Just a Phase [Worm]

[The Dude]

He and everyone he is actually responsible for are largely blameless here. The failures of the PRT are actually pretty specific to the ENE branch under Piggot.

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You still don't get it.

That. Doesn't. Matter.

He's part of the same organization, and the organization as a whole is culpable for what's going on. No mealy-mouthed "But we're different, really!" bullshit is going to make Taylor want to be part of that organization until her problems with the PRT have been resolved to her satisfaction.

If he can't even own the fact the organization he's part of has fucked her over, rather than minimizing and shifting blame, why should she even entertain opening up a dialogue?

There is no way Armstrong actually has the pull to make that happen, and making that promise without any ability to follow through is probably worse than not making it at all.

Click to shrink...

He could pass on the promise from higher up if one was made, and the fact it isn't being made is the whole goddamn problem.

Armstrong has nothing Taylor wants, and no means to get it for her, yet he's asking for concessions from her on behalf of an organization which has negative amounts of goodwill.

Why in the ever-loving blue eyed fuck would would Taylor ever even come to the table, let alone agree to anything, when she gains nothing from the deal?

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

You still don't get it.

That. Doesn't. Matter.

He's part of the same organization, and the organization as a whole is culpable for what's going on. No mealy-mouthed "But we're different, really!" bullshit is going to make Taylor want to be part of that organization until her problems with the PRT have been resolved to her satisfaction.

If he can't even own the fact the organization he's part of has fucked her over, rather than minimizing and shifting blame, why should she even entertain opening up a dialogue?



He could pass on the promise from higher up if one was made, and the fact it isn't being made is the whole goddamn problem.

Armstrong has nothing Taylor wants, and no means to get it for her, yet he's asking for concessions from her on behalf of an organization which has negative amounts of goodwill.

Why in the ever-loving blue eyed fuck would would Taylor ever even come to the table, let alone agree to anything, when she gains nothing from the deal?

Click to shrink...

Also RogueInquisitor? I suggest you reread the Legalese Interlude, and Loophole 2.⍺. The former where Gauss talks about Taylor's future safety requiring her to be fully on board with being a Ward and Armstrong being interested in seeing what her power can do. In Loophole 2.⍺? Weld shows he's a "Company Man" by talking about how useful Taylor's power would be if they could use her in the field.

All these cases are valuing Taylor for what her power can do for them and their organization, not for Taylor's own good. It is like they can't conceive of any benefit for Taylor that doesn't come with using her for her power. And I'm betting that attitude filters down to Taylor, all the more reason I'd say she is listening to them. But she's hearing the subtext of their offers to 'help her' and not liking what she is hearing.

Notice Armstrong didn't talk to a psychologist of some stripe, perhaps one familiar with working with teenagers and perhaps even parahuman teens. Not the one Taylor is seeing, but someone else just to get a general idea of how to lower the pressure and barriers to help Taylor to feel safe to reach out. Maybe even something to throw at the other Directors "No it isn't a choice between slow walking things and a faster way. It is what I am doing, or we will lose her. Oh, and Piggot? I'm told it'd help move things along to show her we do clean up our bad apples, how is that investigation into your Wards proceeding?" No, he, Gauss, and the Boston Wards are automatically assuming since they are the "good guys" Taylor should feel safe around them. See my previous post about being placed in a dog lover's home after being attacked by pit dogs.

No, Armstrong talked to a lawyer. He chose force over understanding, and got the push-back he deserves for that. Same reason he didn't de-escalate and slow walk Taylor being in the Boston Wards when she told him what a burning bag of crap Piggot had just thrown on his front porch. You'd think he'd learn after the first time, but he keeps stomping the bag, and wondering why he keeps getting splattered with burning shit.

And having been bullied in Jr High and High School? Yes it does make you second guess things socially and makes you highly sensitized to "it's just a joke bro!" harassment. But can it truly be called paranoia when you've had people out to get you? And in Taylor's case, use her because she now has something of value to the PRT? I think Taylor is at least partially right, she is being valued for her power, and what use others can get out of it.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Honestly Taylor should just ask this:

"If I didn't trigger in that locker would it have stopped?"

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Honestly Taylor should just ask this:

"If I didn't trigger in that locker would it have stopped?"

Click to shrink...

"Or would anyone have cared in the PRT if I didn't Trigger then? Or even died in there? Or just cover up for two Wards who "made a little mistake"? All "For the Greater Good" I bet?"

Hmm, Hot Fuzz for a movie night choice?

 

[Rymu]

Hmm, Hot Fuzz for a movie night choice?

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Now I'm curious about a list of movies that'd be good for Taylor to keep pulling up for wards movie nights in fics where she absolutely hates the wards and being in the group.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

You still don't get it.

That. Doesn't. Matter.

He's part of the same organization, and the organization as a whole is culpable for what's going on. No mealy-mouthed "But we're different, really!" bullshit is going to make Taylor want to be part of that organization until her problems with the PRT have been resolved to her satisfaction.

If he can't even own the fact the organization he's part of has fucked her over, rather than minimizing and shifting blame, why should she even entertain opening up a dialogue?

Click to shrink...

If I was harassed by the FBI in Texas, would I be right to expect an apology from the director in California, and would it mean anything if I got it? I would say no to both.

He could pass on the promise from higher up if one was made, and the fact it isn't being made is the whole goddamn problem.

Click to shrink...

Agreed.

Armstrong has nothing Taylor wants, and no means to get it for her, yet he's asking for concessions from her on behalf of an organization which has negative amounts of goodwill.

Click to shrink...

I would phrase it as he's asking for cooperation she's under no obligation to provide, but I agree with the sentiment.

Why in the ever-loving blue eyed fuck would would Taylor ever even come to the table, let alone agree to anything, when she gains nothing from the deal?

Click to shrink...

To analogize, Taylor has blocked their number. They would like her to at least let them leave a voicemail, and preferably pick up the phone, and she doesn't need to actually go over to their place.

Also RogueInquisitor? I suggest you reread the Legalese Interlude, and Loophole 2.⍺. The former where Gauss talks about Taylor's future safety requiring her to be fully on board with being a Ward and Armstrong being interested in seeing what her power can do.

Click to shrink...

I agree that Gauss is an idiot, though Taylor's patrols as 'Ghost' are making her look better in hindsight. Weld actually seemed more worried about her ongoing social isolation, which is an entirely valid concern, even if his proposed solution is wrong. Armstrong actually opens with empathizing with Taylor, lists bridging the trust gap as the first priority, and his interest in her power seems to stem from his background in parahuman studies, not a desire for another asset to deploy.

In Loophole 2.4? Weld shows he's a "Company Man" by talking about how useful Taylor's power would be if they could use her in the field.

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Is it wrong for him to consider what to do if he actually catches the metaphorical car that is Phase? Dude does have responsibilities other than trying to make Taylor happy.

All these cases are valuing Taylor for what her power can do for them and their organization, not for Taylor's own good. It is like they can't conceive of any benefit for Taylor that doesn't come with using her for her power.

Click to shrink...

Half of the cases you mentioned are actually the exact opposite.

Maybe even something to throw at the other Directors "No it isn't a choice between slow walking things and a faster way. It is what I am doing, or we will lose her. Oh, and Piggot? I'm told it'd help move things along to show her we do clean up our bad apples, how is that investigation into your Wards proceeding?"

Click to shrink...

How do we know this isn't happening off-screen? Pretty sure WoG is that Armstrong is already pushing back against the pressure he's getting over Taylor.

No, Armstrong talked to a lawyer. He chose force over understanding, and got the push-back he deserves for that.

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Agreed

Same reason he didn't de-escalate and slow walk Taylor being in the Boston Wards

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And how would he do that? What would slow-walking Taylor being in the Boston Wards look like? His judgement of Danny as an unfit parent is hardly unfounded, so how long does he let Taylor stay in Brockton Bay? How long does he let her education get disrupted for? And given Danny seems to be the one throwing Taylor at the Wards in the first place, how is Armstrong escalating, or even failing to de-escalate?

Frankly, the thread seems to be falling into the trap of "protagonist-centered morality," and forgetting that there are other perspectives. I'm not saying Taylor's wrong in her actions and attitudes, but that doesn't invalidate the views of the other characters, either.

 

[SlickRCBD]

Taylor only gets malicious when they force her to participate if given the option she would rather not take part. She starts getting malicious when it is mandatory.

Yeah but instead all it shows her that they are only doing this for her, aka they are only doing this because she is potentially useful for them and that they wouldn't even bother with a sprry if she was just a normal civilian.

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It's worse than that, the advice in their anti-bullying message was the same tripe that she already tried that failed to work at Winslow.
So they aren't even giving serious advice, they are just parroting the same worthless tripe that doesn't actually solve the problem.

Nahhh, schools hate getting cops involved the same as the rest of us. You get slapped with a suspention, eat the punishment and come back the victor.

Little shits never tried me again.

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Some schools have a "police counselor" although I believe it is now called a "school resource officer" that is an actual police officer on the school's payroll.
They can and will use him as a stick, and also abuse school authority to circumvent 4th and 5th Amendment rights.
They bring the cop in with the dean and the dean asks the questions while the cop takes notes.
If the student refuses to answer the dean, the dean threatens and then actually issues punishments.
If the student answers a question that incriminates them, the cop can then arrest them and use their confession against them.
Oh, they aren't in police custody, but they can't leave, can't get to a phone to call for a parent or lawyer. The Dean will refuse to allow it.

It's funny how they only do this type of thing to Targets like Taylor, never to actual troublemakers that instigate, only trouble magnets like Taylor.

"Let's be friends!" is an old bullying trick, where the bully or an accomplice pretends to befriend the victim only to later use that confidence and lowered defenses against them. Emma played it on Taylor in canon as part of the escalation up to the Locker.

Given the lack of action taken against her tormentors, to the point of running her out of town? It is the PRT, and you, that is assuming a level of trust that is unearned. Taylor hears their words clearly, and that most 'help' and 'out reach' is steeped in the assumption of a payback of her becoming a Ward.

Click to shrink...

Actually, I see it as the adults seeing Taylor as a petulant child that doesn't know what's good for her. They expect her to be a good obedient child and "get with the program" and when she refuses to buy into their program, are all upset and say SHE is the problem because she won't give it chance.
It doesn't matter that the MINOR child has good reasons to want nothing to do with your plan/program, the adult has made the decision the child is going to participate, and they should get with it and stop being so obstinate.

I'm not good at expressing myself, I encountered this type of attitude with the bullying when the adults solutions amounted to what I still see today as slapping punishments and restrictions on me, saying I was the problem because I had "poor peer relations skills" and "was making yourself a target". The fact that I resisted their "b-mod" programs "Because you need to learn to de-escalate the situation and stop getting involved in these violent incidents" was proof that I was a petulant child with no respect for authority.
The fact that they blamed the victim made me lose respect for them didn't help as I did find it hard to argue about the "no respect for authority" when I had a hard time respecting the authority in question.

 

[Ack]

It's worse than that, the advice in their anti-bullying message was the same tripe that she already tried that failed to work at Winslow.
So they aren't even giving serious advice, they are just parroting the same worthless tripe that doesn't actually solve the problem.

Some schools have a "police counselor" although I believe it is now called a "school resource officer" that is an actual police officer on the school's payroll.
They can and will use him as a stick, and also abuse school authority to circumvent 4th and 5th Amendment rights.
They bring the cop in with the dean and the dean asks the questions while the cop takes notes.
If the student refuses to answer the dean, the dean threatens and then actually issues punishments.
If the student answers a question that incriminates them, the cop can then arrest them and use their confession against them.
Oh, they aren't in police custody, but they can't leave, can't get to a phone to call for a parent or lawyer. The Dean will refuse to allow it.

It's funny how they only do this type of thing to Targets like Taylor, never to actual troublemakers that instigate, only trouble magnets like Taylor.

Actually, I see it as the adults seeing Taylor as a petulant child that doesn't know what's good for her. They expect her to be a good obedient child and "get with the program" and when she refuses to buy into their program, are all upset and say SHE is the problem because she won't give it chance.
It doesn't matter that the MINOR child has good reasons to want nothing to do with your plan/program, the adult has made the decision the child is going to participate, and they should get with it and stop being so obstinate.

I'm not good at expressing myself, I encountered this type of attitude with the bullying when the adults solutions amounted to what I still see today as slapping punishments and restrictions on me, saying I was the problem because I had "poor peer relations skills" and "was making yourself a target". The fact that I resisted their "b-mod" programs "Because you need to learn to de-escalate the situation and stop getting involved in these violent incidents" was proof that I was a petulant child with no respect for authority.
The fact that they blamed the victim made me lose respect for them didn't help as I did find it hard to argue about the "no respect for authority" when I had a hard time respecting the authority in question.

Click to shrink...

This is all (or mostly all) due to the fact that bullies (the ones who are in it for the long haul) are cunning.


They rarely, if ever, do something big in front of authority.

Instead, they pick ... pick ... pick ... one little stab at a time. Small enough that if an overworked teacher catches one of the jabs, it's seen as a harmless prank, because they don't see the other two dozen little attacks.

The big stuff happens out of sight and hearing of authority, where the cronies can chime in on the bully's behalf, and then it's several against one.

When the victim does snap, they do it with all the outrage of the entire bullying campaign, and it's invariably seen as disproportional to the single little jab that sets it off.

So the victim is seen as a troublemaker, the bully gets a slap on the wrist ... and it goes on.

What astonishes me is that virtually every adult either experienced or witnessed something like this during their teenage years, and yet they either don't recognise the pattern for what it is, or they deliberately choose to punish the victim for responding.

 

[Nikas_Zekeval]

What astonishes me is that virtually every adult either experienced or witnessed something like this during their teenage years, and yet they either don't recognise the pattern for what it is, or they deliberately choose to punish the victim for responding.

Click to shrink...

Because Ack, they don't want to fix the problem. That is messy, complicated, and might get the bully's parents screaming at them their child is an angel.

So instead of fixing the problem, they want to make the problem go away. See no evil, hear no evil, then there must be no evil, right?

If you consider that as the real motivation, all those 'anti-bullying' and zero tolerance policies make much more logical, albeit it cruel, sense.

 

[Highlord]

This is all (or mostly all) due to the fact that bullies (the ones who are in it for the long haul) are cunning.


They rarely, if ever, do something big in front of authority.

Instead, they pick ... pick ... pick ... one little stab at a time. Small enough that if an overworked teacher catches one of the jabs, it's seen as a harmless prank, because they don't see the other two dozen little attacks.

The big stuff happens out of sight and hearing of authority, where the cronies can chime in on the bully's behalf, and then it's several against one.

When the victim does snap, they do it with all the outrage of the entire bullying campaign, and it's invariably seen as disproportional to the single little jab that sets it off.

So the victim is seen as a troublemaker, the bully gets a slap on the wrist ... and it goes on.

What astonishes me is that virtually every adult either experienced or witnessed something like this during their teenage years, and yet they either don't recognise the pattern for what it is, or they deliberately choose to punish the victim for responding.

Click to shrink...

That's because faculty tend to be as willfully blind as they are cowardly and generally corrupt.

Which is what led to how I ended the bullying being done to me in school. Violence, contempt, and a total refusal to cooperate unless my parents we present. And when the principal refused? Walked out, daring the sniveling coward lay hands one me, then walked home and notified my father. Little shits that we're the faculty learned real quick the extent of their power when their previous chosen weren't able to shape a narrative.

High school is a war zone, and like anyone else, the faculty have total faith in their plans right up until they get hit in the mouth.

 

[The Dude]

If I was harassed by the FBI in Texas, would I be right to expect an apology from the director in California, and would it mean anything if I got it? I would say no to both.

Click to shrink...

Not an apology. An acknowledgement.

"The FBI office in Texas really screwed the pooch sideways here, and I absolutely understand why you don't want to be part of the FBI-Kids program after what happened. The door's open, but we're not going to pressure you. We can also look at working with CPS to see what's needed for your father to be declared fit for custody again if that's what you want, but that bridge seems well and truly burned. I don't have the power to make things right but, since we're stuck with this mess, I'm going to do what I can to help you. What do you need from me?"

To analogize, Taylor has blocked their number. They would like her to at least let them leave a voicemail, and preferably pick up the phone, and she doesn't need to actually go over to their place.

Click to shrink...

That's coming to the table and, again, that's what they want. For them to get something they want from her they need to either rely on goodwill, of which they have none, or offer up something enticing enough to get her to open up that line of dialogue.

Since they've already told her that nothing she actually wants is on that table, why should she bother?

And how would he do that? What would slow-walking Taylor being in the Boston Wards look like? His judgement of Danny as an unfit parent is hardly unfounded, so how long does he let Taylor stay in Brockton Bay? How long does he let her education get disrupted for? And given Danny seems to be the one throwing Taylor at the Wards in the first place, how is Armstrong escalating, or even failing to de-escalate?

Click to shrink...

See my above acknowledgement.

Slow-walking it is applying zero pressure, empathizing with the pile of shit her life is buried in, and build up some of that goodwill by showing they actually care about her well-being, not just about her powers. As someone else said, it might very well take until she's old enough to join the Protectorate instead of the Wards for it to pay off... but that's about the only way they're going to get her to join willingly and without resentment.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

"The FBI office in Texas really screwed the pooch sideways here, and I absolutely understand why you don't want to be part of the FBI-Kids program after what happened.

Click to shrink...

Already Armstrong's position, though it doesn't seem to have been communicated effectively.

The door's open, but we're not going to pressure you.

Click to shrink...

The PRT isn't actually pressuring Taylor into the Wards. That's Danny, and my understanding is Armstrong isn't allowed to refuse her. They aren't dragging her through the door, Danny is shoving her.

We can also look at working with CPS to see what's needed for your father to be declared fit for custody again if that's what you want, but that bridge seems well and truly burned.

Click to shrink...

Danny hasn't been officially declared unfit, he just signed over all parental rights. Armstrong does believe that Danny's ignorance of the year+ bullying campaign against Taylor to be a sign that Danny is unfit, de facto if not de jure.

I don't have the power to make things right but, since we're stuck with this mess, I'm going to do what I can to help you. What do you need from me?"

Click to shrink...

And this part they've been saying, but Taylor won't give them an answer they can use.

That's coming to the table and, again, that's what they want. For them to get something they want from her they need to either rely on goodwill, of which they have none, or offer up something enticing enough to get her to open up that line of dialogue.

Since they've already told her that nothing she actually wants is on that table, why should she bother?

Click to shrink...

And Taylor refuses to look at the table to see if something she wants gets put on it. Following your logic, a request to sit for a deposition as part of the case against Emma and Sophia would probably be interpreted as a sign the investigation is now targetting her, she refuses, and the case flounders as the victim refuses to cooperate with investigators. At least read the message before feeding it to the shredder.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Well I have to say that Taylor is reading the messages that they are giving her, because how else would she be able to flip things on them with malicious compliance if she doesn't know what they are doing and where the loopholes are for her to exploit.

 

[michaelb958]

Already Armstrong's position, though it doesn't seem to have been communicated effectively.

The PRT isn't actually pressuring Taylor into the Wards. That's Danny, and my understanding is Armstrong isn't allowed to refuse her. They aren't dragging her through the door, Danny is shoving her.

Click to shrink...

This position that Armstrong hypothetically holds is severely undermined by Armstrong having Taylor participate in the tour in Loophole 2.4. (I won't say "forced", only because Taylor declines to fight instead of exhausting her options to do so.) Narration in Loophole 2.3 implies that Armstrong thought this would help with her social isolation. The isolation that she's putting up because she wants nothing to do with the PRT, Protectorate, or Wards. The isolation that Armstrong proposes to treat by [checks notes] making her look like part of the Wards. At best, he hasn't thought that through at all.

 

[Sleepyfoo]

And how would he do that? What would slow-walking Taylor being in the Boston Wards look like? His judgement of Danny as an unfit parent is hardly unfounded, so how long does he let Taylor stay in Brockton Bay? How long does he let her education get disrupted for? And given Danny seems to be the one throwing Taylor at the Wards in the first place, how is Armstrong escalating, or even failing to de-escalate?

Click to shrink...

Slow Rolling Taylor being in the wards is "provide housing, education, food, and all the supplies needed for that" and otherwise not requiring or requesting anything that involves ward duties.
Taylor lives on base, goes to school, gets her allowance, and otherwise has no requests or demands for Team Building exercises or PR Stunts like the tour. Tell the other wards to give her space.

Let her make her own social outreach at school or with her therapist or the youth guard. If it takes a year before she agrees to powertesting, so be it. At least you are keeping a kid off the street and a potentially very powerful parahuman off the board. If she goes out and does independent heroics, not ideal but acceptable. If she goes out and does villain things, and you catch her, well now you have more leverage to get her with the program.

Frankly, if they hadn't been pushing the social interaction with the other wards, Lily might have gotten through to her already. However, their attempts to force the issue have drastically undermined Lily's honest and independent efforts at outreach.

 

[RogueInquisitor]

This position that Armstrong hypothetically holds is severely undermined by Armstrong having Taylor participate in the tour in Loophole 2.4. (I won't say "forced", only because Taylor declines to fight instead of exhausting her options to do so.) Narration in Loophole 2.3 implies that Armstrong thought this would help with her social isolation. The isolation that she's putting up because she wants nothing to do with the PRT, Protectorate, or Wards. The isolation that Armstrong proposes to treat by [checks notes] making her look like part of the Wards. At best, he hasn't thought that through at all.

Click to shrink...

She isn't socializing at school either, despite it having nothing to do with the PRT, Protectorate, or Wards. Armstrong needs to act as her legal guardian and correct her self-destrucfive behavior, not enable it. With no authority at the school, he's limited to the Wards as a peer group he can encourage her to socialize with. His first attempt wasn't the tours, it was the pizza party. Taylor weaseled out of that in under a minute, so he needs another relatively informal and unstructured evironment he can order her and the Wards into. I'm not seeing a very long list of options, but the tour thing also is something he can show his superiors that he's Doing Something to get Phase with the program, and likely a few other things. He's dealing with limited options, multiple competing objectives and priorities, and also running a PRT branch.

Slow Rolling Taylor being in the wards is "provide housing, education, food, and all the supplies needed for that" and otherwise not requiring or requesting anything that involves ward duties.
Taylor lives on base, goes to school, gets her allowance, and otherwise has no requests or demands for Team Building exercises or PR Stunts like the tour.
Tell the other wards to give her space.
Let her make her own social outreach at school or with her therapist or the youth guard. If it takes a year before she agrees to powertesting, so be it. At least you are keeping a kid off the street and a potentially very powerful parahuman off the board. If she goes out and does independent heroics, not ideal but acceptable. If she goes out and does villain things, and you catch her, well now you have more leverage to get her with the program.

Frankly, if they hadn't been pushing the social interaction with the other wards, Lily might have gotten through to her already. However, their attempts to force the issue have drastically undermined Lily honest and independent efforts at outreach.

Click to shrink...

I mean, I doubt Stockholm Syndrome takes a year, and that might very well have been the plan to start. Unfortunately, Taylor hard-countered every targetted Thinker power that had, and Washington decided to start breathing down Armstrong's neck about getting her through power testing and into a costume. 'Ghost' doing independent heroics is only acceptable as long as she isn't tied to Phase, bacause suddenly the question is why she's rejecting the training, equipment, prefessional costume, teammates, and other supporting infrastructure the Wards offer when she's already in the program. Her going out and doing villain things is actually a lose scenario, because they can't hold her. Locks, walls, containment foam, tazers, bullets, grenades, their entire arsenal, as far as they know, is useless. Armstrong, at least, is aware of this, which is why he's keeping the pressure as low as he has been, while still doing enough that Washington doesn't decide to see if someone like Tagg will do a better job.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Taylor weaseled out of that in under a minute, so he needs another relatively informal and unstructured evironment he can order her and the Wards into. I'm not seeing a very long list of options, but the tour thing also is something he can show his superiors that he's Doing Something to get Phase with the program, and likely a few other things.

Click to shrink...

It also has to be mentioned that despite the PR blow the tour was a success in getting Taylor to socialize as seen with her interactions with Connie, unfortunately for Armstrong and the others that only worked because Connie one of the few people uninterested in forcing Taylor to join up.

Washington doesn't decide to see if someone like Tagg will do a better job.

Click to shrink...

It is probably more likely that Taylor will be sent to Alexandria's summer camp for troubled (noncooperative) Wards if she keeps up her current behavior, which is actually an interesting idea for an omake if anyone wants it.

 

[Highlord]

It is probably more likely that Taylor will be sent to Alexandria's summer camp for troubled (noncooperative) Wards if she keeps up her current behavior, which is actually an interesting idea for an omake if anyone wants it.

Click to shrink...

Putting Taylor under the watch of costacunt's alter ego would just cause Taylor to leave. Which she should be doing already.

 

[Rymu]

It is probably more likely that Taylor will be sent to Alexandria's summer camp for troubled (noncooperative) Wards if she keeps up her current behavior, which is actually an interesting idea for an omake if anyone wants it.

Click to shrink...

Alexandria doesn't need a Thinker power to pinpoint the moment where the ward in front of her wished they were home just so they could tear down all the posters they had of her. She's seen the look plenty of times in her time spent running her little boot camp. The following murderous glare is different from the usual ones though. Involuntarily clearing her throat, Alexandria orders the troublesome ward to do a few more laps and watches as she takes off after her expression darkens just a bit more. The girl was too much like Hess in her defiance and would need to be closely watched and given extra attention to see to it that she doesn't act out after completing the summer camp program.

 

[ConsiderableHat]

I doubt Stockholm Syndrome takes a year,

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There is good reason to doubt that Stockholm Syndrome exists at all. Even with the somewhat woolly diagnostic criteria, the FBI's review of hostage situations found captives showing signs of it in only some footlingly small percentage of cases, and no evidence whatsoever that it at any time caused hostages to act to assist their captors.

The sceptical position is helped along by the fact that the authority figure the original Stockholm hostage was hostile to was the psychologist who invented the eponymous syndrome to explain her behaviour.

There's a whole history to it rooted in the brainwashing scares of the late 50s to early 70s, but I'm on the verge of off-topic here already.

 

[MovingTarget]

Taylor " And here in this jar is my limited edition Alexandria heart"

 

[Evilreadermaximum]

is probably more likely that Taylor will be sent to Alexandria's summer camp for troubled (noncooperative) Wards if she keeps up her current behavior, which is actually an interesting idea for an omake if anyone wants

Click to shrink...

Lol, she'd never make it there, she'd be through the wall bout five seconds after they told her.

 

[Highlord]

Lol, she'd never make it there, she'd be through the wall bout five seconds after they told her.

Click to shrink...

They'd probably try to jump her with it. Not letting her in on it until she was already en-route on a plane. Or they'd try to sedate her so she wakes up in a cell.

Which just means she'd phase out, and go about blowing the entire organization wide open. Again, which she should be doing already.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

Lol, she'd never make it there, she'd be through the wall bout five seconds after they told her.

Click to shrink...

Taylor might go willingly if only to get her side of the story in front of someone higher up on the ladder than Armstrong or Piggot.

 

[Rymu]

Lol, she'd never make it there, she'd be through the wall bout five seconds after they told her.

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I don't think Taylor is quite at the point of becoming a runaway even if she gets shipped off to camp and that place would be set up to prevent escapees for sure so I think Taylor would just continue on with her plan to ollie the fuck out once she ages out of the system having preferably done fucking nothing her entire career outside of making the lives of the PRT difficult and maybe getting to work on a book.

 

[Highlord]

I don't think Taylor is quite at the point of becoming a runaway even if she gets shipped off to camp and that place would be set up to prevent escapees for sure so I think Taylor would just continue on with her plan to ollie the fuck out once she ages out of the system having preferably done fucking nothing her entire career outside of making the lives of the PRT difficult and maybe getting to work on a book.

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There is literally no way they can contain Taylor if she decides to leave (which she should be doing,) nor can they track her, since her power no-sells thinkers.

 

[Rymu]

There is literally no way they can contain Taylor if she decides to leave (which she should be doing,) nor can they track her, since her power no-sells thinkers.

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To be fair, we don't know what sort of esoteric tinkertech might be in play at the camp. So I'd call it a tossup if Taylor can escape the place. Granted it's been a while since I read this fic so Taylor's powers are fuzzy to me but I doubt Alexandria would be very keen about having a camp that could be escaped from.

 

[KingCrimson1081]

To be fair, we don't know what sort of esoteric tinkertech might be in play at the camp. So I'd call it a tossup if Taylor can escape the place. Granted it's been a while since I read this fic so Taylor's powers are fuzzy to me but I doubt Alexandria would be very keen about having a camp that could be escaped from.

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I'd say that having Alexandria be the one who runs the camp is a pretty big deterrent to escape attempts, but there is also probably a healthy amount of tinker tech keeping people in whenever she needs to step out. As for Taylor's powers they appear to be a better version of Sophia's phasing ability, and considering QA's ranking amongst the Shards it is likely that it is one of the absolute powers like Clockblocker's or Lily's.

 

[Evilreadermaximum]

I'd say that having Alexandria be the one who runs the camp is a pretty big deterrent to escape attempts, but there is also probably a healthy amount of tinker tech keeping people in whenever she needs to step out. As for Taylor's powers they appear to be a better version of Sophia's phasing ability, and considering QA's ranking amongst the Shards it is likely that it is one of the absolute powers like Clockblocker's or Lily's.

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Given that she can phase through powers that seems logical.

 

[Rymu]

I'd say that having Alexandria be the one who runs the camp is a pretty big deterrent to escape attempts, but there is also probably a healthy amount of tinker tech keeping people in whenever she needs to step out. As for Taylor's powers they appear to be a better version of Sophia's phasing ability, and considering QA's ranking amongst the Shards it is likely that it is one of the absolute powers like Clockblocker's or Lily's.

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Fair enough. However, big name capes and tinkertech are far from the only thing that make a place difficult to escape from. If Alexandria had sufficient say in location and was smart about placement, the camp is almost certainly based in a remote location for both safety reason and to deter escapes. And given that it'll be in the western united states and Taylor has no significant Mover ability or survival skills, it's very likely that trying to escape would be a very poor idea.