Dragon and the Fly

By: Bubbajack

Beta/Co-Author: IcySnowSage

Disclaimer: I do not own Worm or any character that appears in this work. The only characters Bubba does own are his OCs

Ch.1.1: Berth

His eyes snapped open moments before his alarm went off and Akio Adams looked around his quarters as he sat up on his bunk with red eyes. Everything was as it should be. His laptop sat on his small desk across from him and his chosen outfit for this morning lay pressed, folded neatly on said desk. The grey light of dawn was just beginning to peek through the porthole on the starboard side of the Amphibious Command Ship he had called home his entire life. Known officially as the USS Normandy but unofficially called the Sanctuary by those who lived on her. 'Today, everything changes,' Akio thought as he got up and methodically got dressed in an olive green tank top, camouflage jeans, and combat boots putting on tactical gloves for good measure.

He looked at himself in a full length mirror, a gift from one of the many friends he'd made overseas. He was ghostly pale, muscular as due to being on a ship he had little to do in his free time other than work out and train. He stood at 5'9/176cm and his sharp angular facial features and crimson red eyes, and white hair albinism inherited from his mother, stared back at him. Taking a hair tie he tied his hair behind him in a ponytail showing he kept the sides of his head shaved close, the last thing he donned were a set of ultraviolet resistant goggles. His red eyes were weak to light at the best of times, it was one of many things he hated about his condition. He'd taught himself to simply ignore the sunburns over time. There were worse pains in life by far.

Going under his bed he retrieved a locked case. Typing in the number he opened it unveiling a Glock 19 with three clips worth of ammunition. Loading one into the empty weapon Akio slipped a belt around his waist that had a clip-on holster which he attached to his right side and concealed under his shirt. He also added a combat knife for good measure. 'Might wanna go to the armory and see if I can get a leg holster for a shotgun,' He thought to himself. "Uncle James always says there is no such thing as overkill."

So thinking Akio slipped out of his room and headed down the halls of the Sanctuary. The ship was cramped with oval shaped doors that led to rusty iron stairs that led further up from her belly. The ship and the man who ran it, were rather infamous in reputation. Captain Jonathan Adams had defied the orders of his superiors during Leviathans attack on Japan and evacuated as many people as he could while Lung battled the beast, one of those people was his wife and Akio's mother. They had been traveling the world for fifteen years ever since, never staying in one place too long and assisting in evacuations in Endbringer attacks. They stayed as far away from the USA for as long as they could as his father was being threatened with court marshal and had been for years. Yet, certain events recently had forced them to dock in Brockton Bay.

'Father is tired of running first of all,' Akio thought as he climbed the stairs. 'Mother has been telling him for years that we need to find a proper home, for all of us, and lastly,' His thoughts were interrupted as the stair he placed his foot on abruptly gave way the rust along its edge finally having eaten through it, yet he managed to catch himself and haul himself up past the step with a grimace. 'The Sanctuary is falling apart. She's done a lot of good, but she just can't keep going anymore. If we don't find somewhere to settle down and soon, we could be trapped onboard a sinking ship at sea, and our Sanctuary could become our grave.'

Now on the second floor, he made his way to the mess hall. It was a long narrow room filled with folding tables and chairs that had fluorescent lights that flickered over head, the smell of breakfast permeated the air. He had a good three hours before he reported for duty to one of Brockton Bay's highschools known as Winslow Highschool. Akio wished he had time to do a sitrep on the area, but his Commanding Officer's, his parents, had already sent over his paperwork, so the element of surprise had already been lost. 'I'll have to make do,' He thought sourly as he got in line and got his morning rations.

He made his way around the mess hall past the bleary eyed soldiers and sat down next to his friends. "Morning Laura, Kim, Jubes, Akihiro."

Laura, Jubilee, and Akihiro Howlet were the three biological children of Commander. James Logan "Wolverine" Howlett, a short if burly canadian and the second in command of the Sanctuary. Each of them were born ten months apart with Laura and Kitty being the eldest, Akihiro being the middle child, and Jubilee being the baby. Kathrine "Kitty" Pryde was adopted into the Howlett pack when Behemoth attacked New York.

Laura had long dark hair that trailed down to the small of her back and though she was of slender frame, she was fierce when pushed to fight. Her emerald green eyes were usually reserved, and she withheld judgement until someone pissed her off or dared pick on her siblings, then the claws came out.

Aikhiro was shorter, stocker and bukier, than his elder sister, his head was shaved, and he was boisterous and cocky yet deep down a good person and protective of his friends.

Jubilee was the fun loving one, her hair was in its usual birds nest and she had her red aviator glasses on top of her head. She often had to play peacemaker between her elder siblings despite her age.

Kitty meanwhile had her chestnut brown hair tied in a loose ponytail and was wearing a fuzzy pink sweater.

"Akio ready for shore leave?" Akihiro asked, smirking cockily.

Akio shook his head, "This isn't shore leave Akihiro, we are permanently disembarking the Sanctuary. She's being decommissioned."

The younger boy scoffed. "Yeah right, I've heard it all before, but I'll believe it when I see it."

"Best believe it kid, cause it's happenin," A voice growled from behind him as the scent of cigar smoke filled the air.

"Sir," Akio said with a nod.

James Logan Howlett rolled his eyes and smiled as he chomped a cigar between his teeth, "Kid, how many times do I gotta tell ya? Just call me Uncle James."

Akio smiled, "Just one more time sir."

"Wait, so the Sanctuary is really being decomed?" Akihiro asked worriedly. "Where we gonna go, what's gonna happen to all of us?"

James ruffled his son's hair momentarily placing his coffee cup on his food tray as he did so. "You'll be fine kid, don't worry."

Akio noted the way James said you'll but didn't comment on it. He watched the man as he walked away and sat at the officers table next to his father, who was tall, tanned, and built like a brick house due to his years in the navy, with dark-green eyes. Seeing his son staring, he gave him a wave which he returned before going back to his whispered conversation with his second in command.

Picking at her food Jubilee said, "So, Brockton Bay huh?" She was clad in her signature yellow coat. "It's gonna be weird not traveling around the world from place to place anymore huh?"

"Yeah it will be," Laura said wearing a crop top shirt and leather jacket Akio had got her last furlough. "But we've adjusted to being at sea, certainly we can adjust to being on land?"

"Piece of cake," Akihiro sneered confidently, "If anyone gives us shit, we'll just punch 'em in the face!" That earned him a slap upside the head from his elder sisters.

"Like, you can't just go beating people up for no reason Hiro, not cool dude," Kitty said.

"That's what you just did!" He accused.

Kitty replied with a smirk as she stuck her tongue out playfully, "Totally different dude, we're family."

Akihiro growled threateningly and took a swipe at her only for his fist to phase through her. Kitty triggered during the Behemoth's attack on New York she could both destabilize and harden her own molecular structure at will allowing her to both phase through objects and become super dense, bulletproof, and strong.

There was a *snicket* and Laura had unsheathed her bone talons and subsequently coated them in biorganic metal before placing them at her brother's throat. "That's enough."

"Hey, hey hey!" Jubilee said, sending out a shower of sparks, "No fighting in the mess hall! You know the rules!"

"Everyone," Akio raised his voice and his fist which glowed yellow, "Enough," Though he could pull off this feat he did not as he was aware, possess an ability like a cape. He did not go through a trigger event like all of his friends. All he did was train and through training he gained this strange power. Stick-san who was a hermetic monk that used to stay on the ship said he was harnessing his chi or life energy. He was on the ship for a long time and taught him how to better harness this strange energy for his own use. When he asked why the elderly man said,

"The ways of the Yamabushi shouldn't die with me," before he descended a gangplank into Bangladesh, disappearing into the crowd.

The other's stopped their bickering and quietly ate their food for several minutes before Akihiro piped up. "So what school we goin' to again?"

"Winslow," Akio replied. "Since our transfers were last minute we're going to the cheapest available public school. We're also transferring in in the middle of the school year so I don't think we need to worry all that much. It is January after all."

The others nodded, agreeing with Akio's assessment. Laura asked quietly, "What do you think it'll be like Aki?"

Akio smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure we can handle anything that comes our way Laura."

"Hope you're right," She mumbled as she continued eating her breakfast.

Noticing everyone looking towards the entrance Akio just sighed, "They do this everyday."

His mother Yukina Adams was slowly making her way across the mess hall, she was wearing a white yukata with a sakura tree motif throughout its length her snow white hair was tied up into a bun and was held in place by two lacquered wooden hair pins. She stopped half way towards the officers table and smiled at her son. She had taken it upon herself to teach the now near dead language to her son and his friends. "Good morning son."

"Mother," Akio said, nodding and switching to Japanese. "How are you this morning?"

"Well, thank you, Laura-chan, Jubilee-chan, Akihiro-kun, Kitty-chan and good morning!"

"Good morning Miss Adams!" They chorused.

She smiled, warmly and switched to english, "Are you all ready to attend school?"

"Yes, Ready as we'll ever be, No not really, Like totally, and Hn," Were the replies she got from her son, Laura Jubilee, and Akihiro respectively.

"Now, now, don't worry Jubilee, I'm sure you'll do just fine. If need be you can ask your mother or mine for help after school alright?"

The young girl nodded, feeling a bit better. "Thanks a ton Misses Adams, I feel a lot better now."

"Of course dear," Yukina said with a demure nod, "Oh, and Akio dear, Jiji would like to speak to you before you head out. He has… a surprise for you," She said smiling conspiratorially before she walked off to speak to her husband.

Incited, Akio did just that. Saying goodbye to his friends for the moment he went back below deck going even deeper than the crew quarters to the hold through the maze of crates and boxes following the light cast by the small makeshift furnace that the old man kept down here, where Jiji kept and plied his trade was in a corner of the hold. Turning the final corner around some iron containers, Akio finally found him, his face half cast in the fire given off by his forge. The old man had his grey hair tied behind his head, he was shirtless except for a leather apron he was wearing over his chest. His face was lined with age yet there was a keen shrewdness to be found in his eyes if anyone cared to look. His name was Kotowaru Higasa, and he wasn't his actual grandfather but everyone called him that because he was so old. He was also the last known living traditional Japanese swordsmith.

"Yo, Jiji, you here?" Akio called out in his mother's native tongue as Higasa-san refused to learn the 'tongue of barbarians' as he called it.

"Of course I am boy!" The old man called back grumpily, "Where else would I be."

Akio didn't take it personally, Higasa was always grumpy when he had to do something other than work, including talking to people. Instead he just smiled and said, "Did you need me for something? My mother hinted you might."

"Yes, yes, I have something for you, something special," The old man grumbled as he tottered off to the side where something was bound in white cloth. Handling it reverently, he said, "This is my last, and greatest work. I made it for you boy, and with you in mind," He said as he pulled away the cloth.

Akio's breath hitched. For under the cloth was a katana. It's sheath was of pure white wax wood, ringed in thick brass. The tsuba handguard was in the shape of a dragon with its wings flaring out, it's head looking off to the side, and its tail looping around itself just once before trailing down to a point at the opposite end. The handle was wrapped in white silk with two bamboo pegs holding the blade in place.

Akio touched his chest where his birthmark spanned his chest in the exact same shape as the tsuba. He then reached out and took the sword by its silk wrapping and gently pulled it out of its saya. The blade was three foot long and had a velvet shine to it, the tip ended at a needle-like point.

Hanging around Jiji like he did he knew a Shobu-zoukiri blade when he saw one. The shape of the blade was shaped much like a giant scalpel, and cut like one too. Then he noticed near the guard the same dragon symbol carved below some kanji. They read out, "When ashes fall."

He flipped the blade over and finished, "Legends rise," He looked to the ancient sword master, "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"It needs a name. All good swords have one," The old man said, his chisels ready to inscribe the blade.

"A name huh?" Akio ran a hand through his hair in thought, "What about… Ishan?"

"Legacy?" The old man mused. "Yes, a fitting name for the final blade of Japan."

Akio waited patiently as the old man chiseled the name onto the right side of the blade. "Legacy, it is finally finished," Kotowaru said as he sat down on his cot near his makeshift forge of bricks that he kept hot with wood, and blowing into it with a bamboo reed. "I can now, finally, rest."

Akio shook his head, as he put Ishan back into its sheath, He then took several nearby blankets and draped them over the old man chiding, "You should take better care of yourself Jiji, you're not a spring chicken anymore, you know?"

"Huh give me a few hours and I'll show you a thing or two you spoiled brat," Kotowaru retorted before nodding to something, "Also, take that with you, it could prove useful."

Looking to where he had nodded, Akio saw a white cloak with a wide popped collar, hanging on a hook. Walking over and picking it up, The albino noted it felt quite heavy. He saw the old man grinning, out of the corner of his eye "Springs and ceramics" the smith said, "Puts tension on the body when worn about a hundred eighty two kilos worth."

Akio blinked. "That's four hundred pounds Jiji."

The man chuckled a bit. "Well, I was one of the first Tinkers, and you always did complain about the exercise equipment not being heavy enough."

"True. Thanks Jiji."

"Akio," Jiji called him over. Prompting the young man to sit. "When I was younger, I was… a wrathful man quick to anger and envy, a man whose pride and arrogance knew no limits. I created many blades, and filled them with my anger, my malice, my envy, gluttony, and my pride. In turn, my blades each carried a piece of me with them. Those who wielded them succumbed to the curse of my weapons, while commiting great, yet terrible acts. Yours is the last blade of the Sword Tinker Muramasa. I have no rage, envy, or hubris left to put into this sword, I have naught but regrets. Regrets of a man who looked back on his life and wished he could've done it differently," Placing his hand on the saya of his magnum opus, he spoke, "May this sword assist you in cutting through karma, fate, and even destiny itself if need be. May this sword help forge a future worth living in."

"Jiji?" Akio asked quietly.

"You should… finish getting ready for school Akio-kun," The elderly smith said suddenly. "Let an old man get some sleep."

Akio stood and turned around, sword and cloak in hand, he said, "Of course, I'll see you after school Jiji, rest up okay?"

"Hmm, sayo...nara," Kotowaru said as Akio walked away, closing his eyes with a smile on his face.

Akio returned to his room and placed the sword on his desk, and draped the cloak over his desk chair. He wasn't an idiot. He could feel Jji slipping away. His chi growing weaker and weaker by the second. He wanted to yell, cry out, be angry that this wretched world had taken something else, as if all the devastation caused by the Endbringers and the gangs, the villains, and the Endbringer cults wasn't enough. Instead, he sat, cross legged on his bed and meditated. Akio knew anger and sadness in equal measure. Sadness was the ying to his rages yang. He'd seen the devastation left in the wake of Endbringer attacks offering what aid they could and burying the dead, fighting off looters, cultists, and over the years Somalian pirates on occasions too numerous to list. He really hated Somalia.

Taking out his cellphone he sent a quick text to his father to let him know what had happened. He received a quick response saying it would be taken care of by the time he got home from school. 'Well, that's good at least.'

He came out of his reverie when he heard a knock on his door. "Yes?" He called.

"It's seven hundred hours Aki," Laura called, "We need to be going."

Glancing at his clock, Akio noted that yes, it was seven am. "I'll be right out."

He pulled his door open not before throwing on his back and feeling its weight settle on his shoulders before he threw the door open. "Let's go."

"What's with the cloak? Don't tell me you've gone full weebo on me?" Laura joked.

Akio rolled his eyes, "No, if you must know it's a training tool from Jiji. It puts like four-hundred pounds of pressure on my body as long as I wear it."

Laura blinked then shook her head, "Isn't that a bit much?"

The albino boy shook his head. "No I'm fine this is nothing," He grinned a bit, "You look nice by the way Laura, I'm surprised you have something in your closet that isn't skin tight and made out of denim, leather, or latex."

Laura swatted at his arm. "I'll have you know I can dress up if I want to… I just don't see any reason to… I mean no one is giving me any reason to anyway."

The way she said that made Akio feel like she was hinting at something to him, but whatever it was, he couldn't begin to fathom. So he blinked behind his goggles. "Um, okay then."

Laura huffed in annoyance, "Idiot."

As they went deckside they were greeted by their parents. James stood there grinning, a cigar clamped in his mouth. Next to him was his wife Noriko Itsu Howlett, a demure and kind woman who could be just as dangerous as her husband if push came to shove, or if her temper flared. Laura took after her mother in terms of personality.

Akio's father Commander Johansen "John" Addams stood there in his naval dress fatigues. Black, with white gloves, polished shoes, and a white circular hat. He had various medals pinned to his chest. Akio snapped to attention when he saw him. His father saluted back. "At ease, Captain."

Akio was the Captain of what was called Kub Squad, which consisted of himself, Laura as his lieutenant, Akihiro, Jubilee, Kitty and his little sister Zoe. They all grew up and stuck together come hell or high water which had realistically happened on more than one occasion so more than a year ago, they were organized into an official squad. With him as the leader.

"Kub Squad your mission today, is thus, you are going on a deep, long term infiltration mission into unknown enemy territory known as Brockton Bay, and conduct yourselves as Winslow highschool students. Do you accept?" The man said jokingly.

"Sir yes, sir!" The members of Kub Squad said, saluting.

"Dismissed!" He said with a sharp salute of his own.

Watching as his son and his friends walked down the gangplank into the dockyard, he asked his wife. "Do you think they'll be alright?" As a military jeep came around the corner with two men that had Military Police armbands on their arms sitting in the front.

"They'll be doing better than us Jonny," Logan said as the two men got out and stood at the end of the gangplank waiting.

"Got that right," John said as he sighed, "Let's get this over with," He turned to his long time friend, "In case we don't make it out of this together James, it's been an honor."

"Shove that kinda talk Johnny," Howlett growled as he lit a fresh cigar. "We'll be fine," He walked down the gangplank and smirked at the MP's. "Hey fella's mind if I smoke?"

The men in uniform scowled silently.

As Kub Squad walked down the streets of Brockton Bay, they took in the sights, sounds, and smells of their new home as they tried to get their land legs. They saw old brick buildings tattooed with gang graffiti, denoting territory of the Azn Bad Boyz, a group called Empire Eighty-Eight, The Merchants, and men in PRT uniforms walking their beat. The sounds of honking horns, people calling out to one another filled and mixed with the scent of car fumes, sea air and gasoline in the air.

As they stood at a crosswalk a pair of asian gangbangers swathed in red and green that were their gang colors, strolled up to them with their hands in their pockets. The one on the left had stud piercings in his left eyebrow while the one on the right looked like he'd eaten one taco too many as his gut not only hung over his belt but also stuck out from under his shirt.

"Hey you guys new?" the skinny one asked.

"Yes, just got off our ship at the harbor," Akio replied succinctly.

The fat one whistled, "That bigass battle ship? Sweet!"

The skinny one smirked at Laura and the other girls, "I see the ship was carrying some fine cargo too."

Laura fixed the boy with a droll glare as she replied, "Piss off, you're not my type and we're not interested in joining your little club."

The skinny one got all flustered at that. "What? You too good for the Azn Bad Boys, bad girl?"

"Yeah, we bad," Akihiro replied boastfully, "But we wouldn't mind meeting Lung though."

"No!" Akio and Laura said at the same time, sharing a look before Akio continued, "We have no intention of being affiliated with any gangs, sorry. Please send Lung our sincerest regards however," He said in respectful japanese before walking away as the light turned green.

"Whatda we do Slick?" The fat one asked.

"We let the boss know some new players are in town Gum. C'mon."

The two groups walked off, going their separate ways.

'My first impression is that Winslow is a dump,' Akio thought as he noticed discarded syringes filled with dubious substances on the sidewalk lining the street to the school. Further on, plastic bags and styrofoam cups were stuck in the half rusted fence that lined a track field which was covered in dead brown grass. Looking up as he approached, he noticed the LED's in the security system weren't lit meaning they were broken or didn't work at all. 'Sad,' he thought. As they turned onto the main street leading into the highschool, Akio saw something that made his blood boil. Three girls were picking on another shoving her back and forth between them while everyone else just stood there and watched. If there was one thing the Japanese-American Albino hated, it was bullies. Thus as he walked forward, he spoke, "Laura, my six, Akihiro my nine, Kitty my three. Jubilee keep watch"

The group spread out into a classic diamond formation with Akiro at its head. He caught the girl who was being shoved around and put her swiftly behind him. He then addressed the girls who looked stunned that someone had dared interfere with their fun. "That is quite enough."

The dark-skinned athletic girl scowled at him eying him up, "And just who the hell are you?"

"Captain Akio Adams of the U.S.S. Sanctuary and pointman of the Kub Squad," Akio replied promptly. Glaring at her through the darkened lenses of his goggles. "And you are?"

The girl was caught flatfooted at his quick and militaristic reply. "Sophia Hess."

"Well civilian," He spoke with all the authority of a military man, that he grew up as, "We don't take too kindly to bullying in the core, and I and my squad will not stand for it. Are we clear?"

Sophia glowered but remained silent but the other two blanched and nodded. Yet Akio wasn't satisfied, "I said, AM I CLEAR?!"

"YES SIR!" The two intimidated girls called out, in frightened voices.

"Yeah," Sophia said through gritted teeth.

Akio gave a curt nod. "Good, now I think we should all be getting to class, don't you?" He said before nodding to the doors.

One by one the students began walking past him, some glared, others gave him and his friends looks of interest or respect, and one person called out, "Nice speech Pointman!"

"Um, thank you?" Akio called unsure.

"Pointman's got balls of steel,'' another joked.

"Like, you think he bleached his hair?" one girl asked her friend.

"Ask him!" She said jokingly, shoving her forward.

"You do it!"

Laura all but growled at them, "He's an Albino you idiots."

"Like, woah, someone woke up on the bitchy side of the bed," One of the girls remarked.

A *snicket* was heard as Laura unsheathed her bone claws.

"Lieutenant, control yourself!" Akio said, barely raising his voice. "They're civilians."

Yet instead of being intimidated the girls moved in for a closer look. "Like woah, you've got bone claws! So cool!"

"You do realize I was intending to gore you with these right?" Laura said to them scowling.

The girls just laughed, "We know, we're just fucking with you girl!" The first girl who had messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes replied she was wearing a pacifier with beads on it around her neck, a red and white striped sports jacket that was unzipped and showed that she was only wearing a blue bra underneath, and black jeans with boots.

The second girl was pale wearing a red crop top that showed off her stomach, her dark hair in a ponytail, and like her friend was also wearing dark jeans with some black sneakers.

"I'm Kiden Nixon and this is Tatiana Caban," The blonde introduced herself before she spun on her heel, arms open wide as she said, "And I'd like to be the first to welcome you to the gang recruitment center and massive shithole that is Winslow High. Where you're either a member of the Azn Bad Boys, Empire 88, a drug pusher for the Merchants, or just some poor bastard hoping to keep your head down and get by like the rest of us, huh Hebert?"

The girl Akio had saved suddenly piped up from behind him. "Y-You know my name?"

"Yeah," Kiden said as she walked through the doors. "It's kinda hard not to know the name of Hess' favorite target."

"Why didn't you or anyone else do anything, Miss Nixon?" Akio asked, his tone brisk. Before he turned to the girl and asked gently, "Are you alright Miss Hebert, was it?"

She was a willowy, pale girl, with a mane of messy black hair trailing down her back wearing a green sweater and black jeans, with thick framed square glasses over her green eyes,

"Miss?" Both girls said at the same time. Kiden with amusement and Taylor Hebert in embarrassment.

"Yes, did I say something wrong?" Akio asked, confused.

Taylor muttered out embarrassed at so much positive attention on her, "I-I'm fine thank you. Y-You shouldn't have interfered. T-They'll just target you next."

Akio just laughed. "I'm counting on it," Akio cracked his knuckles. "In fact, I'm looking forward to it."

Kiden laughed, "I like you Pointman. You must have an invisible wheelbarrow to haul your giant brass balls around in."

Akio blinked, shook his head and looked at Kiden. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Kiden replied

"She's like calling you super brave Aki," Kitty replied.

"Ah, it's nothing I just don't like bullies. At all," His voice hardened on the last two words. As they approached the office, Akio turned to Kiden and Tatiana, "would you two be so kind as to stay here and keep an eye on Miss Hebert while my squad and I go get our class schedules? If Hess and her cronies show up, come and get me immediately."

Kiden gave a mock salute. "Oh Captain my Captain!"

"Are you quoting Walt Whitman's poem at me Kiden?"

Kiden shrugged, "I dunno, I just remember it from an episode of Family Guy."

Akio sighed, "I'll get you a book on classical poetry at some point Kiden," he promised her as he walked through the doors.

The principal was a blonde woman with a severe bowl cut in a black suit as if she were attending a funeral this afternoon. She sat behind a desk that had one leg propped under a book lest it wobble and was sitting in an overstuffed swivel chair. "Ah, you must be the new students, the ones from the boat."

Akio snapped to attention. "Ma'am! Ensign Akio Adams, pointman of Kub Squad, ma'am! Warrant Officers Laura Howlett, Akihiro Howlett, Jubilee Howlett, and Kathrine Pryde Howlett, reporting for orders ma'am!"

The principal blinked, before she chuckled a bit. "Well, I see the reports I received weren't wrong, you are all naval trained? Have ranks in the navy and everything?"

Akio nodded. "Yes ma'am!"

"Principal Blackwell will do just fine Akio," Blackwell told him before she logged onto her fairly new looking laptop, retrieved their school schedules, and printed them off on an equally new looking printer. "Here are your schedules, locker numbers, and combinations. Now do you have any questions?"

"Permission to speak freely, Principal Blakwell?" Akio asked.

The principal waved her hand, "This is a school Akio, not a naval base, and I'm not your superior as such, speak as you wish."

"The moment we arrived we found a student being bullied. I am going to let you know now, that me and my team are well traveled. We've provided disaster relief both after and during Endbringer attacks?"

Mrs. Blackwell's face became grave. "Yes, I know the Sanctuary's history rather well Akio. I looked it up when your transcripts were sent over, they were… quite impressive to say the least."

Akio nodded. "So then you know that my team and I, especially myself, will not stand for bullying if we see it happening, yes?"

"Who was it? Doing the bullying I mean?" Blackwell said with a sigh, though she already had a good idea who.

"A girl by the name of Taylor Hebert was being pushed around by three girls, though I only got the name of one. Sophia Hess," Akio reported in clipped tones.

Blackwell sighed again. "Hebert is trouble, Mister Adams. I suggest you steer clear of her. She's constantly starting fights with Hess, Barnes, and Miss Clements because she's not a part of the 'popular clique'." The air quotes were implied in her tone, "I'd suggest you give her a wide berth."

Akio narrowed his eyes at the woman, nothing she said made sense. 'Also this place is a dump but she has a new laptop and printer in her office how?' He spoke, "Strange then that none of the three mentioned how she started it when I broke up their little shoving match earlier. As for me giving Miss Hebert a wide berth, I've been on a ship my entire life, I think I know better than you where to find a safe harbor. So if that is all?"

Principal Blackwell frowned, but nodded. "That will be all, Mister Adams. You and your friends may head off to class."

"Principal Balckwell," he said with a nod before he left, his team following in his wake.

As they waited for the new and interesting group of people to come out of the principals office the girls just stood there awkwardly. After about thirty seconds of this, Kiden sighed, "Sorry for like, not stepping up and calling Hess out on her shit Hebert."

Taylor blinked. She never expected an apology from anyone hell, she only vaguely knew Kiden because they had English lit together. "I-I um don't worry about it? It's fine?"

Kiden shook her head, "No, it's not fine, all it took was one person standing up to her and telling her and her goons to stop and she folded like a house of cards. I could'a did it, Tia could'a did it, hell anyone in this damn school could'a did it…" Kiden looked down, "But no one did, and that ain't right. It took some newbie who didn't know how things worked around here to set things straight," Kiden ran a hand through her messy blonde hair making it even messier. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say is, if you're willing to give me a chance, I'd like to try being your friend."

Taylor blinked, dumb struck. She was tempted to look outside for the flying pig, or far more likely around the corner for the waiting Trio to laugh at her when Kiden turned on her after she found out this was an elaborate prank. 'Is that what this is, another trick?' she wondered.

Her thoughts must've shown on her face as Kiden said, "You think I'm yankin' your chain, but I'm not!" Kiden swore before she offered Taylor her beaded pacifier, "Wanna yank mine?"

"No, no I'm good… do you mean it?" Taylor asked tentatively.

"Scouts honor," Kiden swore.

"You were never a scout," Tatiana quipped, before adding, "Also what honor? The one amongst thieves?"

Kiden rolled her baby-blue eyes, "Figure of speech Tia, and shut up."

Taylor watched as the two started to bicker. Like sisters almost. Herself being an only child didn't know what that was like, but she imagined it was like this. "I'd like… to be friends with you and Tatiana Kiden."

Kiden stopped mid insult, and smiled. "See Tia, she wants to be friends. So standard stuff first then, what does your mom and dad do? All that jazz?"

The question, though innocently asked, sent Taylor to a dark place. "My dad is the dock worker union rep, it's been just me and him since I was twelve… my mom died in a car crash."

"I'm very sorry to hear Miss Hebert my condolences."

Hearing that voice caused Taylor to look up from the floor! There he was again. Her personal hero was standing there in that weirdly cool white cloak of his, his eyes covered by those goggles, and his oddly built muscular frame despite his age. "T-Thank you."

He looked to Kiden, "Anything to report seaman recruit Nixon?"

Kiden snapped off a salute, "Sir no sir, all's quiet in these waters Pointman."

"At ease, but keep your eyes sharp recruit, these waters… are teeming with sharks," Akio said mostly to himself.

Kiden nodded. "Ain't that the truth. I've navigated these waters a long time and let me tell ya one wrong move 'round any of 'em an you'll lose a limb."

Akio took the warning for what it was. "Roger that, Kub Squad mission brief."

Everyone compared schedules and found they all the teens the same age shared the same schedule as Taylor. "Bitchin'! Kiden said. "That means we all share the same lunch period!"

"And hell yeah! We got some cute girls around us already!" Akihiro cheered. "Guess it's true what they say, ladies love a man in uniform."

Laura smaked him upside the head, "That's for being stupid, and women are people, not things."

"But he does look good in that uniform," Tatiana commented, causing Akihiro to smirk.

Laura replied dryly, "Don't encourage him."

Ignoring the byplay, Akio bowed politely. "Miss Hebert if you would be so kind as to show us to our first class? It seems my team and I will be in your care for a while. Please take good care of us."

Taylor had seen enough anime to know what to do next. She returned the bow and replied, "Continue to take good care of me as well," She then sighed, "First class of the day is…"

Physical Education. Taylor hated PE. Not that she wasn't physically fit, it's just that the Trio made it their personal mission to torture her any chance they got. In the changing rooms and on the gym room floor. She was either picked last or not at all if they could help it and made sure to use more force than necessary during contact sports with her involved. She descended the stairs to the girls locker room warily. Laura, Kiden, Jubilee, and Tatiana right behind her. When she was about to open the door to the room proper, Laura put a hand on her shoulder stopping her.

"Wait," She said before she kicked the ajar door, causing a bucket full of water to fall on the floor. She stalked past it, into the room proper and glared at the room full of half dressed teens, "Which one of you little shits think you're funny?"

When no one replied she growled, "I said which one of you soon to be turned out tricked up street whores, thought it was funny to continue to harrass Hebert when my CO made it damn clear that doing so would be a bad idea?!"

"Who you callin' whore bitch?!" Sophia said stalking forward, fists clenched.

"That's Chief Warrant Officer Bitch to you civilian," Laura smirked. "Also I'd like to point out that assaulting a navy officer is a federal offence, punishable by no less than one year in jail, or at max twenty seeing as I, myself and my squad are all federal employees."

That caused Sophia to stop before a sneer adorned her face again, "You're lying! No way that's true."

"No, she's telling the truth," Kiden replied having whipped out her phone to look it up, " according to USC 1114 assaulting a federal employee, which includes a judge, member of the armed forces ie Laura here, and should it result in bodily harm, you don't pass go, don't collect two hundred bucks, you go straight to jail… for eight years. With an extra twelve tacked on if it's assault with a deadly weapon. Just laying your hands on her with intent to do harm'll get you a year."

Laura nodded, smirking wolfishly, "So Hess, do you like the color orange, and pimento loaf? If so by all means, try your luck."

Sophia bared her teeth in a snarl. "Why are you protecting Hebert?! She's weak! In this world only the strong survive with the rest being prey!"

Laura scoffed. "A Social Darwinist? How fucking pathetic," She glared at the other girl. "You've never seen first hand the results of an Endbringer attack or been there as it's happening. People run and scream, they try to get away; but really, there's only so much they can do. So much anyone can do in the face of those things. They are like forces of nature. No different than a typhoon. I have in my time in the navy witnessed and assisted in no less than four Endbringer relief efforts. Every single one of them was a nightmare that showed the best and worst of humanity. Some people became savage animals and preyed on their neighbors they'd known for years."

Upon hearing this Sophai smirked, only to frown when Laura said, "We put them down like the dogs they were," She paused before continuing, "Other people, did whatever they could to help others, I assisted a crowd in turning over an bus just to save the people trapped within, handed out blankets and food to shell shocked civilians, and dug through rubble hoping to find survivors… more often than not finding corpses. The moral of this story Hess, is that those with the power to do something shouldn't use it to consume those beneath them, they should use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves. That is what I have done my whole life as a navy officer and I'll be damned if some punk ass brat like you, get's in my way."

"Woah… Go sis!" Kitty and Jubilee said at the same time.

Laura grunted. "My throat's sore."

Jubilee laughed, "Probably because you're not used to talking that much!"

"Like, yeah, at least not all in one go like that," Kitty added.

"Get on the gym floor in five ladies or I'm writing you all up!" The gym teacher called down.

Taylor nervously hid behind Laura as Coach Witman, a slightly overweight balding man with liver spots on his face. He paced back and forth between two racks of rubber dodgeballs making it obvious what today's activity was going to be. "I see we've got some new students in class. So we'll have one of them… Akio Adams I suppose, go first when picking teams for dodgeball."

Akio made his way forward wearing gym shorts and a white t-shirt that strained against his muscular physique. Seeing him standing there made Taylor blush. Kiden who was nearby whispered in her ear, "Enjoying the view eh Hebert?"

That just made Taylor blush harder, and Tatiana, Jubilee, and Kitty snicker.

"What's with the goggles son?" Coach Witman asked.

Akio was prompt to reply in an almost bored fashion, likely from having to answer this question many times. "I'm an albino sir, my eyes are sensitive to light."

"Ah, thought you bleached your hair," The man muttered before making a note on his attendance clipboard. "Alright then son, you go first."

"Taylor, Laura, Akihiro, Kitty, Jubilee, Kiden,and Tatiana." Akio rattled off easily.

'He, he picked me?' thought as she blinked and made her way over. She was used to being picked last in gym class, not first. She walked over to him in a daze.

Akio scratched his head, he still had half a dozen picks but didn't know anyone elses names. "Um, Kiden any suggestions?"

"Charlotte, Greg, Sparky, Roy, Chuck, and Dave." Kiden rattled off easily. She just smiled and twiddled her fingers at Sophia when the girl scowled at her as the other students joined their team.

With the teams picked, the balls were set on the half court line and each team was forced to go to the back wall to wait on the coach's whistle. "Anything you can tell us about the people on the other team, Taylor, Kiden?"

"Sopia is a track star," Taylor said after a moment.

"James Hennessy the school quarterback," Kiden pointed out the beefy looking jock with black short hair on the other team.

"Dibs." Akihiro said.

"Calling dibs on Hess." Laura said tensing, waiting on the whistle.

Kiden piped up next, "Tatiana and I'll handle Emma and Madison."

"Get us a clear shot and we'll claim righteous vengeance on the jocks dude," Greg said, glancing at Akio.

"Can do. Akihiro scramble for ammo. Jubes, and Kitty, run defense. Laura and everyone else use guerrilla tactics."

"So hit and run then Pointman?" Kiden asked.

"Hit and run, aim for the legs," Akio clarified.

With the plan in place the whistle trilled.

Akio and Akihiro took off like a shot claiming as many balls for their side as they could; they got more than half by the time Hess got up to the line and tried to hit them with her own ball, only to be struck in the leg by a grinning laura.

"Out, Hess!" Coach called.

Sophia stomped over to the bleachers, a look of rage on her face. Madison Clements and Emma Barns soon followed in her wake, without her to lead them, they were damn cowards. The jocks on the opposing team put up a bit more of a fight, managing to take out Kitty and Jubilee.

"Take out Hebert!" Hess called out from her place on the bleachers.

Hennessy nodded and looked to his friends who also nodded before aiming at the dark haired girl with spherical rubber missiles before they let loose.

Taylor who'd been hanging back and taking shots when people weren't focusing on her suddenly froze when three balls came hurtling towards her face at the same time. She didn't have a ball herself so she just closed her eyes and waited for the impact… that didn't come.

Opening her eyes, she found Akio standing in front of her, a ball tucked under each arm and a third one stuck between his legs.

"Out, Jerome, Clive, Henessey!" Coach called.

'He saved me, again,' Taylor realized a small smile blooming on her face moments before a ball hit Akio in the side of the face half stripping his goggles off.

"GAHHH!" Akio screamed as the bright lights from the gym pierced his sensitive pupils like hot daggers.

Taylor moved quickly to shield him in her shadow and then quickly put the goggles back in place. She looked over to see Sophia smirking. For the first time in her life, she felt true vitriolic hatred towards the other girl. She could pick on her, that was one thing, but to willingly, knowingly cause pain to another person? That was going too far. "She's going down," Taylor muttered to herself.

"Thank you Taylor," Akio said as he took to his feet a little wobbly.

Taylor nodded asking worriedly as his friends raced up to him, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be just fine."

Coach called out warningly"Hess, pull another stunt like that and you'll be sitting on the bleachers for the rest of class!" He then asked concernedly, "You okay Adams?"

"Yes sir, I'm fine," the albino confirmed.

"Okay then, if you're sure. Let's go again people!"

The teams and the balls reset and Taylor fixed her gaze on Sophia. She knew the girl was fast, faster than her, so she had to be cunning to compensate. "Dibs on Hess, Barns, and Clements." She said.

Kiden blinked then smirked, "You got it girl, need us to make you an opening?"

"If you'd be so kind," Taylor said after a moment's thought.

Akio rubbed at his temples the sudden influx of light had given him a mild headache. "We'll give you covering fire, you take them out."

Taylor nodded. "Understood," She glanced at him worriedly, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll manage, it's just a minor headache Miss Hebert," Akio said politely, his tone tinged with annoyance as he too glared at Sophia.

The whistle blew, and everyone shot forward again. Akio and Akihiro scooped up balls and instead of flinging them backwards to the others, they flung them like missiles into their opposition. The majority of the jocks went down before they even knew what was going on. Those that remained backed off.

"C'mon you cowards!" Sophia roared at them. "In this world, you are either the predator or the prey! So, which are you?!"

Rallied by her mocking the boys rushed forwards launching balls into the other teams midst. Taylor rushed forward, tucking into a roll to avoid getting hit, and feeling the balls fly over her by mere inches. Rising into a crouch, she picked up a ball and ran determinedly at Sophia.

The dark-skinned girl scowled when she saw Hebert, someone who should be prey running at her with a determined scowl on her face. 'Who does that weakling suddenly think she is?' Sophia thought to herself as she picked up a ball and shucked it with as much force as she could at Hebert's face. She expected the girl to freeze up again…

Yet that didn't happen. Instead, Taylor slid on her knees and let the ball pass over her head before she launched her own sphere at her tormentor. It struck her right in the knee.

"Out, Hess!"

"I… that… you! Sophia growled. "This isn't over Hebert!" She then stomped over to the bleachers.

Taylor didn't pay her threats any mind for the moment. Instead she scooped up two more balls in either hand, and spinning as she rose like she saw a discus thrower do on tv once, she chucked them at Emma and the other at Madison tagging them both. The girls glowered at her as they took their seats on the bench.

It didn't matter to Taylor that seconds later she was tagged out herself by one of the few remaining jocks, she'd got the Trio! 'I got them I go them I got them!' Taylor thought happily as she went and sat over on the bleachers on her side of the gym.

Never seeing the Trio whispering and gesturing in her direction.

They were in the middle of World Issues Class, just before lunch when it happened. A blue white portal opened up in front of Akio and seconds later, a young twelve-year old girl popped out. Launching herself into his chest.

"Oni-chan, where did you go?!"

Akio didn't seem at all surprised, just mildly annoyed, as he sighed and said, "Zoe, mom and dad told you I'd be going to school starting today last night, remember?"

"Um… what is going on here?" Mr. Gladly who prefered to be called Mr. G asked in confusion.

Akio was quick to reply. "I apologize sir, this is my little sister Zoe and she… well she doesn't like being separated from me."

"And she's a cape."

"Yes sir."

Mr. G blinked. "She can teleport?"

Akio nodded. "That is correct."

"She just uses it whenever?" The teacher continued with his inquiry.

Akio shrugged, "When she wants to find me basically."

"She's how old?"

"I'm twelve mister," Zoe said, turning and smiling at the man. Showing she was wearing small square glasses and a plaid skirt, with a black hoodie, her black stocking matching her polished black shoes. Her hair started as burnt orange only to fade into a deep purple and her eyes were mismatched one was green and the other blue.

Mr. G didn't seem at all perturbed by having a twelve year old teleporter suddenly showing up in his class. "Well, Zoe would you like to be my special helper for the rest of the period?"

"Okay!... What do I gotta do?" She asked tilting her head to the side, causing a majority of the girls to coo cutely. Even Taylor thought she was adorable.

"Perhaps you would like to give us a better demonstration of your powers?" Mr. G asked.

"Oh, I can do that!" Zoe snapped her fingers and a portal opened a few feet above Mr. G's desk and boxes of various candies proceeded to fall from the opposite end of the portal before it closed.

Akio sighed. "Zoe, where did you get that candy from?"

"Remember that one time we visited Belgium when on furlough for my last birthday Oniichan?" Zoe said turn to him.

"You robbed a belgian sweet shop?" Akio said sighing as if petty mass theft was something his sister did often.

"Oh my… I'm guessing she does this a lot?" Mr G inquired.

"She teleported the last living Japanese Pandas from the zoo in New York into our ship's hold because she thought they were cute… so yeah you could say she does."

Kiden burst out into laughter upon hearing that, "Oh my god, I love her! If you don't want her, I'll gladly take her."

"No way!" Zoe said snuggling deeper into her brother's chest. "Oniichan is the best Oniichan. He beats up the bad guys, tells me stories, and cooks me food… sometimes."

Several girls snapped pictures of this endearing scene on their phones, and for the first time ever, Taylor wished she had a cellphone too, if only so she could capture this moment for posterity.

"Thank you Zoe," Akio replied, patting his little sister's head affectionately. "But I think you should be getting back to mom. She must be getting worried about you by now."

"Do I have to oniichan?" Zoe asked in the tone all little sisters knew to use on their big brothers.

Akio's response was to give more headpats. "Yes, you do. You'll be starting middle school soon enough and be making all kinds of friends. Then you won't have time to worry about me."

Zoe sighed, "Fine… but if Zoe didn't worry about Oniichan he'd get himself into all kinds of trouble," she pointed out.

"Petty Officer Zoe, oscar mike now," Akio said in an authoritarian tone.

Zoe knew better than to argue with her brother when he used her rank. "Aye, aye, Ensign. Oscar mike back to homebase, over and out."

Zoe jumped through a portal and was gone. Five minutes later, the lunch bell rang.

Taylor was feeling better than she had in a long while. She made her way to the bathroom with a spring in her step. 'I've got friends! Actual friends! Just wait till I tell dad! He'll be thrilled, he's been worried about me lately,' she thought with a frown. 'Really ever since mom passed we've both just been surviving as best we can.' Her smile returned as her thoughts turned to Ensign Akio. "He's handsome in an exotic kind of way," Taylor bit her lower lip. "What would he see in me though?"

Taylor was so caught up in her thoughts of a boy, something so normal for a girl her age, that she never saw the wrench coming for her head…

Taylor came around with a groan. The first thing she noticed was the iron tang of blood in the air. As her vision cleared, she looked around and found herself in a dark cramped place, with three slits of light on her face. 'Where am I, what happened?'

She tried pushing on the walls and the space in front of her, feeling along along the walls. She screamed when she felt something begin crawling along her arm and other things up her pants leg. Moving her feet she felt a sick wet squelch, and through the dim light that she was standing on bloody used tampons that had been coated in all manner of insects.

She proceeded to bang on the small space only for a book to hit her in the head, 'An english book,' she realized, 'I'm in my locker!' She screamed, banging on the door. "Let me out! Someone! Anyone help!"

She heard horrid wicked laughter. Familiar laughter.

"Maybe now you'll remember your place in this world Hebert!" Sophia spat at her.

"Let me out of here you crazy bitches!" Taylor screamed at them. They'd alway been mean, cruel even, but this was going too far.

"Enjoy your stay in casa used tampons Hebert!" Emma, her former friend mocked as the Trio walked away. Leaving her to bang on the door and cry for help. Yet it was the middle of the lunch period she doubted anyone would be coming. For thirty minutes she banged on the locker door in vain… then, the visions of crystalline tentacle monster whales started and she really wanted out.

Kiden was growing concerned. Taylor didn't eat in the cafeteria. That wasn't surprising, she never did. She ate in the third floor girls bathroom. It was a secret she kept from Hess and her bitch friends. 'I should go check on her, ' Kiden decided. Turning to her new group of friends she said, I'll be right back, gonna go powder my nose."

Excusing herself, once she left the cafeteria Kiden activated her own hidden cape power. The ability to accelerate her own time. The world turned a kaleidoscope of colors and Kiden began the trek up to the third floor girl's bathroom. In no time at all, she was in front of the third floor girls bathroom, and deactivated her power before touching the door lest it get blasted off its hinges. She then pushed the door open and gently called, "Taylor, you in here girl? It's me, Kiden." When she received no response, Kiden walked into the bathroom and proceeded to look under all the bathroom stalls. She didn't see hide nor hair of her new friend. Now concerned, Kiden stepped into what she called 'no-time' again and soon found herself back on the ground floor. Cupping her hands over her mouth she called out, "Taylor! Can you hear me?! You around?!"

"Help! Someone, anyone get me the hell out of here!" Taylors frantic borderline manic voice called.

Kiden raced down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of a foul smelling locker that had spiders crawling out of the slats at the top and the bottom. She also noticed the lock had been mangled and nails had been driven into the door on the outward swinging side. 'This is Taylors locker, they stuffed her in there with garbage and bugs!' Kiden called out to her, "Taylor?!"

"Get me out, get me out, get me out!" The girl cried in near hysteria.

"Okay, okay…" Kiden said to herself. 'I can't use no-time; it would just collapse the door on her and possibly kill her. I need… Need to get Akio and the others,' she decided.' She called out to Taylor, "Wait right here, I'm going to go get help!"

"P-Please, don't leave me!" Taylor cried out almost a blubbering mess.

Kiden didn't want to leave but she had to go. "I can't help you by myself Taylor. I need to go get help. Can you hang on just a little longer?"

"Hurry, please!" the introvert cried out.

"Be back in a flash," Kiden promised using no-time again and running as fast as she could to the cafeteria. She turned it off right in front of the doors and pushed them open, "AKIO!" She cried getting his and everybody else's attention.

The boy was on his feet in seconds, he knew a serious situation when he heard panic in someone's voice. "What is it Kiden?"

"It's Taylor, she's in trouble," The blonde said in one breath.

The boy got up and crossed the cafeteria in all of three long strides. "Where?" It was a single word but the air of command in it was unmistakable.

"Her locker," Kiden replied, running to keep up with his long strides, "Someone shoved her in it with bugs and garbage."

Akio smelled it before he saw it. The stench alone made him want to retch up what passed for a paid lunch at winslow highschool. He clenched his fists in barely restrained rage when he saw the spiders and worms crawling their way out from under the locker in question. Then he saw the nails and damaged lock. 'Someone didn't want her getting out anytime soon,' He glanced behind him at the trio two of whom turned sheet white under his glare, 'I think I know who.'

"Taylor, I'm going to get you out of there now, don't worry!" Akio called out before he turned to the assembled crowd of students, "Someone call a bus!"

"Bus?" Someone in the crowd questioned.

"An ambulance," Laura replied, snatching up the nearest person's phone and dialing 911.

"Please," Taylor called out piteously, "Please someone let me out of here… please."

"Don't you worry," Akio said mostly to himself as his right hand glowed a golden yellow, "You'll be out in just a moment." He reached out with his hand and his fingers sunk into the metal of the locker door like it was water before he casually tore the door off its hinges and tossed it aside.

Taylor was curled in fetal position at the bottom of the locker, her hands wrapped around her knees, her head buried into her legs as she rocked back and forth. Akio took a knee and reached out to her without touching her. "Taylor, hey Taylor you can come out now."

"Ambulance is on its way," Laura told him gently, not wanting to spook the traumatized girl.

Akio gently reached out and put a hand on Taylors head. She jerked her head up at his touch, staring at him, but clearly not seeing him. Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes going to and fro in their sockets, her pupils the size of pinpricks.

"It'll be okay Taylor, it'll be okay just give me your hand… c'mon." He urged while not noticing some of his golden glow flowed into Taylor's head.

Slowly Taylor uncoiled herself gently giving her hand to the dragon in front of her. For she did not see a man but a golden dragon offering her shelter from the crystal whale things from within the safety of its golden wings. How could she say no to such an offer?

Akio was only mildly surprised when Taylor all but threw herself into his arms. He noted she had numerous nicks and cuts on her hands. 'Likely from trying to escape,' He reasoned as he bundled her up into both his cape and a princess carry, and headed towards the front doors to await the ambulance. As he passed the shocked Principal Blackwell, his gun and knife now on clear display he said, "You had better find out who did this before I do ma'am. And if you don't find the people responsible and release them to police custody… well, I'll be taking matters into my own hands."

Although he didn't voice it, Blackwell was under no illusions of what methods the boy would employ in order to exact his pound of flesh from those responsible. Thus she hurried off to get a handle on this situation before it spiraled completely out of control. 'Or has it already?' she wondered fearfully as she looked back to see then Ensign load Hebert onto a gurney and then climb into the back with the EMT's as it made its way to the hospital.

Daniel Hebert had never driven so fast or haphazardly in his life. When he got the call that his daughter was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, He didn't think he just hoped into his vehicle and drove. He would find out later he parked his beat up tan oldsmobile in a firelane but he was too worried about his daughter to care as he rushed up to the closest receptionist and asked in a single breath, "Taylor Anne Hebert, which room?"

"The father I presume?" The receptionist asked, her eyes flicking up to him as she began clicking away on her computer.

Daniel showed the woman his ID. "Daniel Joseph Hebert, her father."

The woman nodded, "She's on the third floor, fifth room on the left.

Giving the woman a nod in thanks, Daniel headed for the elevator and rapidly hit the up button when the doors didn't open fast enough for his liking. Once they did, he slid inside as soon as he could and just as rapidly jabbed at the button for the fifth floor, tapping his foot impatiently as the doors slowly closed and the elevator began to monotonous ascent. Once the doors finally opened, Daniel shot down the hallway like a bloodhound on a scent. When he got to the door in question he paused… for there were men in PRT uniforms standing guard outside the door and muffled if angry voices were coming from within.

"Can we help you sir?" One of the guards carrying a gun in both arms asked.

"Umm, I was told this was my daughter, Taylor Herberts room?" Daniel said slowly.

The two men looked at each other. The one who spoke previously spoke again, "Do you have some form of identification sir?"

"In my back pocket, can I reach for it or would you like your friend to do it?" Daniel asked not wanting to give the men a reason to shoot him.

The first guard nodded to the second who moved behind the worried father and rifled through his back pants pocket, producing a wallet which he flipped open. "He's clean," The other man said after a moment of looking through his wallet. Handing it back to him the other man added, "Cute kid, sorry this happened sir. What about the missus?"

"She passed three years ago," Daniel replied as the first guard tapped on the glass letting the people inside know they had another visitor.

"Sorry to hear that sir, you can head on in."

The Dock Worker Union Rep nodded and headed inside. The first thing he noticed was the older man in the tailored black pinstriped suit glaring daggers at a boy his daughter's age wearing combat fatigues, boots, an olive drab tank top, and… 'Is that a damn cape?' Daniel asked himself. 'Wait, he's one of the kids who came off the Navy ship earlier this morning. What's he doing here?' Daniel cleared his throat. "What is going on here?"

The young man turned his goggled eyes to look at him. "Mr. Hebert I presume?"

Daniel nodded. "That's the second time I've been asked that since I walked in here and yes, I am."

"PRT Investigator Mr. Corona was just about to leave."

"You have no authority to…" The man began.

Only for the young man to cut him off by slashing his arm through the air. "I am an Ensign with the United States Navy and she is in my unit!" The boy barked in drill sergeant fashion. "I have every right. Now, Investigator, you are dismissed; this is a case for NCIS."

The PRT investigator crushed his notepad in a clenched fist. "Fine! She's in no state to be interviewed anyway."

The man left without another word, leaving the two men in the room. Daniel walked up to the foot of his daughter's bed. She was out cold, IV in her arm and her wrists bound by velcro to the gurney rails of the bed. 'I don't remember her looking so small when I checked in on her before I left for work this morning,' Daniel thought to himself. He then looked at the boy. 'White hair, covered eyes, possibly an albino still doesn't explain what he's doing here,' Clearing his throat, Daniel spoke, "What can you tell me about what happened to my daughter Ensign..?"

"Akio Adams, Mr. Hebert, and I wished we were meeting for the first time under more… pleasant circumstances," Akio said giving the man a respectful bow. "As to what happened to Taylor… someone thought it would be funny to trap her in her locker with… bio hazardous material that had been left to rot over Christmas break."

Akio could hear the man's knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists in anger as he stared at him, then back to his daughter. "Define bio hazardous material for me if you would be so kind Ensign Adams."

"Sir, I don't think…"

"Please, I need to know exactly what happened to my daughter so I know just what to tell the lawyer when I sue the school," Daniel replied in a cold calculating tone.

For a moment a cold smile appeared on Akio's face. It soon disappeared into a scowl. "Used feminine products, and all the bugs that came with them, sir."

"I see," Mr. Hebert said through clenched teeth, before he took a breath in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, "Where exactly do you come into the picture?"

Akio was quick to reply. "I stopped her from being bullied on my way into school this morning. I don't like bullies, and it was my first day at Winslow."

He watched as Mr. Hebert narrowed his eyes. "Did you get their names?"

"Sophia Hess is the only name I know for sure, but the others… did a bit of ISR and the names Emma and Madison came up around her a lot. Ring any bells sir?"

"Emma… the only Emma I know is Emma Barnes, she's Taylors closests friend… also ISR?"

Akio had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry sir, I'm used to being on a naval ship and everyone around me understanding military jargon. ISR stands for intelligence, surveillance and recon… Stil, Emma Barnes" Akio muttered to himself.

Daniel frowned his green eyes narrowing, "She's been a friend of my daughter for years… if something's changed…"

"Sir, with all due respect, you look depressed, you are likely still dealing with the loss of your wife," Akio said.

"Taylor mentioned that?" Daniel blinked.

Akio shook his head, "Not to me directly but she mentioned it to a new friend and I overheard. You have my condolences sir, but and again, I mean this with all due respect, do you honestly think she would tell you something is going wrong in her life and make things even more stressful for you?"

Daniel ran his hands through his thinning hairline as he sighed. "Pff... No, of course she wouldn't. She would keep it to herself, being concerned for my safety… I've failed her as a father, haven't I?" Daniel asked no one in particular.

Akio was quick to shake his head. "No sir. The school officials failed to keep her safe on their watch. Both you and your daughter suffered quite a blow. Losing a loved one is never easy."

"Have you ever lost anyone son?" He asked the young man before him.

Akio thought back to all the corpses he's seen over the years, crushed, burnt, and drowned by the power of the endbringers. The people he'd been forced to kill to keep others safe. That wasn't what Mr. Hebert was referring to though. The man was speaking of personal loss, making the ensign think back to Jiji, who had passed just this morning… "Yes sir I have."

Daniel nodded. "So, how'd you get the EMT's to let you ride here with them anyway?"

Akio let out an awkward little laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I kinda lied and said I was her boyfriend."

Daniel crossed his arms and smirked. "Oh really? Any truth to that statement?"

Akio went to the bathroom where he retrieved a washcloth got it wet with cool water, rung it out a little bit, then came back and placed it on Taylors forehead, gently moving her curly black hair out of the way as he did so before wiping the sweat off of her brow and leaving the cool cloth there. He then replied to the man's statement. "Too soon to tell,"

Daniel thought otherwise. The actions he just displayed showed great care and affection for his daughter. He smiled. "I respectfully disagree Ensign, your actions speak louder than words. Also, you have my permission should you ever want to ask my daughter out."

"I… thank you sir," Akio said blinking in a confused fashion behind his goggles.

"Why is she restrained?" Daniel asked, anger lacing his tone.

"She was acting erratic, I asked them to sedate her, she's here in the psych ward for observation," Akio said looking through her chart.

"You can read that?" Daniel was impressed, he never could make heads or tails of those things.

Akio nodded. "I've had to pick up many skills in my time at sea and in assisting with Endbringer relief efforts Mr. Hebert."

Daniel nodded though there was a grimace on his face. 'I can only imagine the horrors this young man has seen,' He coughed and changed the subject. "Why was the PRT here?"

"To see if this event caused Taylor to trigger into a Parahuman of course," Akio replied, as if it were obvious.

"You said she was in your unit…"

Akio smiled, as he took out his phone when it dinged and typed away on it."Unofficially, yes she and a few friends I made in school today are. I'm a leader of my own squad, and can add people to it as I see fit. Taylor, being only fifteen, can't join the service officially, at least, not without parental consent on certain… documentation," He said with emphasis as he looked pointedly at Mr. Hebert.

Daniel gave the boy a sharp look, "Why would I do that, and what would my daughter be expected to do exactly Ensign?"

"I will answer your last question first sir," Akio began, "Her official designation would be SRI. You recall what that means?" Seeing the man nod, Akio continued. "We need someone or someone who knows the area, locations, people, dangers, geography, gang related and otherwise, political climate, capes, that sort of thing."

"So you need a guide to Brockton Bay in other words," Daniel mused. "I see, I'm sure she wouldn't mind doing any of that and it certainly wouldn't kill her to be more social."

Akio smiled, "Excellent! I'm glad you agree. The starting pay for a Seaman Recruit, the lowest rank one can have in the Navy is about eighteen hundred dollars a month," Seeing Daniels' eyes widen in shock, Akio nodded solemnly, "Yes, I know it's not much but give her six months and I should be able to promote her to a Seaman Apprentice, which gives about two grand."

"I-It's not that," Daniel said, "It's just that's almost what I get paid at my job right now!"

"Oh… Well, would you be interested in joining the United States Navy and supplementing your income by chance?" Akio offered innocently.

Daniel couldn't help but laugh at that. "I think I'll let you finish your pitch for my daughter first Akio."

"If, if," Akio stressed, "Taylor has triggered, the PRT won't be able to press her into joining the Wards if she's already affiliated with a branch of the military, it's in their charter."

Daniel had to admit, the boy was going quite far to keep his daughter safe. 'And with him all she'd have to do is keep him apprised of the going on around town, help him get used to the place. Triggered or no. If she has triggered, and the PRT finds out…' He shuddered, he'd seen capes on TV that had no right to be out there fighting super villains. 'Like that Vista girl. She should be growing up and living a normal life. Not fighting.' Daniel nodded. He'd made up his mind. "Where do I sign?"

Akio smiled and turned his phone around, "Sign here, initial here, and date here."

Taylor awoke slowly, she smelt a chemical unnatural cleanliness enter her nose as she breathed, and heard a constant beeping noise. Her head was spinning and she felt a constant buzzing in the back of her mind. She looked around and found everything was blurry. 'My glasses are missing.' she realized. She tried to move her arms to look around for them, only to find she was restrained.

"W-What's going on?" She cried out fearfully.

"Taylor, you're awake," A familiar voice said.

It took Taylor but a moment to recognize that voice. "Akio?"

"Yes," the boy replied.

Before he could say more, another voice chimed in. "How're you feeling sweetie?"

Taylor blinked, Dad? What're you… where am I?"

Her father replied with heat in his tone. "Brockton General sweetheart, you were subject to a very cruel prank."

Taylor remembered! The locker, the blood, the bugs. She started to hyperventilate the EKG machine picking up in tempo, only for someone to grab her hand and a warmth to spread from that point of contact. Even the buzzing in her head subsided. "Taylor, listen to me, breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, you're having a panic attack," Akio told her. She did as he said. She slowly felt herself calm, and the beeping of the heart monitor slowed to a reasonable pace.

She looked to his blurry white outline and smiled as big as her expressive mouth, which she inherited from her mother, could go. "Thank you Akio."

She saw the indistinct blob nod. "You're welcome."

"Could one of you hand me my glasses? I can't see anything without them… also why can't I move my arms?"

In response, Akio reached into his pants pocket and placed her thick square glasses on her nose before pushing them up, then the world came into focus. She was in a sterile white hospital room, a bathroom in one corner, a small table had a chess set up and running in a small corner where the two had been sitting. Taylor then noticed the velcro on her wrists.

"You were acting erratic and needed to be restrained," the albino supplied. "If I undo the velcro are you going to attempt to hurt yourself or others?"

Taylor rapidly shook her head "N-No!" She then looked down in shame, " I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"No worries, you wouldn't be the first one, and likely won't be the last," the teen said, giving her a reassuring pat on the knee before he undid the restraints, leaving Taylor wondering just what he meant by those words.

A moment of silence passed, and taylor finally asked, "So, what if anything is going to happen to the people who did this?"

"Make no mistake Taylor," Akio began, his voice soft, yet carrying a hard edge, like steel wrapped in velvet. "There will be a reckoning for this. The school will pay, those involved, will pay, mark my words."

'When Akio gets angry, really genuinely angry, he gets quiet,' Taylor noted as he nodded rapidly. "But how?"

The right side of his lip quirked up showing a wolfish smirk. "I have my methods Miss Hebert."

She didn't know why, but switching back from Taylor to Miss Hebert made her want to pout. "You can call me Taylor you know? I think you've earned the right after you got me out of the locker."

"You did?" Daniel asked, Akio had left out this little tidbit of information.

"Huh, didn't think you'd be coherent enough to recall that," Akio mused to himself. "Yet it was no trouble."

"You… are you a cape, Akio?" Taylor asked.

The albino laughed. "No, I've just trained very hard in the realm of martial arts."

Taylor's brow scrunched not in disbelief but confusion "Really? Cause I could almost swear I remember your hand glowing yellow at one point."

In response, Akio raised his fist and channeled his chi into it, making it glow, "You mean this? It's merely a manipulation of internal energy Taylor, chi, or life energy if you will. Anyone with enough practice and dedication can learn how to do this," He allowed the energy to slip away and carried on. "On the topics of capes however, have you noticed anything strange about yourself since you woke up?"

Taylor blinked. "You think that I might've… triggered?" she asked in hushed awed tones.

"It's a distinct possibility, yes," The asian albino affirmed, "We," He motioned to her father and himself, "Have already taken steps to keep you out of PRT hands should that be the case."

Taylor blinked again. "What if I want to join the PRT, as a Hero?"

"That is your choice of course," Akio hedged, "But at the moment, to protect you from being pressed into joining them right after such a traumatic event, your father let you join the navy. My unit to be exact."

Taylor took a moment to process this information. "What would I be expected to do?"

"Help us get accustomed to Brockton Bay, point out locations of interest, gang territory, and political climate of the area," The squad leader replied.

Taylor dipped her head a bit. "So be a tour guide, basically?"

"Your official title would be first reconnaissance officer, but yes. We need someone who knows the area, is a local who won't stand out, and can keep us informed of the goings on. Also your pay starts at about eighteen hundred dollars a month plus all manner of healthcare benefits."

Taylor's eyes widened behind her glasses. "I-I see… and how much do the Wards get?"

"They are granted a trust of fifty thousand a year, which doubles upon becoming a hero, but the thing is, it's a trust. They have someone else managing it," Akio told her, "They can't access it freely."

Taylor nodded. "And if I join your outfit. Sophia, Emma, and Madison can't touch me without risk of going to prison."

Akio grinned, "Exactly. Attacking a member of the military is the same as trying to kill a cop, judge or any other civil servant."

"So it was them?" Her father asked, staying silent up to this point. "Why didn't you tell me Taylor?"

The dark-haired girl frowned and shrugged. "You and I… we both had a lot on our plate since mom…" she pettered off.

"Taylor," Daniel reached over and put his hand over his daughter's. "If something bad is going on in your life, I want to hear about it, understand?"

Slowly tentatively, Taylor nodded. Like a skittish cat that was about to bolt.

Danny nodded. "Good, now how long has this been going on?"

"…" Taylor muttered something unintelligible.

"Come again?" Daniel asked.

"I do believe she said a year and a half. Is that right Taylor?" Akio asked, his voice full of tranquil fury once again.

The girl just looked down at her lap and nodded.

A light *ding* broke the silence. Akio pulled his phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open and read the contents before taking to his feet. "I'm sorry Taylor, Mr. Hebert, but you'll have to excuse me, something has come up.

Taylor's arm flashed out and grabbed his wrist. Her frantic eyes locked with his even behind his goggles. "Do you have to go? Can't you stay?"

Akio gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry Taylor, but I've a funeral of a shipmate to attend. He passed just this morning. I'll be back tomorrow morning and save you the agony of having to eat hospital MRE's okay?"

Taylor's hand fell limply from his wrist. "Okay… I'm sorry about your friend."

"Thank you, Jiji was a grumpy old man, but he was my grumpy old man. I'll see you both tomorrow," Akio bowed and left.

"I...I never got to tell him," Taylor said after he left the room.

"About what sweetheart?" Daniel asked his daughter.

In response, several butterflies fluttered into the room and landed perfectly aligned on Taylor's hand. She glanced down at the bugs then at her father. "That I think I did trigger… Dad, I think I can control bugs."

"Oh boy," Daniel said, running a hand down his face. "Well, there's always tomorrow."

Taylor nodded before she made the butterflies do a series of aerial acrobatics, zipping around and chasing after each other like small dogfighters. "Yeah, tomorrow."

Akio walked into the boiler room, where cremations were held, to find just about every already present. The crew, including Akio, the Howlett's, his mother and Zoe who were all sitting up in front near the open casket. Everyone was solemn, and most eyes were dry. All of them had seen far too much death by this point to let it affect them overly much.

Akio walked down the aisle and sat down silently next to his mother. Neither one spoke for a moment, both looking at the body of Kotowaru Higasa in his final repose. Without looking away, Yukia asked her son. "What happened at school today?"

"I tried to stop a girl from getting bullied," Akio said, not taking his eyes off the corpse of his old friend either. "To do the right thing, as you and dad always taught me to do. In the end, I failed."

Yukia sighed quietly. "Aki-kun, we've talked about this behavior of yours."

"If there is anything wrong with my behavior, mother, then it can be laid at yours and father's feet. For do not children learn first from their parents?"

If there was a point of contention between mother and son it was Akio's desire, no need, to confront trouble wherever he found it. He saw someone in trouble, he intervened. He was raised to be a serviceman and saw it as his duty to help others. While his parents understood to a point, several times he had almost caused an international incident due to this. First in Russia… Next that debacle in China … then in South Korea… in the end everything had turned out fine, more than fine for him in fact, but his parents didn't want him dying due to his impulsive need to put himself in harm's way.

Yukia sighed again. 'I suppose he has a point, his father defied orders on multiple occasions, to assist those caught in Endbringer attacks,' Yukia knew that the loss of their homeland of Japan to the Leviathan still haunted her husband's thoughts even now, almost eleven years later. That was why whenever he heard of an attack, the Sanctuary took off at full speed to assist. To prevent another Kyushu, to not see another Japan. "Regardless of the reason why, you should do as we say, not as we do," Yukia reprimanded. "Your father and I wish for you to live a normal life here in Brockton Bay."

"Normal life? Here, in a city designated a HOSAV zone?" Akio asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow. "Where the number of gangs and parahumans is five times the norm? This is where you want me to have a normal life?"

'Curse my son's unusually inquisitive nature!' Yukia thought. "I know Brockton Bay isn't ideal but it is close to the sea, with ships, and a dock. Can you at least try not to get yourself shot within your first week here while we try to find housing, please?"

Akio nodded. "I'll do my best," He then asked, "Where are Dad and Uncle James?"

"They have gone to face a tribunal," His mother replied.

"Ah, crap," Akio said as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Lieutenant Steven Rodgers made his way to the plinth to read Muramasa's last will and testament.

"All Rise!" the bailiff said, as Rear Admiral Cummings, the court officer and judge in this summary court martial hearing returned from his chambers after hearing all arguments and deliberating on all facts, causing James Logan "Wolverine" Howlett and Johnson 'Renegade' Adams to rise to their feet from where they sat at the defendants table.

Rear Admiral Cummings was an elderly man with slicked back grey hair, a weathered face, and sea green eyes. He shuffled his papers together, and looked at the accused. "After reviewing all the evidence, and taking into account all the help they have given to numerous nations across the globe during Endbringer attacks, I have decided the sentence for the both of the accused are forty-five days of hard labor without confinement."

He slammed his gavel into the sound block when those in the gallery began to protest. "That is enough! Those aboard the USS Sanctuary… yes, I'm using the changed name, it's more well known by this point, have put themselves in harms way time and time again against Endbringers!" The Rear Admiral glared at the people who protested quelling them into silence. "Some of you may foolishly think that Captain Adams is a fool for assisting unallied nations in a time of crisis, yet it is due to his very actions of him and his crew that our standing with those very nations are stronger than they've ever been! Russia has sought trade negotiations with the White House, and Korea's best Tinker has been chomping at the bit to get a visa to come visit for 'Diplomatic reasons'," Everyone chuckled at that, and even Johnson did, "This is all thanks to the actions of the Sanctuary. The only time it didn't really pan out was in China and even then, we managed to acquire a powerful asset."

That made Johnson scowl. He didn't think Miss Mei-Ling Zhou would like being referred to as an asset. 'She is a powerful weather manipulator, going by Coldfront if I recall properly. I think she said the proper term for her power was Caelimancer.'

"The punishment shall begin tomorrow at twelve hundred hours, and continue to eighteen hundred hours everyday till a total of two-hundred-seventy hours of hard labor have been reached. That is my verdict, court is adjourned," There was a final bang of the gavel and everyone rose to leave.

Johnson was stopped in the hallway by his immediate superior, Rear Admiral Lower Half, Jonah Fishman. The man scowled at him angrily. "So, you got away with defying orders scott free Captain," He was a narrow faced man with shifty steel eyes and a wiry frame.

Johnson stood at attention. "Admiral, I did what any person with a heart should've done in times of need, sir!" Johnson said, saluting his superior.

"Cavorting with the enemy is what I call it," The Admiral said with a snort, Jonah was an American Patriot through and through and it was his biggest glaring weakness. He didn't like Johnson because he chose not to marry someone from the USA, as the people of his homeland weren't good enough for him. When Leviathan attacked Japan, it was Jonah whose order he defied to pull out and watch from a safe distance as Kyushu sunk beneath the waves. It was his order he defied.

Captain Johnson glared at his superior. "You and I have a very different definition on what can be defined as this nation's enemy sir. Those in power abusing that power for example are just as dangerous if not moreso. For the enemies within can be far more dangerous than the enemies without." The Admiral's eyes turned murderous at that, but Johnson wasn't done, he continued with steel in his voice, "Also it is said, sometimes the tree of freedom must be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Good day Admiral."

Johnathan and James who was already lighting up a victory cigar, with a shit eating grin on his face walked past the man, out of the courthouse, and into the Brockton Bay night. "Nice job standin' up fer yourself back there Johnny! Smoke?" He asked, offering him a cigar.

Johnson waved off politely. "No thank you James, you know I don't, but thank you for offering," The two service men made their way through the dark of Brockton Bay. Most would be wary, but not these two. They'd survived far worse than petty gangsters. Thus, the two walked casually down the street, hands in their pockets as they made their way towards the Docks. They were bathed in the light of a street lamp when they were stopped by a trio of teens wearing the red and green colors of the Azn Bad Boys. "Give us your money and we won't hurt you grandpa." the one in the middle said, pulling a gun.

James released a plume of cigar smoke from his mouth. Then he sniffed the air. "Boy, your guns one, maybe two shots away from jamming on you. Have you ever bothered to clean it since you got it? I can smell the gunpowder buildup from here."

The teen blinked, then he snarled, "You're a fuckin' cape!"

Logan scoffed, "Yeah, I'm a fuckin' cape, but I perfer the term parahuman. Cape makes me sound like I'm runnin' around in spandex and wearin' my underwear outsid'a my pants… Your with the ABB right? A part of Kenta Kobuyashi's outfit?"

The boy's looked at each other. "You mean Lung?"

"Right Lung," Logan said, as he tapped some ash on the ground, before continuing. "When you head on back to 'em like you're about to do, you 'em his CO Wolverine says hi, and that he needs to train his Boots better. He'll know what it means."

With that the two walked right on by the confused bangers only for James to snatch the firearm from the boy's limp grip as he passed and fire two shots off into the air. On the third shot, the gun jammed, brass getting stuck in the breach. He then tossed it back to the stunned young man, a smirk on his face. "See, told ya. Firearms are machines son, not magic wands. Take care of them, and they take care of you."

They then carried on down the street. They soon turned the corner into the Docks and made their way inside. "So, hard labor huh? Whatdaya think we'll have to do?" James asked.

"Probably help the boys around here take apart the old ships," Johnathan commented, "That's pretty tough work, especially when you've got the ABB breathing down your neck."

"You leave ole Aqualung to me," James said grinning and pointing at himself. "It's been awhile since I handed my old LT his ass, so he's probably gotten cocky."

"We should go and attend Muramasa-san's furneral if it isn't already over. If it is… Well, we should still pay our last respects," Johnathan commented, his tone morose.

James put out the remnants of his cigar on his palm. His flesh healed up in a matter of seconds due to his healing factor, and he placed the third of a cigar in his breast pocket as he and Jonathan ascended the gangplank.

Akio looked from where he was examining Ishun under a dim light when he heard a knocking at his door. "Come in," He called. He was both surprised and overjoyed when he father entered ducking silghtly to fit inside the oval-shaped door. "Dad, you're back! So I take it everything went well then?"

"Well as I could hope, I'll be doing manual labor for the next forty-five days… Akio, your mother told me what happened today." Jonathan said to his son.

"I'm not going to apologize for doing the right thing," The boy said at once.

Jonathan was quick to reply, "And nor should you… you damn well did the right thing busting that girl out of that locker, yet I can't help but wonder...what makes this Taylor Hebert so special that you would ride in the back of the bus and stay with her at the hospital? Why couldn't you have just gone back to class once you saw her on her way?"

Akio searched for an answer… he couldn't find one. "I… don't… know?"

Yet despite this honestly, his father smiled knowingly. "To go so far as to add her to your unit too just so the PRT can't get their hands on her. You're going quite far for a girl you hardly know son. Perhaps you should think of why you're willing to go so far for her in the first place… Is that the sword?" John asked.

Akio nodded and handed it hit first to his father. The Captain gripped it with two hands and gave an amateurish overhead strike. At least in his son's eyes. His father was many things, tactician, leader of men, an excellent sailor, but a fighter was not one of them outside of standard barroom brawling that is. James made up for in ferocity on the battlefield what he lacked in height. The five foot nothing Canadian was called 'Wolverine' for a reason. If one really wanted to see masterful skill with a katana, they just had to put it in Akio's or James' hands. Not that James needed a weapon…

He was a weapon.

"Did the old man really ask you to…?" John left the question hanging.

"Hunt down the other blades and if necessary, destroy them and possibly their wielders? Yes he did. Muramasa… made some bad shit in his day dad, and if needs his last creation to clean up that mess… well then, I'm fine with helping him do it," Akio said after a moment's pause. Handing Ishan back to his son who returned it to its virgin white sheath, the boy spoke thoughtfully. "You asked me why I went so far to help Miss Hebert… Well, I don't have an answer yet. All I know is, I saw a girl being pushed around, picked on, bullied… I didn't like it. So I did something about it. Then when it kept happening, I kept doing something about it, and I'll keep doing something about it till it stops."

The Captain inquired of his son. "What's Miss Hebert like?"

"Quiet but kind. Likely quiet due to an unknown amount of time being tormented by a particular group of students. Has a genuine desire to want to help others. She assisted me when my goggles were knocked askew during a dodgeball game."

John hissed through his teeth. "Did the coach say anything?"

"Only to the girl that was out at the time, one Sophia Hess, not to do it again or he'd write her up. She is also one of Taylor's tormentors," Akio said as he typed away on his laptop.

"What are you doing son?" Jonathan asked. As he saw his boy was using his military security clearance.

As he clicked away he replied, "Looking up more information on Miss Hess," He blinked in surprise as a security message showed up. "They're sealed? Even with my military access?"

Then a pop up window appeared on his screen.

D-Rage-0n: What is your reason for requesting the files on Sophia Hess?

N-Sign: She assaulted a member of the navy, and possibly caused that same someone to trigger. I need to know who she is and what I'm dealing with before I hand her over to NCIS Dragon.

D-Rage-0n:... How'd you know it was me, Ensign Akio Adams?

N-Sign: Seriously? Miss Dragon, for future reference if you're going to choose a username, choose something that doesn't sound like your cape name. Okay?

D-Rage-0n: Lol. Very well. Thank you Ensign Akio. I am very disturbed to hear about this.

N-sign: She's a Ward isn't she? Hess I mean?

D-Rage-0n: Yes, but do you have any proof of these claims Ensign Adams?

In response Akio uploaded a copy of the video one of the girls had stupidly shared on their Chirp page. That showed the entire event. This was just a copy of the copy he'd downloaded onto his phone. Just in case Dragon tried to delete the original.

D-Rage-0n: Sending all relevant files now. I hope you nail her to a wall Ensign Adams.

N-Sign: I intend to Dragon. Might I suggest bringing popcorn and watching?

D-Rage-0n: I would if I weren't so busy.

N-Sign: I'll send you a video recording.

D-Rage-0n: Much obliged. Sending zip folder now.

His laptop dinged, showing he had mail, before he opened it, Akio scanned it with every conceivable form of virus protection he had to make sure Dragon wasn't trying to hack him. 'Then again, she's the world's greatest Tinker. If she wanted to hack me, I'd be hacked,' He thought before he unzipped the folder.

What he read made his crimson eyes widen. 'You have got to be fucking shitting me!?" He swore. "Hess is Shadow Stalker?" He took a breath and allowed himself to think. 'Okay, okay I can work with this,' Dragon did more than she really had to. She even sent Shadow Stalkers patrol routes on the boardwalk. 'She must be really pissed,' Akio mused. "She's patrolling Wednesday with Glory Girl and Panacea… perfect."

Akio was already formulating plans. He had three or so ready to go when a thought occurred to him. 'Why don't I just turn her in to the Director of this area? Surely pulling such a stunt would get her some time in the hot box? Especially if I press the point that she assaulted navy personnel.'

He shot a quick text to Dragon.

N-Sign: Dragon, can you get me a meeting with the Director of Brockton Bay tomorrow?

D-Rage-0n: Emily Piggot. You want to bring this to her attention? What makes you think it hasn't been already?

N-Sign: Has anything been done to Shadow Stalker yet?

D-Rage-0n:... No. No disciplinary action has been taken, or even reported by her Youth Guard handler.

N-Sign: I rest my case. Also yes I'd like to speak with her personally.

D-Rage-0n: Will 10:30am work?

N-Sign: Perfectly. Thank you Dragon.

D-Rage-0n: Anything for a fellow military officer. ;)

N-Sign: Goodnight Dragon, and thank you for everything.

D-Rage-0n: Goodnight Ensign Akio and your welcome.

Akio shut his computer down and smiled at his waiting father. "Well looks like I'll be skipping school tomorrow too. I've got an appointment with the PRT Director tomorrow morning, 1030 hours."

"You're gonna crucify that girl aren't you?" John asked his son.

Akio laughed. "Please I wouldn't do something so crude or cruel… I'll just settle for having her sent to the Birdcage."

John knew his son could be vindictive at times, he was protective of his family and friends he'd made world over, but this was pushing it to a new level. "I think she'd be happier if you had crucified her by the time you're finished."

"Too damn bad," Akio cursed. "She FUBAR'd this situation, now she can deal with the fallout."

"Roger that. Well if you need to be up and attem by 0830 hours then you'd best hit the rack and get some shuteye."

Akio shook his head, "I'll be leaving much sooner than that, I have a stop to make at the hospital first thing in the morning. So I will be hitting the rack. Night dad."

John ruffled his son's white mane. "Night son. Hope you bring this Taylor girl round sometime soon. She must be quite something if she caught your eye," John said as he walked out the door.

"Yeah… Wait, what?! Dad, what did you mean by that?" Akio called, but he received no answer. His thoughts were plagued by ponderings on his father's words as he fell asleep.

AN: Well, I finally did it. I finished the dark as fuck epic that is Worm. My first thought? FUCK THE ENDING! Taylor doesn't deserve that, not after all the shit she has to go through leading up to that point! She's the opposite of the phrase "You either die a hero or you live long enough to become a villain." She… died a hero and lived the life of a villain. It's some straight up bullshit! Now Wildbow I love you man, but fuck your ending dude.

That said, I decided to create my own hero and insert him into this story. I think that's what a CYOA fic is called, but am not sure because I don't know what CYOA means.I just see it a lot in the Worm fanfic section. That said if you wanna know what this OC of mine can do. Look up Iron Fist. Then give that power to a japanese kid who's watched a shit ton of anime that uses chi as a concept and is a Navy brat and you got Akio Adams

I would like to point out that I had nothing to do with the making of the character but did help fine tune his power. Now there will be a lot of expy's and shout outs to other characters in anime and games. The funny part is not all is it seems some characters have secrets and others are well … …. …. Oh you can't read that seems I'm being censored oh well guess you will have to read to find out. Just be prepared things will be different as we hinted at in this ch. The first change is in a very powerful gang.

That's true, but more to come later on. I do hope you all enjoyed and till next time, this has been a Bubbajack and IcySnowSage Production! Peace!