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“What are you doing here?” Taylor hissed, looking around as though that would help. The PRT agents who’d escorted her seemed completely unconcerned.
“Also, where’s Rachel?” She added, shoulders slowly unbunching even as her heart rate was painfully high.
Alec-- because of course it was Alec, a new costume changed nothing-- ran a hand through his curls, with a little smirk. It was visible because his face was-- all but his eyes, a thin domino, white and sparkly.
And a crown.
“We joined the Wards.” He said casually, lounging back on the sofa.
“You good here, Weaver?” One of the agents who’d brought her in asked.
Mutely, Taylor nodded.
They joined the Wards? They joined the Wards? They joined the Wards... before her!?
The agents left and shut the door behind them. In a few moments, she was alone. With the Undersiders. Who were Wards. In the Ward common room.
“Ha, told ya she’d be shocked.” Alec grinned.
“Is this... okay? It was meant to be a good surprise.” Brian said, voice cautious.
Lisa leaned forward, squinting.
“Mayyyybe good? C’mon, Tay, give me something here.”
“Guh.” Her throat felt closed. She cleared it and could only look away. Lisa’s face she was used to seeing in costume but the boys revealing theirs was strange and new.
Brian smiled.
Oh, no, Brian being able to smile at her in costume was the worst.
She was supposed to have some dignity around here!
“You’re welcome, by the way.” Alec rolled his eyes.
He didn’t have any dignity on a good day, so that was fine. Although her new mask would at least keep it from being obvious when she blushed, much like her old one.
His words registered.
You’re welcome? For what? For... joining the Wards?
They joined the Wards for her???
“For me?” She asked, voice small. “Also-- all of you?”
“Yes, but Rachel ended up accepting a non-combat position in Texas, training K-9 units.” Brian explained, some of his smile getting wider as he spoke. “She said to tell you ‘no hard feelings.’”
That sounded like Rachel.
“Did they agree to call her Bitch?”
Alec snorted.
Brian grimaced, shaking his head.
“No, but she’s not going to be an active cape. They agreed to retire Hellhound and call her by her civilian name.”
“That’s good, at least. Wait, did any of you keep your names?” She turned to Alec, probably the most likely to argue the PRT into accepting it.
Tattletale and Grue were hardly heroic.
“Sovereign, at your service.” Alec rolled his eyes and pulled his mask off, wiggling his eyebrows at her when he caught her looking. He did a theatrical bow.
Taylor looked away but she couldn’t help the beginnings of a smile.
“Eclipse, here.” Brian shrugged. “I’m pretending to be a little younger than I am to obscure my identity a little. Apparently it’s not uncommon with Wards.”
“What about Aisha?” Taylor asked, concerned.
Brian’s smile returned.
“Brian Laborn will still turn 18 and get custody. But Eclipse is still 17-- they’re different people after all-- and will stick around for a few months. Join the Protectorate a little later.”
“Aww, you wanted to stay with us.” Lisa batted her eyelashes. Her new mask was gold. The costume itself was mostly black with gold accents, painting an almost geometric theme Taylor didn’t quite recognize.
Brian looked away but didn’t deny it.
“We’ll be together for at least a little bit as a team.” Lisa said smugly and Taylor got the sense that she’d had no small part in arranging that.
Those poor PRT contract people.
“How did they convince you to rebrand, then?” She asked and Lisa turned her smile on Taylor, brighter and proud but not mean.
“You’ll be pleased to know your Wards team has Thinker support in the form of Watchtower.” She did a little spin, showing off her costume. “I negotiated for a heavy focus on behind-the-scenes work, though. It’s stupid to put people with my powers in the field; I can only play at being a combat thinker.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Tats. Tows? Towers? Watch? Kinda rhymes with Tats... Anyway, you could fake it pretty good. Then talk someone into a blind rage so they don’t notice you’re faking.” Alec snickered to himself and did not waver under Lisa’s glare.
“Wats-Tats.” He tried. “Hm. Slant rhyme at best. Meh. I’ll think of better.” Alec shrugged again, getting comfortable on the pristine white sofa.
“You’re really here?” Taylor asked, and then realized it was out loud when they all turned to look at her. She watched them, dazed. Still not able to get over it. The new costumes. Their presence.
They were...
“Really, nerd.” Alec’s smile went soft and she made a noise.
Wow, this was going to be so embarrassing?
But Taylor didn’t even care. They were here, they were staying... they were for her. She got... she got to keep them. Her knees went weak and she pretended otherwise, muscles stiff in defiance as she walked calmly over to an armchair and definitely didn’t collapse into it.
Her hands were shaking.
She buried her face in them and laughed, the sound a little broken. The hard facade she’d built up didn’t quite shatter, but cracks ran through it-- like a frozen glass hit with hot water.
Structurally unsound, for sure, the tinkling noise echoing against her psyche. God. God.
They were here.
She wasn’t... alone. She didn’t have to leave them.
And that was everything.