Taylor looked between Melissa and Jacob, wondering exactly who he was. There wasn’t even a hint of a cape costume on the man, never mind that Melissa had just tossed out his name casually like that. As if sensing her confusion, Jacob pushed off of the door frame and stepped closer, offering his hand.

“Jacob, no cape name to speak of,” he said as she hesitantly shook the offered hand. “My primary claim to fame around here is that I’m married to our accountant.”

Melissa snorted but didn’t refute him.

“So, we’re giving little Cyber here a trial run, or is she already hired on?” Cranial asked.

“Trial,” Melissa said. “She knows tech, but she doesn’t have the tools or materials her specialty demands.”

“Hence seeking out Toybox,” Jacob said with a smile. “Well, I’m sure we can find someone willing to lend you their lab for a basic rundown.”

“She can use mine,” Cranial said. “Come on grasshopper, let’s see what you can do.”

Taylor frowned at the nickname, but followed them regardless. Jacob stepped aside, then fell in behind her, walking in step with Melissa. There were some whispers between the two, but Taylor was struggling to hear it over the clicking of her crutches on the tile and Cranial’s rather quick pace.

As they walked, Taylor noticed some of the doors had signs or stickers on them. One was an exit sign, another had a name on it, then there was one that had a smiley face.

“The exit doors are traps,” Melissa said. “The smiley faces are some of Dodge’s early fuck-ups. Don’t open those unless you don’t mind getting hurled to a random dimension.”

“Or getting violated by the great horror from beyond,” Cranial added. “We’ve seen some weird shit pop out of those rifts over the years.”

Taylor swallowed, her pace quickening even as Melissa snickered. Just what sort of hell dimension had she stepped into if they were casually joking about such things? Like, who even puts a smiley face on a door that was obviously a death sentence to open? Taylor tried to not dwell on it, she really did…

Eventually Cranial came to stop in front of an unlabeled door and pushed it open without missing a beat. Taylor hobbled inside and froze in place. A dozen screen readouts showed what she knew to be brainwaves of humans and in one case, a raccoon? Whatever. She was focused on the workbench across the way, with dozens of tools arranged within easy reach and some half assembled project that her power could only whisper ideas about what it might end up being.

“I’ll grab some extra materials,” Melissa said, but Taylor was already moving to the table.

Hundreds of ideas flooded her mind, from precision tools to diagnostic systems to straight-up prosthetics. She took a seat, her hands moving as she worked to make one of those visions a reality. She could build something to help herself along, a temporary solution, but she could regain her arm enough to use it for more than steadying whatever her other hand was tinkering with.

Time passed, pieces came together and after what felt like minutes, she had the structure of an exoskeleton that would fit over her arm. A control unit would attach to the base of her skull, reading the signals where they faltered in her damaged mind, then the exoskeleton would translate those into reinforcing her own movements with the strength she once possessed.

She had to program the control software from scratch, but that wasn’t an issue with how fast the computer was, though the operating system was far less efficient than the one she had made for her home device. She would correct that later, it wouldn’t be efficient to write the same code twice after all.

Before she realized it, she had snapped the frame to her arm and began the startup sequence. Her movements started off sluggish, with the skeleton taking half a second to respond, but that was all part of the machine learning. Within a minute, the reaction was seamless and Taylor found herself smiling even as wet streaks trailed down her cheeks.

She had her arm back, even in a limited capacity. She could eliminate the problem completely if she could complete a brain case and get her brain cyberized completely. The tools and materials she would need weren’t available which meant she would have to make them. Frowning, she looked over the desk and saw she didn’t have enough to make even the most basics of those tools.

She needed more materials. Turning around, Taylor almost fell out of her chair when she saw that a crowd had gathered to watch her work. A few had even begun to clap. She hadn’t even noticed them entering the room, let alone the numbers. Was it too late to slink into a corner and die of embarrassment?

“Back with us?” Melissa asked.

Taylor nodded numbly, because aside from some equipment, not one of the people in the room with her were wearing anything resembling a mask or costume.

“It’s been a fair bit since I got to observe a Tinker fugue from the outside, what fun,” a man with blonde hair said. “It was certainly interesting to watch you work, young lady, very informative.”

Taylor felt her cheeks warm as she looked away from the rather dashing older gentleman only for her eyes to fall on an Asian woman. She seemed disinterested in the discussion, opting to tap away on a tablet instead, but she seemed like she might be close to her own age, enough so that her eyes lingered long enough for her to look up.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I got something on my face?” she demanded.

Taylor looked away once more, not sure quite where she should be looking or what she should be saying.

“Oh don’t scare the girl, Vivian. She’s our newest member and we’re trying to make a good impression here,” another man said. This one looked closer to his twenties, with black hair buzzed in a military style. “You’ll need to excuse her, she’s not one for manners, our little Bakuda. You may know me as Uppercrust, I specialize in force fields and serve as our contact with outside groups like the Protectorate and Elite. Feel free to call me Jim, however.”

Cranial reintroduced themselves as did Jacob, but Melissa eyed her with something that sent a spike of concern down her spine.

“Damascian, but you already know me as Melissa,” the woman said with a teasing lilt. “Harry, is the one you were making googly eyes at.”

Taylor wanted nothing more than to wilt away as everyone laughed, but at the same time, there was a level of comradery there that felt warm.

“If it makes you feel better, I’m gay,” Harry said, which didn’t help her at all. “Dodge is my Cape name, I specialize in pocket dimensions like the one we’re currently in.”

Taylor felt her stomach drop, but at least she didn’t have to dwell on that momentary slip and the man was taking it in stride.

“Ask him why the Protectorate thinks he’s a twelve-year-old boy,” Vivian snarked.

Taylor’s eyes widened as she considered that, but Harry was quick to wave her off. “Nothing nefarious, just my son messing around on one of my accounts.”

Everyone laughed, and Taylor found herself laughing with them. It was nice, and she was finding she didn’t mind their company. Well, that about settled it then. She took in the assembled capes, how open and welcoming they seemed to be, as they stood waiting. She sat up straighter, looking across each of them and gathered her courage.

“Hi, you know me as Cyber, not that the name is set in stone, but you can call me Taylor.”

“A pleasure,” Jacob said. “Now obviously this isn’t everyone, but those that happened to be in were curious to meet the potential new member.”

“She’s definitely a Tinker,” Cranial said with a nod. “Most of that equipment is impossible to use like she did.”

“Yes, yes,” Jacob said, then the levity dropped away, and the man was all business. “Now, Toybox is more than just a business. We’re a family here. Most of the members are outcasts that didn’t fit in anywhere else and sought refuge. You certainly fit that mold, but there is more to it than that. Tell me Taylor, why do you feel you belong in Toybox?”

She blinked, not having given it much thought. Her main concern was NOT wanting to join the Protectorate or the gangs, but she also knew that Toybox wasn’t above selling their wares to villains. She hadn’t considered the implications, but she too would likely be expected to sell to villains.

Moreover, did she actually belong with a group that seemed so open and welcoming? It felt like too much, and too good for her besides. She didn’t deserve to be treated so well by the people around her.

“I don’t belong,” she said softly. “I’ve not belonged anywhere for some time. I’ll just… Go home.”

She stood on a wobbly leg and grabbed her crutches before she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the sudden contact, she was surprised to see Melissa at her side.

“I’ll vouch for her if necessary,” she said firmly.

“I second that,” Cranial added almost immediately.

Taylor blinked at the sudden, and rather firm support that had just been offered. She had no idea what she had done to those two, but for some reason they were standing up for her in a way that nobody ever had, not since her mom had…

Tears fell down her cheeks, because what else was she supposed to do but cry? Melissa pulled her in close, making sure her crutches were safely set aside as she was held close and allowed the time to work through the new feelings roiling within her. Wiping the snot on the sleeve of her hoodie, which had been set aside so she could attach the exoskeleton to her arm, she looked back at the assembled members of Toybox.

“Shit, how are we supposed to say no to that?” Vivian grumbled. “You got my answer, I’m going back to my lab.”

Melissa chuckled at the acerbic response, but it had been in her favor for all the indifference in Vivian’s delivery. Jacob shook his head as she left, then looked at the other capes in the room.

“Any objections or concerns?” he asked.

“None from me,” Harry said. “She’s obviously been through a lot, otherwise she wouldn’t have powers, but this seems right in line with how we usually recruit people. She’s got my vote.”

“Mine as well,” Jim added. “Not that I’m around much, but I can’t see her throwing us under the bus. Pass that up to the big guy and see what he says.”

Jacob gave Harry a pointed look, but all he did was grin, prompting Jacob to sigh. “You’re the Tinkers. Melissa, Cranial, I hope you both are willing to take responsibility for her.”

“We will,” Melissa said. “Just keep her out of the shady side unless she wants in, that good enough for you?”

Jacob paused, his hand halfway up to rubbing his hair when she had said that. Whatever was being referenced went over Taylor’s head but it was clear that the other occupants in the room understood the subtext just fine.

“Alright,” he said. “I doubt the big guy will veto the decision and everyone else seems to consider it a done deal, so let me be the first to welcome you to Toybox.”

Taylor looked at the extended hand, so much like the previous introductions, and yet there was a weight of decision to it. She accepted it, and shook, an agreement made.

“We’ll start getting a lab space set up, so be sure to send Melissa a list of materials you might need as well as any tools that look useful from the storefront. We’ll come up with an agreement once we know what your startup looks like, but that brace you made is already promising. I have little doubt it won’t take long to see a return on our investment in you, which will make it an easier sell for Kurt when he gets an eight figure bill for your starting gear.”

Taylor paled, the implications of Toybox being willing to drop so much money on her was simply boggling. Obviously they expected to make money off of tech she developed and sold, but to willingly invest so much off of a singular demonstration? It raised more questions than answers.

Just what was she signing up for?