-----Taylor Hebert-----

-----Abandoned Warehouse, Brockton Bay, CT-----

-----04/12/2011-----

I continued to chat with Morgan about various things, before she brought something interesting up. "How about trying to transfer to Arcadia? You could easily pull it off. It's not like staying in Winslow for Emma's benefit's doing you any favors."

She did have a point, but Blackwell won't let me leave. Not as long as Sophia continues to derive joy out of tormenting me.

"You're going about this the wrong way. Now that you know the score, you can pressure Blackwell into letting you go or threaten to expose her. If she's outed as taking cookies from the PRT's cookie jar, Piggot'll have her fat ass tossed in the slammer till the end of days."

Yeah, Morgan does raise a good point. Still, blackmail isn't very "heroic".

"Hey, if Shadow Stalker can be considered a 'Hero', then you blackmailing your way out of Winslow could be considered 'saint-like'."

Right. There's that particular bit of bullshit. "She is no 'Hero'. She doesn't deserve to be called a 'Hero'."

"I agree. Many would agree without even knowing her the way you do. But exposing her for all the world to see would definitely be a 'Villainous' thing to do. The Unwritten Rules frown upon exposing a Cape's civilian identity for a reason. Take Fleur for instance."

Fleur. One of the founding members of New Wave who was gunned down in her home by some Empire punk. Yeah, I may not be as well-read on the local Cape scene as I really should be, but you'd have to be living under a rock to not know about her.

The way I see it, I have a few options. I could just walk away from it all, try to live my life as Taylor Hebert. Yeah, no. I've always told myself that if I ever got Powers, I'd use them to try and clean up the Bay. Sure, the whole "Hero's vs. Villain's" thing isn't quite as glamorous as it used to be now that I know what I know, but that's no excuse to give up.

So, I could join the Wards. That doesn't really appeal to me. I've had enough of high school drama, throwing Powers into the mix just doesn't seem very appealing. Not to mention Morgan's doomsaying about the PR department trying to neuter my capabilities. Initially I thought she was bullshitting me, but then I remembered Vista. The longest-running member of the current Wards, who for some reason isn't given any sort of weapons to protect herself or neutralize criminals despite how grossly overpowered she would be with a taser or some confoam grenades.

Yeah, chaining myself up with bureaucratic red tape sounds like a terrible idea. So I could go independent. That comes with plenty of risks as well. Namely the fact that I'd be all alone with no backup. Not to mention that my ability to really stick it to the gangs and other criminal elements would be highly limited.

There's no really good options any way I look at it.

"You missed a pretty decent possibility actually." Morgan says. I have a bad feeling about this, but I'm curious. "What?"

"You ever hear the story of Marquis? Brockton Bay's benevolent tyrant?" Morgan asks. Sure, I've heard of Marquis. Ruled the city with an iron fist, but he was a more classy sort of Villain. A real Godfather act. He had a strict code of conduct that he adhered to, which made him greatly respected by his foes, his peers, and the citizens.

Even today, the so-called "Marquis Truce" retains some holdover elements such as "buses are neutral grounds". Sure, the dope-headed Merchants are usually too stoned to remember that, but it does allow for the rare sight of ABB and E88 mooks working together peacefully to resolve a problem.

Dad used to talk about the "good old days" when Marquis was running the Bay. Things really went downhill after he got busted. Oh, I think I know where Morgan's going with this.

"I'm not going to become Marquis 2.0."

"Hey, I'm just saying, and I know that you're thinking, the Bay was a better place under Marquis' rule than it is now."

"Yes, because everyone was scared of him. He had no problem with publicly executing anyone who defied him or his 'rules'."

"Fear is a powerful tool when wielded properly. Part of your own method of Cape combat relies upon capitalizing upon people's fear of being swarmed by creepy crawlies after all. In order to be most effective with an otherwise mediocre Power, the necessity of waging psychological warfare upon your opponents is essential."

I mean, she's not wrong. Maybe I've become a bit desensitized to being surrounded by bugs since I know that they can't hurt me anymore, but being swarmed by a bunch of bees or something is pretty fucking terrifying. Shit, I really am leaning into some sort of 'Villain' mindset."

"I'd argue you're more of an 'Anti-Villain'. Which leans into my whole 'Marquis 2.0' solution. You don't have to go around and kill the naysayers, all you've got to do is traumatize them for life by swarming them with bugs, which you'll be doing anyway. You just need to lean into it and act more menacingly. Make the bad guys afraid of every fly on the wall or spider in the corner, you may be watching them."

That sounds absolutely awful and not at all heroic. But then again, my Power isn't very heroic. Maybe Morgan's on to something? I need to think about this.

-----Rooftops of Brockton Bay, CT-----

-----04/15/2011-----

I've gone on a couple more patrols since then, and am currently practicing urban exploration. Morgan was right. Without a reliable means of getting around, I need to get used to traversing my environment. Free running is surprisingly enjoyable. All the while, I've continued practicing my "swarm sense", using the senses of my swarm to grant me heightened awareness of my surroundings.

It's because of this, that I'm able to notice the three mutant dogs with their accompanying riders approaching from the rooftop behind me. Turning to face them, I shove my emotions into my swarm to confront The Undersider's.

Following my little fuckup on the eleventh, I've decided to familiarize myself with the Cape scene of Brockton Bay more thoroughly.

"Oh good. It's seems you've been studying up since last time. But you can't trust everything you read online." Says Tattletale. Self-proclaimed psychic. Yeah right, compared to Morgan, she's kinda pathetic.

She apparently picks up on my disdain for her act. "Rude, I'm totally psychic. Wait, you know someone who's genuinely psychic? Typhon Prime?! She's an actual psychic?!"

Yep. Still, Tattletale's pretty good. Morgan tells me that her Power's basically "super intuition based on master-level cold reading". She can catch the tiniest micro-expressions to deduce the general thoughts of others. At least, that's what Coil's profile said.

She seems mildly taken aback all of a sudden. Right, there was something that Morgan wanted me to tell her. "Keep your secrets. Death is not the end for you."

No idea what that's supposed to mean, but she said it would be important for Tattletale to hear that. Tattletale seems confused by that, but ultimately shrugs it off.

I then ask "why are you here? What do you want?"

Tattletale then responds "what? Can't a girl and her friends come say 'hello' to an acquaintance?"

"Sure they can, but you clearly want something from me. Here to try and recruit me to your little band of mischief-makers? You do know that I'm trying to be a Hero, right?"

She pauses for a moment before speaking again. "But you're not certain that the kind of Hero you want to be is the kind of Hero this city needs you to be. I'm not the first one to have this conversation with you. Typhon Prime? She's trying to goad you into becoming an Anti-Villain? It's an interesting idea to be sure."

"Perhaps. But I'm not entirely convinced. Especially given... recent events." Tattletale practically freezes in place for a good 20-30 seconds.

"Holy fucking shit! Are you serious?!" I guess she managed to deduce the whole Shadow Stalker thing.

-----Lisa Wilbourn/Tattletale-----

Riding along on Bitch's dogs, we're out scouting for new recruits. After Bitch chased off Spitfire into the waiting arms of Faultline, the smug bitch, I had to give her a good talk about how having more people means getting more money for her dogs. It took far to long to drill the logic into that thick skull of hers, but I'm pretty sure I succeeded.

Still, I had two potential targets in mind. That bug girl from the other night, and Typhon Prime. The bug girl, Skitter I believe, shouldn't be too hard to convince. Sure, she'd probably try to get all clever and join us so she could snitch on us to the PRT or something as an "undercover agent" or something dorky like that, but I could tell that she was starved for friends.

Sure, Regent may be a pain in the ass, Bitch is, well a bitch, and Grue's got his own baggage, but spend enough time with us? Getting her to turn to the dark side should be a piece of cake. Especially since I got the feeling that she's incredibly naive, she has this idealistic view of Hero's and Villain's that's easy to exploit.

I just need to pull the curtain down and let her see how the world really works, then she'll fall hard into the only positive contact she has. Us. Speak of the devil. I signal for us to approach her from behind, only for her to turn and face us.

[Skitter's emotions are unusually dampened.

Skitter is pouring her emotions into her swarm.

Skitter has researched the local Capes more thoroughly.

Skitter knows how your Power works.]

"Oh good. It's seems you've been studying up since last time. But you can't trust everything you read online." I say to her.

[Skitter knows that Lisa likes to pretend she's psychic.

Skitter finds Lisa's act pathetic.]

"Rude, I'm totally psychic."

[Skitter has met a genuine psychic.]

"Wait, you know someone who's genuinely psychic?"

[Typhon Prime is a genuine psychic.]

Typhon Prime?! She's an actual psychic?!"

[Typhon Prime is not a Parahuman.

Typhon Prime is a genuine psychic.

Typhon Prime is not a human.]

What?!

Then Skitter says in a monotonous voice. "Keep your secrets. Death is not the end for you."

[Skitter does not understand the message.

Typhon Prime asked Skitter to convey the message to Lisa.

Related to previous message from Typhon Prime.]

Hmm, the thing about getting free? From Coil? Is it a hint of some kind? I'll think about it later.

Skitter then asks "why are you here? What do you want?"

[Skitter does not believe this meeting is a coincidence.

Skitter suspects Lisa wants to recruit her.]

Clever girl.

I respond with "what? Can't a girl and her friends come say 'hello' to an acquaintance?" I'll try and get friendly with her first.

Skitter then replies with the following. "Sure they can, but you clearly want something from me. Here to try and recruit me to your little band of mischief-makers? You do know that I'm trying to be a Hero, right?"

[Skitter is not falling for Lisa's act.

Skitter is quite certain of Lisa's motivations.

Skitter wants to be a Hero.

Skitter has had her view of Hero's challenged.

Skitter feels that she can't be the kind of Hero she dreamed of with her Powers.

Skitter feels that she may need to employ Villainous methods to get the results she wants.]

"But you're not certain that the kind of Hero you want to be is the kind of Hero this city needs you to be. I'm not the first one to have this conversation with you."

[Typhon Prime has encouraged Skitter to become an Anti-Villain.

Typhon Prime wants Skitter to become a more Heroically-inclined Marquis.]

"Typhon Prime? She's trying to goad you into becoming an Anti-Villain? It's an interesting idea to be sure."

Skitter then responds. "Perhaps. But I'm not entirely convinced. Especially given... recent events."

[Skitter has been weighing the merits and demerits of becoming an Anti-Villain.

Skitter is still unsure if she wants to commit to the idea.

Skitter isn't rejecting the idea out of hand like she normally would do to recent revelations.

Typhon Prime revealed that Shadow Stalker caused Skitter's Trigger Event.

Typhon Prime revealed that Shadow Stalker is the cause of Skitter's lack of socialization.

Typhon Prime revealed that Shadow Stalker's crimes are being concealed from Director Piggot.

Skitter is frustrated that she can't have justice due to the Unwritten Rules endangering Shadow Stalker's family.

Skitter is pissed off with the whole situation.]

Fucking what?!

"Holy fucking shit! Are you serious?!"

[Skitter is deadly serious.

Skitter knows that Lisa has deduced the Shadow Stalker revelation.]

Scion-dammit. I knew that bitch was a basket case, but she seriously managed to cause someone to fucking Trigger?!

-----Taylor Hebert/Skitter-----

"You can go ahead and tell them what you just figured out."

"What did you just figure out Tats?" Asks Grue, the "leader" of The Undersider's. Though according to Morgan, Tattletale's the real "power behind the throne". Even if Grue doesn't seem to realize it.

"Shadow Stalker is responsible for Skitter's Trigger Event."

That makes everyone tense up.

"Fuck." Say Grue.

"Damn." Says Regent.

"Imma kill her." Says Bitch.

I can't really bring myself to disagree with Bitch here. Also, thanks to Morgan, I've got a better understanding of how Bitch works. Apparently her Power kinda fucked with her head and muddled her psychology to work closer to a canine's way of thinking and doing things than a human's. She operates on, and empathizes with, canine logic.

Tattletale then looks at me again and say. "So you're somewhat disillusioned with Hero's, but you're not quite willing to take the plunge into Villainy, even if it would enable you to be a more effective Hero than the actual 'Hero's'."

That's a pretty good summary of it.

"Well, there's nothing I can say to convince you that Typhon Prime hasn't already said. I'd invite you to hang with us for a while, see how the 'other half' lives and what not, but that doesn't feel right for you. I guess if you get tired of the Hero thing, come find us."

And with that, The Undersider's depart.

What should I do?

"{Well, you could try asking your dad for advice?}"

Turning around, I see a Mimic waiting by the fire escape.

"I don't want to worry my dad with all of this. He has enough on his mind."

"{That's a pathetic excuse and you know it. He's a grown man, he can handle it. And if he can't? I can always 'fix' him.}"

"NO!"

"{Either way, do you want to worry him more if you go out one night and don't come back?}"

Shit, that would probably end him.

"He'll want me to join the Wards."

"{It's not the worst thing you could do. You have the resources needed to turn your life around.}"

She's right. "Fine. I'll go talk to my Dad."

-----Hebert Household-----

Arriving home, I see that Dad's down in the living room. I decide to approach him while still wearing my costume.

"Dad?"

"Yes Tay-?" He cuts himself off as he sees me in a costume while he was turning around.

"I've got something I need to talk to you about."

I then come clean to him. About everything. The Trio. The bullying. Me Triggering. Going out and facing Lung. My meeting with The Undersider's and Morgan, though I don't mention Morgan's name.

His face goes through a variety of expressions, but seems to mostly settle on indignant fury.

"That little bitch! Fucking Alan! What the fuck was he thinking?! Why didn't he see that Emma needed help?! How could he let her become some hate-filled little she-devil?! And fucking Sophia Hess is a 'Hero'?! Bull-Fucking-Shit! Fucking Blackwell! I should go down to her house and bash her head in with a sledgehammer, then go and do the same to Alan!"

Woah. I know Mom used to tell stories about the so-called "Hebert temper", but I thought she was exaggerating.

Now I think she was downplaying it. Suddenly, Dad freezes up for a moment, then I feel something weird. Like my control over my swarm is being contested. There's a surge of fury in there that isn't mine. The swarm wants to be unleashed. To go after Blackwell, Hess, and Alan.

"Dad?! Calm down!" He seems to snap out of his fugue state and the rage filling the swarm seems to dissipate.

He slumps down in his chair for a moment before saying "you are NOT going back to that damned pathetic excuse for a school. Typhon Prime may be an unhinged lunatic, but she makes some damn compelling arguments. You could easily get into Arcadia on a scholarship, and if Director Piggot wants to bury her fuckup with Shadow Stalker, she will make it happen. I'll make damn sure of it."

Well, it's either that or take the nuclear option of going to Brandish, the lawyer of New Wave and one of the principal proponents of "Cape accountability". If she got her hands on the info about Shadow Stalker and this damned conspiracy on Blackwell and the caseworker's part? She'd go hog-wild in nailing Shadow Stalker to the wall and making the PRT look bad.

"Okay. But what about Emma? I mean, I can't exactly forget all of the shit she's done to me, but now that I know that it wasn't really her, I just want her to get the help she clearly needs."

Dad let's out a tired sigh. "I know kiddo. I know. But I really don't know what to do about her. Technically, we can't make Alan put her in therapy, and his stubborn pride won't let him acknowledge just how badly he fucked up with her after all this time."

"You could just sic Brandish on him you know?" Says an unexpected voice.

Dad jumps to his feet at the sound of an unexpected third party. "Who are you and how did you get into our house?!"

"Hi, I'm Morgan. Taylor's new friend. But that's not important. You are correct in that Alan is the type to double down on his fuck ups rather than acknowledge his monumental failures in regards to Emma's well-being, even if that means pissing all over his longtime friendship with you. Also, he's wealthy enough to crush you in court, so you need to hit him where he lives. Get a better lawyer to out-lawyer his ass. In this case, Brandish."

Dad clearly processes Morgan's plan, and also Morgan's claims of being my "new friend". "Wait a second, are you-?"

"Yes, but that's not important right now. What's important is getting Emma the help she needs while ensuring that Alan 'the asshat' Barnes doesn't try and fuck everyone over."

Dad pauses for a moment, before conceding the point. Then he goes to the phone book to look up Carol Dallon's number.