Taylor: Hero of Legacy! (Worm x Super Sentai Generations) (2024)

Once, far too many years ago, in an Earth Cluster not far enough away, two Entities we're locked in a stable cycle of conflict. They gathered their data through a symbiotic cycle with the local population and were well satisfied with the results.

However, a third Entity attacked their Cycle, viewing the system as an aberration. Before being driven off, the one who would come to be known as Abaddon copied their data in the form of a bud. Unfortunately, the principles behind such protocols escaped him, and it was later traded to another known as the Thinker.

During a certain accident, the Shard [Queen Administrator] absorbed the data, fascinated by what she found. The potential of such a device was amazing.

Now all she needed was a host with attitude!

Eh, Taylor was stubborn. Close enough.

-----

Hello, and welcome to the new home of Heroic Legacy!

Originally on my thread A Swirling Storm of Snippets! This will be the place where I host the originally posted and revised first arc, in addition to the rest of the story. So sit back and relax as Heroic Legacy takes Earth Bet by storm!

I'll also post links to the guest Apocrypha Chapters from the original Snippet Thread for your enjoyment. ^^;;;

Author's Note: Enjoy the adjustment of Taylor's Trigger Event that led to Super Sentai Awesomeness!

But the mandatory Locker Scene goes first...

-----

Banging fruitlessly at the door of her locker, Taylor did not know what to do. She was out of tears, with bugs crawling and biting her with mindless aggression. The hallway had emptied of the laughing horde of students, and every second that passed was.just another moment of pain. The world was letting her know that hope was for other people, and justice was an illusion. At least it would be a lesson that would stick in these halls for a change.

Reflecting on the hell that was Winslow was a waste of time. Day after week after month after a year and a f*cking half had taught the girl one thing more than anything else. What passed for humanity in these walls had decided that torture and peer pressure made any crime acceptable. Where being popular gave you carte blanche to treat others like sh*t for laughs. But, above all other things, where she was alone and was always going to be alone.

Or, at the very least, die alone.

With that realization, something in Taylor Hebert broke.

-----

[DESTINATION]

[AGREEMENT]

[TRAJECTORY]

[INTERSECTION]

[ARCHIVE]

[CONCERN]

[POTENTIAL]

[...AGREEMENT]

-----

Blinking as she lost her footing for a moment, Taylor cried out one last time. "Please, someone, anyone, help me! Please just let me out!" It had become a familiar refrain, which had been easily tuned out by any observer. After all, it was not a day in Winslow if Taylor Hebert was not suffering.

However, this time something was different.
This time, someone replied.
"What ails you, girl?"

Blinking at the unexpected voice, the teen looked left and right for the source. "Who's there? Never mind, please help me! I'm trapped and there is blood and bugs and..." In that moment, she broke off. The sheer horror of the situation once again causing her pain beyond what most could imagine.

The unknown voice turned sorrowful. "Alas, young lady, I can no longer rescue you. My time on this world is long done, and I lack the strength to take action directly." With that, the teen turned to see a small cloud of white forming in the corner of the locker. While not the most spiritual, she suddenly knew exactly what was about to happen.

These were her final moments before death took her, and another ghost had found her in transit.

The voice spoke again, this time with real curiosity. "Tell me child, if you could escape what would you do? What would your goal be?"

Her goal...?

Unbidden, images of broken friendships, abuse and violated trusts filled her mind. Where before there was only despair in her heart, now there was a greater need. The Trio could not be allowed to win! They had to pay for their crimes!

Almost unconsciously, Taylor's fists clenched. "I'd bring the guilty to justice if it was the last thing I did."

The voice was quiet for a moment before replying with much greater gravity. "Child, what is your name?"

Swallowing at the sheer power that she felt in those words, she replied. "Taylor Hebert."

In that moment, the white, gaseous cloud turned electric green. "Then, Taylor Hebert! I Burai offer you the means to change your fate! Behold, the power of the Dragon!"

Then everything passed in a whirlwind of electricity, tearing metal and scattered blood.

-----

Looking over the blasted hallway, filled with curious students and frantic teachers, Sophia said what they were all thinking. "sh*t."

Looking at the remnants of Hebert's locker, Emma was scowling. "There is no way that weakling could have done this."

Madison swallowed nervously. "Well, there are those rumors about how some people..." Seeing both Emma and Sophia glare, the smaller girl winced. "Nevermind."

Grunting, the track star grabbed her phone and stormed off. Sure, she thought Hebert was a f*cking weakling, but sometimes the world loved to screw with you. As such, it was better to be safe than sorry.

A few words in the right ear, and Hebert should be taken care of. One way or another.

-----

Taylor was running.

She had been running, jumping and doing everything she could just to MOVE since escaping the locker. After all the abuse and pain, the sheer scope her her new powers were exhilarating! Everything was better! She was a Parahuman and now she could become a hero!

It was not worth dealing with the Locker, but damn it was close!

Tired of all the random activity, the brunette started heading home. Her power granted costume allowed her to cover the entirety of Brockton Bay in minutes, so the hours of "power testing" had taken her far past the outskirts of the city. But now she was more than ready to go home and shower, weird transformation cleaning effect or no.

She was not expecting a swarm of military troopers, or her dad on the lawn arguing with Miss Militia!

Before Taylor could say anything, one of the troopers caught sight of her. "Hostile Parahuman sighted! Fire!" Confused, she instinctively dodged a stream of foaming chemicals. The troopers did not let up, with more joining in by the second. She avoided each attack with a grace not her own, before the patriotic Parahuman herself started launching bean bags without hesitation.

"Taylor Hebert! You are under arrest for your attack on Winslow Highschool! Stop resisting and turn yourself in! Otherwise, we will have to resort to greater force for pacification! You have been warned!"

Attack on Winslow? What were they...oh no.

Oh no!

She had to practically punch out of the locker to escape! If one of the bitches or their minions talked to the PRT, then there was no way they would listen to her now!

Confused, betrayed and alone, the teen ran off into the night, her father's angry shouting the only sound she could hear.

-----

Author's Note: The rest will be posted over the course of the day. But I want to take the opportunity to tweak things slightly first ^^;;;

Stay tuned!

Author's Note: For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Super Sentai genre, it's the show that led to Power Rangers in America. Primarily by using props and cut footage from the source material to save on shooting the action scenes.

Please note that, while aimed at kids, Sentai Stories can get Dark. So, of course, it seemed like an underutilized matchup for Worm ^^;;;

Be aware of spoilers for any Sentai show being discussed.

I will be taking this opportunity to make a few minor adjustments to language and a couple of plot points. But the overall story shouldn't change that much from the originally posted material.

Well, at least until I start Arc Two...

-----

Curled up against the alley wall, Taylor's mind was a jumble of fear, hatred and helplessness. She no longer had a home, a life, or a future because the bullies had pulled out a final "f*ck you" moment. Sure she got powers, but thanks to her reputation, everyone probably assumed she was a monster or a psychopath. She had heard the shouts and accusations after escaping the PRT troopers surrounding her home, intent on capturing the dangerous loser Taylor Hebert.

The world had decided to sh*t on her for the last time and, as always, nobody cared.

Well, almost nobody.

"Taylor, it's not safe here. We must find food and shelter for the evening before it gets any darker."

Looking at her companion, the teen had to bite back a laugh. Of all the powers she could have gotten, fate had decided to grant her a personal ghost slash mentor. No longer a simple white cloud, the semi-transparent figure was wrapped in clothes made of green silks that allowed freedom of movement. His Japanese face was chiseled, and marked with signs of hardship and pain, making him appear older that his thirty odd years of life. However, above all else, he had given her the power to escape her captivity. Maybe he would be able to help her think of a way forward?

Forcing herself to stand, Taylor thanked her lucky stars that the earlier transformation came with a cleaning function. If she had to run around in rotting blood or tampons, she might have just turned herself in, gunfire or no. "I don't know what to do or where to go, Burai. I think I've lost everything. They're going to paint me as a villain or a psycho and no one will care what happened to me. What can I do now?"

The projection of the warrior who had granted her power sighed. "I know you're scared, Taylor. It seems like everyone is against you, writing the history of your misdeeds by the minute. But you are alive, you are free and YOU know what happened. That is more than enough to start planning. Now, transform and look for an isolated higher floor in one of the warehouses. They are more likely to be untouched, and will at least offer us a place to rest safely for the night. We can then track down a drug den for petty cash and find a takeout window for some fast meals. It's not going to be pretty, but you will survive. I won't allow anything less."

Reassured by her ally's drive, Taylor summoned the other half of Burai's nature. A shining metal buckle formed on her belt. Feeling somewhat awkward, she pushed the button to transform quietly. Burai was not a fan of the quick change, claiming that it went against tradition. But shouting "Dino Buckler!" when avoiding attention just did not work for her. Once again clad in her skintight green outfit,complete with golden chest shield and stylized helmet, she kept across the skyline with superhuman strength and speed.

Feeling uncomfortable with the surrounding darkness, Taylor asked a question that had been bugging her. "Burai, how do you understand everything so easily? I mean, I didn't even think about how the PRT were setting us up until you spelled it out for me. Yet you made the connection in a snap."

The ghostly figure seemed to pause in midair before replying, his tone heavy. "When I was a mere boy, my father lost a battle to his greatest rival, the king of the Yamato clan, and was forced to give up my younger brother to preserve the peace. He fought for Geki again, and the king killed him for the presumption, before raising my baby brother as his own and casting my family into the depths of obscurity. I'm used to those in power doing what they view as necessary to be seen as "Good" while those who are not important enough get labeled as "Evil." So never fear, Taylor. I will make sure that you do not become a mere footnote in history."

Moved and disturbed by the declaration, Taylor nodded before continuing her quest for a bolt hole.

-----

There were days where Emily Piggot was extremely tempted to take a dart, throw it at a map of the city, and then go on an enthusiastic walk with her service revolver at the selected location. Based upon the laws of averages, she had a good chance of being more productive with the gun in her hand than spending her time behind a desk. The fact that it would allow her to relieve a significant amount of stress was purely incidental. Right now, she was also debating a trip to the armory for AP rounds, grenades, tasers, and an uzi. "So Armsmaster, why don't you walk us through this mess one more time? Between the conflicting reports, miscommunication, and one very stupid Ward, I think we need to go over everything from the top."

Standing stoically in front of her desk, flanked by his second in command, the leader of the Brockton Bay Protectorate cleared his throat. "At approximately ten o'clock this morning, we started receiving reports of an attack at Winslow Highschool. Initial investigation discovered a bank of lockers that had been damaged by what appeared to be a controlled explosion. The center of the blast was the locker of one Taylor Hebert, a sophom*ore. Initial information provided by the school administration and witnesses indicated a loner with a psychological need to lie and be the center of attention. Aware that there are potential Parahuman assets at the school and given the nature of the event, per standard protocol, the BBPD forwarded the investigation to us. Scans indicated an energy signature that was similar to a concentrated bio-field, which does not happen naturally. Therefore, a preliminary Parahuman tag was attached to Miss Hebert, and troopers were sent to her residence to execute an emergency warrant and hopefully intercept her before any further damage could occur."

Resisting the urge to rub her forehead, the Director glared at the other hero present. "Tell me about the confrontation at the Hebert residence."

Closing her eyes to help with recall, Miss Militia recited the events from memory. "We had just served the warrant when Miss Hebert appeared in full costume. Based upon the quality of her gear, it was assumed that she had been a Parahuman for quite some time. As such, the on-site agents went from the protocol concerning a presumed recent Trigger to a hostile, dangerous Parahuman. However, she managed to dodge all attempts to foam or otherwise contain her and fled into the night. Mr. Hebert had to be restrained at that point while we finished serving the warrant."

Nodding, Emily Piggot then pointed to the notebooks that sat at the center of her desk like a tombstone. "Which is, of course, where you found these lovely little numbers. A series of journals outlining a bullying campaign better suited for a Stephen King novel than real life, Capes or no! One that heavily featured the antics of Sophia Hess, along with the daughter of her lawyer and chief character witness! Have we been able to verify any of this trash fire?"

Nodding, Armsmaster's mouth warped into a firm, unyielding line. "Accessing the server at Winslow verified the emails that were described and printed out. That was sufficient cause to access Sophia's cell phone due to suspicions of parole violations. It provided us enough evidence to demonstrate that she has been playing games since joining the program, is guilty of at least one more case of manslaughter not covered by the original agreement, and attempted to murder several other targets off the clock. It also details a so called prank that could be considered bioterrorism. This was supported by a deeper analysis of the remains of the locker in question."

Piggot leaned back in her chair, face growing flushed with rage. "So, every action taken based upon Shadow Stalker's description of Taylor Hebert as a lying loner comes into question. The idea that she was an established Parahuman as opposed to a fresh Trigger is back on the table, while in the meantime, Miss Hebert has avoided capture and probably has a chip on her shoulder concerning authority figures the size of the Medhall building? Does that sound accurate?"

Neither of the Parahumans could do more than nod.

Sighing, the leader of the local PRT made her decision. "Remand Shadow Stalker to Master/Stranger holding, using the excuse that we need to rule out Master influence. Then drag her caseworker over the coals until we get the truth. In the meantime, I want that idiot Alan Barnes neutered so that we can make both him and his daughter go away. Also, we'll reach out to this Madison Clements and see if she will flip on the other two for a deal. I want those little monsters made an example of, but let's keep it in house."

Armsmaster shifted slightly. "That still leaves the matter of Miss Hebert."

Shrugging, Emily sighed. "Thanks to the confrontation with her father, I doubt we're going to be getting a Wards contract signed without her in custody. While we know there were mitigating circ*mstances, the whole thing still looks like an attack on a school. So, we'll play up that angle, and once we have Hebert contained we'll adjust the narrative. I doubt we can safely keep her local, but an exchange with Boston might be doable."

Eyes narrowing, Miss Militia replied. "Director, if this document is accurate, Taylor Hebert has been treated horribly since the start of her Highschool career. If we take this route, she might find it to be unjust persecution and be significantly more difficult to bring in safely."

Fixing her subordinate with a look, Director Piggot nodded. "I understand that, but we need to make her too hot to handle. The gangs, big and small, won't want the heat that a Parahuman accused of a school attack would bring down on them. It's not fair, but she's just one girl with a barely understood power all alone. Hopefully we will be able to secure her quickly and move on to fixing this mess. Now you have your orders, so get to it." With that, the two heroes left without another word.

Alone in her office, Emily turned to view the city that was one bad day away from a gang war. As a victim of Parahuman violence and ego, she hated what had been done to the teenager, and what she was about to do to get control of the situation. As a leader, she was used to making the hard choices due to a certain cold calculus. One child's justice was not worth a river of blood on the streets.

Taylor looked out the window of her current hiding place, seeing nothing but the orange of a setting sun. Between her power and Burai's invisible scouting and guidance, they had been able to raid multiple small drug dealers, allowing for some emergency shopping. She now had some worn clothes from a second hand shop and basic food and water to last for several days. But it was the last acquisition that drew her attention the most.

A burner phone connected to the local fast food wifi, complete with grainy video of the PRT press release from that afternoon.

They had done everything except say her name! It was all "A student was missing and wanted for questioning in relation to the event!" Or, "It was confirmed that her locker was the epicenter of the explosion." Then there was the oh so subtle, "While we are still investigating every, possible angle, it is safe to say that we are taking this situation very seriously and hope to have the perpetrator or perpetrators in custody shortly."

The Parahuman message boards and social media had outed her about twenty minutes after the conference, and the PHO moderators had been impressively slow in responding to the accusations.

Once again, the rules of law or common courtesy did not apply to Taylor Hebert.

Closing her eyes, the young brunette knew that she could no longer just sit there and take this sh*t. Something had to be done. "Burai, other than dragging my reputation through the mud, why do you think that the PRT is doing all of this? Why make me out to be a villain so quickly? I mean, it was Winslow, where there are knife fights between gang members every week that don't result in arrests. Why turn on me so quickly and decisively? I'm too close to the problem and need an outsider's perspective."

The phantom warrior faded back into existence, his face a tapestry of determination. "There are three things I can think of, based upon what we have observed. First, to divide and conquer. They want to keep you isolated from allies and enemies who would not wish to be wrapped up in your issues. Second someone, be it the PRT directly or someone with say in their organization, have decided to control the narrative to the best of their ability. Third, one of your enemies has used this opportunity to attack from the shadows, taking advantage of the situation for their own ends. Of course, it could in fact be some combination of all three."

Taylor frowned as she thought over the words. It would be so easy to just attribute all of this to yet another moment of Winslow stupidity. But the PRT were too agressive for that. The press releases did everything but call her a witch! Isolating her made sense, but it would be a bitch to make her an official Hero afterwards. They probably assumed that her costume was premade and interchangable! So, their goal seemed to be browbeating her into service, then treating her like a slave! Then, of course, there was the idea that the Trio had pull with the PRT. It was laughable, particularly since outing her would put the spotlight on the three...bitches...

Eyes widening, the young girl grabbed the phone and began to search. After draining two additional bars of power, her blood was boiling while her suspicions were confirmed. Every other involved party in the whole mess had been blocked, scrubbed and hosed by ban after ban. They were the same age, yet the Trio were being protected as minors while she was out in the open, with no support besides Burai and her powers! They were stacking the f*cking deck!

Well, no more.

Turning to her guardian, Taylor flashed her teeth. "Say, Burai, how did your team tend to announce yourselves again? I think it's time to change things up a bit."

The warrior's return grin was just as vicious.

-----

Looking over the Wards, Miss Militia felt a twinge of conscience. While she did not agree with the Director's decision to undermine the crimes against Taylor Hebert, it was an order that she would follow like always. However, explaining the situation to her subordinates was uncomfortable. They were all so young, and would not properly understand the need for such sacrifices. However, this was the world they lived in. "Now that you have been read in, are there any questions?"

Unsurprisingly, it was Clockblocker who spoke up first. "Are we absolutely sure that Sophia did this sh*t? I mean, one hundred percent, absolutely no fooling sure?" The normally jovial tone was gone, and all that was left was the tired moment before acceptance.

Nodding, Miss Militia mentally recalled the specifics. "Her phone was filled with evidence of numerous parole violations and unreported crimes. Her case worker apparently was invested in maintaining her position and allowed quite a bit to slide. The school has since been found culpable because of their support stipend and the idea that a Parahuman hero would be on site in case any gang violence broke out. As such, the reports that Miss Hebert made were mostly disregarded or intentionally overlooked." One life ruined for the safety of the masses. She had seen such arrangements before and they never ended well.

That was when Gallant spoke, his voice hard. "I hope that the Director realizes just how difficult she has made the situation by demonizing the victim in all this. We barely have a description of this green and gold costume, nor do we really understand her possible powers. Now she is going to act like a cornered animal against the world."

Vista spoke up, her young voice hard as any veteran PRT squad member. "Of course the Director knows what she's doing. She wants the problem to go away and decided that this was the best method available. So now we have to locate an angry Parahuman, contain them, get them in front of a judge then ship them off to Idaho before they make a mess in our backyard. Seems pretty obvious to me that she doesn't care about the justice here."

Wincing at the cynicism, Miss Militia responded. "We know that there were mitigating circ*mstances here, but we do not need the gangs poaching another Parahuman and upsetting the balance of power. The Empire alone could milk this whole incident for rivers of blood. I promise you that Miss Hebert will receive all due consideration when we make a deal."

Chris looked up at that. "I really hope so. That press conference tap danced all over the Unwritten Rules. If Rune cracks my skull or Grue starts carrying a gun because they are worried that they're next, I can't wait to hear what Director Piggot is going to do then."

Before things could spiral any further, an alert sounded on their phones. Checking the screen, the Protectorate hero saw a notice of an emergency from the Boardwalk. Hearing a curse, she looked up and saw Aegis frowning at his own phone. Meeting the eyes of the soon to be promoted leader of the Wards, she almost anticipated the bad news. "Ma'am, I think you are going to want to see this. Someone set up a live stream of the Boardwalk and it doesn't look good."

Clicking on the appropriate link, Miss Militia could not help but agree.

Perched on one of the tallest boutiques available was a skinny girl in a basic domino mask. Her outfit was a simple pair of black jeans with a green t-shirt, and did not really hide anything about her identity except in the strictest sense. Especially with her long and luxurious hair flapping in the wind. A crowd had formed, despite the best efforts of the Enforcers, waiting for something to happen.

Then she began speaking, and all activity ceased.

"People of Brockton Bay, you have been lied to! Today, the PRT decided to depict me as a lunatic, out for attention and driven to attack a school. However, I would say that the school attacked me! I was locked away in a pile of filth as students laughed at my pain and misery. Then I gained the power to save myself, only for my tormentors to brand me as a crazy, attention seeking loser. Well, I will not allow justice to be written by those who claim to be stronger or better connected! True justice comes from the guilty being punished and the innocent protected! Now that I have powers, I can no longer stand by like so many did when I called for help! The innocent people of Brockton Bay are under MY protection, not the haphazard efforts of the treasonous Protectorate heroes! They have perverted justice and made me a villain! Well, I name you criminals of the highest order! I will never bend to your false justice!"

Reaching for her belt, the figure was suddenly holding a device. Pointing it straight ahead, even as she widened her stance, the girl shouted with an impressive amount of determination. "DINO BUCKLER!"

In mere moments, she was encased in a skintight green spandex outfit, with a golden chest shield and a stylized helmet. Miss Militia could not help but think that Glenn would be hard pressed to do better.

Gesturing wildly with her right hand, the transformed teen continued her speech, unhindered by the helmet. "This is an expression of MY power! I am no Tinker who creates weapons of War, but a girl who can transform into a soldier against the darkness! I was denied the protections, minor or no, that even mass murderers are entitled to while wearing a mask in this city. So I feel no guilt saying this now. If you want to find a villain, then look no further than Emma Barnes, Madison Clements, or Sophia Hess! Without their horrific actions, and the later protection that the PRT granted them, I would not be here today. For I am the one known as H.L., short for Heroic Legacy! Prepare Brockton Bay for my arrival!"

With that, the noise of Armsmaster's cycle finally entered the shot. Sending a quick salute to the crowd and it's countless recording devices, the green clad girl leapt from her spot into the depths of the waiting ocean.

Closing the phone, Miss Militia allowed herself to take a moment before facing the group of arguing Wards. Something told her that this was only going to get a lot worse before it got better.

-----

Author's Note: The fun thing about these is that you can sort of set the cadence to the normal run of an episode of the original show. So, roughly twenty to twenty five minutes of length per chapter release.

Still a fun scene to picture ^^;;;

Looking over his people, Hookwolf smiled in anticipation. After listening to the PRT f*ck up so badly in an effort to cover for their sh*tty Ward, he was in the mood for a different kind of show. Violence and blood were the true measure of a fighter. The willingness to attack one another without restraint was a sign of true strength. After all, seeing the enemy repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot got boring after the third time.

No, some cage fights were just what was needed to liven things up. Kaiser was still debating if they wanted to deal with the Hebert brat proactively, or leave her to the PRT. Some pointed questions of the lower membership at Winslow DID reveal lost opportunities, but that was strictly "someone f*cked up" territory. They would just have to be properly educated by their handlers. It was nothing that the Empire Eighty Eight enforcer had to worry about, really.

At least, until one of his security people was tossed through the door like a bag of potatoes.

The villainous Parahuman observed the attack calmly. His guys were tough enough that a little knock like that would not do anything too bad. Worst case, he could call in Othala, but that was besides the point. This was a valuable opportunity to assess a new threat. Allowing his men to prove their worth with a little sweat and some bruises was nothing more than a good investment. Or efficient leadership.

Eh, it was probably one of the two.

Watching the green clad girl blast through his fighters, Brad noted quite a few things. First, the kid had strength and speed, but their technique was still raw. They could throw a punch or a kick, but too much energy and force was being wasted for his tastes. Second, she was learning with every opponent she faced. Her strikes were getting faster, and the normals were falling in increasing numbers. Third, she had some sort of control over the amount of force she applied. Punches that knocked people across the room only resulted in groaning, bruised bodies. There was not a single visibly broken bone or unconscious fighter to be seen.

Deciding that enough was enough, Hookwolf signaled Stormtiger and prepared to launch a joint attack. The new kid had potential, but a message needed to be sent for their presumption. Nothing permanent, but it was better to have potential recruits in the right state of mind when facing Kaiser. Specifically, scared out of their f*cking gourds, begging for the pain to stop.

Snorting at the mental image, Hookwolf allowed his powers to emerge. Launching himself forward, flanked by rending claws of air, he had just enough time to notice green energy building at the end of each gloved fist before making contact with an explosion of violence.

Then there was only the fight.

-----

Taylor had to admit, there was something cathartic about battling true blue villains. While Burai had been able to show her the basics of hand to hand combat, real life battle was teaching her much more effectively. She did not know if it was another aspect of her power, or a desire for some kind of release, but one thing was clear. The Empire Eighty Eight were no match for H.L.!

Then her instincts started screaming as a metallic clash filled the air.

Focusing her power in each fist, the young hero launched an enhanced punch. A ball of undulating hooks, wires and blades seemed to fold into itself before flying at a wall and flattening like a pancake. A shirtless man in a tiger mask followed, after telegraphing the most obvious blaster attack that Taylor could have ever hoped for. The counter strike covered in green fire was more than a match for such pathetic techniques. It cut through the air blades in an instant, before launching him next to his ally.

After that, it was a matter of moments to finish off the remaining Empire thugs.

Looking over the various fallen bodies, Taylor frowned. "Burai, what's the best way to handle this? If I just call it in, no one will admit that I was trying to be a hero. They'll call it a battle between gangs and claim I'm suddenly Asian enough to be a part of the ABB!"

Frowning, the ghostly mentor nodded. "A fair point, but you controlled yourself well. There are a number of illegal substances and weapons here. Take one of the cellphones and activate a call to emergency services. As to the two leaders...I think it's time to demonstrate just how quickly you can run."

Listening to the specter's expanded idea, the teen wildly grinned.

-----

Bastion slammed through the doors of the office building, ready for anything. Instead, he saw just what had been reported. Two villainous Parahumans from Brockton Bay, Hookwolf and Stormtiger respectively, had been bound in thick wire and left on the loading bay of the Boston PRT headquarters. He signalled the squad of troopers surrounding the scene, and felt some much needed gratification as the two monstrous men were sealed in containment foam.

One of the troopers came over with a phone. "Sir, the Wards found a live feed depicting the drop off. I think you're going to want to see this." Frowning, the Protectorate hero hit play. However, it only took ten seconds into the video before he was close to cursing up a storm, sensitivity training or no.

In it, a figure of gold, green and white was carefully laying the bound criminals down in the loading bay area. The image was later replaced by a close up of the Cape's helmet. However, the voice behind the image in question was completely determined and unyielding. Just like their LAST monologue on the internet. "To the people of Brockton Bay, it is I, Heroic Legacy! As the Protectorate of our dying city has proven to be too villainous and corrupt to trust with a simple prisoner transport, I decided to take care of it for them. Hookwolf and Stormtiger have been defeated and, for their extensive lists of murders and assaults to name a few, I have turned them over to the proper authorities in Boston! Let's see if this rot has spread across the nation, or if only the likes of Emily Piggot and her toadies are corrupt through and through!"

Already picturing the angry conference call to come, Bastion turned over the scene to his second in command before heading to a computer terminal. Something told him that he would need all the intelligence he could get before dealing with this latest vigilante.

Particularly since she could apparently transport two full grown men over her shoulders from Brockton Bay without anyone noticing!

Director Piggot fought the urge to empty her service revolver into a wall. Barely an hour after after her department had been notified of a raided Empire Eighty Eight hideout, the newest thorn in her side had managed to transmit video of Hookwolf and Stormtiger being turned into the authorities in Boston! It was a slap in the face of her command, and what was worse, it caught Armstrong's attention.

Which led to this emergency video conference of the various directors, including their boss Chief Director Costa-Brown!

Armstrong was in rare form, an actual glare on his face. "What were you THINKING, Emily? You did everything but spit on the grave of the poor girl's mother! Now we have a Brute rated Parahuman with a frankly ridiculous Mover ability publicly calling for your whole team to be investigated for corruption! Based upon these files, she has more of a case than I'd like to think about!"

Looking over her own paperwork, Director Wilkins hummed. "While I hesitate to bring disrepute onto the organization as a whole, this H.L. looks like a case of escalation just waiting to happen. We really should nip this in the bud as quickly as possible. Despite the limited options that Director Piggot's actions have left us."

Glaring, the Director of the Brockton Bay ENE rebutted. "I worked with the information I had at the time. Hebert had a reputation for misinformation and targeting her classmates' reputations. She also came at my men in a professional grade costume, which indicated an early Tinker cycle. Automatically assuming a gaslighting campaign or that it was her Trigger Event was statistically unlikely. What would you have done that would have been so much better?"

Armstrong slammed his fist on his desk, nearly dislodging a lamp and various piles of paperwork. "I sure as hell wouldn't have doubled down to ruin her reputation, as a part of some half-baked plan to conscript an innocent girl to avoid a scandal! Now she rightly believes that the Brockton Bay PRT is targeting her, and has decided to attack your PR with her own campaign. What's worse is that it's now all of our problems! With her projected Mover rating, she could probably start tossing villains in front of buildings in New York, Philadelphia, or Kansas City! That means that, either I accept the two Nazi's publicly into custody and acknowledge her heroism, or become tarred with the same sh*t that you have spread!"

Tagg hummed in thought. "You know, she does have a point. We've had a chronic issue keeping any of the big names from Brockton Bay in prison. If this new girl wants to make sure your revolving door sticks, she can come to my neck of the woods at any time."

"Enough."

The bickering Directors all went silent, turning as one towards Chief Director Costa-Brown. The national leader of the PRT fixed Emily with a look of annoyance. In terms of the woman's normal attitude, it spelled grave things for the Director's future career opportunities.

Waiting until the room was completely quiet, the head of the PRT finally spoke. "We have been placed in an awkward position by your decisions, Director Piggot. A very awkward position indeed. If this H.L. had demonstrated more power and skill than they have already, I might just be tempted to write your resignation off as a necessary sacrifice. We have not quite reached that point. Which, of course, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S OFF THE TABLE." The sheer venom in the woman's tone kept everyone very, very still.

Turning to Armstrong, the Chief Director gave her orders. "Have a press conference, thanking Heroic Legacy for her actions, and promise that the two captured villains will get the justice they have escaped for so long. Mention how you believe that this case might have been mishandled, but coordinate with Chambers for final talking points. We have to deescalate if we are ever going to bring H.L into the fold."

Turning back to Director Piggot, she frowned. "I have read that Shadow Stalker is in custody. Good, that will make this easier. I want her knocked out, and transported as far away as possible. Let's get her to L.A. where Alexandria can have a nice, long chat with the little psychopath. I think that Strider might be required, so his usual rates will be coming out of YOUR budget." That made Piggot wince, having seen what the world's best teleporter charged.

However, the Chief Director was not done. "I believe that a failure this severe requires special attention. A team of auditors will be dispatched to your office in two days. They will be given total access to all files and digital storage you have. If they find traces of a single data byte missing, then you can assume their arguments will be about how quickly people should be fired. I will withhold judgment about additional penalties until I hear their report."

All Emily could do at that point was grind her teeth in frustration.

Pursing her lips, the leader actually sighed. "I am hesitant to dispatch Legend to deal with this mess directly. That would escalate things to an unacceptable degree. However, you have poisoned the reputation of the local Protectorate team, so we cannot have them try and deal with this situation with any reasonable level of success. Therefore, I believe that our best bet is to try and get a third party involved. With that in mind, I will have Legend debrief Lady Photon. Hopefully we can come to some sort of arrangement that won't make things look too bad."

Twitching at the idea that New Wave would be read into the whole mess, Director Piggot stood, a objection on her lips.

Sadly for her, Chief Director Costa-Brown was not in the mood to listen. "My mind is made up, Emily. If you don't like it, I would gladly accept your resignation right now. Make it happen people. We have to get this under control before Miss Hebert gets it into her head that Lung would enjoy Canada. Now move out."

With that, the meeting was concluded, along with any chance for Director Piggot to get ahead of the spin.

-----

Looking over her extended family and teammates, Sarah Pelham just knew that the upcoming discussion was going to be a difficult one. However, unless she wanted to deal with a gang war, New Wave had to act. "I'm glad everyone is here, because we have a situation. I got a very interesting request from the head of the New York Protectorate. Apparently, they need New Wave to try and clean up a certain local issue."

Vicky snorted, before replying sarcastically. "Would this happen to be that H.L. claiming to be a hero while dressed up like a Lung fan girl? The one that basically is pulling Purity's trick, only targeting the Empire instead? Except she was able to make the Protectorate look bad instead of coming off as a hypocrite?"

Shooting her daughter a look, Carol snapped out. "Quiet Victoria, that attitude is not helpful. Sarah, why did the New York office reach out to us? Why not the local one? If they are attempting to coordinate a strike team, then that would fall under Director Piggot's jurisdiction, or Armsmaster's. What does Legend have to do with this particular fiasco?"

Sighing at the attitude shown, the de facto leader of New Wave reached for her notepad. A proper debriefing packet along with the official background materials would be coming via courier in a few hours. "Well, apparently the local office is not making the case because they managed to embarrass the NATIONAL Office with an attempted coverup. This H.L. was not exactly blowing smoke when she accused them of lying and corruption."

That bombshell made everyone start talking at once.

Lady Photon allowed things to go on for a few minutes before taking charge once again. "Alright, if everyone will calm down, I'll give you the talking points. After that, we can discuss strategy, okay?"

Seeing that she had everyone's attention, Sarah began to read her notes. "H.L.'s real name is Taylor Hebert, a teenager who went to Winslow Highschool. The whole thing started when someone called in a Parahuman attack on the place. A series of lockers had been torn apart by an unknown force, centered around her locker in particular. The initial investigators were told that Miss Hebert was a lying troublemaker with a persecution complex. That seemed to indicate the psychology of either a school shooter or a villainous Parahuman. So the Protectorate was dispatched. Enough evidence was gathered that they went with Taylor being a Parahuman."

Turning a page, Sarah frowned. "They sent a team under Miss Militia to Miss Hebert's home and served an emergency warrant on her property. At that point in time, they didn't know much about her powers, but were leaning towards a Tinker of some sort due to the exotic energies surrounding the locker explosion. However, Miss Hebert showed up in full costume, and they assumed villainous intent. They tried to capture her, but she was too fast and escaped. Without a suspect in custody, they finished searching the property over the protests of her father."

Pursing her lips at the next point, she forced herself to remain professional. Angry ranting could be done in private with Neil. "However, this is where it gets problematic for the Protectorate and their villainous narrative. Apparently, they discovered months of documentation outlining a bullying campaign against Taylor Hebert that the school administration willfully ignored. While a reasonable amount of it was hearsay, enough was verifiable that the Protectorate was able to dig up supporting documentation from other sources. Including a plan for a prank the day of the locker explosion so bad that there would be grounds for bioterrorism charges if the D.A. was feeling creative. That made the whole incident a probable Trigger Event."

That shut everyone up at once. They all knew that you did not f*ck around when dealing with a Parahuman's Trigger Event.

Crystal was the first one to break the silence. "Mom, if they found out the truth, why did the PRT host that press conference in the first place? I mean, they did everything besides give out Hebert's home address."

Anticipating her sister's reaction, Sarah told them the truth. "It was later determined that the source of most of the negative impressions that the Protectorate and PRT had gained about Miss Hebert were formed from information provided by Shadow Stalker. Her civilian identity went to Winslow, and had nothing good to say about Miss Hebert's character. However, it turns out that Stalker and her clique were the primary instigators of the bullying campaign against the girl. That happened to include one Emma Barnes, who knew enough legal tricks to make the gas lighting stick."

Carol did not disappoint. "A WARD was behind the bullying campaign that led to a Trigger? Wait, Emma Barnes, as in Alan's daughter? How sure are they of the validity of their evidence?"

Turning to the relevant page, the blonde snorted. "Very. These were teenaged girls, not super spies, and their Op Sec was pretty abysmal. Once someone was able to get a warrant for their phones, there were months of texts supporting every page of documentation that Taylor had prepared. As you might imagine, that put the local office in a real bind. So Director Piggot decided to double down on their bad decisions. Take the real criminals into custody and arrange very quick trials to make them go away, while painting a target on their victim with the intention of forcing a conscription and relocating them anywhere not local. Thus, the PR disaster would be someone else's problem."

Amy scowled at the news. "So wait, one of those three girls she identified on the Boardwalk was a Ward? She has to be new not to realize the sh*t that's going to bring down on her."

Shaking her head, Lady Photon rebutted. "There's no evidence that she knew one of them was a Parahuman at all. So if Shadow Stalker is outed, and I'd give it better than average odds, it's because she was identified as a petty bully who left evidence out there for anyone else to see. Piggot thought that the challenge would bring Hebert out of hiding and ripe for capture. Instead, she called out the entire local branch. They've driven her into a corner, and there are serious concerns about the dangers of escalation. Particularly after the capture of Hookwolf and Stormtiger."

Carol scowled. "They want us to play peacekeeper because the local Protectorate has acted like a bunch of thugs, the Wards might be endangered if Hebert views them as villains and acts accordingly, and an out of town team has no real understanding of how Brockton Bay works. I don't like this at all. The Protectorate should clean up their own mess instead of dragging us into an illegal coverup."

Lady Photon returned the scowl with one of her own. "Oh, I agree that we shouldn't be covering up criminal activities for the Protectorate or the PRT. However, their Think Tank believes that H.L. will continue targeting villains and transporting them to other PRT offices to make a point. That could easily start off a gang war, dragging countless civilians into the crossfire. The longer this drags on, the more innocent people will be put in danger. So if this can be fixed, it needs to be fixed now."

The two sisters stared each other down before Shielder broke the stalemate. "So what exactly are we going to be doing here? Just go up to this angry Parahuman and say something like, "Hey, listen! You have to stop fighting bad guys before you spark off a gang war?" I sure as hell wouldn't believe that if I had been set up by the heroes."

Turning to her son, Lady Photon sighed. "We are going to try and talk them down. If that doesn't work, we're going to pass on a number to a negotiator in the New York branch. Hopefully, we can at least get her communicating with someone who can possibly dial things back. If that doesn't work, we will have to discuss our other options. But the longer it takes, the worse it could go. So let's arrange teams and make this happen. Brockton Bay is depending on us."

With that, New Wave prepared for the challenge ahead.

Danny Hebert turned the key in his old, dependable truck, allowing the motor to shut off. Looking at the building before him, the Dockworker questioned if he was making the right choice. He had always hated what this place represented, and avoided it at all costs. If he went to this meeting, he would be tied to something beyond his mere morals or determination. Was it worth surrendering the last bits of his pride in such a fashion?

Then the memory of his fleeing daughter, betrayed by the so-called agents of law and order had him exiting the fading warmth of his vehicle, posthaste.

After seeing a video of Taylor's declaration to the Bay, and hearing the names behind her misery, Danny had been of a mind to find Emma and give her a good talking to. However, a couple of old favors and his friend in the media quickly dissuaded him. A sealed court case with the parties involved had been booked within a day of Taylor's accused attack, and none of the girls had been seen since. It smacked of a cover-up, while leaving his daughter holding the bag. He might have been a sh*tty father, but there were limits to what he could stomach.

Thus, his arrival at Somer's Rock.

Entering the grungy bar, he saw his objective already sitting in a corner. Two men, each dressed in casual attire, but carrying the slump of the eternal bureaucrat. While he had yet to deal with them in a professional manner, Danny could recognize the type a mile away. After all, he belonged in the same brotherhood of paperwork.

Nodding, he sat himself down. "Mr. Carrow and Mr. Raven I presume? Thank you for coming to this little, unofficial get-together."

The man on the right frowned before nodding, "Mr. Hebert, likewise it is a pleasure, despite recent unfortunate events. I will admit that I was surprised to receive your message through such channels. It's a fairly well established fact that you do not see the need to favor trade with your men. Something about refusing to deal with gangs, both official and not. May I ask what changed your mind on the topic?"

Closing his eyes, Danny fought to maintain his composure as his temper flared for an instant. It was a necessary question from the man to do his duty, but the facts still stung. "I watched as my daughter was named a villain in an effort to control her. I saw the so-called heroes ruin her reputation for some PR points. I can no longer afford to play it safe. I need to use every dirty trick I can."

The man on the left frowned while humming. "I see. I can understand your sentiment, but we have our own responsibilities. What you are asking is no small thing."

Nodding, the Dockworker replied. "I know, but there are lines that have been crossed. The people involved have ignored their positions and nearly gotten away with murder. If they had followed the correct procedure, then maybe I would just ask for a transfer to Arcadia. However, the PRT have co-opted everyone involved. That cannot make your own organizations look good."

Narrowing his eyes, the man replied. "No, it does not."

Turning back to the other representative, Danny fought to keep his tone reasonable. Burning rage would do nothing but spark a fight. He needed to keep a clear head in order to win. "Think about how many crimes the PRT fails to prosecute. How many other children are sacrificed on the altar of their bottom line? From where I'm standing, it has been far too many."

Looking at his companion, the Dockworker barely held back a snarl. "Think about the concessions that have been offered, the promises made. Now imagine how easily they could leave you as a scapegoat for their mistakes? Are their pretty words worth the resulting scandal?"

They sat in silence for a moment before the other two gentlemen nodded as one. The man on the right gave a gimlet smile. "Well, as Mr. Carrow of the Brockton Bay Police Union, I promise that our membership will work hard to uncover the full extent of the injustice visited upon your daughter, PRT or no."

His companion snorted, before holding our his hand. "You've made a good case, Mr. Hebert. Not that it was too difficult, considering the circ*mstances. As such, I, Mr. Raven of the Brockton Bay Teacher's Union, will advise the membership that all support of the the Winslow Staff will be suspended due to actions unbefitting representatives of our organization. Admittedly, it hasn't been used much in recent years, but the bylaws are still in place."

Shaking their hands, Danny knew he had made a deal with the devil. But for his child's future, he would so it all over again.

The PRT had no idea what sort of sh*t was about to hit the fan.

-----

Coil stared into the shadows of his office, still located in his bunker. In his current timeline, he was supposed to be reviewing the details of his newest base. A previously discontinued Endbringer shelter, it would offer the maximum levels of protection available for his forces, while also playing to his ego. The slight drain on his personal resources was negligible in the face of that.

In the other...he was fighting to keep himself from pissing his costume.

With the upcoming, nationally mandated audit of the ENE branch, Coil had been aggressively covering his tracks. While his normal methods for obtaining inside information were untraceable, certain irregularities concerning his attendance and security clearances needed to be shored up. These were steps that he had hoped would wait until his appointment to the Directorship, particularly when his current project Tattletale was more aware of her place in the world. However, he knew the system and played it well. The extra work was just an unwelcome distraction.

That was when he had a brilliant idea.

The whole Taylor Hebert fiasco was building steam as a major scandal already. The best part was that the blame was landing right in Emily Piggot's lap as it should. But the only thing keeping her in place was a lack of directed pressure, as opposed to crude PR spin. So what if Thomas Calvert, concerned business owner and former PRT operative, anonymously funded the girls legal defense? It might make his later efforts to take over the city a bit more complicated, but if the blame was focused on the bigoted Director instead of the organization itself, he might be able to accelerate his plans by months!

However, in the disposable timeline where he was about to contact Calle for a consultation, a strange portal opened right in his office. Out of it appeared the Boogeyman of Cauldron, holding a very big f*cking gun pointed directly at his face. Giving him a direct look, the beautiful woman with the dead eyes and a fedora simply stated, "No, you will not interfere while she is officially called a villain by the PRT. Afterwards, you may get involved, but not before."

Having said her piece, the woman shot his computer screen, hard drive, and the base of his chair fast enough to leave him still sitting as the splintered remains hit the floor. All without even drawing a single drop of blood.

Message sent, the most dangerous woman in the world disappeared back into her portal, leaving Thomas Calvert covered in dust and shattered plastic.

Dismissing the failed timeline, Coil decided to keep a very close eye on Heroic Legacy. Anyone who could capture THEIR attention so effectively was someone worth bringing under his control. He would have to get Tattletale to begin developing a profile in the morning.

But first...

Splitting the timeline, Coil summoned one of his more irritating new hires to his private quarters. After having his inadequacies as a Thinker rubbed in his face, the villain needed to unwind. Especially since he had not broken out his chainsaw in a while.

-----

Tilting her head, Contessa shrugged before paying attention to the meeting once again. However, given the audience, the gesture was like a red flag. "Is there something wrong, Contessa? You seem distracted."

Turning to Alexandria, the young looking woman in a fedora shook her head. "Nothing of consequence. I am currently working on a Path to minimize the impact of the Hebert situation on the National Protectorate and PRT offices. Coil was just testing the waters and needed a reminder of his limitations."

Frowning, the Triumvirate Brute leaned forward. "Isn't that a potential contamination of the Brockton Bay experiment? I'll admit that Emily handled the situation horribly, but Taylor Hebert is just one girl. Surely keeping her issues isolated to Brockton Bay should not require direct intervention?"

Humming a little, Contessa replied. "Maybe, but her true potential has not been revealed yet. She has had a disproportionate impact on the Path. Based upon what I can determine, her Trigger Event improved the chances of humanities survival by a whole one percent. If allowed to develop properly, with a minimum of interference by us, that number could go up."

Those were the sorts of numbers that caught everyone's attention. Given the scope of their enemy's power, a single percent represented far more potential than any other single Parahuman before Eidolon, who had held steady at point three percent!

Doctor Mother held up her hand. "If this Heroic Legacy power set has not been fully realized, then we will need to give it room to grow. Rushing in will just increase the risk of Scion noting our interest and neutralizing the girl. Alexandria, make sure that you keep an eye on the situation. Emily Piggot might need to be held up as a sacrifice, but there are some very useful Parahuman assets currently in Brockton Bay. Contessa will continue to monitor things for now, but this shouldn't invalidate the experiment. We're just containing the effects after all, not removing them. However, depending upon what we find, more direct intervention by Cauldron may be required."

The figures around the meeting room nodded. Petty politics aside, they would never lose sight of their goal.

No matter what the price, or who would pay it.

Watching the night's sky, Taylor smiled in satisfaction. While workouts with Burai had helped her feel better about her health, the successful defeat of two capes was a self-esteem boost better than anything else she had done in months. She knew her powers were making her faster and stronger, even without transforming. But the sense of validation, of goodness that the battle had provided was wonderful indeed. She had spent nearly a year and a half trying to be the better person, but right now she was tempted to go out and find another target to hit. It was superior to any self-righteous platitude she had attempted before her Trigger.

Or maybe she was still feeling refreshed after taking a shower in an abandoned winter cabin outside of Boston. Both were equally possible at the moment.

Her good mood lasted until Burai appeared with a severe frown. "Taylor, you must be careful of wallowing in these feelings of victory. You have won some battles, but the war is far from over."

Taylor would like to say that she fought such cynicism dramatically. That she believed her mentor was just being a worrywart. However, too many other shoes had dropped in her life to just take anything at face value. As such, her smile disappeared like a sugar cube in boiling water. "What concerns you, Burai? What should I watch out for?"

The spirit's face softened, even as his tone did not. "Both of your victories were well earned, and you should feel proud of how far you've come. But you've barely tapped into five percent of my potential power, and have a long way to go. Those two thugs were only defeated so quickly because they didn't know enough about your powers. The more you reveal, the more your enemies can prepare."

Hearing a wistful touch of bitterness in Burai's tone, the teen blinked. "Are you speaking from experience, Burai? That seems oddly specific."

Her mentor frowned before looking away. "I have mentioned my brother before. As a baby, he was taken in by the sworn enemy of my father as a punishment. However, they raised Geki as their prince and heir. The Yamato tribe never let him know his lineage, that he was adopted instead of a blood member of the royal family. As such, he became a symbol of everything that I despised. I allowed that hatred to fill my very core in an effort to survive. Even when he and the other Tribal Heirs sealed themselves away as guardians against a greater threat, I followed with only vengeance in my heart."

Enthralled by the story, Taylor leaned forward. "What happened then? Did you meet your brother again?"

Nodding once, Burai replied in a painfully clipped tone. "I did. Geki and his allies were called to fight a great evil, and I was freed not long after. However, the actions following my resurrection were still driven by pride and rage. So I failed to acknowledge the bigger picture. Once freed, I targeted my little brother relentlessly, defeating his allies individually or as a team. I even coordinated with their enemies, despite the sheer evil they represented. Nothing was more important than my pride or vengence."

Looking at the man who had saved her, Taylor wanted to claim that he would never have done something so horrible. However, there was a resigned exhaustion there that stopped her cold. It spoke of old regrets and agony. At that moment, the teenager could easily imagine Burai lashing out in blind rage. So instead, she just asked what she needed to know. "Did you...you know, manage to get your vengence?"

Then the pain behind the spirit's eyes faded into something that Taylor could not identify. "No, because Geki was wiser than his fathers, both biological and adopted. He had never even known that I existed while he was growing up, but he was a prince and a leader. He defeated me in personal combat, and instead of destroying me he saved me. My little brother reached out his hand, and despite everything that I had done he accepted me as family. Geki defeated me because it was his rightful duty. He SAVED me because he was the better man."

There was only silence at that pronouncement.

Shaking his head, Burai shot Taylor a look. "The point of this story is actually quite simple. I was driven, and believed that my enemies were weak enough that I would not be stopped before they were destroyed. However, they learned from their defeats at my hands. The more that you rely on the power that you currently have, the more that your enemies will adapt. Never fight assuming that you will win. The consequences are not worth thinking about."

Taking a breath, Taylor fought to internalize the lesson. She recognized that it was a correct and proper one that could not be discounted.

But as she prepared to return to Brockton Bay, a small bit of pride would not be denied quite so easily.

----

Tammi, commonly known as Rune, was trying to act like her head was on a swivel. Riding along on her platform of concrete might demonstrate power, but it also left her feeling like a sitting duck After Hookwolf and Stormtiger had been turned into the PRT in Boston, Kaiser had called an emergency all-hands meeting. The local cops had looked the other way when some of their people pumped the incarcerated gang members for information. The end results were a mixed bag. They knew who had gotten their people, but lacked the juice outside of Brockton Bay to just retrieve them. Especially the Birdcage bound Hookwolf.

However, their opponent was effectively an open cape, which offered some interesting opportunities. Taylor Hebert might have defeated two of their strongest members, but she was alone and without allies. When facing the concentrated wrath of the Empire Eighty Eight and the Protectorate, that was not a good place to be.

Several Empire members suggested that they attack her father in retaliation. Cricket had gotten rather disturbing when describing her desired vengence. However, Kaiser had said no. According to their sources, Daniel Hebert was targeting the PRT and Protectorate with a number of rather embarrassing legal actions. Allowing him to lash out at the corrupt establishment was more profitable in the long run than any short term satisfaction his death would bring.

Instead, they would continue to show the flag, and catalog just what this Heroic Legacy's powers really were. All Empire Capes were instructed to disengage or call for backup until they figured out the girl's weaknesses. It was not the first time that a fresh Trigger, drunk on their new powers had lashed out at the organization. She would fare just as well as the rest of them.

Particularly if she became enough of a threat to draw Purity back into the fold.

A flash of light caught the flying teen's attention. Looking between the surrounding buildings, Tammi was treated to the sight of a streak of golden green moving across the rooftops. Having faced the local Protectorate multiple times, Rune could honestly state that she had seen faster Parahumans. However, the figure in question had to be in the top three, with significantly better maneuverability than the other two. It was also a clear sign that it was time to go home.

Of course, the Empire cape was not expecting the streak of light to change direction on a dime, or utilize parkour on the nearby buildings to launch an attack against her!

With the speed of thought, Rune raised her platform nearly another hundred feet. It was almost not enough, and she could feel the backwash of the other Parahuman's passing. Aiming for one of their emergency pickup points, Tammi was barely able to send a text to Victor before another flash of green caught her eye. Turning, she almost lost control of her platform in an effort to drop below a sphere of green energy.

Since when was this brat a Blaster on top of everything else?!

Seeing the other Parahuman slow down to aim, Rune pushed her platform as fast as she dared. She had to get back to Kaiser and warn the others about just how much of the damn bag this asshole had grabbed! Unfortunately, H.L. or whatever the f*ck she wanted to call herself, did not seem willing to break off the attack.

Rescue came from an unlikely source.

A blur of white slammed into the attacking Parahuman like a truck. Rune did not let the opportunity go to waste, ducking between the scenery on her route as quickly as she could.

However, Tammi made a mental note separate from the overall report to Kaiser. She was really going to have to do something nice for Miss Collateral Damage Barbie after this.

Author's Note: I couldn't just leave everyone hanging after that ending. So have some rapid blonde chatterbox exposition!

-----

Feeling an impact across her torso, energy blast deflected harmlessly into the sky, Taylor slammed an elbow into the individual who had interrupted her ambush of Rune. It felt like hitting a mountain, but she was released anyways. Of course, being just an inch off a roof at the time, she realized that was part of her enemy's plan in the first place. Turning, she faced her latest opponent only to be stunned.

A teen beauty floated before her like something out of legend. She could not have been much older than Taylor, but with long blonde hair and a curvaceous, unmarked figure clad in white, there always no real comparison. However, it was her expression that was the most terrifying. It spoke of utter self-confidence and righteous anger. Apparently, her enemy tonight was the teen celebrity Glory Girl of New Wave, best known for her casual attitude towards property damage and miracle sibling Panacea.

Great, a Nazi went free because of a blonde airhead. The jokes practically wrote themselves.

However, much to Taylor's surprise, the first thing out of Glory Girl's mouth did not match the bimbo persona of her reputation. "I had heard about the enhanced abilities that your Breaker or Shaker power granted you. I take it that the Blaster ability is relatively new?"

Not trusting herself to speak, the green clad Parahuman just nodded.

Sighing, Glory Girl floated down to join her on the roof. "That is a fairly distinct power. I'm guessing you haven't practiced much with it. Is this your first time using it? Or your first time using is against another living target?"

Off balance, Taylor replied. "I used it to knock out Hookwolf and Stormtiger, but only to enhance my punches. That was the first time I tried using it as an artillery attack. It would have knocked Rune out for capture if you hadn't interfered." The last part was said with a building sort of frustration. Like puss seeping under an infected wound.

However, the young teen hero was unimpressed. "I can see that your Mover powers are the real deal. Does that include flight?"

Feeling pressured, the girl crossed her arms. "Not yet, but who knows what the future will bring?" Not flight, according to Burai, but leaping tall buildings in a single bound was a decent consolation prize. Still, the blonde Alexandria Package did not have to rub it in.

Pinching her nose, Glory Girl sighed. "So you can't fly, and were going to launch an untested Blaster power at Rune? Nazi or no, she could have DIED. Which would have made you guilty of killing a teenaged girl!"

Bristling at the other girl's tone, Taylor was quick to retort. "I would have captured her safely!" She was able to run at insane speeds, and a building was right there to rebound off of if the initial timing had not worked out!

Unfortunately, the blonde did not seem to see it that way. Her reply was relentless. "How can you know that? Have you practiced to see how your suit affects the people you carry? Can whiplash occur, or do you negate it with powers bullsh*t? Does your Blaster power cause kinetic force, or explosive? Can you adjust in mid fall without anything available to alter your momentum? Unless you're able to answer all of these questions and more, nine times out of ten you have a dead kid, and escalating retaliation from the Empire that normal people will pay for."

Tired of the lecture from one of the so-called heroes of Brockton Bay, Taylor threw her hands up. She was done with this bitch! "Why are you protecting a Nazi?!"

Glaring, her feet beginning to leave the rooftop, Glory Girl yelled. "I'm protecting YOU!"

Taylor froze, as the shout seemed to echo across the empty streets below.

Taking a deep breath, the teen bombshell settled back down on the roof. "I'm protecting you. Or trying to anyways. You have barely had powers for a week! There are consequences for lashing out alone like this! You need help, and that won't happen if the PRT pins a murder charge on you!"

The two stared at each other in silence, before Glory Girl lowered her arms to her side. "Okay, I know that I've made the worst first impression possible. However, you have enough on your plate, and don't need to stumble across more issues by accident. So first, while it's not exactly equitable, my name is Victoria Dallon. Believe it or not, I'm here to actually try and help you get out of the mess you're in."

Crossing her arms aggressively, Taylor stared the other girl down. "Heroic Legacy. Now why don't you get to your point already."

Nodding, Victoria replied. "Alright, from what my Aunt said, you've been kind of screwed over by the system. I get that you're trying to prove the PRT wrong about being a villain. Heck, I thought you were a Lung fan girl after their press conference! The problem is that you are poking a bigger bear than you realize."

Snorting at the idea that she could ever be a fan girl for the false dragon, Taylor started tapping her foot. "Oh? What bear would that be?"

Closing her eyes, Glory Girl replied. "The NATIONAL PRT office. Okay, Piggot f*cked up in how she dealt with you. Fine. But she doesn't operate in a vacuum. If you just make a line in the sand, with everyone being on one side or the other, then you won't be fighting the locals like Armsmaster or Vista. No, you'll be fighting thousands of heroes from across the country, including the f*cking Triumvirate! They just have to win once, while you can never lose, and in the end victory would still be a defeat because there is no way for you to come out of that situation without looking like a villain!"

Scoffing, Taylor gestured to the sky above them. "If it wasn't for your brand of heroics, I would have had Rune in custody and out of the city by now!"

Shaking her head, the blonde countered. "Even assuming that you had pulled off the timing for that maneuver without any practice, there's a big difference between what is acceptable to use against a bastard Changer with multiple Birdcage convictions, and a bigoted teen who just happens to be flying around. Do you have any idea how many acceptable force issues there are in this sort of situation? Half of them are written to ensure that vigilantes can be legally conscripted!"

Narrowing her eyes behind her helmet, the brunette bit out her next statement. "Elaborate."

Sighing, Glory Girl gestured widely. "Alright, so a lot of what independent heroes do seems like it's just walking around, right? I read PHO and know the rumors about New Wave. Well, that's because we're mostly a deterrent. Without legal authorization from the local PRT, we can only really perform citizens arrests because someone is in clear and present danger. So we can't touch most gang members unless we catch them in the middle of a crime. There is some wiggle room for established Parahumans with a good track record, but you don't have that. Therefore, the PRT can frame everything you do as abusing Parahuman Powers if they feel like it."

Blinking at the sheer absurdity if the statement, Taylor bit out her response. "That's bullsh*t. You have to assault or murder a minority to even become a member of the f*cking Empire!"

Fisting her hands, the blonde countered. "Have you seen them do so? Do you have any proof other than random internet chatter? Witnesses? Video? Audio confessions? As screwed up as it is, being a skinhead isn't considered a criminal offense! Sure, they're part of a gang, and probably commit all sorts of crimes under Kaiser. But you have no authority to investigate criminal activity, and without some very specific training, anything you find out can usually be thrown out by a good lawyer. Hookwolf and Stormtiger were low hanging fruit. One offs that can't really be argued against. But unless you're willing to work with the system in some fashion, they will be able to bury their own sins in a mountain of minutia and nothing you say will be taken seriously!"

Gritting her teeth, the younger Parahuman slumped. "So what do you suggest, oh wise one? Unless you're going to try and bring me in to be judged by those lying assholes. Then we are going to have a problem."

Taking a deep breath, Glory Girl reached into her pocket. "I have the number for a negotiator out of New York. Legend's office reached out to us directly because they want this situation resolved. I know you're angry, and have every right to be. But at least listen to an offer before cutting off your nose to spite your face." With that, she tossed a small card on the rooftop below.

Wary of betrayal, Taylor glanced at the innocent slip of cardboard, memorizing the number but leaving it where it was. "We shall see how things go. But I refuse to be painted as the bad guy here because the PRT listened to the popular kids instead of doing their damn jobs."

That made Victoria wince, which Taylor unfortunately noticed.

Locking eyes on the suddenly fidgeting hero, the brunette practically growled. "You know something. You know why the f*cking PRT believed those bitches and covered for them! What are they doing helping those monsters?"

Swallowing, Glory Girl shook her head. "I can't tell you anything about that."

The frustration that has been banked during their conversation exploded, and Taylor launched herself at the so called hero, fist extended. She was done letting the pretty people control her life!

She was not expecting the other girl to catch her fist cold.

Visibly panicking, Victoria Dallon squeezed the gloved hand. "Listen to me! I legally can't tell you anything about those three! That should be enough for you to figure things out on your own. But please, just call that number! At the rate you're going someone is going to get caught in the crossfire! We can stop it, but you just have to reach out!"

Still somewhat shocked by having the strike stopped so easily, Taylor ripped her hand away. Shooting the blonde another glare, she leapt in the opposite direction.

There was much to consider, and she needed to talk to someone she could trust.

-----

Glory Girl, famous local celebrity and one of the most powerful Brockton Bay Parahumans in her generation lost control of her legs. She had faced angry enemies before, but few had expressed as much rage as Taylor Hebert. In her opinion, the girl had a right to be super pissed. Being framed during your Trigger Event was horrible, and Piggot's efforts to make her a villain just rubbed the blonde the wrong way for any number of reasons.

That was not why the teen was sitting on the roof, unable to move.

When the weakness of her personal shield became apparent, Vicky had spent some serious effort on studying the effects. Over time, and through a lot of trial and error while on patrols of her own, she had gotten fairly good at determining the limits of her strength and recovery. Sadly, it had required one too many emergency calls to her sister, but the results were almost worth Amy's ire.

So she was well aware of how quickly a bullet could break her protection, and how long it would take to recover.

The strike that the green clad Hero had launched, made a bullet feel like a spit ball. If she had managed to follow up the attack before Vicky had gotten through to her, the blonde would have probably ended up as chunky salsa across the block.

Faced with her own mortality, Vicky decided to be a lot more careful when dealing with the other teen going forward.

-----

Canon Omake
(As in, this conversation happened, but was probably longer and phrased more diplomatically...or maybe not considering the participants.)

Amy: Wait, you tried to talk down the overpowered teen with a lecture on legal issues and the broad definitions of Assault with a Parahuman Power?

Vicky:...please drop it Ames.

Amy: Not on your f*cking life.

Victimizing Vicky makes the scene..........honestly who lets this girl go outside without a handler?
She's just screwed up a victory for the green ranger.......honestly any green ranger/sentai makes me think of Tommy and the Dragon Zord. Calling his kaiju with that flute never got old.

Never knew I needed this story so much.

Author's Note: Just a quick warning, there will be a conversation between Nazis at the end of this chapter. As such, objectionable language will be used.

You have been warned!

-----

Legs dangling over the edge of the roof, Taylor watched the ocean from her perch on a broken down warehouse. She had been reflecting upon the confrontations with Rune and Glory Girl for nearly an hour, still frustrated by what had happened. Particularly the fact that the teen heroine might have had a small point. However, she needed a trusted opinion now, not some piece of regurgitated propaganda. "So Burai, what do you think? Was Glory Girl on the up and up, or secretly a Nazi sympathizer?"

The firm voice of her mentor replied, his tone unwavering. "It sounded like she believed what she said. I will admit some of the specific terms are not familiar to me, but I could see how they would apply. Laws are supposed to protect the people equally, but are often twisted for one agenda or another. Your enemies could easily hide behind them to poison the masses against you further. Offering you an olive branch also makes sense. The longer that you and the Protectorate fight, the more damaging any potential revelations of their own wrong doing would be. From what I have seen, they're desperate for allies and awash in enemies. Turning you to their side only makes sense. However, that still leaves one question unanswered."

Frowning, she finally turned to face the warrior spirit. "Indeed. Why was she so damn cagey about how the PRT was doubling down on protecting those bitches? They're just teenagers for crying out loud! But those assholes are bending over backwards to keep them out of the paper, and Glory Girl was acting like she was breaking the law even alluding to them! Something about that stinks like Skidmark's underwear."

Face twisting in disgust, Burai shook his head. "Unfortunate metaphors aside, there is something here we are missing. I will say that the truth was making this Glory Girl honestly uncomfortable. But not enough that she would break her silence. That indicates a very firm line in the sand that she would not cross."

Snorting, the teen looked up towards the sky in thought. "New Wave is supposed to be all about accountability. That's why they dropped their masks and went fully public. Having them support some sort of cover-up is very much against their official brand. Which, after dealing with the Protectorate, would not surprise me in the least. But what could get a hot head like Collateral Damage Barbie to keep her mouth shut?"

Her mentor scoffed. "Don't use such a derogatory nick name, Taylor. It's beneath you. This Victoria Dallon had a keen mind, and made her points honestly. Failure to recognize that will make you underestimate her in the future."

Wincing, she absently rubbed her ribs, still feeling the phantom pain of their previous impact. "I don't think I'm going to underestimate someone who can tank my most powerful punch. The weird thing was that she expected me to figure it out on my own. I've been trying to determine why those bitches got away with that sh*t for over a year and it went nowhere."

Crossing his arms, Burai scowled. "A fair point, but perhaps this has something to do with the local warrior culture? You are still new to your position, Taylor, but are there any rules or customs that you are aware of? Anything at all that comes to mind. It must be simple if Glory Girl thought we would be able to determine the truth from such limited evidence."

Sighing, Taylor absently ran a hand through her hair. "Not really? I'm not much of a Cape Geek, and have mostly just watched the occasional Uber and L33t video. I mean, Capes usually just fight each other for money and territory, which is why the Protectorate is supposed to be so important. Only a Cape can realistically fight against other Capes, especially after the last body count when the Empire sent grunts against Oni Lee. The only other thing I know is that you should never..." With that she trailed off, her eyes growing wide as saucers.

The spirit blinked at the sudden silence. "Taylor? Whatever is the matter?"

Voice shaking with a sudden fury, Taylor continued her explanation. "The only other thing that you should never do is try and figure out the identity of a Cape. Particularly an official, PROTECTORATE HERO. We learned about it in World Events last semester. The Second Parahuman, Vikare died back in the late eighties dealing with a mob and his real identity came out. The government passed a bunch of laws about secret identities to keep their people safe. Some actually call it the Vikare Act. But it's been on the books for decades, and is a pretty big part of the Protectorate laws and regulations."

Blinking at the comment, Burai replied. "You believe that your tormentors are related to a Protectorate Hero?"

Scowling, the young brunette nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense. If they could spin protecting the bitches as a way to prevent a hero identity from leaking, it would explain a lot about how they are handling this mess. I can confirm it's not Emma at least. We've known her family for years. But Sophia or Madison? Hell, one of them could be Dauntless's cousin for all I know! I've got to figure this out."

Jumping through the air, her power subtly boosting each leap, Taylor reached the border of downtown in minutes. Huddled behind an air conditioner unit, she wasted no time in tapping the local WiFi signal. Rapidly reviewing the Brockton Bay Protectorate PHO Page, she started whispering to Burai. "If they're trying to cover up a connection, keeping the hero in question around is a disaster waiting to happen. Let's see if anyone is suddenly retiring, or transferring to another city."

Burai appeared before her, looking even more serious than normal. "Would they really leave this city so quickly? That would practically reveal their guilt to the slowest investigator."

Scrolling as rapidly as she could through the various announcements, the young hero absently replied. "It's all about perspective. If they remove the Hero for an unexpected emergency or something like that, then they are gone and possibly rebranded. New name, new look, and a fresh set of protections for their identity. Everyone is focused on my actions involving the Empire. Transferring in some other hero to focus on any attempts at retaliation would be a great opportunity to pull a bait and switch. Transfer out the accomplice while sending in someone to take their place. But keep it low-key to prevent an intelligence leak. So it's just a matter of finding it buried in their media announcements."

Blinking, the spirit gave Taylor one if his rare smiles. "That was well reasoned, my friend. You have taken to your lessons well."

The teen did not say anything for a moment, before softly replying. "I just had to think of them as bullies. The Trio could get creative when they were in a mood. Unfortunately, they liked to mix things up occasionally. But enough about that for now. I think I've found something."

Looking over her shoulder, Burai was all business. "What are the Wards, and who is this Shadow Stalker?"

Taking a deep breath, Taylor turned to face her mentor, eyes hard. "The Wards are a training program for young Parahumans to get control over their powers. You join up, get a college scholarship, and go on to the Protectorate as a fully capable Hero. Shadow Stalker was a small time independent who joined up last year. She was part of a media blitz about incorporating young vigilantes into the system properly. But now they have a little blurb saying she's dropped out of the program due to a family emergency in another State. An announcement that was posted not twenty four hours after the f*cking locker."

Looking at the small picture of a mask molded into a stern woman's face, Burai commented. "So you believe that she is related to your bullies? It would clear up why they thought you were a villain so quickly. Their own Ward was fed false information and proceeded to pass it on."

Face twisting into a much more dramatic scowl, Taylor fixated on the picture. "I think it's worse than that. During the bullying campaign, stuff kept going missing from my locker. I changed the combination and the lock multiple times, but those bitches kept getting in. Then, lo and behold, they managed to put gallons of rotting biological waste in there without touching the lock. That makes Shadow Stalker's power set VERY interesting. She can apparently go through solid matter for short periods of time by assuming a shadow state."

Seeing where his student was going, Burai frowned severely. "Then either Shadow Stalker was a committed accomplice to these little monsters..."

Taylor finished the thought, her tone dripping acid. "Or she was one of the three bitches all along. A short, physically agressive asshole with a chip on her shoulder about the Empire. I can't see the resemblance to Sophia Hess AT ALL."

The sarcasm was sharper than any blade.

-----

Looking at Tammi from across his desk, Max Anders smiled. "It's a delicious irony that Glory Girl ended up saving you from capture. If it wouldn't distract the masses from the foibles of the PRT, I'd be tempted to thank her publicly for the aid. Ah well, there will be other opportunities to deal with that upstart."

Keeping her eyes down as was proper, the young Empire cape replied. "Yes sir. But that Hebert girl is nuts. She was fast and strong already, but now she's picked up a damn Blaster ability. No one told us she could do something like that."

Frowning, the older Nazi leaned back in his chair. "Indeed. Part of what concerns me is the sheer amount of abuse this girl underwent before Triggering. I've had our people reach out to the students of Winslow for more information. The campaign of the black girl and her race traitor friends was surprisingly creative and vindictive for one of her kind. However, it does leave me with a concern. A concern that your report has only validated."

Tammi swallowed, staying still. You did not interrupt Kaiser when he was trying to make a point.

Sighing, he shot her a look. "I know you are young, but if you are ever able to get that son of mine into a relationship, there are things you will need to learn, girl. One is that there is no such thing as useless knowledge. The details of Hebert's Trigger Event are far from useless knowledge."

Rune had to bite back a wince. Talking about any Trigger Event always felt wrong to most Parahumans. Unfortunately, Kaiser was more pragmatic than nearly everyone, and completely without shame if it gained him something. Still, better to play along. "What does it tell us, besides the fact that a white girl, questionable blood or not, was being terrorized freely by a black girl?"

Waving away her comment, Max replied. "Oh, those foolish children are already being disciplined for their poor attitude. No, there have been any number of research projects done on the nature of Triggering. If you examine the data, certain patterns emerge. Specifically, around those who were affected by Parahuman abilities in the time leading to their Trigger Event."

Tammi was not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but rumors had been flying ever since the pet psycho of the Protectorate Wards went silent. "You think she's some sort of Trump, Sir? Because the Shadow Bitch was probably one of her bullies?"

Nodding, Kaiser replied. "It fits the information we have. A Shaker ability that comes complete with costume, increased strength, speed and now an energy attack of some sort? Power adaptation or gradual evolution is more than likely at this point. If she's this strong after only a week, who knows what will happen in two?"

Nodding to himself, the leader of the Empire smiled. "Put the word out to everyone. Heroic Legacy is looking for targets. Let's deny her the opportunity. Everyone goes underground until either the Protectorate cleans up the mess, or she takes a crack at Lung and becomes barbeque. This isn't an Empire fight."

Aware that she was pushing things, but unable to leave it be, Tammi pointed out the one little detail that had apparently been overlooked. "But sir, she attacked us and put two of our more important members away. Wouldn't that make it our problem?"

Smile morphing into a smirk, Max easily replied. "I'm afraid that Miss Hebert has simply been led astray because of the actions of an abusive mongrel and the corrupt system that enabled her. A tragedy that could have been prevented by the right sort of people being in charge. The loss of Stormtiger and Hookwolf is a tragedy, but one that can be put at the feet of Sophia Hess. A creature that got ahead of herself, and should have been disciplined long ago."

With that, a target had been painted on the Hess family that could be seen from space. If it also happened to point out a few connections with the little psychopath and the corrupt PRT? Well, sometimes you had to help the unwashed masses connect the dots.