to her new toys. Moving into the kitchen, I reached up and removed the phone from the cradle. Holding it before me, I hesitantly tapped ten digits, waiting for a few moments as the phone rang.

A soft voice answered. "Barnes residence, Zoe Barnes speaking. Who is it?"

I took a deep breath, letting out a long huff of air, trying to tamp down the tension running through me. Old fears came roaring back, but I managed to push out the words. "Mrs. Barnes? Is- is this a bad time?"

There was a long silence, and for a brief instant I thought Emma had never lied to me. Then a muffled sob came back over the phone. "T- Taylor? Honey, is- is that you?" As I sucked in a breath of air, I heard her pull in her own. "I- Taylor, I can't tell you how much I- I'm so sorry-"

I felt my heart throb as I spoke up. "Dad let me know, ma'am. It's-"

"Don't ma'am me, Taylor." Mrs. Barnes had obviously pulled herself back together. "After what Emma told me- I never thought I'd hear from you again."

I winced, connecting the dots. "Emma lied to you, too?"

"...I wish I could say no, dear. I wish she hadn't." She sucked in another breath, her voice trembling slightly, though I couldn't tell if it was from sadness or rage. "She told me, after those first few days of freshman classes, that you broke it off with her. That you didn't want anything to do with us. Alan- Alan was just glad she was talking again. Took her at face value."

I froze. "Talking again? What happened?"

There was a long pause, then a rattling breath. "Honey… I- I suppose you deserve to know. But- can I ask you to meet me? This is the sort of conversation I'd rather have in person."

I found myself nodding. "I can do that, ma'am."

"Good." Mrs. Barnes sounded tired. "I heard you left Winslow after… that attack." The word was bitten out, as if it hurt her to push it through her teeth. "Please, dear- come tomorrow, mid-day, preferably."

I hesitated. "Um, not that I'm opposed, but-"

"Alan." There was a grim note in her voice. "He knows it's not your fault, but he's been moving between angry and morose since… everything." Her voice fell again. "I'd rather you not see him like this. He's barely holding together."

I nodded. "I'll be there tomorrow."

She sighed. "It's good to hear from you again, even considering the circumstances, Taylor. I wish I'd known to reach out to you sooner. Things- things could have been different."

I nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

As I finished the pleasantries and hung up the phone, I let a sigh slip through my lips. For all that Emma had betrayed me, it seemed like I still had allies in the Barnes household.

Setting my shoulders, I let out a huff of air. There was no point in ruminating over what-might-have beens. I wanted answers, but that didn't mean I could turn back the clock.

I stood up, glancing up at the calendar on the wall. Tomorrow- tomorrow I'd have to tell dad about my powers. Tomorrow morning, I would go look at the forge, maybe-

I stopped cold. I'd go into Merchant territory, and try to build my armor. Untrained, under-equipped, and alone, I'd walk into the worst part of town, save perhaps the Graveyard itself. Without telling dad. And if something happened-

Staring at the calendar, my eyes narrowed. No.

Not tomorrow. I couldn't walk into danger without letting him know.

Dad would know tonight.

Tale Swapper · Dec 16, 2018

fireknight said:
hey @Tale Swapper can we get a list of completed and incomplete quest?

Okay. Note that I'm just going to list the quests, not give explicit details. Is that alright?

Current Quests:

To Out Thyself: Decide on the level of secrecy of your cape identity. (Chosen to tell Danny, have not done so yet.)
Of Sisters and Friendships: Find out the truth of Emma's betrayal. (Found out why bullying was covered up and Sophia's status. Still don't know why Emma betrayed me in the first place.)
The Bay Awaits: Prepare yourself for the Brockton Bay cape scene.
- Forgecraft: craft your own armor (need to go to the Forge)
- Practice Make Perfect: try out your new abilities. (Still need to use one ability in training)
- Insight for the Blind: unlock Insight and Observe (met basic requirements, need to unlock Insight)
- Leaps and Bounds: increase all physical stats to at least 15 (still need to level Endurance and Strength some more)
Repeating Quest: Daily Studies: Ready yourself for the Arcadia Evaluation
The Arcadia Evaluation: Get accepted into Arcadia
The Piece that Does Not Fit: save Allie from being rendered obsolete. (...no progress yet.)
The Holy Shield: master the Holy Shield (Gonna need to engage in combat to pull this one off)

Completed Quests:

What the Hell: is going on? Apparently, I have gamer powers.
Halping?: Discovered soul sister from an alien space whale, and earned my quest fairy.
Name Thyself: named self Heraldry, though no one knows that yet.
Free Roaming: gave Allie internet access. That might not have been the smartest move...

Tale Swapper · Dec 18, 2018

New Message
Allie: Look, I know telling your dad is important, but he might just flat out forbid you from going out. Wouldn't it be better to have the costume first?

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "We don't know how long making the armor will take, and we'll be operating out of an area claimed by the Merchants. If something happened, Dad would be furious- if I came back okay. Doing this without at least telling him would shatter what his trust in me." I shook my head. "I promised him I'd tell him- and I will."

New Message
Allie: I suppose. Still, going to the graveyard was nearly as bad, and that turned out okay.

I snorted. "Barely. If Stalker had caught me, or Aegis decided to pursue, Dad's first knowledge of my cape persona would have come through the PRT. We were careful, but we aren't really ready yet."

New Message
Allie: ...you could just wait until the deadline tomorrow.. Talking to Ms. Barnes might be enough to level you up a couple of times. That might help.

I shook my head. "No. No matter how strong I am, Dad would worry. There's no point in putting it off any further."

New Message
Allie: Do you think you can convince him?

I let a small smile slip across my face. "Pretty sure. With what Mr. Henrick told me… I think I can convince him to let us go solo for a while."

New Message
Allie: Us?

I nodded. "You and me."

There was a long pause before the next message came through.

New Message
Allie: Thanks, Taylor.

"Don't mention it."

--[0]--

Dad had never been the most perceptive of people (something mom had lamented on numerous occasions, usually right before she straightened his tie or picked up one of his messes), but even he noticed my tendency towards silence. Finally, as we finished up dinner, he sat back, frowning.

"Taylor? Is something wrong?"

"...yeah." I took a deep breath. "I- remember when I told you that I needed to tell you something? I don't think I can put it off any longer."

Dad set hos fork down, leaning back in his chair. "Little owl, you can trust me."

I swallowed. "Yeah, I know. It's just- this is big, something that- well, could change everything."

Dad smiled at me. "Taylor, I doubt it could be that bad."

"It's not that it's bad it's just-"

Both of us stopped as a loud ringing could be heard. Dad glanced over at the phone, then followed my own gaze to the floating green box.

Incoming Video Conference Call
Allie Hebert

Accept? Y/N

Dad's mouth dropped open. "What- is that- Allie Hebert?"

My own mouth snapped shut, and I growled as I jammed my finger into the 'Y' symbol. "That's part of my powers, actually."

"...you're a cape." Dad sounded a little shell shocked. "I thought you might be gay."

Turning, I felt my eyebrows rise as the green box resolved into Allie's grinning face. "Wait, so you heard 'we need to talk,' and thought I might be a lesbian?"

"Pretty sure she's about a 2 on the Kinsey Scale, actually." Allie said. "Also, hello Mr. Hebert! I'm part of Taylor's powers!"

My head snapped around. "What the hell's the Kinsey scale?"

Dad spoke at almost the same time. "Part of her powers? What the hell does that mean?"

Allie's smile fell. "Umm…"

--[0]--

"So. Let me get this straight."

Dad was sitting on the couch, a mostly untouched bottle of beer sitting between his knees.

"You… have powers. Not entirely normal powers, since you didn't break when you were supposed to."

Allie winced. "That's… a very crude way of putting it, but yes."

Dad took a small sip of his beer. He'd told me once that alcohol was like lubricant- a little made things spin freely, too much caused things to fly apart. Nice to see that he was taking this seriously.

"You've been going around for the last week, using your powers to learn new skills- like lockpicking, blacksmithing, and hacking- and slowly leveling your primary attributes to make yourself stronger."

I nodded. "Yep."

"Yesterday, you went to the boat graveyard, snagged enough raw steel to make several suits of armor, and enough scrap to sell."

"Uh-huh."

Glancing up at me, his brow knitted together. "And your powers take the form of a hypothetical daughter I never had."

I slowly nodded. "That- that's almost everything."

"Almost?"

"Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker."

Dad glanced at the ceiling for a minute, then dropped his face into his hands. "Shit."

Allie nodded. "That about sums it up."

Dad was silent for a long moment. "I don't know how you know, but I think I can trust you. I assume you won't be joining the Wards, then?"

"Nope."

He nodded. "Right then." He set his beer aside, then leaned forward. "I have no idea how to handle this. Your mother knew cape lore better than I do." He gave a grin. "Your powers sound useful for more than just combat, though. Can't you just-"

"Dad, this city's a mess." I cut off the objection he was going for. "I'm not going to run off and fight Lung on my first day, but I'm not going to just sit idle until things get worse." I sat back, pulling my shield into being. "With this? I've got something I can use- something that can protect others. I'm not going to squander that if I can help it."

Dad glanced at my shield, his eyes moving over its silver surface. "...so much like your mother." He sighed again. "You're right. This does change a lot of things- but I'm going to have to insist that you hold off on going out and crime fighting, Taylor."

I grimaced. "Dad-"

"Let me finish." His voice was hard. I sat back, eyes wide. "I know full well that you could do some good, little owl- but there's been more than one time the Union men have brought a corpse back to the yard." I went still. "Most of the time, its wearing gang colors or some schmuck down on their luck- but three times, they've brought back people in costumes."

My blood went cold as he continued. "Being a cape is dangerous. I'd never even heard of two of the capes- they'd only been running around a few weeks before someone put a bullet in them. But the third was a rookie hero, a kid called Discus." He shook his head. "I don't want that for you, little owl. If you're going to fight crime- you need to be ready."

I let out a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah- actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you." As he tilted his head, I continued. "There's a quest system included with my powers, and if gives me advice on how to become better. One of the quests was to build a set of armor for myself. For that, I need a forge- an old fashioned blacksmith's workshop."

Dad blinked a couple of times. "Wait- a quest system? Like something out of Dungeons and Dragons?" He glanced at the green box hanging in midair, Allie's face still visible on screen. "You're a player character from a tabletop game?"

Allie responded. "Actually, the system Taylor's using seems to be based off of an Eastern-style role-playing video game, with elements from western style RPG mixed in. Both of those were in part based off of early pencil-and-paper tabletop games, but they've evolved in different directions since then." As I turned to look at Allie, she shrugged. "The more research I do on how your powers might work, the better I understand how to game the system in your favor."

Dad slowly nodded. "Okay. I… think I've heard of weirder powers. So, you need access to a forge, right? Do you want to use the workshops down at the Union?"

I winced. "Dad, I don't know how long it would take me to finish my armor. If I worked down at the Union, it'd be near impossible to hide what I was doing, and the last thing I want is to have the Empire or PRT find out about me before I'm ready."

Hesitating, Dad let out a short sigh. "Fair enough. Do you have a plan?"

"There's a forge out in the Trainyards. It should have what I need to make my armor." I winced. "But-"

"The Trainyards are Merchant turf." Dad finished. "Is that why you're telling me this?"

"Yeah." I let out a breath. "If something happened to me out there- you would have no idea where I vanished to. I needed to tell you, before I did something so dangerous."

Dad stood, walking over to me. Crouching down, he stared into my eyes for a moment, before drawing me into a hug. "I don't want you to do this, little owl. But- thank you for trusting me."

I tensed. "Dad-"

Dad released me, rising to his full height. "Tell me exactly where this forge is. We will have checkups every hour, on the hour as long as you're out there. If you don't check in, Sophia be damned I will call the PRT and tell them everything, if it means you'll be safe." His eyes bored into mine. "I can't stop you, Taylor. But I will do everything in my power to make sure you're alright" He sighed. "I am glad you told me before you got into any fights, though. I don't think my heart could take it if you started fighting capes right off the bat."

"Not planning on fighting any parahumans anytime soon, Dad." I studied my father, then relaxed my tongue. "Still going to punch Sophia in the face if I ever get the chance."

Dad gave me a weak grin. "I give you my permission to put her through a wall, if you can."

Allie coughed. "Since she's intangible, that might be easier than you think, sir."

Dad's smile dropped. "Right. God damn, how did a Ward-" He took a deep breath. "No, I know better than that."

All three of us nodded. The Bay was in bad shape- there was no way the PRT would pass up an apparently willing cape. Mind you , that hadn't worked out well, but Dad and I had lived her long enough to know the heroes were outnumbered.

Allie glanced at something, then winced. "Listen, I'm going to have to cut this conversation short. Taylor's almost out of mana."

I blinked. "Wait, Allie, you still haven't told me what the Kinsey scale is-"

"Gotta go, bye!" The window closed.

There was silence for a few moments before Dad spoke up. "So… how much energy does it cost to do a sending, anyway?"

"What's a sending?"

He paused. "You know, if your power really does work like a tabletop game, maybe I should give you my old GM materials, see what you can imitate. You might learn some tricks." Shaking his head, he coughed. "And a sending is a spell which allows you to send a message to anyone you've met, within certain constraints."

I nodded, frowning. "I don't know if I can call anyone. Just Allie, thus far."

Dad tilted his head. "Do you have any idea why she decided to look like your sister?"

"I don't think even she knows. She doesn't remember being a… partner very well." I hesitated. "Though she's not human, not entirely."

Dad paused. "What makes you say that?"

"She's had internet access for maybe six hours. In that time, she tried to figure out my sexuality, worked her way through information on both tabletop and video games, and made a dossier on the know capes in the Bay. And I have no idea what else she's done in that time."

Dad hummed. "Maybe she's just a really good multitasker?"

I snorted. "Multitasking is a myth, dad."

Dad nodded, then shrugged. "And superpowers have to make sense how?" As I grimaced, he nodded at my shield. "So, besides the shield, have you figured out what other weapons you'll pair with it? Kind of weird for your power to just give you a shield and no weapon."

I sighed. "I literally cannot carry another weapon, actually."

Dad frowned. "That's poor class balance. In that case, do you have magic or unarmed combat skills? Or the analogue, I suppose, since magic doesn't exist."

"Actually, apparently my powers are magic. According to Allie, anyway." I rolled my head back and forth at Dad's speculative look. "And no, I haven't looked into any unarmed combat techniques."

Dad sat up in his chair. "I'd think, with all your focus on getting proper armor, you would have put some thought into actually training with your new powers."

"...in hindsight, that makes a lot of sense."

He sighed. "And this is why I'm really glad you were willing to talk to me. Having another person to bounce ideas off of is never a bad thing. I'm going to have to ask that you pick up some techniques beyond punching things, Taylor."

*Ding*

New Quest!

Path of the Fist and Shield
Questgiver: Danny Hebert
Dad has asked you to actually learn to throw a punch, preferably before you get yourself hurt fighting someone. That seems like good advice!
Task: Unlock passives and skills to aid in non-magical combat
*Unlock and advance Basic Martial Arts to level 4, and pick your first subskill
*Unlock the 'Shield Bash' Passive Skill and 'Shield Driver' ability
*Do not engage a hostile human before you finish this quest
Reward: 200 EXP
Failure: Dad will be quite upset
Accept? Y/N

Looking up, I saw Dad watch me right through the box. "Huh. I just got a new quest. And you're the questgiver."

Dad blinked. "That means I'm an NPC." Sitting back, he reached for his beer. "Let's hope the GM lets me live."

I let out a nervous chuckle as I tap 'Y'. That was… a little dark.

*Ding*

Event 'A Discussion of Futures' Resolved
You have Earned 100 EXP
Relationship with Daniel Hebert Improved
You've unlocked a new contact: Daniel Hebert
Diplomacy skill increased: Level 4

Congratulations! You're now Level 3!
Mastery Bleed applied to 'Aegis of Entry'
'Aegis of Entry' Mastered
You've gained two points of END
You've gained 5 Stat points. Spend them wisely.
New Passive Unlocked: Shield Bash (Level 1)
You've gained 1 SP.

For leveling up, The Gamer's Body has increased by 1

Tapping out to the main menu, I started leafing through my skill list. Hmm…

Shield Bash (Level 1: 00.0% to next level)
Channels the power inside you into your shield offensively, enabling it to damage enemies more effectively. Increases damage for all shield-based physical attacks with each level.

Bonuses:
Level 4: Unlocks the 'Shield Driver' Ability
Level 6: Allows the shield to damage intangible enemies when used as a weapon
Level 9: Unlocks the 'Shield Throw' Ability
Level 12: Adds the damage of any 'Thorns' skills to the damage of any shield attack
Level 15: Unlocks the 'Shield Shockwave' Ability
Level 20: Unlocks the 'Layered Shield' Active Skill

This would definitely be useful....

Tale Swapper · Dec 31, 2018

As always, thanks to my proofreaders: SeerKing and nemo1685

"Look, I'm telling you, I'm not a lesbian!"

From the audio link in my ear, I heard Allie chuckle. "I never said you were. And what brought that on?"

Walking down the street, I grumbled. "You can read my search history, so I know that you know-"

"Let's not go all Vizzini on us. Yeah, I can read your search history. And you're bisexual, not a lesbian."

I gritted my teeth as I jogged through the neighborhood. "Not the point. I don't like girls!"

"Incorrect!" Allie crowed. "While we were out shopping, you took the time to look over those gentlemen who were trying on jackets, remember?"

Yes, I did. They'd been a pair of guys maybe a few years older than me, obviously football players. It had been hard not to look when one of them had been wearing a tight muscle shirt… Shaking my head to clear it, I growled back. "Yes. I do."

"Well, your biometric data is quite insightful, and by this point I can guess at your moods based on things like heart rate and hormonal impulses. And the feelings you get when you looked over those two men-"

"Wait, you can read my heartrate?"

"I think the system's there to let me know if you're in pain or Mastered or something." Allie brushed off my concern. "Anyway, the physiological changes you experienced when looking at those boys is the same as those when you were looking at that girl in the pawn shop a few hours later."

I flushed slightly. The girl in question had been in her mid-twenties, and despite the cold had been wearing a very tight pair of shorts. It had been difficult to pull my eyes away from-

My flush deepened. Nope, I was not going there. I did not need to think about those- nope! Settling myself, I let out a huff. "Okay, so? I can appreciate a good looking girl without wanting to date her."

"You don't want to date anyone yet." Allie's voice was much softer now. "Honestly, as far as I can tell, dating someone's the last thing you want. After Emma and Winslow, I think it'll be some time before you're willing to trust someone enough to date them."

I blinked. "Then why bring it up at all?"

"I don't want you ruling out a potential partner because of their gender." Allie stated. "You deserve happiness, Taylor, and rejecting a potential suitor because of some hang-up over decaying social taboos will not help you."

Stopping, I pinched my brow. "Really, Allie? Again with the psychobabble?"

Through the chat function, I heard her shrug. "You were really close to breaking in the locker, Taylor." Her voice grew a little softer. "I don't want you to get near that point ever again. This the only way that I can help, from in here."

I frowned. "I'm fine, Allie. It's not like I'm going to snap on you anytime soon."

Allie was silent for a long moment, as I resumed walking. Finally, she spoke softly. "I'm more worried about you giving up, Taylor. You've got your momentum back, now- but it was a near thing. All it would have taken was you believing no one cared..." Her voice trailed off, and I could hear the discomfort in her tone.

I thought for a long moment as I advanced towards Captain's Hill. "I know better now, Allie. You and Dad both care, and… well, I didn't break in the locker, did I?" Nearing my destination, I reached up, touching the mock Bluetooth earbud in my ear. "Still, thanks for worrying about me. It's nice to know you care." I hesitated at the base of a driveway. "Wait- you're not hitting on me, are you?"

"No." Allie's reply was very quick. "I don't even know what I might be physically attracted to yet, and without hormonal impulses, it's kinda difficult to figure out. Ask me in a few months, and I might be able to tell you who I'm attracted to."

I nodded. "Well, I'm gonna have to cut this short. Heading in now." Yanking the tiny speaker from my ear, I slipped it into my inventory, heading up the drive towards the familiar colonial home. As I trotted forward, I let my thoughts run back over the morning's activities.

I'd woken up at two o'clock again, and had taken a few hours to exercise and do some research. When Dad woke up, I'd pulled up my stats by another couple of levels, and had looked through the dossiers Allie had compiled for me. Besides the Merchants, E88, and the ABB, there were a number of other possible threats I hadn't really thought about. Coil was rumored to be a non-powered gang leader with a force of mercenaries, Circus was an independent thief, Frenetic was a mover who specialized in B&E, and Trainwreck was a monster cape Tinker out in the Trainyards. Then there was the mercenary group led by Faultline, and the New Wave, who made up the other two active parahuman groups. Along with a few independent parahumans who weren't definitively heroes or villains, I'd gotten a pretty good overview of those capes who I might run into on my patrols.

Over breakfast, Dad grilled me over the capacity of my shield to absorb items and generate new abilities. He'd outright ordered me to take our dinky first aid kit and absorb it, though the resulting 'Band-Aid Buckler' only granted the Ability 'Stabilize', no proper healing spells. Still, it also allowed me to use the First Aid skill, so we weren't complaining that much.

Dad's departure coincided with my own. While he went to work, I'd jogged out to a few martial arts 'academies' to find something which could grant the Basic Martial Arts skill.

I'd been less than impressed by the 'Masters' of those academies, though. Most either had E88 or ABB affiliations, two were drunkards, and of the rest, most would report my interest to the PRT if I demonstrated a hint of unusual abilities. Judicious use of Observe allowed me to make it through casing each location without revealing any details, but didn't get me any closer to unlocking the basic martial arts skill.

I'd had to cut my search short to make it to my engagement on time. Reaching the front steps, I ascended up to the door, and gave a gentle knock. It wasn't long before the sound of footsteps reached my ears, and I watched the door open.

Zoe Barnes looked back at me, her face twisting for a moment. "Taylor?" Her voice came out in a quiet whisper. "It's... " She sighed, and as I watched, she shook her head. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

My lips tightened as I read the placement of her shoulders, the tilt of her head. Without thinking, I stepped forward, pulling her into a hug. She seemed startled, for a moment- then wrapped her own arms around me. As she began to sob, I stepped forward, closing the door behind me.

-[0]-

"When we found out what had- what Emma had done to you, I didn't want to believe it at first." Mrs. Barnes spoke softly, her eyes still red with tears. "It seemed impossible that my little girl could do such a thing." She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "Then the school board found those emails, her texts, the plans for the locker-" She stumbled over the last word, glancing up, catching the tightening of my lips.

"You didn't know?" I softened the bite in my words. I'd hidden being bullied for over a year, so it wasn't inconceivable that Emma was able to do the same across the mirror.

"No. Not until… not until she broke down." Mrs. Barnes said. "When Sophia was taken away." She frowned. "Until her friend was gone, she'd continued to deny everything, and Alan was throwing everything out there to keep them both out of trouble. But as soon as Sophia was dragged off, and we were told she wasn't going to come back to Winslow, Emma started… cracking. She yelled and screamed, then went quiet." Mrs. Barnes shook her head. "It was like the earth had been pulled from beneath her."

I glanced up at her, across the living room table. "Why was she so fixated on Sophia? Do you know?"

She was silent for a moment, and then spoke softly. "I still don't know the whole story. Alan said he can't talk about some of it. But you deserve an answer." She sighed. "Before your first year in high school, Emma was… attacked. The ABB ambushed Emma and Alan on their way home from a party. He- he said she came very close to being…" She looked down at her hands.

"Shit." It took a few seconds to realize that my voice had spoken. "What happened next?"

"She was saved by a vigilante." Her mouth tensed. "A girl named Shadow Stalker." As I tensed, she continued. "But Emma was… a wreck." She let out a long sigh. "She spent days in her room, wouldn't eat, barely talked to either of us. Then, about a week later, Sophia showed up on our doorstep."

I tried to relax, but was barely able to ease myself down from interjecting as she continued. "Sophia managed to get Emma talking again, drew her out of her shell. It… I didn't want to question it. Didn't want to get her talking about it, when what happened to her hurt her so badly. Then she came home, and told us you didn't want to come around anymore, and I didn't question it. Your father had become withdrawn after…"

"Mom died." My voice was bitter. For a moment I felt content to let the silence hang, but something told me that would end the conversation sooner than I'd like. "Dad's doing better, these days, but… I didn't want to burden him with what happened to me."

Mrs. Barnes sat back. "That doesn't work. A burden shared is a burden lightened." She sighed. "And I thought Sophia would do it. Help Emma rise up, get over what happened to her."

"And instead…"

Mrs. Barnes shook her head. "I don't know what Sophia said to her, what she told Emma to get her back on her feet. And although I can't help but hate what she did to you, and convinced Emma to do with her, I'm still grateful for that." At my startled look, she looked down at her hands. "What she did kept my little girl from wasting away." Her hands clenched. "I just wish she hadn't forced you away in the process." Looking up, she gave a wry smile. "I'm sorry I don't have the answers you want, Taylor."

I slipped into my powers for a moment, letting tricks of the tongue slip into my throat. After a long moment, I spoke softly. "You've told me everything you can. I can't ask for anything more."

After a second, she shook her head. "No. There's one more thing." Mrs. Barnes set her shoulders. "Taylor, I failed you. I was so focused on Emma that I never reached out to your family, even after what happened to Annette." She paused. "Alan told me that you're moving on, heading to Arcadia. Please, Taylor- don't be a stranger. You were family, and I hate that it took this disaster to remind me of that. I can't apologize enough for what happened, and I hope-" She gave a sniff, her resolve shaking "-I hope you'll accept my apology."

Standing, I walked over to her, and drew her into a hug. (Jeez, I'd been huggy lately...) I spoke softly. "I don't have enough family to throw away any of them, Aunt Zoe. It's why I didn't try to get away from Emma for so long. I wanted my sister back."

Zoe tightened her grip on me. "I wish my little girl would come back, too. I don't like the person she's become." She choked out. "Thank you, Taylor."

--[0]--

Dad glanced in the rearview mirror. "I expected a little more indignation from you, Taylor. Seems like you forgave her pretty easily."

I sighed. "I told her the truth, dad. Emma never told Aunt Zoe what happened, and from the sound of things, neither did Mr. Barnes. She never intervened to help me because she never knew anything was wrong, and…"

Dad popped me a grin in the rearview mirror. "I'm just glad you didn't inherit my temper, Taylor."

"I did." My voice hardened. "But… I'm not going to let myself lash out at those who are just trying to help me. And I'm not going to burn any bridges because I'm upset." I shook my head. "I may have been the victim of this whole mess, but it's not as simple as black and white. Emma may have hurt me, Mr. Barnes covered for her- but that doesn't mean Zoe deserves my ire."

Dad paused. "Ire?"

I shrugged. "I've been reading through your DM guides. There's bound to be some vocabulary leak."

Dad nodded, turning down a side street. "Understandable. Your mother was the same way when she was grading papers." He sighed as he pulled into an abandoned gas station. "Alright. Do you have everything you might need?"

I nodded cautiously. Dad had come home after my errands bearing gifts. He'd handed me a motorcycle helmet and a bulletproof vest, with orders to wear them while I was exploring the forge. When I'd asked, he'd admitted to swinging by a secondhand consignment and an army surplus store, and also handed me a wilderness survival and basic self-defense handbook.

Dad had also insisted on driving me to the forge. He'd apologized for not being able to swing me the use of a workshop at the DWU. I'd barely caught his mutterings about mothballed workspaces and bean counters, but that was enough to let me know that office politics and resource management were culpable for the block.

Opening the car door, I slid out onto the street, slipping into the shadows of the alcove. I switched into my cape costume (now integrating my new helmet and vest) and moved around the building. Dad and I had mapped out the best route to the site of the old forge, and he'd dropped me two blocks away, with a route which took me through several discreet alleyways.

As I walked, I heard a quiet ringing, and tapped the icon to accept the call. Dad had been against owning cell phones for years, but he'd pushed through his fears so he could stay connected. As soon as he'd turned on the phone, a new number had appeared in my contacts list.

"Taylor, I'm headed back to my office for the evening. Remember, checkups every hour, on the hour, understood?"

"Got it, Dad." I muttered, moving forward. "I'm almost to the forge, no sign of activity. I should be fine."

"Good. Stay safe, Taylor."

"Thanks." I cut the call, moving out of the shadow of the alleys. Ahead, the historic workshop complex loomed in front of me, multiple buildings cordoned off by a corroded iron fence. Multiple spots were broken down, but that only made it easier to get into the former industrial yard.

As I hopped the fence, however, the world seemed to twist and warp. For an instant, the graffiti covered buildings before me shimmered- only to fade away. In their place were the same buildings, but instead of spray-paint dabbed walls and trash-littered ground, creeping vines and swirling dust met my gaze. Glancing behind, me nearly expecting an attack, I instead staggered forward, away from the sheer drop into endless swirling white which appeared behind me.

As I caught my breath, a harsh chime sounded, and the shimmer of a popup appeared before me. My eyes widened as I beheld the box before me. The comforting green glow of my powers was absent- instead, a harsh crimson light spawned before me.

You have entered a Quest Dungeon
The world bows to the whims of your powers- but it does not bow ubiquitously. It tests, it challenges- and one such challenge faces you now.

This place is now out of sync with reality- a pocket of space accessible to you, those with you, and those with the power to bend space at whim. There are monsters here, spawned in order to challenge you- and to reclaim this place for your use, you must defeat them.

And this is not the only dungeon you shall face.

Quest Dungeons are places where your powers wish to challenge you to complete a quest. Most times, this involves 'clearing' an area or claiming an objective, at which point the dungeon will 'stabilize' until you leave the area.

World Dungeons are wild or abandoned places where the world will produce situationally appropriate monsters for you to face- although you may or may not be able to face them. World Dungeons may fade and return over time, and will slowly restock monsters. Unlike quest dungeons, finding World Dungeons may take time and effort, or appropriate skills.

Crafted Dungeons are dimensional shunts created by Parahuman powers, altered by your presence. Unlike the above dungeons, Crafted dungeons obey the layout and enemy composition of their real-world counterpart, and are only sustained and mapped by your abilities.

Mirror Dungeons are gateways into other worlds, usually wild or untamed areas with monsters, hazards, or both. There are few rules which hold steady from instance to instance of Mirror Dungeons.

All Dungeons may be fled with the appropriate ability; but there may be conditions or specific locations you must reach before you can flee. Using the 'Dungeon Escape' Ability or 'Planar Walk' Ability may allow you to exit a dungeon at any time, although other methods of escape are possible with various dungeons.

In addition to Dungeons, there are three battlegrounds you may encounter as you continue your journey, set in the real world, that are accessible to anyone- but are marked as separate zones to your power.

Wargrounds are places in the midst of major turmoil, where two or more forces clash at the same time. A decisive victory or loss will result in alteration of the area, and your power will remain engaged until the battle has ended. Endbringer battles, the site of gang wars, and traditional battlefields are all Wargrounds of one type or another.

Citadels are places of power for major organizations; as a rule, any activity you commit in a citadel will become known to the faction as a whole unless the utmost stealth is invoked. Citadels are not necessarily warzones, but careless activity within is not wise. The PRT headquarters, the Rig, the Ruby Dreams Casino, and the Red Eagle Bier Hall are all Citadels in Brockton Bay.

Wastelands are places where parahuman activity has destroyed any chance of a normal life. Considered some of the most dangerous locations in the world, Wastelands will automatically invoke a major quest upon entry- one whose clearance will remove the stigma of the Wasteland from existence. These challenges are not for the faint of heart or the weak of body. Ellisburg, Eagleton, Madison, and Moscow are all well-know Wastelands.

Quest Dungeon: The Abandoned Forge
Clear: Defeat all Ashwinders, Soot Elementals, and the Forge Spirit

As I dismissed the popup, I set my shoulders. "Allie, could you warn me before something like this next time?"

New Message
Allie: I had no idea this would happen. Be careful, Taylor. I don't know if you'll actually be able to die in here, and I don't want to find out.

I nodded, and then activated my shield, swapping to the Holy Shield to maximize my defense. "Right. Well, I did need some combat practice."

New Message
Allie: I think your dad meant sparring, not fighting mythical creatures.

I hesitated, searching the area. At the edge of the swirling expanse, framed by pillars which should support the old front gates, a swirling gate of light looked out over the street I'd left behind. That would be the exit, then.

Steadying myself, I turned towards the abandoned structures. "Forward, then." Advancing, I stepped into my first dungeon.

The Rising of the Shield Heroine

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