Being a Ward came with a surprising number of changes.
Some of them were obvious: the costume fittings, the paperwork, the security briefings, and the endless stream of information that seemed determined to occupy every free moment of her day. Other changes were less obvious, hidden behind access clearances and conversations she would never have been included in before.
Information, it turned out, was one of the perks of joining. That was how Halle learned that Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker.
The revelation had come during a briefing so casually that it had taken several seconds for her brain to process it properly. One moment she had been listening to an explanation about operational secrecy and schedule, and the next she was staring at a file with Sophia’s name attached to a familiar black and edgy costume.
For a solid minute, she had simply sat there. Then she looked around to see if anyone else found this as shocking as she did.
Apparently not. Everyone else had either known already or considered it old news.
Halle had eventually managed to recover enough to continue listening, though not without difficulty. Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker. The same Sophia who sat through Naruto’s lessons with her arms crossed and an expression that suggested she would rather be anywhere else. The same Sophia who intimidated her more than she’d ever admit out loud. The same Sophia who had helped bring down the Undersiders at the bank.
That last part made a lot more sense now.
Halle very intentionally refused to dwell on certain other things. There was no point. She knew enough about Sophia’s history at Winslow to understand that the subject led nowhere good. She might have been part of the worst parts of Winslow, but Naruto-sensei’s classes had already forced everyone involved to confront whatever anger or resentment they had in one way or another. Digging it back up now would not accomplish anything except make future interactions awkward.
Besides, she had bigger concerns. For example, figuring out how to survive being a Ward without making a complete fool of herself.
Fortunately, she had not been left to navigate that alone. Sophia, surprisingly enough, had proven helpful.
They had worked together in Naruto’s classes before, paired off for exercises often enough that Halle knew Sophia was reliable once training started. She listened when it mattered, took instructions seriously, and never abandoned a teammate during drills.
Apparently, that extended to Ward's business as well.
“Don’t walk into the headquarters with me.”
Halle blinked at her. “What?”
The older girl rolled her eyes. “You’re publicly known now.”
They were standing outside the PRT building after one of Halle’s early orientation sessions. Sophia had appeared seemingly from nowhere, dressed casually enough that nobody would connect her to Shadow Stalker.
“People watch this place,” Sophia continued. “Most of them are idiots, but some aren’t. If we keep showing up together, eventually somebody will start asking questions.”
Halle frowned. “But everyone knows we’re in Naruto-sensei’s class.”
“Yeah.”
“Everyone knows we’re friends.”
Sophia’s expression flattened. “You’re using the word ‘friend’ pretty generously.”
Halle ignored that. “So what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that people don’t need extra information.”
Sophia crossed her arms. “They know we’re in the same class. Great. Let them know only that. The smart ones form connections out of small stuff.”
It had been annoying advice at the time. A week later, Halle grudgingly admitted Sophia had been right. Again. It happened often enough that she was starting to wonder if Sophia enjoyed being right. She’d deny it, of course.
But the changes did not stop with Wards training or security precautions. School had changed too, and that part remained the strangest.
For years, Halle had been content fading into the background. The idea of drawing attention to herself had always seemed exhausting. It was easier to keep her headphones on and let the rest of the world continue without her.
Now people approached her, a lot. Some still wanted to ask about the bank robbery. Others wanted to know what being a Ward was like. A few were simply curious. Many just wanted to talk.
She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with all the attention. She wasn’t sure she ever would be. There were still days when she wanted to hide behind her headphones and pretend nobody could see her, and there were still conversations she escaped from at the earliest opportunity.
But there were other moments too. Moments where she caught herself laughing with people she barely knew. Moments where classmates waved when they passed her in the hall. Moments where she realized she was making plans with friends instead of spending every evening by herself.
Those moments still caught her off guard sometimes. For a long time, she had told herself she preferred being alone. Looking back, she wasn’t sure that had ever been true, or if she had simply been afraid. Not anymore. Or at least, not as much.
Mr. Calvert had been right about that.
Halle stood outside Winslow after school, watching students pour through the front doors as sunlight painted long shadows across the parking lot. Conversations drifted around her, filled with laughter, and plans for the weekend.
For a moment, she simply listened. Then she smiled.
The expression came easier than it used to.
A month ago, she would have been wearing her headphones. A month ago, she would have been looking for the fastest route home. A month ago, she would have avoided every bit of attention now surrounding her.
Her gaze drifted upward toward the sky as she reached up, her fingers brushing the worn plastic of the headphones resting around her neck lightly.
A familiar ache settled in her chest, gentler than it used to be. Less overwhelming.
She thought about her dad, about the gift he had given her, and about the girl she had been after he died. Then she thought about the girl who had jumped from a ceiling because her mum was in danger.
The smile grew before she could stop it.
Somewhere, she hoped he would be proud of her. And for once, she didn’t immediately doubt it.