Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, SkyCaptain502, Mike God of Lore,
Guild of Gamers: The Card Master
Chapter 14: De-Escalation
– Charles ' Charlie' Barnes (Corvo)–
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Why does everything Emma touch turn to a massive fucking headache? Why couldn't she just have stuck to bullying… I don't know, fucking Greg or someone in her quest to feel powerful! He doesn't mind, hell he probably gets off to the idea!
But noooooooo, you had to go and bully the girl with the potential to become a living biblical plague! Emma, you fucking moron, I'm going to hit you with a stick. A big one. Despite the absolute fuckery that [Oracle's Insight] is revealing, I don't let it show on my face as I wonder what the fuck to do about this.
There is no way, in hell, Taylor isn't going to learn that Sophia is a Ward. Not when she's got the magical power of all the fucking bugs. I don't like bugs. I really don't like giant biblical swarms of bugs. What do you think Taylor, who has been bullied, pushed down and taught that adults can't be relied on, is going to do when she learns one of her main bullies is a fucking hero?
What the fuck, Sophia? Madison… eh, it's Madison. She's the very definition of a follower. Emma you goddamn failure of a woman, I should have absorbed you in the womb and done the world a favour. Of all the fucking people to bully-
Why the fuck do people bully people anyway, in a world where anyone could be one really bad day away from recreating Carrie with whatever fucked up superpower they triggered with. Did someone pull Bonesaw's hair at lunch one too many times? Did Jack Slash get wedgied in front of his crush? How many major villains are just losers who got bullied too much and are crashing out at the world because of it? Masterful move, Ems, fucking wonderful.
I don't want Brockton Bay to have a plague villain. We have enough trouble as it is. A part of me wants to call Contessa ASAP but two things. I'm not gonna go running to her at the first sight of trouble and secondly, if I know it, she probably knows it already and if she isn't sending messages, she has faith I've got it under control? Maybe? Fucking Thinkers, man.
And yes, I say this with the power of Oracles Insight actively giving me a thinker rating. I'm a big boy, I don't need Contessa to come and hold my hand through every threat. Ugh, this is such a fucking mess and of course I'm the one cleaning it up. Emma is so fucking grounded. I'll call Piper back to master Dad and make him stop spoiling her if that's what it takes, but mostly I think pointing Taylor at Mom takes care of that.
But what the fuck do I do about the ticking time bomb in front of me? Taylor is a fucking nuke ready to go off at any provocation and Emma already lit her fuses. If I had Taylor's powers, I would spy on the everloving shit out of Emma, Sophia and Madison. Which means their secrets would come out, which also happen to be my secrets since they all know I'm Corvo.
So, how to start defusing the bomb in front of me? By being the big damn hero, I guess.
"When do you get out of the hospital?" I ask, getting her attention from her own brooding.
"Soon. I've… been delaying it so I don't have to go back to school," Taylor admits in a quiet voice. Fucking hell, Emma. "Why?"
"I need to talk to you, somewhere more private than a public hospital," I say, getting her attention. "I know why Sophia gets away with so much, and I have an idea of how to… shorten her leash, if not get her put in the kennel."
"I can check out tomorrow. I need to leave anyway, each night only adds to my medical bills," Taylor sighs.
"My family will pay for it, don't worry," I wave her off. "This is mostly Emma's fault anyway."
"You seem sure of that," Taylor points out, and I just give her a cocky smile. "I don't see Alan admitting Emma did anything wrong."
"He'll listen to me, one way or the other," I promise. "Just don't do anything crazy until we've talked, yeah?"
She freezes, and I can see her processing as she wonders if I know what she thinks I know. For just a moment, I let Oracle's Insight make my eyes glow a deep purple. It was so fast you might think you imagined it, but with Taylor staring right at me she couldn't miss the clear sign of powers.
"Y-yeah," Taylor squeaks. Powers aside, she's not had a chance to leave her hospital bed yet. She's unprepared for someone to know her secret.
"Don't worry, Tay, I'll sort this out," I promise, patting her leg with a smile. "Man, Mom is going to fucking kill Emma. Sucks to suck, karma remains a bitch."
"Yeah, and so is Emma," Taylor grumbles quietly.
"You have no idea," I scoff. "What's your number, I'll text you a more… appropriate meeting place tomorrow."
Taylor blanches again, admitting she doesn't have a mobile since her dad doesn't like them. I stare for a moment, before asking her what her plan was if she ever got into more trouble than bullying. This is fucking Brockton Bay, a teenage girl not having a way to call for help is a fucking disaster. Maybe Mom will need to kick Danny's ass too.
Ugh, I can fix this. Telling her I'll be back, I set off, getting a text as I leave.
'Alleyway behind the hospital, package is in the green bin.'
Have I mentioned that I love Contessa?
Heading back there, I find the package and open it, finding a new phone which I spend a little time setting up and just wander around for a bit so I don't return too quickly. Heading back in, I toss it at Taylor and wave off her attempt at a refusal.
After all, Brockton Bay is the cape capital of the east coast, and it's dangerous to not have a way to contact people. The emphasis I put on the word cape silences her instantly, a flustered look on her face. If she's planning on doing Cape stuff, she's gonna want a phone no matter what her dad thinks.
As I head home, I wait until I am in the privacy of my room and make a call of my own.
"Director Piggot speaking, this had better be important," the Director says, her tone clipped in that 'I'm busy and you're wasting my time' voice she has mastered.
"We've got a big fucking problem, potential A-class cape with a thousand reasons to hate the PRT," I say simply, knowing that she wouldn't want me to sugarcoat this shit. For a moment, I hear a deep sigh on the other end.
"I'm sending a car to pick you up," Piggot says simply.
"Understood, Ma'am," I say calmly. Sorry Sophia, but it's better that Piggot gets you than Taylor going full plague of locusts upon the city.
I'm lying. I'm not that sorry at all. As I said to Taylor, Karma is a bitch, and I'm not letting the trio's stupidity become everyone's problem.
– Taylor Hebert –
Arriving at the spot Charlie sent her, she spotted him leaning against the railing of the Boardwalk with a drink in his hand, sipping away as he waited for her. His eyes scanned the crowd, spotting her and waving her over.
"I thought you said private," Taylor pointed out in liu of a hello, looking around the crowded Boardwalk.
"We're just meeting here," Charlie waved off. "Do you want anything to eat or drink before we move?"
"No, I'm fine," Taylor lied. She was hungry but she was far more curious. Charlie paused, looking amused as he clearly noticed she was full of shit but he just nodded and down the rest of his soda, crushing the can and tossing it into a bin.
"Come on, then," Charlie said, gesturing for her to follow. "And don't look so suspicious. We're a pair of teenagers on the Boardwalk, nothing worth worrying over but you're glancing around like you think Siberian is gonna burst out of the alley."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Taylor admitted.
"Eh, me neither. Fucking Brockton Bay," Charlie snorted. "But the fact remains, we just look like a pair of students on a date. If you stop looking so paranoid, nobody will have any reason to glance our way."
"I- I doubt anyone thinks that," Taylor squeaked, face turning red at his idle words. Charlie was as good looking as his bitch of a sister, and Emma turned her looks into control over Winslow's social scene. Nobody would think he was on a date with her.
"Yeah? Well, we could find a nice bench to make out on to sell the image, if you'd prefer," Charlie teased, chuckling as she missed a step entirely and nearly faceplanted before he caught her. "See? You're falling for me already."
She certainly didn't blush at his words, letting him guide her along the Boardwalk until he suddenly took a turn as they got close to that new Cape burger joint or whatever. Since getting a phone, she'd been… researching on PHO and it sounded like a lot had changed. Before they reached it, Charlie guided her into the building next door, a fairly non-descript office.
"Your room is ready, second floor, room 204," the lady at the reception said, getting a nod and a word of thanks from Charlie as he led her up.
"What's going on?" Taylor asked, and Charlie just gave her that grin again as he led her to the mentioned room. It was fairly plain, some comfortable seating and a table in it but Charlie just fiddled with the door after they entered and something happened. None of her bugs could find a way inside, what was this place?
"It's a PRT front. These rooms are as soundproof as things can get without tinkertech," Charlie explained, tossing himself into the chairs as she froze. "So, in case you didn't work it out yet, allow me to reintroduce myself, Corvo, newest Ward of Brockton Bay."
As he spoke, he clicked his fingers and a raven just… materialised from the shadows, landing on his shoulder and cawing at her.
"I suspected," Taylor admitted. The timing just made sense to her.
"So, I'm going to be blunt. I know you're a cape. Control-Type Master with Bug Control, right?" Charlie asked, lounging as he gestured for her to sit. She did so, mostly on impulse as she wondered how the fuck he knew that much already. "Sorry, my powers are Bullshit with a capital B. Not much stays secret from me. I didn't mean to use them on you, but they don't quite come with an instructions manual. I figured turnabout was fair play."
"The PRT knows I have powers?" Taylor asked, more than a little pissed that he'd exposed her.
"Only the Director and a very select few others at the moment. It's not ideal, I know, but they won't tell anyone. Fuck, you could go villain tomorrow and the Unwritten Rules mean they couldn't go after you if you're not wearing a mask," Charlie snorted, seeing her confusion. "They're… kinda like the rules that both heroes and villains obey so shit doesn't go completely off the rails. I'll explain them later, but the big part of it is 'no unmasking capes, no attacking them out of costume, no going after capes' families. It's not written down anywhere, hence the name, but both sides follow it because heroes don't want their families being targeted by villains and villains don't want heroes to kick down their front door when they're having dinner with the family and arrest them."
"And both sides actually listen to them?" Taylor asked doubtfully.
"More or less, because if you stop following them, nobody else has to follow them when it comes to dealing with you, get it? If you go around unmasking people, don't be surprised when they show up and burn down your house with you and your family inside it. With so many Thinkers, secret identities are half just pretending we don't know the other guy's real name," Charlie replied with a dark laugh. "Point is, your powers are only need to know and very few people need to know. But I didn't just tell the Director for the fun of it. She really did need to know. I know I just said no unmasking, but this one I got permission for. Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker."
Taylor felt her world go numb, blood pounding in her eardrums as she stared at him in disbelief. Sophia… was a fucking hero?!
"Talk," Taylor demanded, her bugs vibrating with her rage.
"So, Sophia is the only Ward in Winslow, before me, and that has made the place her own little hunting ground because, to be blunt, her handler is fucking shit. Some dumbass who took the job because she wanted the pay increase but didn't actually want to deal with the bundle of rage and trouble that was Sophia Hess," Charlie snorted. "Sophia used to be a vigilante, the 'shoot people with real crossbow bolts and leave them to bleed out' kind before the PRT grabbed her and gave her the choice between juvie, at the minimum, or joining up. Remember the Alley incident I mentioned? Yeah, Sophia saved Emma from being kidnapped and trafficked and Emma clung to Sophia like a safety blanket. Sophia's predator prey bullshit became Emma's survivor bullshit."
Taylor didn't respond, but after what she'd learnt about Emma… she could see it all too easily. Emma used to cling to her but then she was away and something terrible happened, so Emma found a new center, someone else to lean on. And unfortunately, that someone was Sophia Fucking Hess.
"So, the handler takes on Sophia's case and realises 'oh god, this girl is a genuine problem' but doesn't want to actually deal with the problem or admit she can't handle her and lose the cushy pay rise, and as a result, Sophia had free reign to run around doing whatever she wants and anytime she got into trouble she pointed fingers at the local Neo-nazi fanboys and claimed the Empire Jr clique was setting up the poor black girl," Charlie explained.
Again, Taylor could see it. An adult being useless was no surprise, and at least it was simply malicious apathy rather than anything targeted. She also knew Sophia did feud with the skinhead juniors. Some of them had offered her protection but… she had too much pride and self-worth to pay the price they hinted at. Or they thought she was Jewish, for some reason.
Hebert was a french name, damn it,
"With her handler covering up her fuck ups, they never reached the PRT proper who were getting reports of Sophia's trackstar success, good grades and popularity instead of 'Sophia is a barely functioning psychopath'," Charlie continued. "And the school? Well, Principal Blackwell enjoyed the bonus funding the school got for having a Ward attending and brushed any complaints against her under the rug. Between them and Dad waving his lawyer status around, despite being a divorce lawyer, Sophia got away with way too much."
"'Got away with'. As in, past tense?" Taylor asked, focusing on that.
"As I said, need to know. See, Director Piggot is… not exactly a nice woman but she's big on capes not getting to take advantage of regular people and really doesn't like being lied to. That handler? Yeah, suspended without pay pending a criminal investigation. Principal Blackwell is also fucked, corruption charges because I don't know if you've noticed, but nothing in Winslow has been updated since the 60s so… where the fuck was all that extra funding going?"
He wasn't wrong. Winslow had graffiti that genuinely looked like it had been there since the Vietnam war, and their computers were so old you might as well use a carrier pigeon or smoke signals half the time.
"And the trio?" Taylor asked, focusing on what mattered.
"See, Sophia forgot to take into account what would happen if another Ward stayed at Winslow. She must have been shitting herself when I didn't take the offered Arcadia transfer," Charlie snorted to himself. "And she tried hard to make sure I wouldn't talk to the handler, listen to anyone else or look too deeply into things. Unfortunately for her, she forgot I literally grew up with Emma. The bitchiness might be new, but Emma has always been a manipulative little brat and I know bullshit when I see it, even without my powers. Sophia has been called in for breaking her probation, ankle monitor and a new handler. She is an… effective hero and Youth Guard means that actually firing a Ward is damn near impossible but her life is not great right now, and it's only going to get worse. It hasn't been sorted yet since they're looking for a new principal for Winslow but all three are looking at suspensions at the very least. Jail time is still highly unlikely, and no offence, but I wouldn't let Emma's dumb ass go to jail for this. She's still my sister and she is going to therapy now. I'd rather she get better than toss her into juvie and see what fun new mental fuckups she picks up in there."
…oh god. The idea of Emma, who had inherited Sophia's mental issues, learning more from the other inmates made her genuinely shudder.
"Just like that?" Taylor asked.
"I get the feeling Piggot isn't Sophia's number one fan. No Shadow Stalker merch in her office," Charlie snorted. "Sophia remains a bitch at work, usually targeting Vista or Kid Win, but she keeps it to verbal insults and general disobedience. Going off on her own during patrols, refusing to listen to the Wards leader, her usual 'I was a real vigilante so I know better than you babies'. There's still a matter of getting actual proof but you know how the other girls always gave the trio alibis? Yeah, that lasted until genuine authorities showed up with questions. Armsmaster said half of them cracked by question two. Turns out he's more intimidating than 'Mr G.' I think it's the beard. Or the power armour. Investigations take time, but apparently the tin man already found some proof that Sophia was going off on 'unreported patrols' and hadn't stopped using real bolts. Sophia will be lucky if she can take a piss for the next year without the PRT taking it away for testing."
"Isn't she gonna be angry at you?" Taylor asked.
"Oh, she's absolutely pissed, but… eh. This was all avoidable by not being a bitch, and I don't have to cover for her fuck-ups," Charlie said with a lazy shrug, reaching up and patting the many-eyed bird. "Realistically, she's lucky to not be in even worse shit and she knows it. Youth Guard are a shield for the Wards, but if she doesn't stop making things worse, the wrecking ball called Director Piggot is going to break right through them and crush her. Seriously, I thought the woman had triggered and was going to start breathing fire or firing lasers out of her eyes last night. Not a woman you want angry with you. Besides, the general worry is that if Sophia is sent to juvie or jail, she'll be out in a year or two on good behaviour and then she's basically guaranteed to go villain. They'd rather have her on their leash than put her away for a bit and have her running loose afterwards."
"The Unwritten Rules meant that if a villain showed up with Shadow Stalker's power, the PRT can't just arrest her directly, right?" Taylor asked.
"Now you're getting it. If a new villain showed up calling themselves Dark Prowler or Umbral Lurker or some shit, shooting people with a crossbow and wearing a hockey mask, they can't just arrest Sophia unless they can catch her in the act. Welcome to the cape world, it sucks as much as the regular world," Charlie laughed. Was Sophia even smart enough to know what Umbral meant? "In this case, it's a 'keep your enemies close' situation. It's better for everyone if Sophia is somewhere they can keep an eye on her. Hell, it's probably best for Sophia too, not that she'd ever admit it."
She didn't really give a shit what was best for Sophia.
"What happens now?" Taylor asked.
"That depends on you. I still want you to talk to Mom, I told her the barebones this morning and she basically demanded I bring you around. If I don't, she'll probably show up at your house, sorry. We can go when Emma is at therapy if you want to avoid her," Charlie offered. "But beyond that, what do you want to do? You're a cape now, and a damn powerful one at that."
"Are you joking? I'm like a store brand you. No monsters, just flies and spiders," Taylor said darkly, frowning deeply.
"Taylor, you're controlling damn near every bug in the block and beyond. I'm good at multitasking but you are laughably better. Sure, you don't have any overpowered monsters but quantity is a quality of its own and you have me beat on numbers too," Charlie explained, and she flushed a little at his praise of her ugly power. "But my question remains. What were you planning on doing, before all this? As tempting as I'm sure it was to drown Winslow in bugs, I don't think you're the type to go villain, even with a fitting tragic backstory."
"No!" Taylor said, rushing to defend herself before she realised he was joking. "I- I wanted to be a hero, but-"
"The idea got spoiled by the realisation that Sophia is one?" Charlie finished. "Never meet your heroes, or something like that. I figured as much. Why don't you come in, meet the other non-psychotic wards? Sophia won't be there, she's at the Rig where they can keep a closer eye on her during the investigation."
"My power isn't exactly heroic…" Taylor tried. Charlie paused for a moment, before turning to look at the eldritch bird on his shoulder. Then, he summoned the nightmarish hound of hell, before turning back to her with a deadpan stare.
"Uhuh," Charlie drawled before chuckling. "But if that's your concern, I can help. Ever wanted to be a Tinker?"
"What?" Taylor asked, watching as he clicked his fingers and conjured a card.
"My power is near-limitless and my newest trick is the power to turn people into Tinkers, permanently but with a cooldown. There's already a queue, but I told the Director I'd offer it to you if you wanted it, and she… more or less accepted," Charlie explained. "I figured you'd say something like that. I do know a little about teenage girls."
"Did you get in trouble with Director Piggot?" Taylor asked, and Charlie paused.
"Not really. I get the feeling she'd only begrudgingly allow it if I told her I was going to breathe oxygen or eat food. If she had an issue with it, she'd have let me know," Charlie explained with a chuckle. "But the point stands. Join the Wards, and I'll use this card on you. I'm not planning to stick around after I 'graduate' unless they can be very convincing, and some time with the Wards training wheels on does a lot to keep indie heroes alive, just look at Mouse Protector."
"I'll think about it," Taylor said after a long moment.
"That's all I ask. You shouldn't make decisions while emotions are running high anyway. Think it over, talk to your dad, and my mom, mull it over and let me know. I'm just a text away," Charlie said with a smile. "You should come and meet the Wards though. Vista will love having another girl around, especially one not called Sophia."
"Not today, but… I'll think about it," Taylor repeated, getting a grin from him.
"Either way, no need to fear Winslow. Their free reign is over, and I imagine the surviving teachers will have the new principal and school board breathing down their necks after the investigation is finished. Horror of horrors, they're actually gonna have to do their jobs," Charlie mocked.
"Maybe we'll get some supplies that were made in a year starting with a 2 for a change," Taylor agreed, mildly amused at the idea of her pain being what finally caused the teachers of Winslow to have to do their jobs properly. Maybe they should have just listened to her when she still believed adults would do something useful? But no, they brushed her off and now it was everyone's problem.
"Let's not go that far. We have to be realistic here," Charlie said firmly, before grinning. "Anyway, there's a driver to take you home if you want. I've got 'work' today so I'm heading into the office," Charlie explained, standing up and dismissing his summons. "Talk later?"
"Definitely," Taylor decided, giving him a grateful nod. She wasn't entirely happy, but she wasn't unhappy, and that was a strange change of pace to begin with. As he went to respond, his phone vibrated and he quickly checked it before pausing, looking surprised. "Is something wrong?"
"Err, define 'wrong'," Charlie responded. "It's from Vista, I get along pretty well with her. Giving her a dragon was a great way to break the ice… it's just Wards gossip, overheard arguments and stuff like that."
"Oh?" Taylor asked, far too curious.
"Sophia is being transferred out of Winslow… to Immaculata," Charlie explained. "She's fucking fuming over it, and half the building heard her arguing with her new handler and Youth Guard councilor."
"Immaculata… the rich Christian private school?" Taylor asked, blinking.
"The super fucking strict private school with a firm dress code, code of conduct, hall monitors, cameras, truancy officers and more," Charlie corrected. "Sophia tried to push how much she was doing against the Empire fanboys to get out of trouble but… now the Youth Guard wants her out of Winslow because a black Ward shouldn't be dealing with neo-nazis, even junior ones, by herself. Her mother apparently agreed so Sophia has literally no way out without breaking her probation even more. Well, at least she'll look good in the uniform?"
The idea of Sophia Hess wearing a Immaculata schoolgirl outfit flashed in Taylor's head, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop the first true laugh she'd had in months from breaking free.
The idea lightened her mood enough to shake off the worries for the future, for a while at least as she accepted the ride home. Sitting on her bed, she stared at her phone's address book, which came with two numbers pre-saved. Charlie… and Zoe Barnes.
Biting her lip, she thought back to all the time she spent at the Barnes house before everything went to shit, before Emma stabbed her in the back, and before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she pressed the call button.
Author's Note: Catholic Schoolgirl Sophia is a go. Charlie is so kind to get her out of that shitty school and into a nicer one! A true hero for the ages!
Written: 25/07/2026