September 2nd, 2010 12:51 PM

Dallon Household, Brockton Bay

Home. It was a foreign concept to me. I'd had too little time to truly appreciate my parents and had been forced to grow up while living at the group foster home. Adam and Laura's house was about as anathema to my concept of home as something could possibly be. I'd even looked up the word online to describe how much I hated it.

Which is why when Carol asked me if I wanted her to take me home, I told her that I didn't have a home. It was technically the truth. Though given what she said next, I wish that I'd lied to her.

"Well, I have a line on someone willing to look after you until we get you situated with a foster home."

It took an unbelievable amount of restraint to not blow up at her. As it was, I was unable to keep how I felt out of my voice. "Been there, done that. Not going back."

Carol sighed. Amy was inside their house talking with her sister, which left me alone with Brandish: a fate I was starting to think I wouldn't even wish on Purity.

No, never mind. Fuck that bitch.

"You're what, fourteen? Fifteen? You're not old enough to be on your own. You need to have someone looking after you." Whatever amusement I felt at her misjudging my age was stomped on by the rest of her words.

"I've been on my own for almost two years now." I replied bitterly.

Carol adopted a look between a grimace and a smile. "Be that as it may, it's still necessary for you to live in a proper house. Especially given your parahuman status."

"I can take care of myself." I told her pointedly. "And I don't need anyone to tell me how to live my life." As much as I'm sure that Carol thought she was doing the right thing, being talked down to still aggravated me.

Before she could speak, a motorcycle rolled up. On it, sat Miss Militia. What the fuck? I did my best to glare holes into the hero before turning back to face Carol, a no doubt betrayed look on my face. "Fuck this, I'm done." I opened the door and hopped out, what little ingrained manners that my birth parents taught me the only thing keeping me from slamming the door as hard as I could.

"Missy, wait!" Carol called out as I stormed off.

"No, fuck you. You don't get to do this to me just because I'm still a kid and you're an adult. You think you know what's best for me?" I spared another glance at the hero, who had yet to say anything. "I'd fully intended to go to the Protectorate," At least the shoreline next to it. "But for forcing this on me? You don't even get that."

"Missy listen to me!" Carol snapped. After letting out an exasperated sigh, I turned back around. "Miss Militia is not here to take you to the Protectorate. She is here to tell you that you would be welcome to stay with her until the point in time upon which the paperwork for your new foster home would be put through."

Miss Militia chimed in for the first time since arriving. "You would need to complete the requisite background check and undergo power testing, but I would be more than happy to house you as well as pay for a hotel room in the meantime."

Stay with Miss Militia? That… honestly didn't sound that bad. At least she wasn't a Nazi. And it would give me a temporary foothold while I looked for a more, if not permanent, then at least long term, residence. Though it would mean staying with a hero.

There was also the matter of the background check and whatever power testing consisted of. What could be tested about my power? I stretched and compressed stuff that wasn't alive. Big whoop.

As much as my experience was telling me to tell them to fuck off, my gut was telling me that I should oblige them. I took a deep breath. "If I don't like what's going on, I'm free to leave at any time?" I questioned the two heroes.

"As much as I would disagree with it, there's legally nothing we could do to force you to stay." Miss Militia admitted after a moment. There it was. I had my out if I wanted it. Though I knew that was just words. Sure they would let me go if I wanted to leave. But I was certain that if I walked away before doing as they said, I'd never get a moment of peace. They knew my civilian name, and my face. The harassment wouldn't stop. They would keep trying to recruit me until I either joined them or snapped and fully went villain.

It seemed that I didn't have a choice in the matter either way. "Fine." I eventually said. I'd play by their rules. For now. "When does all this take place?"

"Right now, if you'd like." Miss Militia answered with a half nod.

I resisted the urge to facepalm. Not even back in the city for a single day and the pressure was already on. "You know what," I shook my head. "Why not? The sooner it's over, the longer I go without seeing them again."

Miss Militia's eyes squinted slightly. Was that suspicion? "Excellent." Her bright voice seemed to contrast my prior thoughts entirely. "Would you prefer to be picked up by a PRT Van or would you rather ride with me?"

"Whatever's faster." I replied exasperatedly and walked over to her motorcycle. She pulled out a second helmet that fit fairly loosely until I adjusted the strap for it.

When I was supposed to get onto the motorcycle, I hesitated. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to Carol. "Tell Amy that I'll text her when I finish up here."

Carol nodded once. "You're doing a good thing here, Missy."

If that was true, then why did I feel like shit as I rode away from the Dallon house on the motorcycle. I took a deep breath and suppressed the shudder that ran through me.