1.3
I didn't know what kind of spirit of fortune was smiling over me, but dad didn't ask me a single question about the kids I had joined from out of nowhere. I decided then that I had enough excitement for the day. Of course, we didn't leave before renewing my library card and checking out every eleventh-grade book they would let me have. I learned my lesson the first time when it came to the Speed Reading 'skill'' I actually did have. It may not have been superhuman, but it could attract the wrong sort of attention if I failed to keep it in check. Anyone asking why I was returning them so fast would just get a story about me using them as reference material. So long as the books are returned undamaged, they shouldn't care too much.
Dad was silent on the ride home, so I took the chance to look into the most important info box of the day, my level up prompt. With a mental finger, I tapped yes.
Name: Taylor Anne Hebert
Title: N/A
LV: 2 (Next LV: 96/200)
HP: 140/140 (RGN: 10/min.)
MP: 270/270 (RGN: 16/min.)
SP: 60/60 (RGN: 3/min.)
VGR: 4 >
END: 6 >
DEX: 7 >
INT: 17 >
WIS: 12 >
PER: 5 > (+2)
Unspent Points: 5
I read over the information with a speed that I didn't possess before, and already had a good idea of what all of those numbers were for. The abbreviated numbers were most likely my level, health, mana, vigor, endurance, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and perception. I wasn't sure about what SP was though. This was how my video game power quantified what I was capable of, but I still had no idea what any of it meant. I remembered that Aegis had over 3000 health, which was far beyond my measly 140. I wished for a way to get more info on the actual value of my stats.
…
I would have face-palmed if not for my father sitting in the driver's seat. I tried to will myself to Observe my HP like how I could will the boxes to move around, but it didn't work. On the verge of giving up, I tried saying it under my breath instead
HP: LV × 50 + VIG × 10 (RGN = LV × 2 + END)
A measure of how much Damage one can withstand before being rendered Incapacitated, Unconscious, or Terminal. HP is reduced by receiving Standard, Brutal, or Critical Damage respectively.
It worked but left me with questions about what brutal and critical meant in that context, so I Observed them.
Brutal Damage:
Damage that cracks bones, tears muscle groups, or agitates vital organs. Damage value×2 (×4 for the head). Can result in physiological or psychological Status Effects.
Critical Damage:
Damage that shatters bones, severs muscle groups, or traumatizes vital organs. Damage value×3 (×6 for the lungs, heart, and major organs. ×10 for damage to the brain and spinal cord). Can result in permanent physiological or psychological Status Effects.
Those were things I would have been happier not knowing but needed to know regardless, though it was good to know I can get detailed information easily. I will the two boxes to vanish, which worked only after I imagined myself physically pressing the X. I then continued Observing things.
Gamer Level:
The Gamer's Level is unique to The Gamer. Increases max HP and MP by 50×LV and RGN by 2XLV. Adds 5 Unspent Points per LV earned. LV increases from earning EXP. The EXP required to the next Level equals current LV×100.
Non-Gamer Levels:
Non-Gamer Levels are (Stats Total-40)/5.
Threat Level:
Total Threat Level equals Non-Gamer Level + Equipment Level or Threat presented by unique abilities.
Observe apparently decided to include every type of level. I certainly wasn't going to be able to identify each of those on my own.
Class:
This is the individual's current role in life.
Name:
Designation, appellation, moniker, denomination, the thing on your birth certificate. (Not everything has a name.)
Note to self, don't ask my power stupid questions with obvious answers.
Gamer Titles:
Titles can be earned through special actions.
Parahuman Titles:
Parahuman Titles are applied based on the true nature of the power they are hosting.
Miscellaneous Titles:
Nicknames that The Gamer and/or many others know the individual by.
The second explained why Aegis and Kid Win were called hosts. The implications were far too big to think about for the moment. The last one explained how that nurse suddenly acquired the Spartan Nurse title.
EXP:
EXP is earned from training Stats, completing Quest's, Bonus Objectives, or through combat. Experience gained through combat is variable, depending on duration, the total Threat Level of all Threats, and Intensity.
MP: LV × 50 + INT × 10 (RGN = LV × 2 + WIS)
A measure of how much Mana is available to spend on using Active or Sustained skills requiring MP.
VIG: 4 (25%)
A measure of your strength and vitality. The Gamer can bench press VIG × 40lb. Increases maximum HP by 10 × VIG. (Damage is dependent on your Melee Combat Techniques.)
END: 6 (24.8%)
A measure of your Stamina and hardiness. Increases HP RGN by END value. Increases maximum SP by 10 × END.
SP: 10×END (RGN = 0.5 × END / min.)
A measure of how much stamina is available to spend on using Active or Sustained skills requiring stamina or when physically active.
DEX: 7 (74.3%)
A measure of your quickness and precision. Higher DEX grants more Attacks Per Second. (APS is calculated from your Melee Combat Techniques.)
INT: 17 (2.7%)
A measure of your cognition and mental scope. Increases maximum MP by 10×INT.
WIS: 12 (60%)
A measure of your understanding and mental flexibility. Increases MP REGN by WIS value.
PER: 5 (+2) (37.2%)
A measure of your senses and awareness. Includes people sense, sixth sense, sense of self, spacial senses, etc.
Unspent Points:
Points that you can put into your Stats. Spent points can't be reimbursed. Spent points act as a modifier for a Stat without increasing their Base Value.
Base Stat Value:
This represents unmodified Stat Values. Equipment, Spent Stat Points, and Buffs do not count towards this value. Base stats can be increased only through use.
It was a lot of information to take in all at once, but I would have to be an idiot not to learn all I could about my powers. For that reason, it was good that capitalized words in my popups were words I could Observe due to them being part of some internal dictionary.
Having confirmed that, I took a moment to think about how one of my Stats was already boosted. Observing the (+2) in my Status Page yielded no results, so I Observed the most likely culprit for the boost.
Taylor Hebert's Prescription Glasses:
These glasses were given to Taylor Anne Hebert to compensate for her poor vision. They grant +/-2 PER, approaching 12.
Did that mean my glasses would become worse than useless if I raised my Perception past 12? That would mean having to get faux glasses if I want to avoid any questions. "Taylor?" I flinched in surprise after being pulled out of my internal deliberations by my dad's concerned question. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I stated rather unconvincingly.
"You sure? You've been mumbling to yourself for a while."
Ah, that's what he was worried about. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking hard."
"Is it about wanting to drop out of Winslow?" It would have been a lie, but I replied affirmatively regardless.
"I know that it sounds simple enough, but I just thought they might try to give us the runaround."
My dad chuckled at the half-truth. "I was thinking the same thing. If they don't do the paperwork, you could get accused of truancy."
"Yeah. I wouldn't put it past them after I saw the secretary put my Arcadia application into the shredder." I would have normally kept something like that secret to avoid angering him, but I felt like I could trust him to channel it.
There was a pause which he spent holding the wheel in a white knuckled grip. "That settles it. I don't like it, but I'm calling in a favor from Alan."
All other trains of thought screamed to a halt. If my dad was talking about the Alan I thought he was talking about, then things could get really awkward. "Isn't Mr. Barnes a divorce lawyer?"
"You are divorcing Winslow, right?" Shut down via dad joke. The horror. "We just need his help to write up a contract so we can make sure that they hold up their end of the deal. It might make things more complicated than I'd like them to be, but contracts are the only way to make sure you aren't screwed over in my experience. With what they let happen, I can't think of them as responsible or reasonable adults anymore."
I was a bit impressed. His voice was level the entire time, but his persisting grip was proof of his real feelings on the matter. I couldn't refute him at that point, especially while I still didn't know exactly what happened to put me in a coma. "Can we make sure Emma doesn't know? I don't want to worry her." I didn't want her to have any warning.
"That's fine." He looked like he had something more to say, but nothing came out. Things remained silent up until we got home. "I'll try to see if I can get a hold of Alan at his firm."
That would mean that I would have a chance to get rid of all my info boxes, then plan out how to deal with Alan. Most importantly, I needed to know if Alan was aware of and complicit in how his daughter had been treating me. I would have face-palmed then if it wouldn't have alarmed my father. There was no way that Alan knew what Emma had become. What was she going to tell him? 'Hey daddy. You know my best friend who was basically my sister? I've been tormenting her for over a year and decided to hospitalize her.' Truthfully, it was far more likely she'd tell him the same thing she told me when she cut things off. My best option was to convince Alan of my truthfulness before revealing all of Emma's deceit. (EXP-26)
Due to careful analysis, you gain 1-WIS. WIS=13
I finished my plan just as we got home, earning a point in wisdom for my efforts. I then turned my thoughts to my skills, and how I acquired some skills by doing things related to those skills. My first thought was the possibility of not even needing books to learn new skills. A computer and an internet connection would suffice.
I decided to get rid of all the pop-ups except for the ones about my six stats and my Status page. My VIG was of particular interest. I decided to first check the world record for bench pressing by a normal human and found the total to be just over a thousand pounds. That would put his VIG at 27, judging by my power. I checked the woman's record for posterity, and found her VIG to be 15. The numbers looked so…small.
I decided then that it was time for my exercise plan. I first looked up how to do Tai Chi, choosing a PDF over a video.
You have acquired the Skill Book: Basic Martial Arts (Tai Chi). Do you want to learn this skill?
Y/N
"Hell no!" I was not going to risk destroying my computer for something I knew I could learn by practicing. I was done reading in seconds and spent just a minute practicing the forms.
A new Skill has been created through repeated action. Due to bitter work, the Skill Basic Melee Combat 1/5 (Tai Chi) has been created.
It worked, much to my elation, but it rose three more questions. Two mattered, since I didn't feel like the change in the skill's name meant much. Two Observes would hopefully answer the other two.
Basic Skills:
Basic Skills are Skills that have associated Techniques. A Basic skill will evolve after filling all Technique Slots. This will Unify all associated Techniques.
Technique Slots:
The limit on the number of Techniques a Basic Skill can incorporate before evolving.
Techniques:
Sets of actions that are inherent in a Basic Skill. Techniques are treated as separate Skills until Unified. Some Skills will be greatly impacted by their associated Techniques.
My head was starting to hurt from all the information that I'm still trying to comprehend. I got rid of the three then decided that I wasn't going to observe anything else until I tried out Dynamic Tension. I cleared some floor space, practiced a few motions, then flexed every muscle I could think to.
I was flat on my back and gasping for air in ten seconds. It would have been discouraging if not for the new pop-ups.
Due to strenuous effort, you gain 2-VIG. VIG=6
Due to sustained activity, you gain 1-END. END=7
Due to physical finesse, you gain 1-DEX. DEX=8
During those few seconds, I must have missed seeing the popups that told me how much EXP I got. Aside from that, I was excited that my DEX improved too. Curious about my EXP, I looked at my status.
LV: 2 (Next LV: 174/200)
Once I got over how excited I was to be so close to another level up, I remembered how little I was able to do because I couldn't breathe. For that reason, I looked up breathing techniques.
I first started out by acquiring Basic Restorative Breathing. After learning 10 techniques: Valsalva Maneuver, 3:2 Tempo Breath, Stabilizing Breath, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Equal Breathing, Abdominal Breathing, Alternating Nostril Breath, Skull Shining Breath, Progressive Relaxation, and Guided Visualization, my skill changed.
Restorative Breathing (Passive) (LV: 1 / 100) 33%
Allows the user to breath optimally in any situation. Physical activity costs 50% less SP per second (Does not influence Skills). Increases SP RGN by SL.
I had been breathing wrong my entire life. I unfortunately didn't get a chance to enjoy the new experience thanks to a sudden knocking at my door. "Taylor, I brought soup."
"Okay, come in." There wasn't much else I could say. I wasn't hungry, but I knew intellectually that not eating would cause all sorts of problems. I still wanted to get back to my research ASAP, so I hastily took the bowl of formerly canned chicken soup from dad and stuffed a spoonful into my mouth. It proved far too late to check the temperature before I ended up dropping the scalding bowl over my lap.
"Taylor!" my day yelled in panic. I scrambled out of bed and tried to shake off the heat and few bits of solid stuff. "Water…towel!"
I failed to parse out the meaning of his words before he grabbed my arm, pulled/carried me to the bathroom, turned on the cold water, handed me a towel, then left the room. While preparing to rinse off, I caught sight of my status page and another skill pop-up.
HP: 138 / 160 (RGN: 11 / min. × 2)
A new Skill has been created through repeated action. Due to hyperthermic exposure, the Skill Heat Resistance has been created.
That meant that I would be fully healed in exactly one minute, seven more scalding bowls of soup would Incapacitate me (which I couldn't argue if the pain was any indication), and getting injured was another way to get skills. It also meant that I didn't need to cool my skin, but I didn't see any reason not to rinse off. My dad was probably trying to find me a clean pair of pants/sweats to wear. He'll clean up my bed right after.
I switched the faucet over to warm water, took off my sweats, then washed them and my legs. Right on cue, a knock at the door and dad's voice alerted me to a pair of pajama pants balled up at the foot of the door. I wasted no time putting them on and went to help him out, using a stubborn glare to silence any protest. As we gathered up my sheets, he told me that Alan would be over later and that Emma was being kept in the dark. Apparently, Alan never heard about what was done to me and was just as appalled as everyone else had been. That much was a good sign.
After we had everything balled up, dad handed me a bottle of Aloe Vera, which I Observed.
Aloe Vera:
×2 HP-RGN from Damage caused by heat.
That could have been useful if my health hadn't already regenerated. Since I was alone again, I figured it was a good time to resume my training. I got rid of all the boxes about the physical stat points I earned then went to work.
This time, I was able to last a minute by relaxing on the inhale and flexing as I exhaled. The effort had evened up all my physical stats at eight each.
You have leveled up. You are now Level 3.
Do you want to spend your Unspent Points?
Y/N
LV: 3 (Next LV: 20/300)
Restorative Breathing's Level went up. Restorative Breathing is LV: 2.
While my stamina regenerated, I decided to finally bite the bullet and visit Über and Leet's website. I immediately skipped past their latest video, Tetris in the middle of New Year's fireworks, and moved on to the info on gaming genres. I quickly found that the RPG genre was what my power was based on. I narrowed things down to the Dungeon Crawler, MMO, and Action RPG genres. I prayed, for all that was holy, that I wasn't a Turn-Based or table top RPG character. Why they had table top on the list, I had no idea.
They even had information on how each game was played, which I consumed greedily. There were numerous mechanics that were shared between them, but there were a few I knew I had to start with. "Tutorial." Nothing.
"Pause." Nothing again.
"Menu."
Status
Skills
Inventory
Quests
Map
Party
Settings
"Jackpot." I already knew the basic concept behind all of those options thanks to the website. I decided to start with the one Über and Leet seemed to recommend that all gamers start with, so I tapped the Settings button.
There were a fair number of changes I could make, most about how pop-ups behaved. I could make EXP and Damage notices stop appearing, or trade them for a constantly present bar. I kept EXP the same, but set it so HP, MP, and SP were visible when not full. I also tried making all of my windows and pop-ups partially transparent. After turning on the mini-map and something about automatically picking up dropped item, I closed my settings page.
"Party."
Party:
You have no Active Parties.
You have no Inactive Parties.
That was a fat load of nothing. "Observe."
Active Party:
A group of up to five additional individuals. Certain distinct individuals will grant The Gamer a perk when in an Active Party. Active Party Members gain awareness of the Gamer's System, access to the Map, their Status, their personal Settings, the Inventory, and Voice Chat. (Party Members do not gain EXP, Levels, Growth Correction, or Unspent Points.)
"Growth Correction?"
Growth Correction:
Granted by Gamer's Body. Balances visible Status Values across The Gamer's body and mind and streamlines development.
That didn't make much sense, but I bet it was a good thing. I decided that I would check out my skills next. The page was set up with icons with the name and description next to them.
Gamer's System: (Active) (LV: Max)
Quantifies and allows interfacing with all The Gamer's capabilities. Modifies all form of interface with itself according to The Gamer's conscious and unconscious desires.
Gamer's Body: (Passive) (LV: Max)
Grants a body allowing The Gamer to interact with reality as if it's a game. Grants immunity to physiological Status Effects except for Incapacitated, Unconscious, Terminal, and Deceased. Sleeping in a bed restores all HP and MP.
Gamer's Mind: (Passive) (LV: Max)
Allows The Gamer to calmly and logically think things through. Promotes a peaceful state of mind. Grants immunity to psychological Status Effects.
First Aid: (Sustained) (LV: 1 / 20) 10 SP / minute. 0%
Used to alleviate or cure the physiological Status Effects: Bleeding, 1st Degree Burned, 2nd Degree Burned, Sprained Joint, Broken Bone, Asphyxiation, Cardiac Arrest, Infected, ect.
Observe (Active) (LV: 2 / 10) 9%
Gives information on the target based on Observe's SL. Cannot be used on Threats with Levels exceeding the Gamer's by 50.
1: HP, MP, and general info.
2: More recent/relevant info.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Speed Reading (Passive) (LV: 2 / 100) 29%
Grants the ability to read and comprehend the written word at high speeds. Read (SL)000 words per minute.
Basic Melee Combat (Sustained) (TS: 1 / 5) 5 SP / sec.
The ability to utilize one's own body as a weapon and weapons as if they are part of one's body.
(Tai Chi: [LV:5] Originally conceived of as a martial art, modern use is centered on improving health and demonstration.)
Restorative Breathing (Passive) (LV: 2 / 100) 63%
Allows the user to breath optimally in any situation. Physical activity costs 50% less SP per second (Does not influence Skills). Increases SP RGN by SL.
Heat Resistance (Passive) (LV: 1) 24%
Reduces damage from heat and flame by SL per second.
"Holy shit." There really wasn't much else to say to that. The real standouts were Heat Resistance and the Gamer Skills. The info from First Aid was also illuminating. If I was immune to all but four physiological Status Effects, then my bones would never break and my skin would never scar. Immunity to psychological Status Effects could be even more amazing if it included powers that controlled minds. Did Heat Resistance not have an upper limit? If not, could I get it high enough to survive a volcano? What other resistances were there? Could I get a flight power? Could being an Alexandria-Package like I always dreamed be right at my fingertips; with me only having to work at it.
I jumped into the inventory next. The left side of the screen showed an outline of my body wearing my clothes. It all looked pretty bare bones, with boxes on the sides showing all the undergarments I was wearing. There was also an image of a drawer in the upper right corner. Following a spark of inspiration, I tapped the image of the shirt I was wearing then dragged it to the drawer. I suddenly found myself happy that I did this in a private setting. Tapping the drawer, I found an image of my shirt and immediately returned it to its rightful place.
That could be useful. Especially when I got a super hero costume.
On the other side was a bunch of boxes that were completely nondescript and $0 on the top right corner. Following my hunch, I fished out my old piggy bank that I was still using and pulled out all the stray bills and coins. I pushed a quarter into the corner and was rewarded by my power eating the coin. $0 became $0.25. I tapped the right arrow, causing it to jump straight to 25 cents. Accepting the withdrawal resulted in a cleaner, but not mint, coin materializing in the palm of my hand. I tried again with a $5 bill, and got back a bill that was as if it was never wadded up. The serial numbers were the same too. If my inventory cleaned up the bills and coins, would it clean my clothes too? That was something to discover at a later date. At the moment, I had $64.28 nobody would ever be able to steal from me.
Finally, I looked at my Quests. The page had four distinct tabs at the top saying Current, Succeeded, Failed, and Rejected, which were blue, green, yellow, and red respectively. The blue tab was showing with only one quest visible: Reeducation. I tapped it, read what it said, and felt my hesitation regarding the inclusion of Mr. Barnes fade away.
"Taylor! Alan will be here in thirty minutes! Are you ready?" I glanced at my quest again then closed out everything.
Thirty minutes…that gave me enough time to drain my stamina once more and still come into the meeting fully rested.
Restorative Breathing's Level went up. Restorative Breathing is LV: 4.
VIG = 10
END=9
DEX=9
***L9: V5; E8; D7; I25; W18; P15***
He couldn't believe it. Taylor, someone who he had seen as a second daughter over a year ago, was the victim of what could be one of the worst cases of high school pranks gone wrong he ever heard of. Stuffing someone in a locker was pretty pedestrian as far as pranks went, but filling the locker with used tampons and the like on top of leaving them there for hours pushed it far beyond what could be called acceptable behavior for anyone. He couldn't imagine anyone that he would wish something like that on. The most galling part of the aftermath is that Danny was stupid enough to only want a Taylor out of that school. Alan would be after a giant settlement at the very least. It's not like the school would have to pay for it themselves, which was undoubtedly how they planned to talk them down to a small settlement. It's how people in positions like a Principal kept their jobs. Winslow will have a new Principal before February; Alan would see to it.
What he didn't understand was why he didn't know about this sooner. He did his parental duty of asking how school was every day, yet Emma never mentioned anything close to this. Separated or not, it was inconceivable for anyone to not want to mention something like this happening to someone who they knew very well. Was Emma really committed enough to cutting Taylor out of her life to the point of not wanting to mention something so gossip worthy. Either way, Alan would be getting to the bottom of who was responsible, if only for old times' sake. He'll be getting Taylor some professional help to. There was no doubt that it was some of her Merchant friends that got her into that situation in the first place.
After nearly falling through a weak step on their front porch, Alan found the remainders of the Hebert family waiting for him in their living room. Danny looked like absolute crap. Baggy eyes, slumped shoulders, and a generally depressed air about him. Taylor on the other hand looked pristine. Bright eyes, focused, with nary a blemish or baggy eyelids to be seen. Some people would chock that up to youthful vitality, but not even Emma, his pride and joy super-model daughter looked that vibrant without at least some makeup. The biggest juxtaposition was how at odds Taylor's appearance was with the life Emma claimed she was living. Panacea could have healed her, but she couldn't do anything for Taylor's brain. "Taylor, you're looking good?" Best to start off simple, and hope she didn't catch onto the meaning of his questioning tone.
She stretched her neck some then sighed in contentment. "I feel good, all things considered." She sat down next to Danny in a semi-formal position. "Do you two have anything you want to catch up on?"
Nothing that wouldn't be small-talk. Most of their friendship was born from the bonds between some of the most important girls in their lives. The most important in Danny's case. "No, we can get straight into talking about your legal options." Alan regretted not having a folder with him for effect. "You mentioned Principal Blackwell offering a settlement, but I think you're doing yourselves a disservice by not suing. A case of negligence that extreme can't be bought off."
"I don't care about the money, nor do I care for giving Winslow another second of my time. I want to leave them behind and never look back." All it took was one look in Taylor's eyes for Alan's heart to skip a beat. Those were the eyes of someone who'd never be swayed, with conviction he'd personally seen sway courtrooms and convince juries. "I don't even care if the ones who hospitalized me get punished."
She … was completely serious. "Do you know who hospitalized you?"
Taylor's eyes changed again, becoming like those of a hawk watching for even the slightest movement. "It's the only person it could be. The same one behind every instance of physical violence inflicted on me for the last one-and-a-half years, Sophia Hess."
#*$+X&*@!!
…
…
…
"alan? alan? Alan? … ALAN?!"
Next Alan knew was Danny shaking him by the shoulders. "ALAN, SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Alan looked at Danny, then met Taylor's scrutinizing gaze. He flinched even under Danny's iron-like grip. "Dad, can Alan and I have a moment alone?"
Danny's grip lightened as he slowly turned to face her. "No." He shoved Alan down to face her completely. "First, I find out that this has been going on for over a year, and now you want to hide something else from me! I'm not an idiot. Alan has something to do with this Hess girl, doesn't he?!"
"Dad, you're yelling." Just those three words took all the heat out of Danny's fire. "Please, I want to talk privately."
Danny clenched and released his fists a few times as tears seeped out of his eyes. "I want you to tell me everything," he said before just about stomping off. By becoming the sole focus of Taylor's attention, Alan wished he stayed. Anger was easy to deal with, but looks like Taylor's have broken the composure of many lawyers.
"Are you…"
"As sure as the sun will rise. It was Sophia Hess who assaulted me."
God it was unnerving to be on the other side of that. "Does … did?" He couldn't say it. He couldn't risk making his fears a reality.
"I'm sure a few of her friends played their parts, but Sophia is the violent one. She would have no problems hospitalizing me."
'A few of her friends.' That didn't have to mean Emma was involved. Alan would cling to that with all he had. As for Sophia, even with as much as he owed her, he couldn't completely dismiss Taylor's accusations. A prank, even one that bad, isn't the peak of her violent streak. "What do you want to do about her?"
"I already said that I don't care if she or the other's get punished. Sure, I'm worried about what they'll do when they turn their attention towards someone else, but I don't see it becoming as bad as what happened to me. Who knows, Sophia might even turn on her own friends just to get her kicks." The mere thought of it made Alan go pale. Emma and Sophia were the best of friends, just like Taylor was her best friend. Alan look up at the girl who had every reason to not just be mad, but to hate him. There was no way she knew even the half of it. She deserved to know. "Can you stop her from hurting someone else?"
He wouldn't get a better opening than that. He just needed a moment to collect himself, which she thankfully provided. "This isn't the first time." This immediately put Taylor off guard, for the first time in this meeting if he recalled. "She's been accused of and found guilty of felony charges before. I can't give you details, but I helped defend her and act as a character witness. She was sentenced to…community service, on probation."
Alan watched as Taylor took that in. It took her only seconds before she gave him an ice-cold gaze. "Probation," she stated. "That means she's one misstep from a one-way trip to juvie, correct?"
Alan nodded. "One word from me, the principal, or her probation officer is all it takes to start an investigation. It'll take only a handful of testimonies against her for them to throw the book at her."
Her gaze remained cold. "So, you're saying that you can stop her, from hurting anyone or getting others to hurt people for her."
Alan's heart skipped another beat. That was all too believable. How could he have been so blind to how toxic that girl really was. "I can. I'm going to do it right now." He immediately stood up and left the Hebert household, nearly tripping on their faulty step.
He was on the road seconds later with him speed-dialing his destination. "This is the PRT emergency hotlink. What is the nature of your emergency?"
"This is Alan Barns. I have knowledge of one of your Wards committing a felony crime against a client of mine."
***ANWtP***
And that's the end of Chapter 3-2.0. With the Gaia interlude moved to Chapter 1, that left room for an Alan interlude. I always intended for Alan to rat Sophia out, but him doing it immediately makes more sense for this story's new direction. In the original, he waited until after helping Taylor drop out, giving Emma a chance to warn Sophia of what's coming.
I've also made some changes to how Damage Resistance Skills work. Instead of gaining percent resistance with each level, Taylor will gain resistance per second with the Skills having no level cap. I think this will help avoid this particular form of power creep while not allowing for the 'death by 1000 paper-cuts' exploit. Removing the later was my priority though.
When judging EXP gains, I'll re-read the fight scene with a timer running in the background. I will add or subtract time whenever doing so fits. Basically, I can do anything I want with Taylor's EXP gains, within reason. This also makes a lot more sense to me as it involves actual combat experience instead of 'beat up/kill enemy, get stronger,' no matter how easy they are to beat.
La