Almost dying and finding out you're a cape sucks.

Oh sure, you have cool superpowers now. Maybe you got the ability to fly or maybe even be a little Alexandria lite but for all the superpowers that I could've gotten none of them could help a now helicopter dad passed out on the floor. I stared flabbergasted at his still body while my mind could tell me that yes my dad had indeed fainted and that I should probably help him. If that was all it was then I'm sure I could've done something about it I thought in hindsight as I bent down to pick up my dad from the floor. The problem was the loud racket he had made falling down and when you are in a hospital, loud noises tend to invoke the quickest responses.

The sound of rushing footsteps reached my ears as I struggled to lift Dad from where he had fallen and up towards the hospital bed I had just vacated. When the noise reached its peak right outside the room, the door was opened to a redfaced nurse looking about ready to either reprimand or die of exhaustion I wasn't sure I which before she immediately snapped her mouth shut and took a look at what was happening. Her eyes slowly drifted from my dad's prone body I was lifting before almost achingly slow trace my body out before making eye contact with me. There were a few moments of silence before I decided to break it the only way I knew how.

"Hi?" I said to her raising my hand in an awkward greeting.

That seemed to do the trick as the nurse came back from her stupor and retraced her steps...right back out the room closing the door shut with a soft click. I looked vacantly at the closed door and began to curse my awkwardness of not talking to people for the longest time. After that, I finally managed to plop my dad down on the bed before moving to the room's exit. From behind the wooden door, I could hear a rapid tapping and conversation. The words 'PRT' and 'Cape' seemed to be thrown about which led me to believe the nurse had probably just called in the Protectorate. Backing away from the door I did what was probably an idiotic thing for someone who got caught doing something bad and took the seat my dad was on earlier, sat down, and waited. It was ironic how I and my father had changed places. Now I'm the one sitting on the bed waiting for him to wake up. I didn't need to wait long though because in what felt like fifteen minutes the sound of a door opening drew my attention again.

Miss Militia came into the room with all the grace of a protectorate hero. It was like the person on the television seemed to jump out into real life and the first thing I noticed was that she was shorter than I thought. With dark hair and olive skin, stylized fitted army fatigues and her most iconic features a scarf and sash both patterned after the American flag she was someone that while not as popular as Armsmaster was debated to be more trusted than him. Miss Militia began to take in the scenery most of her attention I realized was on me though. She did, however, took one look at my dad (who was still passed out) and instead of the reaction from before she moved forward from the door leaving it slightly ajar. A small thought of mine realized that it would probably be a good escape route if something started. It probably didn't look good from her angle with me in my cape outfit? Yeah, cape outfit. I stayed seated not because I was scared or anything but well when a hero you had looked up while growing up suddenly appeared before you, you would be nervous right? At least that was what my mind though. My body though took notice of the pistol holstered on her right side with a hand resting beside it.

Miss Militia seemed to have noticed how I hadn't moved since entering the room and traced my vision. The pistol turned into a green blur of energy before reappearing as an army knife strapped around her thigh. The brief light show over I redirected my attention to Miss Militia's face and noticed the eye smiles she seemed to be giving me.

"Miss Hebert I assume?" Miss Militia asked directing the question to me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I mean. Yes! I am ok? Um, I don't know what to say." I nervously replied.

"Well Miss Hebert, considering the circumstances..." She trails off looking at me than a longer look at my dad on the bed. "I think it would be best if we just talk." Miss Militia easily slid over grabbing one of the visitor chairs before sitting down across from me.

"Miss Hebert-" she started up again before I cut her off.

"Taylor. Just call me Taylor." I squeaked. And oh god I just cut off Miss Militia. "I-I mean there's two Hebert in here you know." I desperately tried to save myself. Well one of them was passed out currently. Embarrassed at my blunder the floor looked really nice today.

Miss Militia not missing a beat, quirked an eyebrow in what was probably amusement at that statement.

"Taylor." Her eye crinkles intensified as I turned to face her again. "Taylor, can you tell me what

happened here? I know it might be hard for you but, the hospital is worried about you and your father." She spoke as if I was a child. Strangely it didn't feel condescending though, not like the snide comments I would hear at Winslow but, it was gentle if I had to describe it. Miss Militia is a hero if there was anyone I could trust that would get things done it was her right? I was afraid though. That the same thing would happen, I would be ignored for the more popular people and quickly cast aside. My thoughts took a dark spiral before a light tap on my shoulder brought me back. Miss Militia had reached out to rest her hand reassuringly on my shoulder. I took a deep, calming breath and took the plunge. I recapped the same story I told my dad just moments before.

By the end of my story, her face had grown sterner a vast difference from the warm atmosphere she gave off earlier. She seemed to radiate anger even though it didn't show through her scarf.

"And this Trio you mentioned," her voice stone-cold now, "do you have any names you can provide? Along with the person who had pushed you into the locker?" She queried.

"Yeah, Emma Barnes, Madison Clements, and Sophia Hess," I replied. And as soon as I finished stating the names of the Trio Miss Militia's frown seemed to deepen a little before disappearing again so fast It could've been an illusion.

"I see." She said slowly as if testing the words out. "Taylor with how recent this must be for you I know it would be tough but would you be willing to come down to the PRT HQ to do some power testing?"

This was a choice I knew was coming. But, did I deserve it? Being constantly put down. Always ending up alone. The Loner Girl Taylor. The hymn grew louder in my head as if calling to me. I let it soothe me with its beautiful melody. Miss Militia noticed if the slight shifting of her chair I heard was it.

"I'll come." My decision made up. "I'll come to PRT HQ." The Trio had pegged me as a worthless piece of space. I would show them that I wasn't. I was gonna be a hero.

With promises of a future visit or phone call to hash out more details later on Miss Militia took to leave, closing the door that had been ajar the entire time. I heard a shuffle of footsteps walking away and then it was almost silent again if it wasn't for the 24-hour choir in my head. Thinking a little on that I decided to experiment with my powers. Closing my eyes shut I followed the Hymn in my head. It was always there, The Hymn was always there in the back of my head even when I was talking to Miss Militia I could still hear it just muted. I figured if I had powers and the Hymn I was hearing was a part of my powers then...

I pushed the Hymn further back and with a shimmer, I saw even through my closed eyes I was back to normal. I opened up my eyes and looked down to see my hospital gown again. A bit breezier but at least I wasn't in my cape outfit anymore. I began to take a mental checklist in my head, Okay, Taylor. You have got a power that comes with a costume, a never-ending song in your head, and a staff. It's like one of those magical girl's shows I used to watch as a kid with Emma-

Yeah let's not go there

"Ughh. My head." Dad said while coming to and clutching his head. He took a moment before suddenly sitting up and wildly looking around the room before stopping at me.

"Oh thank god, it was just a dream. Hey, kiddo did I miss anything." He said looking relieved. Yeah, sorry, dad.

"Dad?" I brought the Hymn forward again. This time noticing some weird wisps forming around me before coming back into costume even faster than the last time. "It wasn't a dream."

My dad took a long-suffering look and heaved a big sigh. "Taylor, just what." His expression shifting from exasperation to anger then finally to acceptance. The negotiating part of him must've begun to come out because he turned to me and asked out loud.

"PRT, no the Wards." Sorry, dad...again.

"I talked to Miss Militia already, she came when you fainted." My dad raised a single eyebrow confusion etched on his face.

"Ok, kiddo I don't know what's what anymore so explain." And I did. I talked to him that I was eventually going to have to go to the PRT HQ to test my powers which he was in solid agreement with. The meeting with me and Miss Militia and my decision to fess up to her left him gloomy.

"Taylor honey?" My dad came back from his self imposed gloom.

"Yeah?" I replied

"I was fine with you not coming to talk to me before any of this happened. And I know I wasn't the father you wanted me to be ever since Annette's death but I think Annette would agree with me this one time." He finished speaking before looking at me his expression sending alarms ringing in my head.

"You're grounded." he stated with finality.

Yup, being a cape most definitely sucked.

Miss Militia was not having a good day.

A little known aspect of her power was that she never slept. There weren't any dreams to be had when you could remember practically everything. But still, it was something she came to accept in her life like with all things. The coffee machine broke at PRT HQ which meant none of that sweet morning liquid she loved, god forbid Armsmaster would have that running at "100% efficient" whatever that meant. Speaking of the leader, Armsmaster was late for another meeting due to some tinkering, something about a lie detector. Vista's usual complaints and Clockblocker which she really hoped they knew that it was Armsmaster job to handle those complaints but she didn't blame them. Armsmaster was more robot then even a robot that some theories on PHO really took off. She would have to thank Dragon sometime later. The Australian Tinker was good for him in ways that took off.

Clockblocker, yeah. That boy would be the death of the PR division.

But, what really started this downward spiral was the brand new cape, the recently triggered Taylor Hebert. After getting a report from the hospital of an unidentified cape in one of the patient's rooms they had immediately scrambled. A fact the PRT didn't want the public to know was trigger events. The worst day of a parahumans life was also when they got powers, which had the added bonus of making everything significantly worse.

Walking into the Hospital she was quickly guided by staff members to room 412 which held a Taylor Hebert and Daniel Hebert who had been visiting his daughter due to an accident at school. Her file screamed inconsistency though. Police reports of a young girl trapped in a locker filled with biochemical waste for potentially hours and none of these had tripped the alarms at HQ. It screamed cover-up of some sort. Half of the job was to locate potential capes as soon as they could to prevent the gangs from receiving them with open arms.

She nodded to the three PRT officers who had followed her to this point. A quick gesture to guard the entrance to the room. Her power shifted into a small pistol in the empty holster she carried. It was potentially a hostage situation with the father in the room and it didn't hurt to be prepared. Tensing up she opened the door. What she saw wasn't a hostage situation though.

It was a small hospital room, made more so by the fact that two others were there with her. An older man was sleeping on the bed while a young girl had turned to face her while still seated next to him. When she saw her in the room it was like a calm washed over her. She hadn't felt that relaxed in ages heck her power threatened to turn her gun to a water pistol. It also meant that she had to go through master stranger protocols immediately upon returning to base. It was what Taylor revealed that day that had made her day.

So here she was debriefing the situation, no the mess, as if the universe trying was to make everything worse Taylor could have possibly triggered due to the influence of a Ward.

"Let me get this straight." Miss Militia refocused on the monitor displaying Director Piggot who had just spoken up. She, on the other hand, was stuck in confinement for 48 hours while the PRT checked the full extent of her being compromised.

"A recently triggered parahuman has a master effect and is currently recovering at Brockton Bay Hospital of which one of our Wards in their civilian identity could have caused her to trigger through an extensive bullying campaign and what could have been attempted murder?" Piggot breathed angrily through the end.

"That is correct Director. Taylor was receptive to a PRT power testing but I did not want to push to join the wards with Shadow Stalker's situation unresolved. Director Piggot, what should we do now?"

Piggot growled. "Fucking kiddie gloves. I want to know what happened and Winslow, yesterday. Get Armsmaster to break out those electric cuffs to the top of his priority list. As for Shadow Stalker." She trailed off before breaking into a grin. "We don't let her know anything and if what this new parahuman was saying was true? Let's just say I've got a nice place in mind for her."