The trip to the hospital was a blur to Taylor. Emma, Allan, and later Anne had all come as soon as they had heard.

  Taylor stared at the sterile white walls, her hands still trembling. The antiseptic smell burned her nostrils, but she barely noticed. The image of Zoe Barnes lying there, so still on the grass, wouldn't leave her mind.

  "You saved her life." Emma grabbed Taylor's hand. Her best friend's face was streaked with dried tears. "If you hadn't called 911 right away..."

  Anne Barnes wrapped her arms around Taylor. "Thank you, sweetheart. The paramedics said those first minutes were crucial."

  Taylor nodded, unable to form words. Her throat felt too tight.

  The automatic doors swished open. Danny Hebert rushed in, his work boots leaving scuff marks on the polished floor. He made straight for Allan Barnes, who sat slumped in one of the hard plastic chairs.

  "Alan." Danny gripped his friend's shoulder. "I came as soon as I heard."

  Alan's hand shook as he reached up to pat Danny's arm. "They won't tell us anything. It's been hours."

  A doctor in blue scrubs approached the group, his face carefully neutral. "Mr. Barnes?"

  Everyone stood. Emma clutched Taylor's arm so hard it hurt.

  "Your wife is stable. She'll live." The doctor held up his hand as relieved sighs filled the waiting room. "But she's in a coma right now. We're monitoring her closely."

  Allan's voice cracked. "When will she wake up?"

  "That's up to her. Could be days, could be weeks. There's something else - the impact caused some trauma to her cervical spine. Until she regains consciousness, we won't know the full extent of any potential effects on mobility or function."

  Emma's grip on Taylor's arm loosened. She swayed, and Taylor steadied her friend.

  "Can we see her?" Anne asked.

  The doctor nodded. "Two at a time, just for a few minutes. She's in the ICU."

  Allan and Anne went first, leaving Emma trembling between Taylor and Danny in the waiting room.

  Taylor's eyes drifted to the medical equipment lining the hallway. An EEG machine caught her attention - its electrodes, circuits, and delicate sensors. Her mind dissected it, reimagined it. The components could be repurposed, rewired. The neural monitoring system could be modified to... influence instead of just observe.

  She shook her head, trying to dispel the intrusive thoughts. But they persisted. The ventilator's control system, the IV pump's precision mechanisms - each piece clicked into place in her mind like a puzzle assembling itself. Blueprints materialized, unbidden. Schematics for devices that could reach into minds, alter thoughts, ensure loyalty.

  Emma's shoulder pressed against hers, seeking comfort. Taylor's stomach churned. These people surrounding her - they were grateful now, but what about later? When Mrs. Barnes wasn't there to smooth things over, to make sure Emma kept including Taylor? To remind Alan to keep inviting her over?

  The blueprint in her head expanded. Simple adjustments to neural pathways. Subtle changes to emotional centers. She could make them want her around. Make them need her.

  Her hands started to shake. The knowledge felt wrong, invasive - but so tempting. So secure.

  "You okay?" Danny squeezed her shoulder.

  Taylor nodded, unable to look at him. The blueprints pulsed behind her eyes, demanding attention. She could start small. Test it. Perfect it.

  "I just need some air," she mumbled, stumbling toward the emergency exit. The blueprints followed her, growing more detailed with each step. Each circuit, each connection, each careful modification required to reach into a human mind and make it... better. Make it loyal.

  She pushed open the door, gulping in the cold night air. The knowledge terrified her. But she couldn't stop thinking about how simple it would be. How safe she could make herself.

  Taylor pressed her forehead against the cool brick wall outside the emergency exit. The knowledge of circuits and neural pathways retreated like a tide, leaving behind an uncomfortable residue of possibility.

  Her hands steadied as she focused on the rough texture of the bricks. The technical details blurred, becoming less distinct. She could handle this. She had to.

  The image of Mrs. Barnes on the ground surfaced again, but this time Taylor's mind caught on something else - that weird smoke she'd seen just before. Dark wisps that had escaped through the fence.

  Taylor rubbed her eyes. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone. The paramedics had asked what happened, and she'd described the fall, the unresponsiveness - but not the smoke. How could she? It didn't make sense.

  "Must have been seeing things," she muttered. The stress of the moment, the panic - her mind could have played tricks on her. That made more sense than mysterious smoke.

  The emergency exit door creaked open. Emma poked her head out.

  "Taylor? Dad says we should head home. Mom's sleeping now, and they won't let anyone else visit until morning."

  Taylor straightened up, pushing both the smoke and the blueprint thoughts deep down where they couldn't bother her. "Yeah, okay. How are you holding up?"

  "I don't know." Emma's voice wavered. "Will you stay over tonight? I don't want to be alone."

  "Of course." Taylor followed Emma back inside, determinedly not looking at any of the medical equipment as they passed.

  The cafeteria buzzed with its usual lunch hour chaos, but Taylor's table felt empty without Emma beside her. Madison slid into the seat across from her, unwrapping her sandwich.

  "Still no Emma today?"

  Taylor pushed her peas around her tray. "No. Her mom's still in the hospital. The doctors say she's stable, but..." She trailed off, remembering the sterile hospital corridors.

  "That's awful." Madison's face fell. "What exactly happened?"

  Taylor recounted the afternoon at the Barnes' house, careful to leave out the strange smoke and her disturbing thoughts about the hospital equipment. "She fell over the railing."

  Julia and the others leaned in as Taylor spoke. Even Sophia, who usually maintained her distance at lunch, drifted closer to listen.

  "Shit," Sophia muttered, crossing her arms. Her usual sharp edges seemed softer. "That's rough."

  Three days later, Emma returned. Taylor spotted her red hair through the morning crowd by the lockers. Her friend's shoulders were hunched, her movements mechanical as she spun her combination lock.

  "Emma!" Taylor called out.

  Emma turned, managing a weak smile. Before Taylor could reach her, Sophia appeared from the crowd. Without a word, she wrapped Emma in a tight hug. Emma stiffened for a moment, then melted into the embrace, her shoulders shaking.

  "Hey, you're okay," Sophia murmured, still holding on. "You're okay."

  Taylor hung back, watching the unexpected gentleness from the usually prickly track star. When they separated, Emma wiped her eyes.

  "Thanks," Emma whispered.

  Sophia squeezed her shoulder. "Your mom's tough. She'll pull through."

  The warning bell rang, and students started streaming toward their classrooms. Sophia gave Emma one last pat on the arm before heading off to her first period.

  Taylor's fingers flew across the keyboard in Computer Science, finishing her HTML assignment with twenty minutes to spare. Mr. Henderson nodded approval as he passed her workstation.

  The browser window minimized, revealing her earlier search tab. She typed: "black smoke supernatural phenomenon brockton bay"

  Most results led to industrial pollution reports or gang activity. Taylor scrolled past them, pausing at a local news article from three months ago. The headline caught her eye: "Shadow Stalker Thwarts Downtown Robbery."

  The grainy security footage showed a dark figure dissolving into black wisps, passing through a wall before materializing to take down two armed men. The article described Shadow Stalker as a vigilante who'd been active in Brockton Bay for the past year, known for her ability to transform into a smoke-like state.

  Taylor's heart pounded. The smoke at Emma's house... it had moved with purpose, almost predatory. She opened another tab, searching specifically for Shadow Stalker sightings.

  A pattern emerged. The vigilante struck at night, targeting violent criminals. Multiple witnesses described her dissolving into darkness, passing through solid objects. The smoke Taylor saw had done exactly that - phased through the wall like it wasn't there.

  "Time to pack up," Mr. Henderson called out.

  Taylor quickly closed the tabs, her mind racing. If Shadow Stalker had been at Emma's house that day, what was she doing there? And why hadn't she stopped Mrs. Barnes from falling?

  The bell rang. As students filed out, Taylor lingered, opening one last link. The photo showed Shadow Stalker's costume - dark and streamlined, with a hockey mask. But it was the crossbow at her hip that made Taylor's breath catch. She'd seen that weapon before, hadn't she? Recently...

  "Taylor? You coming?" Madison called from the doorway.

  "Yeah, just logging off." Taylor shut down the computer, shouldering her backpack. The pieces were there, hovering just out of reach, but something wasn't adding up.

  Taylor caught up with Madison in the hallway, her mind still churning with questions about Shadow Stalker. The corridor bustled with students heading to their next classes.

  "Did you finish the assignment?" Madison adjusted her backpack strap.

  "Yeah, basic HTML stuff. Pretty easy." Taylor spotted Emma and Sophia ahead of them, walking close together. Sophia's hand rested protectively on Emma's shoulder as they navigated through the crowd.

  That crossbow... Taylor had glimpsed something similar in Sophia's gym locker last week. At the time, she'd assumed it was for some kind of sports club.

  "Earth to Taylor?" Madison waved her hand. "You're spacing out."

  "Sorry, just..." Taylor's eyes followed Sophia's movements - fluid, athletic, but with an edge of constant alertness. Like a predator. "Hey, what do you know about Shadow Stalker?"

  Madison's eyebrows shot up. "The vigilante? Not much. My cousin saw her once, said she was scary as hell. Why?"

  "No reason. Just read an article about her in class."

  Taylor opened her locker, muscle memory spinning the combination as her thoughts raced. Shadow Stalker could turn into smoke. Shadow Stalker carried a crossbow. Shadow Stalker had been active in Brockton Bay for about as long as Sophia had been at Winslow.

  "You sure you're okay?" Madison asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

  Taylor slammed her locker shut harder than intended. The metal clang drew several glances, including Sophia's. Their eyes met across the hallway. Sophia's expression hardened, a flash of something dangerous crossing her face before she turned away.

  Not a ghost. Perhaps something darker. Sophia seemed much too at ease about all this. If it was her then she had to know once Mrs. Barnes woke up there would be every she would finger her as the culprit. That was worrying.

  Taylor paced her basement workshop, mind racing. Her fingers traced the edge of her workbench, covered in half-finished projects and scattered components. The blueprints in her head had grown more insistent lately, pushing against her consciousness like a dam ready to burst.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She grabbed her notebook, letting the designs flow onto the paper. Circuits and mechanisms took shape under her pencil. If Sophia was Shadow Stalker, if she had something to do with Mrs. Barnes' fall... Taylor couldn't risk her trying to silence Emma's mother.

  "Focus," she muttered, sketching faster. The design wasn't complex - a modified security system, but with features no commercial product could match. Her power supplied the details: power requirements, component layouts, integration points.

  Taylor raided her parts bin, pulling out microcontrollers and sensors she'd salvaged from broken electronics. Her soldering iron heated up as she assembled the core components. The work helped quiet her racing thoughts.

  Three hours later, she held up the first prototype. Small enough to hide, but packed with capabilities that made her both proud and uneasy. She'd need to test it thoroughly before installing it at the hospital.

  "Taylor?" Her dad called from upstairs. "Dinner's ready!"

  She quickly covered her work with a cloth. "Coming!"

  Over dinner, Danny talked about the Dockworkers' Union, but Taylor's mind kept drifting to her creation. She'd need to find a way into Mrs. Barnes' hospital room. The device would only work if placed in the right spot, and she'd have to be careful not to trigger any existing security systems.

  "You're quiet tonight," Danny said.

  Taylor pushed her pasta around. "Just worried about Emma's mom."

  "We all are." He reached across the table, squeezing her hand. "The doctors say she's improving."

  Taylor nodded, already planning her next steps. She'd finish the backup units tonight, then figure out installation tomorrow. If Sophia really was Shadow Stalker, if she really had pushed Mrs. Barnes... well, she'd find any attempt at a repeat performance much more challenging.

  The hospital corridor stretched empty and dark at 2 AM. Sophia's shoes made no sound as she ghosted through the walls, passing through empty rooms until she reached her target. Room 307.

  Mrs. Barnes lay still, monitored by softly beeping machines. Tubes snaked from her arms, carrying fluids and medication. The woman's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.

  There was something in the air though. Something that had Sophia tense. And almost heard a sound that seemed to be originating from the "Get Well" cards on the table? She put it out of her mind.

  Sophia pulled the syringe from her pocket, rolling it between her fingers. The internet made everything so easy - a quick search had shown her exactly what to do. An air embolism would look like a tragic accident, one of those medical errors that sometimes just happened.

  "Weak," she whispered, stepping closer to the bed. "And I can't let you drag Emma down to be like that."

  The IV line hung temptingly close. She reached for it, syringe ready. The monitors continued their steady rhythm blending with that almost sound was making her start to feel dizzy.

  She gripped the IV port. One quick injection, then she'd phase through the walls and disappear. No cameras would catch her, no evidence would remain. By morning, Emma's mother would be gone, and any chance of her remembering what really happened that night would die with her.

  Sophia positioned the needle against the port. Her powers had taught her that survival meant being the predator, not the prey. Mrs. Barnes was just another weak link that needed removing.

  The almost sound grew, pressing against Sophia's temples like a vice. She pulled back from the IV port, rubbing her forehead. The not-there noise seemed to pulse from the table of get-well cards.

  "What the hell?" She stepped toward the collection of cheerful cardstock, each movement making her head throb worse.

  One card stood out - plain white, unadorned. She picked it up, squinting at the text inside. The letters twisted and writhed, forming patterns that made no sense. Not English, not any language she recognized. The symbols shifted and crawled across the paper.

  Her vision tunneled, the card filling her entire world. The gibberish seemed almost readable, almost understandable, if she just stared a little longer...

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway, sharp and purposeful. The sound of squeaking rubber soles snapped her focus. A nurse, doing late rounds.

  "Shit." Sophia dropped the card, her powers activating instinctively. She phased through the wall just as the door handle turned.

  Safe in the empty room next door, she pressed her hands against her eyes. Her head still pounded, but the strange pressure was fading.

  "Stupid," she hissed. "Getting distracted by some weird card." The syringe still sat heavy in her pocket, unused. She'd failed her mission, let Emma down.

  Tomorrow night. She'd come back tomorrow night and finish what she started. No distractions, no hesitation. Just another predator culling the weak.

  She phased through the exterior wall and dropped into the dark parking lot below, cursing herself with every step.

  The fluorescent lights of Winslow High stabbed into Sophia's skull. Her head hadn't stopped throbbing since that weird moment at the hospital, making every class pure torture. The lunch bell's shriek sent fresh daggers through her temples.

  Emma chatted beside her as they walked down the hall, something about weekend plans, but Sophia could barely focus on the words. She nodded at appropriate moments, grinding her teeth against the pain.

  "Hey." A familiar voice cut through the corridor noise. Taylor stood by her locker, shoulders squared despite her usual nervous energy. "Sophia, can we talk? After school?"

  Sophia's fists clenched. The perfect target to take out her frustration on. One quick shove into the lockers would feel so good right now. But Emma was watching, and she'd been working hard to convince her friend that she was "trying to be better."

  "Whatever." Sophia forced her hands to relax. "Where?"

  "Library?" Taylor adjusted her backpack. "It won't take long."

  Emma touched Sophia's arm. "We were going to hang out after school..."

  "I'll catch up." Sophia managed what she hoped looked like a casual shrug. "Five minutes to hear Hebert out won't kill me."

  Taylor's eyes widened slightly at the lack of hostility, but she just nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

  "That's really mature of you." Emma beamed. "See? I told you things could be different."

  Sophia's headache spiked. She wanted to scream that nothing was different, that she was still the same predator she'd always been. Instead, she gave Emma a tight smile.

  "Yeah, sure. Meet you at your place later?"

  The words tasted like ash in her mouth. Playing nice was necessary while Emma was around, but after dark... after dark she'd finish what she started at the hospital. Then everything could go back to normal.

  If only this damn headache would stop.

  The library's dusty silence pressed against Sophia's ears as she followed Taylor between the stacks. Her headache ebbed slightly in the dim lighting, but suspicion prickled along her spine. Taylor moved with purpose, leading them to a secluded study corner. This being Winslow they had the entire library to themselves.

  "Here." Taylor pulled out a chair. "Sit."

  "Make it quick, Hebert." Sophia remained standing, arms crossed.

  Taylor reached into her bag and withdrew a folded piece of paper. The sight of it sent an electric jolt through Sophia's skull. Her vision blurred for a split second.

  "Just read this. Please." Taylor held it out. "That's all I'm asking."

  Sophia's hand moved without her permission, fingers closing around the paper. The same strange symbols from the hospital filled the page, seeming to writhe and dance beneath her gaze.

  Taylor leaned forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you push Mrs. Barnes over the railing at the hospital?"

  Sophia's eyes remained locked on the paper, her voice flat and distant. "Yes."

  "Why would you do that?" Taylor's fingers pressed into the table's edge. "She could have died."

  "Emma wouldn't see me anymore." Sophia traced one of the symbols with her fingertip. "Her mom told her to stay away from me. Said I was dangerous."

  "So you attacked her mother?"

  "We argued on the porch." The words came out mechanical, emotionless. "She said I'd never see Emma again unless I apologized. Would send her to Immacula. That she'd get a restraining order. I just... pushed. Watched her fall. Then I ran."

  Taylor drew back, her chair scraping against the floor. "You're not even sorry, are you?"

  "Only a massive inconvenience." Sophia's monotone voice continued, her eyes still fixed on the paper. "Had to dodge the cops. Pretend I cared when Emma called crying."

  Taylor's hands trembled. "A massive inconvenience? Mrs. Barnes is in a coma. The doctors don't know if she'll walk again. Her spine-"

  "Should have minded her own business."

  "You..." Taylor pushed back from the table, pacing the narrow space between bookshelves. "I can't believe- no, actually I can believe you'd do this. You're exactly the monster I always thought you were."

  Sophia remained motionless, still tracing the symbols.

  "You know, that paper wouldn't even work if you hadn't seen the one at the hospital first." Taylor stopped pacing, her voice hard. "The symbols need to imprint on your mind before they can compel truth. Which means you were there that night. Why?"

  "Wanted to finish it." Sophia's finger followed another twisting line. "Make sure she couldn't talk. But there were too many nurses. Too many witnesses."

  "You went back to kill her?"

  "Had to protect what's mine."

  Taylor's knuckles went white against the bookshelf. "Emma isn't yours. She's a person, not a possession. And once she finds out what you did to her mother-"

  "She won't." Sophia's monotone carried absolute certainty. "No cameras. No witnesses. Just an accident."

  The crack of Taylor's palm against Sophia's cheek echoed through the library. Sophia blinked, the paper dropping from her suddenly slack fingers. Her head snapped up, eyes focusing on Taylor with predatory intensity.

  "You little-" Sophia's hand flew to her stinging cheek. "What did you do to me?"

  Taylor backed away, fumbling in her jacket pocket. "Stay back."

  "Tinkertech?" Sophia's lip curled as she advanced. "That's your power? Pathetic."

  Taylor's fingers closed around something metallic, but Sophia was faster. Her fist connected with Taylor's wrist, sending a small silver device skittering across the floor.

  "Stupid tinker bullshit." Sophia's knee drove into Taylor's stomach. "All those fancy toys won't help if you can't fight."

  Taylor doubled over, gasping. She tried to roll away but Sophia's sneaker caught her ribs. Pain exploded through her side.

  "Look at you." Sophia grabbed Taylor's hair, yanking her head back. "Finally got powers and you're still the same weak little prey you've always been."

  Taylor swung wildly, but Sophia dodged with practiced ease. Another punch sent Taylor sprawling between the bookshelves.

  "Should have stuck to hiding in bathroom stalls." Sophia stalked closer. "At least then you knew your place."

  Taylor scrambled backward, seemingly desperate to escape. Her shoulder hit a bookshelf and she curled into herself, protecting her core.

  "Please..." Taylor's voice cracked.

  Sophia's boot lashed out again. Taylor rolled with the impact, letting it carry her toward the fallen device. Her fingers closed around cool metal.

  A sharp click echoed through the stacks.

  A piercing wave of not-quite-sound slammed into Sophia's skull. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as invisible knives carved through her brain. The world tilted sideways, floor and ceiling trading places with nauseating speed.

  "What-" She staggered, hands clawing at her ears. Nothing helped. The pressure built behind her eyes, turning her vision into a kaleidoscope of fractured images.

  Taylor's form blurred and multiplied as she pushed herself up from the floor. Sophia tried to phase, to let her shadow state protect her, but she couldn't hold onto the thought long enough to make it happen. Each attempt slipped away like smoke.

  Her knee hit the ground. Or maybe the wall. Direction had lost all meaning in the sonic assault. Bile rose in her throat.

  "Stay down." Taylor's voice came from everywhere and nowhere.

  Sophia lunged toward one of the Taylor-shapes, but her fist passed through empty air. Her equilibrium completely shot, she crashed into a study table.

  Through swimming vision she saw Taylor grab something from the shelf - an ancient encyclopedia, its spine cracked and faded. Sophia tried to roll away but her limbs wouldn't cooperate.

  The book connected with the back of her head. Darkness claimed her before she hit the floor.

  Sophia's head throbbed as consciousness returned. Cold concrete pressed against her back, and something bit into her wrists. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal the familiar exposed pipes and dusty storage boxes of the Barnes' basement.

  Extension cords wrapped tight around her arms and legs, and could see where they were plugged in. Someone had even duck-taped them to the wall. She trying to phase through would send electricity crackling through her body. Very painful and possibly fatal.

  "Emma told me about that little weakness of yours." Taylor stood over her, arms crossed. "Can't go shadow when there's a current running through you."

  Sophia's eyes darted between them. Taylor's smirk radiated satisfaction while Emma hung back, arms wrapped around herself, not meeting anyone's eyes.

  "You're both making a huge mistake." Sophia tested the bindings. The cords held firm. "Taylor's the one who pushed your mom, Emma. I saw her do it."

  Emma's head snapped up. "What? But you said-"

  "She's lying." Taylor pulled out Emma's phone. "I borrowed this from Emma just before we met up up. And this will prove it."

  "I'm not-"

  Taylor pressed play. Taylor's voice was tinny on the recording but clear and understandable. "Did you push Mrs. Barnes over the railing on the back porch?"

  "Yes" Sophia's own flat and monotone voice clearly responded.

  "She's a Master!" Sophia jerked against the cords. "Emma, listen to me. She got in my head, made me say those things. We need to get her to the PRT before-"

  "Stop." Emma's voice cut like ice. Her face had transformed into an expressionless mask, all emotion drained away. "Just stop."

  "I'm telling you the truth! How else could she have gotten me to-"

  "The truth?" Emma's mask cracked. Red splotches appeared on her cheeks. "Like how you told me the truth about my mom? Like how you promised to protect us?"

  She stalked forward, fists clenched. "You were supposed to be strong. A survivor. But you're nothing but a coward who hurts people and lies about it."

  "Emma, please-"

  "No! You don't get to 'Emma please' me." She grabbed one of the storage boxes and hurled it across the room. It crashed against the wall, spilling old Christmas ornaments across the floor. "My mom is in the hospital because of you! Because I trusted you!"

  "Taylor's manipulating-"

  "The only one who manipulated anyone was you." Emma's voice dropped to a whisper. "You manipulated me into thinking you were my friend. Into thinking I needed to be cruel to be strong." Her laugh was hollow. "God, I was such an idiot."

  Emma wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wasn't sure about this at first, Taylor. But now? Now I get it. I'll go tell Anne what happened - she needs to know why we had to drag Sophia's unconscious ass down here."

  "Emma, wait-" Sophia pulled against the cords until they cut into her skin. "Anne's involved? You got your sister mixed up in this?"

  "Anne's always been a better sister than I deserved." Emma paused at the basement stairs. "Unlike some people, she actually cares about protecting our family."

  The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Sophia alone with Taylor.

  "What are you planning to do?" Sophia's voice cracked.

  "Oh, don't worry so much." Taylor reached into her backpack. "We're just going to give you a little... attitude adjustment." She pulled out a stack of papers covered in swirling patterns.

  Sophia thrashed harder against her bonds. The extension cords creaked but held firm, electricity humming through them. "No. No no no-"

  "Yes yes yes." Taylor knelt down beside her, holding up one of the sheets. "Now be a good girl and look at the pretty picture."

  "Get that thing away from me!" Sophia squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away.

  "You can't keep your eyes closed forever." Taylor's voice dripped with amusement. "We have all night and I am so excited to meet the new you."