Chapter 7

Taylor shivered in the cool morning air, the sudden change in temperature catching her by surprise as she left the warmth of her home. Today would mark the first time in... over a year, probably, that she was meeting up with someone on a weekend. She was simultaneously thrilled and terrified, especially after Jaya mentioned that she would be bringing along a friend. Taylor was not too proud to admit her social shortcomings, in truth, they pressed down on her nearly constantly, and she dearly hoped she wouldn't make an ass of herself in front of Jaya.

The stress of the situation was made marginally more tolerable by the personality of the girl in question. Taylor found it hard to imagine Jaya feeling anything other than directed schadenfreude. If Taylor acted like a complete dork, she doubted she would receive any judgement other than amusement. It was comforting, in a way, to know the girl was happy to gently mock you regardless of what you did.

That didn't account for the new acquaintance though.

It couldn't possibly be that terrible, Taylor consoled herself. Any friend of Jaya would have to have a high tolerance for the... oddness she brought to everything she did. Their standards for friendship couldn't possibly be that high. Besides, Taylor found the idea of making new friends oddly pleasing.

It wasn't something she would have considered a month ago. Even now, she felt some small guilt over not focusing on her hero work. She should be practicing her powers, not goofing off at the mall, but the thrill of warmth she felt when Jaya invited her out this morning could not be denied.

It was good for her to go out, Taylor eventually decided. Being a hero, protecting people, was still her responsibility, her duty as a cape, but she could have some fun too, right? Even heroes took breaks... probably.

And she had worked hard, this past week. Jaya was busy, so Taylor had no one but herself to push her, to force her to break her limits like the brittle things they are. It was a positive experience, to realize she didn't need the older girl's help to fulfill her dreams, but not one she was eager to repeat.

Training had been very lonely. Taylor did not realize just how accustomed she was to Jaya's presence until she ran alone. No idle conversation, no verbal haranguing, no bizarre references to things that never happened. No encouraging smiles or gentle adjustments to her form.

Some things were always better with friends at your side.

So, when that friend wanted to spend time with her, how could Taylor say anything but yes?

Taylor exhaled, slowly, calmly, and let her worries float away with the wind. They would find their way back to her eventually, they always did, but the pulsing happiness in her chest would ward them off until she was alone once more.

---

The buses of Brockton Bay were universally shabby. They creaked and groaned and shook like arthritic old men training for the Olympics. Riding them was probably the most unsafe thing Taylor did daily, and she went to school with two girls who nearly murdered her. They performed their duty though, brave, dying things that they are, and got her to the mall in one piece.

Jaya lounged against the entrance, casually draping herself across public property without a care in the world. It was the girl beside her that gave Taylor pause. For a moment, only a moment, Taylor thought the girl was Emma. The sun hit her hair at just the right angle to make it shine red, and Taylor's heart clenched. Unwelcome thoughts whirled through her head, that this was all some elaborate prank, a plan to give her hope once more, only to crush it in the most vicious way possible. Then Jaya looked her way and waved enthusiastically, and Taylor's paranoia burnt away in the brilliance of the older girl's smile. The moment passed, and Taylor noticed the other girl was, in fact, a blonde. Thankfully.

Taylor grinned as she approached the pair and accepted a hug from her friend. Jaya pulled the blonde girl over and presented her like a prize, "Taylor, this is Lisa." she said proudly, like she'd won her at a carnival, "I only met her this week but I've got a feeling you two will be great friends!" Lisa looked towards Jaya suspiciously, then seemed to blink in surprise, and turned towards Taylor with a smile.

Taylor scrutinized this new girl, who did not, in fact, look like Emma at all. She was taller than Jaya, though still shorter than Taylor, with cute freckles and bottle-glass green eyes. Pretty, Taylor believed, was the proper word to describe Lisa, but her smile seemed genuine, and lacked the cruel edge she had come to associate with natural beauties. Taylor stuck out a hand, "Taylor Hebert." she said, proudly not stumbling over her own name. Lisa opted to hug her instead, and Taylor caught a pleased look on Jaya's face.

"I'm Lisa Wilbourne, it's great to finally meet you." Lisa said as she pulled away, "Jaya never shuts up about you."

"S-so uh, what were we planning to do today?" Taylor stumbled, awkwardly appreciative of the physical contact.

"Well for starters, I'm buying you new clothes." Jaya answered, giving Taylor's outfit a critical look.

Taylor cringed slightly, as she looked over herself. She'd become accustomed to wearing baggy, unflattering clothing while at school, and her wardrobe had naturally adjusted. It didn't help that anything nice she wore to school was quickly destroyed by Emma or Sophia, usually by staining it with something horrible. Still, as long as she kept it at home, and only wore it with her friend, she could- wait, "What do you mean you are buying me new clothes!? I can't let you do that! I've got enough money to afford a few things." Taylor didn't, not without dipping into her hero fund, but she wasn't about to let other people buy her clothes like she was some sort of charity case.

Jaya, as usual, ignored her complaints with a snort, "I don't recall giving you a choice. It's my money, I'll do whatever I want with it. Besides," she bumped shoulders with Lisa, clearly happy, "I came into some money recently. I'm treating you, deal with it."

Taylor grumbled unhappily, but did not argue. It was pointless to argue with Jaya once she made up her mind, Taylor learned that within the first week. Besides, it was nice to have someone want to buy her things. Although... Taylor frowned, "You came into some money? What happened?" An inheritance? Did she lose a family member? Maybe buying things for her friends was just Jaya's way of dealing with grief. Taylor felt a surge of sympathy and shame, for denying her friend.

"Nah, I robbed a supervillain." Jaya announced, loud and proud. Lisa's hand clapped over her face.

Taylor blinked in confusion, then understanding, "Right, got it." She wouldn't push, not when her friend clearly didn't want to talk about it. She could understand a need for privacy, and grief had many forms.

"Right well-" Lisa's face contorted oddly as she glanced at Taylor, and she covered her mouth with her hand, "Let's go shopping!"

They did. Taylor happily played her part as a dress-up doll, willingly providing whatever relief she could to comfort her friend. Lisa took over the actual selection part of the process, something that did not surprise Taylor. Despite all her bluster, Jaya was far from a paradigm of fashion. In fact, outside of her running clothes, Taylor had never seen the older girl wear anything other than cargo pants and loose shirts, a fact Lisa seemed determined to fix.

The morning passed in a blur of color, and cloth, and laughter. They took turns modeling clothing, dressing in outfits each more outrageous than the last, and buying whatever they pleased. It was a sort of extravagance Taylor had never experienced, a sort of companionship she'd forgotten was possible.

They talked, the subject matter fluctuating wildly, a constant flow of topics that Taylor maintained around Jaya out of sheer habit. Lisa was a wonderful surprise, the blonde girl already seeming to understand just how dangerous Jaya's mouth could be in a public space. She always knew what to say, to derail Jaya's rants before they ever got started, and Taylor found herself appreciating the insightful girl's company more and more.

Time passed, and, in the blink of an eye, it was noon.

---

The mall had a food court, though 'food' was an inaccurate description of what the restaraunts there served. Food implied something that provided the human body with necessary sustenance. Taylor eyed her greasy pizza warily, secretly suspecting the doughy abomination would somehow provide negative nutrition.

"Just eat it, you'll feel better." Lisa grinned at her distress, "It looks so wrong but tastes so right."

Taylor fought down a blush and cautiously raised the pizza to her mouth. Then her eyes fell on a pair of girls in the distance, and she froze.

Emma and Sophia entered the food court.

Jaya noticed Taylor's expression, and cocked her head, then her eyes narrowed in anger and a cold smile split her lips. Lisa frowned at Taylor, and spun around to follow her gaze. She looked back towards the younger girl and understanding bloomed on her face.

"Do you know those two, Taylor?" Lisa asked quietly.

"It's nothing," Taylor murmured, gently setting down her food, "Just some girls who give me trouble at school."

"Trouble huh?" Jaya's voice was soft, but lacked all the warmth Taylor had grown to associate it with, "Want us to go over and have a chat with them?"

Taylor blinked in confusion, "Go over- no! I-I'm handling it. Don't worry about it." Her problems were her own. She didn't need to involve her friends in something like this.

"Taylor, how long have they been 'giving you trouble?'" Lisa asked gently.

Taylor muttered quietly for a few moments before responding under her breath, "A year or so." She wanted to lie, desperately wanted to make up a story, tell a tale, but she knew Jaya would see through her, be disappointed in her.

"In other words, you're not handling it at all." Jaya stated flatly. She prodded Lisa with her elbow, "Come on, let's go."

"No! You don't- I don't want you involved!" Taylor begged as the pair rose out of their seats. She leaned over the table, desperately grabbing at Jaya, "This is my problem! Let me deal with it! If you talk with them it'll only make things worse, and they'll think that they beat me. I can handle it, it's not a big deal."

The older girl stopped, and Lisa paused with her. Jaya placed a hand on Taylor's shoulder, and smiled gently, then her other hand snapped up and flicked Taylor on the nose, hard. Taylor squawked and fell backwards, while Jaya grunted in irritation, "That's stupid. Stop being stupid, it doesn't suit you."

"What- the hell Jaya, you can't just- you can't just decide something like this for me!" Taylor hissed in anger.

Lisa sighed and rubbed her temple, "For fuck's sake Jaya, you really suck at this." She turned towards Taylor and held up her hands, "She's explaining herself badly," Lisa stated calmly, "Taylor you practically shrank into yourself when you saw those two. We're your friends, and that means we can't just sit idly by when you're clearly suffering."

Did she do that? Taylor hadn't noticed, though the action was likely involuntary, a trained response from a year and a half of constant harassment. But that didn't excuse anything! Jaya had no right to-

"Yeah, that's what I said," Jaya's voice interrupted Taylor's thoughts, "When you hurt I hurt, and I don't like hurting." Jaya's hand flapped about as if she was explaining some deep secret of the universe, "It's not about you at this point. They piss me off, so I'm gonna go sort them out."

Lisa paled, and poked Jaya's shoulder, "Talk to them, she means. We're gonna go talk to them." Each word was enunciated by another poke, until Jaya rolled her eyes and nodded her assent.

"Sure, whatever. Anything you want us to tell them for you Taylor?"

Taylor groaned, her indignation slowly leaving her as Jaya's personality made itself known once again. The girl couldn't help herself, Taylor suspected. It was the same with her exercise routine. Jaya had decided what she was going to do, and it was now a fact. Taylor comforted herself with the suspicion that, somehow, it seemed as if she'd made another friend in Lisa. That revelation mollified her surprisingly well. She shook her head in response to Jaya's question.

"Cool beans, back in a bit. Just sit tight." Jaya's grin turned positively savage, and Taylor was suddenly mildly concerned for her bullies. The pair left the table, Jaya's hands tucked in her pockets, occasionally bumping shoulders with a gleeful Lisa as they sauntered across the food court.

Taylor frowned as her friends reached the two girls who had endeavored to make her life hell, and she realized she really wanted to hear this conversation. But how? Walking over to join her friends, this long after they left, astronomically exceeded the level of awkward Taylor was willing to deal with. Maybe she could-

Taylor focused on her power, calling to the various flies that dotted the food court. She could never make heads or tails out of the sounds she heard through her bugs, it always came through as a cacophony of vibrations, a senseless mess of noise, but it was her best shot. She watched as Lisa spoke with Emma, gesturing behind her in Taylor's direction. She saw the moment Emma laid eyes on her, saw her trade barbs with Lisa, each sneering at the other with practiced disdain. Jaya did nothing, simply stared at Sophia with a growing smile, while the normally abrasive girl gazed warily back.

Taylor landed a fly on Lisa's back, on Jaya's shoulder, on Emma, on Sophia, she stuck as many tiny nuisances as she could, without drawing attention, on the four girls, in an attempt to listen in. Lisa said something that caused Emma to flinch as if struck, and turn deathly pale. Sophia's eyes flickered to her companion, and she stepped forward and spoke to Jaya.

Taylor's focused all of her considerable attention on the flies around her friends, desperately trying to make sense of the mmph mrph mrble that she was hearing from them.

"Why- - bert- - you -- like me, not --" Sophia's garbled voice snapped into focus, and Taylor almost cheered.

"That's -- stupid worldview." Lisa spoke up, and Taylor shut her eyes, blocked her ears, listened to the voices in her head in a way that would make psychologists weep.

"--view, just the way things are." Sophia remarked.

"How fucked your mind must be, to believe something like that." Lisa replied.

"It's alright, Lisa," Jaya's voice interrupted with audible mirth, "You can't reach someone like her with words. She doesn't even process them." a pause, "And she's somehow convinced her stupid little friend that it's the truth."

"It is the truth," Emma's voice broke in, nearly hysterical, "We are hunters, not victims. Taylor will always be weak, prey, the fact that she can't defend herself is proof. Face reality, that girl will only drag you down."

"Reality huh?" Jaya's voice turned glacial, quiet, the playful edge gone completely, "Sorry, but no. Let me explain reality to you. The next time either of you bothers Taylor, I'll know. I'll know, I'll follow you home and I'll beat you unconscious." Taylor gasped, and cracked an eye to look at the group of girls. Jaya stood casually, one hand still in her pocket, the other pointed at Emma, "You, I'll dump naked in front of the closest ABB whorehouse." Emma's face lost the little color that remained, and Jaya's hand switched to Sophia, "You, I'll drop on Kaiser's front lawn. That should be an amusing couple of seconds. You can explain to him your theory of how the world works, before he skewers you." Sophia's face twisted into a snarl, but she faltered as Jaya took a step towards her.

"So tell me, predator." Jaya's voice was a whisper now, and she leaned in close to Sophia, "Do we have an understanding?"

Sophia's eyes darted between Jaya and Emma, but she finally snorted in derision, "Hebert's not worth our time anyway." she glared at Jaya, "But you are, I think. Maybe I'll test that sometime."

Jaya cackled, the sort of laugh only she could produce, a lilting sound packed with mocking dismissal, as if the entire world was beneath her, "You'll- oh man, I will look forward to that."

Jaya stepped away, and rejoined Lisa. Sophia stared at her back for a moment, then withdrew, dragging Emma along with her.

"It worries me when you say things like that." Lisa's voice was tense, as she watched the bullies retreat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, but they needed to think I did." Jaya replied, louder, steady and unafraid, "People like that only understand force, or the threat of force."

The blonde hummed her agreement, "Alright, just, keep in under control yeah? No need to sound like a psychopath."

Taylor wrestled with her own emotions as the girls approached. Jaya was her friend, loud and stubborn and utterly unwilling to compromise, but she defended Taylor with the ferocity of a family member. Taylor found it difficult to resent her for it. Even the threats were made for Taylor's sake, to protect her, to make things right for her. And it's not like she would actually go through with it, right? They were just words, meant to intimidate, to avoid violence. Was it wrong, then, for her to do it? How could it be wrong, when her cause was the defense of another?

Taylor found she had no answer.

"Do you really know where Kaiser lives?" Taylor's bugs picked up Lisa's murmur as the pair crossed the court.

"Nah, but I bet I could find out faster than you." Jaya's reply got a indignant snort from the blonde.

"Psh, super intuition beats kinetic manipulation any day of the week." Goosebumps broke out on Taylor's skin, and her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

"Wrong again. Better luck tomorrow." Taylor heard the blonde girl groan with her human ears, and she eased off her focus, mind reeling.

Capes. Her friends were capes.

Holy shit, both her friends were capes.

And- super intuition? What the hell even was that? And Lisa didn't know Jaya's power, but Jaya didn't deny having a power and-

"We're back."

Lisa's voice caused Taylor to jump, and she scrambled to straighten herself, to smile. "Welcome back," she chirped innocently, the warm glow of companionship returning to the front of her mind, "Thanks for sticking up for me."

The pair stared at her, then at each other, before shrugging in unison.

"Anytime." they replied as one.