It had been over an hour that Taylor had been trapped in her locker. Her three tormentors and a whole bunch of students had gathered around it to taunt and tease her about never escaping and that she deserved to die.

A janitor had heard about someone complaining about the stench from someone's locker in a second floor hallway and gathered his cleaning supplies. He made it to the spot that was surrounded by idiot teenagers. He didn't bother trying to shout at them to leave, mainly because he didn't want to get stabbed or shot. The man eased around the crowd and went to the locker.

“Hey, you should leave that until after school!” One of the three bitches shouted at him.

The janitor ignored her and used his master key to open the lock. Unlike them, he could lose his job if he left something like this for later. To his utter shock, a half-eaten body fell out of the locker and slumped to the floor on its back.

“AHHH!” Most of the girls screamed at the sight of a skeletal hand, missing eye, and partially revealed skull.

“Oh, fuck.” Sophia Hess whispered. “We need to go. We need to go now!”

“Why?” Madison asked, clearly confused.

“Because the bugs shouldn't have eaten that much in only an hour.” Sophia said and grabbed a stunned Emma's hand and quickly walked away. Her other hand fumbled for her cell phone and she didn't see the janitor ignore his disgust as he dropped to his knees and started CPR on the corpse.

By the time the ambulance and the PRT arrived on the scene half an hour later, Taylor Hebert had died three more times.

*

“I can't explain why my healing powers won't work on her.” Amy Dallon said for the tenth time. She was completely stumped as to why she couldn't even get a read on the girl, even though she always got a read on everything living that she touched.

“Can you do something to cover the bones at least?” The doctor asked.

Amy shivered at the thought of touching the skeletal hand and she wasn't sure why. “I've told you that I can't. Not won't. Can't.” She said. “When I touch her, there's nothing. She's either a trump that blocks powers or her powers makes mine not recognize her. Either way, she's stuck looking like that.”

“We could do surgery...” The doctor started to suggest.

Amy tried to not glare at the man. “She's died how many times now? We don't know if she can take anaesthetic or if she'll live past tonight. The machines that keep her heart pumping and lungs moving kick in every few minutes when they detect her body isn't doing it for itself.”

The doctor sighed. “None of the staff want to deal with her.”

Neither do I. Amy thought. “You need a more apathetic nurse that can ignore someone's looks.”

The doctor nodded. “Will you come back every few days to check on the patient?”

No. Amy thought. “I'll try. I can't promise anything, though. You know how busy I can get.”

The doctor nodded again and left the room.

Amy gave the still body on the bed a look that clearly showed her unease and left right behind the doctor. If she never saw the girl again in her life, she would be extremely happy. Nothing had ever blocked her powers before and it made her feel scared.

*

“It's been three days since the incident at Winslow High School. What have you learned?” Emily Piggot, Director of the PRT ENE division asked.

“A solid record of delinquency, backed up by testimonies from several witnesses, school records, and a few teachers.” Armsmaster answered.

“Has anyone found out why she was stuffed in a locker with biohazard materials?” Miss Militia asked.

“According to Miss Hess, it was a schoolyard prank on the delinquent to teach her a lesson.” Armsmaster replied. “No one refuted it.”

“And the bugs? Were they flesh eaters and were they destroyed?” Emily asked.

“Yes and yes.” Armsmaster said and handed her a sheet of paper with the details on it. “It doesn't explain the sheer amount of flesh they consumed, however.”

Emily thought about that. “You think the theory Hess put forward is valid?”

Armsmaster nodded and handed her two reports. One from Panacea and one from the hospital.

Emily skimmed through both and her eyes widened. “Is this true? Hebert could have a trump power?”

“A trump against healing at least.” Armsmaster said. “We haven't brought anyone else in to see if other powers would work against her, since she is still considered to be in critical condition.”

“And the PRT liaison?” Emily asked.

“They did an initial greet with the father on the first day of hospitalization and will wait for the subject to wake before returning.” Armsmaster informed her.

Emily nodded. “All right. Keep an eye on this and let me know when she wakes. If she's a power trump like you suspect, we need to get her onboard as soon as possible.”

Miss Militia nodded and she and Armsmaster left the briefing room.

“Are you sure applying that kind of pressure this soon is a good idea, director?” Dragon's voice asked from the intercom.

“I'll make a note to ensure that they tell the girl and her father how important her powers are.” Emily said. “Even if she only has a trump against certain effects, it will be a huge boon for the entire PRT.”

That's not what I meant. Dragon thought. “I'll continue to monitor things from my end.”

“Let me know if you find anything important.” Emily said, dismissively.

*

A week after being admitted to the hospital, Taylor woke up. It startled the nurse that had been checking on her and the nurse jumped back from the bed. Taylor sat up in the bed without assistance or using her arms, then she pulled out the tubes and things from her throat.

“You can't do that!” The nurse almost shouted.

Taylor ignored her and pulled off the monitoring things and ripped the wires from the machines. She slid off the side of the bed and stood there in just a hospital gown. She was nearly six feet tall and she looked very imposing, despite being rail thin. Without speaking, she walked over to the closet and took out a long beige coat.

“What are you doing?!?” The nurse asked, frantically.

Taylor ignored her as her hand glowed. The long coat seemed to flow and changed into black billowing robes that she slung over her shoulders. They engulfed her and a tall hood formed around her head to sheath her face in darkness.

The nurse peed herself when Taylor grabbed the IV pole and it elongated and grew a long blade on the top and became a scythe. An aura of power poured out of the being and filled the room.

“It is not your time yet.” Taylor's deathly voice echoed from inside the hood.

The nurse fainted and the puddle of urine grew.

Taylor ignored her and walked out of the room. All movement in the hallway stopped as the aura of power filled the hallway and she walked down towards the nurse's station. Most of them shivered from the coldness and another woman peed herself.

The stack of charts on the desk glowed and two of them lifted out. Taylor didn't need to read the details, since she knew where the two patients were already. It was for the people observing her. She walked down the hallway to the first room and entered. Inside was an elderly black man and he gave her a contemptuous look.

Taylor chuckled at his defiance and walked over to his bed. “Rest in eternity, Graham Jackson. You have earned your reward for your good works during this life.”

The old man's face changed to show happiness. “I was worried about that.”

“Worry not, for you are a good man and Heidi is waiting for you.” Taylor said and her skeletal hand reached for his forehead.

“Is she still a looker?” Graham asked with hope in his voice.

Taylor nodded. “Her kisses are just as sweet as you remember, too.”

The old man beamed a smile at her. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” Taylor said. As soon as her bony hand touched his skin, the man died. She waved her hand at the machines monitoring the man and they all turned off. With that done, she turned around and walked out of the room.

Two security guards were there in the hallway and had their guns out. Taylor didn't pause as she walked up to them and the two men didn't move until she was right in front of them and they stepped aside for her. She walked by unimpeded and went to the room they were in front of. There was a twenty-two year old girl there on six different machines to keep her alive.

The girl was unconscious, so there was no verbal conversation. Taylor walked over to her and looked down upon the wasted life. She knew it was the result of a gang attack and the girl had suffered before she was found. A bony hand was placed on the girl's forehead and all of the machines beeped in warning that all life signs were gone.

“You will be avenged, Angela. You have my pledge.” Taylor said and waved at the machines to turn them off. She walked out of the room and saw that a doctor was there and he yelled at the guards for not doing their jobs. “They stepped aside because they had no other choice. No one can stand in the way of Death.”

The doctor froze at her words and stared at her as her power flowed over him.

“I no longer need medical care and am discharging myself.” Taylor said and the man nodded several times. “Lead the way.”

The doctor nodded again and quickly walked to the elevator. Taylor kept up with him easily and the man's shaky hand hit the button for the administration floor.

“Th-there is a p-problem with the m-medical bills.” The doctor managed to stammer out.

“Do not worry, Dr. Brice. It will be handled in due time.” Taylor said.

“But... your insurance won't cover...”

“The school administration will settle it tomorrow.” Taylor said. “They let me die on school property, after all.”

The doctor had no response to that, so he stayed quiet. They reached the right floor and the doctor filled out the discharge forms for her and she signed them. Both the receptionist and the doctor shivered at the skeletal hand being able to hold a pen and neither of them wanted to touch it after she did.

Taylor chuckled and slipped the pen into her robes. She turned around and walked out of the administration office and right into a squad of PRT troopers with their guns raised and Miss Militia in the lead.

“Stand down and drop the weapon!” Miss Militia ordered and pumped her riot shotgun.

Taylor took out the pen and dropped it onto the floor and quoted her deceased mother's favorite phrase. “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

One of the PRT troopers chuckled and Miss Militia looked surprised.

“Oh, you mean this thing.” Taylor said and let the seven foot tall scythe go. Everyone was surprised that it didn't fall over, then it reverted back into an IV pole.

“You are under arrest.” Miss Militia said and waved one of the troopers forward.

“What for?” Taylor asked and turned her head to look at the trooper that stepped forward. The woman stopped walking.

“You just murdered two people.” Miss Militia said.

“Did I?” Taylor asked her.

“We have witnesses that saw you enter their rooms and they were dead when you left.”

“You will not find anything that points to murder, Miss Militia. Both Graham and Angela died of natural causes.” Taylor said.

“Things like that have to wait for the trial.” Miss Militia said and waved the trooper forward again. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law...”

“Your breasts.” Taylor interrupted and Miss Militia made a choking sound and stopped talking.

“That could be considered sexual harassment.” The female trooper that still didn't move said.

“What consenting people do in a court of law shouldn't be illegal.” Taylor countered.

“Indecent exposure. Public nudity. Lewd behavior in a government building. Underage sex.” The female trooper said. “Shall I continue?”

Taylor let her morphed form fade away and it left her in a long beige coat and a hospital gown. One of the troopers made a gagging sound from inside his helmet at the sight of the missing eye, the exposed bone of her cheek, and part of her forehead. Taylor's right hand only being bones with connecting tissue was highlighted when she lifted her hands and put them together for the female trooper to handcuff her.

“Oh, god.” The female trooper whispered and stepped forward as that oppressive power faded away.

“It's all right, Felicia. The ones that did this to me will meet their end soon.” Taylor said in her normal voice.

The female trooper jerked as if slapped. “How do you know my name?”

“I know everyone's name.” Taylor said and watched the completely unnerved trooper as she very carefully slapped the power suppression cuffs onto her wrists without touching her skeleton hand.

“We will add uttering death threats to your charges.” Miss Militia said.

“It's not a threat. Sophia Hess, Emma Barnes, and Madison Clements killed me. Their deaths are now inevitable by their own actions.” Taylor said and looked at the female trooper. “I apologize that my missing parts has detracted you from thinking I am a viable partner.”

“Wh-what? No, I... I wasn't...”

“I am not psychic, if you are worried about that. I can see the look in your eyes. It matches those of the other students in school.” Taylor told her.

“How... how can you see my eyes?” Felicia asked.

“The windows of the soul are always open to me.” Taylor said and started to walk.

“H-hey, wait! You can't just...” Felicia started to say as she followed her.

“The transport is just outside. We will never arrive at the PRT building if you all stand here staring at my disfigurement.” Taylor said and walked out through the automatic doors.

“We need to finish reading you your rights.” Felicia said and walked beside her.

“I know my rights and I understand them. I also know they will railroad my father and myself to put me into the Wards.” Taylor said and saw the trooper almost trip at her words. “They will cover up the natural deaths and claim they can reveal I am a murderer unless I comply with their orders.”

“That's a very cynical and realistic view to have.” Felicia whispered as she opened the back door of the transport.

“Dying gave me a very different perspective of my life.” Taylor said and stepped up into the vehicle and sat down at the very back of it and held her hands to the side where the reinforced steel bar was.

“Have you done this before?” Felicia asked and secured Taylor's cuffs to the bar.

“No, it's just basic extrapolation of the facts.” Taylor said and sat back on the surprisingly comfy seat.

Felicia sat across from her and the rest of the squad entered and sat as far away from them as they could. Miss Militia entered and gave Taylor an odd look, then she stepped back out and slammed the back door.

“I think you unnerved her.” Felicia commented.

“No, she is angry that I was more interested in her chest than I was in hearing her talk.” Taylor said.

One of the troops chuckled and the one next to him smacked his leg.

“Do you... actually swing that way?” One of the other troopers asked.

“I have no idea.” Taylor said and Felicia sat up straighter. “I've suffered a year and a half of a terrorizing campaign of bullying and assaults and haven't had the time to develop any kind of feelings for either gender.”

None of the troopers knew how to respond to that and they all stayed quiet for the ride back to PRT headquarters.

*

“We got her.” Emily Piggot said, quite happy at the development. “Two deaths by her hand.”

“The preliminary reports from the hospital said they died of natural causes.” Armsmaster said.

“If she hadn't been there, I would have believed that.” Emily said and tapped the action report in front of her that Miss Militia had filed an hour ago. “Two of them died in as many minutes and ten witnesses said that both patients were alive and relatively healthy. Even with the deaths ruled as natural, Hebert openly displayed herself dressed with a cloak and a scythe.”

Miss Militia knew she was right. Even if Taylor hadn't actually killed them, and they all knew she did, those deaths would have been attributed to her anyway. Just being on the same floor as them would have been circumstantial enough for them to use against the girl.

“Did you bring in the father?” Emily asked.

“We have and he's been advised of the options that both he and his daughter have available.” Armsmaster said.

“Namely none.” Emily said and the armored man nodded. “Good. Have him sign the girl over to our custody and I'll get the PR Department working on her new costume and how to present her.”

“Director, are you sure that's wise?” Dragon asked from the monitor.

“Of course it is. As soon as we start advertising we have a power trump...”

“Everyone will attack you to find out if it's true.” Dragon interrupted.

Emily squinted her eyes at the monitor that showed a young woman's face with short red hair.

“You know that a certain ramping-up angry villain will be the first in line in order to test himself.” Dragon reminded her.

“After Hebert is inducted into the Wards, he can attack all he wants. Going after a teenage girl would be a huge hit to his reputation, no matter what powers she had developed.” Emily smiled. “We all know how much Lung treasures his reputation.”

“What about the girl's trial?” Dragon asked.

“It's being handled.” Emily said and closed the folder. “We can't have such dangerous capes around without proper supervision and monitoring.”

Dragon didn't bother arguing with the director about that. Emily had Taylor under her thumb now and wouldn't let the girl go. However morally reprehensible it was to manipulate the law and her father, it was being done and that was it. Taylor Hebert was going to become a Ward.

*

It took a week for the PR department to decide on a costume and how to spin the newest Ward's backstory into a tragic tale with a redemption arc that the public would eat up. Taylor didn't protest anything and a speech was written for her debut. She would meet the other Wards and then take the stage to introduce herself.

They felt it was safer for everyone if Taylor was kept sequestered, mostly because anything they tried to put over her missing eye or her skeletal hand would dissolve away as if it never existed. A special helmet was designed to kind of hover over that half of her face and it didn't dissolve, so they asked her to keep her hand inside an extra-long sleeve.

It was a big production with a small band and all of the Wards were there, as were several of the Protectorate capes. Armsmaster in his best tinker armor, Miss Militia in her best desert military uniform, Dragon in an armored suit, and Dauntless in his own custom armor. There was also a huge crowd of people wanting to see them.

The press were clamouring and restless as they waited for whomever this new Ward was. The other Wards were mostly ambivalent about the whole thing, except for the two females of the group. The youngest, Vista, was looking forward to having another girl on the team. The other girl, Shadow Stalker, was silently cursing because she could be out patrolling and doing actual hero work instead.

“Thank you all for waiting!” An enthusiastic announcer said as he stepped up to the podium. He gave a short speech about the newest Ward and what her power was reported to be, then waved to the city hall building behind him. “Now, let me introduce you to our newest Ward, Counter!”

Cameras went off like crazy as a fairly tall helmeted young woman came out with a PRT guard and she wore a stylish outfit that was a cross between modern armor and metal plate. No one questioned why she had one long sleeve and one normal one, at least until she reached the podium. Then they shouted for several minutes and the girl stood there without speaking.

The announcer put a hand over the microphone. “Miss Hebert, you should say something.” He whispered and tapped the speech cards on the podium.

“I was waiting for them to get frustrated or run out of breath.” Taylor whispered back.

The announcer smiled and moved back and motioned to the crowd.

“If you can quiet down a little, I can speak without being interrupted.” Taylor said and the reporters slowed down their questions. “Before we get started, I would like to personally thank the person that made all of this possible. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now.”

Emily Piggot let a rare smile appear on her face.

“Shadow Stalker! Come over here and greet your fans!” Taylor said and the crowd cheered.

Shadow Stalker grumbled at the recognition and walked over to the podium. She wasn't doing it for them and she hated the spotlight. It was why she usually patrolled at night and away from prying eyes.

“As I said, it was this Ward's inspiration that led to me becoming a Ward.” Taylor said and the crowd clapped. “Yes, that's right. Eighteen months of her bullying, terrorizing, and assaulting me, ended with me triggering and getting my powers.”

The entire crowd fell silent.

“Oh, fuck.” Shadow Stalker cursed and it echoed over the sound system. She tried to turn and run, only a hand that felt like steel had grabbed her arm and held her in place. When she tried to change to her shadow form to escape the grip, she couldn't.

Taylor shook her right hand and lifted it to reveal the skeletal bones and she touched her helmet. It dissolved away to reveal her missing eye and exposed bone. “My name is Taylor Hebert and I was murdered by Sophia Hess.”

“Take her down!” Emily ordered with a shout just before an oppressive power filled the city square and everyone froze.

Taylor smiled at the crowd. “There seems to be a miscommunication about my cape name. It's not Counter.”

Everyone stared as her costume started to morph and change. Fear filled them as it became billowing black robes and a hood formed over her head and plunged her face into darkness.

“I. Am. Death.” Taylor said and turned to her left as her skeletal hand reached for Shadow Stalker's helmet. “Sophia Hess, you have earned your death several times over with the wounds and deaths you have caused, including my own.”

Sophia couldn't move as the fingers of the skeletal hand dissolved her mask and revealed her face on national television.

“Shadow Stalker's black!” A shocked voice shouted from the crowd.

Sophia couldn't even suck in a breath to scream as those bony fingertips lightly touched her face. She died with surprise frozen on her face.

Taylor almost gasped at the power she felt flow into herself. It took her a moment before she let Sophia's arm go and the body dropped to the floor of the stage. “Emma Barnes. Madison Clements. Principal Blackwell. Mr. Gladly. You cannot run. You cannot hide.” She said and picked up the microphone stand and pulled off the microphone. “Death... is inevitable.”

The microphone stand morphed into a seven foot tall scythe and everyone stared at Taylor as she walked over to Emily Piggot with the microphone in her skeletal hand and the scythe in the other.

“How did it feel to believe you had Death at your beck and call, Emily?” Taylor asked her. “Go ahead and tell the public the truth. How powerful you felt.”

Emily gnashed her teeth together and didn't say anything.

“I look forward to my trial to see how you will cover up another Ward killing someone.” Taylor said and dropped the microphone at the woman's feet before she walked in front of the immobilized Protectorate capes. She stopped in front of Miss Militia. “I apologize if my flirting made you uncomfortable. I thought a joke would lighten the mood at the time. I suppose I need more practice with dark humor, since no one sane would accept me as a partner anyway.”

Miss Militia stayed quiet and didn't respond. She did notice a distinct black glow inside the middle of Taylor's empty eye socket.

Taylor moved on down the line and stopped in front of Dragon's suit. “You are an interesting one.”

“I don't want to be.” Dragon responded. She did not want someone like Death interested in her.

Taylor chuckled and reached up to pat the dragon's shoulder with her skeletal hand. “You should be happy that I detect you at all, Dragon.”

The suit flinched and then stilled. “What... why is my armor not dissolving?”

“I can choose when to do that. Otherwise, I would be walking around naked.” Taylor chuckled again. “Why would I dress myself using only one hand?”

If Dragon could show surprise, she would have.

Taylor walked down the line of Wards and stopped in front of Vista, whom looked afraid. “I apologize to you as well, Vista. Sophia killed me and made me into this. I hadn't planned on her meeting her end in such a public venue, however. That was the PR Department's fault. We should have met a week ago and we could have been good friends.”

“Wh-what do you mean, could have?” Vista asked.

“Emily now believes she can't let me stay out in public and roaming around as I'm doing my job. Despite her assuming responsibility for me and my actions. I fully expect to end up in the Birdcage when my trial comes in a couple of weeks.”

Vista looked sad now.

“I know. Missed opportunities weigh heavily on a lonely heart.” Taylor said and switched her scythe to her skeleton hand to put her normal hand on Vista's shoulder to give it a squeeze. “Believe me, I know all about that. Sophia, Emma, and Madison, made sure I was all alone and friendless.”

“Then... then why...”

“Death is inevitable.” Taylor said and stepped back to put her scythe in her normal hand. “And they earned it.”

“But... if they earned it, then what about...”

“Don't worry, Vista. Death always comes for those that have earned it.” Taylor said and walked over to Clockblocker. “Did you know that being cremated is my only hope for a smoking hot body?”

Clockblocker's face seemed to twist and he looked like he was fighting to not laugh.

Taylor tried again to get the consummate joker to laugh. “Give a man a plane ticket and he can fly only once. Push him out of a plane at 30,000 feet and he will fly for the rest of his life.”

Clockblocker made a pained sound and whimpered a little.

“Do you know the last thing my grandfather said to me before he kicked the bucket? Hey, Taylor! Watch how far I can kick this bucket!”

Clockblocker snorted and barely managed to keep his mouth shut.

“What do cannibals do when they are invited to a wedding? They toast the bride and groom.”

Clockblocker shook his head at that.

Taylor thought of one more. “A man walks into an open funeral and asks the widow if she minds if he said a word. She tells him to go ahead and he says, 'Bargain!'. Thank you, she says. That means a great deal.”

Several people made groaning sounds.

“Hmm, not good enough of a reaction. It seems I still need to work on my dark humor.” Taylor said and walked off the stage. No one moved or spoke as she walked away. As soon as she was out of sight, the oppressive power disappeared and everyone took in deep breaths.

“Get me a PRT riot squad now.” Emily barked the order and Armsmaster used his helmet radio. “Preferably the same one that caught her in the first place.”

Miss Militia barely hid her shiver when she remembered that encounter. The same squad with her leading it was soon inside a PRT transport and they started their search.

*

Alan Barnes and his wife Zoey stared at the television screen. Their daughter's previous best friend had just outed herself on live television and then killed the girl that had saved Alan and Emma two years ago. They couldn't understand why no one there tried to subdue the girl or stopped her from leaving.

“She's coming for me.” Emma whispered, tears rolling down her face.

“We won't let her.” Zoey said and hugged her. “We all know she's the delinquent and brought this on herself. If she hadn't turned on you because you became friends with Sophia, none of this would have happened.”

Emma didn't feel guilty about twisting things to fit her own mentality. It was all Taylor's fault for not being there for her when she needed her and then she realized she never needed her. So, the campaign of retribution started and she made sure that Taylor knew she was worthless and not needed.

“We should pack up and go away for the weekend.” Alan suggested, out of the blue. “We used to do that a lot when...” His words trailed off because he had almost said 'we were with the Heberts'.

Zoey's face changed from anger to sadness. So many things had changed in their lives after Annette Hebert died. They had mourned her death with each other and hadn't had the time to be there for Danny to help him recover from his wife's death. It left Taylor completely alone when she turned on Emma after summer camp and pushed her away.

Emma felt a chill run down her spine and suddenly stood. “We need to get out of the house!”

“It's much too late to run from Death.” Taylor's deep voice came from everywhere.

“How did you get here so fast? You were just in the middle of the city!” Alan exclaimed and pulled his daughter into his arms, as if to protect her.

“Death is everywhere.” Taylor's voice said from across the living room and the three people turned around to face the threat. “I wondered why my loving adoptive aunt never once tried to talk to her best friend's daughter when Emma's personality changed so much.”

“What?” Zoey asked, confused.

“You poor delusional fool. Sophia corrupted Emma with her predator mentality and convinced her I was prey, because I cried over my mother's death. How pathetic of me, wasn't it, Emma? Crying over the woman that gave birth to me and that I loved?”

“That's right! You were weak and pathetic! You should have let her death strengthen you!” Emma spat.

Zoey eased her hold on Emma and saw the hatred on her daughter's face. “Emma!”

“What?!?” Emma spat again and turned her head to see the surprise on her mother's face. She schooled her own face to show calm and smiled. “I'm sorry, mom. Taylor just made me upset.”

“Yes, I am at fault. I existed and was an easy target for her hostility and she bullied and terrorized me.” Taylor said. “Of course, as soon as she decides that you are prey as well, it will be your turn.”

“No, it won't! My mother is strong! She...”

“...allows an evil menace of a daughter to torture her best friend's daughter, all because she can't face the fact that she has been a terrible friend to both Annette and Danny.” Taylor interrupted. “She has convinced herself to believe that two people that suffered severe depression for years didn't need her help.”

“It... it's true.” Zoey said and started crying. “I didn't want to face either of you after my mistake.”

Emma visibly recoiled from her mother's weakness.

“And the father is so much worse to enable his hate-filled daughter by threatening to sue if I ever came forward with proof of my allegations. How very noble of him to protect her so much.”

“She... she's all I have. I have to protect her!” Alan almost shouted.

“Like you protected her when you were attacked in that alley?” Taylor asked and Alan shook with remembered pain. “You froze up then and you are freezing up now.” She looked at Emma. “Do you see it? His weakness? How pathetic he is for being afraid?”

The look Emma gave her parents was full of disdain and revulsion.

“Don't worry, Emma. I will be removing the source of their weakness in a moment.”

“Good! I want them to be strong!” Emma shouted.

“NOOO!” Both Alan and Zoey yelled and tried to stand in front of their daughter to protect her, only for Death's scythe to easily swing around them and pierced through Emma's head. They whipped around to watch as Emma's disembodied soul was lifted up and the head was still skewered by the blade.

“Your hatred, your vileness, and your vindictiveness has made me into this.” Taylor said to the silently screaming soul on the end of her Reaper's Blade as Emma's dead body dropped to the floor. “There is a special space for people like you.”

“NOOO!” Both Alan and Zoey yelled again and stared as a pitch black portal opened and Emma's soul was sucked inside. The portal closed and an eerie quiet fell in the room.

Taylor looked upon the two devastated adults with disdain. “Perhaps you can contact Danny to help you in your time of grief to help you get over your loss.”

Alan and Zoey flinched as if slapped. Taylor walked back across the room and neither adult saw her fade away.

*

Madison Clements didn't try to get away. The secret was out that she had killed Taylor and her life was over. Her family tried to get her to hide and she refused, because there was no point. You couldn't hide from death. When she claimed to be tired and went to her bedroom to lay down, she never returned.

*

Mr. Gladly had panicked and hastily packed. He hopped into his little economy car and drove as fast as he could to try and get out of Brockton Bay. He reached the main highway and relaxed as he merged into traffic, set the cruise control, and sighed with relief.

A skeletal hand reached out from under his seat and a single fingertip touched the skin above his left sock.

*

Principal Blackwell knew she was screwed as soon as she tried to access her bank account to pay for the plane ticket. Her account had been frozen and was under investigation. That meant everything was going to come out, including all of the cover-ups that she and Shadow Stalker's handler had done to protect the little psychopath.

She opened her purse to pull out the money she had squirrelled away for emergencies and paid for the ticket. With it in hand and a departure time in only half an hour, she checked her bag and went to the waiting room to sit down. The flight was called and she boarded the plane with everyone else and sat in the economy seat near the window.

Blackwell never saw the skeletal hand reach from behind her seat to touch her forearm. The body wouldn't be discovered until well after the plane landed in the Bahamas.

*

Sophia's handler hadn't been named on live television as one of the perpetrators, so she thought she got away with it. Her body would decompose for two days before the PRT finally finished tracking down all of her falsified records and went to her house to arrest her.

*

Kaiser, the leader of the Empire 88 gang, always went to bed with a clear conscience. He would never know the name of the girl that his underlings had raped and beaten. It caused his death and that of his entire organization in a single night.

*

Skidmark, his girlfriend Squealer, and Mush were too stoned to realize they were in any danger when Death appeared among them at their hideout. They thought it was a great hallucination and then they quietly passed away of natural causes.

*

Lung, the undisputed leader of the consolidated Asian gangs of Brockton Bay, held a meeting of his more important underlings. They would storm the PRT building to bring out this new trump power cape for him to fight. Just as he raised his hand and yelled for them to move out, his lifeless body fell to the floor of the warehouse.

Everyone froze at the sight, then an oppressive power filled the room. It didn't take long before they were all dead and even their resident teleporter couldn't get away. Oni Lee died of natural causes, just like the rest.

*

Danny Hebert stared at the news reports on the television about massive deaths in Brockton Bay. He couldn't believe that all three gangs had been completely wiped out. It had only been a week since Taylor's debut on national television when she had outed a cape and killed one of her murderers.

Danny couldn't condone such acts, even if it made the city one of the safest places to live on the planet. He was kind of relieved that he had already sighed over Taylor into the PRT's custody and he was no longer responsible for her actions. The little bit of guilt he felt about abandoning her was outweighed by all the deaths she had caused.

The front door burst open and a squad of PRT troopers stormed in, scooped him up, and escaped from the quaint little house. All Danny could get out of them was that they thought he would be next on Taylor's murder spree of giving everyone that irked her a natural cause of death. He went along willingly after that and was set up at a safe house with around the clock guards.

*

Taylor sat inside a supposedly abandoned warehouse that used to be owned by the head of the Empire 88 under a fake name. It was now in her name and anyone else that knew about it was dead. She was surrounded by pallets of laundered drug money, drugs of all kinds, and guns of all makes and models. It hadn't taken her long to gather everything illegal in the city and it was all hers.

It wasn't what she wanted, however. No, what she really wanted was to use her powers for something selfish. That thought made her snort a little, because pretty much everything she had done was because she was selfish. Ridding the city of all the gangs, sex slavers, drug pushers, and murderers, had benefited her personally and the city as a whole.

There was just one thing wrong with it all. Taylor was brimming with power and she also felt empty. Despite still doing her job of appearing at several hospitals and an old person's home to ease the passing of those dying, she felt unfulfilled and that what she had done didn't mean much.

Then Taylor had an idea. It was crazy and shouldn't work. It was too insane to consider. It shouldn't even have crossed her mind; but, it did. It niggled at her constantly and she debated attempting it for three whole days before she found herself standing over a grave that she visited every year on the same day.

Taylor wasn't sure why she thought she knew what she was doing before she swiped at the ground with her scythe and the ground split open. It revealed a partially rotted coffin and she didn't feel sad or angry about it. Another swipe of her Reaper's Blade and the top was removed and destroyed.

The mostly rotted corpse didn't disgust her, even though she always cried when she visited. Taylor bent down and her skeleton hand glowed with a black light. Some of the power she had felt building up with each cape's death flowed down her arm and reached her bony fingertip just as it touched the skull's forehead.

Like a reversed video of a decomposing body, the thing regrew and slowly returned the flesh. All of the damage was gone, even from the car accident that had killed her three years ago.

Taylor didn't react when the restored woman sucked in a sharp breath and opened her eyes. She stared at the face she had missed so much. “Hi, mom. Welcome back.”

Annette Hebert stared up at the cloaked and shadowed figure and started crying. “Oh, my poor baby! I'm so sorry!” She nearly shouted and lifted her arms.

Taylor let her scythe go and leaned down to hug her mother.

“I left you and you've suffered so much.” Annette whispered to her and hugged her and cried.

“M-mom, I... I'm sorry.” Taylor whispered back and cried, too.

“Don't be, my little owl. My accident wasn't your fault.” Annette said and held her daughter. “After everything you've been through, it's about time you gained something back. I just wish you had thought to bring me a change of clothes.”

Taylor couldn't stop her bark of laughter at that. She let her mother go and they both stood up. “We never have to worry about money ever again, so you can buy whatever you want.”

Annette gave her much taller daughter a brilliant smile. “We can buy out that huge bookstore in New York that I've always had my eye on?”

Taylor laughed and reached down pick up the microphone stand to reform her scythe. “We can do whatever you want, mom. As long as you're happy, so am I.”

“Then let's go. We have a lot of work to do.” Annette said with finality.

Taylor nodded and swiped her scythe at the front of the grave and a split in space-time appeared that went back to the warehouse. Annette walked through it like it was a normal thing and Taylor followed her.