This is a contiunation of More Prey Than Predators over on SpaceBattles, basically Emma triggered in the Alleyway and has been Mastering Sophia into the person she was in canon. Right after the locker The BB Wards go to NYC for a meet and greet with the Wards there and Sophia is able over come Emma's powers and reveal what happened. This takes place several weeks later.

Prey No More

-BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!-

Sophia's snapped open at the sound of her alarm. More by instinct than choice she reached out and switched it off. Laying there for a second she relished in the silence. Then her mind woke enough to feel something, or rather the lack of something. For a brief second her heart clenched at the absence of a familiar weight in her mind, before relief washed over her. Even weeks later it was hard to remember that she was free. That girl was gone now. Still in the back of her head a part of her was calling out to find her and keep her safe. It was getting smaller though. They told her in time it would fade completely. One day every trace of that girl would be gone. She couldn't wait.

"Sophia," Her mother called from downstairs. "Time to get up, you got school today."

"Yeah, I'm up." She called back stretching as she climbed out of bed she headed to the shower, hoping that she might beat Terry there today. Unfortunately she got there exactly as he did, racing out of his room.

"Whoa," He said, barely avoiding running right into her. "Sorry sis, um any chance I could sneak in there?"

Not long ago she would have yelled at him, or just ignored him and slipped in. She wasn't that person anymore. She refused to be that person anymore. Instead she gave him a smile and nodded.

"Thanks!" His hand patting her shoulder, and headed inside. He had been doing that more and more. Acting like his old self around her. After she was freed from that girl she had to spend a few days at the Protectorate HQ under observation to see if she'd relapse. Her mom must have explained what happened to Terry, which was a shock given her mom's stance on her cape career. Still it was nice not to have to hide around him. Only he had spent the first few days in...something, a "T" word, the one where he treated her like glass. Having things start being more normal was nice.

She turned toward the stairs, given how long her brother took in the shower she'd have plenty of time to eat before her turn.

XxXXxX

School had long been little more than an annoyance in Sophia's life. Even before her Sophia wasn't the best student. She wasn't re...challenged, no matter what Stephen said, but she just had trouble remembering things for tests. Not to mention how boring reading always was. After that girl took over her life she had even less time for school. Not to mention she was always so agitated when people tried to tell her what to do. Except when it was her doing it. If Sophia did homework it was some rush job, mostly she just didn't bother.

Now school was bad for a different reason all together.

After that girl had been outed there was some effort to keep her name out of the papers. Word spread quickly though. Her being taken into custody, and the rumors on FaceSpace meant that everyone in the school knew she was a Master that had been controlling people. Everyone was talking about all the awful things she made them do. It was all bullshit. Sophia didn't know all of that girl's powers but she had a good idea, and she couldn't control a big group. It wasn't even controlling really. It was...that one thing where doing something makes you want to do it more, like with dogs. That girl wanted someone to do something a certain way, say something, act like someone, and if you did you felt good, and you wanted to do it more and more. She didn't even need to say what it was. You just knew what made her happy and so you did it. In the end everything Sophia thought or did was because she liked when Sophia did it. Sophia doubted however that the girl could do it on a group, and certainly not a huge group. It's probably just an excuse to get away acting like they did.

So she sat, bored and fidgety until lunch, which was the one good part of the day. She headed to the cafeteria, passing Heb-Taylor on the way. Sophia offered her a smile, which wasn't returned, but the other girl at least didn't flinch away. She was talking to a few other girls. Some sort of book group or something. She overheard Taylor mentioning it to Missy the other day. It was nice to see her getting new friends. As bad as Sophia had it with that girl, Taylor had far far worse. Thinking about what happen still turned her stomach.

She couldn't let herself dwell on it. Dr Walker had helped a lot in that sense. Sophia knew she was right, about her having to accept what happened and try and move past it. That girl didn't define Sophia, she was still her, no matter what that girl did she couldn't totally destroy everything that made Sophia Sophia.

Running a hand through her hair she tried to shake off her melancholy. If Taylor could move past it, so could Sophia.

Getting down to the cafeteria she grabbed a tray and tried not to grimace at the "food" being served. She missed it when mom used to make lunch for her. That ended awhile ago. That girl's mom never packed a lunch, so Sophia told her mom to not pack anything for her. She thought about asking for it again, but her mom likely was happy for the free time in the mornings.

Stepping out of the line Sophia scanned the lunch room. Kids were all in their packs-no not packs, that was her Sophia-friends, kids were sitting with their friends. She could pick out Taylor with the book kids, and even spotted Madison with some of her old hanger-ons. Without that girl though, Sophia didn't really want to put up with them.

Finding an empty seat in the corner she sat down. It was an odd feeling not having a place to sit. Picking at her food, she wished Lily was here. The other Ward was a lot of help after that first night in New York. Holding her when she was crying, listening to everything Sophia did thanks to that girl without asking too many questions. They exchanged emails during and Lily really helped Sophia feel like a normal person again. Not to mention the hints that she was throwing Sophia's way. She nearly blushed just thinking about it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone sat down across from her. Looking up she say the smiling face of Cassandra, one of her teammates from the track team.

"Hey Sophia," she greeted enthusiastically.

"Umm, hi,"

"It's so great to see you back in school, getting sick always sucks."

It took a second for her to register what she was talking about. Then she remembered, it was the cover story the PRT had her tell people. That she came down with a huge fever and was in the hospital for a few days. Not bad in theory but when word of that girl being taken away people say right through the story. To hear someone bring it up again was, was, dis-something or other.

"So, uh, you coming back to track soon?" Cassandra asked shifting slightly in her seat.

"Oh, yeah I hope," it'd be nice to get back. Track was the one place she felt normal before. It was easier to be Sophia with them, instead of what she tried to make Sophia be "I just got to get cleared from the doctors."

"Awesome, be really nice to have you back. I-we've missed having you around." Her olive skin flushed slightly in embarrassment at her slip up, but Sophia pretended not to notice. That was...unexpected. Nice, but unexpected.

"I've missed you guys too." Sophia shot her the best grin she had. That earned her another blush. So far today was looking up.

XxXXxX

"Today was terrible," Missy moaned dragging herself out of the girl's changing room and into the common area. She had just finished getting out of her costume. Between the girl's pout and the frilly sun dress she had to wear Sophia had to hold back from grabbing the girl and spinning her around like a doll.

"Didn't you have the after school patrol with Dean?" Sophia questioned, having just arrived from dinner. She had coms duty for the night shift.

"Yeah," Missy grumbled. "And now I know all boys are suck."

"What happened?" If Dean had managed to piss Missy off this badly he must have done something epically stupid.

""He brought Glory Girl along."

"Oh. OH! Um that's rough."

"You have no idea. They got to act all cutesy and I was stuck playing third wheel." Missy threw herself over the arm of the couch. "Like I said, all boys suck."

Sophia was torn. Her Sophia would have tried to make Missy cry, just to prove she was tough, and before her Sophia would have said...p-p-things that sound nice but don't mean anything. Now though, now Sophia was going to try and help.

"I can help, but it's going to make me seem like a bitch."

"Has that ever stopped you before?"

Sophia tried not to flinch, really, but either she did or Missy realized what she said because the girl sat upright and let out a gasp.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright, I can handle a joke or two. I was a bitch before."

"No you weren't. I'm a hero, I need to know better. It wasn't you, it was all Pavlov. She's the bitch, hell she's worse than a bitch."

"Pavlov?" Sophia wondered.

"It's what they're calling that Master that fucked with you. You know, because she works with Operant conditioning-"

"THAT'S IT!" Sophia exclaimed, Missy let out a yelp in surprise and rolled back over the arm of the couch and onto the cushions. "Oh, sorry, sorry, it's just I've been trying to think of that term all day. It's been bugging the shit out of me all day."

"S'cool," Missy muttered pulling herself up. There was a moment or two of quiet before she turned to Sophia. "So, um you had advice about Dean."

"Right, well you're really not going to like to hear it." She paused, the other girl gave her a little go ahead gesture. "Well, my advice is that you need to move on."

"What-" Missy started, but Sophia held a hand up.

"I know you don't want to hear it, and I get you really care for Dean, but he loves Glory Girl, and I think you know that. Also even if he didn't I just don't see him liking you like that. I know you like think you're all grown up, but you've still got a lot of growing up to do. Him dating you would be like you dating a fourth grader. So move on, find a guy your age, or hell, hold off on dating for a bit."

Missy gave a little sniffle. Maybe she had been a too hard on the girl.

"Hey look, what do I know right? I just don't want to see you waste all your time chasing something you can't catch."

"Yeah," the other girl mumbled under her breath. She gave a watery sigh, before straightening up. "Thanks, really, I'll think about it."

"Alright, better hurry, the ferry's leaving soon, and you'll be stuck if you miss it."

Missy nodded and started to head toward the exit. Sophia turned away and headed for her seat at the console. As she entered in her access code she heard Missy call out her name. Turning the girl had stopped at the door and was giving her a wide smile.

"Hey, um I just thought I should say that I'm glad I got to meet the real you." Sophia blinked at the other girl's words, and watched as she headed out of the room.

After the door closed Sophia turned her chair around, a smile pulled at her lips.

"I'm glad too."