I spent the rest of the day at the forest compound, finishing the alterations and additions to the absorption ritual necessary to make it permanent. I still needed the materials, five pounds of mercury, titanium, tungsten, copper, and nickel, but once I had them, I was ready. In all honesty, I could have finished the design much quicker, but I wanted there to be a level of customizability in the ritual. There was a good chance that I would, at some point, offer this ritual to other people, and there was an equally good chance I would want to give them a version that was slightly below my own. It might have cost me a few hours now, but having an advanced version that I could easily slot in and pull out metals as I needed would come in handy.

The following morning, I went about my usual routine, starting with a quick, simple meal made by Kali. When I was clean and fed, I made my way out of the forest and to the hospital. At this point, the hospital workers knew the deal and had finally stopped pressing me to heal more than I agreed to. I didn't necessarily think that they were mean-spirited or purposely being cruel or trying to maliciously take advantage of me. Instead, I was pretty sure they just saw how easy it was for me to help people, so they immediately assumed there was no reason for me not to spend more time healing. I wanted to help, after all, didn't I?

If it hadn't been for Alya keeping my head on straight, I could absolutely see myself giving into peer pressure, which I could only imagine must have been much worse for Amy. She was already struggling with questions of self-worth thanks to the bitch who raised her, having people constantly push those particular buttons must have been horrible. Again, I didn't think anyone in the hospital was being intentionally malicious or aggressive, but they clearly saw her as an asset to be used first, and a person second.

While I was at the hospital, I paid extra close attention to who was healing from the PRT. They weren't hiding them per se, but I had a sneaking suspicion they were purposely not advertising them either. It wasn't until I healed a kid with a torn rotator cuff that I realized that they were probably worried about the identities of their agents and heroes. They needed their people healed as quick as possible, but it wasn't hard to connect the person who broke their arm to the hero who just had their arm broken.

I made a mental note to talk to Director Piggot when we were meeting later. I had assumed she understood I was happy to make acceptions for heroes, but there was a chance she misunderstood.

Once I was done with my rounds, I made my way to the Docks Community. At this point, the excitement and novelty of combining two communities, as well as mixed parts from a third, had seemed to wear off for their members. People had rebuilt their own little chunks of space, ranging from single-tarp homes that barely counted as such, to much more complicated structures, usually built from customized tents and tarps.

I walked around for a little while, healing and chatting with people, before ending up in an empty corner with Olivia, John, and Charles. It was under the guise of lunch, but really, I wanted more information about something I heard during my rounds.

"So I heard you got some people poking their noses in?" I asked, repeated. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, it was the ABB, trying to sniff out any competition and stamp them out," Charles said, shaking his head. "It's nothing, really. Just the small-time guy in charge of our neighborhood. He likes to stop by every once in a while, rattle us up, show that he is in control."

"Is he?" I asked. "Did he do anything different this time?"

"He was wary of the golems, which we kept to the side and out of his way," Charles explained. "Other than that, nothing new. As for control… he is in charge of the neighborhood under the ABB, but it's not like this neighborhood is important to them. We are the biggest group here, and we don't exactly have the free cash to buy drugs. Though there are a few here who wish they did."

"So he is a vassal who got handed the crap chunk of land," I equated, John nodding in agreement. "Well, as long as he isn't going to stir up trouble. Let me know if stuff starts to change. I have… an alternative if something goes wrong."

"What, gonna make the whole place disappear?" Olivia asked with a teasing smile.

"I could probably do something like that," I admitted, getting a surprised look from my friends. "I could also set something up elsewhere, someplace out of the way. It wouldn't be any less illegal, but it would be safer."

"Where?" Charles asked. "I know you disappear into the woods most nights. At least that's what everyone says online…"

"More or less," I confirmed with a shrug. "I might have the starting of a base of operations out there. Part of me wanted to keep where I live and where you guys live separate, so you guys aren't caught in the crossfire if someone tries to run me down, but…"

"I think… for now, we are good where we are," John said, with Charles nodding in agreement.

"You'll get accused of being a master if a good chunk of the homeless population just walks into the woods," Olivia pointed out rather bluntly, though not incorrectly. "Better keep things how they are for now."

"Great. Okay, that sounds good," I said with a nod. "And you guys don't think the ABB is a threat?"

"Of course they are a threat," Charles said, shaking his head. "But they aren't going to start trouble, not for no reason."

"Not even over me?"

"Believe it or not, you haven't come up," Charles responded with a shrug. "He didn't mention you or your trees, just kept a close eye on the golems and walked around, trying to sound big."

"His boss is probably hoping you take out more of the Empire," John pointed out, Charles reluctantly agreeing with a gesture. "You already killed one of them, even if he was more of a nuisance than anything. It's in his best interest to let you guys fight it out."

"And he will just let that happen? In his front lawn?"

"Lung tends to rule from the back," Olivia explained with a shrug. "He doesn't step out until something needs to be stepped on. Oni Lee might get sent out to send a message occasionally, but that's only if you go against them. You don't plan on hitting ABB assets or getting involved with their work anytime soon, right?"

I frowned and shook my head. The truth was, at some point, I did plan on hitting ABB assets, but not until I could stamp out the after effects, and guarantee the people I was responsible for would be okay. That meant I couldn't do anything without gaining more power or allies, preferably both. Knowing Olivia was around to help defend the community was a massive weight off my shoulders, and with a few more people to work with, I was pretty sure I could finally start taking down some of the gangs.

We talked a bit more about how everything was going before I left to head to the PRT headquarters. I was a bit early, but I figured doing a few loops of a patrol would burn plenty of time.

Two hours, a mugging and a purse snatching later, I arrived at the PRT office. At the direction of a waiting Agent, I rode Troy down into the parking area, where Assault was waiting. I jumped off Troy, who sat down in a parking spot, before making my way to the hero.

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"Good to see you, Arcanum. I-," He greeted me, reaching out to shake my hand, suddenly freezing when he did. It took a moment for him to shake his head and release my hand.

"Huh… well, you certainly earn that Trump rating, I suppose," He said, looking at his hand and then back at me. "I didn't get anything from that."

"What do you mean?" I asked, the Protectorate member turning to lead me to the elevator upwards.

"My powers are all about manipulating kinetic energy, at least when it's applied to me," He explained. "I can feel it on me constantly, every little touch is kinda like an access point. I don't think I can affect you at all, though. Like something is blocking me…"

"Ah well… I did warn you guys I am a tinker of sorts," I pointed out. "Though I didn't mean to counter your powers specifically. If you're up for it, when this is all done, we could do some testing."

"Wait, really?" He asked, sounding surprised, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, I would rather know how it interacts with your ability now than when we are working together in the field," I pointed. "Plus, I get to try out something new. Not gonna show off everything, but yeah, I'll probably have an hour or two."

He nodded enthusiastically, agreeing happily to the idea. Apparently, he had no idea what I was actually here for but had volunteered to come down and guide me before going out on patrol. He admitted he would have to run it by a few people first, but he was confident they would agree.

We shook hands again outside a conference room before he jogged off to find his partner for the day. After saying goodbye, I stepped inside to see the Heberts already there, sitting inside on one side of a conference table. Both of them looked tired and drained, and yet they also looked... healthier and happier.

"Hello," I said, sitting down along the edge of the table opposite the father and daughter pair. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, we arrived a few minutes ago," Daniel responded. "Listen, Arcanum. Before things get started, I wanted to thank you again for… everything you've been doing. Not just stopping those kids from chasing Taylor, but making sure that this meeting happened."

"I was happy to help," I assured him. "While a lot of heroes seem to think that getting powers seem to mean they should challenge the world to a fistfight, I've found that helping on a smaller scale can be just as important, if not more so. As pretentious as that might sound."

"I wouldn't say so. I asked some of my friends, and it seems like you have been doing a lot of good around this city," Danny said with a smile. "I know a few people living with Charles' group. He seemed to think you've earned the right to give that advice."

"I'm flattered," I said with a smile before looking at Taylor. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm… okay." She said, looking up from her hands. "I got to skip school for today… Sharing everything has made it seem lighter. I got a full night's sleep for the first time in a while."

"I'm glad to hear that," I said. "I hope-"

Before I could continue, the door opened, and Director Piggot immediately stepped inside, quickly followed by Miss Militia. I nodded to both of them, standing politely before sitting down with them. Unsurprisingly, Director Piggot took the head chair, with Miss Militia sitting to her right. The director, simply put, did not look happy.

"First, Arcanum, I want to thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. I have no doubt it would have gotten out anyway, as once you informed the police that the investigation had halted without any investigation or conclusion reached, it was inevitable. However, by bringing it directly to me, I can do this."

She passed a stack of papers to Miss Militia, who leaned over to hand them to Danny. She then slid an identical stack to me.

"This is an NDA. This does not concern the entirety of why you are here," she explained as Danny and I read through the pretty straightforward legal document. "This covers a very specific piece of information that will make explaining this situation significantly easier. If you do not sign this, then this meeting is over. I will remind you that NDAs cannot enforce silence on acts that are illegal."

"Jesus Christ," I said, shaking my head. "I can't believe-"

"I will also ask you to keep certain thoughts about what you may or may not think this NDA is designed to cover to yourself until all of us can legally discuss it," the large woman added, giving me a harsh look. "Please, sign the papers if you are willing."

I snapped my mouth shut, nodding and looking back down at the papers. It didn't take long for me to read and sign them, and Danny quickly followed me. Once Director Piggot double-checked each of them, she slid them into her folder.

"Good. Now that you are all signed, Arcanum, I assume you figured it out?"

"I think so. The fact that there's an NDA involved sealed it for me," I explained. "Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker, isn't she?"

"Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker," She corrected quickly. "Officially, she retired after your incident to focus on herself and her issues. Unofficially, Shadow Stalker is a burned Ward, and Sophia Hess is now prisoner number 7628-P-568. Before this incident came to light, she was likely to get out in several years, where she would get the opportunity to join the Protectorate. With what is likely going to be at least an attempted murder charge, she will be getting considerably more jail time."

"Sophia is a Ward?"

The cold, empty tone that Taylor spoke in sent shivers down my spine, and everyone snapped to look at her. Her face was blank, utterly devoid of any emotion, and I had to fight the urge to lean back. Everyone, including her father, was shocked by her new tone.

"... She was Ms Hebert," Piggot explained. "And now, she is in juvenile detention."

Danny reached out and put his hand on Taylor's shoulder, giving his daughter a reassuring squeeze. She remained rock solid and cold, but Danny wasn't looking at her.

"How could this happen?" He asked, focused on the Director. "How could she be a Ward while she was putting my daughter through hell?"

"The blame for that catastrophe falls at the feet of Sophia Hess's handler and Principle Blackwell," She responded, pulling open another file before elaborating. "When a Ward goes to a public school, that school is given a rather large grant of money every year. This is supposed to be used to increase security, hire more personnel, and generally help with the difficulties and issues that stem from covering for the identity of a Ward."

As she spoke, it was easy to see the frustration she felt. Taylor, in particular, seemed to appreciate it, though her cold demeanor only defrosted the slightest amount.

"Both Principal Blackwell and Sophia Hess's handler were skimming a significant portion of that grant for their own use," Director Piggot continued, locking eyes with Taylor. "As long as Sophia Hess continued to go to Winslow High, they would both get a significant cut of that money. As such, they both covered for her. Her handler was responsible for getting the PRT to claim jurisdiction on the investigation and subsequently burying that investigation, while Principal Blackwell buried your complaints and kept outside sources from investigating your assault."