

>> Sophia gave the boy an appraising look. After everything Emma had said about him, he didn't look like anything special. Well, it didn't matter. She only needed him to be useful. If she could recruit him for the Wards it would be a feather in her cap, and the queen bitch Piggot would finally cut her some slack. The trick would be making the right impression-

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>> "Is this the best you can do? Piece of shit is what this is." said Steven. He didn't even look at her, didn't raise his voice. That only made it worse. As if she was beneath his notice. Not even worthy of his anger.



Sophia tensed. She knew what was coming next, and it took all of her willpower to force herself to lean into the blow. The slap still made her lose her balance, made her rock back onto her heels. He was more than twice her weight, and this blow was harder than the last.



It would have been easy to surrender. To let him strike her down, to fall to the ground, cry and beg for mercy. But she knew how he operated. Give in even once and it would mark her as a victim. Prey to be exploited. He would never stop, never let up, take and take and take until there was nothing left of her. Worse than death.



No. She refused to give in to him. Refused to fall. Refused to rub her cheek where he struck her. She would never let him break her. She would survive. She stood up straight and silent, glared up at him-

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>> "Shit, shit, shit." Shadow Stalker's hands and left leg were soaked in blood. Some was hers. Most wasn't. She tried to lay still. Emma and Mister Barnes were doing her a major favor. The least she could do was spare them the trouble of cleaning up after her. Emma had thought ahead and covered the back seat of the car in a sheet of plastic, but there was still the chance of a leak, and bloodstains were a bitch to get out.



Emma peered at her from the front seat, her fashion model's face creased with lines of worry. "Are you sure you'll be okay, Sophia? Your leg? We can take you to the hospital if-"



"I'm fine." she growled.



Emma hurriedly returned her gaze to the road. Damn. She hadn't meant to snap at her. But seriously, what exactly had Emma been trying to say? That she wasn't tough enough to handle a little pain? That she was so lame that she'd get depressed over letting a mugger land a hit on her? That she was so weak that she'd be crushed with guilt about killing street scum?



No. All those things...they made her angry, yeah. Angry at herself, for her shitty footwork that got her injured. Angry at the idiot mugger, for leaning into her bolt and getting himself killed. The anger was good. That was how you learned, how you got stronger.



But she refused to let herself care. She wasn't going to cry about it. She wasn't dumb enough to waste her time crying about things she couldn't change-

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>> Shadow Stalker watched the dealers in the alley below her, crowded around a cowering middle school boy. Apparently the boy's shithead parents had sent him out to buy cocaine from the same dealer his daddy had scammed a week ago with a stack of counterfeit cash. An industrial-grade clusterfuck.



The only question was her own resolve. If she took this step forward it would mean she was officially a vigilante. A cape. There would be no going back.



One of the dealers took out a knife and waved it in the boy's face. The boy lunged forward and tried to wrestle the knife away. Ballsy motherfucker. The kid actually managed to knock the asshole down before the others started kicking the shit out of him.



A step forward, then. Shadow Stalker took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the crowbar, and leaped-

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>> Sophia approached the girls gathered at the lunch table, then hesitated. She felt a fluttering of anxiety in her chest. She had never been one of the popular kids, and some ingrained sense of social status was screaming at her. This was wrong. Unnatural. Not her place.



But she was a cape now, and that came with benefits. Now it was time to collect.



She stepped forward, cutting in front of one of the girls to take the seat at Emma's side. The girl gave her a dirty look, opened her mouth to make a crack at her, but Sophia ignored her.



"Hey, Ems." she said. "So glad you hooked me up with tickets to the concert."



Emma turned to her with a smile. "Any time, Sophia. It's my pleasure to introduce a friend to a hidden gem of a musician."



"Too bad Craig looks better in his music videos than he does in real life."



"That's so true. He isn't helped at all by his hack of a costumer. He's lucky he's in a profession where his voice is the selling point."



The other girls reacted. A change of expression, a shift of attention. The words told them a story of shared experience, an exclusive experience they hadn't been invited to, hadn't even known about. But the words weren't the point. The message was simple.



Mine.

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​

Weaver NineAftermath 4.6Jacob grinned. "Yeah, Dad. An interview with the Chief Director of the PRT. Showing off the young guns who ended the Endbringer. Preaching the gospel to the masses, inspiring the young folk to join the heroes.""I still can't believe it." said Danny. "It's going to take days for this to sink in. Weeks." He shook his head wonderingly, then smiled at Jacob. "At least you're taking it in stride. I know you've been looking forward to this for a long time, showing your face as a hero. This is all new to me. Is there a book for this? How to be a cape dad in ten easy steps?""There is, Dad. Remember the book I got you for Christmas? The memoir by Vikare's father?"Danny winced. "Oh. 'The Tale of Taitale'. I, uh, only got halfway through it, but-""I know. It's fine, Dad. He's drier than dust, he makes cape life seem as thrilling as reading an encylopedia." That had been intentional at the time, one of many ploys to make Danny underestimate the drama that came with life as an independent hero. But Danny didn't need to know that. "I'll find you a better one next time.""No, no, I'll do it. Listen, Jacob." Danny put his hands on Jacob's shoulders. "It's my responsibility as a father to guide you. I didn't live up to it. I didn't understand your passion, didn't make an effort to understand your chosen profession. That's what I'll do now. That's what I'll have to do, before I can agree to any of your more...advanced ideas.""Ah. What I said about adoption.""Yeah. Taking care of a kid from the Wards...to be honest, it's a scary idea. We already had our hands full with you, even when Annette was with us. But you're right. You're lucky enough to have a parent while the others lost everything, all because they risked their lives to save us all. I can't make any promises, kiddo, but I'll...I'll consider it.""That's all I'm asking for, old man." said Jacob. He reached out and gave Danny a hug. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it. I'll be counting on you."Jacob was a hair disappointed at what was left unspoken. It was clear that Danny was missing the point of what had happened in Brockton Bay. He simply wasn't the heroic type. He was. He valued his family, then his friends, then his co-workers in the Dockworker's union...but the rest of the world was an abstraction, far off from his everyday life. Even earthshaking battles between heroes and villains didn'tanything to the man unless someone he knew personally was involved. Jacob had a vivid memory of his Dad skipping over newspaper articles about the serious gangs in order to read about the pathetic villains Uber and Leet, simply because one of his old dockworkers had joined them as a henchman.That meant that Danny could only understand their victory against Leviathan through his narrow, personal lens. He would feel pride for his son's role in the victory, would mourn for his lost friends at the dockworkers union...and would studiously avoid thinking about the implications for the world at large. The idea that his son had changed the course of history was too big for him to grasp, too overwhelming.Jacob would be left alone to deal with the big picture. To feel the ripples he had sent through society, to guide them and shape their impact on the world. He had made peace with that, to a degree. It was the same scenario with his team. Sophia and Sabah helped him cull the villains of Brockton Bay but they were fixated on narrow, personal goals. Only Jacob's patient coaxing had given them the beginnings of broader motivations-A knock came at the door. Jacob glanced at the clock. "Dad, my interview is in thirty minutes. We'd better get going.""Right, right." said Danny. He took a step toward the door, then hesitated. "You'll have to help me out, Jacob. I'm new to the world of capes. Am I supposed to wear this?" He picked up a plain white mask from a table. "The PRT gave me this, but the people at the front desk already saw my face.""Safety first, Dad. Best to put it on." said Jacob.He put on his own mask and opened the door. The hallway was empty - no. A shadow passed through the doorway and solidified into a woman in a white mask, dressed all in black."Shadow Stalker." said Jacob, a warm smile breaking out on his face. "It's wonderful to see you again."Shadow Stalker took a step forward, then hesitated-Ah. Jacob glanced back at Danny. Well...they had planned for this. They couldn't keep it a secret forever. Best to put on a good show. Jacob returned his gaze to Shadow Stalker, gave her a wink.Shadow Stalker flew forward and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.For a moment Jacob had no idea know how to react. She had never been one for physical affection, let alone such a spontaneous display. He finally settled for simply responding in kind, mirroring her intensity of emotion. After a long moment she released him and put her hands on his shoulders, her stern-faced mask belied by her bright and shining eyes."Jack Slash! You back to normal? They healed you?" She studied his eyes, as if searching for flaws in Panacea's work. "They told me they fixed everything but you looked like, nightmare level shit-""I'm fine. Better than ever. I'm glad to see you're alive and well. I gathered that you're one of the elite who made it out of Brockton Bay." Jacob leaned in closer. "That was badass, the trick you pulled on Leviathan. Did you see the motherfucker? Scared the shit out of him. Turned his armor into a coffin, set him up for his funeral."Shadow Stalker snickered. "Seriously? Is that what you have to say to me?" Jacob raised an eyebrow at that, and she continued. "That's just like you, Jake. Yeah, you're right. I'm a major league badass. It was a rush, shooting an Endbringer and making him. But you...do you have any idea of what you did? That was. Fucking amazing, hardcore shit you pulled. Shaved your arms off with a fucking meatgrinder, what the hell, what the fuck did you..." She shook her head in disbelief. "Just how the fuck do you even do that? And then you killed Leviathan. More than killed him. Made him panic, made him squirm. Made a motherfucking Endbringer run screaming like a rabbit back to his den, chased him down and tore out his fucking throat!"Jacob grinned. "Hah. Well said. I've been hearing that a lot but it means the most coming from you. You heroes of Brockton Bay were my inspirations to come out and fight. We couldn't save the city, in the end, but we made it-"Shadow Stalker laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "I told you, Jake, can the false modesty. I get it, you're getting ready to suck up to the PRT brass, but it'syou're talking to here. You and I both know you're better than any ten of those assholes put together. The suits and costumes in charge have their fancy titles, like to treat everyone else as dress up dolls and chess pieces, but times like this strip away the pretense and show everyone who's at the top of the food chain."Pleasing to hear, but was she forgetting that the room was bugged? Jacob said nothing and simply smiled."God. It's a...what's the word. A tragedy? A pity? We won't be able to top that for the rest of our lives.""Oh, I wouldn't say that." said Jacob. "I'm an optimist by nature. I'm sure we'll think of something suitably worldshaking." He paused. "By the way, the name's Jack. Not Jake. Jack Slash."Shadow Stalker gave him a long look, then rolled her eyes. "As if your skimpy domino mask was hiding anything. Besides, I knew it was you the second I heard your voice." She took off her mask, revealing a grin a mile wide."What...you're...but..." said Danny. He swallowed. "You're...Sophia Hess?""Hey Mister Hebert. I'm glad you made it. You can drop the mask, by the way."Danny glanced at Jacob, took off his mask. "Sophia. Good God. You're a hero. You've been a hero all this time. You...I..." He turned to Jacob. "Did you know about this?"Jacob set his own mask aside and shook his head. "I had my suspicions, but..." He turned to face Sophia with a practiced nonchalance, keeping his Dad behind him for the moment. If Dad saw the expression on his face, the light in his eyes, it would have given away the game."Let me guess, Mister Hebert." said Sophia. "Jake spent months planning his career as a hero. Practiced his power, got you to help him, made play charts like a football coach. The whole nine yards. Plans for what he'd do to fight crime if only he had a team of capes on his side. Is that about right?"Danny couldn't help but smile. "That's pretty on the nose."Sophia laughed. "And then the first night he fights on our side we fuck up Leviathan. You're going to have to face it, Mister Hebert. Your kid is a fucking genius."Hah. Dad actuallyat the praise."Thanks. Thank you. I'm proud of him." said Danny. "Though, uh, I'd rather you say it a bit more, uh..."Sophia looked at him quizzzically."He's talking about your language." said Jacob. "Dad, after what the heroes went through I think they deserve to celebrate their victory with any terms they please.""Yeah, Mister Hebert, don't you know how kids talk these days?" said Sophia."Now wait a minute." said Danny. He turned to Jacob. "You're going to do an interview with the Chief Director of the PRT. You can't use that language, not on national TV.""No problem, Dad. I'll be on my best behavior." said Jacob. "Any advice, Sophia? You've done this before.""Only for local TV. It's easy, all you have to do is feed them a few sound bites from the PR department." Sophia scoffed. "They always give us a prep session. Can't have heroes giving the public the straight dope about what really goes on in the streets. It'll be the same for you, I bet. If you don't say what they want, they'll edit the tape till you do."Jacob suppressed a scowl. As he thought. He prided himself on his ability to win an argument with well-aimed turns of phrase, but his subtlety would be wasted here. He couldn't ensure that his audience would hear every word he spoke. And to complicate matters, he would have to appeal to two audiences: the public, to spread his message to the world, and the PRT, to secure his future as a hero. Troublesome. He'd have to show the PRT that he was fully aware of his political capital, convince them that he was perfectly willing to stay a independent if they didn't give him a fair deal.Sophia would have it easier. Personal motives, simpler concerns. She wanted to show off her accomplishments as a badass cape, and the PRT would give her a script to do exactly that. It helped that she'd been taking his advice to heart in the last few weeks, seeking status by working within the system. Steeling herself to hide her true sensibilities and put on a PRT-friendly facade, telling her teammates and boss the lies they wanted to hear.Ah, but it would be prudent to reinforce his lessons. She was riding a high from their success against Leviathan, and it wouldn't do for her to backslide at this critical moment."Did you already do an interview?" said Jacob. "The PRT is riding the wave of publicity, and you're the one who set up our deathblow on Leviathan."Sophia shook her head. "I'm going next week. Me, Aegis, and Vista. Battery says it's going to be scripted. Make it look like we're all a big happy family."Excellent. "I suppose that's convenient for you. It's easier to get the tone right when you don't have to worry about picking the right words.""Yeah. Plus, I cooperated with the Society. Everything I say has to be cleared by the legal suits.""Only you? That should be same for all of us.""That's not how the lawyers see it. Yeah, the Society flew in and gave you a boost, but you guys were doing your own thing. Me? I pulled the trigger." Sophia leaned closer. "Did you see what they're saying about me online?""No, but I can imagine." said Jacob. "The hardliners tar everyone who associates with villains, even if they do it under duress. They must be having a field day. They're too cowardly to accuse the Triumvirate so they're going after you because they think you're an easy target.""Yeah, exactly, only they're going completely bugfuck insane on me. They're calling me a Society dupe, saying I trapped Leviathan in the city so it's my fault for the Deathflood. Some rich assholes from Providence want tome for damages. Some bullshit law about collateral damage from heroes using illegal weapons from villains.""That's..." Jack blinked. "Well that is an absolutely monumental pile of bullshit."Sophia sneered. "Obviously.. Thought they had power, found it wasn't worth shit when it really mattered. Now they can't handle their pathetic lot in life and go crying to mommy to make it all better. Leviathan kills your city, I kill him back, and you blame'cause your Porsche got washed away? Ungrateful shitheads."Danny muttered something under his breath. Jacob thought he was going to chastise her about her language, until the man began to speak."God, that's terrible, Sophia. Unconscionable. I've seen this before. Just like the cash-grabbing freighter line that blamed us fortheir crew from faulty stowage." His voice was getting louder, more intense. "Only you and Jacob, you saved the world from an. How low can you get? Those pathetic, parasitic-"Danny paused, visibly calmed himself. "Listen, Sophia, I was in the shelters when they showed your video. When you shot Leviathan,cheered. We're all on your side. You can't let a few bad eggs get to you. If you let them get you off balance, that means you let them win.""Yeah, Mister Hebert, I know how the world works. There's no meal so delicious that some asshole won't shit in it."Danny winced. "I wouldn't put it quite like that."Sophia shrugged. "Whatever. I won't let them get to me. The suits are going to make it all go away. I'm too big of a deal for the PRT to let me go down to those chumps."Jacob laughed. "Oh, it's better than that, Sophia. This will do wonders for your reputation. You're already in the spotlight as an Endbringer-slaying hero. When the fat cats file their case against you the public will rush to your defense and bury them. And best of all, the next time you're in a controversy the public will flock back to your side once again. A conditioned response.""Oh, you think so?" Sophia chuckled. "You're an evil genius, you know that Jake?""It's only common sense." said Jacob. "You just need to make yourself presentable. Help the common man empathize with you, put himself in your place.""This again. We'relike them, Jake. We're heroes, they're civilians. They don't know a damn thing about what it's like.""That doesn't matter. What matters is that what they. They're looking for a kid hero they can get behind. Earnest. Respectful. Courageous. Self-sacrificing. Persevering through tragedy." He saw the expression on her face and raised a hand. "An unrealistic ideal, yes, but you don't have to fulfill it. They want to see the best in you. All you have to do is throw them a bone. Get halfway close and their minds will fill in the rest."She frowned, considering his words."Sounds like you've been listening to our union rep, Jacob." said Danny. "I don't always agree with it, but if you're concerned about PR, I know a lawyer who can give you tips. Alan is a master of..."Danny's voice trailed off. His face fell. "Oh. Oh God. I was going to say we should ask Alan Barnes for help. But I...I don't know if he made it. Or his family. Alan and Zoe, Anne and Emma..." He looked to Sophia. "Do you know if they're okay?""No clue." said Sophia. "I told Emma to get out of town but she hasn't returned my messages since. No calls, no emails, nothing. You hear anything, Jake?""No. I woke up less than a day ago.""Don't let it get to you, Mister Hebert." she said. "If they made it, they made it. If they didn't, they didn't. Simple as that. Can't tie yourself in knots worrying about them when you've got you're own shi-, I mean, stuff to deal with."Jacob suppressed a smile. Sophia might keep up her stoic persona for Emma and her family, but she had certainly been singing a different tune aboutfive minutes ago. She hadn't been able to hold back her emotion - wrapping him in a hug, asking after his health before anything else. It was pleasing, how far they had come. To earn her respect and admiration had been quite a project."You're right." said Danny. "I guess we don't have a choice. We lost so many good people, it's hard to hope for the best. At least your family made it out all right?Sophia closed her eyes, let out a breath. "Did youto fucking ask that?""Oh God." said Danny. "I'm sorry, I..."Sophia spoke in a quiet voice. "Not much to tell. Mom didn't care enough to take my advice. I told them to get out of town. Mom took one look at the traffic and took Terry and Marlene to the shelters...""God, I'm sorry." said Danny. "I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing it up. I only met them once, but I know they were good people-""I don't need your fucking-" Sophia took a breath, swallowed. "They're dead. I'm alive. I'm not a. I don't need your pity."Danny started to say something, but Jacob stepped forward-"I understand, Sophia." said Jacob. "You're resilient. Too tough to let something like this ruin you. You know exactly what you want out of life. You have a goal, you have allies to carry it out, and you've just proven your skill beyond any doubt on the world stage. By all rights you should be having the time of your life right now. So I know you won't let this tragedy drag you down."I know you weren't as close with your family as some of us are. You couldn't trust them to have your back a hundred percent, like I can with Dad. But when I met your family, saw how you treated each other....you might disagree with me, but from what I saw, there were roses among the thorns. There's no shame in reminiscing about those times gone by. Learning from both the good and the bad."So if youdecide you're missing something, if you want to take some time to process it, or if you just want to shoot the shit about memories of Brockton Bay...you'll have friends to go to. I can't speak for the Wards, buthere for you."Sophia scoffed. A little too quickly to be fully honest. "Always with the inspirational speeches, Jake. Touching, but I don't need it. Yeah, it sucks. Terry didn't deserve it. Marlene didn't deserve it. Mom...she didn't deserve it, I guess. But I'm not going to break down and bawl about it like some people I know." An expression flickered across her face, a flash of disgust. "Half the Protectorate is cracked up. Battery weeping about her boyfriend. Parian...God. I thought she took it like a champ. Took double shifts on the relief efforts, barely slept. Then yesterday she shut down and locked herself in her room. I got her to open the door this morning, but she took one look at me and the waterworks came out. Useless."Ah. There was her ever-present problem. Sophia had convinced herself that caring for others was foolish, a sign of weakness that the world would use as a weapon against her. So she pushed others away, squandering her potential as a cape by gravitating toward a solitary life in the shadows.A lesser cape would have seen her as a lost cause, but Jacob had seen her as an opportunity. If she could be coaxed to feel a bond of kinship with even one person then she would treat him as the sole focus of her attention, latch on to him with a fierce loyalty. That was coming along nicely.The problem came when he recruited other members for their team. She had to learn tolerance, to forgive her teammates for their 'weakness' of caring for others."I get what you're saying, Sophia. Ita shame the other capes haven't held themselves together as well as we have. When I spoke with Parian she seemed like a woman with a good head on her shoulders. I'll have to check on her when I get a chance."But listen, Sophia. I wouldn't call her. As a cape, I want allies who do three things: kick ass, have my back, and keep a cool head in a fight. That's the only strength that matters. I don't care if Parian falls apart after every fight, as long as she pulls herself together in time for the next one. Hell, we just killed. We've all earned a few weeks of rest. Whether they spend it celebrating or weeping is a minor concern. Do you honestly care whether Vista spends her free time sulking in her hospital bed or saving orphans on the streets?""Well..." said Sophia."Exactly. And it's not their business how you spend your time, either. Not unless they're a person whose opinion you truly care about. Someone who means more to you than a mere ally of convenience during cape fights.""Is that so." Sophia smiled. "Interesting. And now I notice thatmaking it your business to know how I spend my time."Danny spoke up. "He's very considerate for others, when he wants to be. You were right, Jacob. It didn't hit home for me at first. Now that I've seen the impact on one of your own friends, seen what a difference it makes to have a parent you can count on...I can almost see myself getting behind your adoption idea.""Wait, what? What are you talking about?" said Sophia."Jacob was telling me about how the Wards lost their families. He said that since we were lucky enough to still have a family, we should help support the others. Adopt one of the Wards, raise them in a family with another cape to set a good example. It's a wild idea, but-"Fuck. The idea was to get a hold over a powerful cape he could use as a bargaining chip with the PRT. Ideally an impressionable cape who could plausibly leave the Wards and go independent, like Good Girl. Sophia was the opposite. She wasfirmly in his camp, and despite her impressive performance against Leviathan she would have little value as a bargaining chip with the PRT. Having her as a sister would just put him further in their pocket. Not to mention that Dad's parenting style was entirely unsuited to a girl like Sophia.The disgust on Sophia's face made it clear that she shared his opinion of the idea. Jacob spoke quickly."No. I don't think that would be a good idea here, Dad."Danny scratched his head. "Really? I thought...well, since Sophia is a Ward, and we already know her, you two are already friends, I thought it would be just what-""No. I'm grateful that you're so open to the idea, Dad, but as you've seen, she's a strong and independent woman. I doubt she's eager for our charity. Besides, Sophia and I are already close. The idea of having her as a sister is...uncomfortable. For a number of reasons."Sophia smirked. "Yeah. For a number of reasons."A sound came from the hallway behind them - Armsmaster, coming out of an elevator. Ah. It wouldn't do for him to be late to his interview."Dad, put your mask on." said Jacob. He moved to put on his own, but Sophia stopped him with a hand on his chest. He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled."You know, Jake, you're right about the PR shit. The man on the street is never going to understand what we've been through, what we've done. Even the averageon the street. There's no point trying to hammer the truth into their little minds. Maybe it's easier if we accept the mask they give us to wear, to let them convince themselves the world is full of puppies and sunshine. You're skilled at it, a natural."Where was she going with this? Talking about putting on a mask to face the public...was there a hidden threat in the interview, something she didn't want to say out loud in front of the PRT cameras? His eyes flicked to Armsmaster, approaching in the hallway. Sophia had already told him about the man's prototype lie detector..."I'm glad you agree." said Jacob. "I'll keep your advice in mind for the interview.""But you can't deny your true self forever, Jake." said Sophia. "You need to have a place where you can take off all your masks and shoot the shit with someone who knows what's real. It's not an easy place to find. If they're below your level they can't understand you. If they think they're above your level they won't respect you."I've been thinking. In this line of work we could die any day. Hell, fighting an Endbringer is a one in four chance. So from now on I'm going to live in the moment instead of waiting forever. And since we've both proved ourselves as badass Endbringer-ending motherfuckers..."...that means we're both qualified to do this."Sophia stepped forward and kissed him on the lips.In that frozen moment of time, Jacob realized that he had misread her entirely. He was such a fool. Her joy to see him, her words, her body language. It should have been obvious. But he had interpreted them through the lens of his secret career as a vigilante. He had spent months strengthening her motivations to join his team. Her need for a confidante to lend her a sympathetic ear, her obsession with exerting power over the weak, her eagerness to cut a bloody path through the underworld of Brockton Bay. And in doing so he had underestimated her other motivations simmering beneath, thecolor of her affections.It...it wasn't that he was oblivious. He had known that cementing their bond as teammates, gaining her respect and admiration, could lead to something more. He had known it would inevitably have to be resolved one way or the other. The tension couldn't last forever and she wasn't the type to wait for a boy to take the initiative, but he had thought she wouldn't move for months, she must have taken their success as an encouragement to-A single sentence rose in the midst of his racing thoughts.Sophia drew away from him and met his gaze. Her eyes were a storm of emotions. Excitement, anxiety, judgement, hope, and raw, burning intensity...Of course. Doing it here, now, in front of Dad and Armsmaster...she must have planned this. She knew that he would use his relationships with the Wards as a point of leverage in his negotiations with the PRT, knew his fondness for cloak-and-dagger games of misdirection. With this act she was refusing to be a pawn in his games. Cutting through it all to make him, unambiguously, in front of everyone who mattered.His instinct was to tailor his reaction, prepare an eloquent speech to manage the outcome. If only he knew what outcome he. He had always put off matters of the heart in order to focus on his mission, to the point that he scarcely felt that he had ever had a heart at all.Now, forced to confront it...he couldn't deny the appeal. Sophia was strong, tenacious, like-minded in many ways. They had fought back to back, spilled blood together, fought the most formidable enemies the world had to offer. What he had always believed she lacked was, creativity, the ability to see a bigger picture beyond her narrow ambitions. But today she had found a weakness in his plans, taken him by surprise and forced his hand. That was far more interesting than he had ever expected from her......ah, but none of that mattered, in the end. He didn't have time to think. Her eyes demanded a reply here and now. And, with his plans cast aside and nothing else to guide him, only a single response came to mind.Jacob took her in his arms and kissed her back.After a long moment they drew apart. Sophia's eyes were shining now, lips halfway between a smile and a smirk. Triumphant.Jacob mirrored her smile. Perhaps this was for the best. He had spent so long fixated on the big picture that he had lost sight of what was in front of him all along. After his success in Brockton Bay he could afford to take some time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. There was no telling how long it would last, but...Well. He could give it a shot.Danny cleared his throat. "Jacob. You, uh, didn't tell me you had a girlfriend."Jacob smirked. "You didn't ask."A clanking sound drew his attention to the doorway. Armsmaster was standing outside, towering over the rest of them in his power armor. He gazed at Jacob and Danny, then at Sophia.Sophia gave him a lazy salute. "Sorry, boss." she said with a grin. "We got distracted and lost track of the time."Armsmaster's lips quirked in a faint smile. "...I see. I was going to introduce you two, but it seems that you know each other quite well already."Hah. No doubt Armsmaster was pleased with this development. Jacob had played up his reluctance to join the Wards. Now Armsmaster would believe he was certain to join."Yes. She gave me quite a surprise." said Jacob.Armsmaster nodded. "The perils of working behind a mask. Jack Slash, I should inform you that you are still technically anonymous to the Protectorate, but if you unmask yourself in our branch headquarters...""Right." said Jacob. He put on his mask, took the time to make sure it was on straight. Presentable. "Let's get going, shall we?""Wait." said Danny. "Armsmaster, before you go. I want to thank you again for everything. You saved my son's life. You reunited our family. You even set me up with the PRT counselors to help us get back on our feet. We lost everything, and you're given us everything we have. It means a lot to me. To us." He paused. "If there's ever...well, you must get this a lot. But if there's ever anything I can do to repay you, I'll be glad to help.""You're welcome, but there's no need to thank me. Thank the Protectorate. It's what we're offering all the cape families from Brockton Bay. The well-being of our heroes," Armsmaster paused, looked pointedly at Jacob, "and of all others who join us in facing S-class threats, is a top priority.""Still, thank you. I just...thank you so much. You're a good man, Armsmaster.""You're welcome. I would be glad to speak with you more, but our interview starts in ten minutes." Armsmaster turned to Sophia. "We'll talk later. Unless there's something you want to tell me?""Nah, I'm good." said Sophia. Still grinning."Good. Follow me, Jack Slash. The Chief Director is waiting for us on the fifteenth floor."Jack Slash smiled, bid his father and his girlfriend farewell, and set off to face the director of the most powerful collection of capes in the world.-------Author's note: You can have a Thinker power giving you all the clues, but you'll draw the wrong conclusion if you view them through the wrong lens. Well, it's only natural. This Jack has much less experience than canon Jack, both with his power and with the fairer sex.I'm probably going to be too busy to update this story regularly, but I might manage an occasional update here and there. I suppose this chapter is a holiday present...