"Big whoop." I have no idea where this is coming from?

"Really? Sophia got in my space a little more and drew back a fist.

I rolled my eyes, what the fuck? Don't roll eyes! Oh fuck! Sophia punched. I ducked my head to the side stepped into her and pushed. She hit the railing, flailed and went over. Emma was looking at me wide eyed. Madison had taken off.

"This nigger cunt is a cape!" I stepped up and looked over the rail. James House had his leg drawn back to kick Sophia. No body no! What the fuck! Oh goddamn it! I landed on James with both feet on his shoulders and spun, somehow snapping off a kick and hitting Sophia right in the jaw on the way down. Her head snapped sideways and she folded up. I spun to James "I can take care of my own shit skinhead. Fuck off." No body no! What the fuck? Now I am going to die. James was a pledge, recruit, pivot man in the circle jerk, whatever they called it, for a neo Nazi gang.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and I, or rather my body, grabbed it and got a submission hold. I spun and was looking into the face of one of the rent a cops. "Oh fuck! Sorry! Don't sneak up on people." I let go. Just my luck. It was the cute rent a cop too.

He looked at me "Principles office."

"No duh." What the fuck body? "Sorry! I'll just go to the principal's office." And so begins, and ends, the illustrious secondary education of Taylor Anne Hebert. Dad is going to have a fucking stroke.

A half hour later I was sitting in a hard fiberglass chair in the office when dad walked in. "Blackwell, you idiot. You were a retarded bitch when we were in school and you haven't gotten any smarter. Sucking school board presidents and professor's cocks hasn't helped you any. This fucking cunt Hess attacked my daughter and she is sitting in the office? What the fuck for?"

Uh yay? Go Dad? What the fuck?

Principle Blackwell blinked and blushed. The discussion started there and turned fucking epic. Dad brought the Union Lawyers with him. Pardon my language but those fuckers are not nice people. Well connected, versed in the law, old, fat, but not nice at all.

Upshot of all this? I got a video on the PHO of me kicking a capes ass. Allegedly Shadow Stalker, a ward, and I'm expelled. Mom would be so proud. Upside, Dad seems to have shaken off the depression mom's death in a traffic accident left him in. Downside, he is uber dock worker. Or channeling one, or is a cape and his cape name is Stevedore or something. I think I need a snack, my blood sugar may be low. I looked around the office dad had dragged me to. Arcadia High school.

"So, as you can see Winslow is a problem and I would much rather Taylor attends here." Danny leaned back.

Mrs. Johnston, the vice principle, nodded "I believe we should speak some more but I think Taylor may be hungry? Why don't we take this discussion to the cafeteria?"

My head was swimming. Dad was suddenly channeling Max Anders and the country club crowd. I followed Dad and the vice principle and as they went to the teachers table I took a seat at the first table I came too. I didn't want to sit at the teachers table and get labeled a narc or something. A mousey haired girl with freckles sat down and then an Asian girl and her friend. The Asian girl elected herself spokesman "Lucy, Amanda, Amy. You must be in one of the other home rooms?"

I swallowed "Taylor, uh, no. I don't go here." I cringed "Hoping to transfer here."

Amanda looked up, pulled on Lucy's top and showed her her smart phone. Lucy's eyes got huge. "You're a cape?"

"No! Uh, not that I know of. Sophia was probably trying to maintain her cover. I tossed her off that landing by accident and her power did something. James House saw and he started yelling about her being a cape. Then I, uh kind of landed on him and shut him up then kicked Sophia in the head." I looked around and blushed furiously everyone was looking at me.

Amy looked at me closely "So Sophia Hess didn't attack you out of the blue?"

I snorted then covered my mouth. Amy grinned at me. I tossed her a glare "No she didn't. I had a friend. Emma Barnes. Somehow those two met, Emma and Sophia, and I got kicked to the curb. Then Hess, the bitch, wants to start harassing me."

Amanda shrugged "Tall, lean, pretty. Hess got jealous you would take her girlfriend."

My world stopped turning so fast I thought I would fly off. "No, what? Wait, I'm not gay? Not anything yet really. Pretty?"

Amy, Lucy, and Amanda looked at me for a minute and cracked up laughing. I pouted at them fiercely.

Amy shook her head "Model tall and great bone structure. My sister will have you walking the runway with her by this weekend. So brute then?"

I blinked "I am not a cape."

Amy looked at me "I am. Panacea. Shadow Stalker is dangerous. My sister dates a ward. Shadow Stalker was an independent, maybe a villain but was a vigilante. She is on probation and is a ward. The others don't like it but it's political. They don't like her much either. The wards go to Arcadia but somehow she wrangled Winslow."

"Why? That place is a shit hole. Bangers everywhere. All three, E88, ABB and Merchants." I was a bit confused as to why anyone who could go somewhere else didn't.

Lucy had been poking at her smart phone for a while "Track. Plus, probably special consideration due to the extra money she brings in."

I blinked "Extra money?"

Amanda nodded "Wards are a security risk. The PRT provides resources. Plus, capes have special needs sometimes. More money for that. Special schedules, so more money."

Amy shrugged "I don't think it's a gold mine but it's certainly worth a school's time to cooperate."

Taylor nodded "So is her track career boned?"

Amy shook her head "Maybe, probably not though. Vicky can't play basketball but that's because she can fly. Hmm most of the sports really. Shadow Stalker has a changer or breaker state, it isn't faster than a regular human. Probably can't do hurdles or high jump. The PRT will sort it out for her."

Lucy gasped "They are going to come after you for outing a cape!"

Taylor chuckled "Her handler already tried. I wasn't the one that outed her. Plus, well, my dad shredded them. He brought his lawyers and let them out to play while he verbally abused the Principle, who he apparently went to school with and hates. It was pretty ugly and looks to get even uglier in court. I got expelled. It made the lawyers day. Lawyers are scary."

Amy nodded "Carol, Vicky's mom, is one. My adoptive mom."

Lucy was tapping her chin "Maybe you have some kind of power nullifying power? That shove shouldn't have connected with Hess in her breaker state."

She and Amanda took off and I listened while eating. Amy grinned at me.

Trump

So, at three I was enrolled in Arcadia and had a schedule and locker. Dad was back at work and I was figuring out the bus schedule to get home. Amy jogged up and grabbed my hand. She grinned hugely and shuddered "Amy?"

"Mmmhmm?" Amy hummed at me. I rolled my eyes. Amy snapped out of it and grinned at me "Come on. Boardwalk. Vicky can give us a ride."

"What? How?" I resisted weakly.

Ten minutes later I was flying over Brockton Bay. Sitting on Glory Girls left arm with Amy sitting on her right. I wasn't real sure about this. Amy was rolling her eyes at me all the way to the boardwalk. We landed on a roof and Amy took my hand and drug me into the New Wave storefront on the boardwalk. I got handed a burner smart phone "Temporary, until you get your own." And a domino mask. Amy shrugged "You are a cape. I have no idea what your powers are but you have both structures in your brain and they are big and very active."

Vicky grinned "Yay!"

I sighed "I'm not a cape." Those words and "Nope." Or some form of it filled the afternoon and early evening. I called Dad and told him where I was and who I was with. He told me to have fun as I didn't have homework yet.

Trump

Emily Piggot, Director of the Brockton Bay PRT, sat with Armsmaster, Leader of the Brockton Bay Protectorate. He was a parahuman, tinker, she was not. Together they were in charge of the PRT and Protectorate Brockton Bay ENE. It was one of the hottest Directorates in the United States and Brockton Bay had more capes per capita than any other city in America. Most of them villains, a few rogues, very few in the protectorate or wards. In short it was a powder keg, in a burning coal mine. "So, Shadow Stalker has been outed."

Armsmaster nodded "Through her own stupidity apparently. I have the other two girls under Master/Stranger protocols along with her."

Emily snorted and used her favorite line "Toddlers with machineguns. Meanwhile I have the agent who was her handler by her short hairs. It looks like she and Blackwell colluded to get the money from the bonus paid to the school for Shadow Stalker."

Armsmaster nodded "Master/Stranger protocols for her as well."

Emily nodded then shrugged "Sure. I think you will find she is just a greedy bitch though. Maybe she has money troubles. People are generally scum and will most often do the wrong thing with no outside agency prompting them. This House character though. E88 certainly. I think we will prosecute him."

Armsmaster nodded "His best chance at survival probably. Kaiser would turn him into an object lesson."

Emily nodded and sat forward digging through papers on her desk "That reminded me. Purity is pregnant. And WEDGDG says she has split from the Empire taking two or three capes with her or causing them to leave Kaiser. His normal political games stopped for a while and they looked for why. This is the best they can come up with."

Armsmaster nodded "Further complicating and destabilizing the situation here."

Emily nodded "Offering an opportunity to convert her though."

Armsmaster snorted "Another candidate for your program. Have fun with that. I already have something to kill her within my tools. I'll work on something to discipline her with."

Emily nodded. She and Armsmaster did not get along. He was smart enough to recognize the political situation and futility of opposing her though. Powers weren't the end all and be all. Well ninety percent of the time. S class threats were a different story but they were damn rare. Armsmaster was her own little A class attack dog.

Trump

Taylor looked at her Dad across the table. Danny laughed "What is it you kids say? Duh. I grew up here. Marquis wasn't just a name. All those powered idiots in the bad old days. You hit a breaker Taylor. Normally her reaction would be instinctive and would have done something to prevent it. Like it did with House. You are a Null. You nullify parahumans powers."

"The empire will try some bullshit. The DWU security will pick them up. Not like we don't have a ton of ex-military who have been fighting powered fucks all over the place for a whole career. There are ways to deal with powered people. How do you think we keep the fucking Merchants out of the yard and the E88 from taking us over? They know we know and we have shown them we are willing to use the methods the guys know of."

Now we got you. A Null. We will figure out your range and we can make some serious progress. Hey, Glory Girl goes to Arcadia. See if you can get her to come for an interview."

Taylor blinked "What?"

The discussion got pretty involved and Taylor lay in bed with her head swimming for an hour or so before she drifted off.

Trump

Tyrone watched the guy with the greasy hair get out of the car. He didn't say anything. He just stood on the porch with the club in his hands.

Bradley walked up the walkway "So he brought his dog."

Tyrone shrugged "Woof woof faggot. What did you expect retard. You fucking crackers just aren't smart."

Bradley smirked "But now we got a reason."

Tyrone shrugged "Bring that weak ass shit on cracker." He watched as Bradley charged and laughed as he hit him in the head as hard as he could swing.

Bradley, Hookwolf, the chief E88 enforcer flipped backwards into the yard.

The blond opened her mouth and caught a five round burst in the torso. Tyrone leaned on the club looking at the ones who had come with them "Get this shit and get out. Tell Max we will happily kill all of you fucks."

"Remember the deal. You leave us alone and we don't kill all of you and your families."

He watched as four of them came and got Bradley.

Victor, in his position five hundred yards away just lay there frozen. Mark, a Hispanic guy, snorted "You should come to work for us. You at least have a brain." He pulled the knife out of Victor's neck, he had ghosted up and slipped it about an inch into Victor just as Bradley got out of the car. His partner had disarmed Victor.

Victor stood up holding the field dressing against the wound. "Hebert. We should have known."

Mark shrugged "You should."

Victor nodded "So, did she trigger?"

Mark laughed "Who the fuck knows esse. She is still the boss's daughter triggered or not. Way we got it was your boy stepped in the middle of something. Or it fell on, or through, him. He is young. It was a mistake. She handled it. We are done with it. Now you found one of our houses. It just makes a convenient place for us to kill you fucks. You know the deal."

Victor frowned "And if your man killed Brad or Cricket?"

"You got off light esse. Medhall is still standing. And Max doesn't have a bullet in his brain."

Victor nodded and left.

Mark faded away into the shadows. His partner lifted off the rifle and slid back and then faded away as well. The other counter sniper teams went back to their hides.

Trump

Taylor looked at her dad at the breakfast table. Danny snorted "Nothing new Taylor. We stay in one piece out ganging the gangs. Tyrone said he didn't have a blade or hook though and Cricket was all the way in the road so you got at least that much range."

Taylor sighed "I, you know what, fine."

Danny grinned "That's the spirit. Now give me your notes so we can take Barnes apart. Can't let people like that have an inch. I thought better of Alan. I thought he would have taught Emma. I guess he forgot where he came from."

Taylor rolled her eyes. Without Mom to hold his leash dad had gone right to the way his dad had been. Mom had worried about this. It was in the journal she had left her. Taylor went and got her bag and the journal she had kept on Emma. She smiled as Dad hugged her and left for the bus stop. She rolled her eyes at Shirley.

Shirley laughed "Get your own battle buddy then. You know the drill, no one moves around alone. So a null for sure. Tyrone flipped that idiot like a pancake. Jimmy put a burst in that stupid ass Cricket and Mark took care of Victor. Not permanent, just a reminder."

Taylor sighed "So it will go back to normal now?"

Shirley shrugged "Probably. Just another gang in gangland." She grinned at Taylor. Taylor rolled her eyes again.

Trump

Max Andres, Kaiser, leader of the E88 nodded "Well, they didn't kill anyone."

Krieg snorted "Hebert. We really should have put it together. How many of the fucking frogs could there be around? Why the fuck was she going to Winslow of all places? Immaculata is ours so I get that."

Max sighed "Hebert living in his dream world where everything functions like it is supposed to. The Protectorate has the hoodrat. Herbert is Hebert and we really don't need that war. She is out of Winslow. We can let this die down."

Krieg nodded "I'll tell House. My sister will just have to get over it." James House was his nephew.

Trump

Shirley hugged Taylor and smiled "Have a good day sweetie. See you this afternoon." She turned and got in the car that pulled up. Taylor waved and turned around in time to get glomped by Amy.

"Ack!"

Vicky laughed "She has been like this. Amy has a girlfriend." She sing songed.

Taylor looked at Vicky who was floating about an inch off the ground. Then she looked at Amy "Your powers work around me."

The two girls froze and Amy let her go. Vicky frowned "Uh, yes?"

Taylor rolled her eyes "Dad thinks my power is what he calls a null. Some powered Nazi's came by early this morning. Our security guys handed them their asses. Without it escalating to world war three."

Amy nodded "Carol was freaking about you, she thought something would happen. So, your dad is Danny Hebert the gang leader."

Taylor laughed "He runs the Dock Workers Union. They aren't a gang."

Vicky snorted "One of the gangs in town. One of the more powerful. Right behind the PRT, Protectorate and BBPD. In membership if nothing else. The Parahuman gangs leave them alone. That right there tells you something."

Amy was tapping her chin "Trump. Sometimes they null powers."

Taylor pointedly looked at Vicky's feet. Amy huffed at her and towed her away.

Later after a series of text messages and messing around in the dock yard the girls were sitting on the little beach by the yard in the September sunshine. "So if Dad can get it arranged you have a job moving scrap."

Vicky nodded "And Amy has a clinic."

Amy snorted "If Carol doesn't fuck it up. Your Dad is right though. I am charging at least the Medicare rates from now on. The state and fed can pay if no one else."

Taylor nodded "Only makes sense. I am not power testing though."

Amy shrugged "Don't do it officially. At the PRT I mean. Lucy and Amanda are Cape geeks and geniuses. Let them come up with some test. You moved that scrap just like Vicky though. Well except you did it like Marvo the magnificent. Waving your hand."

Taylor blushed "Yeah that will have to stop. I felt like an idiot."

Vicky grinned "We can get you a robe. You can be Morgana. Myrddin will love you."

Taylor wrinkled her nose "I am not wearing a robe."

Amy grabbed her hand "No ill effects. Well now. That nosebleed was scary." Taylor had moved a fifteen-ton piece of scrap iron as big as a bus with telekinesis or something. It had given her a nosebleed. Amy had stopped it. "Maybe start smaller and train up. Not just go all in right away."

Taylor shrugged "Once I figured it out it wasn't hard. I could probably do a lot more."

Vicky laughed "If you had somewhere solid to stand." Taylor had ended up sunk to her knees in the sand.

Taylor shot her a glare "Not all of us can float and be anti-physics."

Trump

Kurt looked at Danny "The mill. OK I can find some of the guys who used to run it. We will have to get the power house working and the railyard cleaned up though. We will need coal for the power house."

Danny sighed "And a million hours of admin work to get it back running. Fucking EPA. I'm going to call L33t. He can figure some shit out for us."

Kurt frowned "And Uber can look it over. Remember what we figured out though. The bigger the ask the better L33t does."

Carl Craig shrugged "Get him to fix the refinery and find a source of crude for it. We can take the engines from the wrecks and recondition them to run generators. Now that we have lift."

Lacey Kurt's wife shrugged "Make it a system of systems and do the ask all at one time. Everything you would need to run a town. Food, fuel, power, materials, all of it. I got some contacts at the University, we can have them brainstorm it."

Danny snorted "Yeah. Uber will want millions of dollars."

Jim Grindle shrugged "Pay them a percent of the profit."

Danny nodded "Taylor can invest in this. Or I think she can. We will ask."

Trump

Sophia looked at Emma, they were sitting in the food court of the mall "Because I got outed. Now it's all fucked up. This is Hebert's fault."

Emma snorted "Taylor didn't phase through some fucking Nazi."

Sophia glared at her "I can't control it when it does that. It's some kind of self-preservation thing."

Emma shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder "So don't blame Taylor. You should have thought of that. You got overconfident and she got lucky."

Sophia growled "And I am the one in counseling every other day and having to do school over the computer and with a PRT supervisor. And I have to do whatever they say!"

Emma shrugged "Which could be a good thing. There are plenty of ways we can use this to your advantage."

"I'm a ward! They won't let me do anything!"

Emma rolled her eyes "Look, this won't last. We just have to deal with it until the heat is off then we can go back like it was."

Sophia groaned "This is going to take years."

Emma shrugged "It might. Once you are off probation though you can leave the wards." Sophia snarled twisting the tracking bracelet around her wrist.

Trump

Lucy looked at Amanda then at Taylor "Oh yes!"

Taylor winced. Lucy was much too excited. She sighed and texted Shirley to get her to bring a SUV to pick them up after school.

Later, on the beach, Taylor flopped back with Vicky and Amy "This was a mistake."

Vicky nodded "Who knew they were power tinkers."

Amy sat up "Let's go look at my clinic. Before they think of something else."

Lucy looked up "Oh, it will be tomorrow. We have the base data and can build from here. Taylor will need more testing but you and Vicky can start the exercise program to see if we can make them stronger. We need to find some more parahumans. Different abilities to test our theories."

At the clinic they ran into Danny. Taylor gave him a hug. He smiled "So what are you?"

Taylor sighed "Trump they say. Infinite, they are trying to work up slow because there is supposedly a cost. Like the nosebleed thing yesterday."

Danny nodded "Slow is good." He showed the girls around and got to talking about the plan. Lucy and Amanda took off with the idea.

Amy frowned "They must be thinkers."

Taylor shrugged "Or just you know, geniuses. Both of them have over a hundred and forty five IQ."

Vicky frowned "You are in all AP courses. You two aren't like that? Go feel them Amy."

"What? No. If they want to know I will. They are cape geeks. They would know if they triggered." Amy objected.

Vicky shrugged "I don't think it matters really. I still say they are power tinkers."

Amy scowled "There is no such thing."

Trump

Amy's clinic was finished and staffed in a week. To include security staff. It was really the DWU dispensary. The DWU had ambitions in the seventies, it had a huge residence hall, Labor hall and dispensary. It had looked like the dreams were going to come true in the eighties then, well first Scion, then parahumans, then the Endbringers. The world was still adjusting Danny said.

One thing the clinic did was give the Union a recruiting tool. Now with Taylor and Vicky doing heavy lifting they needed it.

Taylors mother had been killed by a drunk driver. Danny had gotten a lawyer. An Asian female Lawyer who was determined to prove herself. She had sued basically the world. Anne Hebert had been a tenured English professor at the University. Thy Bui, the lawyer, had won, a lot, then the insurers started settling rather than trying her.

Danny had put all the money in trust for Taylor and Thy managed, or hired trustees to manage it. They were trying to build a reputation too. There was a REIT, a mutual fund and a venture capital fund. Danny had pitched the boat graveyard and docks to the REIT early and they had liked it. Taylor was going to end up owning most of it as the REIT worked out the titles and bought it up for pennies on the dollar. They hired the union to salvage it and clear it. Really the only way to keep out squatters. All that was left were the industrial facilities and the shipwrecks left over from the general strikes and unrest in the nineties when shipping collapsed because of Leviathan.

There was enough cleared ground now it was starting to attract developers. The REIT intended, as their next step, to develop it on their own. Well the step after clearing the wrecks. With Taylor and Vicky recovering the wrecks, or helping, the Trust would save millions.

Amy, working in the clinic found parahumans. They were talked to about being parahumans, introduced to Lucy and Amanda and offered employment. They were also offered assistance. Rachel Lindt got medical treatment for herself, and her dogs. She got legal assistance from Thy and gave Thy her next set of targets. She also got a job, the union took over animal control for the city.

Brian Laborn got some treatment and a job. Lucy and Amanda were working with him on his powers.

Sarah Livsey got a job as well. With Lucy and Amanda.

Things started happening and people started paying attention. Roy Christner, the mayor of Brockton Bay walked around the clinic with Danny "So what are you getting out of this Danny?"

Danny smiled "Helping people."

Roy laughed "Yeah, OK. So your daughter's trust fund is buying up the whole town. Most people aren't smart enough to see it because it's not the area of town where the money is. She is putting industrial facilities back online. An astute move as shipping is a major cost so if it's made here she can outcompete nearly everyone on price."

"The union is hiring everyone who can stand up, hear thunder and see lightning so is becoming the power it used to be. But where are you going with this?"

Danny laughed "Everyone. We can find work for anyone really. The same place I have always been going Roy. Making Brockton Bay a decent place. My daughter lives here."

Roy nodded "And is heavily invested here. OK fine. Now what about these parahumans you have here."

Danny narrowed his eyes "Rachel lives at my house Roy. The girl's mother was an addict, she was abused by the system. She has some problems, so do we all. We are working on them."

Roy held his hands up palm out "And Taylor? People will come after them Danny."

Danny laughed "Kaiser been talking to you? The Union lived through Lustrum and Marquis, The Teeth, Blasto, the freaking Nine. We can deal with the Empire and the ABB. You don't have to be a parahuman to fight a parahuman. They know we know. When they forget we remind them."

"Oh that reminds me. Dogfighting. Tell Kaiser to shut it down or move it out. Those illegal cage matches are fine. As long as those people volunteer. The dogs got no choice. Rachel doesn't like it. We don't either."

Roy laughed "Like they listen to me. I'll pass it along."

Danny nodded and shook Roy's hand as he left. Sarah looked at him "That was unexpected."

Danny smiled "He has to have contact with them somehow. He is the Mayor."

Sarah nodded "Think they will stop?"

Danny shrugged "The dogfights, probably. That's despicable. The cage matches, no. That's part of their culture. A part that is out of control but Kaiser isn't Allfather. Yet. Thank God."

"The ABB?" Sarah asked.

Danny sighed "Someday Lung is going to try us. We will have to kill him."

Sarah blinked "How?"

Danny shrugged "One in the head, one in the heart. Catch him before he is ramped up. Or with a heavy enough weapon when he is ramped up. He knows we know. Killing him is easy. Catching him alive is hard. We aren't the Protectorate. For us it would be self-defense. The smart ones are easy. It's the new ones and the stupid ones that are hard."

"So, this new one, Coil?" Sarah asked.

Danny nodded "He will try us eventually. Mostly he uses mercenaries though. Unpowered. No one even knows if he is powered."

Sarah shrugged "He is. Thinker of some kind. Can't tell what kind."

Danny sighed "Hard. They always think they are smarter than everyone else." Sarah smirked and shrugged. Danny laughed. "Just remember, stubborn wins lots of times."

Trump

Things settled into a rhythm. Taylor's powers kept getting better. All the other Parahumans were found work that there powers could help with. School roared along and just as things were going good and the Holidays were fast approaching the Endbringer sirens went off. The girls looked at each other when they recognized from the pattern that it wasn't within a hundred miles of Brockton Bay. Then they looked at their phones, which like everyone else's were going off with either calls or alerts. Even the teachers.

Amy sighed "The Simurgh. Madison Wisconsin. Assembly at the PRT building for transport."

Taylor nodded and texted Danny. They had had this discussion and agreed on search and rescue. Taylor could by now lift buildings. She could also tear them in half, melt them to glass, and do several other things. Enough so Danny wasn't worried about her. The girls rose and the teacher nodded.

They walked out and got in the van the PRT sent for the wards. Taylor put on a domino mask complaining the whole time "This is stupid."

Amy rolled her eyes "Take it off then. Your dad already has to have security. Rachel is known. You don't even have a Cape name."

Taylor shrugged "Hera."

Vicky bounced in her seat "Oh good one! So Glory Girl and Hera to the rescue!"

Taylor snorted "For thirty minutes."

They were stopped at Immaculata and Vista was just getting in the van "Better than being a Simurgh minion."

Taylor looked at her "Vista! Hey. You going this time or hanging out at the PRT?"

Vista shrugged "I can do my thirty minutes. You do that location thing and provide muscle and I can get is in and out."

Vicky nodded "Even quicker than me flying. So I can guard and help rescue."

Amy added "I'll be at the field hospital."

Triumph nodded "That might actually work out Vista, We will see what the wards are doing."

Vista shrugged "You do whatever. I'm going with Taylor."

Triumph was at least smart enough not to have the fight in public. Vista wasn't enjoying the wards. The PRT wanted her for a propaganda piece but nowhere near any action. She had been hanging out at the docks every minute she wasn't needed for events or on the console or in their Protectorate indoctrination sessions as she called the training. As Endbringer event participation was voluntary he couldn't really enforce anything anyway.

Taylor looked around at the PRT building as they stepped up in the line at the folding table. She told the officer "Hera, search and rescue" when she was asked then joined New Wave and Vista. She watched as other parahumans showed up taking note of the ones she didn't know.

Moments later they were sent to a circle on the pavement and then a man appeared and they were in a different place. Taylor gasped and Amy led her off by the hand "Strider. It takes getting used to." They found their assigned areas and got an armband then went to work.

Taylor concentrated and told Vista "Three miles that way."

Vista looked and compressed space. They stepped through "Teleporters and fliers moving the casualties."

Taylor nodded and started destroying the rubble between herself and the pocket of people she felt. They were released moments later, then she let the building slump down. Vista was compressing space behind them toward the field hospital and herding people through the compressed space. Taylor had moved on to another pocket of trapped people and Vicky was doing surface rescues. They emptied five city blocks and retreated.

Amy had been checking and treating the injured as they came through and checked all three girls. She handed out gator aid "How is it?"

Taylor blinked "I didn't even see the Simurgh. Were we close?"

Vista laughed. Vicky shook her head "You threw a building at her. She backed up." Taylor blinked. Vicky nodded "She was on the other side of that building you turned inside out and blasted away. You balsted it right on her."

Taylor frowned "I didn't sense any life at all in that direction."

Vista shrugged "Stopped her singing too. Everyone is very impressed. OK let's go again. I still got eighteen minutes on my clock."

The other two girls looked at their armbands. Taylor asked "It only counts when she is singing?"

Miss Militia walked up "Hera, yes. When you blasted her she stopped. I'm supposed to coordinate with you as we want all the fliers out of your way when you do it again."

Taylor blinked "Uh, ok?"

Vista laughed "Come on Hera pick a place and let's go."

Taylor concentrated and pointed "Four and a half miles."

Miss Militia looked at a tablet while Vista compressed space. They stepped through and Taylor walked to a pile of rubble. Miss Militia marked their position and some other things then told her "Go ahead."

Taylor blasted the rubble away and looked into the face of the Simurgh. When it cleared. She eeped and threw a hand out and the Simurgh flew away tumbling. Taylor took a knee and put a hand to her face. Miss Militia tried to hustle her away as the blood seeped past her hand but Taylor waved her off and cleared a giant area of rubble. Vicky herded the exposed people to the compressed path and started flying those who could walk. Miss Militia lay Taylor down after handing her a field dressing and helped direct the fleeing crowd. Downtown Madison was evacuated. The Simurgh had lifted back to her orbital position.