I was still more than annoyed with the fact something was going down and I couldn't be a part of it three hours later when I was heading to lunch. I was sure Glory Girl had taken off the moment she heard. But I was stuck here, deciding where I was going to eat my sack lunch today.

Recently I had taken to eating anywhere that wasn't the lunch room. The roof, an empty classroom, anywhere it would take them time to find me. At first it had worked, but then they started looking for me and once they found me we were alone and I was cornered. But that was the trade off, I could get about fifteen minutes of private time to eat and think but then I had to face whatever they had in store for me in the privacy of an empty room.

However, this time when I was peeking through a window of a classroom to check to see if it was empty I felt someone grab my hand. I turned my head and saw Lisa grinning at me.

"None of that now." She said told me, pulling me in the direction of the cafeteria. "We're going to sit here, and if they come to bother you we'll tell them to fuck off. Not that hard."

"Um," I fumbled for words. "How long have you know about, um, that?"

"Eh, I figured it out while you were looking in the window," Lisa said nonchalantly. "You had to be hiding from someone, which really only left one good reason why you would be hiding from someone."

Lisa forced me to sit down at a round table in the far corner of the cafeteria while most people were still up getting their state-paid lunches. More than a few eyes followed us, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the way I currently looked or by the sheer fact someone was willingly hanging out with me. Sadly, that last one was probably more likely given my situation.

The trio must have taken some time looking for me in my usual haunts because it took them ten minutes for them to find me. I idly noted the trio wasn't even a trio today, just Emma and Sophia. I wondered where Madison was.

After spotting me and Lisa over in the corner they spent another minute walking around and picking up some followers. It was almost amusing watching them go to each cluster of girls in the cafeteria and come away with more each time. As they moved, I watched them carefully with my eyes, never turning my head. My anxiety faded into a more grim acceptance. This was going to happen, I just had to live through yet another ruined lunch.

Lisa's eyes darted between me and the ever growing group. Slowly, her lips curled into her trademark grin.

I managed to scarf down the last remnants of my meal before they finally made their way over to me. They all encircled the table in a group that was far too large to be a normal gathering of girls. I was sure it was drawing all sorts of attention while simultaneously blocking everyone's sight of me.

It was Emma who started.

"Well, we all knew you were fat Taylor but spending good money we both know you don't have a lot of on lipo? That's a new low for you. Are you-"

"Even if that were true," Lisa interrupted loudly, throwing her off guard. "Does it really mean anything coming out of the mouth of some girl who is chewing gum to hide the smell of her breath after throwing up her lunch to look thin." Emma paled a little as a few looks were thrown her way.

I hadn't tried anything like that since it proved ineffective at the very beginning of the bullying camping. But Lisa knew things I didn't, knew exactly what these girls were hiding. Slowly, a smile of my own spread across my face as I felt a little more hopeful.

Sophia decided to come in for Emma's rescue. "So little frog Hebert has found herself a 'friend'," Sophia said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Is that your plan here? Be her friend and defend her instead of letting her defend herself?"

"About sums it up," Lisa said with a nod. "I think it is a pretty great plan, all in all."

"Why though?" Some other girl jumped in.

"Yeah, Taylor is soooo ugly," another one added.

"You would do much better on your own," Sophia stated.

"Or with us," Emma suggested, managing to pull herself back together enough to rejoin the conversation.

Lisa snorted at them. "Like you guys are worth hanging out with. Half of you have a different boyfriend each month for no reason other than being able to say you're in a relationship. And the other half are a bunch of tag along trying to get popular in high school as if how people view you here actually matters."

The girls erupted in a mass of angry chatter and insults after that. Lisa looked a little too pleased with herself before taking a bite of her sandwich. As she did so Sophia reached forward to grab it from her when Lisa moved it out of the way at the last second and shot her a smile.

"I wouldn't touch anything of mine," Lisa said without changing her smile once.

"Oh yeah," Sophia questioned dangerously. "And why's that."

"Because someone particular people might get word of your particular talents," Lisa said casually, going in for another bite of her sandwich. This time, Sophia didn't try and take it.

"Hmm, you're looking a little nervous there," Lisa pointed out. I didn't see it, all I saw was that she was incredibly p-p-angry. "I guess you really don't want those people to know what you've done? Who you are?"

Sophia drew back and scowled at her deeply. Lisa's grin widened.

"Oh, you must have done some bad things." I watched Lisa curiously as she continued to chip away at her. I didn't fully understand what she was getting at that was making Sophia so angry, but it was working. Maybe a little too well. "Perhaps, even some illegal acts? Maybe hurt a few people?"

"Stop it," Sophia finally said through clenched teeth.

"Only if you do. Turn around, walk away, don't come back. Let Taylor and I eat our lunch in peace or you know who learns you know what."

Sophia drew a deep breath but didn't say anything. She glared at Lisa and turned around on her heels.

"Come on Emma," was the last thing she got out before leaving out table. About a third of the girls detached away from the group to follow her, the others stood around looking unsure of themselves. A few glanced at two or three people in particular. Next in line, I guessed, in the hierarchy of social supremacy. The trio on top, these girls after that.

Lisa sighed and pointed at each of them in turn as she spoke. "You're boyfriend is cheating on you… again. You steal your mother's makeup because you can't afford your own. You cut yourself on a regular basis. And you've been checking out my ass. That'll be all, have a nice day."

The remaining girls broke apart after that in a flutter of embarrassed and ashamed faces along with a never ending stream of giggling girls saying 'omg' repeatedly.

"Holy crap," I said as soon as they were gone, turning to Lisa. She was taking some very smug bites out of her sandwich. "What was that?"

Lisa chuckled and said, "Taylor, there is nothing more emotionally unstable than a popular teenage girl. Honestly, almost everyone there was so shallow that the things I picked out about them were the only thing to know about them. Except the one checking out my ass, she is just really confused right now. About herself, not my ass."

"And what about that thing with Sophia?" I demanded. "I've never seen her so angry."

"Oh, that?" Lisa asked dismissively. "She is the crossbow vigilante."

"..."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, no one is listening! And besides, every girl there thought I was either talking about drugs or prostitution. And now, you can blackmail her into not being a total psycho bitch."

"I honestly don't know how to respond to this." It was true. What Lisa did was so unimaginably ridiculous I didn't even know where to begin. First, she just alerted a very dangerous vigilant, boarding villain, that she knew who she really was. Which, by extension lead to me knowing. She also put on a massive display of her power, although it was more questionable if that was actually going to come back and bite her at all because of its nature. Then that was all just on a local level, the much larger repercussion of unmasking a cape would tremendous if this ever got out.

But on the other hoof, it was really nice to know I wouldn't be bullied anymore. So maybe it would all be worth it.

"Then don't say anything," Lisa stated with a grin. "I got a few more observations in me before I get a headache and I've been hearing tons of chatter about Hookwolf breaking out. Want to ask around the school and see what else we can find?"

Lisa put on another smile that made me roll my eyes. With a sigh, I opened my mouth and said,

"I guess we could-"

"Students," the school intercom suddenly interrupted. "A city wide cape battle is occurring. The school has been deemed unsafe. Wards are here to ensure your safety as you evacuate the building. If your home is in walking distance please run there and do not leave, for your own safety. If not, a Ward will escort you all to the nearest Endbringer bunker. Please proceed to-"

Friendship bond broken.

I suddenly felt like I was stabbed in the gut with a rusty knife.

Unacceptable

I doubled over and gasped in pain. I felt power flooding my body and I suddenly knew something had happened. I didn't know what or to who, but something happened and I need to get out there and help them.

I looked back up and saw Lisa staring around with wide eyes as people clamored for the doors. She looked back at me and grabbed my left hand tightly.

"Taylor, you're turning white," Lisa said harshly. I swallowed and made sure to repress the change before it could take hold. Lisa pulled me from my seat and pushed me in the direction of the girl's bathroom.

"So glad I snuck my suit into your bags," Lisa muttered.