Agent Marcus Reeves walked purposefully through the PRT headquarters, a tablet tucked under his arm. His polished shoes clicked against the tiled floor as he made his way to Director Piggot's office. Reaching the door, he took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and knocked firmly.

"Enter," came the short response from within.

Marcus stepped into the office, taking in the stern sight of Director Emily Piggot seated behind her imposing desk. Her bleached blonde hair was neatly styled, and her steel-gray gaze fixed upon him expectantly.

"Agent Reeves," she acknowledged. "I trust you have something important to report?"

"Yes, ma'am," Marcus replied, his voice steady despite the nervous flutter in his stomach. He'd been with the PRT for five years now, but briefing the director still made him anxious at times. "We've made a breakthrough regarding the floating stones."

Piggot's eyebrows raised a fraction. "Go on."

Marcus tapped his tablet. "We've managed to track down crucial footage of the stones' first appearance, but it wasn't easy. By sheer coincidence, an amateur urban planner was filming traffic patterns for a personal study when the incident occurred."

He swiped to show a grainy video. "The footage was only submitted to us yesterday. It clearly shows the stones appearing out of thin air around a car carrying a young girl named Lara Moore."

He then brought up a DMV photo of a beautiful teenager with long black hair and piercing green eyes. "Moore lost her parents in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. She was en route to Brockton Bay to live with her uncle when the stones appeared."

Piggot leaned forward, now clearly interested. "And you're certain of the connection?"

Marcus nodded, swiping through more images. "We've cross-referenced this with other video sources we've managed to obtain. For the first few days after their appearance, the stones remained near Moore's location at all times, maintaining a consistent vertical alignment despite their great height. It's only in the past four days that they've begun to spread out horizontally."

He tapped the screen to bring up a map. "Two of the stones seem to maintain a position near Winslow High School during school hours, likely for Moore's protection. The others appear to be patrolling independently, focusing on areas with high crime rates - particularly the Docks."

"Projections, perhaps?" Piggot thought aloud. "Or some form of telekinetic control?"

"That's our working theory," Marcus confirmed with a nod. "Given the timing and circumstances, it seems highly likely that Moore triggered during or shortly after the accident that killed her parents."

Piggot drummed her fingers on the desk, her brow furrowed in thought. After a moment, she looked back up at Marcus. "We need to make contact. Quietly. Have an agent visit the uncle's home in plainclothes. Feel out the situation, see if the girl might be open to recruitment."

Marcus nodded, already mentally running through potential agents for the task. "Understood, Director. I'll put together a team and brief them immediately."

"Good," Piggot said with a curt nod. "Keep me updated on any developments. Dismissed."

Marcus turned to leave, but Piggot called out once more. "And Reeves? Good work on this. It's not often we get ahead of the curve on new parahumans in this city."

Marcus allowed himself a small smile as he exited the office. Coming from Director Piggot, that was high praise indeed.

oo0ooOoo0oo

The clinking of silverware against plates filled the modest kitchen as we ate in relative silence. I listened quietly for a moment, observing the slightly strained interaction between Taylor and her father.

"So, how was work today?" Taylor asked politely, breaking the quiet lull.

Danny let out a weary sigh, setting down his fork. "The usual grind. Trying to find jobs that simply aren't there anymore." He shook his head, his thinning hair catching the light. "Some days it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels."

I took a delicate bite of my mashed potatoes, enjoying the buttery flavor as I watched the father-daughter exchange.

"Yeah, I get it. Sounds rough," Taylor mumbled, pushing her peas around her plate with her fork.

Danny's eyes softened behind his glasses as he regarded his daughter. "But enough about my daily struggles. How was your first day back at Winslow after the break?"

I noticed Taylor's shoulders tense slightly at the mention of school. "It was the same as always," she said evasively, "though it was better with Lara there."

"I see." Danny frowned, clearly picking up on Taylor's reluctance. He turned his attention to me, a hopeful smile on his face. "And you, Lara? Were you able to follow along okay in your classes?"

"Oh, it was certainly an experience being the new girl," I said with a light laugh. "But everyone seemed nice enough, and the teachers were helpful in getting me caught up."

It was a blatant lie, of course. Winslow was a cesspool of teenage cruelty, wannabe gangsters and apathetic faculty. But there was no need to worry Danny unnecessarily.

"That's good to hear," he replied with an approving nod. "I know starting at a new school can be tough, but I'm glad it seems to be going smoothly so far."

As we finished up dinner, I rose to help clear the table. "Thank you for dinner, Uncle Danny. It was delicious as always."

He waved off my thanks with a bashful smile. "No need for that, kiddo. I'm just happy to have you both here."

Taylor and I worked in tandem to load the dishwasher, falling into an easy rhythm we'd developed over the past week. When the last plate was stacked, I leaned towards Taylor.

"Can we go to your room?" I whispered, my breath warm against her skin. "I need to talk to you about something important."

I felt Taylor stiffen slightly at my proximity, but she gave a small nod. Pulling back, I turned to Danny with a bright smile.

"Well, we're heading upstairs now. Thanks again for dinner!"

Danny's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled back. "You girls have fun. Don't stay up too late though, you've got school in the morning."

"Yes sir," I replied with a playful salute, looping my arm through Taylor's and gently tugging her towards the stairs.

She followed without a word, but she was clearly a bit worried about what I was going to tell her. A quick glance over my shoulder showed Danny watching us go, a fond look on his face.

Once in the privacy of Taylor's bedroom, I flopped backwards onto her neatly made bed, my dark hair fanning out around me. Taylor hovered awkwardly by the door, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"Have a seat," I said, patting the space beside me invitingly. I could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off her in waves.

Taylor perched herself on the very edge of the mattress, her back ramrod straight. I smirked inwardly at her obvious discomfort.

Crossing my legs beneath me, I turned to face her fully. Our knees were nearly brushing in the tight proximity. "Taylor," I began, keeping my voice low and serious. "I need to tell you something extremely important. But I need you to stay calm and not overreact, okay?"

Her eyes went wide behind her glasses. "O-Okay?" The word came out as more of a squeak than anything.

I leaned forward, closing the distance between us until my face was mere inches from her own. Taylor's cheeks flushed a pretty pink, her eyes fluttering half-closed as I neared. Just as our lips seemed about to brush together, I veered off course - my mouth finding her ear instead.

"I'm a parahuman, Taylor," I breathed, letting the words hang heavy in the air between us.

Taylor went utterly rigid against me, frozen in shock. Her mouth worked silently for a moment before she found her voice.

"You...you're a cape?" she finally managed to rasp out.

I pulled back enough to meet her stunned gaze, keeping my expression open and sincere. "Yes," I affirmed with a small nod. "I know this must be a lot to take in. But I need you to know that I trust you completely, Taylor. You're the closest person I have left in this world."

Her eyes searched my face, seemingly looking for any hint of deception. When she found none, some of the tension bled out of her shoulders.

"You...you can trust me, Lara," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly. "I would never betray your secret."

I reached out, taking her hand in mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know, Taylor. That's why I'm telling you this. Do you remember those giant floating rocks that appeared over the city a little while ago?"

Taylor's brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, of course. They were all over the news. Wait..." Her eyes widened as realization dawned. "Are you saying...?"

I nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. "They're mine. I can control them with my mind."

"Holy shit," Taylor breathed, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, looking mortified at her own outburst.

I couldn't help but giggle at her reaction. "It's okay, you can swear. I won't tell Uncle Danny."

Taylor lowered her hand, still looking a bit shell-shocked. "But...how? When did this happen?"

I let out a soft sigh, my smile fading. "It was right after the accident that killed my parents. I think...I think the trauma of losing them triggered my powers."

Taylor's expression softened with sympathy. "Oh, Lara. I'm so sorry."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I shrugged, trying to play it off casually when I recalled my real parents. "It's okay. Well, not okay, but... you know what I mean." I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Anyway, want to see something cool?"

Taylor nodded quickly. I grinned, feeling a flutter of excitement in my stomach. This would be my first time actually using my new teleportation ability.

I focused intently on a spot about three feet in front of me on the bed. A momentary flash of red enveloped my body, and within one second, I was suddenly there. Taylor gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"That's... that's incredible!" she breathed.

I giggled, feeling giddy with the rush of success. "Watch this!" Another crimson flash surrounded me as I teleported back to my original spot, the movement as smooth and effortless as breathing. The red glow lingered for a split second before fading away.

Taylor's mouth was slightly agape. "That's... that's amazing, Lara.”

I beamed at her, pleased by her reaction. "I know, right? It's pretty cool." I flopped back onto the bed, my hair fanning out around me. "So, what do you think? Am I officially the coolest cousin ever or what?"

Taylor gave a small, hesitant smile. "You're definitely up there." She fidgeted with the hem of her oversized sweater, her eyes darting around the room nervously. "Actually, I... I have something I need to tell you too."

I sat up, tilting my head curiously. "Oh? What is it?"

Taylor took a deep breath, her shoulders hunching slightly. "I... I'm a parahuman too."

Even though I already knew this, I made sure to widen my eyes in surprise. "Really? Oh my god, Taylor, that's incredible!"

She nodded, still not meeting my eyes. "Yeah, it's... it happened a few months ago. I..." Her voice cracked, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I was bullied. Really badly. They... they shoved me into my locker. It was filled with... with tampons, and filth, and bugs..."

Taylor's composure crumbled, and she began to sob. Without hesitation, I pulled her into a tight hug, feeling my own eyes start to burn with unshed tears. All the emotions I'd been suppressing since arriving in this world - the grief for my lost family in my own universe, the fear of being in a strange place, the loss of control over my life - came rushing to the surface.

"Oh, Taylor," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry. That's horrible."

We cried together, clinging to each other tightly. I tugged the blanket over us, cocooning us in a warm, safe bubble away from the world. Taylor's tears soaked into my shirt, and I stroked her hair gently, murmuring soothing nonsense.

After what felt like hours, our sobs finally quieted to sniffles. I pulled back slightly, wiping at my eyes with the back of my hand. "God, we're a mess, aren't we?"

Taylor gave a watery chuckle, adjusting her glasses which had gone askew. "Yeah, I guess we are."

I smiled at her, feeling a warmth in my chest. "So," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "what exactly can you do? Please tell me you have the power to conjure ice cream, because I could really go for some right now."

Taylor laughed softly, shaking her head. "Not quite. I can... I can control bugs. Arthropods, actually. And some other invertebrates like crabs, lobsters, krill, slugs, and snails."

My eyebrows shot up. "Wow, that's... actually really impressive. How many can you control at once?"

"As many as I want, as far as I can tell," Taylor said, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. "My range is about 3-4 city blocks. I can also use their senses to hear and see, but it's kind of fuzzy and hard to get a clear picture."

I whistled lowly. "That's incredible, Taylor. The applications for that kind of power are huge."

She blushed slightly at the praise. "What about you? You said you can control those floating rocks?"

I nodded, settling more comfortably on the bed. "Yeah, they're called Menhirs. There are six of them, and they can fly around and attack with this invisible blast. It can disorient people, hurt them, or just push them around. If they all get destroyed, they come back after a month."

Taylor's brow furrowed. "And you can teleport too? They’re… not really connected.”

I grinned, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. "Oh, that's not all. I've got this Thinker power too. It's like... I can find the nearest person with whatever talent I need. Like, if I needed an accountant, I'd get this faint tugging sensation pointing me towards the nearest one. And I think if I get familiar enough with someone, I can use it to find them specifically."

"That's... wow," Taylor said, looking a bit overwhelmed. "Is there a range limit on that?"

I shrugged. "Not sure exactly, but it feels pretty big. Oh! And there's one more thing." I reached into my pocket, pulling out the key. "This opens a portal to a private dimension. There's a workshop in there with this projection of a blacksmith. He can make things and even combine weapons of the same type while keeping their properties."

Taylor stared at the key, then back at me, her expression one of utter bewilderment. "Lara, that's... that's insane. How do you have so many different powers?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but suddenly froze as a familiar pulse of energy rippled through my mind. The Celestial Grimoire was activating again, but this time the sensation abruptly cut off before completing its cycle.

[Untouchable - Sailor Moon] - 600cp

You did not originate from a world where magic existed. There was only physics in your world. It is for this reason you are aware that magic and physics are just two different forces at work in this reality. Magic may manipulate physics, but it is a separate force entirely. This power erases magic in a small zone around you, leaving only the presence of physics. You can outright nullify all supernatural forces around you in a three meter radius for ten minutes once a day. Anyone slinging magic at will find their blasts fizzling when they enter this zone. Your powers, however, are not affected.

A slight frown tugged at the corners of my lips as I realized I'd missed out on this ability. While it would be useless in this world lacking magic, it could be invaluable if I ever found myself in other realities. Still, no use dwelling on what-ifs.

Taylor's hand was placed on my forehead as she watched me with concern clear in her eyes. "Lara? Are you okay? You looked like you spaced out for a few seconds there again."

I blinked, refocusing on her worried face. A reassuring smile spread across my features as I removed her hand from my face and held it between us. "Sorry about that! I'm fine, really. That's actually part of what I was going to explain."

Snuggling closer, I continued, "You see, I'm a Trump. I get new powers randomly, though I'm not entirely sure what my limits are yet, or if they're all permanent."

I gestured vaguely towards my head. "What you just saw was me potentially getting a new power. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's a bit of a surprise each time!"

Taylor gaped at me. "That's... wow. So you could potentially keep getting more and more powers?"

I nodded, trying to downplay it a bit. "Maybe? Like I said, I'm not sure about the specifics yet. For all I know, there could be a cap on how many I can have."

Taylor's gaze dropped to her lap. "And here I thought my bug control was somewhat decent," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're practically the next Eidolon..."

I gently cupped Taylor's chin, lifting her gaze to meet mine. Her brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears behind her glasses, and my heart ached at the sight. "Taylor," I murmured, "don't say that. Your power is incredible in its own right."

Taylor's lower lip trembled slightly. "But you can do so much more," she whispered. "I'm just... bugs."

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. The scent of her shampoo – something light and floral – filled my nostrils as I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. I felt her stiffen for a moment before relaxing into the embrace, her face nestled against my neck.

"Listen to me," I said quietly. "It doesn't matter how our powers compare. You're amazing, Taylor. And who knows? Maybe I'll get a power that can enhance your bugs in the future."

I pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. A pretty blush had spread across her cheeks, and I couldn't help but notice how her eyes kept darting down to where our chests were pressed together. The corner of my mouth quirked up in a small smirk.

"Even without that," I continued, "your power is incredibly useful for information gathering. Just imagine what you could do once you figure out how to see and hear through them reliably." A mischievous glint entered my eye. "And just think how terrifying it would be to see a swarm of tens of thousands of bugs coming at you. Everyone should be afraid of you, Taylor. You're not weak at all."

I gazed into Taylor's eyes, watching as a small spark of confidence ignited within their depths. She had a small, hesitant smile on her face, and I felt satisfied at having lifted her spirits.

I shifted closer, allowing our bodies to press together more fully. The warmth of her skin seeped through our clothes, and I felt a delicious tingle run down my spine. "You're amazing, Taylor. Never doubt that."

My fingers trailed lightly along her arm, and I noticed goosebumps rising in their wake. Taylor's breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly behind her glasses. I bit my lower lip, suppressing a smirk at her reaction.

"We should probably get some sleep," I whispered huskily, leaning in until our faces were mere inches apart. "We can talk more tomorrow during our run, okay?"

Taylor swallowed hard. "R-Right, of course. That makes sense." Her voice came out slightly breathless.

I watched in amusement as confusion flickered across her features when I made no move to leave. Instead, I reached up to tenderly brush a stray curl behind her ear, allowing my fingers to trail down the side of her neck. Taylor shivered at the featherlight touch.

"Lara?" she questioned, her brow furrowing adorably. "Aren't you going back to your room?"

"And why would I do that?" I murmured. Leaning in closer, I allowed our bodies to press together intimately. Taylor's eyes went wide, her blush deepening.

"We're cousins," I continued softly. "Practically sisters by now, really. And what's more natural than sharing a bed with your sister for some harmless cuddling?"

Taylor seemed to be at a loss for words. I took the opportunity to close the remaining distance between us, brushing my lips ever-so-lightly against the corner of her mouth. A soft, trembling sigh escaped her parted lips.

Pulling back, I fixed Taylor with a heated look from beneath my lashes. "Unless...you don't want to cuddle?" I asked innocently, tracing random patterns along her arm with my fingertips. "I promise I'll be a perfect angel."

Taylor’s chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, the swell of her modest breasts visible against the confines of her baggy t-shirt. I drank in the sight greedily, liking the way her pupils had blown wide with desire. A furious blush stained her cheeks, creeping down the slender column of her throat in a way that made me want to run my tongue along that flushed skin.

"I...we...we're cousins..." she finally managed to stammer out. "This isn't...appropriate."

I held her gaze for a heavy moment, letting the tension build. Then, I quirked one perfectly arched eyebrow and pulled back slightly. Taylor unconsciously leaned forward, as if to chase my retreating warmth. But before she could close the distance, I focused my mind and teleported.

In the span of a heartbeat, I reappeared by the light switch in a flash of red, plunging the room into darkness with a flick of my fingers. Taylor gasped softly at the sudden shift in lighting. Taking advantage of her disorientation, I teleported once more - reappearing beneath the covers on her bed.

"Lara?" Taylor said nervously.

I didn't reply. Instead, I reached out for her slender body in the cocoon of blankets. Taylor tensed as my fingers brushed her waist, but she didn't pull away when I tugged her closer.

Our bodies pressed together from shoulders to knees, my breasts pillowed against her chest. I could feel the thunderous pounding of Taylor's heart.

"Shhh," I breathed, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers. "Just sleep, Taylor. We'll talk more in the morning."

She shivered against me, her warm breath fanning across my face. For a long moment, we simply held that intimate embrace, our gazes locked in the darkness.

Finally, Taylor swallowed hard and gave the smallest of nods. "O-Okay," she whispered shakily. "Goodnight, Lara."

Smiling softly, I brushed my nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. "Night, Tay. Sweet dreams."

With that, I snuggled deeper into the blankets, wrapping my arms around her. Taylor remained stiff for a few heartbeats before slowly, cautiously relaxing into my embrace. I smirked as she shyly looped one arm around my waist, holding me close.

Just as I was getting comfortable, that familiar pulse rippled through my mind once more. The Celestial Grimoire activated, bestowing a new power upon me.

[Space Time Distortion Sense - Sailor Moon] - 200cp, 0cp remaining

You came from another time and dimension, and you carry with you a spirit of space-time. You may sense distortions in space-time, such as someone bending the flow of time to their own whims or teleporting to places.

How deliciously useful. With this ability, I could detect any manipulation of space or time - whether it was a teleporter like myself, a time-stopper, or even a warper of dimensions. People like Gray Boy or Vista wouldn't be able to blindside me.

I immediately sensed a distortion mere inches away. Feeling confused, I focused my distortion sense, tracing the anomaly to its source. Taylor's head...no, her brain. Of course!

Her powers stemmed from the Entities' dimensional fuckery, granting abilities by forming microscopic wormholes or some other manipulation of space. Which meant I could potentially detect any parahuman within an as-yet undetermined range simply by focusing on this new sense.

I couldn’t contain my happiness, and nuzzled my cheek against Taylor's.

"Hey," I breathed into the shell of her ear, unable to keep the smile from my voice. "Looks like I just got another new power."

Taylor tensed slightly in my arms before opening her eyes to meet my gaze. "You did? What is it?"

"I can sense distortions in space and time now," I explained in a hushed whisper. "Things like teleportation, time manipulation, that kind of thing. Which is how I can tell you're a parahuman - your powers seem to warp space-time around your brain in a tiny way."

Her eyes went wide at that. "Seriously? You can detect other capes just by being near them?"

I nodded, leaning in to ghost my lips across her cheeks. "It seems that way, though we’ll have to experiment to figure out the exact range. Pretty cool, right?"

A light flush colored Taylor's cheeks as she nodded mutely.

"But we can discuss it more tomorrow," I whispered. "For now, let's get some sleep."

Taylor shivered delicately against me, her fingers flexing against the small of my back. "O-Okay," she mumbled.

Chuckling softly, I buried my nose in the crook of her neck, breathing in deeply.

Yes, I could definitely get used to this...