Work Text:
The roof of Winslow High was off limits to students, supposedly because they could fall if there was a particularly strong gust of wind or if they failed an important test. In actuality it was so teachers had a place to smoke in peace but no staff members were around to disturb me as I ate my lunch, above all my problems for a half hour at least. The trio would be down there now searching for me in vain, never expecting that I'd be in a restricted area or too afraid of being caught to check. I didn't have to worry about that sort of thing; I wouldn't, couldn't be caught.
I'd done this enough times in the past few months that I knew the bell signalling the end of lunch would be audible from my hiding spot, so I was in no rush as I cracked open my current book. I'd taken an interest in how to move around undetected but this current book on ninjas seemed more interested in the socioeconomic factors that made them do what they did. I lost interest and slid the book back into my bag, deciding to head back down early. Hopefully I'd avoid them. I eased the door to the roof open and stepped into the dingy staircase, returning the padlock I had previously picked back to its rightful place. Once the door was secure I slipped out into the corridor ignored by the throng of students around me. From what I could work out people wouldn't pick up on me doing something slightly odd but someone that saw me do something major or that already had an interest in me would pay attention. The trio's hate-boner for me unfortunately fell under the latter.
Speaking of, I felt my attention flow to a figure leaning on a locker up ahead. Madison twirled a lock of glossy hair in her fingers as she chatted with a guy. She was off balance enough that if I swept her leg, I could direct her weight and momentum into the locker, fracturing her skull and causing a concussion. I shook off the information that my power gave me of the most effective way to hurt her; the satisfaction wouldn't outlast the trouble I would be in.
My gait must have been distinctive enough for Madison to notice and as I made my way past she turned to sneer at me. As she did my power stopped providing information. I already knew that it only worked whilst my target wasn't observing me so I could preplan an attack but not use it in the middle of a fight. From using it previously on Emma and Madison it seemed to be able to predict the first few actions my opponent would take so that I could be ready for them (in this case Madison would be unconscious before she could retaliate), although without putting the power into practice I'd never know how accurate the information was. Particularly as it struggled to analyse Sophia, the most physically intimidating of my tormentors. It foresaw attacks passing through her and me ending up in a heap on the floor, but I couldn't risk staring too long to get more intel or she'd notice me and make a cruel remark. Either I had no hope of fighting her or she had a secret that I wasn't going to risk probing. Almost certainly both.
Luckily I had left it late enough that Madison couldn't cause me any grief before the next period. Subtle use of my power to slip away from their gaze kept me out of trouble for the rest of the day and I finally relaxed on the bus back home; my fellow passengers all fell into the group of students that ignored me instead of actively making my life worse. I passed the journey by focusing on the backs of the heads of the people sat in front of me, letting my power come up with the best way to incapacitate them. It was necessary to practice my power but I felt frustrated doing it on students as opposed to actual villains, not least because the majority of what my power was giving me was 'elbow to the side of the head, job done'. Asking my power to give me more elaborate methods of hurting them felt cruel but it wasn't like I was actually hurting them.
Once we reached my stop I thanked the driver (smash glass with elbow, grab arm, twist to force head against steering wheel, strike neck to break it) and got off to cover the last block home. I'd been exercising more over the last few months and took the opportunity to break into a run, even vaulting the fence into my yard. I was only breathing slightly hard as I fished my keys out of my pocket and let myself in. My powers had helped protect me from the worst of the trio's cruelty but I still only felt truly comfortable in my own home. I took a cold shower, revelling in not being observed by anyone. There was no tingling sensation of eyes judging me, no looming threats to watch for, just the opportunity to wash off the stress of the day. I was feeling refreshed as I got changed and headed down to the basement.
Once I had pulled my secret identity bag out from its hiding spot and strewn the contents over a workbench, I sighed. The stuff I'd put together hardly constituted a superhero costume. Even whilst lying in the psych ward waiting to get out I'd resolved to use my powers for good, although obviously I'd be one of the more underground heroes, foiling villainy from the shadows. Grand ideas of a professional costume that struck fear in my enemies crumbled under the reality of trying to put together an outfit appropriate for the task. Currently it was just my darkest workout clothing that wouldn't trip me up in a fight. The only bit I was proud of was the face covering; a navy silk scarf wrapped tight around the bottom of my face with a black masquerade mask I'd picked up for cheap above it. I'd managed to integrate the most expensive piece into the mask, a pair of mass produced tinkertech goggles that were designed to help students to focus. They zoomed and locked attention in a way that I'd found integrated well with my power when I spied out of my window at passersby. After a modification from a dubiously legal video tutorial, they gave me night vision and were ready for me to patrol. As soon as I was ready.
I turned my attention to the last piece of kit, a wrist-mounted slingshot I'd been practicing with. The idea was to use the goggles to lock onto people from long range then strike from afar without ever risking being caught. An old saying about plans and exposure to enemies came to mind but I kept practicing on targets in the basement anyway until I head a noise from above me. Footsteps creaked through the house and I found that I could plan my assault on whoever was there without even seeing them. I'd spring from the darkened stairwell to the basement onto their shoulders, pulling them into a choke. I could leverage myself against the banister to constrict their carotid artery and-
"Taylor? Are you here?"
- I wasn't going to attack my dad. Equally, I couldn't let him find my cache of gear so I slung it back behind the grate that hid it and scrambled upstairs to slip past him onto the stairs, pretending with a slightly guilty heart to be coming down to greet him.