(Worm) To Boldly Grow...

[Assembler Maniac]

Original-ish
Got the names from Norse mythology wiki on Freyja. Tech is not from any one source, bit of Star Trek, Stargate, Serenity, Dune, Outlander, Ah My Goddess—okay its a big mashup.

Passing resemblance is what I intended, just like everyone in setting sees a brute and compares to Alexandria package.

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Oh, nice. That makes really good sense. You can source from multiple places, and get the benefit of the results being kinda malleable so you're not stuck obeying one rigid set of rules.

You could easily think of the Team having Tinker 0 ratings for using gear sourced from somewhere. Thinkers will look at the Captain and get "error, power not found" style messages.

The ship's power source is not in the Entity database so they may be influencing Sophia to play nice-nice for that sweet data.

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The whole "404 - Power not found" error is gonna be funny to see from the thinktanks around the world. "She's a brute with thinker powers, what do you mean she doesn't have a Gemma? It's gotta be there somewhere!! She's giving all the thinkers headaches. That doesn't just happen all by itself, ya know?"

As far as Sophia chillin a bit, yeah, her shard wanting see where this all goes makes good sense.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

From Nine Lives of the Calico.

Kate was inclined to agree. Then she started laughing and laughing. She couldn't breathe for a few moments. Then she whipped out her phone, called up the web and a wiki article. "You have to go by Freyja! Look here."

There was a picture of a white-skinned goddess portrayed as in a chariot being pulled along by CATS. She wore a necklace called the Brisingamen, jewelry of fire. She was a warrior. Her cloak of feathers allowed her to travel between worlds. The dots connected. It was kind of scary how close it fits.

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A/N Freyja - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cus Knowledge is Power! Also, who knew?

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[KillerFish]

Some people *commit* to the "crazy cat lady" trope.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

Log entry 6 11.22.10 (Sophia)—----------------------------------------------

Unable to sleep. Sophia settled in to use the HUD in the form of contacts on her eyes, pulling her covers over her head. "Okay, say your name again." Well, the built in appearance of contacts in Cybernetic form.

"Trjegul." It came out hard to describe. Like saying 'Terrible' with a mouth full of cereal.

Right, well she'd lived with a brother who talked while eating so that is just what it was. "Terrible." Shrugging, Sophia focused on things she could understand. "Show me the usage of the Bolt Caster weapon. Give me options for lethal, less than lethal and passive takedowns."

There was a pause before the video started playing, although calling it video was less than accurate as it felt three dimensional as she looked left and right. "Freyja here, Trjegul is relaying your requests to me. Shuttles don't carry extensive library resources. And your pronunciation is 'Terrible'."

"Oh, ha, ha." As the video showed what it could do, the Caster threw any thought of the name out of her head. "Ooooh."

Throughout the night, she worked out how to master macros for what she wanted. Then she figured out how to set them up to play when she pressed a certain place on her gloves.

Nearly infinite bolts. Swapping out the blunt bolts for sharp. Bolts with cameras that deploy to look around after it is stuck in. Ball bearing filled bolts for tripping. One-shot Taser bolts –not a Taser really, better. Bolos that fired as a single bolt that split in flight. One shot emitters that would show smoke roiling in an area until the power ran down or the shuttle beamed it out.
And then there was a bolt made up of filaments of a supermaterial that unfolded as it neared the target area, becoming a net.

Automated recovery of shot bolts by beaming once the combat is over with. No pesky evidence.

Camouflage built right into her costume. Being able to blend into the coloring of buildings in real time when mostly still. Being able to trigger a flash effect to blind night sight.

Freyja watched as the Security Officer proved her worth by rounding out her own weapons. Then she doubled it as she called up the real problems in the city and tied them to villains and gangs –the kind of information that is either not on the internet or muddied with falsehoods presented as fact.

When Sophia finally slipped into sleep, inter-ship beaming brought her to Freyja. In sickbay, the rest of the Officer package was applied. Minus the height addition. A tall person getting slightly taller was overlooked. An average sized teenager, not so much. Flushing out the steroids took longer as they were not built to flush easily. Combat add-ins that were not incompatible with the phasing the girl could do would have to wait for another day. Her hair appeared much as it had before, if one ignored the texture of braided metal.

Sophia was beamed back to her bed just as Emma was beamed in.

Freyja considered the note pinned to Emma's pajama top before beginning. Her Captain had said no visits from the ah boob-fairy with sudden changes, but Emma's own wishes considered that a growth over several weeks would not be considered out of place at her age group. Nor would adjusting her metabolism to better harness energy but not store large amounts as fat elsewhere be extraordinary.

Emma had postulated that a difference from regular looks in uniform would assist in keeping their civilian persona intact, which would help prevent their home from being targeted. While Freyja did not herself approve of such tactics, 'when in Rome' indeed. The girl suggested her uniform sleeve and gloves appear to be furred bare arms, with imagery overlaid on her face that suggested a Cat race.

She did not mention a Cat tail, but Freyja remembered one poor crewmate who had not been a good candidate for regeneration treatment had had a prosthetic tail. With that on file, Emma's uniform had an addition to the belt, a furred Cat tail that could move on its own. That it also contained a small energy weapon was merely additional safety.

Emma's upgrades included emitter nodes in the face for her disguise, eyes that could convincingly appear catlike on demand, and claws that normally show as flattened, colored nails, but could fold down the middle while curving. The edges could score metal at need. With the other Officer upgrades in place, she would pass for the same race as the fellow who had had the prosthesis. The underskin layer was thinner, a mesh of ceramics with field emitters to harden on command.

****

Morning arrived and I went into the bathroom and showered with dark hair.

When I went to dry it, I wondered what I would look like with a different color. My yelp of surprise got Emma coming in to look at me. "Color change hair? Not fair."

I had long white hair. Not like see-through white, almost glowing white. It made my skin look gray…

She pouted pitifully. "I wish I could change somehow…" She muttered as I turned back to the mirror.

Standing there wondering why not green –or blue even?-- I got a pinch on my behind right as my hair turned green and then blue. Turning again, there was Emma freaking out about her claws and cat features in the mirror. She made a pretty cat at that, red fur in stripes like a tabby.

Her voice grew panicked until both she and I heard the communicator click. "You can return to your normal form by willing it."

Aunt Zoe's raised voice sounded in the moment of silence. "WHAT is the matter?"

And There she was, just a redhead again.

A glance in the mirror showed my hair was dark and curly, not short and white. And my skin wasn't nearly as gray as it was moments ago. As I looked closer, my Sclera faded from black to white in a way that totally outlined the change.

Emma was unscrewing a little tube of concealer. Dabbing some on her nose, she opened the door and halfway yelled down the hall. "There was a Zit on my nose! I have a shoot this week!"

The disgusted "Uggh!" from downstairs at least proved Emma wasn't adopted.

"Come on, we have school in an hour." I thought about the sensors like the manual had stated and they came on line for me. Wireframes showed me the rooms beyond me and some of the downstairs. "We are clear to talk. Ship, can we put a hold on the 'changes' during school unless direct physical threat is involved? And try to come up with some plausible deniability options, please."

Ship's whisper came back immediately. "As you say, Captain."

"This is going to get old sooo fast." I groaned.

**********************

We didn't share classes before lunch, but Sophia was there waiting at our table as we got in line. She opened her paper bag by tearing it in half, catching her sandwich and apple without looking. "Why do I feel like I am only able to touch the wrapping paper on my Christmas presents?" She ground out. She was repressing a bounce and frustration showed when she wasn't directly concentrating on something.

Others were joining us, having to check in on their respective groups, just the ones needing specific help coming to sit with us –me.

"Does it look like Christmas? Presents come to those who wait. Unless there is an emergency." I state, taking my salad off my tray.

Sophia glared at me like I was playing with a new kitten and would not share.

The way her eyes widening hinted at threats unspoken made me look away. And right there was Julia.

She was the head Cheerleader, and always looking for some angle to evoke privilege she hadn't earned. A Captain, oh ha, ha.

"Do I detect a crack in the solidarity?" She smiled sweetly. "Dear Sophia appears to be tweaking. Or is it juicing? Either way it is ground for suspension if not expulsion. Without your bodyguard, there is no reason to negotiate for our time slots in the study group. That is of course if the teachers didn't also hear that you are her supplier of the drug of choice." Her fangs were clearly showing, social judo is one of her stronger points. "The deal has changed, pray that I don't change it any further." She tittered behind her hand as one of the other Cheerleaders crossed her arms in front of me. "Now then, give me your notebook so I can handle scheduling the appointments." She held out her hand, demandingly.

Sophia stood and looked ready to move in, but one of the bigger jocks made his presence known by stepping closer.

"Stand down." I say offhand. Back to Julia, I return her look and take out the scheduling notebook. Opening it, I can see the cheerleader appointments for the two in front of me are outlined in red, meaning their grades had slipped below the standards for the school system and would be facing suspension by midterms. "An interesting take on negotiations. No doubt you've planted evidence here or there –in a locker perhaps?"

"No doubt…" She started but Mai thwacked her in the arm. "Mai?! The fuck!"

Mai herself frowned further. "No names. Don't talk with them. Tell them what you want. Full Stop."

Julia frowned. "But Paul is like right there?!" She winced "Ow!"

I subvocalized. "Ship, give me a cell phone actively recording in my bag please."

The voice answering me could not be heard outside my head. "Splicing in previous audio with the interior of your bag. Pull your hand out when ready."

I could tell the moment when Ship either informed Sophia and Emma or that they heard the answer. Both of them relaxed from the tension filled atmosphere.

My hand in the bag settled on a pencil. Taking it out I started erasing sessions for tomorrow and Friday.

Julia's voice cracked. "W-what are you doing?"

I erased two more, glancing at Paul when I took him off the schedule, getting a little shiver there.

Mai eased closer. "You can't do that. We OWN your ass now!" Her growl cut short as I reached into my bag again. 'What is that?"

I pulled the phone out. "This?" I played it around to show Mai, Julia and then Paul. "One continuous recording, visual presence and audio from before. Time and date stamped."

Mai appeared to be gauging the distance to grab the phone.

"Streaming to an offsite location in real time." I heard Emma say.

Ah, Ship fed her a line.

"Paul, I NEED that phone." Mai spoke up. Huh, they were both blonde haired, blue eyed purebred folk while Julia was better than average, Eastern European mix. A beauty, but not the right sort of people in the long run.

Sophia squared off against Paul now, easing herself up and blocking his approach to me. Defensively, she only had to keep him from making a play to take it.

Julia opened her mouth, but my offhand forestalled her. "Quiet now, the adults are talking. It is clear to me that Mai is running this show."

The girl in question lunged across the table, hand shifting from aiming at my phone to my throat. Without thinking, I slapped her hand down onto the plastic table. I am able to get a grip on the wrist, giving it a twist.

This puts me right by her ear. "Leave now. I will keep this recording private and I will remove you three from the schedule for a… week. Remove whatever you planted and tell your people to leave us be."

She gave me a glare. "Paul is going to break you..." She blanched, her eyes taking in Sophia holding Paul in an arm lock down on his knees with her foot holding his calf down..

Julia is backing away, Paul not being a help. Mai threw in the towel, going limp. "You win. We'll clean up any loose ends. Return to the status quo in a week." It is like I was twisting her arm. Oh, right I should probably let go now.

Sophia sashays back close to sit down and all but put her arm around me.

Paul has this confused look on his face as Sophia steps away. His eyes flick to her ear and then to mine. His features turn dark with suppressed anger. He follows Mai out. Julia watches them go, now fully aware that being 'head' cheerleader is not in fact leading their faction. As she leaves it is clear the rest of the Empire wannabes got up and walked out, dumping trays with food, plates and silverware in the trash. The ABB kids all eat outside or in the gym as a group

Emma breaks the ice with a chuckle. "You know the gossip mill is going to treat it like Sophia defended your 'honor'."

I sigh and shrug off a chuckling Sophia. "That was a mistake. Empire kids will be starting trouble now."

The lunchroom has really gone still. The nerds, the few band kids, neo-Goths and unaligned are standing. There is a smattering of applause with a few salutes. None of them were Nazi, but there were 'live long and prosper' mixed in with surfer horns and a few finger snaps that is like cheering from the second gen Goth movement.

"Welcome to the Kompani." Ship's whisper sounded in my ear, the last word having a tang of pronunciation.

With a shrug I focused on moving up the waiting list for scheduled sessions among those in the red and NOT on the Cheer or Football team. I did not take off anyone but those three. Interesting how there were a number of cancellations that led to them moving up in the list. There is another reason beyond the first to ban them, they've been buying or intimidating their way up to being full time tutored for free.

Catching the eye of Emma I note. "No more opportunity filled cancellations."

Sophia whistled innocently.

"For you I will just have to make an exception for 'crew'." I deadpan back at her.

"Aye." She drawled out.

My ears caught a change in the note of the talk resuming around us as several in the crowd noted the response and calm acquiescence –something out of character for Sophia.

********

After lunch there were a few panicked Football players making sure their spots had not been cut. I had to warn them that if they passed the work they did over to Paul, they would be under scrutiny themselves. Bans could extend. Other names could be added. But if they felt they wanted to repeat what I told them to him, it might help with their own problems in the long run.


"See it. Say it. Do it." I noted. "Those are the best ways to remember. To teach it is just another way to say it."
As the boy moved off, mumbling to himself the last bell for the day rang. Walking out together, Emma and I fell into step with Sophia ahead until we hit the wider sidewalk.

As she matched us stride for stride, she asked. "So, when are we going out?"

I smiled tersely. "First thing we need to do is get some training complete. We may not always have access to the tech base, so rustic versions of first aid need to be cleared. Emma needs to get a smattering of combat training and leadership compared to a lot of engineering." I focus on Sophia, "You and I need a wider breadth of combat arts to avoid being too similar to our civilian identities, and then a smattering of engineering ourselves."

Sophia grunted. "And OpSec. You just blurted out everything in the open."

"Freyja?" I noted.

"As you say Captain, the privacy field is engaged. To any listener, you were speaking about a Canary song you heard."

Snorting, "Does that mean I am banned from going out as Shadow Stalker?"

"No, of course not. But you should be aware that the new tech will be noticed. As will your Brute rating unless you hold back." Emma, acting the voice of reason.

I nodded, but had to put the stick back in sight. "There will be a proficiency test in the coursework I outlined. Fail to meet the milestone and the tech, including the shuttle, is locked out from casual use."

"Okay, Mom… Ow. Ah, Captain." Sophia responded.

I thought I saw a wince and she rubbed her ear thoughtfully. I guess Freyja is not against a little shock to keep discipline in check.

 

[KillerFish]

Taylor really slipping into her role as Captain there. Well done.

 

[Prester Fred]

From Nine Lives of the Calico.

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This should be threadmarked Informational, not Apocrypha.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

This should be threadmarked Informational, not Apocrypha.

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Anything from Wikipedia is "of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true." --so Apocrypha it is.
HEarSAY.
Yep, totally intended. Puns. You have been warned.

 

[shypunk]

thanks for the chapter and for writing

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

Log entry 7 11.25.10 ---------------------------------------------

Thanksgiving snuck up on us just days later. We'd met the pass criterion of the sleep learning programs that we'd requested, and some that Freyja had required. Officer training for one thing. Strangely, Sophia had decided to hold off on outings as Shadow Stalker to get in extra time in the training. It turned out she was an avid combat game fan since she could bust heads in the sims.

Emma and I had invited her over after their family had their meal –their tradition was early so they could watch parades and Football after. The Barnes's waited until five o'clock for the Turkey meal. And then they mostly vegged out.

While Freyja was nowhere near ready to create another craft, she was able to create a holoprojector that could handle showing imagery of us crashed out on the couch watching TV after Sophia 'left'. She just told her parents she was 'staying over' which was code to her mom. It meant it was a cape night.

Ems, bless her heart, had settled on the name 'Gingembre'. I would have preferred if she could just go by 'First Officer', but other than Sophia we didn't really have a second or third, let alone regular crew. She took her name from the French term for an orange cat, which was how her cat 'change' appeared, if just a little darker.

I was sticking to my guns over "Captain" although I adopted a little bit of a lilt to saying it that made it sound, well to be honest, like Chekhov. 'Nuke-lee-are Veapons' ish, but not for all my speech. In any documentation it would be "Keptain" to be consistent.

The bridge of the ship was adjustable, with partitions that were moved aside as needed, the couches were mobile and could be used as beds or configured to chairs for many humanoid options. Or cleared away. Freyja had noted that the last two members of her crew that survived the disaster that sent her to this Earth had lived out their days together in this one room.

The ship was not a Tardis, but it was significantly bigger than the one room.

We were running an impromptu obstacle course around the corridors looping the main disc. Turkey is nice, but with our upgrades and their ability to subsist on tiny amounts of food, we needed a lot of activity to burn the calories we ate at school. I was already getting concerned looks from teachers who thought I was "too thin" for someone my height. Being able to eat a single apple and live on it for days was not helping things. So we had to eat like teenagers and do heavy training just to burn off the extras. It was that or bear the burden of having our systems ah eliminate the extras. Personally I think Freyja might have engineered the situation to get more training time in.

"Freyja, are you sure we couldn't just turn down the metabolism just a hair?" I was not going to admit defeat on this.

The arms being able to pace us from the ceiling had been unnerving at first, but the calm answer held a tone of reproach. "Changing settings on the fly would open up paths to control. The current situation is annoying at best. Compare it to finding yourself without resources after an Endbringer attack."

I hopped over a low drawer she pushed into the hallway. Obstacles. Since I dropped the line of questions she returned to the display of her appropriated historical resources. She was fascinated with history, having amassed a huge equivalent of data from libraries all over the world. If she wasn't so advanced, she would probably have the authorities sniffing all over us by now. But she wasn't using Brockton Bay connections to get all this data, every satellite in line of sight was hers to make use of at will. Ground stations for TV could be probed for information. The internet trunks connecting New York and Boston ran through underground links along the railroad, creating alternate junctions routing in places beyond the Bay was child's play.

I was getting better at this. Not good. Ironically, Emma was a natural. That or the memories of the crew member of feline nature seemed to bleed through when she moved in that format. Something to consider, I suppose. Did the memories of her previous Captain bleed through as well? Captains?

"Freyja, how much of the memory storage I have contains the prior Captain, or is it more than one?"

The hallway cleared of obstacles as she considered.

"The 'Captain' package includes the memory engrams of ninety-one previous Captains, although the last was only a few cycles long. They are accessible on demand of the current Captain, but skills that are drilled to second nature will come forward at subconscious desire."

"Have you looked over the heroes and villains detailed on PHO? Particularly the Butcher?"

Freyja paused significantly. "Ah. While there are surface similarities, it is not the personalities encoded. Physical skills need to be calibrated to the body, the length of the limb and such. At no time will there be a voice in your head."

I chuckled a little at her discomfort. "Just in my earpiece."

Sounding downright British, she answered. "Quite."

****************
Armsmaster's workspace.

"There it is again."

"Colin, you can't still be worrying about an anomaly in global downloads and satellite traffic. We've traced these bursts time and again and they turn into chaos and noise with no real source."

Not pausing in his typing, Colin Wallis, otherwise known to the world as Armsmaster, followed the flow of analytical data from one blind corner of the internet to another. "I'm telling you it has to be some kind of intelligence directing these flows. A sudden uptick of data flows from institutions of higher learning? Petabytes of data going nowhere?"

"If it were actionable, we would be taking action." Dragon noted. "There is no crime as yet, all the data accessed has been found to be public domain."

"Dragon, I think someone out there is using all that data to train an artificial intelligence."

The image on his monitor spluttered, at a loss for words. Then it froze for 2.3 seconds. "That is ridiculous. There have been no known instances of AI lasting more than a few days let alone a month now."

Collin frowned. "Not in a single server or even a server farm. This could be a distributed form of intelligence. That would explain the difficulty in pinning down the movements of libraries worth of information."


****************
The next week drifted over into December. With the Christmas break coming up, and our midterms scheduled just before then, the study group was very popular. Julia and Mai had toed the line and were happily above the redline for being cut for Cheerleading. But others were further down and looked for a way to scrabble out of the red they could. The less forthright of those decided to reduce the curve by cutting out the top end of the test scores.

If you cannot cheat on the tests, find ways to remove the honest good scores.

"Taylor Hebert, report to the Principal's Office."

There were a few smirks from the stoners and wannabe Merchants in the class. Gladly's class, or perhaps Gad-fly as some called him. He started to write out a pass but I simply picked up my backpack and headed for the door.

"Taylor, don't you want to get the assignments?" He asked.

I considered a moment. "Why? I've aced every test you've set us. I have three of your extra credit projects done so I could take a zero off anything you throw at the class." It confused me when he attempted to be a teacher in between his buddy-buddy discussions and waste of time projects.

Moving down the hallway I found there were already several people in the offices, all from one of the math classes, mine.

Blackwood was there with hands on her hips. "So! The ringleader is here at last. Come into my office, young woman. Sit."

I came in and sat, not concerned for all her air of smug certainty. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

"Oh, can it with that act. I have sixteen test papers with exactly the same answers, all of them ninety eight out of one hundred and they all belong to your study group! Cheating."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? From the same class group? Sitting together?" At her faltering look among her papers. "If this is about the Calculus I exam on Monday, it was from problems given in the homework. We were allowed note sheets as long as they were handwritten. Yes my group had nearly identical note sheets –but that is hardly a reason to accuse them of cheating."

She firms up and waves a ruler at me. "Don't give me lip!" She smiled menacingly. "The ones who didn't cheat turned you in."

"Yes. Let me guess, those in the lower sixties results would rather be graded as C work instead of failing." I note. "And you choose to believe them over straight A students, why?"

She blinked then doubled down. "I could have you expelled." Okay, waving big guns now.

"At this time I would like to have my Guardians brought in. You are charging into lawsuit territory already by threatening me with a weapon." I gesture at the ruler. "Throwing my academic standing in question purely on the strength of hearsay. Has Mr. Jenkins been consulted for his opinion on this nonsense?"

"Donald Jenkins was let go this very afternoon. His inability to control his baser urges around female students has been documented…"

I stood up then. "I see." I take a step to and open the door to the office. "You have chosen to embrace the insanity rather than reexamine faulty assumptions."

"Get back in here!"

"No, I think that is not going to happen." I reached for the door. "Not without parental guidance, or at least counsel."

She drew herself up like a bandy little rooster. "Fine then! You are expelled. Leave school property immediately. Paperwork will be sent to your home of residence."

I was already walking out.

What I did not expect was for a group of students to be following me off campus. Emma and Sophia, sure, but Julia? Madison? Mai? Paul? Half the football team was there already and they were quick to assure us that the rest were being gathered up.

Emma gestured at her phone. "I have Dad on the way. He is gathering up a few colleagues, one is already contacting Mr. Jenkins, offering to represent him to the School Board inquiry."

Sophia held up her phone. "Mom is calling in the press. We should have a news van here…" She snorted and pointed. "About now."

I could see several of the Cheerleaders primping on the chance they could be on camera.

Emma held out the phone for me to hear Alan talking. "You can talk to the press but do not give any opinion on Blackwell herself or how she does her job. Stick to the facts."

Fine then. "What about a recording of what she said to me in the office?"

"You recorded it?" He sounded impressed.

I just smiled a little as I saw Mai hold out a hand to Julia who passed over a twenty. "Told you."

"Excuse me!" A woman in a sharp business suit with a microphone in hand approached. "Channel Six. Are you the young woman accused of ma… Cut. Give me a sec hon. Are you the young woman wrongfully accused of leading a cheating ring? Our tips line says there are accusations that a set of test answers were shared among the students of a ga-group led by Taylor Herbert."

Sighing. "Hebert. Only one R in there please." I pause a beat. "I am not in fact sure of what they were accusing. The principal fired our Calculus teacher after our study group got excellent scores on Calculus midterms. The test rules allowed a single hand printed note sheet, which we each wrote out our own copy but yes it was a shared effort in creation. That is the definition of 'study group', isn't it?" I gesture to the kids lined up in solidarity –or the chance to be on air–

"If anything, the fact that sixteen of us scored all but one correct should be cause for celebration. But that is not what is happening." I gesture back to the school. "And since I would not immediately confess to the charge of cheating, I have been expelled."

She nodded at the correct times and the mike swiveled back to her. "All without an investigation? You were questioned without a parent present? Shocking developments at Winslow High School, back to you John."

We repeated this same line for two other outlets, one a print newspaper –okay so they published electronically as well as print– with similar results. The one did try to angle the camera to show all the non-white kids behind me rather than the Cheerleaders and Football team stars. I noted it and signed for Emma and Sophia to shuffle them into frame. When he said cheating, the camera pointed not at me but at Sophia. Right.

It was starting to get dark, afternoons ended quickly with mountains starting just west of the city, when the school superintendent showed up.

Uncle Alan was right there chatting him up as he approached.

"Alan here says you have a recording of what went on in the office itself. That would not be admissible in court…"

"Really? It is a public place." Emma noted. "With no expectation of privacy. They have cameras in the halls –if they still worked."

The man seemed to grind his teeth for a moment, then continued smoothly. "I suppose. Can you email me a copy at this email address?"

"Easily." Alan took the card, but my enhanced vision had already picked it up and I was typing it into the 'To' field on the phone itself. Alan noted further, "You understand that should Taylor be expelled, her college expectations and eventual career could be derailed. That is a large monetary loss."

I hit send on the email, laughing to myself slightly. Freyja had created the phone after all, and it wasn't like it was limited to the quality of other phones or the tiny bandwidth available to normal cellular…

Oh.

Well shit.

Might have just outed ourselves there.

*********************

"Hellooo." Dragon's voice spoke up from her usual humming as she worked.

Armsmaster perked up, shutting off the miniature welding rig he was using. "Do you have something?"

"One of those bursts of data just happened. And it coincides with a rather detailed video being entered into evidence on a school board server."

Frowning, "You monitor school board servers?"

She chuckled. "My systems host many of them at a discount. And this is a cell phone video recording that seems to be five times larger than usual. More pixels per frame, more frames per second. Dedicated CCD cameras are uncommon at this resolution. Oh, it even manages to have true stereo channels in the audio." She paused. "The time stamp is also a little odd. It isn't synched to the cell towers. That is very interesting."

Armsmaster waited. "Something else?"

"No. it just looks like Winslow will be getting a new principal soon."

"Already? Is that a record?"

"Sadly, no. The shortest tenure was a week, but suicide shouldn't count."

"Suicide." Rolling his eyes now. "The BBPD officer who investigated that incident noted the man shot himself three times."

********************

It wasn't two days later that Winter Break was supposed to start. I got extra time in training, and to be honest there was nothing missed that could really affect my grades going on. That Friday, Ex-Principal Blackwell was escorted off school property. And they were looking for the kids that had made up the story about the cheating. She somehow forgot to document who they were.

Calling it a phone tree would be using dated terms but that was what it was in fact. Julia called Emma after checking in with others. I hadn't been at school of course, but Emma and Sophia had. Sophia had been oblivious, checked out watching her video feed on her contacts.

Too bad Freyja didn't consider that against my orders for no 'Ship' stuff during school hours. As long as it was training, education of some sort was allowed at the place of education. Her firm opinions on the curriculum showed.

When Emma got home with Sophia in tow, we went to the Dojo again. Sophia was just about teaching some of the classes. For my sins of extreme patience, I got to teach one of the classes of youngsters.

But as we were getting back into our streetwear Emma brought up the calls going around the phone lists.

"Madison was seen coming to school but never made it to second period." She sounded nervous. "Her phone goes straight to voicemail. None of our friend apps can find her location. Julia tried her home phone and Maddie's parents haven't seen her either. They are, to put it bluntly, freaked."

"Last seen at the school." Sophia noted. "First place to look." She gave me a look.

"I suppose we do have to go out eventually." I noted. "And checking in on someone from the group who is missing makes sense."

Freyja clearly agreed. On my own contact I could see a path of a cell phone traced back over several days. It did come to the school and then seemed to wink out. There was a brief ping a block away and then nothing –and this was at nine AM this morning, well after the first bell.

Emma leaned in. "Are we going like this or fully kitted out?"

I smiled fully, letting out all the tension in my shoulders. We needed this.

"Time to dress for the job you want."

Emma and Sophia high fiving was a little out of decorum.

"Nothing for it but to tell the rents we are going to the theater." I said.

"Nerd." followed by "Ow. Worth it." Sophia may actually like the shocks.

**************************

"Someone!" the wail echoed in the cold empty school. Bang, bang. Her shoe against the steel door. "Let me out of here!"

Covered in soot from the door to the old coal pen behind the furnace in the basement of Winslow, Madison Clements could just see the lantern they'd left in the other room. Her phone was sitting there next to it, the battery out next to it.

The double-door was locked by a metal chair leg wedged through the handles. They'd left her like that.

Narc.

Stoolie.

They said she was the one that turned them in for making up the cheating ring. Her fault they would be expelled for real. So, if she liked school so much, she could live out her remaining hours there. They'd laughed and left candles here and there on the floor or on steps or on the table.

And they'd left her. With a steel can full of wood burning to keep her warm. But they'd also closed the flume, taped the windows and had sprayed expanding foam around the doors. She could feel the carbon monoxide building up in the room. The floor candles had gone out first after about an hour. They hadn't burned down, they'd just gone out.

And she'd been banging on the walls and things all day. No answer.

The janitors had left by midday and never came down to the basement if they could help it.

She was so tired. But there was nowhere to lay down that wasn't the floor. She was sure the carbon monoxide was filling the room by now, getting higher as time went on.

Another candle went out.

The batteries on the lantern dimmed.

Madison cringed as she saw there were spiders climbing up the walls, roaches coming out of cracks and moving up any way they could.

There were roaches ON HER.

*************************

My costume was basically the ship uniform, gold on top and darker pants that sealed into the suit. Unlike the Star Trek similarities our uniform did have sort of a helmet affair, that was more or less a bike helmet made with thinner material with a built in clear visor. There was enough electronics packed in there to make Armsmaster sweat should he ever get a good look.

I had a 'Fleet standard' sidearm, like a bronze colored ergonomic computer mouse made of metal. There was even a ball near the thumb. It locked to my suit at the waist –or anywhere I chose to leave it on the costume.

Differences were there. My hair was changed to the white format, locked into tight curls that made it appear much shorter in a ponytail. Skin is gray with the full changes in effect.

The gloves were fingerless, showing my nails that were a solid ivory shade.

Emma was in a purple topped equivalent, her red hair even more wild and spiky than ever. Cat ears sized up with red fur on them. Her face and neck showed a fringe of striped red fur with a little white at the throat, the 'prosthetic' red fur tail attached from the inside of her suit, moving with her like a pendulum. Her bike helmet was almost lost in that hair of hers. She had fingerless gloves showing cat fur 'fingers' with clawed tips. Her toes showed through her 'shoes'.

Shadow Stalker had on her dark costume, the material upgraded to the same stuff as the ship materials, cut to look more like a jacket over the top of her red ship suit top. Her boltcaster was clipped to her shoulder, but her mouse-like sidearm was integrated to the handgrip of the boltcaster.

We'd each chosen a mode of travel to use. I got flight as Freyja had more than enough power to keep me in the air, if I wasn't as fast as some capes could go. Gingembre –Emma– would parkour and run, being able to lock onto the wall by foot or hand, her weight dropping to negligible amounts as she moved. Shadow Stalker would still run and leap but now she could also shoot out a grapple line that would anchor using gravity tech and reel her into the bolt's location. Or she could swing from the line. Or she could lock her boltcaster into place midair and swing or rappel down from it. Clearly she had the most options for movement among us three.

*****************
Miss Militia.

The Merchants were angry over something or other. They didn't often push south out of the Docks toward the more central areas of Brockton. But here they were, making themselves a nuisance all the way down to … Winslow?

That made no sense.

Miss Militia shrugged. Merchants rarely made any sense anyway.

So she monitored from building tops and made notes about where they were moving, sending a text to the police so they could respond in force. There were no capes visible, yet. Velocity was helping her reposition while he scouted the edges of the movement and checked the other gang ranges.

Or maybe that was premature as she saw a group of younger female capes.

That was different. The Protectorate had seen Shadow Stalker before, but never with a Team? She wasn't much of a socializer. Or a talker. Raising binoculars up she zeroed in on the most interesting item to her military mindset. It was a crossbow if you squinted. It bore looking into if the thing was sold anywhere she might be able to duplicate it.

And then there were the two girls with her. A flying gray girl with white hair. A cat girl Changer bouncing along as if she had little or no weight. Those two had matching costumes color shifted.

Item: Shadow Stalker was wearing something under her jacket that matched as well. One of them is a Tinker?

...They were also heading to Winslow. Joy.

"Console, this is Militia. The Merchant rank and file are coming down past Winslow heading toward the north end of the Boardwalk. And I've just spotted Shadow Stalker out after a month absent. She has two new cape friends. Description follows…"

***********************

It was full dark now. December weather. The barrel of wood had burned low to just a slight glow, now giving off more smoke than heat or light.

And she was so tired.

She barely cared that the bugs were using her to stay above the carbon monoxide. Roaches mostly. Flies. Spiders climbed all about, but they could go higher and did so.

Shivering, even with the insulation of all the roach bodies across her skin, Madison clung to hope.

The room was spinning.

And she was falling.

SHE WAS GOING TO DIE!

[DESTINA…
********************

We'd reached Winslow proper. Shadow Stalker ghosted her way in and opened a door from the inside. There was a smell, like creosote in the building.

"Freyja, can you scan for life signs or something?"

"There is life everywhere my captain. But if you mean Hume there is very little to detect in this area. None on the floors above you. I would suggest moving downward."

Since the comms were on I knew the other two had heard that. "Down we go ladies."

We'd barely reached the chair locked double-doors to the basement when Sophia nearly dropped like her strings were cut. It was just a moment really. She was standing straight again and waved us off as she scanned around for threats.

"Gingembre, cut the lock."

Emma laughed and used her claws to cut the chains. It was a function of the tech in the false fingers and claws, but it still managed to get a whistle out of Stalker.

"Kind of wish I'd had that option." She noted. "Course I would forget and scratch my nose. Does your nose itch?" She added sweetly.

She waltzed past Emma who was now visibly restraining herself from scratching at an itchy nose.

As the door opened a veritable swarm of bugs flew out. Mostly German Cockroaches, moths, flies and gnats. Then a wave of spiders ran across the walls and out. I was somewhat glad to be able to fly. Emma was balanced on one toe, her weight reduced to a feather to avoid them.

"Behind you, Keptain." Emma squeaked as Freyja alerted on the HUD.

I turned, hand weapon at the ready, to find the swarm of bugs forming into a humanoid shape. It turned into a girl –into Madison.

Shit.

She triggered.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." She was saying. Over and over. She pointed at me, "Famine.", then Stalker, "Death." and then to Emma "War?" Looking down at her own self covered still in roaches of five kinds and spiders mixed in. "Does that make me Pestilence?"

We three looked at her as she began to have a panic attack, then at each other and in unison shook our heads "NO".

I took the lead on talking. "Not part of the Four Horsemen, no." I point at myself. "Keptain." wave to Stalker.

"Shadow Stalker. Sup?"

To Emma.

"Gingembre. Nyan!" She made an air claw pose that would fit right in in Anime.

"Are you all capes?" Madison asked tentatively.

Sophia answered. "Duh, yeah we are."

"Heroes?" She squeaked.

I rolled my eyes. "We aren't villains."

She smiled now. "That's good because it would be a shame to roll on people in the study group…"

"Whut?" Deer in headlights moment for me.

"Taylor, Emma and Sophia. Come on, you totally can't think some gray body paint, fur and even a mask would hide you from someone who hangs out with you. I'm the cute one, not the dumb one."

"It would be advised to not use civilian names. Captain, there is someone entering the main hallway doors." Freyja noted out loud.

"Who said that?" Madison buzz squeaked. Her form writhed and she was made up partially of wasps and ants as well as roaches for a moment.

"Visor, now." I state. The small flash of light leaves a bike helmet like ours with the visor attached. "Put this on and stay bug-like so you won't be recognized."

Madison accepted the helmet, pushing it on easily. All our visors went slightly smoky as the lights in the halls came on. A group of people strode around the corner led by --well I would say 'pimp' but that would be racist. Gaudy. Obnoxious. Oblivious to dress and hygiene standards? Faux Cheetah fur trim and bedazzle in excess of recommended sane levels?

A flamboyant black male voice rang out.

"Greetings, dick schnizzles and douchbags! Skidmark is IN the House!"

 

[YuffieK]

So, Madison gets QA with a Changer Swarm expression thanks to the Sophia ping.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." She was saying. Over and over. She pointed at me, "Famine.", then Stalker, "Death." and then to Madison Emma "War?" Looking down at her own self covered still in roaches of five kinds and spiders mixed in. "Does that make me Pestilence?"

Click to shrink...

 

[Rajvik_wolfboy]

and skidmark volunteers to be tonights punching bag, how joyous

 

[Keldin145014]

Hm. Two things:

Jula had her home phone and her parents haven't seen her either. They are, to put it bluntly, freaked.

Click to shrink...

1) I suspect that was supposed to be Julia?

2) This sentence feels a little clumsy. At first, I thought Julia had also vanished. Perhaps something like, "Julia called her home phone number, and her parents haven't seen her either." (Also, Grammarly is complaining, probably because "had" and "haven't" don't match.)

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

Swarm expression thanks to the Sophia ping.

Click to shrink...

Stop peeking into my notes! Other issue adjusted.

Hm. Two things:

Click to shrink...

This a coincided with my idiot dog breaking his lead to go chase raccoons in the mud. Cold (for values of Florida cold) rainy day, trying to entice the mudpuppy out of the swamp.

He goes out on the lead to do his business as we have no fence. Of course HOA rules say fencing toward ponds (half my backyard, other half into the trees aka swamp) must be four feet tall. My dogs can jump that … even the fat old pitt let alone mudpuppy.

Fences are therefore not an option.

 

[Rajvik_wolfboy]

Have you considered trying a radio collar/fence
I have friends who use them but my five would chew the collars off of each other

 

[shypunk]

thanks for the chapter and for writing

 

[Dragonin]

I read shnizzle as schnitzel… wierd mental image, that.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

Log entry 7.1 Supplemental 11.25.10 ---------------------------------------------

"The girl should be in the basement, boss!" Front boy was talking. He looked almost big enough to be on the football team, but probably cut because of the juice based on the muscles in his arms showing. He looked like a mocha version of Popeye without the squint.

Skidmark nodded and waved the high schooler to silence. "Quiet down. The adults are ready to speak."

A high pitched woman's voice doing a fair New Jersey accent came over the walkie talkie in Skidmark's left hand. "Skids baby, we got maybe five before the white hats swarm the place."

Looking past the three of us to Madison. "Swarm you say? That sounds like a legit name. You up for a party, girl? Ditch the posers and come to the dark side we have the special cookies." He leered at Madison a bit. Ewww.

Oh, Changer girl was upsizing her measurements. In bugs.

"Did you all just let the girl out or do these idiots have to take a fall?" He gestured back and three kids were pulled to the front of the Merchants, tied up and gagged. Ah the cheaters who had locked Madison up.

"We three came to let her out but found Pestilence here had already done so. Not Swarm…" I turn to give Madison a look. "Not unless she wants to go willingly with you Merchants?"

Maddie shook her head 'no', closing her eyes and balling fists.

Everyone else in the area flinched or drew back a notch from the flung roaches and beetles that flew out of her mass. Gross.

When she opened her eyes again a layer of ladybugs surfaced on her face and then all the flung roaches and such winged it back to her main body. She saw the reactions and chuckled a little. "Maybe just Pest for now."

"Right, right." Skidmark considered. "Are you going to fight us?" He almost seemed eager.

Shadow Stalker was eager as well but paused to look at me. The tiny bit of smoke coming from the ear with the earring suggested Freyja had made it known to follow my lead.

"I think not. You can leave those three and we will relay that the Merchants don't attempt murder in schools. We have not seen any crimes committed by Merchants beyond a mild trespass."

Mr. Forearms spoke up again. "Boss, we got the numbers!"

Waving a hand back and forth in front of his mouth, Skids did a "Zzzz-zi-zi-ZIPP-IT!" That was a callback to 'Fifth Element' –a film my parents loved as much as I did 'Princess Bride'-- Chris Tucker's voice and mannerisms in many ways, all things considered.

And then he opened his mouth again, shifting to the street trash talk he was famous for. "Fuck nuggets don't talk or they soon won't walk!" He thumbed a coin into the air over his shoulder, and we could see a field come into existence behind him, angled back toward…

"Ah! Shit…" As the coin slammed into his foot he eyeballed Skidmark warily as that (un)worthy jingled a handful of quarters.

"Back it you pack of blue waffle snafflers!" He spat. "All yours to pass along to the shinies. Watch out or they will have you by the short hairs. Skidmark OUT!"

He did something and someone in the second row back started playing music out of an outsized 80's boombox –yes, movies have shown me ancient tech. He strutted out without a backward glance, though I did note another few fields popping into place on the floor, and above it as his 'men' scrambled to the edges for him to pass, then quick marched along the edge of the halls. Other fields formed along those edges.

The three tied up students were dropped on the floor in the middle. They started to spin on the floor from the fields, one had a leg off to the side and was shot toward us.

Shadow Stalker put a foot out to keep him from being launched through the doors leading down to the basement.

A moment later I had to catch another. The last one was almost out of the three field areas entirely and ended up on his back looking up at Gingembre.

She waved at him, showing her claws extending past fingertips by an inch or more.

"Follow him and his crew out, Shadow Stalker. Make sure he leaves without tearing down the school." I note.

Still a little aggressive minded, Sophia fades through the walls on one side and makes her way to an outside window.

Madison spoke up. "So, Shadow Stalker I've heard of. What are your cape names again?"

"Gingembre."

"Keptain."

She smiled and I was going to have to drink brain bleach over what I saw in her 'mouth'. "Pleased to meetcha."

Freyja took the opportunity to point out. "Armsmaster is inbound with a van of PRT. Miss Militia is acting as overwatch and is busy trying to watch an overlarge yet thoroughly invisible vehicle that is fading from my sensors. I would need satellite coverage using my era's technology or to be in an overwatch position above the city myself to track it." Sounding smug, she added. "She is reporting they are leaving the area and gone from sight."

Gingembre pointed to the hall. "Skidmark's fields aren't gone yet. How do we get her through them?"

Pest grunted. Her body separated into thousands of bugs. Roaches, beetles, moths, wasps. The mass flew down the hall past the fields, only a tenth of them coming back along the edges or thrown around in the eddies. Those simply reformed into a secondary cloud following the first.

On the other end of the hall Pest reformed but took a few half drunk steps, off balance.

"Wow. That was a rush."

Considering how much of her was swirled around beyond the movement vector itself, I probably would have been puking my guts out. Well, before Freyja got ahold of me.

"Let's go!" Gingembre jumped up a wall, got one claw set in the ceiling and swarmed her own way to the junction where Pest was waiting. It looked like her tail swirled a bit, but nothing special.

I flew up and moved down the hall sedately. Okay my image did. Freyja pulled me inside to keep from having to cover for me getting nauseated. Even so I felt the ship shift left and right from the eddies she crossed. The three cheaters were beamed aboard, with cloth bags added over their heads as they lay there.

Landing, and being beamed back out had Pest squinting at me oddly.

"Did you just..?" She waved at where the three were not showing anymore.

I tutted her. "Powers. Not sharing, thank you. The Protectorate is coming, right outside the main doors. They don't know who you are and you probably shouldn't tell them. Unless you want to go Wards that is." I wagged a finger. "But you should not give out any information on OUR civilian identities either."

"Right. Unwritten Rules." She made a zipping of lips motion. Right, Madison is a cape geek. Joy.

A loudspeaker halted all conversation. "You in the school. Come out peacefully or there will be …trouble."

Oh lord, save me from 80's movie fanatics. Robocop?! Really?

The man, the motorcycle, the line of armed Troopers with muzzles trained on the doors.

We walked up to the front doors without dawdling.

I opened it slightly. "We are coming out. There will be no fighting. We responded to a tip that there was a student trapped inside. We have three students –or perhaps ex-students by now– who put the girl in jeopardy."

Pest looked around confused. "We do?"

Armsmaster's voice reached us. Was he REALLY speaking to the empty fist like he was holding a megaphone? "Come out and we can talk amicably. How many of you are there?"

"Three here." I stepped through the door cautiously, showing my empty hands as I walked down the steps. "Shadow Stalker was watching Skidmark leave the area."

"Skidmark was here?" Armsmaster seemed unamused. "And you didn't try to arrest him?"

As Gingembre and Pest filed out and stood on either side of me facing him, a step up yet only barely my height.

My height seemed to catch his attention as he unconsciously adjusted his stance.

"Skidmark was there to check on the welfare of the girl these three left trapped in the basement." I pointed to the side and Freyja obligingly beamed the three out. They seemed to sense the sudden change in the air and sat up. The way they tried to mumble out curses said it all.

This seemed to tense up Armsmaster, but the Troopers were more than happy to have something else to focus on.

"And where is the girl?" He asked, anger starting to brim as he waved the Troopers in to process the three.

Pest jumped into the gap. "I let her free BEFORE the others arrived, before Skidmark showed up. But I got her story. She's probably already home or nearly there. Since there were no capes involved, she will be contacting the police directly."

"Who are you all?"

Madison did a sort of twirl in a circle, only it was her top turning at first and then the rest just sort of turned in a spiral without quite matching the rest. It was unnerving. "I'm Pestilence, or you can call me Pest. My friends do." She grinned at me and Gingembre.

"Gingembre." Emma waved her clawed hand slightly as she really leaned into the French accent.

I shook my head at their antics. "Keptain, with a 'K'. The Scandinavian version." I add the last and see someone taking note scramble to erase and rewrite the names taken down.

"Hero, Villain or Rogue?" He growled.

"We just met Pest tonight, but Shadow Stalker, Gingembre and I are, shall we say, not villains." As I completed that statement he relaxed a notch.

"You are school aged it seems. The Wards offers a comprehensive education in the use of powers in a socially approved setting. Although you appear to have already formed some kind of team, there is statistically danger of being inducted forcibly into the gangs." He turned to his motorcycle and tapped a compartment three times which released pamphlets for each of us present.

"You should be aware as well that although you have clean records, Shadow Stalker is being monitored for cases of assault with a Parahuman power in excess of approved levels." He added quiet enough to be unheard by the Troopers still moving around.

"Anything in the last month or so?" I asked honestly.

He shook his head in the negation. "She has not been seen active in the past month. There was honestly a worry that she had met a bad end already."

I took the offered pamphlets. "I will discuss the option with my girls. We were considering several before we found ourselves needing to come out tonight. I believe there is also an 'Associate' category?" Turning the last word into a question, I felt out my preferred choice.

"You have been checking your sources in detail if you found the footnote pertaining to that. It is unlikely that your parents will agree to the stipulations involved for underaged Associate status." He seemed to smile a little there.

"Really? And why would we involve our parents?" Gingembre spoke up. "After all, we are offering to help, not committing crimes."

"Do your parents know what you are doing? Are they aware that you have powers?"

I wagged a finger then. "And that is far too much personal information to give. I think it is time to cut the evening short. Goodbye, Armsmaster."

He held up a hand. "Wait!"

I flew upward, one hand catching Gingembre by hers. The reality was we were both in Freyja by that point, but my image appeared to tow her along below me as we swooped away.

*********************

Armsmaster was left with Pest, who was watching the two go.

"So cool…" Pest intoned. Then she started as she noticed Armsmaster tapping an armored foot. "Oh, yeah. Um School night, got to go!" She made sure to speak in a lower octave than her regular voice.

The woman-shape in front of him dissolved into a mass of bugs that scattered in multiple directions.

Gone.

"What was your impression of them, Dragon?" He asked. After years of having her work with him, he could tell when she was directly monitoring his systems.

Her avatar formed up in the corner of the view of his HUD. "They seem very well equipped for starting parahumans. Except Pestilence, who seemed to be a fresh trigger."

As he mounted his motorcycle, he flicked the autopilot on and set a destination to HQ, while staying near the Trooper transport. "I want to review the footage we have of them. Did you notice a flicker of light when the three Merchants were materialized?"

Dragon's avatar nodded. "I am actually interested in those last few seconds as Pestilence disperses. She was clearly human there with a covering of insects to make her seem larger, but as that layer peeled back her human portions turned into bugs as well. I'm not sure if that makes her a Master or Changer –or both."

As they passed the side street a rather large monster truck that had been idling behind a gas station pulled out. Sometimes the best kind of invisibility was just not doing things in front of the authorities.

"Kids didn't mix it up with the Protectorate pukes. But they didn't fall all over themselves to jump in bed with the Wards neither." He folded his arms and leaned back. "Executive decision time! Hands off those four! Unless they get up all in my biz-ness they aren't my biz-ness. Are we GREEN?"

Squealer in the driver's seat and the three piled into the jump seat all echoed back as one. "Super Green!"

Squealer knew that look. Time to dig out the stewardess outfit –or maybe the Lelu one. Either way, Skids was happy to have skipped the heat generated by any of his crew doing something stupid involving school. That was a metric fuck ton of heat. Involving a Ward aged girl was worse. FOUR of them? Nope, nope all the motherfucking nope. Clearly it was time to lay low a week or so and just vibe.

The three in the backseat groaned lightly as he reached for the sound system. Not that music again? The beginning strains of Opera music building covered any untoward noises.

*********************

As the Trooper vehicle and Armsmaster's motorcycle left Winslow's parking areas, Hannah Washington relaxed, letting her power-made rifle shift from a sniper rifle to something more discrete.

Stretching, she turned and noted the wall to her right had someone sitting there quietly. Shadow Stalker!

"Sup."

Taking a calming breath, Miss Militia answered. "Sneaking up on an armed parahuman, even a Hero, is not the best plan in the world."

"Figured you knew I was there." Shrugs eloquently. "I can ghost out as fast as I ghosted in." Suiting her statement, the young cape turned to smoke then reformed a foot or so forward in a standing position. "Couple things you should pass along. Keptain runs the show. She got my loyalty for saving my ass. With healing technology. I know how rare that is, especially with all the other things that we have and may eventually share. That's free. Keep the tether loose or she could just <poof> back to where she came from."

"Back?" Hannah had a moment to question it, but this time Shadow Stalker's cloudy form was moving down through the rooftop.

And she's gone.

That would get old very quickly. Now Hannah felt sorry for chewing out Aegis for the missed encounters to pitch the Wards.

Come to think of it, she was no doubt about to get the same kind of dressing down. At least Colin will be right there next to her.

*******************

At the Weiss Bierhalle on the western side of downtown, two men were sitting together waiting for a third to come back from returning some rented beer.

Alabaster was retelling his epic destruction of a certain thorn in their side. He'd been crowing over putting a bullet in that vigilante Shadow Stalker. The fact that the rank and file had not had any trouble with the fierce little thing was why he'd been getting free beers the past two weeks. The first week he'd had to settle for a few kudos or cheers.

Victor started sniggering to himself. He was checking things on PHO, having his phone ready for a call even on a night off was important. And there was a thread showing Shadow Stalker seen quite alive in the vicinity of Winslow High School this very evening.

"It seems someone has been boasting about an achievement they did not accomplish." He showed his phone to Brad, "What do you think of that?"

Alabaster sputtered his beer. "WhAaat?!" Thinking fast he drained the remainder of the stein. "I did at least wing her. That's miles better than you've been able to do, vigilante or Hero. That has to be worth something!"

He was up, backing away from the muscled man cracking knuckles as he advanced.

"Don't run from me John." Brad smiled. "You know this will take longer if you run." Turning aside, he noted that Victor was pulling out the harness with the chain from behind the bar.

"Gentlemen … and Ladies" He saluted Cricket on her lonely barstool with one empty on either side. "Herr Ala… hrhrrum John here owes everyone who stood him a round, a punch or two in recompense for his idle bragging."

Cornered, John was soon tied up in a bag-like harness with just his head showing, hanging from a convenient nail in the rafters as the people lined up to punch him. Yes, he reset after a handful of seconds, but he wasn't immune to pain.

But he could ride the wave of these pansies until Brad decided it was his turn.

"You hit like a girl!" He crowed.

And then Cricket got up. Melony did not pull her punches.

Spinning wildly, John amended his further comment. "I mean he hit almost as hard as Melony. ALMOST!"

For that the scarred woman stopped his spinning a moment to splash beer in his face. But she immediately set him spinning the other way as she moved back to her place.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

Potential looks for the four ala City of Heroes Homecoming.
The Girls + Maddie
There is a bit of license and or spoilers involved.
Shadow Stalker used a wig in this AU, having shorter hair in school to provide separation. No hood as her mom believed that would make her a hoodlum.

Pestilence as pictured has bony wings, something she may do later on. You haven't seen her final form!
Ah, that is Proton in the pic, not Armsmaster --as he is sporting a cybernetic arm. Not planning to follow canon in that loss. Or am I?

 

[shypunk]

thanks for the chapter and for writing. what did you do to the merchants lol

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

thanks for the chapter and for writing. what did you do to the merchants lol

Click to shrink...

Fifth Element has the opera referenced. Classic stuff. As well as the Merchants' muse.

 

[Ckosacranoid]

Man, skids not a totally asshole to start off with. At least he has some give to see to the girl locked up since it was his idiots that caused the issue.
Nice and very different story. Nice to see Taylor and the girls hanging out instead of being enemies.

 

[Ihjop]

"Keptain, with a 'K'. The Scandinavian version."

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Kaptein is the Norwegian word for captain.
Kapten - Swedish
Kaptajn - Danish
Kapteeni - Finnish

 

[PossiblyEnos]

Kaptein is the Norwegian word for captain.
Kapten - Swedish
Kaptajn - Danish
Kapteeni - Finnish

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And Taylor is American.

 

[ScottotheUnwise]

And Taylor is American.

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And Freyja is neither, but the spelling was intentional.
Makes it a lot easier to search for if nothing else.

To be clear no offense meant or taken. But I suppose the way we Americans mangle our borrowed words has history —and theater.

 

[Ihjop]

And Taylor is American.

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I don't get what this means? If she knows it's Scandinavian she would use the correct spelling.

And Freyja is neither, but the spelling was intentional.
Makes it a lot easier to search for if nothing else.

To be clear no offense meant or taken. But I suppose the way we Americans mangle our borrowed words has history —and theater.

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Why say "The Scandinavian version" then when it's not Scandinavian, there's nothing inherently Scandinavian about writing words with a 'K'. She could have just as easily just spelt it out for them if it was important later. Because right now if they 'google' it they will find the spelling 'Kaptein' or one of the others and call her that instead.

This might seem silly but I genuinely do not understand this since the only place I've found the spelling 'Keptain' is a Hong Kong based financial firm and a musical artist. Y'all don't misspell words like tungsten, fjord, ombudsman or moped which are all Scandinavian words.