OST and Sophia

Taylor ends up taking the hero name OST(original soundtrack). Open to changes.

1. Taylor using powers to evade bullies and do better in classes. Slight confusion over song suggestions related to Sophia.

2. Flute Stolen. Follows Sophia to see where she hid it. Ends up following her just out of sight, using low-level music, and doesn't realize Sophia has gotten into costume as Shadow Stalker.

3. Follows Shadow Stalker into gang stronghouse thinking it's where Sophia hid flute. Ends up in the middle of deep shit, and instinctively switches to combat music and teams up with Shadow Stalker - who she thinks is a different person than Sophia - to fight her way out. End up synergizing well. Discuss a partnership once they escape.

Shadow Stalker: "You want my advice? Stay out of the Wards. It's a fuckin' nightmare; forms this and permissions that, always some paper pincher breathing down your neck, making sure you don't do anything *dangerous* or actually do anything *important*."

*Paper pincher?* I thought, amused, *I think she means Penny Pincher. Or pencil pusher?* I shook my head; Stalker didn't seem to be in the best mood. *Probably best not to mention it.*

"Not a problem. I didn't really want to join the Wards, anyhow." *Not right away, anyway.*

4. Assumes that Sophia - who is different from Shadow Stalker - is a member of the gang whose' hideout she just infiltrated, and must have escaped in the commotion. Concludes that the reason the teachers don't do anything is because the gangs are threatening/blackmailing them to let Sophia run the school.

*Of COURSE. Sophia was a member of one of the gangs! Everything suddenly made sense; the teachers couldn't act because they were probably being threatened, and what could a normal teacher do against a parahuman gang? Even Skidmark was dangerous enough that regular cops didn't want to go after him. Especially since everyone knew all the Wards went to Arcadia. Maybe I could ask Shadow Stalker what it was like there.*

5. Shadow Stalker and OST become battle-partners, with OST taking the public credit for takedowns while Shadow Stalker moonlights as a vigilante, glad for a chance to go back to her old habits. Goes on for a few weeks.

"So, how'd you trigger?" Sophia asked one day, out of the blue, as we bagged up the cash from another safehouse.

I grimaced. "An asshole gang member from my school tortured me until I got powers. Now I'm crushing their gang in return. I think that's fair, don't you?"

"Badass." Shadow Stalker muttered, shooting me a casual thumbs-up.  "Don't tell anyone, but most of the Wards? Most pussy-ass trigger events ever. 'Oh no, mommy and daddy don't like each other anymore!' 'Oh no, this test is toooo haaard!' 'Oh no, dad's mean and mom won't pay attention to me!'." She paused, breathing roughly, before coughing out a rough, forced laugh. "And don't even get me started on New Wave. Triggering over a foul at basketball, for fucks sake." She shook her head, letting out a long breath of air before turning her head to look straight at me. "I've been tortured a few times. It's no joke. You earned your power. Never forget that."

She turned away, muttering something under her breath, but it was less angry than usual, more restrained. Before I could ask, she straightened up, shoving a sizeable wad of cash into her pocket. "I think that's enough for tonight. I've got wards shit tomorrow, but I'll see you on Monday, right?"

Without waiting for a response, she jumped and shifted to shadow form, gliding up to the roof of a nearby building and out of sight.

6. Shadow Stalker and OST encourage each other to push harder on each other in their civilian identities, leading to an escalating conflict that slowly demoralizes and angers Shadow Stalker when she's not able to beat down Taylor as well anymore, because she's actively encouraging Taylor to stand up to her bullies in their civilian lives, and inadvertently giving extremely effective advice against herself. Confides her annoyance in OST, who tells her that if the person isn't in a gang, if Shadow Stalker's really a hero, she'll just have to deal with it as a civilian. Sometimes there are people who are just assholes; not evil, not breaking the law, but assholes nonetheless. But going after them anyway means you're not a hero anymore. Unless they're breaking the law, there's nothing she can do about it as a hero.

7.Sophia can't deal with it, and forces herself to believe that Taylor's actually a member of a gang, perhaps the E88, to justify Taylor's recent transformation, as well as to justify her own actions as heroic. Starts stalking Taylor, noticing her disappearing off at odd times, which seems to corroborate her idea. Eventually catches Taylor getting into costume as OST. Freaks out. Doesn't want to accept that her new friend is also Taylor. Tries to go back to being solo, but realizes that while she doesn't like working with the Wards, she doesn't like going solo anymore, either. She likes working with Taylor.

8.Considers telling Taylor who she is. Remembers Taylor's stories of what caused her trigger event, and slowly realizes that while each individual event of bullying wasn't so bad, overall it became a protracted torture campaign that, were the situations reversed, probably would have put Sophia in an asylum and her bully in jail. Remembers Taylor's words about heroes not attacking normal people who weren't criminals. Remembers her own trigger event. Starts to have a breakdown.

"Are...are you alright, Stalker?" OST asked, slowly. "You've been off all day. Did something happen while you were gone?" She paused, waiting for an answer. "If you need help-"

"NO!" Stalker snapped, I-" She cut herself off, and took a deep breath. "No. I just...I have to deal with some shit. But I...I think it's going to go badly."

Taylor blinked. "Okay...?"

Suddenly, Stalker spun around. "What would it take to forgive them?" She said abruptly.

Taylor stared. "Forgive who?"

"The person you always told me about. The asshole who made you trigger." Sophia fingered her belt anxiously. "What would they have to do, to earn your forgiveness?"

"Forgive her?" Taylor's expression darkened. "Never. She didn't just hurt me, Stalker; she didn't just throw me in a locker filled with used tampons, and leave me to die. She stole my mother's flute. Do you get that? My only real momento of my mother, and she took it, and destroyed it. And she stole my best friend in the world, turning her twisted and evil, just like her. Forgive her?" Taylor snorted. "Not in a lifetime." Her hands clenched and unclenched, and the slowly loudening bass beat faded back into nothing, and she forced a smile, "But honestly? I'm better than her, now. I'm a hero, and she'll never be more than a thug. Another few months and I can drop out of high school and be a hero full time, and I'll never see her again." She paused, then grinned, "Well, unless I'm arresting her, at least. But either way, that'll be enough for me. I'm BETTER than her."

*You have no idea, Taylor,* Sophia thought, somberly.

Taylor cocked her head, "What brought this up all of a sudden? Your bully didn't try to *apologize*, did they?" Taylor almost doubled over laughing, "Knowing you, I think I know how well that would've gone. Don't worry, as long as you didn't hurt them too badly, I'm sure they'll be fine. Besides, you're a hero! I know you did - or will do - the right thing."

"Yeah," Stalker muttered. "The right thing."

9. After some deliberation, Sophia unmasks. Taylor runs, feeling betrayed by everything she thought she knew.

10. Sophia confesses to the PRT about her bullying and the events leading up to the triggering of OST. Is put on permanent monitor duty as punishment, but isn't drummed out of the Wards because of her voluntary confession.

TIME SKIP - Five Weeks Pass

11. Taylor now living alone in the slums. Fighting gang members more brutally now, taking out her anger and despair on them, always running at maximum volume, breaking bones. Protectorate ordered to take her in. Shadow Stalker taken off Monitor Duty, as she's seen as the most likely to bring Taylor in. Doesn't think so, remembering Taylor's words about forgiveness, but decides at the least, she'll find Taylor first, and tell her to move on to a new city, with a new identity; it's the least she can do for her friend.

12. Anniversary of Taylor's Mothers' death.

Taylor tries to use Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso(powerful emotional music) to resurrect her mother. Doesn't have any reason to think it will work, but tries anyway. Instead, ends up forcing herself to admit, at her mother's grave, that she feels guilty for her mother's death, and blames herself for causing the crash.

"A-and...I know it's s-stupid, Mom," I choked, "But I...I feel like it was my fault!  It was MY fault! You were talking to ME! And I know Dad blames me, too, that's why he won't let me have a cell phone, b-because h-he's af-fraid I'll kill someone e-else like I k-killed you!" I sobbed, taking deep, choking breaths. "A-and I'm so sorry! I'm so, so, lonely, and I love you so much, I-"

"Taylor!"

I spun, sending a shower of tears to the grass, and Dad was standing there, eyes bright, "Do you really think that?" he said roughly, the flowers in his hand dropping, ignored, to the ground. "Do you really think I blame you?"

I stared. I didn't want to - to -

But the music played on, and I felt my head nodding, as I fell to my knees. "I'm so, so sorry, Dad!" I sobbed, "I know it's my fault, and I didn't mean to, and-"

I couldn't finish the words when he wrapped me in a hug, gathering me up as tightly as I'd even been held. "It wasn't your fault, baby girl," he whispered fiercely into my hair, "It was never your fault." he stroked my hair protectively, "And it wasn't her fault. It was nobody's fault. The reason I never let you have a cell phone isn't because I *blame* you! It's because-" his voice choked up, and he took a deep breath, "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, too. You're all I have left. My precious baby girl." Another deep breath. "And I love you more than anything. More than life itself. And there is nothing - NOTHING - that you can do that will EVER change that. You can join the Slaughterhouse 9 and you will still, and always, be my baby girl."

I couldn't take anymore. I collapsed into his arms, and bawled like I hadn't since mom died.

LATER

"Are you going to come home now, Taylor?" Dad asked, awkwardly. Since the music had ended, things were tense again; not as bad as before we had aired our feelings, but not perfect, either.

I sighed. "I wish I could, Dad. But the Protectorate wants to catch me, force me to join the Wards, like they did to Shadow Stalker. And I won't do that, not when I'm so close to making a real difference in Brockton Bay. I-" I froze, spinning around with a snarl and bringing my music up to maximum volume. "YOU," she snarled, eyes fixed on the stationary form of Shadow Stalker, standing fourty feet away. "What do you want, Shadow Stalker?"

Her words failed her as Shadow Stalker, without prompting, pulled her mask off and dropped it on the ground. "I'm not here as Shadow Stalker today, Taylor," Sophia said. "Just as Sophia. I'm here for just one thing. Well, two things, but-"

"I'm visiting my mother's grave," I snarled. "Say what you're going to say and get the hell out."

She nodded quietly. "Fine. First off, I wanted to say that I'm sorry-"

I snorted, and she nodded. "I know you don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth. I am sorry for everything I did to you."

"Yeah, now that you're afraid of me."

"No!" She snapped, hands clenching into fists, "That's not it, you idiot! Do you know how long I worried before telling you!? Not because I was afraid you'd hurt me, but because I was afraid I'd lose you as a friend. But eventually I realized that if I didn't tell you, we weren't fucking friends in the first place."

"We never *were* friends," I insisted.

She half-smiled. "You might not have been my friend," She said. "But I was yours. Still am."

I stared. She couldn't expect me to believe-

"I know you won't believe me, but it's the truth," She said. "I just needed to tell you that."

I...dammit, I'd been so sure, and now she had me doubting everything I'd been telling me for the past month. What the hell was it about her straightforward, no-BS style of talking that got through to me?

But I couldn't afford to waste time right now. As far as I knew, she'd probably already called the PRT and they were on their way.

"Fine, whatever," I said, "What was the other thing?"

She sighed. "The protectorate-"

Whatever she was about to say, she didn't get a chance to finish.

Right then, the Endbringer sirens went off.


----

Anyway, I've got it planned more or less up to there, and then I was thinking I could just abandon it on a cliffhangar so as to better annoy anyone who got emotionally invested in the story up till that point. Is that better than my original power idea?