I went into this chapter thinking that it would be the last in the Tutorial Arc. Silly me. It still took five rewrites of the chapter to get anything I was remotely satisfied with. The problem might be my difficulty with narcissistic characters. Kaiser might be a nightmare for me. This first hurdle I've come across normally would have made me quit. Instead, it delayed me by a month. It's twice the size of most chapters at least.

Here's chapter 8.

***L14: E578; 39; 43; 37; 43; 22; 25***

As I walked that final block leading up Winslow High, I thought back on the last 70 hours of my life. It was crazy how much had changed in such a short time. I thought back to the night before: when I reconnected with my dad and Kendra. She did a good job convincing him not to call the PRT or my phone. The first may have outed me to the rank and file while the second wouldn't have worked with my phone in my Inventory. I gave them a recap of my day, sans anything involving Coil and his pet pedophile. Things got awkward when he asked when I was coming home, but I managed to smooth things over by telling him my plan to improve my mobility. It took me promising to flee and contact Armsmaster at the first sign of trouble to assuage his fears.

It wasn't much of a promise, as I would have done so regardless.

They weren't able to do much for improving my physical Stats other than provide food. Kendra also discovered she could take Consumables from the Inventory and drag-and-drop them to her Avatar. It was, as she described it, "all the fun of not starving without the chore of eating." Dad tested it out with some non-toxic moisturizer and came out with skin smoother than he could ever remember.

I swapped back to Armsmaster's Party to find that it didn't take him long to 'experiment' with dismissing Leet from the Party. Apparently he wasn't interested in talking shop. I ignored their drama and jumped straight into discussing my powers again. He seemed to be inordinately happy when I revealed Kendra's discovery. Apparently it would allow him to save forty minutes a day. I could understand his desire to make the most of each day, but the way he fixated on instantaneous meals was a little off-putting. I left him to his own devices rather than try pulling him out of it.

I shifted to conversing with Uber and Leet, after I added the latter back to the Party. It was then they (Leet mostly) began asking for me to show them some trust. He was right too, as I had pushed them away from everything they have known and into an uncertain future; all for the sake of a equally uncertain promise. Uber had already taken the first step to trusting me. So it was high time I returned his show of faith, after impressing upon them the threat Coil represented.

After Trusting them, I explained how they could look at my Skills. That payed off almost immediately when they asked me why I wasn't injuring myself to work on my Resistance Skills. My answer was, "I didn't think of it." Leet's suggestion of running head first into a wall was vetoed then re-imagined as me shoulder checking a concrete pillar at top speed. Unsurprisingly, running into a concrete pillar at 23 miles per hour hurt: dealing 284 damage. Uber and Leet confirmed my Blunt Resistance Skill gaining EXP.

I then took a chance to learn what Perks I would gain from them. Leet's Perk: Innovator, made it so I can Craft anything once at half effectiveness if I have the Blueprint and Materials. It was a blatant copy of Leet's power, and potentially very powerful in everyone's opinion. I agreed. Uber's Perk: Dedicated, increased the EXP gained for all Skills by 2%. That was a very happy discovery.

Hours passed before Armsmaster noticed my health dropping from full every five minutes. Apparently after seeing the Stat Training Bonuses healthy foods gave me, he deduced that the foods granting the best Bonuses would be the best foods for his own health. He had spent an hour alone in the Rig's pantry putting things into the Inventory and calculating which mixture of ingredients would make for the best nutrient paste. He discovered cartilage and bone broth had a significant impact on DEXT growth.

As Armsmaster worked on his culinary concoction, Uber and Leet were busy imagining what other kinds of Resistances I could have, and how they'll train them. Their almost jovial discussion left me certain they intended to use 'training' as an excuse to take out their frustrations on me. Either that, or they were unaware of how their discussion sounded like they were designing a torture chamber.

Armsmaster later became interested in figuring out how my damage was calculated. Everytime I hit the pillar, the damage was consistent except for when my VIGR, Sprinting Skill, or Blunt Resistance went up. When I said I didn't know what my weight was, he passed a scale through the Inventory. After calculating my kinetic energy, he figured out a near one-to-one ratio between damage and deca-joules. Of course physics could get complicated, but it gave a good idea about how durable I am at any given moment.

The rest of the night remained uneventful, and by morning, I was able to take off my Gameboy disguise and jog leisurely towards Winslow High. I managed to cross paths with another one of Coil's agents, but this one was minding his own business. I took it as a sign that he lost interest in me or lost track of me. Either would be a win in my favor.

(+10-EXP:Coil agent identified)

Compared to my involvement with engaging Coil and the other villains in a battle for information, and my negotiations with Director Piggot, convincing Principal Blackwell to pay reparations for the three semesters of torment she allowed to happen would be easy. I was significantly more intelligent than the average person and noticably wiser too. Thinking about my meeting with Emma's father back when my Stats were still well below an average adult, I was honestly surprised when it didn't blow up in my face. It was likely my clutch decisude to omit Emma's name from my journal that let him pretend his daughter wasn't a raging psychopath long enough to hear my side of things.

With my Map as a guide, I found where my father and Mr. Barnes were parked. 'Showtime,' I thought to myself. Dad noticed me first, and appeared confused from seeing how subdued I was. But to me, that was how I usually was when at school. I suppose even before my powers, I never showed him this side of myself. "Don't worry. I'm just acting like this," I whispered into Voice Chat through my Ventriloquism Skill. He nodded back then directed Alan's attention to me.

The red headed man looked at me with an expression revealing how uncertain he was. He looked tense, like a cornered animal. It was not a good omen for our side when our chief speaker looked like he was ready to run away. I walked up to him and gave what I hoped was a soulful gaze. "Mr. Barnes, you don't look well. Are you alright?"

He flinched away slightly after meeting my gaze. Looking at my father didn't make things much better for him. If I let Alan's emotions spiral out of control, he'll become a liability. "I know you're worried about her. For the first few months, so was I. Now…it has to stop before she does something she can't come back from." I was laying it on a bit thick, but I only needed him to buy into my bullshit. "I can't help her. I think trying would only make things worse. I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes. I wish I knew how it happened, but, I-I've become a bad influence on her. Maybe it's something I did or didn't do, but I don't want to be the reason she's being a bad person anymore. Emma isn't supposed to be a bad person." I nearly scoffed at my own words. I was well past the point of caring about her.

Emma took so much from me. Things material, immaterial, and things that were both. I wanted to take away everything that made her who she became and important to who she was. That meant taking away Sophia, Madison, and all her sycophants. After all, who would an overprotective and willfully blind father think of as the bad ones: his daughter, someone he used to see as a daughter and was blaming herself, or the friends Emma made around the time she became a bitch. It was time for my coup de grâce. "She just keeps getting worse the longer I'm around her. What happens if I make her so bad, she can't get better. Everyone will hate her. It's better for all of us if I just drop out." I let some tears form at the corner of my eyes. It took the second set falling for Alan to lunge forward and pull me into a hug.

"No Taylor, this was never your fault. I couldn't be there when she needed me most, and I let someone else take my place. It's their fault." A quick look at my father revealed his expression to be more flabbergasted than any I've seen before then.

"If you say so Mr. Barnes." I finished the display with a deep breath. "I-I think I'm ready." It took him a few seconds to let me go.

On the way to the school building, Dad and I managed to separate ourselves from Alan enough for a private conversation. "Taylor, what was that?"

"Revenge. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't." Judging by his expression, it wasn't good enough of an explanation for him. "Let's just say I don't expect therapy to be something she'll enjoy."

The Halls of Winslow were sparsely populated by small groups of gang members. They only paid us enough mind to show their displeasure at the two adults accompanying me. Triggering the active component of my Misdirection Skill proved this. Everyone who would care about my existence was safely contained in their classrooms. Nothing was going to get in my way. Murphy must have been watching.

Your Party Member is under attack.

Dad and I both froze and exchanged worried glances. I activated Misdirection again and made sure no one was paying me any attention before turning on Voice Chat for both members so dad could hear my whispering. A quick glance revealed Kendra suffering under a Condition, but her Health and Stamina were fine. "Kendra, you have a Charmed Condition. What's wrong? Are you okay?" She didn't respond immediately, leaving me feeling trapped. I took advantage of my logical mindset and forced myself to remember that she was at Arcadia, where the Wards, Panacea, and Glory Girl attended. It didn't help when Charmed was replaced by a Fearful Condition.

My anxiety spiked for a few seconds when her Health plummeted and she acquired the Conditions Unconscious, Moderate Concussion, and Dislocated Right Shoulder. "Dad, don't freak out, but I have to check on her." I attracted Alan's attention and stopped speaking under my breath. "Mr. Barnes. I'm sorry, I-I cant. I don't want to be here anymore." I turned and walked away at a brisk pace. "Keep me updated. I need to check on her," I whispered to Dad.

"Ok," I heard him whisper back before saying, "I think she just needs her space. The sooner we can make sure she never has to come back to this school again, the better. Don't worry, she's strong…just like her mother."

I forged ahead while planning how best to reach Kendra as quickly as possible. Fate seemed to have other ideas because the bell rang and the halls were quickly filled by a steady stream of students. In seconds, I noticed the harpies calling Emma their queen flapping their gums and flitting about. By the time I thought to escape via defenestration, I was already surrounded. At leastle could admire their coordination. They screeched out insults and accusations, many of which were nonsensical or contradictory. Most referenced my body odor for obvious reasons. It didn't matter to them what they said. All that mattered was buying enough time for their queen to arrive. I couldn't figure out what to do, at least not without undermining my goals. I couldn't do anything that could be considered an attack. That didn't mean I had to keep up my passive act. I removed my hood, squared my shoulders, and glared at the crowd. That's when Emma showed up. "Well, well, well. Look what the garbage truck dragged in." Everyone had gone quiet to give Emma her shot.

I Observed her, caring only about her biography.

Emma Barnes, formerly the best friend of The Gamer, a close encounter with the ABB left her traumatized and primed for a new ideology in which the strong prey upon the weak. Emma chose to prey upon her friend to prove she was strong enough to survive her near-ordeal.

I finally knew why, and it was such a hollow victory. I was far past caring about what happened to her. I was past caring about her bullshit. "You're weak." Those two words struck her like the wrath of God. I stepped forward then gently moved her aside. I was already jogging down the corridor by time any of them thought to respond. Sure, I would have loved to tear into her, but I had other priorities.

I checked Kendra's location on the Map, which was still Arcadia. I didn't know how long that would last, so time was of the essence. After a quick scan, I took notice of the bikes lined up at the door. I used Observe to identify a bike belonging to a gangster.

Dominic's Trek Fuel EX 8:

SP: 257/300

A 120mm mountain bike with a dual air chamber equipped DRCV shock. Boosts movement speed by 58%. Reduces speed penalties by 50% on uneven terrain.

I tore apart the chains holding it in place, then hid the evidence in my Inventory and rode away before any of my pursuers could catch up. "So we have to wait to be let in?" I heard my dad say as I was climbing aboard 'my' ride.

"Remember dad. We also want to make sure they didn't put any lies on my permanent record. And don't let Blackwell be in charge." I started peddling south at an impressive speed. I brought up my Inventory then reapplied my Gameboy disguise. I didn't get far before I received a new Skill.

A new skill has been created through repeated action. Due to balanced peddling, the Skill Cyclist has been created.

I decided to Observe the Skill.

Cyclist: (Passive)(1/100) 6%

Increases the movement speed boost from any bicycle by (SL×2)%.

"Alan, do you think we should just barge in there?" I heard my dad whisper.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to Swap to Armsmaster's Party and t…" Exactly when I finished saying those words, I was swapped over to the Lawnmower Party. I filed the technique away then focused on what mattered. "Armsmaster, I have a situation. My friend has been injured. She was still at Arcadia the last time I checked."

"Level, please repeat. Are you claiming that a minor has been injured during school hours. Do you have reason to suspect foul play? Do you have reason to suspect parahuman involvement?"

ENDR+1=44 (96-EXP)

Cyclist is Level 2.

"Yes to both. I was alerted to Kendra being under attack. When I looked, I saw her Condition was Charmed. Charmed later became Fearful, then she was Concussed and knocked Unconscious. Her shoulder is dislocated too."

He seemed to go into deep thought for a minute. "And you're certain events transpired exactly as you've stated?"

The sudden shift away from his normal monotone indicated that he knew something and had not intentional of telling me. "Yes. Now, what are you hiding from me?"

It took more time for me to get a response from someone I wasn't expecting to answer me. "Sounds like Glory Girl to me," Leet chimed in. "A love me/fear me power followed by taking a big hit? That sounds exactly like the blond bitch"

While I included them intentionally, I didn't think Uber or Leet would tell me anything useful. I switched off my link to Armsmaster. "You're sure about this?"

"Yep. Back when me and my buddy set up in the Bay, I built a powers analyzer. It's busted, but we know what most of the capes in this city are really capable of," Leet said with a bragging tone.

Uber jumped in next. "Glory Girl's power involves an awe aura that affects everyone, not a fear aura only affecting 'bad guys.' The PHO page on her is mostly bullshit."

"They try to say her power makes good people feel good, but it only makes them think the sun shines out of Glory Girl's ass."

In the time it took for them to confirm my suspicions towards Armsmaster, he finished finished formulating his response. "Level, I understand your concern for your friend, but we have this under control. Please return to what you were doing, or, if you feel the need to make productive use of your time, come to the PRT so we can proceed with your Wards application."

Yeah, that wasn't going to fly. "So you're not going to tell me a hero fucked up or who it was? Don't bother answering me, I've already figured out what it is."

"Level, I hope you don't plan on accusing a hero of assaulting a minor. That's a very serious accusation," he said gruffly

"Cut the bullshit. It's Glory Girl, isn't it?"

"Explain your reasoning."

I snorted. "Saturday night, around 5:30 p.m., I was mistaken for a mugger and attacked by Glory Girl. A glancing blow from her dealt over five hundred damage. I was able to point out her mistake and get away, especially after Kendra called Glory Girl on her cell phone. Kendra might have threatened to cut off all Glory Girl's hair if she attacked me again." I heard whistling, snickering, and air hissing through teeth from Uber, Leet, and Armsmaster respectively. "I don't know what happened between them today," I huffed, "but I intend to find out."

Ventriloquism is Level 11.

Cyclist is Level 3.

"Level, there's no need to act rashly. If you have her exact location, I can contact Gallant and direct him to her."

I wondered why Gallant was the only available Ward, but it wasn't important. "Fine, so long as he lives up to his name. First I need to Swap to Gamers Convention Party." The Party changed just as I hoped it would.

"…do you mean misplaced!" I heard my dad practically screaming. "These are my daughter's medical records, and you're saying that you misplaced them! What kind of school are you running here?!"

"Dad, calm down. Just get me out of there. I'm sure the PRT can help us with the rest tomorrow." I looked at the Map then Swapped back to Lawnmower. "She's been moved: the closest alley northwest from Arcadia.

"Understood. I will direct Gallant to her approximate location." It was like he was doing his best to ignore how he tried to keep me in the dark. That was fine with me for the moment.

"Wouldn't it be easier to add him to the party?" It was already annoying having to Swap between different Parties.

"I'm under direct orders to discourage you from adding new Members to any Parties. I will have to order Gallant to refuse your invitation." And there was little doubt what Gallant would do then.

I groaned a little. "Annoying, but fine."

He carried on as if my opinion on things wasn't of consequence. "I will be Muted while contacting Gallant. Ping me if there is an emergency or a change to your friend's location." Before I could ask what he meant, his Voice Chat box was replaced with Ping. I Observed it and read the contents.

Ping:

Allows any Party Member to request another Party Member to turn off Mute. A Party Member can Ping each other Party Member once an hour.

Cyclist is Level 4.

With Armsmaster Muted, it was a good chance to speak to the duo. "Thanks for the tip guys."

Leet chuckled. "Helping GG get shafted makes it worth it. She's broken more of my best stuff than anyone else. Kudos on the bluff by the way."

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't want that getting out." I smirked as an idea hit me. "Can you guys tell me what you know?"

"Depends. What will you say if someone asks how you know that kind of shit?" Apparently Leet was worried about how the PRT would respond.

"I'd say Observe and/or Intuition are bullshit and claim to have done my research. How are things on your end?"

"Armsmaster just told us about some tribunal happening tonight," Uber added.

"The white hats have to figure out how to handle us or something like that. We also think you can use strategy games to work on your Wisdom. You can try online chess or Go, but I doubt they'll be better than top-tier Starcraft."

"That last one sounds like something I'll need a decent computer and connection for. What's Go?"

Uber was the one who answered me. "Go's an Asian strategy game, maybe from Japan. Top-tier games are supposed to be freakishly long and complicated."

"That makes sense, and if it makes sense, there's a good chance it'll work. Are there any breakthroughs for Intuition?" They gave me a simultaneous 'nope.'

"It's like some kind of unholy mashup of Charisma and Luck, without the whole fate smiling down on you bullshit," Leet said in aggravation.

"Reads like something that should be mixed in with Wisdom, but it's not. No game has ever used it before, so we're stumped."

"Thanks anyways. I'm going to Swap to my dad's Party real quick.

My brow furrowed when the Swap wasn't made as expected. "You do that," Leet said.

"Swap to Gamer's Conference Party." That confirmed I had to say the Party Name or the leader's name to make a Swap. I checked Kendra's location, which was where I last saw her. Her Moderate Concussion was down to Mild, her shoulder was healed, and Unconscious was replaced with Sedated. Her Health was at 160 and grayed out. "Hey Dad."

"Hey Taylor, is everything okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah Dad. I just want to know how things went."

"Taylor," he said in exasperation. "Okay. Give me time to think." He took over five seconds to do so. "Well, Blackwell is a…unpleasant, but we managma to get most of what we wanted," he said.

"Including copies of the paperwork that will allow me to drop out?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Were there any surprises, other than my medical records being misplaced?"

"Well, Emma was waiting for us outside of the principal's office. She tried to say you bullied her, but Alan didn't buy it. I overheard a bit about him telling somebody about what Sophia has really been up to, so that's good, I think."

Cyclist is Level 5.

DEXT+1=38 (84-EXP)

Quest: Reeducation (Success)

You have decided it was time to move on from Winslow High and leave your past behind. Finalize your plans to do so before school begins next week.

Success: +500-EXP

Failure: Continued enrollment in Winslow.

(Bonus+250-EXP: aquire legal assistance.)

(Bonus+250-EXP: arrange punishment of tormenters.)

Level+1=15

I had forgotten about the Quest in the midst of the small crisis, so earning 834 EXP and a Level was a pleasant surprise. "Thanks dad. I'm going to change Parties again. Can you call me on Kendra's phone if she is moved?" I immediately pulled out Kendra's phone, pocketed it, Swapped Parties, then Pinged Armsmaster.

He unmuted himself near instantly. "Level, it will be for the best if you distance yourself from this incident."

"The best for who? Not long ago, you tried to hide what happened from me."

"Level, I am ordering you to stand down."

I scoffed. "Sorry Armsmaster, but you can't give me any orders. Unless you can give me a good reason to abandon my friend, I refuse to do as you ask."

Armsmaster took a few seconds to respond. "We have a situation with two known and non-hostile parahumans accusing each other of a serious crime. Your testimony paints Glory Girl as volatile and likely to respond poorly to your presence. Glory Girl's testimony brings the nature of your abilities into question."

I interrupted him with a loud sigh. "Long story short, Glory Girl has mistaken my Party System for some variety of Master power, so you are trying to figure out a solution that won't turn this into even more of a clusterfuck." I finally had all the information I wanted, but I still had to use my knowledge to figure out a path to the best results. "What if I try to talk her down, and if that doesn't work, I surrender to her? It would get her to drop her guard and bring both of us under your roof." I felt happy with my solution until I remembered another problem. "But we'll have to be discreet in case unrelated parties are keeping watch."

WSDM+1=23 (54-EXP)

"Conversely," Uber started saying, "you can kick her ass."

"We can even tell you how to do it." He chuckled darkly and hissed his next words to me. "Think of the Experience young one." That was very tempting. I decided to change my mind if the situation fits.

"That's…an unorthodox solution. Most people would take offense to being accused of a crime by the person they believe to be the true perpetrator."

I felt my emotions become more intense from the sore spot he unknowingly poked. "I have a lot of experience with that particular problem. For three semesters, I was tormented by my former best friend. I tried telling the teachers and the principal, and I tried to apply for a transfer. The first got me labeled as the creepy loner jealous of the pretty girls and the second," I took a second to scoff, "the receptionist didn't hesitate to put it through the shredder. I likely wouldn't have my powers if anyone at school ever bothered to do their fucking jobs. I'll be understandably upset if history repeats itself without a very good reason." It may have not been heroic, but a thinly veiled threat felt like the right thing to do there. I didn't know what exactly I would do if I got shafted, but I knew it would include causing the PRT a mountain of headaches.

Armsmaster was silent long enough for Kendra's location to be just around the corner. I could still change my mind, but I didn't want to. The first reason I came up with was to test the PRT. If they failed, if they proved to be just as bad as the Winslow staff, they'd regret it. "I'm going in. Does Gallant know I'm friendly?"

He sighed. "That won't be necessary." The way he said that made it clear he wasn't going to elaborate. "Be advised: Glory Girl has left the area."

My eyes snapped to the sky, but I didn't see any blond bombshells barreling down at me. "Thanks for the warning," I said with a hint of sarcasm. "Is there anything else I need to be aware of?"

Cyclist is Level 6.

"Yes. If you identify Gallant's civilian identity then later choose not to join the Wards, he will be told your identity."

That sounded fair enough. "Fantastic. Here goes nothing." I threw the bike into my Inventory, turned off the Chat, then crossed the threshold.

New Wave Healer

? Amy Dallon/?/Panacea

?

She was a very mousy looking girl with too many freckles and brown hair that was the kind of frizzy it would take me a week of negligence to replicate. I wondered why a healer was over Level 75 and why she had a third identity, but those were questions I could answer by raising my own Level.

Wards Blaster

LV: 42 Dean Stansfield/Gallant

Comprehension Host

Dean practically exuded wealth and class. Tall, dark coifed hair, fit, and very handsome. I Observed him.

Observe is Level 6.

Dean Stansfield/Gallant: LV: 12+30

Condition: Combative; Mild Charm Addiction

Allegiances: PRT; Protectorate; Wards; Brockton Bay

(Skills List)

HP: 667/690

SP: 153/270

MP: N/A

VIGR: 9

ENDR: 27

DEXT: 11

INTL: 23+(200)

WSDM: [12-6]

INTU: 18+(1000)

After purchasing his powers through the shadow organization Cauldron, Dean Stansfield decided to put his newly acquired powers to use serving as a hero. He is constantly juggling his schoolwork, business training, hero work, acting as the Wards' psychiatrist, and worrying about how his team would react to the truth.

That was above and beyond anything I expected to learn about any of my future teammates. Glory Girl's aura was addictive, the son of one of the few men keeping the Dockworkers afloat was a Ward, the Cauldron rumors I saw online were confirmed, and powers could be bought. Had I been anyone else, it would have taken hours to process it all. I was back in the moment within seconds.

That still left me with one wary parahuman, another curious one, and an unconscious friend. I didn't have a good idea of what to do first, so I decided to silently offer Amy Dallon the first move. She picked up on my offer in seconds. "Are you the cape from Saturday night?" I nodded. "How did you find us and what do you want?"

I couldn't tell her what my powers were because I knew she'd think I'm lying unless I add her to a Party. That wasn't an option thanks to Armsmaster's ban, so I was limited in n what I could explain. "My powers allow me to track the location and Condition of my allies. What I want is to explain myself and make sure something like this does not happen again," I said while taking in her expression, "hopefully without making this into a bigger mess."

I was no stranger to receiving accusatory looks, but Amy's eyes had a focus the others lacked. She looked as if the truth actually mattered to her, but I doubted she would accept it very easily. "And what else does your power do?"

"It alerts everyone in a selected group if anyone else is attacked and allows long ranged communication. My power requires informed consent and members can break it off at will. I think the first two are how Glory Girl mistook my abilities for a Master effect."

Her piercing gaze turned into a thoughtful expression then suspicious, but I could see doubt starting to form. "Something doesn't add up."

She didn't elaborate, and it looked like she didn't know how to. "That tends to happen when two people are telling two different sides of a story." Disguising the motion as a natural gesture, I turned Voice Chat on for Armsmaster and the other two just in case. "Here's what I think happened from our combined perspectives. While looking for a criminal Saturday night, she spotted me Sprinting home and either misidentified me or had no description to go on. She tried to catch me by surprise, and landed a glancing blow that was enough to trigger an alert to Kendra. Kendra heard me identify Glory Girl as my assailant, and took it upon herself to call Glory Girl and threaten to cut her hair off if it happened again. I suspect Glory Girl became suspicious of how Kendra became aware of our encounter and erroneously assumed Kendra was Mastered. This idea was allowed to stew for two days. Over half an hour ago, Victoria confronted Kendra somewhere isolated. My powers interpreted Victoria's awe inspiring aura as an attack. I warned Kendra of this, but I think it only made things worse. When Kendra was injured, I dropped what I was doing and informed Armsmaster of everything I knew. That's as far as I can get." As Amy and Dean processed the info dump, I clicked Armsmaster's Voice Chat off then whispered to the other two. "Don't let Armsmaster know I told you guys that, okay."

Still speaking quietly, I verbally turned off their Chat then turned Armsmaster's back on. "Our young Padawan is learning Master Uber."

"Learning well she is, Master Leet." I nearly shook my head at their idiocy.

"We will have to talk about operational security," I nearly snorted at Armsmaster's irony, "but for now, I want you and Gallant to do what you can to bring Panacea and the victim in for questioning."

I blinked and idly noticed a look of resignation on Dean's face. "No, Armsmaster." Everyone else blinked, including Armsmaster I bet. "With all due respect, what the hell are you thinking? You want to bring a concussed minor in for questioning, likely without getting consent from her or her parents until after you already have her in custody. I don't know how it sounds to you, but I think it's morally questionable, if not illegal."

"Level, I understand you lack experience with these situations and PRT protocol, but your friend needs to be brought in for questioning and at least 24 hours of observation. This is standard procedure for when a civilian has an encounter with a hostile Master rated cape. That doesn't even cover how this may destroy relations with New Wave. We need all the facts before we accuse a well known and popular hero of villainy." It took me a long second to comprehend what he said. "You need to stop letting your emotions cloud your judgement."

That was surprising enough to get me to stop pacing, an action I hadn't noticed myself doing in the first place. I was ready to impress upon him how rehearsed he sounded, but Dean jumped in before I could get a word out. "Sir, may I suggest we wake Kendra up first…take this one step at a time?" He was nervous, which made perfect sense with him taking my side of the argument.

It was only right I back him up. "He's right. We shouldn't be wasting time spouting rote arguments. I only want to prioritize Kendra's wellbeing. Letting Panacea decide if she's well enough is good enough for me." I turned my attention to Amy, who looked like she was trying to stay calm and was mostly succeeding. "Will it be a problem to wake Kendra?"

She played with the hem of her shirt and refused to look directly at me. "What will happen?"

It didn't take much thinking to realize what she meant. "I don't know. My personal experience in these kinds of situations involves being made out to be the villain despite being the victim. Maybe history will repeat itself. Maybe only the ones who did something wrong will have to face the consequences of their actions, without having their lives ruined unnecessarily. That'd be a miracle, but we're getting sidetracked," I said gesturing towards Kendra. "Would you please?"

When Amy gave me a hesitant nod, I Observed Kendra and watched her Sedated Condition vanish seconds after Amy touched her. Her eyes fluttered open and slowly focused on the other girl looking down on her. Grogginess shifted to recognition then to fear. Amy was caught by complete surprise when Kendra shoved her off and scuttled to a wall. I was at her side as quickly as my legs could take me. "Kendra! Calm down! I'm right here!"

Her eyes glazed over me as she scanned the area for some unseen threat, paying special attention to the sky. I removed my scarf and forced her to look at me. I watched as her cloudy gaze sharpened. "Taylor?" she said after four shaky breaths.

I nodded back. "Yeah, it's me. Everything's ok." She didn't respond and her only movement came from her sniffling. I took the initiative by pulling her into a hug. She barely cried as I stroked her ebony hair, timing each stroke with her exhales until I had control. I used that control to guide her into replicating my Restorative Breathing Skill.

INTU+1=26 (60-EXP)

Restorative Breathing is Level 17.

"It's okay, just focus on your breathing. Don't control it. The only thing you need to think about are the words in and out." I checked her Observe window and noted her Panicked Condition. I continued soothing her until it vanished.

"Okay," Dean and I said simultaneously. We shared a look, during which he silently convince me to go first. I agreed with a nod. "Kendra, do you remember what happened between you and Victoria?" She tensed. "You don't have to tell us everything. Just say yes or no. Do you remember?" She nodded into my chest. "Try not to move your head too much. Did Victoria attack you?"

"Yeah…no, I…"

"You're not sure if what she did counts as attacking you?"

"Yeah, that."

"Do you think it was an accident?"

"I don't think she did it on purpose."

"Okay then." It was time to bite the metaphorical bullet. "Armsmaster told me he wants me to bring you in for questioning. I don't want to do that unless you're okay with it."

"Will it be like an interrogation?" she asked with a sudden lack of hesitation.

"Not exactly. They want to hold you for 24 hours and ask you some questions about what happened today."

I could see her thinking hard enough to hurt herself a little. "So I'm being not interrogated and not arrested," she stated in understanding. "Cool."

I blinked. "Cool?"

"Yep. I always wanted to know what it was like to be interrogated. It's on my bucket list."

"Being interrogated is on your bucket list?" I deadpanned. "Why is being interrogated on your bucket list? Why do you have a bucket list?" I asked followed by a short pause. "It's not even a real interrogation."

"Because they can't prove anything, because why not, and this is the next best thing." I could practically see her self-satisfied grin in my mind's eye. But the chuckling I could hear from the peanut gallery wasn't imaginary in the slightest. When I looked, Amy appeared abashed while Dean looked like he was fighting a smirk.

I sighed then got interrupted by Armsmaster before I could say anything. "If your friend has no issues with being put under observation, then you have no reason to be belligerent."

He was really starting to get on my nerves, to the point of me taking a second to consider calling him Tin Man. "Not yet. We're still waiting for Panacea to give the all clear, and I want to keep her identity concealed if this ends up happening." I ignored the pleading look Kendra was giving Amy and focused on the healer.

The stress of the last hour was building up fast for her, making me feel sympathetic. "Yeah, she can answer some questions, but none of it will be any good in court, even if they didn't need parental consent. The law's pretty clear on testimonies made when suffering from a head injury."

"You seem to be taking this pretty well all things considered." Amy didn't have the benefits of Gamer's Mind after all.

Amy deflated. "Because we fucked up and got caught red-handed. This is the second time Vicki screwed up, that I know about. It could have been the third if she found the guy she was really looking for Saturday night. I should've nipped this in the bud before someone innocent got hurt." She shook her head morosely. "Too late now."

"Yeah, it is." I scanned the alley and happily noted that no one had noticed our little gathering so far. "Okay. How do we get to the PRT without linking her to my cape identity? I don't want any surprises snaking up on her." I let my alternative choice in words indicate exactly what kind of surprises I was wary of.

"Gallant can guide you to a secret underground entrance. I can pass you a standard domino mask through the inventory to disguise her identity.?"

"Kendra's identity and mine aren't the only ones at risk here."

He took a second to reply, giving Dean a chance to chip in first. "Actually, Kendra already knows who I am, and I guess you do too."

"Yep; and Dean knew I knew way back in October."

I glanced between the two with a mild feeling of surprise. "And that hasn't caused any problems?"

Dean shook his head. "Participants in the Wards Decoy Program have to sign Non-Disclosure forms in case they do stumble into a Ward's identity. Kendra did a little more than stumble."

"Your friend isn't the first student to figure out a Ward's identity, and she won't be the last. So far, her knowledge has been a non-issue, despite her initial infractions."

Well, that was one problem rendered moot.

"Okay. While we're at it, we should take this chance to sign me up for the kids club. I don't want my dad coming to the PRT. Can I Claim the paperwork and let dad work on it later today." One of the many great things about my power is that the terminology made for good codewords. Claiming, for example, fit in normal conversation and was uncommon enough for the well informed to pick up on it's true meaning. Claiming was the system that gave every Member control over what they put in the Inventory by making those Items invisible to untrusted Members and inaccessible to everyone. (I'd still have to go into someone's Status Page to see their Claimed Items.)

Claimed Items could also be Gifted, which was what I was asking Armsmaster to do.

"The Director and I agreed on that course of action earlier today. I was waiting for a good moment to bring it up."

Gift: Wards Application Forms

Gift: Wards Non-Disclosure Forms

Gift: Protectorate Rules and Regulations

Gift: Wards Code of Conduct

Gift: PRT Protocol and Procedures

Gift: Parahuman PR: A how to Guide

Gift: Blank Domino Mask

Gift: Gallant's Power Armor

Gift: Gallant's Under-Suit

My eyebrows rose as high as they could go. "That's quite a lot of trust you're giving me." He remained silent, which made sense when what he wanted me to do was obvious. We were still alone, but I decided it would be prudent to set up somewhere more secluded. "Follow me guys." I turned three corners until I found a spot that was sufficiently isolated and had Accepted all of the Items. I turned back to the others and noted how Dean was aware of how no windows were in clear view. "I will now perform a magic trick!" I exclaimed in the way Uber would then pulled Gallant's armor out of my Inventory without further preamble. The gobsmacked expressions on both parahumans' faces made the short act completely worth it. I set the heavy suit against the brick wall and draped the under-suit over it. "Come on. Let's keep watch while Dean slips into something more formal." I took a few steps away but noticed one person not following. "Kendra, what are you doing?"

"I'm keeping watch," she stated as a matter of fact.

I sighed when I saw Amy and Dean being amused by Kendra's antics. "We're supposed to be watching for interlopers, not being voyeurs."

"Having a concussion impairs judgement, right?" she asked rhetorically. "Concussion me wants to see what Dean suiting up looks like."

She knew what she was doing and still managed to make herself seem innocent of any wrongdoing. I picked her up bridal style, triggering a temporary Dizzy Condition; then carried her around the corner. "If you can come up with reasoning like that, then you're cognizant enough to know why what you were doing was wrong." I saw Armsmaster Mute himself.

Our behavior proved to be a little much for the third girl, who started laughing then. "When did you two start dating?"

"We're not…"

"Saturday. We ate lunch, went clothes shopping, beat up a mugger, then played a special game in my room."

My mouth closed with a click. From her intense glee, I knew Amy realized what I was going to say. I glared at my cargo. "Okay, now you're just fucking with me."

She put a finger over where my lips and shushed me. "Not until after the third date." I glared at her even harder. "Save the bedroom eyes for the bedroom."

"If you didn't have a concussion, I'd drop you." She grinned at me while Amy doubled over from laughter.

I watched the spectacle until she finally regained her sense of self-control. "Well, if I needed proof you're not some evil Master, that should do it." And as soon as she spoke those words, her mood plummeted again. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. This isn't your fault."

Amy only shook her head vigorously. "I let Vicki talk me into this, trying to cover up how she messed up. We were planning on painting you in the worst light we could before Dean showed up. It was everything New Wave was supposed to stand against. Our team has been barely hanging on. This could be what makes us fall."

It was worse than she thought. Once the addictive nature of Glory Girl's power is inevitably revealed, I doubted New Wave would make it through intact. "Don't worry Pan-pan, Level won't let that happen."

Amy glared at Kendra for the nickname while I glared at her for making that kind of decision for me. She remained completely oblivious to our irritation, so I voiced my opinion. "When did it become my job to clean up after other people's messes?"

Quest: Wave Breaker (Ongoing)

New Wave's golden child has injured an innocent civilian, drawing negative attention to the group. Ensure New Wave survives Glory Girl's blunder. [Alternatively: use what you know to break New Wave apart.] (Time Limit: 6 hours)

Success: +1,000-EXP, Emily Piggot's disapproval, Positive relations with New Wave. [+750-EXP, Emily Piggot's approval, Negative relations with New Wave.]

Failure: Emily Piggot's disapproval, Negative relations with New Wave.

I wondered what it meant when my power granted me greater rewards for the course of action I'd prefer to take. I likely would've thought more about it if the rewards were the same, but I'd like to think of me making the same choice regardless. "I'll Accept your reQuest," I said with my cadence changing to alert Kendra of what happened. "I know the Director really wants me on board, so I'm willing to negotiate her out of anything extreme. If the worst happens, I can threaten to stay independent or join New Wave."

"Or you could go back to my plan," Kendra added suddenly.

"Your plan?" Amy asked her with a raised eyebrow.

I covered Kendra's mouth with my hand and chuckled. "Don't mind her. That's just the concussion talking."

We were saved from making Amy even more suspicious by a heavy thump from behind us. "Sorry for the holdup everyone. Full body armor is a chore to put on no matter how well designed it is." I turned towards him and beheld a true modern knight. His armor shined under the afternoon sun while electric blue light radiated from seams on his chest and his visor. "I also couldn't help but overhear how you're willing to help despite having every reason not to." His voice was a little different too, but not unrecognizable.

"It's no problem. Ever since I got my powers, holding onto any kind of grudge hasn't been easy." That was true enough. Getting revenge on Emma was a matter of convenience and opportunity. The revenge itself was geared towards putting an end to the bullying, for myself and anyone else on her bad side. How could I do any worse for someone I had no bad history with.

"Either way, thanks. I'm worried about Victoria, and your forgiveness will go a long way towards helping her."

"I…I don't care, so long as she stays away from me." The conversation ended instantly. For a moment, we let ourselves forget who had the most reason to see Victoria get punished.

"Come-on everyone. We should get going." I set Kendra on her feet and pulled out the mask and some scarves for her to use. "Let's keep to the side streets. I don't want any undue attention." I took only three steps before Murphy proved to have his eye on me yet again.

Danger Sense is Level 4.

I tried to duck and roll away, but she apparently learned from the last time. Rather than pull off a roll worthy of any gymnast, I was grabbed by my coat and deposited onto a roof two alleys away.

[HP - 73]

"If you know what's good for you, you're going to tell me what your powers are and what you did. Now!"

"Level! Report!"

A deluge of flaming indignation and crystalline focus filled my mind, with righteous fury being born from them. It was Gamer's Mind which ensured I didn't miss what Uber and Leet had to tell me. "Okay Glory Girl. I'll tell you."

***L4+110: 3+450; 10; 12+100; 19; [2]; 7***

An unfamiliar feeling of nervousness filled Victoria's chest as she thought back on the encounter she had Saturday evening. The part that had her worried was how the mystery cape got Kendra to defend her, and how Kendra did it. Kendra was happy, ditzy, and always friendly with her. Threatening someone wasn't something she would do. Also, contrary to how the joke goes, Victoria Dallon wasn't a blond dumb enough to miss how suddenly Kendra made that call. Either she had some kind of freaky sixth sense or powers were at play.

It was thirty minutes into the lunch hour when Victoria spotted her target skipping alone down the halls. Looking at her, it was freaky how Kendra was able to look so content while alone in a crowd. Sure, they never hung out much except for when she was with Dean, but it was unnatural for such a friendly person's eyes to glaze over so many people. It was as if they didn't exist to her.

When Kendra passed by a stairwell, Victoria made her approach with grace facilitated by her power. "Hey Kendra, can we talk for a minute." She only had time to look at Victoria in confusion before being grabbed. The younger girl had no reason to say no, and if she did, it would only be proof of foul play. After all, there wasn't a single student in the school who wouldn't take a chance to hang out with her. "So Kendra," she started saying halfway up the stairs and while turning to face the much smaller teen, "what was up with Saturday night? Are you alright?"

Kendra tilted her head and looked like she very confused. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

'Because you're involved with a cape with some kind of telepathy power,' but Victoria couldn't say something like that out loud. The way she was acting, it was as if Kendra didn't remember. Victoria felt the reigns she had on her aura loosen, and decided to let it go. It was perfect for whenever she wanted the flighty girl's attention. "I need you to be serious for a second. If it's something you can't say, give me some kind of signal."

She didn't give a signal, but instead said something a dozen times more worrying. "Status." The unusual word itself was just as bad as the robotic tone she said it with. Even that wasn't quite as jarring as Kendra's face though. If threatening someone was something Kendra wouldn't do, glaring in rage was even more impossible. "No. Leave me alone."

Victoria didn't think for a second before she was floating in Kendra's escape path. "Kendra," she said sternly, "what the hell! This isn't like you."

Kendra had to crane her neck to glare into Victoria's eyes. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing was shallow, and she was sweating. It looked like she was scared, but that didn't make sense. Victoria's power was supposed to make people adore her if they already liked her, and fear her if they had reason to be afraid. It couldn't change what a person felt about her, which was how they could get it classified as a Shaker power.

"Stop…it," she panted out. The glare got even more abnormally fierce.

It had to be that cape. He…she, was somehow forcing her to fake being scared, through something like Valefore or Heartbreaker's powers. They (Victoria decided to stick to gender neutral pronouns), must have been doing it for a reason. "No. Not until you let her go." She ramped her aura up to full blast. Feeling some extra adoration never hurt anyone, and the other cape didn't like it.

Kendra froze with a finger about to poke the air. Victoria ignored that, ignored her tears, ignored her trembling and kept up the pressure. Only when Kendra's skin turned ashen did Victoria notice her lack of breathing. She shut off her power and watched as Kendra started falling forward before transitioning into a dash. Victoria tried to bar her path, but was too slow. She watched helplessly as Kendra spun out of control and hit the edge of the first step with the back of her head. "Fuck!" Glory Girl floated over to check on her. "Kendra!" She was utterly still and clearly unconscious.

It was only a matter of time before someone came along and got the wrong idea. Kendra had to be moved, which would normally be a bad idea for a head injury. Even with one of the world's best healers in the city, something like that couldn't simply be written off. But if she went to the school nurse, questions would be asked.

First Victoria had to find her sister, explain what happened, and get a diagnosis. Carefully, she moved Kendra to a corner then started flying around the halls in search of the slightly younger Dallon. Nobody paid her any special attention, both because her aura was reigned in again and because the sight of Victoria flying around the halls was not unusual. It didn't take long to find the brown bush that could be called hair if someone was feeling generous. "Amy!"

There must have been some urgency in her voice or expression, because Amy picked up on it instantly. "What happened?" There was no asking 'what is it this time' or 'what did you do' in exasperation. Her tone was more like a stern doctor.

She really needed to stop spending her afternoons at the hospital.

"No time. This way." Victoria tried to speak in a tone much duller than she was used to. It seemed to work as nobody paid attention to the two capes moving briskly through the halls. It took less than a minute to lead Amy back to where she left Kendra.

"What did you do!" There it was: the accusation. This one hurt more than the last two times.

"It's not my fault." Victoria was sure of that much. No matter how she thought about it, it didn't make sense for Kendra to try to run of her own volition. "She…charged. I tried not to hurt her, but she caught me off guard."

"I doubt anyone is going to care whose fault it is if this gets out. What you did to those thugs was a mess. This is a nightmare." While chewing her out, Amy put her finger on Kendra's neck. "Dislocated shoulder, concuss…what the hell!"

Victoria's heart-rate spiked. "What? What is it sis?"

She flinched when Amy glared at her. "Did you hit her with your other power too?"

"I," she started saying before switching gears. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Amy's eyes narrowed. "Her blood stream is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol. She must have been terrified. It's exactly like…"

Whatever Amy was going to say was interrupted by the bell. "Fuck! We can't let anyone see this!" Victoria opened the normally out of reach window then floated back down. "We can move her, right?" Amy simply crossed her arms defiantly. "You can't be serious?"

"Can't be serious!?" she hissed. "This is the perfect time to be serious."

Victoria abruptly put her hands on Amy's shoulders. "You can't do this. If people get the wrong idea, New Wave is fucked. At least let me explain first.

Amy sighed while wearing the biggest frown ever. "She can be moved, but you'd better have a very good explanation for this. … I need a second to stabilize her." Just to be sure, Victoria waited five before she gently scooped up the comatose teen and let her sister ride on her back. "Vicki, your power."

"I wasn't using my power." That technically wasn't a lie since it slipped out on it's own. "That's not important right now." Vicki didn't go far before finding an alley to hide in. "Okay, do you remember what I told you about that cape I ran up against Saturday night?"

Amy's frown remained unchanged. "I figured that had something to do with it."

"They Mastered Kendra." Amy's posture shifted slightly, urging her to go on. "You know that capes who can do something to people are resistant to having similar things done to them. When I met that cape, they didn't even react to my power. The only way that happens is if someone is really powerful at emotion manipulation. You said she was afraid. Can you see if there is anything wrong with her head?"

"Vicki, you know I don't do…"

"I'm not asking you to do her brain," Victoria interrupted. "Just look and see if you can find anything that looks like something a cape would do."

"No, just the fear. She doesn't even have a Corona Pollentia." Amy's arms fell to her side. "You're sure about this?"

"Of course! They have to be an emotion manipulator. I even think it's why they didn't like me using my power. It must've caused some kind of interference. Maybe they did that fear thing to fuck with me or maybe it was Kendra breaking free enough to realize what was happening. The only other thing that could make sense is if Kendra suddenly decided to hate me, and there's no way that happened."

Finally, Amy nodded hesitantly. "Okay. That makes sense, but why Kendra?"

The answer came easily. "It's because she's a decoy!" Victoria began floating around due to her mounting excitement from figuring out the mystery. "The cape must've found out about the Wards Decoy Program, and thought it was a good chance to Master a Ward. Even if they missed, they'd still have a spy who's close to the Wards."

As if it never existed, what remained of Amy's dubious expression vanished. "Fuck, that's bad! That's really bad!" Victoria let her power loose for a second to draw Amy's attention then used her expression to express her confusion. The healer picked up on it easily. "Kendra already knows who the Wards are."

"What?!" Victoria was at a loss as she tried to understand the bomb dropped on her. "How?!"

Amy shook her head. "I don't know how she figured it out, but I realized she knew by the way she looked at everyone. She'd always pay more attention to the boys or to us, especially when cape gossip came up."

Victoria blinked. "Wow, you've really been practicing your people watching skills." She shook her head until she was back on topic. "Do you think this is a breach of the rules?"

"Of course it is. Kendra's not a Ward, but she still could be one. If someone went after her because of that possibility, they broke the rules. Using her to get to the actual Wards would make it worse."

Victoria had a beaming smile as she finally saw everything playing out as it should. The hero stumbling across the villain's dastardly plan, stopping the plan, stopping the villain, then putting them away for good. "You know, with the way the Canary trial is going, it should be child's play to fast track this bastard for the Birdcage."

"Yeah." Amy's tone suddenly became dull and lifeless, her meager doubt casting small shadows across Victoria's mood. "But, what if you're wrong?"

With five small words, Victoria's confidence and certainty cracked. Before she could form a good response, Victoria heard a familiar voice calling her name. She released her sister and turned to see her boyfriend running right at them. Out of everyone, he was the last person she wanted to get the wrong idea. She wondered for a second how he managed to find them, but that could be explained away by him using his power to track Amy down. That still left Victoria with explaining how she messed up days after they'd gotten back together again. She was far less prepared to talk to him than she was with Amy, and that was without the seed of doubt her sister planted in her mind. Last, but not least, was the undeniable disappointment on his face. "What happened here?" His tone was firm and gentlemanly, carrying none of the feelings his face expressed.

Victoria did not trust herself to avoid saying the wrong thing. She needed a chance to clear her head without rousing too much suspicion. "Amy can fill you in. I'm going to go on lookout."

Of course she didn't actually do that. She needed to clear her head instead. Since the moment when Kendra's head hit the stairs, Victoria had been in a state of panic. A quick flight would be the perfect cure for what ails her. There was something about flying high in the sky that made her feel better. She didn't bother keeping up with the time, but she didn't waste too much time.

"Ok, game plan time." The first thing she thought back to was her study sessions with Dean. From what she remembered, Masters were usually the second priority and the first to be targeted in parahuman engagements, but they weren't actually involved in an engagement. That meant she should have tried asking personal questions or set up passwords. More important than that was standard eyes-on protocol; which boiled down to 'assume anyone who was out of sight for any amount of time to be compromised.' Suddenly, being able to reach 100mph in windless weather wasn't fast enough. She flew back to where she last saw them, but they were gone. She had no choice but to search the alleys in the surrounding area. If they weren't so narrow, she could have searched them all at a glance. Instead, she had to slowly comb over the area. Good news: they didn't go far. Bad news: they had an extra.

Victoria made her decision fast, diving in and hoping to grab the cape by their coat so she could get them on a roof and away from any minions. She saw the cape diving again, but Glory Girl was ready for it. As soon as they begun their dive, Glory Girl expertly corrected her aim and grabbed them. She dropped the cape on a nearby roof then pushed her power to its limit and willed all of it to concentrate on the villain at her feet. "If you know what's good for you, you're going to tell me what your powers are and what you did. Now!"

The cape relaxed into their position. "Okay Glory Girl," he said in a distinctly male voice, "I'll tell you."

Victoria couldn't decide between a victorious grin or a frown. These situations weren't supposed to be that easy. "You've got five seconds to start talking."

He wasted three. "My power, is getting stronger from beating the bitch out of people like you." Before Victoria could think of attacking, his arm lashed out and gripped her ankle hard enough to stress her forcefield. Victoria's first instinct was to back off and give her defenses time to recharge, but he yanked her down while rising to his feet then pulled her back up. Before she could think to fly away, Victoria took a blow that was far stronger than a high Master rating would imply. Her forcefield barely came up in time to block it.

Falling on the gravel covered roof was painful, but it bought time for her defenses to return. Victoria tried to retreat, but a powerful uppercut broke her shield and took her best means of propulsion with it. She tried to scramble away, buy enough time for her forcefield to return and have a few seconds to gather her thoughts. She never saw the downward strike until she could already feel something drilling into her flesh just left of her navel. Everything went black for a single instant. When she came to, the cape's foot was buried into the gravel as if he barely managed to avoid kicking her by kicking the ground instead. She wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she weakly grabbed his ankle and tried to use her strength to unbalance him like he did her. He didn't budge.

She tried to fly away instead, but nothing happened. She tried everything, but it didn't work. Her powers were gone.

***ANWtP***

I think I should go over how melee attack damage works. It's simply her VIGR multiplied by 2-10 depending on how well performed I imagine the attack being. Victoria got hit by a 3× attack with Taylor's VIGR being 39. That's 117, or a 1170 Joule impact concentrated in a small bony fist. I think that's enough for a 3× Critical Damage modifier, so that's 351 damage. Without her forcefield, Victoria has 230 HP. Maybe someone with medical knowledge has a better idea about what that hit would do to a teenage girl.

The next chapter should have legal posturing, PR, name choosing, powers testing, and meeting the Wards.

Review, Comment, and be cordial everyone.