1.5

Getting home was an awkward affair. I tried to rush inside to avoid him from either seeing or smelling me. Luckily he was still at work. I don't know why I was so panicked, his official work hours was the usual nine to five deal and he often stayed there later giving me plenty of time to brew more potions. I grimaced at that. Normally I'd pick up ingredients on the way home. An aspect of my power allowed me to instinctively know what I could use but today I was distracted.

I'd have to resort to using my spare stock.

Setting my bag down I had a quick shower, I wanted to train and brew as many potions as I could before I went out tonight.

I set about grinding away at the various bugs, herbs, mushrooms and other ingredients that I had on hand while I used my feet to continuously kick myself. I felt slight elation at my light armor skill increase as a small bruise began to slowly form. My alchemy however continued to grow at the usual rate, that is quicker then everything else I had.

It was about then that I heard dad come through the front door. With a bit of panic I quickly packed everything up moving my homework that I opened up earlier onto the table.

"Hey Kiddo, how was school today?" I smiled as much as I could to show him how well I was doing. The lack of frowns indicated that I had fooled him. It made me feel sick.

"It was okay dad." I told him. "Just trying to finish off some homework before I get dinner ready."

He shook his head at that. "As much as I love your cooking I figure I should give you a break and treat you to something nice, how does pizza sound? You kids still love that stuff right?" The guilt continued unabated through my mind. How long would I keep deceiving him? I had to keep up the facade, I had to protect him.

"That sounds great dad." Turns out ordering pizza and the extra free time that came with it was a godsend. Homework was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. A combination of the bullying making it harder to pay attention in class and my powers taking up most of my thoughts was a sure fire way of making me forget everything academic.

Still I powered through it with liberal fact checking using the second hand maths book that was an edition out of date. Eventually the pizza came and we ate it. Dad offered to watch a movie with me but I told him I had to finish the rest of my homework which I did.

As I made my way back to my room I checked the hiding place for my 'costume' and found that it was still secure. I vowed that I would eventually replace it with actual armor.

While it took some time eventually we went to bed.

"Good night Taylor!" He yelled.

"Good night dad!" I replied hoping I had injected enough pep into my voice so that he wouldn't worry about me.

Taking a deep breath my mind wandered off to Madison, Sophia and Emma. I doubt I could understand their intentions and honestly I felt that I was done with them. I still wanted revenge on some level, to make them suffer but if it was a choice between never seeing them again and having them answer to everything they had done to me?

Well it was a difficult choice in my head. Before when they trapped me and poured the Pepsi all over me I was furious but now, here safe in my bed at home? It had calmed me down despite all the guilt I felt from hiding my powers from dad. Right now there was nothing to fight but my own desires.

Right now though it was unimportant. Tonight I'd go out and be a hero. I would focus on that.

Eventually it hit midnight, dad would likely be sound asleep. I grabbed my costume, black tracksuit pants, a black turtle neck that was a few shades lighter then the pants, a dark blue bandanna to cover my face and a set of goggles that I modified so I could wear them over my glasses.

It was a terribly rudimentary disguise and I felt that if I had better tools and materials it would've been so much better. As I looked at myself in the mirror I began to have second thoughts. I looked more like a thug ready to rob a convenience store then a hero.

A very skinny, unintimidating thug.

I shook my head. I wasn't trying to get recognition, that could come later. Tonight was about getting experience. I'd stick to lower level criminal acts and leave the villainous cape busting for another day. Grabbing a baseball bat I allowed my Veil to cover me.

It was a cold night I noted as I quietly made my way outside. I'd patrol the ABB section, they only had two capes to my knowledge, the Merchants I think had three and the Empire had… actually I wasn't sure of the number, I just knew they had a lot. Point was going into the ABB territory would have a smaller chance of me running into anyone I couldn't handle.

Now that said I understood that if I ran into Lung or Oni-Lee I'd be dead but I was relying on my Veil to get me out of those situations before I ever ran into them. Honestly I was pretty proud of that power, it wasn't something I had really considered back then but now I was grateful for it. Giving the baseball bat an experimental swing I imagined that I could knock anyone out with it.

As I continued to slink around in the shadows the night remained silent. I came to two conclusions.

First I should've worn something warmer. A turtle neck was nice and all but maybe a singlet underneath and a scarf would've been nice. It was practically freezing! I was half tempted to use my fire power to just warm myself up!

Second, this was terribly boring. My determination could only take me so far before the lack of criminal activity made me sick of all this. It was at this point I noticed someone in green and red colors. Not only that but they held a gun! Well, holding a gun wasn't a crime, he wasn't hurting anyone right now and I don't think I could survive a gunshot so I backed off.

Then I noticed that he had friends with more guns surrounding a large, muscular figure wearing a metallic dragon mask. It was Lung! It seemed that they were in a meeting.

Right, time to back off!

Lung was snarling, "…the children, just shoot. Doesn't matter your aim, just shoot. You see one lying on the ground? Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?"

There was a murmur of assent and I froze. Kids? They were going to kill kids? I couldn't deal with this! I'd die if I intervened now! Lung had taken on the entire Protectorate! I had to back off and leave! Just like Mr Gladly had done with me.

I felt my entire body shake then, I couldn't bring myself to be like him. I couldn't, I promised I'd be better and couldn't go back on that just because it was the easier option. I couldn't let people like Lung, like Sophia get away with that sort of thing.

But I had to be smart about it. Gripping my bat tighter I considered my options. I could take a swing, maybe bring one down but what then? I'd never tested the limits of my Veil. Would I reappear as soon as I attacked? It's not like I was invisible.

Wait. Invisibility! I had an invisibility potion! It would allow me to take them all out! Cause panic! I only had the one potion and I had never tested it due to the lack of ingredients but I was confident that it would work!

It was perfect! I began to drink down a myriad of my other potions, ones that made me tougher, that made my strikes hit harder, even one that fortified my healing power. I wondered if it would affect Panacea as well?

Unlikely, our powers were probably too different to be compatible.

Eventually I was ready for the last potion and I drank it down. Looking down at my hands revealed my success, nothing to see here! I smiled, it was time I took down the ABB, scare them off and save those kids from Lung. I crept up to the closest gang member and took a swing with my bat.

*CRACK*

"AHHHH!!" He screamed out hitting the ground as I broke a rib. I might've swung too hard but it seemed to have worked. Then everyone raised a weapon while my first conquest moaned pitifully on the ground. There was swearing, yelling and general confusion. Lung however looked directly into my eyes.

"Brave, but foolish little girl." Wait a second, he could see me? Looking down I confirmed that yes, I was now visible. Oh SHIT! I thought the potion would last at least another ten or fifteen seconds! What went wrong? Did it cancel itself when I swung the bat?

"Kill her." he intoned not even using his own powers to attack. He just stood there, smug and secure in his superiority like I wasn't even worth the effort. The gang members raised their weapons and right before they shot me I shouted out in panic.

"STOP!" And they had. Not a single one of them fired.

"WHAT ARE YOu waiting for fools?" Lung began to yell only to quiet down in confusion. "I… what's going on?" He wondered out loud.

"She's a MASTER!" One of them yelled out and bolted. Everyone else however seemed content to wait around, not a single aggressive stance in sight except perhaps Lung who was trying and failing to work up his infamous rage.

"COWARD!" He yelled at the single fleeing subordinate. "I WILL FLay you alive…" His form seemed to grow for a moment before shrinking back down. I didn't know how long this Master power I used would last so I decided to remove some of the gang members by summoning flames into my hands.

Many of them flinched and backed off. It looked impressive but in this state the heat in my hands were harmless. Then I pointed them outwards and let them loose, a flamethrower blazed into existence scattering my foes to the wind! It was a glorious moment and I savoured it deeply! I took great care and effort however to not to cook anyone alive, only to scare them and force them to retreat.

Hopefully the idea of being at ground zero with two pyro capes would ensure they left the area for good.

I was banking on that since I couldn't keep up the flamethrower forever.

Lung as I expected didn't retreat and luckily for me he hadn't turned into a giant murder beast yet either. He was fluctuating, shrinking and growing, shrinking and growing. I quickly realized that what I had done to him was starting to fade.

Well, it seemed that his full attention was now on me. Those kids were going to live. As Lung growled in frustration I decided that now was a good time to listen to my survival instincts and run.

Running around the corner and diving into the shadows I desperately used my Veil once more as I slowly, began to creep away. Looking around he tried to find me, he even sniffed the air. I panicked at that, his nose was different now, who was to say that he didn't have super smelling?

In any other situation I would've giggled at the thought. A Cape with the power of super smelling.

Right now however I was struggling to reign in my desire to just run. Stealth was the only way I was getting out of here. Then I noticed that he was beginning to shrink. I know for a fact that my Master power was starting the wear off so was this his own power running out on him as well?

His anger was now just frustration. It came back and the air around him seemed to heat up but overall it seemed that without an actual confrontation he would be weakened. Did I just beat Lung by hiding from him?

He stalked off soon after, presumably to try and find me and only then did I let out the breath I had been holding the entire time. Standing up I wondered what I should do now. Too late did I notice the sounds of something coming closer, heavy thuds across the ground as I came face to face with a monster. I backed up and noticed another two flanking it.

Then I realized that there were people riding those monsters and I soon recognised who they were. The Undersiders, small time crooks and teens. I just saved a bunch of criminals from Lung!

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That's it for now folks! Next time we get a juicy Armsmaster interlude!

I'm hoping the Lung 'Fight' works here. In my mind there are only a few ways to beat him.

1. Hit him before he grows.

2. Hit him in such a way that he can't hit you (Ranged attacks like bugs)

3. Hit him harder then he can hit you! (Unlikely unless you're a Endbringer or only just starting the fight, see point 1.)

4. Don't hit him all! Just fucking RUN!

So yeah, it's debatable on whether Taylor actually fought him at all but now you all know that she's basically an Imperial! Voice power and luck finding money AHOY! All she has to do now is go out and find containers that could have money in them in the first place. I'm thinking couches.

Edit: For those of you who don't know, being an Imperial gives you the ability to once per day to shout, causing an AOE around you to have a calming effect. The one guy who ran off? Probably wouldn't ever happen with actual game mechanics but I always liked the idea of someone super paranoid about Master capes that he just freaks the fuck out regardless!

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Omake: Tattle Tale thanks Taylor by giving her a lunchbox filled with MONEY!!!!

"Money," I breathed, caught off guard by suddenly having so much in my hands. Ten stacks of bills, tied with paper bands. Each of the paper bands had a number written on it in permanent marker. Two fifty each…

Lisa answered before I had the number totalled up in my head, "Two grand." She told me.

Wait a second. Ten stacks, two fifty each. That was two thousand five hundred. I opened my mouth to correct her but closed it figuring that if I could get a bonus I might as well not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Lisa then raised an eyebrow at my reaction as her eyes widened. She quickly grabbed the lunchbox out of my hand staring at it. "Wait, what? This is BULLSHIT!"

Edit: A word and some more. SPALLING MISTUKES! Also a few extra words here and there to make them more clear.