Walking down an alley in Brockton Bay was usually a good way to get kidnapped, assaulted, robbed, mugged, or beaten. If you were lucky, it was only one of the things on that list.

Walking down an alley in Brockton Bay with what were essentially three capes, none of which were even trying to disguise their powers was an entirely different experience.

Crochet was at Taylor’s right, one hand gripping hers while she focused on the pile of clothes floating before her. Needles were already slipping in and out of something that was, to Taylor’s growing worry, getting rather large.

She would have complained about the theft, but they were already running away from a crime scene. At some point allowances had to be made.

Cheshire had Taylor’s other hand in hers and was bouncing on the spot as if eager to run ahead. Taylor had a response on the tip of her tongue to call her back, but so far the girl seemed satisfied to hold Taylor’s hand.

The new girl, and Taylor knew that she had to find a name soon, was popping in and out of existence. She would appear at the end of the streets they were walking down, or on nearby rooftops. Always in places where it was difficult to see her until her clone collapsed to dust.

“Hey!” Taylor called out as they neared the end of the alleyway.

With a pop, the girl appeared before Taylor, head tilted back to look at her. Her expression was still as cold and flat as it ever was. “Yes, Onee-sama?”

“Do you mind staying close to us for a bit?” she asked. “I don’t want anyone spotting you. And I’d like to know where you are.”

“As you wish, Onee-sama.”

Taylor stuck her head out of the alleyway and looked both ways. Other than a police car that disappeared around a distant intersection, there wasn’t anything out of place. She turned to take in her sisters. Cheshire was as conspicuous as ever in her onesie, but people might just ignore that with her age.

The new girl’s outfit was... bizarre. She was also carrying a knife that, to scale, might as well have been a short sword, but she looked normal enough. The problem was the mass of cloth floating next to Crochet. That would definitely have alarm bells ringing.

“Crochet, sweetie, could you maybe hide all that?” Taylor asked.

Crochet looked up from her work, the needles never pausing in their stitching. “I’m nearly done, Big Sis, but if you want me to stop, I will.”

“Done with what, exactly?” Taylor asked.

Crochet hummed, then focused harder on her work. The needles flew faster for a moment, and then the entire thing flipped inside out. It was a bunny. A giant bunny that was, with its long floppy ears sticking out, as tall as Crochet.

The bunny landed on its big padded feet, then shook its bum as if testing its balance. “It’s done!” Crochet announced with a small smile that she directed right at Taylor.

“‘S kinda cute,” Cheshire admitted with some reluctance. She reached out and patted the bunny between the ears before the plushie smacked her hand away.

“Don’t touch Miss Cottontail. She’s clean and pure and you’ll infect her with your stupid,” Crochet said.

Cheshire gasped and turned a glare onto Crochet. She looked like she was going to attack the shorter girl, but Miss Cottontail hopped between the two and spread her arms out wide.

“I ain’t scared of your bunny,” Cheshire said.

The bunny’s paws flexed and the sharp ends of scissors poked through like razor-tipped claws.

“Meh, so what?” Cheshire added.

Mis Cottontail opened her mouth, revealing an entire sewing set’s worth of needles set in a perfectly round mouth, all of them spinning around in tight little circles like the inside of a blender. Crochet huffed at her bigger sister. "Bunny bites back, bitch."

"Crochet!" Taylor said.

The girl flinched, eyes downcast and hands coming up to twiddle together above her tummy. "Sorry. It was an alliteration. I couldn't resist."

Taylor shook her head and tried to get her thoughts in line. “Can you lift... Miss Cottontail, Crochet? We’re trying to be discreet here.”

“I can,” Crochet said. With some reluctance she let go of Taylor’s hand and picked up the bunny plushie, tucking it under her arm so that its legs dangled behind her, then got a hold of Taylor’s hand again.

“Right, Cheshire, Crochet... new girl, stay close. Act casual,” Taylor said.

Still holding onto her two little sisters, Taylor walked onto the road and turned in the direction of home. She had planned on walking all the way back, but was now considering taking the bus. A bus she could afford with the wallets of those three thugs burning a hole in her pocket.

“You are very tense, Onee-sama,” the new girl said.

Taylor made a conscious effort to relax. “You’re right. We should talk. Um. We should find you a name. I can’t keep calling you ‘new girl’ in my head, it’s rude.”

“If Onee-sama wishes.”

Cheshire hummed. “We should call her something that starts with the letter C.”

“For more alliterations?” Crochet said. She didn’t sound averse to the idea. “Maybe, but it could be something else too.”

“Nah, I’ve got plenty of ideas,” Cheshire said before turning halfway around to flash the new girl a devilish smile. “Names like Crap, and Cheap and Crybaby and Cun--”

“Cheshire!” Taylor said. “Don’t be mean to your new sister. You’re the oldest, you should be setting the example here.”

“If she is inadequate, I can remove her for you, Onee-sama.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Taylor said. But the look she gave Cheshire said ‘yet.’ “Your powers allow you to teleport, right?”

“They do, Onee-sama.”

“Maybe something like... Port?” Taylor tried.

“‘Cause you want to plug somethin’ into her?” Cheshire asked.

Taylor felt the blood drain out of her face. “Not that then. How about... Pop?”

“Poppu?” the new girl repeated. It sounded so innocent and, frankly, cute, that Taylor almost missed a step. “This is acceptable.”

Taylor grinned, finally feeling far more relaxed. “Good. Pop it is. My third littlest sister after Cheshire and Crochet. I like it.” She placed a hand on Pop’s head and rubbed it a little. Pop closed her eyes and pushed into Taylor’s hand.

“Thank you for the name, Onee-sama. I will wear the title of Poppu with pride.”