Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When she first woke up, Jess thought she was on a boat.

Her body felt as if she was rocking back and forth, and her mind still had the fuzziness of sleep hanging on with a deathgrip. Voices around her sounded far away and yet very close by, like someone was talking nearby and trying not to wake her up. She tried to reach her hand up to scratch at an itch on her face, but it felt like she’d fallen asleep on them and…

“—should have grabbed the other guy, too.” Someone said, their English rough and accented in a way she couldn’t seem to identify. Jess managed to pry her eyes open a little, expecting bright lights and finding only darkness. Something rough brushed against her cheek. “Big guy like that ain’t gonna do shit when we’ve got his little sister or whatever with a knife to her throat.”

Someone replied in…Japanese? Maybe Chinese, it was hard to tell with her head swimming. 

Swimming made her think of boats again, and she remembered the ferry.

It had been when they were getting off Route 93 into Charlestown that she first spotted it. Well, actually Oliver had seen it and told Jess, his eyes flicking at Cody as if afraid that the other boy would tease him for being excited. Cody had been getting harder and harder to deal with these last few months, and so she took one for the team and informed the others of the beautiful sight. 

A glittering sea, people happily milling about on a wharf, and a huge beautiful boat. They’d been on the move so long, a year and change since they’d left Madison. The idea of taking it easy and just floating along was something that Jess suddenly loved, despite their situation.

So a few days later, while Krouse was off making a deal with the local crime lord and Cody was sleeping off another booze-session, Jess had rallied the others to go on a field trip. It would just be for a few hours, and they decided to go in pairs for safety. After all, they were dimensional fugitives and super-powered mercenaries, so it always felt like they were being watched.

One of their neighbors especially seemed really nosey, but maybe that was just paranoia.

That morning Jess and Luke were the big winners, while the other two had chores to do. Mars had to visit the butcher to get Noelle’s food, while Oliver was going to keep an eye on Cody. He had a new hangover remedy to try, having been studying medical stuff as of late. 

The ferry wasn’t too far away, and for the first time in months the two of them were just…normal. They got hotdogs from a little stand, talked about video games they saw in a nearby shop, and enjoyed being able to get away from it all for a bit. Then they reached the ferry, and Luke said—

Things got sort of fuzzy there, and Jess moaned a little as she felt the world shift around her. Her head was starting to hurt, and something was keeping her from reaching up to rub her temples. There was a pinch at her wrists, like something was holding them together.

Trying to focus, Jess dimly remembered Luke heading to the bathroom after they got their tickets, while she waited on the wharf. She was approached by a cute couple and found herself stuck as they started talking to her. Both had come here for their honeymoon, and after a minute started begging her to take their picture in front of the van that had carried them so far.

She saw Luke chatting with a cute Asian girl in the bathroom line, and so Jess decided that it couldn’t hurt to be social. She happily agreed, as if to prove to herself that she could be normal as well, following the pair to a rather beat-up van. It had a rather ugly dragon painted on it.

Yan had posed with her husband Jay, the petite woman‘s nose ring glinting in the sun as she lectured him about slouching. They were such a cute couple, and Jess felt a little jealous at how beautiful Yan looked in her red dress and green scarf. Much more impressive than Jess in her jeans and sweater, taken from a homeless shelter by Francis “Can’t Risk Being Seen” Krouse.

Perhaps Yan had noticed how Jess’ mood was a bit soured after the picture, because she insisted on rewarding their photographer with a gift. Not taking no for an answer, she’d wheeled Jess closer as Jay popped open the side door of the van and…

Jess felt pain in her skull as the boat rolled, the sound of a horn that would have fit better on a car, and someone nearby swearing in Japanese. There was a lump on her head, one that was pressing against the floor every time she shifted, sending waves of pain through her skull.

The headache hurt, but was also familiar. Something about hitting her head…

No, that wasn’t right. There’s been a sense of panic…then pain…

As she’d been turning to tell Yan that she really had to go, Jay stepped closer. Suddenly his hand was over her mouth and Yan was unbuckling her chair, both dragging Jess into the van as she struggled furiously. They easily overpowered her, and the van’s engine rumbled to life.

Just as they got her inside she managed to bite Jay, and he squeezed even harder in response.

He’d said something she couldn’t understand, and then her head slammed into—

The world had gone dark, and she’d dreamed of the ferry.

But now she had woken up to a nightmare.

“Fuck my life.” Jess muttered, as all the pieces finally fell into place. Some two-bit criminals had kidnapped her right off the wharf. She was tied up in the back of a van, with a bag over her head. Sighing, she called out, “Hello? I think there’s been a mistake!”

“Only mistake I made was not hitting her harder.” Jay’s voice made Jess frown, and whatever he said next was cut off by a slap. Someone giggled as he grumbled in response. The laugh sounded familiar, but Jess was finding it hard to concentrate with everything going on.

“Yeah, but you’re the one who insisted we pay your cousin a visit, and take the long way back. Coulda been home hours ago, if not for that.” Jay lowered his voice, but she still heard him ask, “Want me to dose her with the bottle again? We’ve got plenty. Beats hearing her whine…”

“Shouldn’t have used in first place.” This was a new voice, one with such a thick accent that Jess could barely make out what he was saying. This was probably the van’s driver, and as he kept talking she could feel the vehicle shifting a bit. “Saw it online…can mix with head injuries bad and cause brain damage. Here, I found pictures, very disgusting. Let me pull over, and—”

“God, Sugita, you Google the weirdest crap. I’ll handle it, you just keep your eyes on the road.” Yan’s voice was younger than the other two, and was accompanied by vibrations as the woman shuffled towards Jess. She felt hands grabbing her, as if to keep from falling over in the moving van, and then Yan straddled Jess. “Let’s have a chat, Jessie. Not that you have a choice.”

Jess decided that Yan would be the first to feel her wrath, just as soon as she got enough of a charge to manifest something. Unfortunately, being knocked out had drained her power, so that might have to wait a while. Also, maybe until they weren’t in a moving vehicle or whatever. 

“First, let me get a look at those scared little eyes.” The bag was ripped off her head, Jess wincing as the hand pulled a few hairs out with it. Yan leaned in, grinning like she had a new toy and no concept of personal space. Her bright purple eyeshadow stood out in sharp contrast to her dark hair, and she whispered,  “Bet you wish you’d gone to get the tickets, huh Jessie ?”

Yep, definitely going for Yan first.

“Listen, you don’t know what you’re messing with here. When my friends find out that you’ve done this, they’re going to hurt you. Just let me go, and nobody has to get—” Jess’ attempt to save the idiot’s life was cut off as Yan slapped her across the face. Her head rocked to the side, letting her see out the windshield. There was a tall, unfamiliar building, and…where was she?

“That’s exactly why we’re talking. See, you don’t seem to understand the way things work.” Yan grabbed Jess’ auburn braid and pulled sharply, wrenching Jess back to face her. Yan leaned in closer, breath hot on Jess’ ear as she whispered. “People like us, we’re normal and powerless, so we have to be smart. Like kidnapping the crippled friend of a bunch of capes, and using her as a bargaining chip. We get some new capes, and you get to keep on living. Got it?”

“C-capes? What are—” Jess let out a howl of pain as Yan pulled again. “Please, stop!”

“Then stop trying to bullshit me! My cousin Jun called me up a few days ago, saying a couple of suspicious folks had rolled into town outta nowhere. One dude was the size of Manpower, another looked like he could be a model, and still another was some kinda huge monster cape centaur lady.” With every word, Jess felt the blood drain from her face. Yan’s cousin must have seen them arriving and realized that their group was dangerous. “So I got an idea...”

“Actually, it was my idea.” Jay piped up from the front of the car, and Yan threw such a glare at her husband that he flinched. Jess used the interruption as the pair started bickering to look out the windshield. They were taking a confusing route between run-down buildings and warehouses, and she tried to spot landmarks she could use later on.

Still, hearing them argue about the plan meant that she didn’t have to put up with Yan’s horrible attempts at intimidation and theatrics. It turned out their plan was as simple as it was stupid.

Essentially, she was being kidnapped by a bunch of small-time crooks who thought she was just a weak little loser that hung out with a bunch of capes. They were in for a rude awakening when Krouse and the others found out. Especially since Yan’s cousin had been at the wharf, trying to distract Luke with her “feminine wiles.” He was probably already on his way to save—

“—doesn’t matter whose plan it was! Jun tricked Jessie’s big dumb friend into getting on the ferry, and we’re already back in Brockton. Home free!” Jess cursed inwardly as the lover’s spat came to an end. It looked like the only choice she had was just play along and bide her time.

She just wished the part she was playing wasn’t that of a damsel in distress.

Or that she knew what the fuck a “Brockton” was.

“I-I’m so so-sorry!” Jess stuttered, shaking like a leaf as Yan turned back to face her. She saw a drop of suspicion, but it was quickly overcome by a bucket of overconfidence. “P-p-please don’t hurt me! I’ll d-do whatever you want!”

Despite being such a terrible actor that she’d never been picked to play anything but a tree, Jess somehow convinced the trio that she was truly scared senseless. She whined, begged, and whimpered all the way into the hideout, managing some tears from biting her own tongue.

Yan ate it up, mocking Jess’ voice and insulting her the whole way. It actually hurt more than the girl’s occasional slaps, because it reminded Jess that without her team she was incredibly vulnerable. This whole experience was pretty humbling, honestly.

Luckily, they eventually arrived at their gang’s hideout. Jay tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, and they carried her in through the double doors. Inside, she saw…

About a dozen upside-down people with guns and knives, lounging on chairs, couches, and crates. They were all wearing the same gang colors.

Hold up, was this gang’s color scheme red and green? 

Were they seriously Christmas-themed ?

That was just…wow. What the fuck?

Earth Bet was messed up.

Pretending to be scared, Jess put her meager Japanese skills (thanks to her father being a huge anime nerd) to work trying to gather information. It helped that Yan seemed to be the de-facto leader of this hideout, so everyone wanted to speak to her.

From the sound of it, their gang was going through some restructuring at the moment, their cape boss having been arrested by the Protectorate a few days earlier. Their two remaining capes had split up to recruit people for a big attack they were planning on the PRT. One of them was some kind of mad bomber lady that sounded vaguely familiar, and the other was…Devil? Oni? 

Either way, Yan’s little trio had told the guy about her hot tip, and had been given a few people to pull off the kidnapping. Their gang had a chance to more than triple the number of capes in the ABB overnight, if things actually went according to plan.

Jess had no idea what ABB stood for, but was pretty sure it was incredibly stupid.

Probably something like Angry Bullet Boys or Awesome Brockton Badasses .

Why were so many gangs on Bet named by edgy teenagers?

It wasn’t long before she found herself being dumped on a moldy bed in a back room, a boarded up window her only source of entertainment. Being put on a bed, as well as Sugita’s creepy stare, had her worried. Especially since the gang members out there had been mostly men.

It must have shown on her face, because Yan patted Jess on the head like some kind of pet. “Don’t worry sweetie, nobody’s gonna be knocking an uggo like you up. Just get some rest while we fetch a special phone, so we can call your friends without them tracking us down. We’ll be back in a few hours, so just rest your skinny little legs…there’s a big day ahead for you!”

The heavy metal door slammed behind them, and then it was finally quiet.

There were a lot of emotions swirling through Jess, and she took a few minutes to calm herself. Last thing she wanted was to form a nightmare creature. What she needed was to blend in.

Once she was sure they were gone, Jess activated her power.

A few miles away, a blurry figure appeared atop the building she’d spotted from the van. 

It soon refined into a form with short red hair, glasses, athletic wear, and half as many freckles. It was Jess, except more of an idealized version of herself, and the glasses were just for show. Like this, she could run a three-minute mile, had awesome reflexes, and was a badass.

Cody had called this form Jest , saying it was her “best self,” and much as she hated the implication that her usual body was inferior…she found herself using it. Not just the name, but also the body between jobs, so she could scout and interact with the world more easily.

Despite her excellent vision, looking around revealed what she’d feared…

“I have no idea where I am.” Jest muttered, adjusting her glasses and sighing. She was still in a coastal city, but this looked nothing like any part of Boston she’d seen so far. It had that same strange architecture that all Earth Bet cities seemed to have, but this place seemed more…run down. “Maybe they got hit by Leviathan? That would explain all those busted boats.”

She seemed to be in a metropolitan area, and looking around nearby she could make out quite a few people despite it being well into the afternoon. First she’d gather information, then get some change, and finally use a payphone to call the others for her rescue.

“Okay, let’s do this!” Jest grinned, and then accidentally ripped the roof’s door off its hinges.

Whoops. Forgot how much stronger Jest was than Jess.

“Okay, low profile, starting now .”

“Because we need to keep a low profile for this, sorry. Maybe if it wasn’t Charlestown.” Faultline gently explained, her voice slightly less stern than he expected. Before Newter could move onto his next point, she added, “Besides, I thought you said meetings like this were ‘insanely boring.’”

“That doesn’t sound like me at all .” Newter pouted, lying through his teeth as Emily snorted from the couch. She’d finished her homeschooling earlier and was deep into some new video game. Newter searched his mind, trying to recall the phrases Gregor had helped him come up with for such situations. “I just think that it would be a good idea for me to expand my…knowledge base. Going on a ride-along like this would be a valuable learning experience for me, boss.”

Melanie actually seemed to consider that for a moment, and Newter felt his heart speed up a little. Lately he’d been trying to show her that he was more than just a handsome, stealthy, master of espionage and martial arts. But for some reason, every plan he suggested got turned down and every attempt at improvising ended with him getting chewed out.

That was why he’d been so elated a few minutes ago, when Melanie and Gregor joined them to say that they had a lead on a new Case 53. The pair were headed to Boston where she’d been spotted, so Newter figured now was as good a time as any to try and expand his repertoire.

He’d offered to come along, framing it as an opportunity for personal growth. 

Newter watched Melanie’s hand as she tapped her chin in thought, hoping that it would soon be clapping him on the shoulder instead of pushing him away. Not that she could really do either physically, with the way his powers worked, but it was the thought that counted.

Thoughts like those were all he had, sometimes.

Sure, Emily hugged him from time to time, but the fact that she had to wear what amounted to a hazard suit made it feel so unnatural. Mel sometimes clapped him on the shoulder, as did Elle, but only wearing gloves. Even Gregor gooped up before shaking his hand, and it just felt weird.

He tried not to think about other kinds of contact. The girls who visited the nightclub offered all kinds of things, but Gregor had warned him that even a kiss could knock them out for hours.

So Newter just had to find joy in other ways, like exploring the city at night.

He’d tried dressing up in a disguise, like those guys in the Ninja Turtle movies, but still had to be careful when coming in contact with people. That constant fear of being discovered, stared at, mocked, or even hunted was something that had never gone away. Maybe it never would.

A few weeks ago, Newter had gone to Gregor for advice, and been told that the more respect he had for himself, the weaker such feelings would seem in comparison. Normally he ignored psychobabble like that, but lately he’d started to wonder if the man had a point.

From there he’d gone to Emily, probably one of the most confident people his own age that he knew, and she’d had a wealth of ideas. Chat groups, hangouts with a few of her friends, and even a few opportunities to show off his skills at a skatepark and climbing buildings to tag them.

But he wanted more than just the awe of some teens and B-List rogues. 

Newter wanted to feel like he mattered.

Which was why he was so disappointed when Melanie finally turned him down. She must have seen how dejected he got, because she tried to cheer him up by putting him in charge. With that came the ever-important duty of watching the Red Line in her office, which she left unlocked.

The Red Line was what she called the special phone that most of their outside jobs came in on. It had some kind of tinker magic in it that altered their voices a little, and made it impossible for people to track them. They’d taken calls from the PRT, Red Hand, Folk, Ambassadors, Golden Dragons, and more on that phone, played back later via the built-in recording device.

His pleasure at being given such responsibility lasted a few hours. 

According to Gregor’s medical opinion, Newter was physically in his “late teens,” but it wasn’t like Case 53 science was a definitive thing. The older man spouted a lot of philosophical stuff, but eventually shrugged and said Newter was as old as he felt. 

That was such an old person thing to say, despite Gregor claiming to be in his twenties.

Then again, he also said, “We’re all immortal until someone proves us wrong.”

Either way, the fact that Newter got bored so quickly told him he was still young at heart, and so he wandered off to find something else to do. Newter tried reading, watched some TV, chatted with Elle about random nonsense, and finally started pacing near Emily. She was playing some kind of game that involved a strange-looking guy with blond spiky hair and a giant sword. 

Emily tried to explain the story to him, but it made no sense at all. He figured it was because this was the seventh game in the series, but she just laughed and then went back to the game. He attempted to read the newspaper like Gregor always did, but it only made him more bored.

Eventually the fire-spitting cape blew up at him. “Okay, please stop sighing so much! I’d have thought you’d be glad you didn’t have to go along on a business trip, why’re you so sad?”

“Sorry, I just don’t get why Mel keeps shutting me down like that. She wants me to prove I can be responsible and capable in the field, but then refuses to let me go into the field! I even offered to go on patrol and map out the local gang territories, but she said it was a bad idea.”

“Of course it was a bad idea.” Emily looked confused, as if he was joking. “ Seriously? ”

“Yes! The ABB has been going nuts ever since Lung got arrested by Armsmaster a few days ago, and the E88 is running around trying to snatch up his territory. Plus, I’ve heard rumors that Coil’s people are going around kidnapping folks from the Docks. How is scouting a bad idea?”

“Dude, because you’re bright orange and have a tail.” Emily gestured at him, and Newter glared at her. She stared back, then paused her game and slapped her forehead. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…it’s not because you’re Case 53. I just mean that you’re stealthiest when people aren’t looking at you, but once they do you’re literally a blazing traffic cone that’s impossible to miss.”

“Fine, then she could have told me to wear a bodysuit or something!” He shouted, frustration building up until it burst out of him like a jet of water from a cracked fireplug. Emily recoiled, dropping her controller, and he held up both hands. “Sorry. I’m not mad at you, I just…”

“You just what ?”

“I just feel so useless .” He sighed, slumping a little. “It seems like all I ever do is follow Mel’s orders. 99% of the time, those orders are ‘go over there and lick that dude.’ It’s driving me nuts!”

“That sucks…and not just because you don’t know where that dude ’s been.” He glanced up to see a smirk on Emily’s face, and couldn’t help but match it. She got up from the couch, slipping on one of her gloves and patting him on the shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’m always getting told to burn shit, so I get where you’re coming from. I guess we just have to trust that Melanie knows that and will let us do more when she’s ready. Even if it’s taking forever to get there.”

“Great, so our only options are either waiting…or waiting.” She punched him in the shoulder, and he faked a wince before laughing and holding out his fist. “Thanks for the pep-talk, Em.”

“Anytime, Newt.” She bumped his fist, then peeled off the glove and went back to her game. “I’m gonna finish this dungeon, and then try to play a board game with Elle, you wanna join us?”

“Eh, maybe in a bit. I promised I’d keep an eye on the phone, so maybe I’ll try burning off some of this excess energy on Mel’s treadmill.” He rolled his shoulders, heading back to the office.

“Just make sure you wipe your sweat off when you’re done this time. I don’t need another accidental drug trip when I’m trying to get my steps in. Hey, did you hear me? Newter?”

He very deliberately didn’t answer her, but made certain to grab some towels on his way out.

As he jogged on the treadmill, glancing at the phone every now and then, Newter couldn’t help but feel like the exercise machine was like…an allegory for his life.

He just kept running, but no matter how fast he went, he wasn’t getting anywhere.

But if he tried to go backwards, he’d probably get hurt.

So he kept running.

“Hey, get back here!”

“Nope, sorry!” Jest called over her shoulder, running considerably faster than the man she’d just mugged. This body was at least capable of Olympic-level feats, and after failing to get some change for a payphone she’d finally given up on being nice. So she’d walked up to the first person she could find who had a phone and snatched it out of his hand. “Have a nice day!”

Frankly, this was a victimless crime, because judging from how fancy the guy had been dressed, he was rich as hell. He’d also had two blonde supermodels with him, so she was pretty sure he was either a rich playboy or a weasel who hired bodyguards for their bodies more than anything. 

They were even twins, which was just…all kinds of creepy in both cases.

Just for added privacy, Jest headed down a random alley and hopped up to grab a fire escape. She easily pulled herself up with one arm, sprinting up to the rooftop and rolling over the parapet to wait. A minute passed, then another, and when no sirens or capes could be heard she knew she was in the clear. That, or they were being really sneaky about this.

Despite her relative safety, she still made the call lying down.

“Wow, the guy doesn’t even lock his phone.” She snickered, searching her memory for Krouse’s number and dialing it. Luckily they’d all bought the same batch of burner phones, so if she couldn’t reach him then she just had to increase the number by one and get Luke. “Let’s see, how to explain this…what can I say that will make everyone as not-angry as possible?”

Jest wasn’t looking forward to the teasing she’d get from Cody, nor the lectures from Krouse. Oliver would just stare at her with that little brother look he always did, and quietly offer to teach her more self-defense. Noelle would sigh, Luke would sigh louder, and Mars would hug her.

As much as she missed her family, her old life, and home…Jest knew that the others wouldn’t be all that angry. They’d be just as worried about her as she’d be if they’d been nabbed.

After pondering for a few more careful seconds, she shrugged and hit the call button.

It was a waste of time to think up wild excuses or worry about hypotheticals.

Her friends always had her back, no matter what.

Krouse’s phone rang through to voicemail, but then he’d had a meeting with Accord today. Jest left a message that she was okay and the warehouse’s address in Brockton Bay. Luke’s phone also went to voicemail, but he had a bad habit of forgetting to recharge it, the goof.

It was when Mars, Oliver, and Noelle’s phones all went to voicemail that she started to get worried. Hands shaking a little from nerves and more than a bit of fear, Jest dialed Cody’s phone and waited, afraid to even breathe as it rang…

“Yes?” The voice that answered wasn’t Cody’s, and for a moment Jest wasn’t sure what to say. It had a carefully measured cadence, as if he was reading from a script. “I can think of three people who would call this number, none of whom I wish to speak to right now. You have five seconds to identify yourself before I destroy this phone. Five, four…”

“No! Please wait!” Jest blurted out, hearing a scratching noise from the other end of the phone. “I was trying to reach my friend Co—Perdition! This is Genesis. Some people kidnapped me and I need help, please don’t destroy the phone! Can you put one of the Travelers on, please?”

“I see.” There was more scratching from the other end, and it took her a moment to realize that he was writing while talking to her. “Your timing is atrocious . Had you called a few hours earlier you might have reached your team. But now they are all gone.”

“What?” Despite her form making her tougher and stronger than normal, Jest felt ice rush through her veins. “What are you…what are you saying? What do you mean, gone?”

“Gone. No longer present. Absent. Departed. Much like you went away, so too have they.” A hint of humor crept into his voice, remaining long enough to make it obvious that he was not one for jokes. “You call yourselves the Travelers after all. I’m surprised this is a shock to you.”

“Of course it’s a shock! They would never just up and… abandon me!” Jest tried her best not to scream at the man despite his relative disinterest in her plight. She labored to get her breathing under control, and numbly asked, “Just who are you, anyway? How do you know all this?”

“I am Accord.” It was a simple statement, but she found herself unable to respond. Based on the stories Krouse had told, and what they’d heard from other capes, he was dangerous. “As for how I know, to put it simply, I was the one who arranged their travel . They caused quite a bit of chaos and destruction, but luckily they were worth more alive to me than dead. Barely .”

Jest was silent, months spent with Krouse and Cody had taught her the sound of someone who loved the sound of their own voice. Without even a word from her, Accord began to tell a tale. 

That morning, an hour after she’d left the apartment with Luke, Cody had woken up and decided to engage in his favorite pastime: being a piece of shit. After tormenting Oliver so much that he’d run off to call Mars for help, Cody had decided to visit Noelle and have a chat. 

It was not a productive discussion, to say the least, but quite a few things came from it.

Clones. 

Clones came from it.

Also, judging by the hole in the wall, Noelle had rampaged when she realized what she’d done.

“There were no dental records to compare to, nor fingerprints on file anywhere, but your team confirmed that the mangled body we found in the apartment did indeed belong to Perdition.” Accord let a bit of annoyance creep into his voice, and took a deep breath. “Your absence, as well as that of Ballistic, forced Sundancer and Oliver to flee and beg for my assistance.”

Accord’s Ambassadors were far more skilled than Jest’s team, and a pair of them captured Noelle while the others turned the situation to Accord’s advantage. Apparently he’d had a plan for “rampaging clones and a Noelle,” pinning the blame on a rival called Blaster, or something.

Unfortunately, the situation still disrupted his business for the day, as well as causing Boston to be locked down temporarily by the PRT while matters were sorted out. One of his people had even been locked outside the city, forced to stay at a roadside motel . 

The disgust dripping from Accord’s voice would have made her laugh, if it wasn’t for the place his story went a moment later. He started to talk about how he’d chosen to punish her friends…

Jest was certain that this would be when Accord told her the brutal details of his revenge, having heard from Krouse about the man’s reputation. Supposedly he’d sent assassins after a man who peed on his toilet seat, so she could only imagine what clones and a lockdown led to.

But instead, his tone turned oddly cheerful, leaving her utterly confused at where this was going.

“While I generally snuff out agents of chaos and disorder, their particular brand of destruction was oddly useful in eliminating some…annoyances in my town. Thus, I decided to continue the trend and offered to send them to some business associates rather than be killed outright.”

She was barely listening as he talked about some of the things he’d gotten for trading away her friends’ lives. At some point he seemed to catch onto her disinterest, or perhaps grew bored with her lack of praise for his business acumen. Annoyed, he skipped to the end of the tale.

“Sundancer and Ballistic are in Russia, where a client of mine has been looking into alternative means of power generation. Oliver is now owned by the Elite; they’ll use him as they please. Finally, Trickster and his monster girlfriend are in the care of the Chinese Union-Imperial. They paid quite handsomely for the pair, especially once they learned of her rather unique abilities.”

Accord went silent, and she waited for him to continue. To offer to ship her out to one of the groups, or to rescue her for some exorbitant price. No matter what, she would take it. She already felt horrible, knowing they’d suffered so much because she’d gone sightseeing.

But Accord was done talking, and merely wrote in the background as she waited.

The penny finally dropped.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jest felt her form shudder, as if she was so emotionally hurt that she was dissolving from sheer horror. Or perhaps her time was just running low. “What am I supposed to do now? I need someone to save me, and my friends are just…gone! How—”

“Do you realize how lucky you are, girl?” Accord interrupted, scorn creeping into his voice as Jest stared at the phone in shock. “By being kidnapped you were spared the same fate as your idiotic teammates. You can make your own way, free of their chaotic influence and a prisoner only to your own foibles once you free yourself from your more literal one. Save yourself. ” 

Jest almost dropped the phone, and Accord continued to prattle on as she centered herself.

“—according to Trickster, you have a versatile power. It should be a simple matter to break yourself out, and find work with anyone you please. I might even consider hiring you, once my city opens up again and you are properly trained.” Accord sounded like he was flipping through some papers. “I’ve penned you in for next Tuesday at 3. Until then, I wish you luck. Good day.”

“Wait!” Her voice rasped, as if it had been years since she last spoke rather than mere moments. She sniffled, wiping her eyes with a blurry arm and pleading as if the supervillain could see her. “I’ve got…nothing! Nobody! Please, can’t you help me, even a bit?”

“I suppose I do have a minute or so of spare time, if these calculations work out...” 

She heard more scratching, and prayed that whatever calculations he was doing worked out in her favor. He muttered more about Blaster and somewhere called East Allston being ‘ripe for the taking’ before sighing. Someone in the background spoke, and it sounded like a woman’s voice. 

“Excellent, thank you Citrine.” He sounded pleased, then all the mirth bled out of his voice. “Now then, I suppose if you survive it may benefit me someday, and you will owe me. Tell me your situation and powers, and I will give you a plan. You have sixty-four seconds. Go.”

“Sixty-four seconds? Are you fuc—”

“Sixty seconds. Unless you really do wish to save yourself?”

“F-fine…um…I’ve been kidnapped by the ABB, and I’m in Brockton Bay by the docks. They want to call my friends and use me as a hostage, b-but I d-don’t have friends anymore and I project forms but my original is defenseless and don’t have anywhere to hide or anyone to—”

Her breath was coming in labored pants as she rattled off everything she could remember about the guards, her location, and how her powers worked. Accord’s pen scratched so quickly in the background that she wondered if he was writing with both hands at once.

“ Stop. ” She stopped, his voice sounding as sharp as a nun’s ruler slapping a wooden desk. Krouse hadn’t really been sure how his power worked, but apparently he was some kind of master planner. “Here is what you will do. Listen carefully.”

One minute later, Jess was staring at the rooftop, Accord having hung up moments earlier. She had written a few words and a string of numbers by pushing her finger into the stone. It was a very odd plan, and depended on a lot of stuff going right.

Judging by the last few minutes, today had been going wrong since she woke up.

Her power was fading fast, and in mere moments her form would vanish. There was no telling when she might next find a phone, so she had to commit every little detail to memory.

As the last bits of her power ran out and the world began to blur, Jest threw out a silent prayer.

Then Jess was back in the ABB hideout, lying on a moldy bed again.

She felt so weak, so cold, and most of all so…

Alone.

Even if Jess made a new body and saved herself, she had nowhere to go. Nobody to trust.

Hopelessness began to set in, and she curled into a ball as she finally broke down.

But when the ABB came for her, she was done crying and ready to fight back.

She took their special phone and dialed the number Accord had given her.

He’d said there was a group in town that was neither hero nor villain.

Mercenary capes, far more experienced than her team had been.

Accord had called them… Faultline’s Crew .

Chapter Text

“Fine. I’ll pay . But know this…I will have my revenge !” Newter glared at his opponent, the blonde barely batting an eye as he growled at her. This would almost ruin him, and he got the distinct feeling she barely cared. “Here’s your blood money, you monster . I hope you choke on it.”

“Geez, Newt. Take it down a notch, it’s just Monopoly.” Emily snatched up the dice and ignored him sticking his tongue out at her. She blew on the dice, rolled, then groaned. “Damn. A five and a four. Hey, can one of you bail me out? I’m down to $40, and really don’t want to mortgage…”

“Gosh, I’d love to, but thanks to Elle’s hotels I’m practically cleaned out.” Newter noticed the girl in question had pursed her lips in thought, eyes flicking between Emily and the board. “That’s what you get for wasting your money on all those Railroads, just like every time we play.”

“What? It’s a valid strategy!” Emily huffed, crossing her arms and then turning to plead with their third player. “C’mon Elle, remember last weekend, when I skipped out on my date with Jenn to chaperone you for your thing in the park? Isn’t that worth at least $10 of fake moolah?”

“Certainly, sister.” A kind smile spread across the blonde’s face as she passed her a yellow bill. Emily moved her thimble into the outer jail space and tried to hand over the dice, but Elle shook her head. “Not yet. You must traverse the amount you rolled, if you are freed on your third turn.”

Emily started to move her thimble, then paused as she reached the ninth space and paled. “Oh my god…you absolute bitch. This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Newter was right.”

“New York Avenue? Oh, that is one of my properties. I must have forgotten! My apologies.” The taller girl stood, smile turning slightly sinister. “Now, let us speak of…remuneration.”

As Emily mortgaged her properties for a slim chance of hanging on, Newter was too busy laughing to comment. It wasn’t like either had really expected to win, given that Elle regularly beat Melanie at poker and absolutely destroyed Gregor at chess, but it was still fun to try. 

Unlike Emily, the blonde didn’t have much of a social life, in part due to her power’s fluctuations altering her mental state. She occasionally chatted with a friend via phone, speaking with rather cryptic phrasing, but spent most of her time in therapy, training with the Crew, or resting. Thus, Emily kept a lookout for new games and books, and they both played with their sister regularly. 

But it wasn’t her vast experience with games that made Elle such a threat. After all, Emily was always playing video games and lost to the blonde all the time. Sure, Em could pull off incredible feats of skill with her thumbs, but she was also practically incapable of being subtle. If she was winning, or had some sort of secret trick up her sleeve, it would be written all over Em’s face.

Elle was an entirely different beast, perhaps due to her unique mental state. Some days she acted like a little kid with silly verbiage and innocent smiles. Other times she acted her age, nearly eighteen last he checked, preferring overly formal speech and convoluted phrasing. 

It made it very easy to underestimate her, Elle’s true intentions masked by a vapid smile and a gentle hand…even as the other one crept around to stab you in the back. Even now she noticed Newter’s narrowed eyes and seemed to wink at him, a tiny smirk appearing for a moment.

Today was one of her good days, where her power was weaker than normal. But that meant that on the battlefield of the mind she was an absolute monster, especially in board games.

Even when she wasn’t twisting reality as Labyrinth, Elle was a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately for her, victory was delayed as a phone suddenly rang, and it took Newter a moment to realize it was the Red Line. He quickly hopped to his feet and dashed back into Faultline’s office, accidentally bumping the table with his tail as he left. 

Pieces went flying, and Elle let out a little squawk of disappointment at him.

“Whoops, my bad!” He called over his shoulder. “Guess it’s a draw!”

Emily’s look of gratitude made it all worth it.

He managed to get there on the third ring, and quickly engaged the recording device, noise-cancellation, and encryption before reaching for the phone. A deep breath let him center himself, getting into professional mode like Mel was always talking about, then he picked up.

“Hello, how can I help you?” He kept his voice even, face serious as Emily crept into the room and plopped down on a nearby chair. She knew better than to make a ruckus when business was going down, and he was determined to make a good impression. “Hello? Anyone there?”

“Hey Luke, it’s Jess. Sorry I ran off like that. Well, not really ran , on account of my wheelchair, but you know what I mean.” The voice on the other end sounded nervous, around his age, and she sort of seemed to be babbling. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff I need to tell you guys, but first how are you? Did Accord pay you guys for that job yet? Big payout, right?”

“Um…it’s…fine? We’re fine, I mean.” Newter looked over at Emily and got a shrug, the office quiet enough that she could hear it as well. He stammered for a moment, then realized that this was probably someone that Melanie had testing him. “Sorry. So, are you okay, Jess?”

“Eh, I’m a bit bruised, but the gang that kidnapped me promised not to kill me if I cooperated .” She laughed slightly, and he heard someone cursing in the background in what sounded like Japanese. “Whoops, I skipped ahead in the script. Sorry, it’s my first time as a hostage . Anyway, I’ve been kidnapped , and you guys work for the ABB now. Otherwise they’re going to hurt me .”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.” Newter noticed the way Jess kept enunciating certain words, and snapped his fingers at Emily before seeing she was already taking notes on a pad. He just had to keep things natural now, and glibly responded, “So what can I do to help?”

“Well, for starters I’ve got an address that you need to go to, and you need to be there by noon tomorrow for some big thing happening at night.” She rattled off an address, and Newter noticed that she sounded very bored as she said it. “Also, I need to tell you guys not to try and rescue me . That’s written here several times. Don’t call the PRT, or New Wave, and especially don’t hire Faultline’s Crew . I know we can afford it , and if it weren’t Opposite Day I’d do it , but don’t.”

“Um, that makes sense.” If it was a test it was a damn good one, but something felt off. Her tone was too…panicked. Desperate. He pulled out his cell phone and turned the volume down, then dialed Melanie…but it didn’t connect. “After all, Faultline would charge a lot for an ABB rescue .”

“Yeah, even though we have a few million stashed away, spending all of it to hire Faultline’s Crew would be a bad idea. These ABB guys are no joke. I saw like a dozen of them with guns and knives in this warehouse , and they’ve got a lot of territory. So don’t try to save me, please .”

“Yeah, even with their boss locked up, they’re still pretty strong.” Newter knew he was rambling, but was now certain that this wasn’t a test. He saw Emily holding up her pad of paper. She’d written the words Under Duress and ABB Capes Around? “Right, so…did you see any capes there, or just the thugs with weapons? I’ve always wanted to get Oni Lee’s autograph.”

“Nope, no capes here . Pretty sure they’re bringing you guys in to rescue their boss from jail—” She let out a little shriek, and he heard the sound of a sharp slap. Jess whimpered a little, and then when she came back on she sounded scared. “Sorry, sorry. I won’t do it again. Please don’t hurt me, I’m just…I’m so afraid. Guys, I really need you. You’re my only hope!”

“Don’t worry, Jess.” Newter felt his lips moving before he could stop them, anger barely held back. It took everything he had to keep his voice level, hand tightening around the phone as Jess sniffled. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you. We’ll save you. I promise.”

“Great!” She almost shouted, and then started to hyperventilate and lowered her voice. “Listen, remember the last time we visited Brockton Bay ? We went to that astronomy thing, on top of t he tall building near Spayder and Rock? All those warehouses we saw to the northeast belonged to the ABB. Go there first , and see just how much territory they have. Look for the big white—”

Jess was cut off by another loud noise and more swearing, as she cried out in pain. Newter’s heart clenched, and he heard a male voice growling in Japanese. 

Jess shouted something about a squash…or getting squashed? It sounded like she was being strangled…

Then the line cut off, and he looked up to see Emily’s frightened eyes on him.

It had been difficult to go through with Accord’s plan, having three sets of eyes on her.

Sugita mostly just made her uncomfortable, staring at Jess as he held the phone in one hand and her script in the other. The handwriting on it was terrible, but the details they wanted her to communicate were fairly straightforward. She tried to stay focused on it, because every time Jess looked up Sugita would be staring, an odd look on his face that gave her chills.

Jay made her afraid, looming over Jess and having smacked her more than once as she went off-script. He was obviously supposed to be the enforcer of their little group, more muscle than brains and prone to fits of threatening violence. There was a moment before every blow, when his eyes would flick up to Yan, and that gave Jess time to brace herself if she could catch it.

But Yan was the worst of them all, because she’d spent the whole call sitting next to Jess, an arm over her shoulders like they were best pals. Every time Jess had tried to slip too many clues into her dialogue, the pretty girl had signaled Jay to smack her. It got worse as the call went on, and by the end Yan’s arm was tight around Jess’ throat, practically strangling her.

Jess had panicked, losing her cool and blurting out as many clues as possible. Enunciated words, half-true promises, and a bit at the end about her projection…

So now she was paying the price, as the idiots finally had enough, and began to punish her.

It took every bit of willpower Jess had to go limp, to avoid fighting back as Jay’s fist buried itself in her stomach. Sugita had been shouting in Japanese, probably cheering them on as Yan’s other hand pressed over Jess’ mouth so hard her nails dug into the hostage’s face. She was growling at Sugita to hang up the damned phone, and Jess could barely breathe.

But they stopped just before she passed out, remembering that a dead hostage was useless. Sugita grabbed Jay, turning his parting shot into a breeze that merely rustled Jess’ hair, and dragged him to the door. Yan, seeing that the fun was over, snarled and got up to leave as well.

On her way out, she shoved Jess out of the bed, and slammed the door behind her.

But while the beating may have hurt, leaving her helpless was even worse.

Because being on the floor reminded Jess of her old life.

It reminded her of who she’d been before Genesis.

Plain ol’ useless Jess.

After she ended up in the chair, little Jess had been tormented by nightmares. Not just from the accident that had taken Mommy, but from knowing she wasn’t “normal” anymore. The way the kids in school stared at her, whispered behind her back, laughed at her.

Being on the floor like this reminded her of how the worst of the nightmares ended. She’d be scared, crying, and then suddenly…on the floor. Alone, in the dark, and so very powerless.

Jess used to feel so horrible calling for Dad to come save her, that she just…stopped, one day.

Her therapist understood she felt isolated and lonely, and suggested a radical idea. Radical in the sense that it was pretty cool with the kids, he joked, much to Dad’s relief. While some people in her situation escaped into books or art, there was something a bit more…interactive out now.

Video games. 

With games you could be anyone, do anything, and unlike sports you didn’t need to run or jump. Games were played with your mind and hands, and even better she could play with others!

Jess could be the Hero of Time, a Keyblade Master, a heroic plumber, a Light Warrior, a space bounty hunter, a city planner, a God, a Returner, and so much more. As the years passed she began to draw, to write, to dream. 

Best of all, she eventually even made…. Friends. People who loved games like her, and as time went on she grew to love them as well.  Sure, there were still times when she worried that she was dragging them down, but they always seemed to notice that and assure her it wasn’t so.

She played so many games with them, went on wild adventures that they shared in equal part. Luke’s strength, Chris’ dexterity, Oliver’s dedication, Krouse’s intelligence, Noelle’s wisdom, Mars’ charisma, and Cody’s passion, all of them made her feel like she belonged. 

When she was Jess, they made her feel like she was part of a dream team. After she became Genesis, they were the team of her dreams. In both instances, it was a dream come true.

Any time she felt sad or alone, Jess had her friends to lift her back up.

Which was why she had to pull it together, and start fighting back.

No matter what Accord said, her friends were still out there.

Thinking of them reminded her who she really was.

Because Travelers didn’t give up!

“Thanks, guys.” Jess sniffled, wiping away the half-formed tears and ignoring how her face stung. It was tempting to form a body and pull herself into bed, but for all she knew they were watching her. Muttering to herself, she sighed, “Can’t wait to tell them about this adventure.”

She grabbed her glasses from where they’d fallen, frowning at the crack in one lens, and put them on as she leaned against the cement wall. The motion made Jess’ ribs suggest she seek medical attention, and both the organs they protected and her throat chorused in agreement.

Hopefully this Faultline guy had a good doctor on hand. Admittedly, she had no money, but was pretty sure her powers would let Jess work any debt off. Not like she had a lot of other options.

Either way, it was a step up from this .

With that in mind, she settled back and tried to rest. With the trio pissed at her and the message sent, she would hopefully remain undisturbed for the night as they celebrated their victory. She had no idea where Faultline lived, nor how long it would take them to reach the tower.

So she started counting, and every ten minutes or so formed a stealthy little body with good senses and flight on the rooftop she’d mentioned. It would look around, take a quick glide to do recon, and then dissolve. All the while, Jess planned for the body she’d use for her rescue.

Accord hadn’t told her much about Faultline’s Crew, only some of their powers (psychedelic sweat?) and that their leader respected strength. Also, they had a soft spot for Case 53s, which was why Jess was going to need something tough, intimidating, and fairly inhuman.

Her thinking was that she could pretend to be Jess’ friend, and reveal the truth after her rescue. She felt kind of bad, playing them with a C53-like projection, but was also pretty desperate.

Luckily, even before the call she’d decided which form to take, and now she just had to bide her time. Wincing, she carefully turned over so as not to rest her scratched-up cheek on the cement.

Wondering how her friends were doing, she stared at the ceiling.

Newter stared at the phone, then at the ceiling, as if there was a hidden camera.

He turned to look at Emily again, but she was just as shocked as he felt. After a moment, he hit the button to play back the recording. Halfway through, he pulled out one of Melanie’s maps of the city, nodding as a plan formed based on the clues Jess had given him in that call. 

The whole time, he heard Emily trying and failing to call Faultline and Gregor, and although that worried him his mind was on another track. After a brief search online, he smiled at last.

But as he got to his feet to put his plan into action, Newter noticed Emily had one of her own. 

“No.” She held out her arms, trying to block Newter from getting through the door. Unfortunately, she only thought in two dimensions, and swiped at him as he simply leapt over her head. “Hey! Get back here! Newt, I’m not kidding! This isn’t a game.”

“I know it’s not a game, Em.” He called over his shoulder, heading up to his room and throwing the closet door open wide. Luckily Gregor had made certain that they were well supplied for a variety of missions, and it didn’t take long to find what he needed. “But you heard that call.”

“We don’t even know if it was a real call, Newt. It might just be a test, and the moment you run off on your own you’ll fail.” Emily charged in after him, then turned around as she realized he’d already dropped his pants. Despite that, she still kept talking, just at the wall. “I mean, what are you even going to do, just start searching warehouses and hope you find the right one?”

“Nope, ABB’s got too much territory, so I’m going a different route.” He found the black bodysuit Gregor had gotten him for cold weather, basically a wetsuit with a tail and mask. “I’m heading to the tall building near Spayder and Rock , the rooftop specifically. There’s something big and white, maybe some kind of squash? Pretty sure there’s a clue up there from the sound of it.”

“Or, call me crazy, we just call Faultline and get her back here to make a plan that doesn’t involve you going up against a few dozen gangbangers?” Emily pulled out her phone, and once again the call didn’t go through. “I mean, I can’t reach her, so this is obviously a test, right?”

“Or something’s happening in Boston, and she’s busy. Either way, it’s not like I’m just diving right in or anything, this is literally recon in a stealth suit at night!” He flexed, marveling at how well it fit, and then headed for the window. He glanced back at her, “It’s going to be fine, Emily.”

“And what are you gonna do if the heroes show up and haul you in, huh?” She caught his shoulder, and he could feel her hand tremble before he pulled free. “Gonna fight them?”

“The Protectorate are probably still out of town, New Wave’s kids are grounded, and the Wards are half-dead from that bank robbery earlier today. Hell, Aegis nearly got eaten by a monster, and Kid Win is probably going to juvie for shooting a death ray.” He opened the window, wincing at the squeak and setting a foot on the sill. “Sorry, I know we’re not heroes and that this’ll probably get me grounded for a year, but it’s just recon . I’m not really gonna be in danger.”

“So what, you think the ABB is just gonna let you waltz around their territory unmolested? And what about the other gangs? They see you alone, and they might just decide to take you out!”

“The ABB’s down to Oni Lee and Bakuda. She’s been in hiding ever since she joined, and he’s got his hands full running a whole gang. The E88’s Downtown, so they’ve got no reason to be in the Docks late at night.” Newter hesitated, choosing his next words carefully. “As for the others, they were pretty active today, so they’re probably cooling off. I checked PHO, and Coil’s guys were spotted all over town, while Stain and Squealer almost got caught running drugs out west.”

He deliberately avoided mentioning the Undersiders, and not just because they’d robbed a bank and were probably laying low. One of their members had tried to kill Emily about a month before she joined the Crew, after all. They weren’t as bad as the nazis or ABB, but anyone who’d sic dogs on a homeless kid certainly deserved the title villain . Even mentioning them around Emily was a recipe for disaster, and she still had a big scar on her leg from when Bitch’s dog—

“Okay, okay! I get it. You’re gonna be stubborn about this, at least let me make sure you last more than a few minutes. C’mon!” Emily grabbed his wrist, dragging Newter bodily out of his room and towards her own. He could have pulled away easily, but the steel in her gaze told him he didn’t have a choice. “Your dumb suit doesn’t have a hood, and you have hot pink hair.”

“Oh yeah, good catch,” he muttered, and then let her push him into a chair before she began to dig through her dresser for something. He took a moment to look around the room she shared with Elle, filled with bookshelves, music CDs, and walls plastered with posters. After a few moments she let out a cry of victory, and tossed him a towel as she held up a can of hair dye.

“I was gonna use this for the next Disaster Area concert, so you owe me.” She slipped on a pair of gloves and began to apply it to Newter’s head, ignoring his flinching. He tried to focus on the poster behind her for the band itself, which was pretty easy. The lead singer had black mascara, red and blue lipstick, eyeshadow, and zig-zagging lines from the corners of her eyes and mouth.

She almost might have been beautiful, if not for the hideous costume she was wearing. Newter knew that musicians were all about standing out, but in what world did hot pink, plaid, and lime green make sense? Maybe he just didn’t understand women’s fashion…yeah, that was it.

A few minutes later, he was marveling at how much stealthier he looked in her mirror, even as Emily mourned the towel she’d ruined. Realizing that time was of the essence, he started to open her window and get going.  “Thanks, Em. They’ll never see me coming.”

“They shouldn’t be seeing you at all, dumbass. This is just recon, remember?” She glared at him, but it softened as she slowly drifted closer. “Why are you really doing this? No bullshit, why risk Mel’s wrath over a total stranger you talked to for five minutes?”

“Emily, over the last few years a bunch of total strangers have become my family, all because Mel took a chance on an amnesiac sewer kid. Jess has nobody else, and I can’t just stand by and let her suffer like I was. I guess I’m…paying it forward.”

He knew it was sappy and stupid, and a far cry from what people expected of an orange monster who worked with a bunch of mercenary capes.

But Melanie was always talking about making connections, and saving Jess would also make him feel like he mattered. So it was worth it.

As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, Emily’s parting words echoed in his head, and stuck with him the whole trip.

“ Just don’t die, dumbass. ” She’d said, hugging him as she sniffled. “ You’re the only brother I’ve got left. ”

His eyes watered a bit, but only because there was so much dang pollen in the air tonight.

It took a while, but he eventually made it to the roof of his destination.

There was someone there waiting for him, huge and furry and…

“Oh, she said sasquatch !” He exclaimed. “Now I get it.”

***

“I don’t get it.” Noelle had said, wincing slightly as the van hit a bump. She’d poked out the eye on her leg in a fit of pique, but now a mouth was growing in its place. One that kept biting her, and so Jess had been trying to get her mind onto something else. “So are they dead?”

“No? Look, the point is that they’re on a wild adventure in another world, and have this whole fish out of water thing going on.” Jess had sketched out a few of the characters in a notebook, still a bit rusty since she hadn’t done anime-style art since she was a kid. “Sort of like Wizard of Oz, except that Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu have magical powers to fight with instead of ruby slippers and a water bucket. Vision of Escaflowne’s another good example, but with tech and dragons.”

“Oh, so it’s like Out of This World.” Oliver piped up, squinting at them as he looked up from the book on first aid he’d found in the van’s emergency kit. He’d always liked adventure games and long RPGs with a lot of text, so it hadn’t surprised any of them that he was reading a random book. “A nerd named Lester gets zapped to another world, full of strange tech and dragons.”

“Exactly! Oliver gets it!” Jess patted him on the shoulder, and saw a little smile grow on his face as he closed his booklet. From the front of the van they could hear Cody and Krouse arguing again, and she raised her voice. “Luke, Mars, how about you? Are we isekai protagonists, or what? C’mon, stop staring lovingly into each other’s eyes and join the conversation!”

“W-we weren’t—” Luke and Marissa shot away from each other so fast, Jess was surprised they didn’t light their seats on fire. He’d always been a big lovable lug, so she figured Mars was just taking advantage of his body heat or something. “I…uh…saw A Kid in King Arthur’s Court back in middle school. Got an F on my report, not sure why I didn’t just read the book.”

“Be honest, you were just watching it because Kate Winslet was hot.” Mars punched him lightly in the shoulder, giggling as he turned red. “Personally, I always liked how Captain N did it. Gamer gets sucked into a world where all his favorite characters are real, and helps ‘em out.”

“I guess it sounds like the plot from the Chronicles of Narnia…” Noelle spoke up, and everyone turned to face her, pretending they’d never heard of the series. Soon she was telling them about a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe, her pain a distant memory as their van rolled into the night.

They’d only been in this world a few weeks, and had a feeling it would be a lot longer.

But as long as they had each other, no challenge was too—

Outside Jess’ window, a car backfired and tires screeched, as she heard a faint siren in the distance. Jess wiped her eyes, reminding herself that the only way she’d ever have even a slight chance of seeing her friends again was by doing this. 

Which meant she had to stop dreaming of the past, and start focusing on the future. No matter how much a future without her friends may have scared her, she had to push forward.

“Okay, let’s get to it.” Jess muttered, closing her eyes and focusing on a form. “Showtime.”

She’d spent the last few hours daydreaming about her friends, using the joy she drew from that to try and stave off the hopelessness Accord’s words had brought her. The idea had come to her just before the call, as she was recalling bonding with Oliver over a JRPG they’d both enjoyed...

It was one Jess had played several times, entranced by the amazing pixel art, fantastic music, unbelievable story, and most of all the characters and their touching backstories. A Ninja trying to escape his past, a Treasure Hunter haunted by lost love, a half-Esper forced to hurt her people, a tech-savvy king, a wild child abandoned by his father, and many more…

But the one Jess was thinking of right now was an optional character, a huge Yeti. 

He didn’t have a lot of lines, or even much of a backstory like Gau and the others. But what little they were able to gather spoke of sadness and loss. He was among the last of his people, saved from starvation by a friendly Moogle, and fought bravely despite overwhelming odds.

Even after the world sort of ended, he was still willing to fight on.

It reminded Jess of her own situation. She might never see her friends again, and as much as she wanted to just collapse and give up, she knew there was more fighting ahead. Even if this plan didn’t work out, she had to keep moving, for herself if nothing else.

So after several check-ins, as she saw a dark-clothed figure climbing up the side of the building, Jess let the form dissolve and took a deep breath. This time, rather than creating a stealthy little flier and letting her power fill in the blanks, she focused on a very specific mental image...

Six foot ten inches, 436 pounds, covered in white fur but for his hands, feet, and face. 

After a lot of trial and error, as well as practicing lucid dreaming and meditation, Jess learned a lot about her power. By focusing on certain details, having a clear picture in her mind of what she wanted, she could make very particular forms. Having Oliver help her study animals and organic chemistry had helped, almost as much as her artistic talents and imagination.

Skin a shade of purple, with blue eyes partially hidden behind a tuft of fur, and big fangs poking out from the corners of his mouth. Huge muscles, powerful senses, barrel chest…no…wait…

At the last second, she tweaked him a little, just to add a lady’s touch. It was going to be her body, after all, and she was sure Yohitaka Amano wouldn’t mind. 

Besides, this was basically fanart come to life, or even super-powered cosplay, so why not add some of the ol’ Rule 63?

A Yeti, a Returner, a Berserker, a strong, tough, powerful fighter… 

Umaro opened her eyes, and saw a man dressed like a ninja standing with his back to her. He’d pulled down his mask, was pretty sweaty, and seemed to have a…tail? 

She loudly cleared her throat, and waved as he jumped and spun to face her. “Yo.”

He had an acrobat’s body, as well as dark red hair and an orange face, which broke out into a wide grin as he moved to join her. “Oh, she said sasquatch! Now I get it.”

Umaro was stumped, still getting used to her enhanced senses, but then remembered that Jess had just started to tell him to meet the white sasquatch …before Jay had punched her in the gut.

“Dat’s me. Name’s Umaro.” She reached out and took his hand, talking a bit strange thanks to the fangs she’d made a bit too big for her mouth. He looked surprised, and she wondered if she was squeezing too hard with her giant hand that completely covered his. “Ya okay, guy?”

“Um, yeah, it’s just that usually people kind of trip out when they touch me.” He pulled his hand back and looked at it, then watched her as if he thought she was going to explode or something. She couldn’t help but notice that he seemed impressed with her muscles, eyes roving over her body. It had been a long time since she’d made a beefcake like this, much less a female one.

Of course, she couldn’t tell him this body was a construct, nor that she’d made its skin extra tough to resist knives and bullets. Instead, she deflected by pretending to be cool and badass.

“Hey, eyes are up here.” She leaned down towards him, flipping her hair back and then winking at him as he made eye contact. His eyes were light blue with no whites, a rectangular pupil in each. Umaro found herself transfixed, muttering, “Wow, you got pretty eyes.”

“Yours aren’t bad either.” He mumbled, staring up at her in awe. She felt warm, taking a slow breath as a calm sense of relaxation spread through her body. Umaro leaned closer…

Wait. What the hell was she doing? Had Jess messed up the brain in this body? Or maybe she’d balanced the organs incorrectly, messed up the glands?

He had a sweet scent, very relaxing, and she wondered if her heightened senses were the culprit. She felt her face heat up, and stepped back.

He looked a little disappointed, but seemed to realize that now wasn’t really the time or place.

There’d be time for…whatever this was later. 

After she wasn’t in mortal peril.

“Um. Anyway…” She wiped her hand on her furry stomach, ignoring how warm it felt. She coughed into it, then smiled. “Guess yer the phone guy? Jess tol’ me she found help.”

“Yeah, yeah we should probably…” He trailed off, looking at his hand and then hers, as if he was still in shock that she’d resisted his power. His tail rippled a bit, like an indecisive cat. After a few moments he cleared his throat, heading to the edge and looking out over the city. “May as well start with some recon, and go from there. First of all, any idea where they’ve got her?”

“Oh, in da warehouse right…dere.” Umaro came up behind the guy, resting one huge arm over his shoulder so he could sight down her arm at the location. He nodded, then patted her on the elbow and pulled out a phone to report in or something. “So, what’s next? We waitin’ fer yer crew, Mr. Faultline? Because time’s ticking, and we wait too long someone’s gettin’ hurt.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m not Faultline. I’m Newter. But she’ll be joining us soon.” He seemed to be thinking about something really hard, and then finally nodded. “Listen, how about we meet up on top of that warehouse with the water tower, and get a closer look? That work for you?”

“Gotcha.” The best way to conserve energy would be discorporating and reforming at the destination, but how to explain that without giving herself away? She brushed some fur back and suggested, “Meet ya there, say inna hour? Gotta go check in with some folks.”

“No problem, I’ll stop and make some calls as well. Might even be able to get some extra hands, turn this twosome into a threesome.” Newter paused as she burst out laughing, then blushed as he realized what he’d just said. “I didn’t…er…I’d better go.  Kiss me luck. Wish! Wish me luck!”

That only made her laugh harder, and it felt like a tightness that had been in her chest loosened. She was glad she wasn’t the only nervous one, grinning as he masked up quickly. 

He hopped up on the edge, saluted her silently, and fell backwards like it was nothing. Shocked, it took Umaro a few moments to realize he couldn’t actually fly or anything.

Peering over the edge, Umaro found herself transfixed as Newter scuttled down the side of the tower. He moved sinuously, like a lizard scaling a wall in reverse.

“Okay, focus. Can stare at butts later. I mean…” She slapped her forehead, shaking her furry head and groaning. “C’mon, get it t’gether, girl.”

She closed her eyes, and Umaro’s form vanished from the rooftop a few moments later.

When Jess opened her eyes, someone else was there, oddly happy to see her.

In a perfect world, it would have been one of her friends, or even all of them.

But instead, it was just another enemy, a big smile on his face.

It made a great target a few seconds later…

When her fist connected with it.

Chapter Text

“—and she’s got this really cute laugh, but not like you’d expect.” Newter gushed, leaning back against the statue he’d chosen as his perch. “Sort of a rumbling that just vibrates the air. Like, remember that time Bitch was facing off with Glory Girl and her monster dog growled so loud it set off a bunch of car alarms? Like that, but a little more pleasant. Does that make sense?”

“Juice, you’ve been talkin’ for nearly an hour, and nothin’ you’ve said has made any sense to me.” Trevor sighed, and in the background Newter could hear the other boy cooking something. “You’re lucky I’m a night owl, or I’da hung up on you the moment ya started blabbering about your fox paws and how she seemed more entertained than insulted.”

“ Faux pas , Trev. It’s French.”

“Yeah, and I'm originally from Nawlins , so I’m allowed to boucher it.” Trever chuckled, and there was a squeak as he sat in one of the old chairs in the apartment his mom owned. “Now, unless you were gonna invite me to that threesome , I’m thinkin’ maybe you should go meet the girl. Otherwise she might start thinkin’ you stood her up, and then no twosome either.”

Newter broke out into laughter of his own, knowing Trevor was only kidding. He’d hit on Newter after Emily had introduced them months ago, but when the Case 53 declined he’d taken it well. Supposedly Em and Trev knew each other from before she joined the Crew, which was no surprise to Newter since the skater seemed to make friends like no one’s business. 

Some of them knew Trev from before he switched to homeschooling, others were ex-boyfriends, but one thing they all had in common was being easy-going. Newter had been nervous about meeting them, but they barely blinked at his appearance. It helped that a few of them were high.

Even better, once they found out he could jump fifteen feet and do incredible acrobatics, they begged to teach him to skate. They didn’t care that he was orange or worked with cape mercenaries, just that he was Trev’s pal. If Trevor said you were cool, you were cool .

It was actually one of the reasons he liked Trevor so much, despite not wanting to date him. The rogue tinker was very open about who he was, and didn’t care how someone looked or who they kissed. As long as you could tell a joke, take a joke, and get some air, he’d have your back.

“Dude, I’m not even sure if there’s a twosome . Pretty sure the only reason she even likes me is because I’m wearing this stealth suit.” Newter admitted, pulling at it and wincing as the elastic material snapped back with a wet plop. “No idea why I thought wearing a black bodysuit in the middle of April was a good idea. You might be cooking over there, but I’m sous vide .”

It was an aspect of his abilities that rarely came up, given that he usually stayed on the move and wore airy clothing. But given that his power involved weaponizing his sweat and bodily fluids, it hadn’t taken long to discover it. All it took was a long road trip in a van whose AC had broken back in July, and Faultline was making sure things stayed well-ventilated thereafter.

“I mean, maybe the attraction ain’t there, but it’s not like ya literally make people fall in love with ya. All your sweat-stank does is make folks a little more relaxed. Given how nervous ya said she was, isn’t havin’ a low-level contact high good? Keeps her head cool?” 

“Trev, less than ten seconds after we met she took a deep breath, then started flirting with me. I thought she was gonna kiss me for a second, and I was kinda into it. Admittedly, I’d just run across the city for an hour or so, and she might have had heightened senses, but—”

“But she stopped, right?” Trevor interrupted, and Newter had to mumble an affirmation. “See, maybe she’s just spooked that her friend is in trouble, and was trying to make nice with you. Don’t forget, this is a two way street, and all your stank did was make her a bit relaxed. It’s not like aerosolized roofies or shit, stop selling yourself short all the time, Juice.”

“I know it’s not that bad, trust me. We tested it, and at the most I’m like a few puffs of weed.” 

“Dude, how the hell do you even test something like that?”

Melanie had paid one of the staff time and half to sit with him in a private sauna, while engaging in casual conversation. The whole time, Newter had been scared to death of what might happen, because that particular bartender was in a relationship with one of their largest bouncers. It didn’t help that she kept smiling at him, and neither were wearing more than towels.

But luckily all his worrying was for nothing. 

The server had experienced a slight drop in blood pressure and reported feeling very relaxed despite Mel’s warnings. There were no lingering effects, and she never tried to make a move. Even in an enclosed space, pouring sweat, he was about as dangerous as a pot brownie. 

“—but I just don’t like the idea of my scent making her act differently. I know logically that it’s not dangerous, but it still feels wrong. Plus, for all I know, she’s in a relationship with Jess.”

“ Or it’s been a while for her, and that stealth suit makes you look sexy as fuck. Hell, maybe she’s the one who was angling for a threesome, you lucky dog. Wanna make it a foursome?”

“Trevor!” The other boy burst out laughing at Newter’s scandalized tone, and after a few seconds he found himself joining in. It was hard to stay mad or sad around the skater, and that was the main reason Newter had called him in the first place. “But then, why hasn’t she shown up yet? It’s been well over an hour, and I’ve been watching the water tower the whole time.”

“Juice, she’s about to go on a dangerous mission to rescue her friend slash lover or whatever with a member of the baddest merc crew in town, one of whom was just flirtin’ with her. If she’s anything like you, right now she’s gabblin’ on a phone of her own with some hot skater girl, getting the exact same advice I’m giving you. So stop whinin’, and head down there.”

“Yeah, yeah…you’re right.” He nodded, despite knowing that the boy couldn’t actually see him. “Hey Trev, thanks. I’m about to sneak into ABB territory and do some recon, so I’m glad that if I get ganked by Oni Lee you’re the last person I talked to. It really makes my life feel…complete.”

“Hey, short of findin’ enlightenment while pulling a 720 Gazelle Flip in a snowstorm in Tibet, a few words with me is about the best anyone can hope for as a last request.” Trevor’s boast made Newter roll his eyes, and he started to hang up. “Catch you on the flipside, Juice!”

Newter decided to wait a bit longer for Umaro to show up, just in case.

She seemed kind of lonely, and he knew how hard that was.

But as long as he was here, she wouldn’t be alone.

When Jess woke up, she kept her eyes closed…because she could tell she wasn’t alone. 

This wasn’t a new experience for her, since she’d spent the last year with someone guarding her body. Usually that fell to Oliver, and Jess had grown more than a little fond of him over the last year. He’d be there when she woke up most times, protecting and taking care of her.

Since she’d fallen asleep on the floor with a head injury, waking up in bed made Jess wonder for a moment if it had all been a dream. The kidnapping, the torment, her friends being gone forever…what if it had all been a horrible nightmare? Her mind crawled back to the past, as she remembered a time she’d woken up in pain, on a bed, a raging headache rocking her world…

It had been a few months after they’d left Madison, and Jess had noticed that Marissa and Luke were spending a lot of time together. She’d always had a bit of a crush on Luke, and when Mars found out about it from Noelle the pair started trying (badly) to be more secretive. 

Jess tried to tell them she didn’t blame either, both being incredibly beautiful people and Jess being…herself. But the hurt in her voice must have been obvious, because it only made things worse. One time they even invited her to join them, and that made things even more awkward.

She’d turned them down, knowing it came from a good place, and had tried to find some other way to make herself feel better. But with Noelle always spending time with Krouse, and Cody preferring booze to people, that just left Jess hanging with Oliver most nights. 

The two of them, awkwardly sitting there and trying not to listen to the…children of the night.

Trying not to think about how they could never be anything more than friends.

Because Jess liked someone else, and Chris…was dead.

Before he died, Chris was known for dating every girl who’d give him the time of day, and even had Marissa act as his fake girlfriend on a few occasions. His parents, Chris had told them all in secret, would have disowned him if they knew the truth. So he and Oliver had to stay apart.

On the day everything changed, there were only six months left in their Senior year, and then the pair could go off to college together and start new lives. Instead, Chris got killed by a rogue bookcase during their dimensional shift, and Oliver’s heart had died with him.

One night, while the others were off drinking or canoodling, Jess had heard Oliver having a nightmare and woke him up. He tried to wave her off, but the heartbreak in his cries was still fresh in her mind, and soon he was breaking down in her arms.

Somehow they ended up on the couch, talking endlessly about all the stuff they’d both held in for so many months. Wanting to help dull their pain, she nabbed one of Cody’s bottles of booze, and they toasted to lost loved ones, family, and friends.

Actually, she’d grabbed a couple of bottles, because they had a lot to toast.

At some point she must have dozed off, because suddenly it was morning and her head felt like someone was driving nails into it. She took a moment to throw up all over herself after accidentally pushing her wheelchair away, and then fell off the couch as she passed out again.

The next time she woke up, it was to Oliver, gently cleaning her face with a wet cloth. He’d pulled the shades down, and despite quite a hangover of his own, had put her in bed.

“Just hold still…” He’d muttered, brushing the hair out of her face. “I’ve got you, Jess.”

But that was the past, and Oliver was…

“Just hold still,” a quiet voice said, as a hand brushed the hair out of her face. She shivered, one of the cuts on her cheek stinging as they touched it. “Sorry. Will be more careful.”

“Oliver?” Jess mumbled, tears in her eyes as the memory faded. Accord’s words still haunted her, and she felt a surge of hope as the bed shifted a little under her.

Yet as she blinked them away, squinting in the dim light, she saw it wasn’t Oliver…

It was Sugita .

He was right there , sitting on her moldy prison bed, with a smile on his face.

There was a cloth in one hand, and a brown bottle in the other.

The cloth moved towards her face, and Jess screamed.

Oliver’s fighting lessons kicked in.

“ When you can’t get much momentum for a punch, use your opponent’s strength against them, ” he’d said sagely, wearing a headband at Mars’ insistence, as he taught them all self defense moves. Krouse had wanted to take advantage of his learning speed, and also claimed that teaching would give the boy self-confidence. “ Grab them, and when they pull back, use that. ”

Jess grabbed Sugita’s meaty paw as it was reaching for her, sinking her nails into it as hard as she could. He pulled back, a smile frozen on his face, and she held on tight. As her body shifted painfully towards him, Jess brought her other hand forward and clocked him in the jaw.

Even though she’d kept her thumb on the outside of her fist, it still hurt like hell. The aftershocks of the impact traveled down her arm, making her ribs ache and her hand feel like it was broken. 

But it was effective, and Sugita staggered backwards. Unfortunately, Jess was still holding onto his hand when he did that, jolting her out of the bed and onto the floor. Searing pain rocked her as whatever was wrong with her ribs seemed to get worse. Her scream of righteous fury turned into a howl of agony, one that cut off as Sugita came back for round two.

“Hush! I don’t want hurt you! Just…let me explain!” He clapped a hand over her mouth, using the other to grab her upper arm as if that would magically remove all her agency and strength. 

She disabused him of that notion by attacking again, Oliver’s words at the forefront of her mind. 

“ Punching is great if you’ve got strength or your opponent doesn’t, but in your case it’s probably a waste of time. ” He’d sounded apologetic at that, and Jess had waved it off. She knew that she had noodle arms, and told him that was why his help was so important. Confidence restored, he’d held up his thumbs, “ So take your thumbs, and poke ‘em on something soft. Like an eye. ”

It was super-effective.

It also felt really gross, jamming her thumb in someone’s eye, but unlike the punch he took maximum damage this time and she barely felt it. Blood ran down her arm and soaked her shirt, but she refused to let go as he wailed and slapped at her aimlessly.

Before she could use her newly freed hand to punch him in the balls, the door slammed open.

“Sugita, what the…oh fuck! Jay, get in here!” Yan’s voice startled Jess enough that she lost her grip, although the bloody fluids might have had something to do with it. Sugita wailed, pressing his hands over his eye, staggering back as an enraged Jay ran in and kicked—

His foot sent Jess rolling, her head ringing like a bell as the room spun. It felt like someone had scrambled her brains in a frying pan. Or maybe that one drug commercial where that lady just beat the hell out of her kitchen with one. Her headache certainly got worse, at least.

It wasn’t helped by Jay’s pained screams joining the chorus, hopping around like he’d broken his foot on her head, voice sounding all echoey with doppler effects and stuff. He limped over to his creepy friend, and with Yan’s help they dragged Sugita out of the room.

She felt the room fade in and out, as Yan’s voice echoed, “Get him to a hospital, I’ll take care of this bitch. Go, already! This is your damned fault for not watching your creeper buddy!”

Jess wanted to agree, despite her incredible dislike of the girl, but was too busy being in pain.

As Yan turned towards her angrily, Jess tried her best not to pass out.

Newter shook his head, slapping at his cheeks as he felt himself start to doze off. 

Umaro was still a no-show, but it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. Recognizing that he might be waiting for a while, he’d stopped off at a little bodega and grabbed some snacks, their wrappers all around him on his perch. He grabbed his last can of coffee and popped the top.

“Guh! How do Mel and Gregor drink this stuff?” Newter made a face, but forced himself to finish the dark swill, then hopped up and started to pace around the rooftop. A trio of nearby pigeons glared at him from where they were eating his chips, one cooing at him angrily. “Sorry Pesto, guess I’m still a bit nervous. Sort of thinking we shouldn’t have split up…rookie mistake, huh?”

Pesto cooed back, then engaged in a detailed conversation about pigeon politics with his two pals, Bobby and Squit. An argument broke out, and…Newter realized he’d given names and personalities to a trio of pigeons. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to cut back on the coffee.

“Then again, this is my fault for skipping out on Gregor’s offer to learn how to do a stakeout…”

Sighing and checking the time, Newter took another look at the water tower before pulling up his text messages. He saw three new ones from Emily, the first being an update on Melanie and Gregor. There was also a news story about Boston, which was an odd coincidence—

“Shit.”

Apparently Blasto had released a horrible creation in Accord’s territory with a bunch of twisted minions protecting it. The Ambassadors and Protectorate had joined forces to handle the creatures, but Blasto released even more monsters when they went after him.

Now half the city was locked down, while all the capes in the city worked with the PRT to hunt down the huge pile of monstrous minions Blasto had set loose on the city as he tried to escape. Even after they caught him, the city was still in chaos.

The problem was that since it all went down after Mel and Gregor were already in the city, they were now stuck fast. Both were helping Accord and the PRT (for a nominal fee), but goodwill and money couldn’t get them back to Brockton.

Probably the worst part was that the communications kept going out because of some kind of tinker nonsense Blasto had created. So even if he wanted to call her and fess up about getting into this mess, Faultline was unavailable.

Which meant that he was flying solo on this one, at least for the foreseeable future. Emily’s third message said that Mel was looking into “alternate means of exfiltration,” whatever that meant.

“Knowing Mel, she’s calling in a favor from some cape,” Newter muttered, rubbing his face.

If there was one commodity Mel hoarded besides money and skills, it was favors.

“ Because you never know when you’ll have to collect ,” she often said.

Newter sighed, texting Emily an update and a few details on Umaro, barely looking at the phone as he typed. It looked like there was some movement by the water tower, but it had just been a bird. He was starting to worry that she really had been offended by his behavior...

It was also possible that Trevor had been right, and he was being selfish about all this. Not everything was about him, after all. Newter settled down, and tried to make himself relax.

But within a few minutes he was back on his feet, pacing around and talking to the pigeons.

They didn’t actually talk back, but it felt good to vent to someone…even some birds.

This mission was falling apart, and he was pretty sure they thought it was his fault.

“You guys are way too negative. What I really need now is optimism, fellas.”

The birds just stared at him, silently. Then turned back to the chips.

“Or the silent treatment. Yeah, that works. I guess.”

Yan was silent for a long minute, as she stood there staring at Jess. 

Jess was quiet as well, knowing that an errant word or sudden move could turn the girl violent or abusive in an instant. She tried to remember what Marissa had said about her mother, and averted her eyes. Perhaps looking as weak and deferential as possible would—

“Clothes.” 

Jess looked up, Yan suddenly right in front of her. She had a switchblade, and it pointed at Jess.

“Off.” The blade snapped out, and pointed shakily at Jess’ blood-soaked clothes. “Now.”

It took her a moment to realize she was covered in Sugita’s blood.

Without a word, Jess began to disrobe, and was glad when Yan didn’t get mad at her for leaving her underwear on. She expected some sort of smirk or insult, Jess’ body obviously inferior to Yan’s in many ways, but the girl stayed quiet. She barely even looked at Jess, utterly silent.

Then she took the bundle of clothing and walked out, her shivering hostage left alone.

To add insult to injury, Yan left Jess’ door wide open, mocking her on several levels.

She couldn’t just get up and walk out, thanks to her painfully skinny, useless legs.

The patrols that passed by every few minutes ogled her, like a piece of meat.

Then they’d scoff, looks of disgust passing over their faces, and leave.

Jess knew she should have felt relieved, but it was embarrassing.

Once again, her uselessness was being shoved in her face.

“Put this on.” Something soft hit her in the face. “Now.”

Even the light impact was enough to bring her headache back threefold, although that ringing doppler effect from when Jay had kicked her was gone. She winced, pulling the clothes off her head with a hand whose fingers felt horrible, and winced again as she saw the colors.

It was a ratty pair of green sweatpants and a hideous red sweatshirt.

She couldn’t help but feel sick that these were their colors.

As if she was their property now, or something.

But it was better than freezing to death.

As soon as she was dressed, Jess felt Yan grab her and roughly pull the girl back up onto the bed, then snatch glasses off the floor and toss them to the hostage. Jess slowly put them on.

They were missing a lens now, courtesy of the same foot that had given her what felt like a concussion, but at least one eye could see. Unfortunately, that meant she had to keep turning her aching head to keep the pacing Yan in her field of vision. The girl looked oddly worried.

After nearly half an hour without a word, Yan let out a sigh of relief and put her phone away.

“Sugita’s gonna make it. Lost a lotta blood, and his dad’s pissed, but he’s alive.” She smiled for a moment, then the expression twisted as she remembered Jess was there “Not that you care.”

“I don’t.” Jess glared at Yan, not caring in the slightest if the boy lived or died. Her captor bristled, but Jess was done pretending to be afraid. “You knew he was a creep, ever since the van he’s been looking at me odd. What, am I just supposed to forgive him for what he tried?”

“For what he tried? Bitch, you have no idea…” Yan picked up the bottle from earlier, and  approached so Jess could read the writing on it. “It was just Hydrogen Peroxide. That dumbass always was too soft-hearted for this kinda thing. Spent all night whining that we should give you food and medical help. But I guess instead of accepting his help, you took his fucking eye.”

“I didn’t know—” Jess didn’t know why she was bothering to apologize, and Yan apparently didn’t care to let her finish. The bottle was suddenly shoved into Jess’ face, crashing into her nose so hard that it felt like the container was being smashed through her head.

Her nose felt like it had been shattered, and Yan grabbed Jess’ newly-soiled sweatshirt to slam her up against the wall behind the bed. Jess gurgled and gasped, trying in vain to protect herself as hot coppery blood spilled down her throat and chin, feeling like she was drowning.

“I. Don’t. Care.” Yan leaned in closer, all pretenses out the window as she bounced Jess’ aching head off the wall. “Sugita’s out an eye and my husband broke his foot on your thick head! Now listen, and listen good, Jessie. It’s bedtime, and you’re gonna shut up. If I even hear a peep out of you, a single fucking word, and I’ll cut your fucking eye out myself. Understand?”

Jess gurgled and nodded, her headache multiplied by her newest injury. Yan dropped her, and the hostage slumped bonelessly into the bed as the door slammed.

A moment later, the door locked, and a second after that the room was plunged into darkness.

The feeling of hopelessness was stronger than ever, but Jess fought to calm herself down.

She had to deal with her nose, and knew that passing out would reset her time again.

The pain from examining her (maybe not broken) nose helped her stay focused

By tearing up her sweatshirt a bit, she even managed to stop the bleeding.

Mostly, but at least she (probably) wouldn’t drown in her own blood.

That done, she could worry about more pressing matters. For one, with everything that had happened it had been well over an hour since Umaro had met Newter. Probably more like two or three hours by now, and that meant there was a chance he might have just ditched her.

Given that she’d technically ditched him first, it would have been an understandable reaction.

Jess really hoped that wasn’t what had happened, and not just because she really liked Newter.  She’d heard how nervous he sounded on the phone, but had still calmly told her that he would help her. He’d been smart enough to put the clues together, and had come out to meet her.

More than anything, she was afraid that despite his confidence, coming for her solo might have been more than one cape could handle. It was a good thing Newter had backup on the way.

With thoughts like that running through her head, she found the motivation she needed to lay down on her least-damaged side. 

Hopefully sleeping like this wouldn’t kill her, but at this point she really had no choice.

Jess hurriedly recreated Umaro, focusing on giving her smaller fangs.

It was time to come clean, before anyone else got hurt…or killed.

Jess’ eyes drooped closed, and she drifted off…

Umaro opened her eyes, and spent several minutes just standing behind the water tower. Newter was probably right there, or would arrive any moment, but she was scared. All it would take were a few words, and he might just decide she wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Ha, looks like I won!” Umaro blinked, then peeked out from behind the water tower to see Newter. He was doing some kind of victory dance, and for a moment her fears and worries faded as she watched him go. Then he turned, saw her and sighed theatrically. “Seriously? You’re not even tired! Speed, strength, toughness, beauty…you really are the whole package.”

The urgency of her situation faded a little more as Umaro realized that Newter was flirting with her. It made her feel kind of horrible, because she was pretty sure he was only doing it due to her appearance. Jess really was the worst, tricking him with this fake body and—

Umaro shook her head, trying to focus on what actually mattered. It was hard, because once again his scent was making her feel relaxed, the pain of being Jess already a distant memory.

“How long until the rest of your team shows up?” She moved closer, lowering her voice and trying not to loom over him. Newter started to answer, then appeared to realize her odd method of speech had vanished. “Yes, sorry, I can talk better now. It’s a long story, and we don’t have time. I’m really sorry for this, but things just went from bad to worse and I’m panicking.”

She began to explain the new situation, but found it hard to focus because he just looked so kind and confused. Umaro wound up beating around the bush for several minutes, stumbling over her words as she got used to her new mouth. She started rambling, feeling like an idiot.

Newter just let her get it all out, despite the fact that she was getting very little out.

“—and now Jess is hurt…er, I mean she could get hurt, and I mean Jess is…I’m…” She cursed internally. Why was this so hard? It was like the words were stuck in her throat, and every time she tried to explain that she was Jess she just chickened out. “Listen, there’s something else. I know I should have told you sooner, but it’s not easy to talk about and I…I…I’m—”

Newter stepped closer and took her hand, and she saw his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Take a breath, and then we’ll make a plan.” He squeezed her hand, seeming to draw strength from her somehow, and she tried to follow his advice. “Luckily for you, I’m kind of an expert on this sort of thing, and we’ve got plenty of time to save your friend.”

Umaro felt herself relax a little, and when she squeezed back he didn’t even wince at her grip.

Somehow, she felt inspired by his seemingly boundless confidence.

Umaro could tell him the truth later, maybe afterwards.

They were gonna be okay.

They were totally screwed.

This whole mission was supposed to be his chance to prove himself, but instead all it was proving was that Melanie had been right all along. He was woefully unprepared, overconfident, and lacked the kind of strategic vision someone in this position needed to succeed.

Hell, that Monopoly game earlier should have been enough to teach him that lesson!

Newter had originally hoped to get some scouting done and then give Faultline a detailed sitrep (she loved that word). At worst she’d be annoyed that he’d gone too far without her specific instructions, but he’d been pretty sure the praise would outweigh the punishment. Plus, with the full Crew it would be no sweat taking down a few dozen ABB dorks at the edge of their territory.

When he’d talked to Jess, she’d said that the meetup was taking place at noon tomorrow, so he figured they had 12 hours at least before she got moved. The Crew had done hostage rescues before, and as long as you didn’t muck up the recon the baddies usually wouldn’t move them. His thought was that they could just charge in, save the day, and be home by dinner.

But in the hours since then, the situation had deteriorated more and more.

First, when he met up with Umaro and got so nervous that he completely flubbed the explanations for Faultline’s pricing and methodologies. Instead he just spent his time flirting with her, then ran off after she laughed at his Freudian slips. It wasn’t until ten minutes later that he realized he’d basically launched a rescue plan, completely without backup, like an idiot.

Unable to reach Gregor for a pep-talk, and knowing that Emily would tear him a new one for turning a simple meetup into this mess, he’d chatted with Trevor instead. The skater certainly helped Newter’s nerves settle, but all of that crashed and burned when he saw Emily’s update.

Since then, Newter had decided to be straight with Umaro, and explain that they were going to have to hold off on the rescue for now. Even doing recon was dangerous, because if they got spotted then by the time Faultline was back Jess could already have been moved. There was no point in risking her life to play hero, and he prayed he’d be able to convince Umaro of that.

Yet despite his newfound resolve, when he made it to the rooftop he still acted like an idiot. 

Newter had seen Umaro hiding behind the water tower, shaking and fretting. Instead of being calm and serious like a professional, he’d acted like a goofball to cheer her up. Did a silly little dance, complimented her on her appearance and skills, and stayed as upbeat as possible.

It worked, but also made his blood run cold when she revealed that everything was falling apart.

He wanted nothing more than to just rush down there, grab Jess, and run like hell.

With his speed and her strength, they’d be in and out in minutes…

But this wasn’t a solo mission, and Umaro seemed pretty inexperienced. Sure, he could have called Emily and asked her to bring Elle, but that was a horrible idea. Elle was at her weakest right now, and Emily causing a 5-alarm fire would probably make things a hundred times worse. 

No, he couldn’t do that to her…especially after how she’d been when Faultline recruited her.

Some robbery had gone wrong or something, and she’d burned a place down. Chuck, the guy who brought Em to Melanie, explained that she’d been homeless until recently. He seemed to really care about her, and it had practically begged Melanie to take her in for a while.

The guy was really nice, checking on her daily, and had eventually convinced Emily that she needed a real home…and that had become the Crew. But her old fears didn’t just vanish, things like barking dogs or blazing fires still gave her pause. Even with her costume, she got scared.

There was always a bit of hesitation in her stance when she used her power. Like she was afraid that someone might get hurt or killed. No teenager should have to think like that.

Which meant he was all alone, and had Umaro thinking he was some kind of expert.

Just like Emily, she was so afraid, and in turn that scared the hell out of him.

Umaro was panicking. 

The cool, beautiful, badass Case 53 lady he’d only known a few hours was scared. If anyone should have been fine in a bad situation, it was someone like her. She was tough enough to ignore his sweat, strong enough to climb a building, and stealthy enough to sneak past him.

Seriously, her fur was so bright it practically shone in the moonlight, how had he missed her?

As she started to choke on her words, he noticed her hand shaking and found his own reaching towards it. Umaro was so worried about her friend, about what the ABB were going to do to Jess. He still wondered if the girl was her daughter, sister, best friend, or even lover…

But all he could think about was what he’d told Emily earlier about families.

Seemingly complete strangers that you’d take on the world to save.

Umaro and Jess were strangers, but they didn’t have to be.

And they’d never be anything more if he just ran away.

So as much as he wanted to tell her the truth, to try and help her understand that rushing in now was a horrible idea, he didn’t. Because then he’d be a hypocrite, and worse than that she’d probably do it anyway. All alone, with no finesse or plan, and then she’d probably get hurt.

Or die…and he’d never forgive himself for that. Not (just) because he liked her, but more due to the fact that he could totally see himself doing the same thing if it was Emily in there.

Gregor had once said that true bravery was being scared and still moving forward anyway, despite that. Melanie had told him that people who betrayed their teammates were the worst kind of trash. Emily and Elle were scared of all kinds of stuff, but they still kept fighting.

So Newter put all his fear out of his mind, schooled his expression, and smiled at Umaro.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Take a breath, and then we’ll make a plan.” He squeezed her hand and spoke from the heart, glad that she started taking deep breaths. Pot brownie sweat, go! She looked down at him and seemed to visibly relax, slumping a little bit. “Luckily for you, I’m kind of an expert on this sort of thing, and we’ve got plenty of time to save your friend.”

That had only been the barest of truths, given that his so-called expertise came from running someone else’s plans and following orders. Orders that weren’t going to come, since his leader was stuck in Boston and currently incommunicado.

After all that shit he said to Emily about how the Protectorate, New Wave, and Wards wouldn’t be a problem, now they could be a solution…if they weren’t all unavailable! He couldn’t even call the PRT, because all they’d do would be make a lot of noise and probably get Jess killed.

Which meant it was just the two of them, against a pile of ABB. With Oni Lee and Bakuda only a phone call away, and untold dangers awaiting them in that warehouse.

But for whatever reason, his words seemed to work. Umaro squeezed his hand back, and he felt like it was being crushed in a vise.

He didn’t even twitch, knowing that this pain was what he deserved for getting her hopes up.

Now all he had to do was make a perfect rescue plan with very limited resources.

“Thanks Newter, I guess I kinda lost my head for a moment there.”

“No big deal.” He lied, screaming inside. “We got this.”

Umaro smiled at him, then leaned closer.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Chapter Text

“Thanks Newter, I guess I kinda lost my head for a moment there.” Umaro apologized, squeezing his hand. The smaller cape smiled grimly, confidence blazing in his eyes like twin suns as his mind analyzed the situation. She stopped talking, gathering her thoughts. 

“No big deal.” He replied, certainly drawing upon his years of experience and prowess to create the perfect plan for a rescue despite their very limited time. It took everything in her not to hug him, for being there for her at her lowest point. He confidently declared, “We got this.”

She’d really been panicking earlier, but to Newter it seemed like this was all no big deal. Sure, she was in trouble, but he was part of a mercenary crew that handled all kinds of stuff like this.

Smiling despite herself, Umaro leaned closer. “So, what’s the plan?”

He covered his mouth with his hand, stroking at a beard that wasn’t there as he paced around in a little circle. His tail wiggled behind him, curling every few steps into an almost question mark shape, and then tapped the rooftop as he stopped. He turned back towards her, and nodded.

“First thing is to call for backup, and while I’m doing that you need to make me a map.” He dug into one of the pouches on his costume, pulling out a pen and some paper. Newter gestured at the warehouse where Jess was stashed, then turned away with his phone. “Draw it out, and try to get an idea of the guard placement as quietly as you can. Also, if you know where Jess is being kept or any other entrances besides the front, that’ll make getting in and out easier.”

“Got it, I won’t let you down.” She crept away as quietly as her quarter-ton body could move, trying to remember as much as she could about the layout. Jay had been carrying her over his shoulder like a sack of barley and all the blood had been rushing to her aching head, but she’d still spotted a few details. “Glad I played D&D with Krouse a few times, this map will be a—”

SNAP

The pen Newter had given her snapped in her giant sausage fingers, ink spilling all over the paper. She’d never tried to write things in a form like this, so it sort of made sense in hindsight. 

As if to add insult to injury, the wind picked up the paper and swept it out of her unwieldy hands, carrying it off into the night on a grand adventure entirely unrelated to her own.

“Shit.” 

Umaro looked back at Newter and saw him on the phone, talking with someone and looking annoyed about something. Probably coordinating the rest of his team or trying to set up some complex tactical maneuver. “Okay, don’t panic. What else can I do…think…think…”

As she made a plan to help make a map so they could make a plan, Umaro kept glancing over at Newter and trying not to stare. He looked so passionate, arguing with someone on the other end, it really was amazing to see a professional at work.

She knew that things were bad, and that Jess’ body was in bad shape. Sleeping with a concussion and a broken nose had…probably been a bad idea. Definitely not healthy.

But watching Newter work to call in favors or rally his team to help them, she felt like maybe things were going to be okay. Despite the horrible odds, they had a chance.

Because no matter how scared she was, Newter and his team had a reputation for being fearless, and getting out of impossible situations.

Right now, they were probably praising him for being such a—

“ —fucking idiot. ”

“Hey now, that’s not the reason I called you, Em.” Newter ran a hand through his hair, wincing as his teammate threw a few more curses his way. “I mean, this isn’t really that bad, is it?”

“Goddamn it Newt, this is exactly what I was afraid of.” Emily spat, and Newter took a few extra steps away from Umaro. The huge cape was crouched nearby, furiously working on her map, body blocking out her work entirely. “Not only are you in over your head, but things are getting worse and you’re too much of a dumbass to know when it’s time to back off.”

“I can’t just abandon Jess, Em. We’re all she’s got! She’s just a few hundred feet away.” He whispered, smiling at Umaro for a moment as she glanced back at him. “Besides, it’s only a dozen ABB guys. I can kinda dodge bullets and she’s probably tough enough to resist them—”

“Oh well now that you say it that way , I feel much more confident. After all, words like kinda and probably are super -encouraging when it comes to bullets, so this’ll be no sweat! Heck, speaking of sweat, maybe they’ll just line up so you can put them to sleep, and make it even easier!”

“Okay, I get the feeling that you’re being sarcastic right now, and it’s really not helping.” Newter pulled the phone away from his ear as Emily shouted something insulting. He could barely make out Elle in the background, groaning for her sister to please let her go back to sleep. “Em? Emily! Hey! Instead of calling me names and telling me shit I already know, how about ideas?”

“Fine, here’s one. Tell your new girlfriend that a job like this takes more than just two people.” Newter felt his face heat up, muttering that she wasn’t his girlfriend, but Emily continued, “Put that stealth suit to use and stay hidden, then call the fucking PRT or something and let them handle this. When the ABB panics and runs, follow them and grab Jess. How about that?”

“Nope, that’s a non-starter. You’re not here, Em. You can’t see how much this is hurting her.” He peered around the water tower at the cape in question, and saw her working hard on the map. Umaro’s tongue stuck out of her mouth a little, as she glanced at the warehouse and worked. “Sure, she’s big and strong, so tough that my sweat didn’t phase her, but she’s really scared.”

“She’s scared? I’m scared!” Emily practically shouted, stomping and then slamming a door on her end. “Can’t you see how dangerous this is? Why are you so dead-set on throwing your—”

“I have to! Listen…I’m 90% sure Jess is a cape.” Whatever Emily was about to say was choked off as he whispered his deduction. All the pieces lined up, and it explained how she’d gotten info to Umaro despite being captured. “If we call the PRT, they’ll probably force her to join, and then Mel will kill me for failing a job. With my speed and Umaro’s strength, we have a shot at this.”

“I don’t care how strong Umaro…wait, her name is Umaro ?” Emily sounded confused, but he was pretty sure he’d already told her the cape’s name before. He scrolled back through his text and saw that auto-correct had changed it to Aroma for some reason. “What does she look like?”

“Big, white fur, kind of like a sasquatch…” Newter stopped, feeling his blood boil, realizing what Emily was getting at. He stalked a few steps further away, and squeezed the phone so tightly it almost cracked in his hand. “Listen, Emily…don’t you fucking dare . Don’t even start .”

“What? It’s just that if Jess is a cape and Umaro is a big white sasquatch, it might mean—” 

“I know . I get it. You think that I’m only doing this because she’s a Case 53 .” He spat, not letting her get a word in edgewise. “Well guess what? I’m doing it because Jess sounded so goddamn desperate and Umaro is practically having a breakdown despite being a huge badass. I don’t care what they look like, I’m not going to abandon them. So either help me out or fuck right off.”

Emily was quiet for a long time after that, and he panted as she muttered something in the background. He could hear Elle complaining about something, then footsteps as both headed down what sounded like stairs. Finally, just as he was about to hang up, she spoke.

“Sorry. I just…I don’t want to lose you, too. I can’t handle it. We can’t. I just…I’m so scared.” 

Emily sounded odd, and he realized that she was trying not to cry. Her voice sounded like it used to, back when they’d first met last year. Back then she’d been really closed off and quiet, but eventually opened up to him and Elle about why she was so scared. 

She’d explained one night that before she was forced to live on the streets, she’d had a big family. A brother, a sister, parents who loved her even though they had huge debts…

Her parents kept taking chances, trying to pay them off, but things just got worse and worse.

One night she woke up, and everything was gone. All she had left was the fire…

Here he was, getting mad at her for trying to protect him.

Newter felt like such a shitty brother, right then.

He felt his anger cool off like a campfire splashed by liquid nitrogen. Having your adopted sister almost start crying because you reminded her of losing her family kind of did that. He could hear Elle saying something on the other end, and the sound of a car door slamming.

“No, I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help. But…” He whispered, pacing a little as he tried to gather his thoughts. “I’m really scared, Em…but I can’t give up on this. Not because I want to prove myself or be some big hero, but because I’m all they have. We’re all they have.”

“Yeah, I get it. Okay, so you need a plan. That’s what Melanie would say. Have a plan, make sure everyone understands it, and also have an exit.” Emily sniffled, and he heard an engine rumble to life. He was pretty sure she didn’t have a license, but didn’t want to interrupt her flow. “I’ll handle the exit, maybe call in a few favors in the chat group. I guess I can ask Chuck to—”

“Anything is good, Em.” Newter nodded, despite knowing that she couldn’t see him. After a moment, a thought occurred to him. “But I don’t want you two coming to fight, okay? I know you and Elle are badasses, but hunting around for me is just asking for things to get worse.”

“Okay, first of all, we don’t have to hunt for you. I’ve got your phone location thanks to Melanie’s app. Jeez, who’d have thought her helicopter parenting would actually come in handy, huh?” Emily let out what was obviously a forced laugh, and he chuckled along with her. “As for the rest, don’t worry. I have a plan, I just need to visit a few friends. Try to hold off on the rescue for an hour, at least. I know it’ll be hard, but I need some time to get things going. Be patient.”

“Great, thanks a lot Em. Hey, dinner’s on me when this is all over, okay?”

“Dinner? Dude, I expect foot rubs and back scratches for—” 

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a car horn, and Emily hung up on him.

Newter stared at the phone for a long minute, wondering if he should call the PRT or something just to be safe. But he shook his head in the end, and put it away. He trusted Emily with his life.

Now he just had to hope Umaro would trust him with hers, because they needed to pad an hour. 

Then make a plan, pull it off without a single error, and escape before things got worse.

Faultline did it all the time, so how hard could it possibly be?

Sure, she had years of experience and a team and…

Knees shaking, he took a breath. Then another.

Then Newter went to face the music.

A big, fake smile on his face.

“Sorry that took a while.” Newter’s voice behind her filled Umaro with a wave of embarrassment, despite being fairly proud of her map. “My team’s a ways out, so I called in a few favors. In the meantime, we need to wait about an hour before we start the mission. So…how’s the map?”

“I broke your pen.” Umaro blurted out, holding up one ink-stained hand as her carefully prepared explanation went right out of her head. She began to ramble, mumbling, “I usually punch walls and climb them, not…do complex calligraphy. I’m sorry, I guess I’m just really worried, and it’s making me muck stuff up, and this is already going wrong and it’s all my fault—”

“That’s my fault, sorry.” He unexpectedly apologized, cutting her off before she could finish. He chuckled as if it was no big deal, and waved his tail at her. “I know how tough it can be for people like us, my bad. After this is all over, let’s get drinks and I’ll tell you about the time I snuck into a movie theater and whacked the guy behind me with my tail during a jumpscare. Actually, never mind. That’s the whole story. There was a jumpscare, and I whacked him with my tail.”

Umaro giggled at the mental image, rumbling like a quiet landslide.

“Seriously? That’s nothing! I once climbed a ladder, but I weighed so much it started collapsing.” He snorted, hiding his face as she mimed her mad scramble, “I was climbing as fast as it was breaking, and then kinda hovered in midair when I ran out of ladder before falling like a rock.”

They both started cracking up, trying to shush each other and hold it back, but that only made it worse. Pretty soon they were sitting side-by-side against the water tower, both shaking with barely contained laughter. He started to whisper another tale, composure broken.

Time passed, and yet she found herself relaxing despite the danger at the edge of her mind. Umaro was now certain that the scent he had was some sort of power effect, but didn’t care.

Newter was obviously trying to calm her, and he had a lot more experience than her in rescue missions. If he was confident that this was the best use of their time, she was willing to try.

Plus, after losing her friends and what little life she had all in one day, being able to tell silly stories and laugh with someone was…nice. Not just because he was kind of cute, but because it made her think of how things used to be back before all this Earth Bet shit.

It reminded her of how Noelle, Mars, Luke, and the others all used to crack jokes with her before a big match, to settle their nerves. No matter how tough their opponents were, she went into every match with a light heart and the knowledge that her team had her back.

“—and then Gregor turned around, and we saw that Faultline was stuck to his front thanks to his goo.” Newter finished, wheezing and covering his face, sending her into peals of the quietest laughter she could manage. “Boss ended up tossing her whole outfit, and he couldn’t make eye contact with her for a week. Guy was so mortified he’s still afraid to share a motorcycle with her.”

“Oh my god, your team is amazing.” Umaro let out a long sigh, and saw on his phone that it had been an hour. She stood and held out a hand, helping Newter up with ease. “Thanks, for all of that. I’m still pretty freaked out, but I feel a lot better now. Less…heavy. More focused.”

“Anytime. I know how tough pre-mission jitters can be. Lord knows I’m a bit worried myself, but having you backing me up means I can give it 100% and then some.” He clapped Umaro on the shoulder, then turned and goggled at the rooftop behind her. “Holy crap, did you make this?”

“Yeah. I mean the pen might have busted, but when you’re as strong as me everything’s a writing surface.” Umaro gestured at the crude map she’d carved into the rooftop, trying not to sound too proud. Using notation skills learned from playing Dungeons and Dragons, she’d marked doors, guard clusters, entrances, and Jess’ cell. “How is it? Good?”

“Not just good, this is incredible! We’ve gotta get you on the team, this puts some of Faultline’s field maps to shame.” He walked around her creation, and she puffed up at the compliment. It seemed like he really respected his boss, so that was pretty high praise. “Seriously, I’m pretty sure I can get you a tryout. Faultline’s a great boss, and actually treats Case 53s like people.”

“Ah, I’m not really…” Umaro paused, realizing that this was the perfect time to come clean. She took a deep breath, then started to slowly explain that Jess had been tricking him this whole time. “The thing is…Jess’ team is…I mean my team…I mean, you have to understand that—”

“Oh, sorry about the recruitment pitch, didn’t mean to gush.” Newter stammered, backpedaling a little before scratching his head. “Just consider it before you join up with the PRT or something. There’s a Ward out in San Diego, Gully, she’s been a Ward for like four years now. They hide her away in a little hole rather than let her lead a team or make PR appearances. I’d hate to hear that they did that to someone as awesome as you, is all. No pressure, Umaro.”

Umaro saw her chance crash and burn before her eyes, and instead nodded and smiled. She tried to gather her courage again, but then Newter barreled onto the next topic, and she sighed.

Umaro would just have to explain things after the plan…

“Okay, so I’m going to come in from this side here, and take out the three guards. I’ll make some noise, and it’ll draw them all to my side, but I’m pretty quick.” Newter pointed with his tail, and Umaro tried to put her identity crisis out of her head for the time being. Jess was depending on her! “You hear gunfire, head for Jess’ window and smash it open, then grab her—”

“Wait,” Umaro interrupted, realizing that her original body getting pelted with debris would probably wake her up. Worse, if she pulled the window out, it might alert Yan and the others to run in and grab Jess. “What if I came in from the other side and you start from the back? I could block the side door and take out the guards, then head up to the roof.”

“But wouldn’t that…no, hold up. You’re strong as hell, aren’t you? Strong enough to move dumpsters and such, I’m guessing?” She nodded, and a wide grin split his face. He began to make little notes next to the map, using one of his talons. “Okay, so instead I’ll go in here, and then block off the front door once I’m inside. You can watch me from the skylight, and then—”

Time seemed to fly as they went over the details of the plan, making corrections and working together in a way that felt so natural. Krouse was so anal retentive about his plans, but Newter actually listened when she pointed out flaws in his. “I..er…Jess might be injured, so we should probably be ready to escape through something other than a sewer. Know any good doctors?”

“Doctor Q’s kind of a local crime doctor, I guess we could use him. We’d have to go this way.” He tapped a spot on the map off to the side, near Jess’ window. “Up the fire escape, and you smash it once we’re on top of the building. We can roof-hop from there, no sweat.”

“Damn, seems like you’ve got it all figured out.” She chuckled as he blushed cutely, stammering a little at her glowing compliment. “Okay boss, ready when you are. Let’s do this!”

“Yep, go time.” He nodded confidently, putting his mask back on and stretching slightly. 

Then he was gone, off into the night so fast she lost sight of him for a few moments.

“Damn, he’s good,” she muttered, as the cape silently crept up on two guards.

Newter paused right above them, like a bat-themed video game character.

She watched intently as he prepared for a double takedown.

“He makes it look so easy,” Umaro sighed ruefully.

“Fuck, now what?” Newter thought, frozen with indecision, knowing Umaro was watching.

Stealth takedowns were way harder than training and Emily’s video games made them look. Especially when it came to complex vertical maneuvers on two armed guards at once.

In Mel’s training, he’d learned more about mastering the art of staying hidden than anything else. Newter was naturally stealthy (as far as sound went, he couldn’t do much about his orange skin), especially when he moved on all fours. Being able to climb well also helped, because most people never thought to look up when keeping watch for ground-based threats.

As for the video games, stealth was even easier. Not only did you have little meters and skills you could raise (as well as stupid AI), but takedowns were a snap. The player character just had to drop down behind them without a sound, when they turned around to go back on patrol. Then take one out, take the other out, and stash their bodies in a conveniently placed dumpster. 

But now Newter was perched on a fire escape’s edge, looking down at two guys with big honking pistols, and wondering if he hadn’t bit off more than he could chew. They were just barely too far apart, so he couldn’t drop down and bonk their heads together or something. 

Maybe the problem was that he was thinking about the wrong sort of takedowns. After all, both games and training had covered multiple methods. It was a shame he didn’t have any cool gadgets, like that bat-guy or the bald guy with the barcode on his neck…

Remembering that second one gave Newter an idea.

Both of these dopes had shaved heads, all the better to show off their painfully bad dragon tattoos. Newter reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a pair of little sponges that Gregor had given him. He held one in each hand, squeezing gently.

This suit was supposed to be saved for winter missions, but Gregor had gone out of his way to get a few special tricks added to it, just in case. For one thing, the elbows, knees, soles, and palms all had a very absorbent material, so that his sweat could soak through.

As he slowly transferred some of that sweat to the sponges, Newter idly wondered if there were other capes who used sweat as a weapon. Maybe there was someone out there with acidic sweat, or explosive sweat? Sounded dangerous as hell, but pretty damned effective.

Although they’d probably be a villain, with a power like that second one…

He soon had two sponges almost dripping with psychedelic sweat, and carefully positioned himself above the two men. After a breath to steady himself…bombs away!

SPLAT. SPLAT.

“Hey, did a bird just shi—'' One of the men started to speak, lifting a hand to his damp head, but before he could finish he was already falling. Newter landed quietly between the pair, catching one with his hand and the other with his tail. “Ooooogh.”

Thirty seconds later, he’d stashed them both in a nearby dumpster, put their guns in a second one, and then gave a thumbs up in Umaro’s general direction. The third guard was due any moment now, so he scuttled back up to the fire escape, waiting quietly.

The idiot didn’t even notice that his buddies were gone... 

He just trudged into a corner and started peeing.

A minute later, another guard was in another dumpster. Despite his complete lack of respect for the ABB as a whole, the cape was still polite enough to let the guy zip up first. Then he dropped down behind him and put his arm over the man’s mouth, giving him a faceful of sweat-juice.

Trying to think up a better name than “sweat-juice,” Newter headed in the side door. Before closing it behind him, he slathered the outside handle with more sweat, then locked it. Just for added fun, he did the same to the inside of the door and its lock.

From there, things should have gotten more difficult, since the warehouse was fairly well-lit.

But it was pretty late and these were apparently the worst the ABB had to offer.

Most of them were just hanging out, playing on their phones, or reading.

One guy was even sleeping, so he got a squirt of sweat in his gaping mouth as Newter passed by. From how he giggled, the cape could only guess what the man’s dream had turned into. But the important thing was that it meant one less problem when they eventually had to go loud.

Speaking of going loud, a distant thump told him that Umaro was on the move. Newter quickly climbed up into the rafters and weighed his options. From here he could see more of the warehouse, as well as six guards milling around in the main area near the front door.

The wires on the wall and ceiling told him where the main fuse box was, and he considered using that. Turning it off could draw them over, as well as letting him drop another guard by putting some sweat on the handle. He also hadn’t seen any flashlights, and unlike Newter none of these guys could see in the dark, so he’d be able to take them down easily.

But it also ran the risk of confusing Umaro, since he had no way of updating her. Sure, he could hop up top and tell her, but that would take time they didn’t have. It really sucked, because he hadn’t even thought of it before and this new idea completely blew his old plan out of the water.

Maybe this was what Faultline meant, saying that he wasn’t ready yet…

A feminine shriek broke Newter out of his moment of meaningful self-introspection, saving him the trouble of being struck by enlightenment that would forever change his life. Worried that it was Jess, he hopped through the rafters and in the direction of the noise, then stopped.

That wasn’t Jess. His worry quickly shifted into anger.

“ Her name’s Yan ,” Umaro had said, barely holding back a growl as she’d been describing the ring leaders of the group that had kidnapped Jess. “ Purple eyeshadow, dark hair, red and green clothes like some kind of demented Christmas Elf, and a really annoying voice... ”

“No, dumbass!” Yan was down below, wearing a green turtleneck, blue jeans, and had a red headband with a dragon on it holding her hair back. She was standing on one of the many wooden crates in the main area, and tried to kick a guy twice her age, who dodged backwards. “I already said, we’re gonna run these newbies through some exercises! Hop to it!”

“Yes, and while that would normally be a great idea, the only people in this warehouse with any kind of experience in physical fitness are the ones you put out on patrol.” The older man ran his hand through graying hair, looking like he wasn’t a fan of taking orders from someone half his age. “Listen, I get that you want to impress Oni Lee when he gets here tomorrow, but this isn’t the way to do it. He’s not gonna care that you’ve whipped these green recruits into shape.”

“Oh, so now you’re an expert on Oni Lee? You think you could do a better job than me? Then why the hell did he put me in charge, huh smartass?” She looked down her nose at the man, like some sort of queen on a boxy throne, glaring down at an insolent subject. “It’s because I worked my ass off to build myself up, after that snot nosed shadow-bitch tried to arrest me. Made connections, had ideas, net- fucking -worked, and now I’m boss of this whole operation!”

“You’re only in charge because a few hours ago…you know what? Fuck it, I don’t care.” The old man sighed and turned around, waving a finger about his head at everyone. “C’mon, gather everyone up! Let’s do some exercise, get our blood pumping or some shit. Hop to it, newbies!”

The half-dozen goons glanced among themselves, then grumbled and began to scatter. Newter noticed that one was headed towards the place he’d dosed the sleeping guy, and that was a bit of a problem. He had seconds at most, before they realized the guy was out cold.

Above he could see Umaro peeking at him through a skylight, and realized that she was waiting on him. He made a time-out gesture, hoping she’d understand to hang back and let him work, and she nodded. That done, he pulled a few sponges from his pouch, took a breath…

…and dropped from the rafters towards Yan. 

As he fell, Newter spun slightly, flinging a sponge at each of the two biggest guys (very glad they were both shirtless) and nailed one in the back. The other took the hit in his pants, but luckily reached down and wiped at it before stumbling and falling as well.

Both hit the ground, and their friends were already turning and scrabbling for their guns. But before they could say a word he’d already wrapped one arm around Yan’s waist and grabbed her hair with his other hand. She let out a little squeal, arms trapped at her sides suddenly.

“Everybody freeze! This is a rescue!” Newter groaned internally, then figured if he was already in this deep… “Gimme the hostage and I’ll leave you be! Otherwise she…um…gets it!”

Nobody had a reply for that. He wondered if they spoke English, and then mentally slapped himself for jumping to such a conclusion. Newter’s mind was a little scrambled and adrenaline was surging through him, but that was no reason to be a racist dick.

“How about this, you let me go and I don’t cut off your arm for daring to touch me.” Yan growled, struggling to glare up at him. He yanked on her hair, nearly ripping her stupid headband off, remembering Umaro saying that the thug had done that to Jess. “Ow! Stop it! Fucker!”

“You stop it! Shut up!” He retorted, such a cutting remark that she was shocked into silence. “Tell your men to drop their guns, kick them over here, and get Jess for me. Um…in that order!”

Yan was silent for several long seconds, and he pulled on her headband again, this time tearing it off. “Ow! Fucker! You told me to shut up, then told me to give orders. Which one is it?”

“It’s…are you fucking with me?” He saw a smirk cross her face, and realized that Yan was so stupidly confident that she was having delusions of grandeur. He was tempted to drug her, but was afraid that the old guy might actually try to play hardball. “Okay, enough outta you.”

He crammed the headband in her mouth, then used that hand to point at a young man. “You…red shirt? No, damn it, why are you all wearing red? Show some creativity! Try to stand out a little so you can set yourselves apart from the other nameless goons!”

“Actually, my name is Park Jihoo, and this is maroon because I’m a fan of the Chicago Mar—”

“Don’t care! This isn’t a meet and greet.” He held a talon near the grunting Yan’s neck. “Drop all your weapons, then you go and get Jess. Bring her out here, or else I’ll make you regret it.”

“I don’t even have a gun. Never liked them.” The nameless boy started to back up, then paused. “One question: Who’s Jess? Wait, two questions: If that’s the hostage, how do I get her without Yan’s key? Oh, also how do I carry her? I’m Film Club at Immaculata, not Body Improvement—”

“Are you kidding me?” Newter shouted, his annoyance growing as he heard Yan’s muffled laughter. She quickly changed to panicked squeals as he started digging through her pockets. A phone, a switchblade, a good luck charm made of a bundle of red hairs, and finally some keys. “Here! Take these and use them. Also, bring another guy along to carry her. Christ.”

“Geez, no need to be a jerk about it.” The boy whose name Newter absolutely refused to memorize caught the keys and called for one of the other idiots to follow. Seeing the other boy on his phone gave Newter an idea, and he crammed Yan’s phone into his pocket. If nothing else, maybe Faultline could use it for intel on the ABB, later on. “C’mon Jin, let’s go get her.”

Both only made it halfway before Yan managed to spit the headband out, and shrieked at the nameless idiots. “Stop! Do not take another step! I order you all to rush this stupid hero, and take him down! He’s all talk, no way he’d actually hurt me!”

“Yan, that’s not a hero. That’s Newter, from Faultline’s Crew.” Park Jihoo corrected his boss, and Newter decided it would only be polite to remember his name as well. “He’s got colorful hair, some orange skin showing, and a five-foot-long tail. Didn’t you read the report I gave you?”

“Of course not! I’m a leader, not a reader.” The collected goons groaned at the phrase, although one smirked at what was probably a reference Newter didn’t get. He made a mental note to look that up later, as they wasted a minute muttering amongst themselves to decide what to do. “Hey! I’m still in charge here, and I say…heh, I say that we just won. This guy’s fucked, now!”

“Really? I’ve got you, your guys are disarmed, and I’ve still got an ace up my sleeve.” He glanced up at Umaro and saw her looking down at him. She seemed to be trying to signal something, but he couldn’t make it out. “Face it, if anyone’s fucked, it’s the ABB.”

“I beg to differ.”

The new voice made Newter freeze, and he slowly turned to face the front door. He’d been so busy directing the thugs that he’d taken his eyes off the only entrance they hadn’t blocked, and now Umaro’s frantic movements made total sense.

She’d been putting a finger on each side of her head, pointing straight up, and gritting her teeth.

Like some sort of demon, devil, or…Oni.

“Now, I believe you were talking about someone being fucked.” Oni Lee’s demonic red mask leered at Newter, fanged grin and two horns glinting in the overhead lights. He fingered one of the odd grenades on his bandoleer, other hand idly playing with a huge knife belted at his side. “I find pleasure through more…interesting methods, personally. But given that you’re new here, I’ll give you a chance to please me another way. Kill the girl in your arms, and you may go free.”

The matter-of-fact way he spoke, cool and calm as if life and death were little more than casual conversation topics, was unnerving. Most people thought Oni Lee was some kind of brain-dead killer, a dog that fought and killed at Lung’s whim, but the truth was actually far more frightening.

Faultline had once had the displeasure of sharing a meal with him, during a business deal with Lung a year or two back. He’d been silent right up until the end, when she made the mistake of asking Lung if Oni Lee spoke English. Lung had chuckled, and remained silent in response.

Oni Lee had turned to regard her, then smiled.

“ I’m actually fluent in four languages, as it so happens .” He’d replied, speaking perfect English without a hint of accent. He’d gestured with his knife at her. “ It’s just that the more I talk to people, the more I want to kill them. As they learn about me, learn my secrets, they slowly become too dangerous to be allowed to live. Would you like to know more, Faultline? ”

Faultline had not wanted to know more, in fact. She ended up not taking the deal, citing another job that didn’t actually exist. This was one of the reasons Faultline had warned them all to run like hell if they ever encountered Oni Lee in the field. 

He didn’t need to be creative or clever with the vast majority of his opponents, and purposefully cultivated an image of being a silent idiot. But that just meant that when he actually needed to fight for real, his true skills and violently macabre sense of humor were completely unnerving.

She’d stressed that point over and over, telling them to expect the unexpected, especially with people who weren’t right in the head. Lee was a prime example, obviously.

“ Most important of all ,” she’d added sternly. “ If he talks to you…don’t talk back. Just run. ”

But Newter couldn’t run. Not with Jess and Umaro counting on him.

Also Yan, apparently, who’d gone limp in his arms.

“Boss? What…why?” She looked back at Newter, and he gave a small shrug. “We kidnapped the girl, and any minute now her friends will be here to join the ABB. You should be thanking me! You put me in charge and I totally—”

“I put Sugita in charge, you little idiot. Thought it would give that bleeding heart a chance to show he had it in him to excel, but he never got the chance!” Lee reached up and tapped one of the eyes of his mask, voice losing some of its calm as he got louder. “Your hostage took his eye! His father was one of my few living friends, and thanks to you the man won’t even speak to me!”

“B-boss, I’m s-sorry! I had no idea he was your…your…um…godson? Nephew?”

“Silence! The capes you sought to recruit are stuck in a locked down neighborhood, arrested at best or dead at worst. On top of that, you drew the attention of two monsters who have disabled half of your men. Add in Sugita’s injury, and you have failed me in every possible way, Yung.”

“I-it’s Yan.” She whispered, but the villain had already turned his eyes to lock with Newter’s.

Unlike Umaro, he didn’t peer into them soulfully and comment on their beauty.

Instead, he drew a very strange-looking grenade from his bandoleer.

“But, I suppose there is one thing you can do to redeem yourself.”

Lee pulled the pin and chuckled, as if amused by something.

“Y-yes! Anything! How can I redeem myself, boss?”

The villain threw the grenade at them both.

“Tell me how much this hurts.”

Chapter Text

When the grenade was halfway to Newter and Yan, he briefly considered shoving her at it and leaping backwards off the crate they were standing on. She’d take the brunt of the blast, and he’d get to execute an awesome backflip that would get him some distance. It was a win-win!

But when it came right down to it, even if he hated Yan for kidnapping, beating, and terrorizing Jess…she was still just an ordinary dumb thug in the middle of a cape battle. She didn’t deserve to die, and if Newter threw her into danger to save his own skin, he’d never forgive himself. 

Even if he wasn’t a hero, that didn’t mean Newter wanted to be a villain.

So he held onto her as he jumped, glad she was fairly light. Normally he could leap fifteen feet easily, but here he cleared almost ten as Yan flailed her arms. He’d had to readjust his grip, and really hoped that she was smart enough to let him save her life.

“Got it! Thanks boss!” Apparently she was far dumber than he’d hoped, because her hand snapped out and actually caught the damned grenade. He hurriedly shoved her away as they landed, and she reared back to throw it at him. “Take this, you fucking monster fuck—”

Before she could finish her scintillating and highly cerebral insult, her arm vanished.

It was as if the grenade had transcended reality, and taken her arm along.

Yan’s arm was no more. It had ceased to be. It was an ex-arm.

Newter was in shock, especially since there was no blood.

Yan started screaming, and fell to the ground.

Newter started screaming as well, but in his case it wasn’t because of an arm injury. Rather, while he’d been staring in shock at Yan’s predicament, Oni Lee had appeared beside him and jammed what felt like an icepick into Newter’s foot. He looked up, letting out a little chuckle.

Then Lee dropped another odd grenade, and dissolved into ash and dust. With his foot pinned to the ground and Yan a few feet away, Newter was forced to use another tactic to save them.

With skills he’d mastered playing the Double Dare home game with Elle against a very reluctant Melanie and Gregor, Newter flipped the grenade up into the air with his tail. He smacked it as hard as he could, realizing too late that it was headed right for a trio of stunned ABB goons. 

He shouted a warning, and for once in their lives they made the right choice and turned to run.

But it was pointless, because the grenade apparently had a fucking black hole inside it.

Being nailed to the ground let Newter resist the pull of the tiny singularity, but the three ABB guys weren’t nearly so lucky. They were sucked right in, bulging bodies squeezed through a tiny hole in ways the Case 53 was certain would cause him nightmares for weeks. 

Looking away only made him feel worse, as he saw Yan barely hanging onto a crate of guns with her remaining arm, screaming and begging to be saved.

Lucky for her, the effect only lasted thirty seconds, and then vanished without a trace.

Park Jihoo stumbled into view, pulling at his friend Jin’s arm as they ran for an exit. Both looked scared out of their minds, having narrowly escaped the same fate as the others. Then their eyes locked onto Newter, the one who had caused all this, and for a moment it was dead silent.

Newter really hoped they didn’t want to fight. He’d seen a movie with Emily a few months ago where a guy fought some German terrorists and stepped in broken glass, and now he knew exactly how that guy felt. Both hands clenched into fists, as he tried to pretend he was brave…

But rather than going for weapons, or trying to attack Newter like Yan had, both just ran like hell.

Putting them out of his mind, he heard thumping from above and realized it was Umaro.

She sounded like she was beating Oni Lee good, judging by the crashing noises.

He’d last seen her a few minutes ago, looking at him through the skylight.

Newter stared up at the same skylight, praying she’d be okay.

“Okay. Okay. Everything’s going to be okay. I’m just ahead of schedule.” Umaro muttered to herself, looking down through the skylight and seeing guards milling about aimlessly. She’d been told to wait here, but her partner still hadn’t shown up. Was he in trouble? “No, Newter’s probably just doing recon. He’ll be here any moment. Guess I can go check on the side?”

The yeti crept back the way she’d come, peering over the edge of the warehouse at her clever creation. Specifically, the use of several dumpsters to block the two side doors from opening.

Even though she was strong enough to move them into place without making noise, one of her duties was to take care of guards, so she’d just dragged them. Every time a guard popped up, Umaro had dashed at them with incredible speed, propelled by her massively powerful legs.

One by one they were pressed into her stomach, shouts muffled by her fur until they passed out. After ensuring they were breathing, having practiced this many times before with her old team, Umaro had lifted each into a dumpster for safety. Repeating it several times, she had disabled all the guards on her side and then blocked the side door with some dumpsters.

But as she was moving them, Umaro couldn’t help but notice how terrible the dumpsters looked.

Sure, the whole point of a dumpster was to put trash in it, so it wasn’t exactly supposed to look good. But these were so covered in dents and scratches, it was like some sort of monster had attacked them. Hell, one even had handprints in it, like a cape had grabbed and thrown it!

On the other hand, if a cape was throwing a dumpster at you, maybe you had it coming…

“Okay, getting sidetracked.” She turned and headed back to the skylight, and was happy to see that things had changed on her little overhead television program. Unfortunately, this was a show she really didn’t want to watch. “Ugh, her again. Maybe I can drop something on her?”

Below, Yan was standing on a crate like some tinpot dictator, speaking to a dozen armed people in red shirts. She was waving her arms around and looking excited about something, but most of those listening seemed more bored than impressed. One was even playing on his phone.

Umaro was glad it was so boring, because soon enough her gaze wandered, and she spotted Newter. The stealthy cape was waving at her from ten feet or so away, up in the rafters. She waved back, then saw him flinch as the crowd below suddenly broke up.

She got ready to jump in, but Newter signaled for her to give him some time, so she held back. 

He dropped down, landing perfectly behind Yan and grabbed the thug, then started shouting at the gunmen. They all disarmed themselves, blown away by his charisma and raw animal magnetism. One even began to back away in fear, cowed by Newter’s very presence.

She’d have loved to continue watching him pwn the gang, but a distant crunching noise grabbed her attention. Dropping lower to the rooftop, she crept in the direction of the noise and peeked over the parapet to see…someone walking on the opposite rooftop.

Even though Umaro had never seen the man before, his demonic red mask and countless weapons instantly told her that he was dangerous. 

He vanished a moment later, as if he’d just dissolved or…teleported?

“Shit!” She hissed, rushing back to the skylight and waving frantically at Newter. He was busy throwing some keys to one of the goons, and a few moments later finally looked up at her. She started miming the mask she’d seen, whisper-shouting, “Newter! Some kinda demon cape!”

But she was too late, because moments later the man himself joined the conversation.

The only reason she didn’t leap down right away was Newter’s look. 

In a single glance, he told her he had this handled.

Ten seconds later, Umaro realized that she sucked at reading the nonverbal cues of a masked guy she’d only met tonight. By that time, grenades were flying and Newter had been stabbed. She grabbed the skylight and started to open it, but the demon mask turned up to face her—

Something stabbed into her shoulder from above, and she looked back to see the demon just before he kicked her in the face. More surprised than hurt, thanks to her tough body and muscles, the yeti stumbled backwards and swiped out a hand at him. 

It missed by a country mile, as Luke used to say.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that. How about this? You have sixty seconds to land a blow, and I won’t use any grenades until then.” His voice was calmer than it should have been. She wondered why she kept ending up in conversations with sociopaths who put time limits on their generosity. “You must really hate Newter, to let him face the dreaded Oni Lee alone.”

“What? No, I was just…I mean...” She stammered, then realized that he was trying to get in her head, and that she didn’t have time to waste. Newter was down below and needed her help, so she focused all her rage at the villain into a sudden rush forward and a single word, “Die!”

“Not from attacks like that. Or that. This is just pitiful. Fifty seconds.” But matter how hard she swung, the cape always seemed one step ahead of her. She knew on some level that he was probably reading her telegraphed moves, but the fact that he was counting down only made her more desperate. At thirty seconds, Lee drew a pair of kukri and started slashing at her arms, legs, and torso with each pass. “Seriously, are you even trying? That wasn’t even close!”

She was getting pissed off, and the pain made it hard to concentrate. She felt like she was in one of those RPGs where you were supposed to lose for the plot, or trying to hit a Metal Slime in Dragon Quest. She was so close, but that only mattered in horseshoes and hand grenades.

It wasn’t fair!

“That fight wasn’t fair!” Cody’s voice echoed in her head, and she wondered if it was blood loss making her hallucinate. He’d gotten his ass beat by some Ward back in Chicago, nearly a year ago. “She kept bouncing around me like a Metal Slime, I couldn’t even touch her!”

“There’s no such thing as a fair fight when powers are involved,” Noelle had said, wincing slightly as she shifted to address them all. “That Grace kid had incredible reflexes and speed, way too fast for Cody to hit with his power. It’s like that pocket monster game Mars likes, where some powers are super-effective and others have no effect. A bad matchup, that’s all.”

Of course, that had turned into a long discussion about team tactics and power counters, one that left them all feeling a lot more confident. Even Cody stopped being a dick for a few hours and admitted he’d been relying on his power too much, accepting their advice with humility. 

Thinking of her team, and how they’d worked together, cleared Umaro’s mind in an instant.

It was time to stop fighting like a monster, and start fighting like a Traveler.

“Next time, get your back to a wall so she has to come at you from the front.” Krouse had started, speaking from experience as a fellow visual power user. “Narrow her field of attack.”

Umaro danced aside with sudden agility, spinning and putting her back against an air handler. Oni Lee scoffed, twirling his blades like that guy from Indiana Jones, and then rushed her.

“Once she’s in front of you, don’t attack too soon.” Oliver advised, having read up on martial arts at Krouse’s suggestion. “Wait until she’s right there, and forced to commit. So she can’t escape.”

The yeti winced as Oni Lee jammed both blades into her gut. Before he could pull them out, she grabbed his arms and squeezed, cracking his bracers and drawing a bellow from the man. He pulled away before she felt anything break, but now his blades were out of the fight.

“Don’t forget to follow through. You’ve gotta make that hit count, so really pound her.” Luke had chimed in, then blushed as Marissa burst out laughing. “You know what I meant!”

“Yeah, I’m just messing with you, big guy.” Mars had hugged Luke with one arm, then turned to Cody. “He’s right, though. The whole point is to limit her choices, so hit hard and fast. Keep up the pressure, because otherwise she’ll recover and you have to start all over.”

Umaro rushed forward at the same time Lee backpedaled, filling his field of vision with an angry yeti. She’d noticed that he only teleported where he was looking, so blocking his view limited his choices. She reared back, putting everything she had into a heavy punch to his gut.

Her fist smashed through his body, dust spraying everywhere.

“Finally, remember that if you change your tactics, so will she.” Noelle had advised, sounding far wiser than her age would suggest. She had winked, “So keep her guessing as well. Fake her out, pretend to commit to a plan and then flip the script. Have a backup for your backup!”

“Not this time!” Umaro roared, whirling around and kicking at the cape as he appeared beside her. Her leg smashed into his ribs and she felt something break, perhaps his armor? Either way, he let out a pained grunt, and flew into the air handler from earlier. “Ha! How do ya like them—”

Her victory was short-lived, because before Umaro could regain her balance…

The grenade Lee had left behind hit the ground with a metallic click.

“Sixty seconds,” Oni Lee groaned, and then—

The world turned to white hot pain.

Her whole body went numb.

Seconds, minutes, or even hours later, Umaro realized that she was on her back. 

She tried to move her arm, her leg, even open her eyes…but nothing happened. Her body wasn’t responding, still feeling numb. It was like someone had unplugged Jess’ controller. 

There was a crackling noise nearby, and it slowly resolved into footsteps and a voice.

“Hmph, just as it was getting good.” Oni Lee jogged up, prodding at one of the blades in her gut, then pulling it out with a twist. It was a good thing she was still numb, or she might have reacted. “Still, I wasted too much time on this idiot. Although speaking of idiots…may as well check in.”

Umaro recognized the sound of a radio, and held off on releasing her form a bit longer.

“Bakuda. Are you there?”

“Whaddya want, Lee? I’m busy.” Whoever it was, she was annoyed, with a thick Boston accent that was nearly incomprehensible. “I’m doin’ surgery. Figgered a way to solve da membahship problem, and dis guy’s fuhst to sahvive implantation. Dey got wunna dese bahms in da noggin, ain’t nobody gonna say no to da ABB. I’mma keep wuhkin’. He dies, it’s on you fuh buggin’ me.”

Wait, had she just said she was implanting bombs in people’s heads?

The worst villain they had on Earth Aleph was the Yodeler! 

What the fuck was wrong with Earth Bet villains?

“You asked me to test out some of your new grenades. I just used the one you referred to as ‘a flashlight with gonorrhea.’ It appears to have rendered a tough monster cape unconscious, without damaging its exterior. I also tested the one you called the ‘Manton-fucker,’ and it literally disarmed someone. Effective, even if it had a limited range of about one foot.”

“Really? Shit, guess I gotta wuhk on da yield in numbah 227. Hey! Doan touch dat ya—” There was the sound of someone screaming, and then something splattering as the scream cut off. Umaro tried not to think about what had just happened. “Gahd, again wit’ da liquefaction. Goin’ true papah towels wicked fahst in heah. Anyway, if dat’s it I gotta get back ta work. Been buildin’ a huge bahm. Like, huge ‘nuff ta black out da whole fahkin’ country, jus need anudder dayer—”

“Bakuda, please put your mask on, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Lee cut her off, and got a string of garbled curses. “No, I’m serious. If I was joking, I’d say that it sounds like you’re gargling a bowl of Boston Clam Chowder and singing an Irish sea shanty, while drunk.”

“Fahking…” There was the sound of crackling, and then Bakuda’s voice changed to one that sounded more robotic and monotone. She hissed, “There. That better, you fucker?”

“Much. Now, the reason I called was because there are two capes here trying to rescue my hostage. I’ve disabled one, but the PRT is likely on the way and I need you to send—”

“Nah, I ain’t sending shit.” This time she was the one interrupting, and Umaro heard the killer squeeze his radio so hard it cracked. “Deal was, each of us gets half the gang, and the winner of our recruitment drive leads the rescue. I pulled in a few dozen people, and once I put bombs in their heads we’ll have a fucking army. Meanwhile, you kidnapped a kid to blackmail her cape pals, and failed so hard you actually lost people. Kill ‘em all and get back here. That’s an order.”

The radio clicked off, and Oni Lee threw it at the wall with a bellow of rage. He stomped away from Umaro, and she managed to get an eye open in time to see him glare down at the skylight.

A few moments later, he turned to dust.

Unable to move an inch, hearing sirens in the distance and the faint sounds of explosions, Umaro groaned and closed her eyes.

Jess opened her eyes, and immediately regretted it. 

Her mouth tasted like blood, and she wondered if it was from her nose or…internal bleeding.

The thought of both soon had her stomach joining the chorus of suffering. It twisted, spun, and finally exploded up her throat like a supervolcano. If anything, that made the pain worse, ribs feeling like shards of glass as she heaved and vomited her all over herself.

There was a lot of red in it, both from the hotdogs she’d had in Boston and…blood. Yep, that was probably blood. It felt like her throat was being used to store household chemicals, but at least her stomach felt a tiny bit better.

The room spun, and she had to fight not to pass out, knowing that she’d lose the rest of her charge. It wasn’t easy, but soon the pain faded enough that she could think straight.

Jess couldn’t do anything to help herself here, she needed to be out there.

Her reserves were low, but now she knew how to beat Oni Lee.

Because she’d figured out this boss’ pattern, at last.

Jess focused on Umaro once again, making a few changes to it first. This time she ignored giving the form organs that could get stabbed, and tried to make her double-jointed. The first would burn more power, but the last was her trump card.

As she felt herself drifting away from her body, there was a sound like a metal door unlocking.

Footsteps were there as well, but running away. Like someone had opened her door?

She ignored it, thinking instead of how much Newter needed her help. 

Besides, it wasn’t like she could walk out of here.

“Damn, no way I’m gonna walk that off.” Newter stared down at his foot. He’d heard a hefty explosion, then silence, and worried that Lee had blown himself up…or worse. Umaro was tough as hell, but even she had her limits. “Guess there’s no way around it. Okay, deep breath.”

Newter reached down and grabbed the blade stuck in his foot, then he pulled as hard as he c—

The pain was excruciating, so bad that he collapsed against a crate, wheezing. 

The action movies always made it look so easy, like that shoeless guy who just shrugged off bruises and broken glass like it was nothing. 

Die Hard! That was the name of the movie!

Newter slapped himself, knowing if he didn’t focus then he’d die easy. He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a little tube of medical gunk Gregor had given him. 

It was supposed to be a combo of superglue and some kind of disinfecting shit, but it felt like Emily was spitting napalm on his foot. Then he put some on the other side, and choked in pain.

After a minute, his foot still felt like torture, but at least it wasn’t bleeding anymore.

Newter wiped at his face, annoyed with himself for crying, for being a coward.

Melanie would be so disappointed in him, and that motivated him to stand.

He had to man up, to pull it together, before Oni Lee realized he was a—

“Weakling.” Oni Lee was just there, and before Newter could react the villain began to attack with a whirling series of bladed attacks. If not for his foot, the Case 53 might have been able to leap away or dance backwards. But every step was agony, and the pain only grew with every second that passed. “This is pathetic. I heard that you monsters were supposed to be powerful.”

“Only monster…I see…is the asshole in a demon…mask.” Newter tried to focus on dodging, but a loud bellow from outside made him stumble. Oni Lee was looked up, but before he could say anything there was the sound of glass shattering overhead. “The hell?”

The villain had no time to answer, as Umaro slammed into him from above, dust exploding around her. Newter tried to call out a warning as another Lee appeared behind her, stabbing his blade deep into her neck, but—

The yeti’s arm bent impossibly backwards, her huge hand closing over his entire head and squeezing. He let out a muffled scream, one that continued as Umaro’s arm spun around. 

Finally, she chucked him through a wall, and this time he didn’t reappear.

Almost as an afterthought, Umaro pulled the knife out of her neck.

It didn’t even bleed.

“Keep trying to teleport behind me for a backstab, don’t be surprised if I catch on, dumbass.” Umaro muttered, and he wondered just how powerful her healing was to ignore such a wound. Seeing him staring at her, the yeti winked at Newter, “Sorry I’m late for our date. You okay?” 

“Been better, but we might have to put that date on hold.” He smirked, and she seemed to relax a little. Knowing they didn’t have time to rest, Newter jerked a thumb in the villain’s direction. “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know we should probably deal with him.”

“I can take care of that, you need to get moving.” She held out both hands, as if offering to toss him up to the skylight. “I heard sirens from the roof, PRT’s out in force. C’mon, hop on and—”

“What? No!” He winced as the exclamation reminded him he’d taken more than a few hits to his torso. Newter stepped closer, face to face with the yeti and pushed her hands aside. “Jess needs us! She needs you! Let’s just grab her, and we’ll go together!”

“I’m hurt, bad.” Umaro’s voice sounded so small, practically a whisper he might not have heard if he hadn’t been so close. “Jess is…I’m vomiting blood, and at least if the PRT has me they can get me medical care. As hurt as you are, you can’t carry me and still make it out of here before they arrive. So I want you to save yourself. Please. I’m not…I’m not worth all this, Newter.”

“The hell are you talking about? Vomiting blood? Carry you?” Had she been hit with some sort of brain-scrambling grenade? “No, we go together or not at all. I’m leading and I say—”

“I say you both stay.” Oni Lee’s voice startled both of them. Newter started to turn in his direction, feeling like a bug trapped in amber. “This’ll help.”

There was a heavy impact, and his body screamed as the world spun wildly. It took him a moment to realize Umaro had shoved him.

Newter crashed to the ground, rolling and barely making it back to his feet as he panicked. 

He saw that Oni Lee’s armor was shattered in several places, mask dented, and there were only two fancy grenades left on his bandoleer. He wasn’t attacking for some reason, though. 

Hell, he wasn’t even looking at Newter, focused instead on Umaro.

Umaro…wasn’t moving.

She was frozen, looking like a literal ice sculpture, arm still out from having shoved him. There was a grenade stuck to it, with what looked like salt crystals growing out of it.

“Well, I suppose that makes this even easier,” the villain muttered, then wound up and kicked Umaro. Cracks formed, quickly growing until she just…

Broke.

Before his eyes, Umaro exploded into a million shards of crystal, tinkling to the ground.

“Bakuda’s handwriting is atrocious. That was supposed to be a glue grenade.”

The villain sounded so bored, like a child who had broken their new toy.

As if killing her, ending her life just like that, was…was nothing.

“Aw, was she your girlfriend? You gonna cry, little monster?”

“She…I…y-you…” This time, it was Newter who broke.

He rushed at Lee, eyes full of hate and tears.

The killer began to laugh again.

Jess opened her eyes, sitting up sharply as she heard laughter and screaming.

It felt like her ribs were being wielded by three lost vikings trying to fight their way out of her torso, and a trio of battletoads were beating her brain with cymbals and giant boots. The thought made her smile a little, but whether it was delirium or blood loss was anyone’s guess.

“You killed her, you monster! Get back here and fight me!”

Realizing that Newter was facing her “killer” alone, thinking she was dead, made her attempts at humor taste like ash in her mouth. Ash, like Oni Lee’s stupid line-of-sight teleports made him—

“Wait, that’s it!” She rasped, then winced as her throat and skull reminded her to use an inside voice. “Something to block his vision. Small, fast, and best of all I have just enough power.”

She squeezed her eyes closed, remembering the tricks Oliver had taught her for falling asleep even through Luke’s snoring and Cody’s whining. Everything hurt, and she was scared that she might not wake up if this didn’t work out, but she put all that out of her head.

The last thing she heard as she drifted off was Newter, screaming bloody murder for her “death,” and that was all the motivation she needed to let herself go.

He’d sacrificed so much for her, and all she’d done was take advantage of his kindness. It was time to make things right.

A strange creature opened its eyes on the rooftop, and saw his reflection in the skylight’s glass.

Even though she hadn’t played the game in years, it was hard to forget the Jockey.

Looking rather like a deformed spider monkey, this form had a strong upper body and could climb with incredible speed. But most important of all was his grip, and once latched onto someone’s head or back, it would take a crowbar to pry him off.

Jockey normally would have giggled, sounding strangely like Dee Bradley Baker, but Jess hadn’t given him a voice box. The body was far weaker than usual, but it was only there to grab on and buy Newter time to finish the killer off. Or time to run away, judging by those screams.

Nearly falling over himself with panic, Jockey quickly slipped through the skylight into the rafters.

Only to see that Jess had taken too long, and that Newter was in some deep shit.

Luckily for him, Oni Lee was apparently enough of a villain to monologue.

Unluckily, he was too far away for Jockey to reach in a leap…

“You were a fool to think that youthful passion could overcome my experience and deadly precision.” Oni Lee held Newter up by his neck, his other hand on a switchblade that was buried in Newter’s shoulder. He twisted the blade, drawing a groan from the orange cape. “Though I admit, you certainly threw everything you had at me. That powder was especially clever.”

“I-it was…chalk dust.” Newter grinned, face mask having been torn off and his teeth red with blood. One of his eyes was already swollen, but his expression was one of mirth instead of pain or fear. “G-Gregor said that any good cape needs certain supplies. Chalk d-dust is great against invisible foes, and doubles as p-pocket sand. Let me play hopscotch on your face, too.”

“Quite. Well, unless you have any more pithy one-liners, I think it’s time we ended this. The PRT are on their way, and I need to get my hostage.” He pulled his blade out, spun it around once, and was about to stab it into Newters eye when the cape laughed. “Sorry, what’s so funny?”

“Well, a-actually I do have one more ‘pithy one-liner’ after all.” Newter’s grin grew wider, and he held up his hands, flipping the villain off with both of them. What looked like shining rings were on each of his middle fingers…grenade pins. “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.”

Before Oni Lee could react, Newter pushed up with his tail, lifting both feet and kicking the villain in the chest. It launched the Case 53 backwards a good distance, but had a much stronger effect on the villain. Oni Lee backflipped twice, before slamming face-first into the ground.

There was a soft pop as a grenade went off, and to Jockey it looked like nothing had happened. 

Then he saw Oni Lee trying to get up, only to smash back down into the ground. Some sort of brownish-gold goo was covering him from head to waist, and as the villain tried again there were golden taffy-like ribbons connecting him to the ground. Almost like he was stuck...

“Hey, looks like we found the glue grenade!” Newter shouted, getting back to his feet, trembling.

Muffled shouts came from Lee, indicating that he was still able to breathe, but for some reason he began to slow after a few moments of struggling. One hand went for his knife, perhaps thinking to cut himself free, but then he just…stopped.

“Um, Lee? Oni? Are you giving up?” Newter called out, then picked up a chunk of debris and tossed it at the glued goon. It bounced off his head, then…froze in midair. “What the hell?”

Jockey realized that the second grenade must have gone off as well, because there was a ripple in the air. A hazy dome of about twenty feet, like a bubble of slowed time around the villain.

Or, if you spent too long there, like Lee had…stopped time.

Newter appeared to pick up on that as well, and slumped against the side of a crate. He looked horrible, bloody wounds covering his body, suit torn in several areas, face bruised and swollen, and limping on a damaged foot. Yet despite that, he had survived, if only just.

Jockey was about to join him, but froze as a shudder went through his body. He knew it was because Jess was low on power, and he should have just discorporated now that the fight was over.

But instead he desperately held on, as one last threat decided now was the right time to make her play. The little gremlin could only watch in horror as Yan stepped out from behind a crate.

She was down an arm, but had a gun.

A really, really big gun.

“Not so fast, freako!” Yan shouted, and Newter briefly considered just making a run for it. But that was the voice of someone who thought they had the upper hand, and so he let out a shuddering sigh before turning to face the thug. “Yeah, that’s right. Final boss time, shithead.”

“Please, you’re a mid-boss at best.” Newter noticed Yan was struggling to hold up the huge hand cannon, and realized that she was likely using her non-dominant hand. The recoil alone would probably knock her down, and her aim was probably garbage. “So, what’s up, Mid-Boss?”

“What’s up is that I’m in charge now, and we’re getting the hell out of here.” Mid-Boss must have noticed him glancing at Oni Lee, because she moved to stand between them…right at the edge of the time bubble. He’d have tossed something at her if his arms hadn’t felt like lead weights. “So we’re gonna go get the cripple, hop in my van, and head over to Bakuda’s place.”

“Geez, Mid-Boss, there’s so much wrong with that I don’t even know where to start.” He leaned back against the nearest crate, trying to look nonchalant. Newter’s hope was that she’d fire the gun to motivate him, and the recoil would do the deed. “For one, I have no idea where Bakuda is. For another, you can barely lift that gun, let alone shoot it. Try harder, Mid-Boss.”

“Well since you already took my phone, we’re gonna use it to take us to Bakuda. Kept getting lost, so I just pinned it to my Map because I’m not a fucking idiot. As for shooting you, keep fucking calling me that stupid name and I just might. Call me Yan.”

“Whatever you say, Mid-Boss.” Newter grinned cheekily, seeing her go red and point the gun at him. He got ready to dodge, despite feeling like he was going to collapse. “So, Mid-Boss…”

“That’s not my fucking nam—”

Her scream was cut off as some…strange little monkey creature dropped from above and latched onto her head. It made little wheezing hisses, rocking itself back and forth as she began to smack it with the gun. The inept criminal stumbled left, then right, and finally backwards.

The little creature hopped off her at the last second, pushing her further into the bubble.

“Fucking freaks! I’ll kill…you…for…thaaaaaaa…” She slowly lifted the gun, pointing it at the gremlin and pulling the trigger. 

The gun fired in slow motion, a tiny explosion issuing from its barrel and birthing a hunk of metal.

Then the Yan, the explosion, and the bullet stopped. 

All the baddies were down. It was finally over.

Although, just in case…

“We gonna fight?” Newter asked the little creature, who cocked a tiny head at him. “Just asking, since I’m apparently a k-killer now. So, are you on my side, or do I need to toss you in the time bubble as well? Because I’ll do it, even though I look half-dead. D-don’t try me, dude.”

Luckily, the creature seemed to realize he was outmatched by the damaged cape, and skittered past him towards Jess’ cell. Newter hobbled after him trying not to think about what he’d just said, focusing not on his recent k-kill, but on an open door with Yan’s keys stuck in the—

“Huh, guess Park came through after all,” Newter muttered, trudging towards the doorway, then leaning against it as he saw Jess. “Oh shit.”

Jess would almost have looked peaceful, like a sleeping angel, if it weren’t for all the injuries.

Bruises covered her face like a beauty mask designed by Cenobites, one eye swollen and her nose busted. There was a mix of blood and vomit staining her ratty red and green sweatsuit, bloody drool running down her chin and matting her reddish hair. Most concerning of all, her every breath shuddered and rasped, like it might be her last.

But despite all that, he still approached slowly and carefully, as if a single loud noise might end her life. The little creature stood by her bedside, and waved at Newter…then faded away.

He was so stunned that he didn’t even notice her eyes were open until she moaned slightly. Squinting a little, Jess smiled at him and seemed to relax, despite her condition.

“Oh my god, Jess. I’m so s-sorry. I wasted so much…my p-plan was…” Newter stared at the blood on her chest, knowing it was his fault! “How could they do this to you?”

“Hey, eyes are up here,” she rasped, looking at him and winking weakly. Her eyes reminded him of someone else's, and she added, “Wow, you got pretty eyes.”

“Yours…aren’t bad either…” He slowly responded, transfixed by a powerful sense of deja vu. “Wait…Umaro? Are…what the hell, Jess? Why didn't you tell me?”

“It’s a long story,” Jess admitted, wincing as he wrapped her in a fire blanket from his pouch and picked her up. “It all started in Boston…”

As she talked, he tried to keep an open mind, but the pain and feelings of betrayal made it hard to concentrate on her meaning.

Especially as her words, so soon after Umaro had seemingly died for him, raked across his soul like fire.

Fire, like the horrible burning he felt when he remembered how many had d-died tonight.

The people who'd been k-killed, because of his plan, his bumbling, his inexperience.

Eventually, he suggested she rest her throat, barely holding back his own tears.

He felt her shuddering, and remembered that she was probably scared too.

“It’s gonna be okay.” He whispered, voice cracking, knowing it was a lie.

Jess knew as well as he did that the rescue wasn’t quite over yet.

They still had a ways to go until both were somewhere safe.

He heard police sirens and explosions in the distance...

...and saw colored lights on buildings and in the sky.

They almost looked like...fireworks?

Chapter Text

“Brake! Brake! That’s a fucking yellow light!” Emily shrieked, covering her eyes as Elle studiously ignored her silly sister’s grasp of the obvious. “Why are you speeding up?”

“Because a yellow light eventually turns to a red one, and then we’d have to stop.” She gently explained, calmly grabbing the handbrake and using it to drift around a rather sharp corner. “I know you don’t have a license yet, but I assumed that you at least understood that much. The more I have to stop, the longer it will take us to rescue our dear brother from mortal peril.”

“Where the hell did you learn to drive like this? I know you’re a little older than me, but with the asyl… hospital and everything else, no way they’d give you a driver’s license!”

“A few months before you joined our family, Melanie hired a private tutor. A true expert in the craft, and I am nothing if not a studious student.” Elle’s license was technically a forgery, but she had yet to meet someone capable of seeing through it. Still, she couldn’t help but brag a little, as this was the first chance she’d had to show her driving skills off. “I’m glad you approve.”

“I don’t approve! Who the hell taught you?”

“J. Thaddeus Toad, an eccentric motorist that Melanie hired for a smuggling job. Despite not being a friend of the law, Toad’s skill with driving is top-notch, so I was happy to learn from her.” The blonde had been incredibly kind to Elle, even if her voice and verbiage left something to be desired. “Perhaps later, if she’s sober, we can visit her for tea and conversation. Despite her vices, she’s somewhat of an incurable adventurer, and even dabbles in boats and aeroplanes.” 

“Something about that sounds off…but whatever. Look, I just told you to warm up the car while I hashed things out with Newt, and then you took off like a bat out of hell when I got in. Pull over, before you get us killed. I’ve played enough driving games to know the basics, I’ll drive.”

“ No . Not only are video games no replacement for real life, but this manual transmission will take more time for you to learn than we have. Besides, you have your own job.” Elle pointed at the glowing phone Emily was still clutching. She had been texting madly up until the yellow light, trying to get some help. “Distracted driving can be extremely dangerous, Emily.”

“Okay, fine…but stick to the speed limit. Take the next left, then a right at the light, and head for the apartment complex at the end of the block. The one with all the junk in the yard.” The blonde dutifully obeyed, wincing as her sister shrieked, “Damn it Elle, stop fucking drifting everywhere!”

Elle chose to ignore that advice, and eventually slid into a perfect parallel parking spot at their destination. Toad would have approved, given how much Emily stumbled upon exiting the vehicle. Glaring at her driver, she made her way up the stairs to an apartment with a metal door.

Given that she was having a rather good day and had no idea how long Emily would be in there, Elle took out her own phone. The wallpaper depicted her family all posing at last year’s holiday party, Newter with arms around both his sisters.

Elle was admittedly a little worried about her brother, and decided to cheer herself up.

After a moment, she tapped the button to call Bibwit Harte .

It rang three times before he picked up.

“...hullo?” He sounded tired, and there was the sound of papers fluttering and lips smacking. Knowing him, the poor boy had fallen asleep on his important papers again. “Hello?”

“Good evening Harte, I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“ Harte ? Oh! Hey Alice .” He perked up instantly, and she felt her heart warm as recognition flooded through him. Elle always enjoyed their little adventures together, but regretted that they happened so infrequently. “No, I just dozed off doing some…homework. How’ve you been?”

“Oh, fairly well. Earlier this evening I bankrupted my siblings, and now I’m going on a madcap adventure with my sister to rescue my brother from evil Christmas Elves.”

“I can never tell when you’re messing with me or just being excessively vague, Alice.” He sounded more impressed than hurt, given that both had to effectively speak in code at all times. It just happened that she was considerably better at it than him, especially on bad days. “But I’m glad you’re having fun. I don’t wanna bring the mood down, but I had a pretty crappy day.”

“Then you should share it with me, so we can commiserate on the injustice of it all. Misery loves company, and you’re my favorite company of all…aside from my family, of course.” 

“Heh, thanks Alice. I like spending time with you, too.” He sounded like he was moving around somewhere, and after a moment his window squeaked as he leaned out of it. “So, at school today I got pulled into a…group project. Not only did the others completely ignore my ideas, but then another group completely trounced ours when it came time to do presentations.”

“So you’re planning your revenge, then? I could ask my brother to sabotage them. Appearance notwithstanding, he’s excellent at sneaky matters. Also, my sister’s skill at arson is quite—”

“Nah, it’s fine. Besides, I’m the one who really screwed everything up.” Harte’s voice shook a little, raw emotion leaking into his tone, and Elle felt her heart go out to him. The boy was always so filled with anxiety and selfless worry. “I had a side project of my own. Something that I thought would turn it all around. But it just messed everything up, and we got a failing grade.”

“I’ve seen your work, Harte, and failure is the last word I’d ever use. You’re so creative, full of amazing ideas and boundless passion, everyone around you can see it shine in your eyes.”

“Yeah, tell that to the teacher. She read us the riot act, singled me out in front of everyone for going off the lesson plan, and gave me extra homework as punishment.” He let out a choking noise, not quite a sob but certainly not the laugh she so loved to hear from him. “The only good thing to come of it was one of the popular kids in class stood up for me. Tried to share the blame, for all the good that did, and now my whole group is in trouble because of me.”

“Then your teacher is a fool, a blithering moron. That she would blame you for thinking outside the box, coloring outside the lines, is the surest sign of insanity! Pure madness!” Elle felt herself growing heated, and the steering wheel seemed to ripple. She closed her eyes, focusing on the lessons her therapist had taught her. “You should just quit school. Spend time with me, instead.”

“I wish I could, Alice. But this is for my parents, and until I turn eighteen…I’m stuck.” He sighed, this being a conversation they’d had many times. Harte was a slave to the expectations of others, while she strove to help him free himself. “But that’s why I’m so glad I can talk to you. My muse, my genius adventurer, the light shining through the darkness. You make it all worth it.”

“I’m slightly fond of you as well, Harte.” Elle agreed, glad he couldn’t see how red her face was at the outpouring of affection of her erstwhile paramour. She would have said more, but saw Emily exiting the apartment with a friend in tow. He wore strange armor and had a bag filled with what looked like fireworks over one shoulder, an odd remote control in one hand. “It appears our time is nearly up, I’m afraid. I wish it wasn’t, but a daring rescue is in the cards for me tonight.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll kick ass and take names, just like you always do.” Harte sounded so forlorn, she wished there was something she could do to make him feel better. Elle’s mind searched for a plot, and happened upon a slim possibility. “Good night, and good—”

“Wait!” Elle cried out, then waved at Emily when the girl looked up to assure her it was nothing harmful. The tall black boy with her whispered something, and she slapped his chest so hard he rolled back on his odd roller skates. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor, perhaps?”

“Anything.” Harte was so hopeful, so honest…she hated to use him like this. But his school gave him connections she lacked, and time was of the essence. Besides, the extra credit he’d likely get would more than make up for his minor screw-up today.  “Just name it, and I’ll try my best.”

Emily had talked in the car about her plan, and how it had two parts. Their current interaction was to gain access to the fortress Newter was about to assail, without having to worry about obstacles or guards. But the far harder task was to create chaos in Brockton Bay, and draw the attention of its peacekeepers, to prevent them from interfering with tonight’s mission.

The conversation with Emily had reminded Elle of Toad, and how Melanie always said the motorcar enthusiast would be better without her vices. One of those vices was very dangerous indeed, and Toad’s friends gave it to her like candy. 

But unlike candy, it made her quite scary…and was why Melanie no longer let Elle see Toad.

Elle had met the candyman when Toad first began to date the man, several months ago. She’d just stopped off to pick up some packages, and Elle had seen his secret hiding spot for candy. The older blonde had sworn Elle to secrecy, but the girl had been crossing her fingers…

She shared that address with Harte, as well as a description of its keeper and his hiding spot. 

He was confused as to how Elle knew such things, but she gave him cryptic nonsense.

Then she promised to reward him properly on their next date, and he melted.

Boys really were rather simple creatures, in the end.

“Okay, we’re ready to go!” Emily got back into the car just as Elle was hanging up. She looked rather excited, a list of directions in one hand and an odd looking remote control in the other. “Head to Whitemore and Sunset, I’ve gotta get back to calling in favors. The more people in the chat group I can get running interference, the less we’ll need to worry about the cops and PRT.”

Elle didn’t mention that she’d called in a favor of her own, only giving her sister a vapid smile and heading off to their next destination. She even stuck to the speed limit this time, as the brunette typed madly into her phone, tongue sticking out of her mouth as she worked.

Soon they reached what appeared to be a dead end, but Emily only smiled. She pulled out the odd remote, tapped a series of numbers, and a heavy door opened up to reveal…

“Trevor uses this for testing his gear, if you can believe it.” Emily was rather impressed, peering down into the dark tunnel, seemingly dug right under the Docks. “It got locked down when the ABB took over, but was originally made for shipping. Should take us right to Newt.”

Elle flicked on her headlights, and they descended into the secret underground, surrounded by darkness and cracked infrastructure.

Elle focused on the road ahead, while Emily continued to type upon her phone, face screwed up in concentration.

She barely had a signal, but kept working to gather their forces for a grand distraction.

Emily had always been there for her friends, no matter how difficult their trials.

So it stood to reason that they’d gladly run to her defense, right?

Chuck actually wasn’t that bothered when his phone started buzzing and forced him to run out of the movie. Not just because his date was one of the most boring men alive, despite his rather exciting dating profile. No, it was because the film they were watching was probably the worst Maggie Holt adaptation he’d seen yet, and Chuck had been a rather movie-savvy theater major.

“They even gave her the wrong accent!” He muttered, bursting out the roof exit and taking a moment to find his bearings. His map suggested that Chuck was about a mile north of where he needed to be, and after a moment to slip on a domino mask he began to roof-hop. “Could have at least gotten someone who read the books to direct it. Fucking Hollywood cash-grabs!”

As he began to shed clothes and change into something more fitting for the evening’s plans, Chuck found himself smiling. Leave it to Emily to make his night more exciting, as usual.

Sometimes he wondered how his life might have gone if he’d kept her. Not that she was his to give away, but their relationship had always been odd. 

Especially considering how they met…when Emily had tried to mug him.

Of course, he’d easily disarmed her even without drawing upon his powers, but she was so hungry it was a wonder she’d even been able to stand. Attempting to limp away had led her to fall, revealing badly-bandaged bite wounds on her legs, and she begged him for mercy. 

Feeling both pity and a sense of familiarity, Chuck had offered the homeless waif a nice hot meal…

The look in her eyes as she watched him stir-fry had been haunting, especially as the fire leapt. 

The sounds she made as she ate had been pure joy, especially when he offered seconds.

Her nightmares had been horrific to hear, especially when she cried out for her family.

Her tale of dogs and villains trying to kill her had been heartrending, and then…

Somehow, he just couldn’t bear to ask her to leave.

Suddenly, Chuck was a father.

Well, more like an uncle or aunt, depending on the day.

Emily barely reacted when she met the rest of them. Hell, if anything she liked them more, and eventually admitted that she was different as well. Both with her powers and her preferences.

They did everything they could to make her understand how proud they were of her. Emily was a joy to be around, especially once she started to come out of her shell.

They gave her some tips for her power, and a whole lot more for her love life. Everyone had to start somewhere, and they were an excellent teacher.

The first time she went out on a date, even though it didn’t work out with the girl, Emily was so happy it almost made them cry.

But eventually it all fell apart, and everything they’d built together burnt down.

Charlene didn’t really blame Em, especially after what happened with her own powers. She’d gone from someone who knew exactly who she was and what she wanted out of life, to a living existential crisis. Moods, feelings, even her identity seemed to change as easily as her clothes.

But Charlene was still pretty pissed to come home and find her fucking apartment burning down.

Pissed at herself for not being there when Emily had the nightmare that caused the fire.

Pissed at the girl’s parents for getting themselves killed and leaving her alone.

Pissed at her landlord for not having better fire safety and sprinklers.

Pissed at the PRT for letting this kid slip through the cracks.

Pissed at Bitch for trying to kill Emily, for no reason.

Pissed at the world, for sucking so much.

But being pissed all the time wasn’t going to get her anywhere, so Charlene reached out to an old friend. Melanie sometimes hired her for jobs, and she was one of the nicest non-heroes in town. It took a lot of coaxing, but Emily agreed to give it a shot…in exchange for one thing.

She wanted to keep in touch, and so Charlene created a simple and secure chat group.

“It was supposed to be for just the two of us. So that we could stay in touch, and support each other.” Charlene stopped, a block from her destination, and pulled out her phone. Using its light and reflective surface, she began to apply her makeup. “How the fuck did it turn into a whole thing? Why did I let Em convince me to let other people in? I must be getting soft…”

Charlene actually wasn’t all that angry, but still liked to complain for the sake of it. In fact, she was actually proud of her girl, and how quickly Em had recruited new people. It was like the kid had a sixth sense for finding people who needed help…

Now they had their own little community, and even if they didn’t always get along every one of them knew what it was like to be ostracized, rejected, or mocked for who they were.

All because they operated outside the law, used their powers for personal gain, or had feelings that some (especially the local super-nazis) hated with a passion.

So they banded together to support each other, to live loud and proud, and now Emily was asking for their help.

As Charlene scrolled through the chat log, she felt so proud of her little niece…

Be Gay, Do Crimes Chat Group (Admin: Flameboyaunt, Mod: HotLips)

EmeraldNecklace: I can’t punch him, Chain. He owns like half of Boston. Also, he’s my boss.

ChainSmoker: That OCD twerp insulted you for visiting your mother on her birthday!

EmeraldNecklace: Soon as my real estate business takes off, I can quit. Until then…gotta deal.

HotLips: Hey guys, sorry for the incoming wall of text, but I’ve got a bit of a huge favor to ask. 

Sk8rBoi: Can cnfrm. Sory, txtng n sk8ng. Party big, read evry1.

RosieRibbiter: Fuck yeah, I need a party right now. Night fucking sucks. Any1 holden?

Sk8rBoi: Shit, not party. Pretty. Gona swish to speech to techs.

PussycatDoll: I’ve got a good app for that. Will send it your way, Sk8.

ChainSmoker: She’s been typing for a while, whatever this is it must be huge.

HotLips: Okay, so here’s the deal. Juice ran off with a big yeti to save some girl the Dragons kidnapped as part of some dumb plan to rescue Smaug. Juice is in over his head, so Alice and I are doing a rescue thing. Sk8r has a backdoor into the area, but Demon and Boomer are out there, and probably rush to join in if Juice and Yeti get caught. We need law/gangs distracted, and as much noise as possible around that area. Anyone that can spare an hour, please make a huge ruckus at the spots on this map.

HotLips: I know it’s a big ask, but we're really desperate. Any takers?

RosieRibbiter: Maybe. Bf keeps tryin to pay me in drugs. What’s this job pay?

HotLips: My eternal gratitude? Okay, how about a night of free drinks at the bar?

RosieRibbiter: Eh, it’s a start. I’ll be over soon, might pre-game on the way.

HotLips: No! No drunk driving! Can’t I pay you afterwards? Like, when you’re done driving?

Sk8rBoi: Yeh, this fucked up, Rosie. You gotta lay off the boobs.

Sk8rBoi: Booze. Fuck, I hate test to speech.

ChainSmoker: Laying off boobs is how we got here. Her gf was cool. Her bf is a drug dealer.

RosieRibbiter: Fuck you you fucking walking gimp suit. Least I don’t have a hard-on for Blasto.

ChainSmoker: He is my arch-enemy and nothing more! Stop spreading that rumor!

PussycatDoll: I wish I could help, but Mum’s sick as a dog and I need to stay with her.

EmeraldNecklace: Stuck in a roadside motel west of Boston. Might take a while to get to BB.

Sk8rBoi: At map vocation 3, gonna break some noise then head to vacation 2. 

HotLips: Thanks, Sk8! Between the tunnel and this, you’re my new BFF. Mad props!

Sk8rBoi: Don’t shank me yet, I just texted User and Leak. Told em it’d make a good episode

PussycatDoll: Bloody hell, why would you want those wankers anywhere near this?

Sk8rBoi: Protectorate just got lack. If we’re lucky, they’ll get flamed for the whole thing. Win-win!

RosieRibbiter: Bloody hell? Didn’t know you were a Brit, Doll. Thought you were from Boston?

PussycatDoll: Basra. Luckily I barely have an accent. Boys already creep on me in class... 

PussycatDoll: Last thing I need is something to make me more “exotic” to them. 

ChainSmoker: Speaking of Boston, it’s locked down, so I’m stuck. Got comms though.

ChainSmoker: Trainwreck owes me a favor, so I’ll get him to go loud in location 6.

HotLips: This is why you’re gonna beat Blasto, Chain. Because you actually care about people.

RosieRibbiter: Yeah, he sure wants to beat something. [ChainManHeartBlasto.gif]

ChainSmoker: Why the fuck did I ever teach you how to use Photoshop?

HotLips: Rosie, instead of shitposting, can you help? Maybe ask your boyfriend for help?

RosieRibbiter: Nah, dumbass ODed. cops showed up before I could find narcan. I had to jet. 

RosieRibbiter: Watched EMTs wheel him out. hope hes not dead, still owes me back pay. 

PussycatDoll: I don’t mean to judge, but he sells drugs to kids. Maybe it’s a good thing?

EmeraldNecklace: Pretty sure his existence makes property values go down. Just saying.

Sk8rBoi: His trash buddy nearly grilled a friend of mine, guy’s a total dickwad.

ChainSmoker: Yeah. I know we joke around, but you deserve better, Rosie. For real.

RosieRibbiter: Yall gonba make me cry. Fucking stupid assholes. Fine, I’ll help already!

RosieRibbiter: /choose Gravedigger, Mad Maxine, Tesla Boat

[Bot] Ace & Gary say: “Tesla Boat!”

HotLips: Um, I appreciate the help, but…water and electricity don’t mix well.

RosieRibbiter: Eh, tinkers are magic. You know what they say. If it floats, it boats.

ChainSmoker: Literally nobody says that. But…good luck, Rosie. Try not to die.

RosieRibbiter: Love you too, big guy. [ChainManHeartBlastoNSFW.gif]

ChainSmoker: I changed my mind. Die in a fire.

That had been nearly an hour ago, and the city was already far livelier than usual. Green and white lights over there, red and blue that way, and a fairly large cloud of smoke down near the beach. Distant fireworks and explosions mixed with the sirens, as well as some chiptune music indicating that Chariot had gotten Leet and Uber to join in the fun.

That, or the incel and his idiot friend had gotten jealous and joined in for the hell of it. Either way, it added to the chaos and confusion, and ensured that Emily’s plan had that much greater a chance of success. With everyone working together like this, Newter would be fine…

“But since when have I ever sat out when there’s a party to crash?” Circus muttered, grinning to herself as she typed out a quick message. Her costume tonight was based on a William Moninet painting, since rather than stealing she’d be making art. “After all, I’m the life of the party!”

Out of her pocket dimension came a pair of paintball guns, and she began to dance across the rooftops. Every few steps, a perfect shot would hit a parked car, setting off its alarm. Here and there she’d aim for a nazi who just happened to be existing in her presence, peppering them.

Frankly, it was their fault for walking around being nazis in her city. 

Truly poor taste, that.

Soon an entire chorus of car alarms was serenading her, and as she paused to reload a quick glance showed that she’d been very effective. Already there were police and PRT coming her way from off in the distance, and a glowing purple figure on the horizon.

“Well, that’s a bit more attention than I wanted,” she muttered, and took a moment to update the others on her progress while taking cover behind an air handler. “Fucking New Wave.”

Be Gay, Do Crimes Chat Group (Admin: Flameboyaunt, Mod: HotLips)

Flameboyaunt: Hey kids, sorry I’m late. Had to find my easel and brushes…

Flameboyaunt: Because I felt like painting the town (and some nazis) RED. [EvilClown.gif]

Sk8rBoi: Please don’t kill people, Flame. It’s Be Gay Do Crimes , not Be Gay Do Murders .

Flameboyaunt: I meant with paint, you dingleberry. I robbed a paintball place a while back.

EmeraldNecklace: I’m an hour from BB. Text me if any of you need heals. Free of charge.

RosieRibbiter: Fuckin Dauntless blew up my boat. Gonna try to askdkawkdaksdfuck

Sk8rBoi: Bad snooze, Rosie just got arrested. Good news, they also got Goober and Feet. 

PussycatDoll: I pirated their stream. Miss Militia tear-gassed them. I fucking love her.

ChainSmoker: No, you’d love to fuck her. I’ve seen your DeviantArt page.

HotLips: Don’t blame you, Doll. MM’s hot, has mad guns, and her power’s cool too.

HotLips: Also: Juice and Hostage clear! Free drinks at my place…whenever I get ungrounded.

Flameboyaunt: You heard the lady, time to tuck and roll people. Get home safe!

“C’mon, go away already.” Circus pulled her head back just as Lady Photon turned in her direction, relieved that the PRT had already sped past her location. “Hmm, I suppose I could lead Photon Mom on a merry chase to close out the night. Wonder how fast her shield is…”

Not that fast, it turned out. A paintball nailed the woman in the forehead, and she cursed. 

With a peal of laughter echoing around her, Circus began her latest daring escape.

Naturally, she managed it with ease, and retired to a bubble bath and wine.

It had been a far more exciting night than she’d expected, as per usual.

All of this, because she’d seen a bit of herself in a scared little girl.

A teen who’d become so very brave, resourceful, and clever.

Even as Coil’s toady chewed her out, she barely cared.

That was the best thing about being a freelancer…

You could just hang up on idiots like Pitter.

Trevor was halfway home when the call came in from Pitter, and was tempted to ignore it.

He’d promised Ma he wouldn’t text and drive, so talking while going eighty miles an hour across rooftops was probably right out. But given that he’d just spent an hour jetting all over town and making some noise, Trevor had a pretty good idea what the call was about.

On the other hand, maybe he was just checking in on those special tires he’d ordered?

“Yo, Chariot here.” Trevor tried to sound like he hadn’t just been skating all over the Docks, setting off fireworks and smoke bombs. “What up, Mr. P?”

“Perhaps I should be asking you that, Chariot.”

Mr. Pitter was an odd one, to say the least. Quiet, but with a sort of nerdy vibe to him once he really got going on a subject. He was a lawyer or accountant of some kind, and was always checking in on Trevor to make sure he had materials. Paid on time, never gave him bullshit, but damn if he wasn’t the creepiest son of a bitch in the world.

Guy strutted around in turtleneck sweaters and corduroy pants, meek and unassuming in person. Very careful, like he’d practiced all his lines in a mirror for hours on end every day. Had a sort of weird serial killer vibe to him, but more than enough cash to make Trevor ignore it.

When Trevor first met the guy, he’d looked more like a middle-aged babysitter than anything else. But Pitter snapped his fingers, and some huge guy called Jaw brought out a suitcase full of cash. Way better deal than what Trevor expected from their Whitelist conversation…

“We had a very particular deal, Chariot.” His voice whispered through the speakers of Trevor’s helmet, sending a chill down his spine. “You stay off the radar, work on my projects, and deliver on time. In exchange, money for your family, protection from the PRT, and everyone’s happy.”

“Yeah, but I—”

“What was not part of our deal was skating around town, making a spectacle and putting everything at risk!” Pitter cut him off, raising his voice so much it cracked. He stopped, breathing heavily into the phone, then cleared his throat. “Explain yourself, Chariot.”

“Eh, I was just testing out some gear, man. Didn’t run into no PRT, didn’t hurt nobody, and wasn’t caught on any cams.” Trevor was madly flipping through the little TV he’d built into his helmet, but so far nothing looked like him. He’d put on his old workshop jumpsuit, some skating pads, a motorcycle helmet full of tech, and of course his new jetblades. “It’s all good, man.”

“It’s not all good, man .” Pitter’s voice was mocking, and then he caught himself and cleared his throat. He did that a lot, like he was resetting himself after breaking character or some shit. “There were three pictures and two videos that had to be scrubbed. It cost me time and effort.”

Something Trevor never understood was just what exactly the guy’s game plan was. He had access to at least a couple capes by the sound of it, had piles of cash and tech, and had badass bodyguards like Jaw and a blonde named…was it Crane or Cothren? Something like that.

Anyway, it was obvious he wasn’t PRT, yet he had connections to them and made investigations just vanish. Maybe the guy was some kind of consultant, or some black ops government guy?

Of course, as Pitter continued to rant and rave, Trevor began to wonder if maybe this was a sign. He’d been thinking about backing out of the deal for a while, and if helping Newter meant getting in deep shit with this guy, maybe it was a good thing? 

Just because he was a rogue, a badass skater, and a free spirit, didn’t mean he wanted to be a villain. Heroes came after villains, took them away from their families, and everyone hated them.

Trevor had started all this because of his family, and the thought of losing Ma…

“So what, you callin’ to say I’m fired or something?” Trevor paused atop an apartment building a few blocks from his home. From here he’d probably go without most of his gear, so hopefully Pitter would hurry up and get this over with. “Because if so, just go ahead and do it already.”

“You are not fired, Chariot.” Pitter sounded annoyed, as though he’d wanted to do just that. “I have decided to be lenient. You will finish the tires, and receive no payment for them—”

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

As if he hadn’t heard Trevor, Pitter added, “Tonight’s display will be the last of its type, clear?”

Trevor muttered an affirmation at the man, then hung up and hopped down into an alley. He pulled off his helmet and was tempted to chuck it at the wall, but knew he’d just have to fix it up again later. Instead he got changed, slipped his gear into his bag, and slowly walked home.

He kept his temper while stashing his gear in the false freezer by the water heater. But once that was done, Trevor grabbed a hammer and went to town on one of Pitter’s tires. They didn’t even get scratched, which should have made him feel great.

Instead, he ended up slumped against the wall, crying and hoarse.

Then it was morning, and he heard Ma cooking upstairs.

Unfortunately, the basement door was by the kitchen.

“Late night?” She asked, not even turning to face Trevor. “Wash up. Breakfast is ready.”

He did so quietly, then waited silently as she served them both.

But neither lifted a fork. Instead, they looked at each other.

Ashley Medina looked tired, a few white hairs mixed in with the black, more every time he looked at her. The fact that she was still in her scrubs told him that she’d probably worked a double shift last night, and he knew that he was probably to blame for that.

The worst part was that she knew as well, and knew that he knew.

He was well and truly fucked.

“Trevor.” That was how he knew she was pissed. Normally she was always calling him cariño or hijo, sometimes even bobo when he was goofing off, but when she just said his name…

“Hey Ma.” He didn’t even try to explain, just asked, “How was the hospital? Busy night?”

“Some capes were running around causing a ruckus. Made a big mess, and even with that Panacea girl helping, it was a madhouse. Bunch of powered lunatics.” The Hispanic doctor kept a perfectly straight face as she spoke, and dread ran through him in waves. “How about you?”

“Well, a friend of mine was in a bit of a jam, so I headed out to lend a hand. Nothing too serious, and nobody got hurt…” He trailed off, gaze falling to his cooling eggs and chorizo, but she didn’t say a word. “Look, Ma. I was just helping Juice and Emily. They were in trouble, and I was—”

“I called Mr. Pitter and told him that you’re grounded for the next two weeks. During that time, you’ll be coming to the hospital with me to help with the people who got hurt. When you aren’t helping me, you’ll be working on your homeschooling. No skating, no friends. Is that clear?”

“Ma, you know how much my work brings in, you can’t just—”

“Do you know how many people died last night?” She cut him off, and Trevor shook his head. “None, but it was a near thing. Smoke-inhalation, burns, and we barely saved a cape who ODed. The man’s teeth were damn near rotted out of his head, and he may never wake up.”

Trevor wanted to feel bad about all the people that got hurt, but he couldn’t help it as a small grin twitched at his lip. Sounded like at least Sherrel’s biggest problem was out of the way.

“You think that’s funny ?” Ma didn’t have to raise her voice, Trevor instantly knew he’d fucked up. When he looked up at her, ready to try and explain, he saw her standing. She was exhausted, barely able to keep her feet after all she’d done last night, but still stalked out of there.

But rather than going to her room, she stomped into the basement, and he heard the sound of tape being used. 

It took him a few moments to realize what she was up to, and then he dashed after her in a panic.

“Ma! No!” He shouted, not even bothering to lower his voice for the neighbors. “Please!”

But she wasn’t listening. Instead, Ashley Medina was quietly packing up his tools, putting them in boxes and ignoring him. He stood there, powerless to stop the force of nature that was his mother, and remembered the last time this had happened to him.

It was about two years ago, and he’d made a jetpack and nearly set the backyard on fire, so she tried to ground him. It had been pure torture, but she’d come to her senses. He’d practically had a breakdown, and then she was crying and they both talked about stuff.

Instead of turning him over to the PRT, Ma had taken a different tactic. She found out about Whitelist at work, and helped him make an account, as long as he agreed to run all deals past her. She was amazingly business-savvy, and seemed to really enjoy working with him.

It became their little thing, spitballing ideas and making money off his gifts, and had even come with some other unexpected benefits. Like, it let him switch to homeschooling, which motivated him to work hard since it meant more time for skating, tinkering, and hanging out with friends. 

It was also how he met some of the other Rogues in town, like Circus and Squealer, and eventually Emily through the former when the thief kinda adopted her for a bit. Best of all, it was how he’d met his friend Newter, and that thought made Trevor change up his tactics.

“I was just helping a friend, please!” He begged, approaching her but stopping just short of touching her. “I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry. You know how much this hurts me! Please, stop!”

Surprisingly, she stopped.

“Then talk to me, cariño. Tell me why you did this. Tell me why you’d put everything on the line for some friends, why you risk jail or death…” Ashley turned around, face hard but eyes wet, and he felt his resolve crumble. “Please, just be honest with me. You’re all I have left.”

It hurt him to say the words out loud, putting aside his goofiness and charm for a few hours. But his mother meant the world to him, and so Trevor told her why he fought so hard for his friends.

Because he hated it here, in Brockton Bay, with only his mother and friends making it bearable.

This town had taken his father, hurt so many people, and he was afraid to lose anyone else.

Ma hugged him, and after a long talk, suggested that they go visit New Orleans.

Just for a trip, to see her parents after so long, and perhaps…look at houses.

She assured him his friends would be fine without him for a week or two.

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed, frowning. “Sorry, but I’m still gonna worry.”

“Oh Trevor…” She kissed his cheek. “Never apologize for that.”

“For what? Not trustin’ ‘em to take care of themselves?”

“No, silly.” She smiled. “For being a good friend.”

Chapter Text

Jess had hoped that Newter’s power would help her relax, but he seemed to be done using it to help her. So instead she just felt paranoid, afraid, and had a growing sense of hopelessness.

Being interrupted every few words by her coughing and rasping didn’t help matters, either.

She still managed the broad strokes of her power and kidnapping, but then he suggested she shut the hell up already. He’d been polite about it, but she knew that he was pissed at her. After all the damage Jess had caused and nearly gotten him killed, of course he would be mad.

“With my injuries, there’s no way I can climb any walls, and the sewer’s definitely out.” Newter grumbled, and she was surprised he’d even been able to carry her at all. “So we’re going with Umar… your earlier idea. I’m gonna hand you to the PRT, and hope they don’t try to arrest me.”

“No, you—” Jess was cut off as her lungs gave a friendly reminder to shut the fuck up and stop digging deeper. But as he kept walking, she rasped out, “...I’m…not…worth…it. Stop!”

“Fuck that.” He growled, coughing a little as well. He turned his head away from her, still being a professional, rightfully angry at Jess for trying to complicate things. “You need medical attention. If I take you to a hospital, they’ll just call the PRT on us anyway. Look, there they are.”

He gestured with his chin, and a few blocks away she could see white and green lights flashing against a tall building. The PRT used those colors for their vehicles’ emergency lights, and in her head she could practically see a fleet of the black and purple vans speeding their way. 

“What about…Faultline…doctor?” She managed to get out, but he shook his head firmly.

“No way Doc Q will even let us in the door with them on our tails, guy’s already a pain in the ass to deal with as it is.” He winced as if remembering the pain she’d caused him, then continued, “Just tell the PRT you helped me k-kill Oni Lee and they’ll probably get Panacea to heal you.”

Jess desperately tried to form a creature; a tiny one would be fine if it could talk. She had to convince Newter not to sacrifice himself for her, but couldn’t seem to focus. 

“Look, just give me your friends’ names, and I’ll let them know where you are. You only called us because we’re local, right? Faultline can get word to them easily. They’ll bust you out—”

“They’re…gone…” Jess wheezed, tears forming from both pain and the hopelessness that was creeping up. “Accord said…they’re gone…forever.  I’m all…alone. Please…I’m sorry…”

Newter set her down as she burst into tears, probably disgusted by her more than before. She didn’t blame him, feeling like absolute trash for trying to appeal to his sense of pity like that. But the thought of him getting arrested because of her, after all she’d done to him…it hurt so much.

The sound of a souped-up engine that was far too close made it even worse, and she would have fallen over if Newter hadn’t caught her. Through her tears, she saw a sports car nearby.

“Well, fancy meeting you here.” A young female voice called out from inside the car’s dark interior, and the door clicked open as a figure slowly started to emerge. “Need a lift?”

The passenger was revealed to be a girl of about sixteen or so, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. Freckles covered her face, curly brown hair framed it, and Jess couldn’t help but feel jealous at the confidence that radiated from this pretty newcomer.

Especially when she saw the change that came over her rescuer, as he rose to greet her.

Newter stumbled forward and whispered something to the stranger, and she replied with a shrug and a low voice Jess couldn’t make out. He let out a groan before grabbing her hood and pulling it up over her head. She swatted at him, laughing, then held out her arms.

“I love you so goddamn much.” He moved in again, wrapping her up in a tender hug, then kissed the side of her hooded head. She squeezed him back, arms rubbing his back, hands covered in thick red gloves. “You were right, I screwed up big time. Thanks for saving my ass.”

Jess felt like one of her ribs had twisted around and stabbed her in the heart. Not just because he admitted that her rescue was a waste of time, but because this was obviously his girlfriend . 

How much of a fucking loser was she, interpreting his kindness as flirting this whole time? 

“Wait, is that Elle driving? Since when does she know how to drive?”

“It’s a long story,” answered a girl’s voice from inside the car, and Jess saw a teenager with white-blonde hair lean out the window. She winked at them. “One with many twists and turns.”

“Also, what do you mean the PRT is handled ? How did you manage that?”

“Asked some friends to help. Long story.” Newter’s girlfriend grinned.

“And how’d you guys even get here? The only road out is blocked!”

“That’s…actually simple. Look over there.” The girl pointed theatrically with one arm, while clicking a button on a remote in her other. Half a block away, a garage opened on the side of a nondescript building, revealing what looked like a tunnel going down. “But how we got this little guy, as well as how we knew about that tunnel in the first place is…well, want to guess?”

“A long story?”

“Bingo.” The beautiful teen grinned like a Cheshire cat, then looked over his shoulder at Jess. Her face twisted in disgust as she saw the former hostage crying and dripping snot and blood. She seemed almost bored as she suggested, “May as well grab Jess before we go, huh?”

Soon the car was in motion and the woman Newter loved was telling an amazing story, his blonde friend throwing in a joke every now and then.

He looked so happy, but occasionally he’d see her staring at him and grow serious again, then look away as if annoyed.

Jess closed her eyes, meditating like Oliver had taught her to try and block out the pain.

A part of Jess wondered if maybe it was her penance for what she’d done tonight.

All because she wanted to escape her responsibilities for a few hours.

“—but the problem is that you’re irresponsible,” Faultline explained, then paused as their driver closed his eyes and held up a hand. He focused his power, the wall in front of them glowing slightly, as Getaway reached into his network of portals and connected two in particular.

Stress stood out on what little of his face was visible through his mask, peaked hood up because it supposedly made it easier for him to concentrate. His costume’s clean, straight lines were a strange contrast to the unprofessional tone he’d taken these past few minutes, as Faultline merely gave him the information he’d sought in exchange for his services.

Admittedly she’d been a little more blunt than most, but that’s just how Faultline was sometimes. Even though he was their ticket out of Boston, she had to be true to herself.

“Okay, no talking until we get there. And whatever you do, don’t stare at the darkness too long.”

The cape began to drive forward, the van slipping through the wall as if it wasn’t there, and soon they were adrift in a featureless void. As the cape drove, following a route only he could see, Gregor took a moment to reflect on Faultline’s words. He knew something about responsibility…

Or rather, he remembered a time when he hated the very thought of it.

It was when he was younger, though not much given that his life as Gregor was one measured in a matter of years, despite his size and apparent age. Mere months after he’d woken to find himself an amnesiac in a twisted form, Gregor decided he hated responsibility. Such concepts as accountability disgusted him, because none had taken the blame for his mysterious state. 

Day after day, he'd wake up and trudge to work as a bouncer at a seedy club, only to be berated by his boss and teased by both coworkers and customers. All because of his size, appearance, and most of all his terrible attitude. He was a surly, greedy, impersonal wreck of a human being.

That Gregor only cared about his paycheck and his pain, using the former to hide from the latter. He bought drugs and alcohol to numb him, even though they didn't last long. He paid men and women to love him, despite feeling nothing for them in a physical or emotional sense. 

Television and coworkers told him that such relationships held meaning, but Gregor knew he was only going through the motions. He simply drifted from one day to the next, weathering pain, confusion, and abuse. All because he had neither hope nor a plan for his own future.

His boss and coworkers knew that he was desperate for acceptance, and took advantage of it. Used it to push him into the dirt, sometimes literally, so that they could rise above their sad lives.

Uncouth and raw, he'd barely held himself back from retaliating, both because he feared being destitute and one other detail. A part of him, the tiny shred of pride he had despite being little better than a circus side show to these people, told him that fighting back would only prove they were right about him. That the moment he gave in to his darker impulses, Gregor would truly be deserving of their mockery and disgust. 

He would become the monster they all saw him as, and then he would be truly hopeless.

Worse, that because of his powers and appearance, he'd be forced into a life of battles to survive as a free man or a life of servitude to those who saw him as little more than a dog of war. Entertainment and news were filled with tales of people like him, outcasts from society, and Gregor feared joining their ranks. 

He’d heard of a twisted woman, Nyx of the Slaughterhouse Nine, and wondered if that was his fate as well. To stand among those as monstrous on the inside as he was on the outside…

Such nightmares tormented Gregor, bypassing the comforting warmth of drugs and prostitutes.

So even as tourists teased him, drunkards mistreated him, his boss abused him, and the world itself sought to grind him even further down, Gregor refused to give in. His pride, his need to someday discover how he'd ended up like this, these kept his hand from retaliating. 

Instead, he turned to underground fights, thanks in part to his mealy-mouthed boss entering him as a way to prove his usefulness. But no matter how hard he fought, it never made him feel strong or victorious. Not as long as the spectators openly jeered and treated his scraps of success as little more flukes. Gregor was attacked mercilessly, both in the ring and outside of it.

But he remained strong, refusing to give in to the dangerous rage growing inside of him, knowing it would be his end in more ways than one. 

Yet when the day came that he finally struck back, everything changed for the better. 

All thanks to Melanie Fitts. 

When they first met, she was barely old enough to drink at the bar, and spent the better part of a week making casual conversation with Gregor. She fascinated him, and not in such a puerile way as simple physical attractiveness. It was her bearing, her tone, and the way she was able to make eye contact despite his appearance. 

Melanie was different, somehow…and he was desperate to find out her secret.

All of his coworkers whispered that she was just another tourist looking for a roll in the hay with the monster, and Gregor tried not to believe it. As the days passed, he dreaded finding out that this speck of optimism in his life was little more than wishful thinking.

Finally, he found the courage to ask why she’d singled him out, and got a confusing answer.

“I want to hire you,” she’d simply replied, then went on to explain that it wasn’t as a bouncer, gigolo, or even entertainment. No, she had far greater ambitions, believing he had a warrior’s heart and a poet’s soul. As his coworkers burst into laughter, Gregor was stunned by her words. 

For so long, Gregor had been little more than a walking tourist attraction, a punching bag for both physical and verbal abuse, and a dangerous liaison for lonely singles. His powers may have made him tough and capable of producing special liquids, but his appearance and lack of memories ensured he was good for nothing more than following orders. 

Yet Melanie insisted that she could teach him, and perhaps even help him find his past…

It was an impossible goal, a pipe dream the likes of which he’d never achieve on his own. But Melanie wasn’t joking, nor did she seem as though trying to trick him. Instead she gestured around him at the horrors he’d endured for so long, and asked, “Isn’t it better than this?”

That night, the pair were in the back of a van together, the driver being someone who apparently owed her a favor. She had spread out a grand plan across the floor, everything from training and equipment to connections she’d spent years making. An impossible, long-term endeavor, and yet every word that came from her mouth was spoken with heart-stopping conviction. 

Already Melanie had run over a dozen jobs, all incredible successes, and had several people already part of her Crew. But he’d be her first cape, and so she was going to put everything she had into making him the best he could possibly be.

She spoke of responsibilities that he’d soon have, and for some reason the word no longer filled Gregor with dread. He used to hate the idea of duty, yet now he hungered to prove himself.

Melanie had that effect on people, and as the years passed, it never faded for an instant. 

Not even when she started calling herself Faultline, after a job went bad…

It only made him fight harder, no matter how bad things got.

As their van exited the void, Boston’s brickwork was replaced with an abandoned farmhouse. The barn behind them stood on land that Melanie had bought ages ago for a particular purpose that had yet to materialize. But when the Red Hands wanted to pull a job in Brockton Bay a year back, she gladly agreed to a Getaway portal being established in return for favors like this.

“Okay, now that we’re here, where the fuck do you get off saying that it’s because I’m irresponsible ?” The van jerked to a halt, and Getaway grew further miffed as Faultline exited the vehicle. She muttered a few quick orders to Gregor to secure the area, then turned to regard the annoyed cape. “Hey, I’m just asking a question. You were s’posed to give me advice, not—”

His words faded as Gregor jogged off, moving as fast as possible to reconnoiter the area. It wouldn’t be the first time enemies had sought to trap them, so he was careful despite his haste. This was an abandoned plot of several acres past Captain’s Hill, but better safe than sorry.

Similarly, despite the mover having no offensive powers and Faultline being an expert in hand-to-hand combat among other disciplines, he worried about leaving her alone. Not because he thought of her as needing him, but because splitting the party was rarely a good idea.

It was something he’d heard Emily say regarding one of her games, but was true in the world of capes as well. The whole point of a team was gathering strengths, not breaking them apart.

Oddly, it was that very lesson that he returned to find Faultline teaching Getaway.

“—just don’t understand why they always treat me like some little kid.” The mover sighed, slumping against the hood of the van. Faultline let him get it all out, arms crossed patiently as he continued, “I’ve been a Red Hand for nearly a year now, but it’s like they’re embarrassed to be seen around me. I know they’re teammates and not friends, but maybe this was a mistake?”

“Just the opposite, in fact.” Faultline finally interrupted his rambling, likely having noticed Gregor’s return and knowing it was time to go. “The entire point of a team is to bring strengths together, but a secondary feature is to find weaknesses and work to overcome them.”

“What, so the problem is that I’m weak?”

“Not at all. Your power is incredibly useful, and your skills at driving and servicing vehicles is top-notch. I can think of maybe one other person your age with similar capabilities, a tinker in Brockton by the name of Squealer. Ever heard of her?”

“Yeah, I met her when we were here last year. Blonde, kinda hot, shrill voice and foulmouthed. How d’you know her? Didn’t think you had any tinkers in your team…”

“She did a few odd jobs for me last year, mostly transport. Being able to build vehicles that can slip through customs without a trace comes in handy, in my experience. Unfortunately she fell on some hard times a few months ago, and we had to part ways. Can you guess why?”

“Eh, I heard she got into drug smugglin’ a few months back. Guessin’ she sampled the goods?”

“More or less. But the reason I bring her up is that the difference between the two of you goes deeper than your powers. It’s a matter of your networks.” Faultline held up two gloved hands, one open and the other closed. “She closed herself off to criticism, pushing away her friends and people who cared about her, instead retreating into the arms of her drug-dealing boyfriend.”

Gregor had never liked the tinker, but had been shocked at how badly the others had taken it when Melanie had finally given up on her. Elle had taken driving lessons from the older blonde over a year ago, and a bond formed between them. Similarly, Emily had been heartbroken at losing someone who always had a kind word for her after a bad date or rough day. 

“But you’re different, Getaway.” Faultline held up the open hand, and he could almost hear a smile in her voice. “Your team cares about you, and has bragged to me about your prowess on more than one occasion. Similarly, before we left Boston you did the same. True, most of it was you talking about Cozen’s beauty and kindness, but I can tell you really care for them all.”

“Well, yeah.” He blushed a little, tugging the peak of his hood lower over his eyes. “She’s…I mean, we’re pretty awesome at what we do. I just don’t know how to…y’know…step up.”

“Talk to them. Ask for advice, tell them how you feel, and most of all be honest. No team is ever going to get along perfectly, but you all have to be able to trust each other in the field. Even if it hurts to be weak , the best way to become strong is to work with the people who know you best.”

“Thanks.” Getaway’s voice cracked a little, and he swallowed the lump in his throat before seizing the open hand Faultline presented to him. Shaking it fervently, his voice was a little deeper as he nodded, “I guess I’d better get going. Sounds like I’ve got a lotta work to do.”

She hummed a little, then clapped him on the shoulder and gestured for Gregor to join her. The pair got back in the van, its engine turning over easily thanks to Chariot’s recent maintenance. As Gregor began to drive away, he saw Getaway salute them in the rearview mirror…

Then he stepped backwards into a glowing wall, and it faded back into being an ordinary barn once more. Truly, an investment that was worth its weight in gold, no matter how rare its use.

“Just think, if we’d called Strider first, you’d have missed out on the opportunity to inspire greatness in that young man.” Gregor smirked as Melanie rolled her eyes, her mask already back on her belt and gloves soon joining it. “Good thing you remembered Chain Man’s recent acquisition of that communications equipment, or we’d still be in Boston.”

“Given how much he bragged about it last time we were in that city, it was hard to forget.” She pulled out her laptop, easily hooking it into the van’s electronics and starting up the encryption for their comms gear. Her phone lightly buzzed as it paired with the computer, and a pair of headphones went on as she sighed. “Time to see what the kids have gotten into without us.”

Emily's texts had been difficult to decipher, but it seemed as though Newter was in trouble. Some sort of recon mission with a new Case 53 named Aroma, according to her last message. 

The name wasn’t known to either, but now that they had internet access surely—

“Shit.” Melanie rarely swore, and the typing that followed her expletive led him to glance away from the road for a moment at her screen. He saw what looked like chat logs from a phone, some sort of audio file playing, and a news ticker speeding by at the bottom. “Drive faster.”

There was no point in replying, nor in asking why she was in a rush. The former because she was in the zone, avidly researching as was her passion, and wearing headphones to boot.

But as for her rush, that became evident as he turned east towards Brockton, and saw the sky. Gregor began to speed up, heading for the Palanquin with all due haste and care.

Above their town were fireworks, smoke, and flashing lights from emergency vehicles, as well as at least one glowing figure. Lady Photon, unless he was mistaken.

In the distance, he could hear the sirens, distant explosions that made him worry about that new ABB cape, and his worry only grew.

His Crew…his family was in trouble, because he hadn’t been here to protect and guide them.

Woe betide any who stood in their way, or sought to ruin the life Gregor had built.

Anyone who tried certainly wouldn’t survive the night.

“Christ, I’m surprised you lived through all that, Newt.” Emily’s eyes were wide, and even Elle was having trouble keeping hers on the road. Both had kept looking back at him the whole drive, ever since he started telling his side of the night shortly before they left the tunnel. “I mean, that thing with the black hole grenade alone is such crazy tinker shit. Where’d the bodies even go?”

For an instant, Newter saw the face of one of the ABB that had been sucked into the singularity. It had been indescribable horror, his body being pulled into infinity, as he reached out for help. 

But the Case 53 had just stood there as someone else died because of him.

Too many people died today, or got hurt because of him .

“I’m trying not to think about it.” Newter whispered, flicking his eyes at Jess in hopes that Em would think he was keeping it low for her. She’d been sleeping for a while now, even through the random fireworks and sirens they passed. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

The whole drive back, he’d kept trying to think of something to say to Jess. She’d looked so lost and alone, so damaged and in pain. But every time he started to open his mouth, thoughts of everything that had happened tonight raced through his mind. All the times he lied about his skills, goofed off to cheer her up, and wasted time while she was being tormented.

Jess kept looking at him, as if waiting for him to apologize for all the pain he’d caused, and…

He had no idea what to say. How could he even begin to apologize for this?

So he just stayed quiet, and looked away shamefully.

At the back of his mind, he was a little bit annoyed at her for pretending to be a Case 53. No, he was actually pretty angry , brokenhearted even. But in light of everything that had happened to her, it just felt selfish to even think about it. 

She’d been desperate, he told himself. As much as he hated the method, it was…he sighed.

He heard Jess shift a little, and forced himself not to look at her. Because the moment he did she might say something, he’d have to respond, and the dam he’d built around his emotions would shatter. He just had to be strong, like Faultline wanted, and hold it all back.

She shifted again, and Newter closed his eyes, praying she’d just think he’d dozed off.

He was glad that Elle and Emily had stopped trying to engage them. They were such better siblings, people, and teammates than he was. It was almost enough to make him cry, knowing they loved him so much and he barely deserved any of it.

The rest of the drive passed in silence, as he stewed in his self-pity and shame.

Soon the car pulled into the private garage near the nightclub, one of several nondescript buildings Mel owned on the block. Various training rooms and storage areas were hidden in them, and once they were inside the door began to close soundlessly. 

All they had to do now was sneak inside, get cleaned up, call Doctor Q, and come up with a good story before—

“Oh shit.” Emily gasped, as they were getting out and saw what was waiting for them.

Or rather, who . He shouldn’t have been surprised, given who he worked for…

Faultline was standing there, arms crossed and looking really pissed off.

Not that it was easy to tell with her mask on, but Gregor was nearby. 

His face showed worry, relief, and most of all…disappointment. 

After an eternity of silent judgment, Faultline finally spoke.

“Gregor, take Jess to Medical and check her injuries. Call Doctor Q once she’s settled, and offer him the usual night rate. Elle, I want you to get cleaned up and go to bed, it’s way past your bedtime. Emily, make sure Elle takes her pills and then go to bed yourself. Newter...”

“Wait, that’s it?” Emily seemed shocked, and started to babble as she stepped in front of Newter. “I mean, don’t you want more info? Some kind of debrief or whatever? You’ve been gone all day and a lot’s happened, I mean why even go to bed—”

“ Emily. ” It only took a word to silence the girl, and her gaze dropped as the woman saw through her. “I’m well aware of the broad strokes, thanks to a favor from the Red Hands, whom I called upon when I got word Brockton was in chaos. Imagine my surprise when I learned who planned said chaos, and why . You performed admirably, but you need to sleep now. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

There was a little annoyance in her voice, but also a lot of something else.

Pride.

Emily stuttered a little, turning red as Elle gently took her arm and led the brunette away. Meanwhile, Gregor approached Newter and took Jess, letting him slump against the car’s hood.

“Wait. Need to…” Jess coughed, struggling slightly in Gregor’s arms and reaching for Faultline. She began to whisper and cough into the cape’s ear, before collapsing after a minute or so.

“I’ll take care of it.” Faultline patted her hand, then turned as Gregor took her away. “Rest, now.”

The others left, and then it was just Faultline and Newter in the garage.

“Quite an interesting young lady.” Faultline’s voice was different, and he glanced up tiredly to see she’d removed her mask. “She said Bakuda has some sort of giant bomb, among other dangerous creations, and that you had a phone leading the way to her lab. May I see it?”

Wordlessly, he handed the device over to Melanie, surprised that aside from a small crack it was otherwise undamaged. He wondered if Mel was going to use some kind of special tinker hacker tool to get inside, and was surprised when she just…swiped.

“Idiot doesn’t even have a password.” Mel grunted, tapping at the device for a few moments, then stashing it away in her vest. “I’m sure the PRT will pay well for this, and hopefully take all the credit. But I can get to that later. First…are you okay, Newter?”

“Sure, boss. I’m fine,” he lied, crossing his arms and wincing a little. “No big deal.”

“It’s okay to be scared.” Melanie’s voice sounded softer than usual, and he looked up at her with no small amount of confusion. She looked tired, the sharp lines of her face smoothing slightly as she smiled. “I heard what you went through tonight, and it scared me . I was worried about you.”

“H-how?” His voice sounded far away, and Newter felt a lump in his throat. “How did you hear?”

She held up her phone, and tapped the comms app she’d put on all their phones. It brought up a spread of backgrounds, some of which were very familiar. One was of a sailing vessel Gregor had as his phone background, and as she tapped it the man’s voice came through. It sounded like he was talking to Doctor Q, trying to convince the tired medic to make a house call.

“Emily thinks I’m a bit of a helicopter parent , and she’s not wrong. While Elle was driving you back, I heard your stories…and my own sources confirmed most of it.” She put the phone away, gently touching his uninjured shoulder. “It’s just us here, Newter. You just had a really bad night, the sort that would give anyone nightmares. You don’t have to pretend to be brave.”

“I’m n-not…p-pre…” He shook his head, feeling like such a coward for not being able to speak properly. After a battle like that, he should have been bragging, not whining!. “I m-mean, sure. I k-killed a guy. Oni Lee. But he was gonna kill me, and I had to…I didn’t mean to…I mean…”

Faultline smiled at him, like she was laughing at his weakness and he couldn’t look her in the eye. Looking at her eyes reminded him of Umaro, and a dam inside him seemed to crack. The mercenary whispered, “You’re safe now, Newter. You’re going to be okay. Just breathe.”

Newter tried to shrug her off, but his eyes were watering and his voice wouldn’t work and then he was on his knees and couldn’t stop crying. 

He couldn’t bear to see her judging him, and hid his face in his hands as whimpers echoed through the garage. 

It was just too much. So many big problems and mistakes, and he was so very, very small .

All the death he’d seen, the lives he’d ruined, the people he’d let down, the friends who had put themselves in harm’s way for him, the pain Jess had endured, it was all just too much…

All of it overwhelmed Newter… because it was all his fault .

He sniffled, trying to tell her that he’d tried, he’d really tried to keep it together. But things just kept going wrong and no matter how hard he tried it just kept getting worse and worse.

Newter told Melanie what he’d deduced about Jess. How Accord had killed her friends and sold her to the ABB, and she’d hatched a plan to get rescued, and he’d fucked it all up.

She tried to interrupt, but he broke down again when he remembered how hopeless she’d looked, and how horribly she’d gotten hurt because of his showboating.

But Melanie kept rubbing his back and holding him, promising they’d get through this. She said some other stuff, but by then he was barely conscious.

That night, he had horrible nightmares. Oni Lee hunting him and him being sucked into that grenade and Umaro dying over and over…

Jess, screaming and begging him for help and he just kept laughing with Oni Lee, as Yan beat her to death…

But every time he woke up crying, Gregor or Melanie were there, with him.

Jess was alive, sleeping peacefully under sedation in the next bed.

They said it was going to be okay, and he almost believed them.

Because he was finally home.

Chapter Text

“Considering how cross you were with Elle for missing her bedtime, some might call you a bit of a hypocrite for working through the night.” Gregor’s voice startled Melanie out of what certainly wasn’t a light doze. He said nothing more until the steaming cup of coffee was in her hands, en route to her mouth. “Of course, I’d never make such an accusation. Just putting it out there.”

Melanie only smiled in response, both from the scent of Gregor’s special blend and the progress he’d made these last few years. There was a time when he’d been so afraid of her disapproval that he barely spoke, taking every minor mistake as a major failure on his part.  

But now he was brave enough to call her out on her missteps, despite his dedication to her and their mission. It was no wonder the others looked up to him and valued his advice so greatly.

Sometimes she wondered what he’d been like…before. But compared to who he was now, she imagined that man would have paled in comparison.

After all, she was also a very different person from who she’d been before the Crew.

“I’m glad I can always count on your honesty, Gregor.” She smirked, then took another sip of the just-hot-enough coffee and set it down. “Go ahead and take a seat, we have a lot to cover.”

“Where would you like me to start, ma’am?” He slid into his usual chair, one that had been treated to make removing his slime far easier, and pulled out a binder. “I’ve got local events, PRT information, the condition of the Crew, our new guest, and a smattering of other details.”

“Start at the top, and we’ll work our way down.” She tapped a button to bring up the local news on several monitors, muted it to avoid disturbing them, and pulled up her computer logs from last night. Gregor launched into his report, quickly going through the results of his research.

There was no doubt in her mind that his findings would mirror her own, but it never hurt to have a second opinion.  Plus, it was excellent practice for Gregor if something like this happened again and she was unable to lead her team in person.

Although given last night’s events, perhaps it was time to start teaching Emily as well?

“—Protectorate arrested Bakuda and her people, while Armsmaster is being praised for detecting and disarming the bombs in the heads of her hostages.” Gregor read his notes, which matched what Melanie had heard from one of her PRT contacts. “Considering the size of the half-built bomb in her workshop, she’s to be transported to the Birdcage alongside her boss. With the E88 moving on the ABB’s territory, some say that this might be the end of the gang.”

“Doubtful. The ABB was formed by mashing a dozen gangs together, and the E88 are stomping on a beehive thinking it’ll kill all the bees. They’re about to get stung.” There had been a time when Melanie believed that removing capes could kill a gang. But between the incidents in Boston, Paine, Pawnee, and others over the last decade, she now knew a power vacuum was as dangerous as a black hole. Speaking of… “What about Oni Lee? Or the time bubble?”

“Oddly, they haven’t been mentioned yet, but one of my people out in the Docks heard a few rumors that might interest you.” Gregor smiled uncertainly, knowing how Melanie felt about RUMINT. She motioned for him to continue, and he explained, “PRT’s got that entire block locked down, and someone saw ‘a big metal box’ carried by ‘a spy plane’ of some kind.”

“Figures. PRT always thinks that putting problems in big metal boxes will solve them.” Melanie made a note to find out whether it had been Dragon. If the Guild Tinker was in town, it wouldn’t hurt to lay low, especially after their last Ottawa job. “Speaking of putting problems in boxes, were there any arrests among the cape population last night? Might be an opportunity there.”

“Aside from Oni Lee and Bakuda, five parahumans were arrested. Uber, Leet, Squealer, Stain, and Trainwreck.” Gregor held up pictures of each, and Melanie brought up her own notes on them as the man continued. “Trainwreck seems to be a Case 53, a brute or tinker from the footage I saw. We could use a tinker on this team, or at least one who owes us a huge favor…”

“I know, but I’ve already spoken with Trainwreck. He would fit better with the Undersiders or E88 than our team, unfortunately. No respect for authority, and rather undisciplined.” She held up a hand as Gregor started to put the pictures away. “Gregor, what are Squealer’s charges?”

“Looks like since she was in a boat, they’re mostly safety infractions and noise complaints, as well as an assault charge when her ‘Tesla Boat’ shocked Dauntless. She also has hundreds of existing traffic violations, a dozen charges of vehicular assault, and many drug-related crimes. The majority of the latter have been linked to Stain’s drug network, which reminds me...”

Gregor explained that last night, shortly before the chaos started, the BBPD had visited Adam Mustain with a warrant. Breaking down the door when they heard someone trying to go out the window, they found small-time drug-dealing cape Stain unconscious and surrounded by drugs.

“Though his accomplice escaped, a search of the home found quite a lot of drugs behind a false wall. My contact claims they found notes, plans, and other details regarding a much larger stash in a nearby gift shop. PRT just took custody of him, rather easily since he had overdosed.”

Melanie closed her eyes and considered the situation in front of her, Gregor going silent.

Squealer was a loose cannon, a drug addict, and had grown even more dangerous since she started dating Adam Mustain. The cape’s ability to function had been severely hampered by her many vices, and made her a danger to herself and everyone around her. Melanie had been forced to ban her from Palanquin, and forbidden the Crew to speak to her for any reason.

But last night, after checking through her team’s phone logs, she’d been surprised to learn Emily had disobeyed her. More than that, Melanie had seen the tinker through Emily and Elle’s eyes, and was shocked to discover that with their help she was far from a total lost cause.

“Toad” was someone Elle held in high respect, and had taught the platinum blonde to drive with incredible skill despite their short time together. She’d watched Elle driving via traffic cameras, while timestamps told her the girl was carrying on a calm conversation. Given her old issues with focus, it spoke well of her growing maturity, and Toad had apparently been a part of that.

But it was Emily’s friend “RosieRibbiter” that surprised Melanie the most. Certainly, she was just as drunk and just as foul-mouthed as ever, but when Emily had asked for help she’d answered the call. The tinker threw herself into battle and even got arrested, helping her friend “HotLips” save the life of “Juice” and a random hostage. 

All because her friends had asked for help. Now she was facing prison with no support at all…

Melanie was in a business where people lived and died by favors, information, and reputation. For all that Sherrel had done to earn her bad reputation, despite all the information that said this was probably a fruitless effort, the Crew did technically owe her a favor for this.

While villains occasionally got deals because of their powers, it was rarer than most thought. For every Assault, Blowout, or Floret, there were dozens who got jailed or Birdcaged. No matter how powerful they were, some capes just couldn’t be saved.

If Melanie could pull this off, she’d have a tinker who owed her big time . Considering how much the Crew traveled, and Squealer’s incredible skill with vehicles, it was worth a shot.

But more than that, she remembered the blonde bombshell who’d wormed her way into the hearts of half her team, and for them at least…she could make an effort.

Sherrel Rosinski had made many mistakes in her relatively short life, but befriending a few members of Faultline’s Crew certainly wasn’t one of them.

“Call Dickie Leibowitz, and send him to represent Squealer.” She opened her eyes, and after a moment he began to scribble furiously in his binder. “Houston’s Protectorate training camp has two capes who also went through drug rehab, so try to get her sent there. Also, send Benny Jacks to dig up dirt on Adam Mustain. He’s a damned good investigator, so it should be a snap.”

Normally she’d have let the PRT handle their own intel-gathering, but they’d really dropped the ball on this one. Mustain had turned his last name into his cape name, and as Stain had been running drug operations out of his basement and the Archer’s Bridge gift shop for months.

It was possible that Mustain was paying off someone in the PRT, and merely pretending to be an idiot. Much like how Oni Lee and other capes kept their true skills in reserve, the idea that Stain was secretly some sort of genius had crossed her mind.

But on the other hand, it was far more likely that Coil or Kaiser were covering for the idiot. After all, having a black cape getting white children addicted to drugs worked well for the E88’s party line, and Coil probably had some plot as well.

Still, Melanie had a good feeling about this plan. The only hard part would be getting Sherrel to turn on her boyfriend/dealer, but Melanie was sure Dickie would figure something out.

After all, he’d worked for the Elite for nearly a decade before leaving because it was too boring . 

Gregor turned a page. “Next, we have the Crew. Elle is fine, as is Emily…”

“What do you think about us inviting Emily to these meetings?” Gregor looked more than a little surprised at that, although she noted a certain amount of pride as well. “Last night she made a plan, networked to gather resources, and pulled off one heck of a rescue in limited time. She’s been asking me to let her do more than just spit fire…maybe this is such an opportunity?”

For a moment Melanie found herself years in the past, teaching Gregor in just the same way. She’d seen hidden talents in him from a few conversations, and offered him a chance to be more than a trod-upon bouncer. He’d taken to it like a duck to water, and hopefully Emily would find similar talents hiding within herself as well.

The only downside was how much she’d likely whine about the extra work, but Gregor was one of the best teachers she knew…even if he was a bit long-winded. But then again this was an opportunity for him as well, to connect with someone of a radically different mindset.

Frankly, it would be an excellent learning experience for both of them.

“Finally, Newter and our new guest.” He flipped the binder around, showing her two full-color diagrams of Doctor Q’s notes. “Jess had to be sedated, and the cocktail Doctor Q used will keep her out for at least another day. As for Newter, physical injuries aside he’s—”

“I know.” After the boy had finally exhausted himself crying in her arms, he’d all but passed out and she’d had to call Gregor to lend a hand. They’d cleaned him up after changing into the proper gear, and the doctor had gotten to work. “Why do you think I didn’t sleep last night?”

The nightmares Newter experienced were nothing new to Melanie, not after the life she’d led.

Melanie had been forced to rebuild her family and sense of self from scratch, after they’d all been taken from her nearly a decade ago. If not for the lessons her parents had impressed upon her as a child, she’d have broken long ago. Melanie was lucky, they’d prepared her well…

But for Newter, experiencing such loss in a single night had been devastating. She’d listened through his phone logs as he fought Oni Lee. Even muffled by his suit she could hear his false bravado, the fear that laced every word, and the heartbreak after Umaro was killed...

It would take time for him to recover, and she knew better than any that such things couldn’t be rushed. He needed to know that he was loved and supported, but most of all needed time to come to terms with his own feelings. Which would be easier once their wounds were healed.

Luckily, she knew plenty of people capable of the latter, and thanks to Emily’s chat group was aware of a very unique opportunity in that regard…

“I’ve got the physical side handled.” She’d contacted someone a few hours earlier to make a deal, offering room and board as well as a friendly face as payment. “Accord’s healer is in town, and we’ll be putting him up for the night in exchange for his services. Let’s eat something fancy tonight, since I promised we’d beat a roadside motel. That will be all for now, I have work to do.”

Gregor stood after making a few more notes. Just as she was about to tell him how to start Emily’s training, he spoke up suddenly and surprised her with his insight.

“I’ll get Emily started on some of the training materials you gave me back when I first joined. It should help distract her from talking to Jess, until you’ve had time to look into her background.” Melanie’s jaw dropped a little, and Gregor smirked before heading off. “What can I say? You always use work to distract yourself, so I figured you’d do the same for Emily.”

Shaking her head and chuckling as her aide-de-camp locked the door behind him, Melanie reflected once more on how much people could change in a short time. Who could say what sort of person any of them would be given a bit more time?

As she finished her coffee, Melanie opened a very particular piece of software for getting into very special databases and stretched. “Okay, ‘Jess,’ let’s just see who you really are…”

Hours later, she was more than a little concerned by what she was (and wasn’t) finding.

But on a nearby monitor she saw the back room camera, where a guest had arrived.

An Asian man in his 20s, in dress shirt, slacks, and an emerald-studded necklace.

Emily leapt up from the table, and practically tackled the man with a hug.

It seemed like Lizardtail healed more than just physical injuries.

Hopefully some of that cheer would spread to Newter…

That would make Melanie feel a bit better, as well.

“This feels like punishment. Are you sure this isn’t punishment?” Emily’s breath fluttered some of the papers and maps Gregor had brought in. From the other end of the table, he was reading something in one of his binders, and seemed entertained. “Because Mel said I wasn’t being punished, but then you buried me under all this homework. So which is it?”

She’d been certain that there was some kind of Karate Kid-esque lesson in all this, given that Gregor oscillated between simple answers and confusing explanations. Why else would he have her combing through years-old maps of Brockton Bay and its gang territories?

“It’s not punishment, Emily. Rather, it’s a valuable reward that you more than earned last night.”

That got her even more worried, especially after how much chaos there had been on the news and PHO this morning. Her little city-wide distraction was being referred to by many as the Brockton Bay “Rogue Party,” and had everyone scratching their heads. Some thought it was a new gang, and others assumed the city’s Rogues were having some sort of contest.

When Emily had explained it to Melanie, the leader had just nodded knowingly and made notes. She’d also called Chuck to make sure he was okay, and laughed at something with him. When Emily told her about one of them being jailed, Mel just said it was already “handled.”

Sometimes Mel really creeped her out with how much she seemed to know about people…

But at the same time, it was awesome and relieving having her on your side.

Even if this pile of work was giving Emily the opposite impression.

“I just don’t get how this is supposed to be a reward.” She sighed, noticing that Gregor hadn’t gone back to his book yet. Maybe she was being kind of whiny, but it was hard to figure out what a chessmaster like Mel was trying to pull here. “But I guess knowledge is power, so whatever.”

“Ouch, sounds like Emmy’s got a head injury if she’s actually enjoying studying.” A familiar voice from behind made her blush, and Emily turned to see someone leaning against the doorway. “Luckily, unlike that Panacea kid, I actually heal brains. So I guess I’ll fix you up, for a price.”

Even without his copper lizard mask and green suit jacket, Ken Watanabe simply oozed charm and sophistication. His slacks, shiny shoes, and lavender dress shirt were bespoke, while his perfect white teeth seemed to glisten in the overhead lights. The tiny emeralds on his silver necklace matched his eyes, which seemed to sparkle as he held out a hand…

But Emily was already leaping through the air to tackle him with a hug. He staggered back a few steps, then caught his balance and swung her around, laughing at her exuberance. “Wow, didn’t think I rated that kind of reaction! I guess you must really have brain damage after all.”

“Dummy, I’m just happy to see you.” Emily pulled away from him, punching the healing cape in his shoulder, and turned to see Gregor watching them both silently. “Oh, um…Gregor, this is—”

“I’m aware of his identity. Just a moment.” Gregor moved quickly for a man of his size, closing the door behind Ken and re-engaging the security measures Mel had in most of their rooms. That done, he firmly shook the other man’s hand and intoned, “Pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Watanabe. Your help as Lizardtail is greatly appreciated, as is your willingness to come here.”

“Please, call me Ken. Anyway, I was in the area and Faultline offered me something better than a moldy bed and take-out, so it was hard to say no.” He shrugged as Gregor released him and gestured for Ken to join them at the table. “Also, I was hoping to get some more tips from her on real estate. My boss keeps snatching up all the best deals, and I’m kinda spinning my wheels.”

“Perhaps over dinner, though I must warn you she’s been rather tired dealing with the city’s recent upheavals.” Gregor removed a few pages from one of his smaller binders, then handed them over to Ken. “Here, the medical information on your patients, compiled by Doctor—”

“Doc Q! I’d recognize that perfect block lettering anywhere. Only doctor I know with legible handwriting, seriously.” Ken had once explained to Emily that since his power regenerated people, he always tried to be aware of their conditions before getting to work. It was a slow, weak power, but even then it could do serious damage if someone had been improperly treated.

Luckily, Doctor Q was a professional, and soon enough Ken was asking to see his patients. 

Minutes later, they reached the medical room where Newter and Jess were resting. Gregor had gone off to gather more materials for Emily’s lessons, the smile on his semi-translucent face way too happy for such a promise. Sighing, she opened the door and the pair entered.

“Hey Newt, this is Ken, he’s a healer.” Emily kept her voice down, even though she knew that behind the curtain Jess was doped up by whatever Doctor Q had given her. Newter barely glanced at the cape healer, only nodding in his direction as she added, “Ken, this is Newter.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Newter.” Ken kept his voice down, and waved at the heavily bandaged Case 53. Aside from his foot and shoulder, his injuries would have been fine in a week, but cape healing was nothing to scoff at…even if Ken’s was slow. “Ouch, I’d hate to see the other guy.”

“Yeah.” Newter sounded glum, nothing like the upbeat jokester he usually was, and Emily slowly took a seat at his bedside while Ken gave him a quick once-over. “Faultline called you?”

“That she did. Plus, if Emmy cares about you this much, I figure you’re a good sort.” He finished unwrapping the boy’s foot and shoulder, examining the stitches. “Dang, Doc Q is an artist .”

Once he was satisfied, the healer went to check on Jess, and in the moment the curtain was open Emily noticed two important details. The first was that aside from several bandages and bruises, Jess actually looked a lot better. Having the blood cleaned off and being changed out of that nasty ABB sweatsuit helped, even if she still looked pretty pale as she silently slept.

But what had Emily reach for Newter and squeeze his uninjured shoulder was how his face fell when he saw Jess. She assured him, “Jess is gonna be okay, Newt. Ken’s a great healer.”

“I’ve never even heard of him before. How do you know him?” Newter reached up and gently patted her gloved hand. From behind the curtain, they could hear the sound of the man working. “Is he from that friend group of yours? The one that Trevor’s in?”

“Yeah, I’m the one who invited him. Remember a month or so after I joined, when Mel took me out to that bomb range south of Boston, to test out my new mask and stuff?” Of course he did, because back then she’d been nervous as hell about it and Newter had acted the fool to cheer her up. “Well, I melted my mask, and on the way back we stopped in Boston for a replacement.”

Emily had been in no small amount of pain, burned not by her power but rather by the remnants of the mask Melanie had given her. Even Gregor’s goop only numbed her a bit, and the pair rushed her not to a hospital…but rather to a clean little room in a Charlestown office building. 

Mel went to talk to the owner about a better mask, and Gregor brought some Asian guy in.

“Ken was new to his powers, and as nervous as I was, so he started babbling to keep my mind off the pain.” She rolled her eyes as Newter smirked at that, probably thinking that Ken sounded a lot like her. So what if she talked a lot when she was frazzled? “Anyway, we talked about his love of real estate, his powers, my powers, some dating bloopers he’d had, a few of mine…” 

“Next thing I know, she invites me to join a chat group with folks like us. Hell, I never even knew Chain Man swung my way before then. Too bad he’s only got eyes for Blasto.” Ken slipped back through the curtain, pulling off his gloves and tossing them in the bin. “Plus, Emmy introduced me to her boss, who had a wealth of great advice. Even got Citrine to promise to back me if I—”

“Wait, Citrine ?” Newter recoiled, and for a moment it almost looked like he was going to get up. Emily rested a hand on his good arm, and instead the boy glared at Ken. “You work for Accord?”

“Yeah. I go by Lizardtail.” Ken nodded, raising an eyebrow at Newter. “Is that a problem?”

The orange boy’s demeanor changed in an instant, and he bristled at the question.

“Gee, I dunno. Accord killed Jess’ friends, and a guy who works for him just happens to show up the next day promising to help .” Newter scoffed, shrugging off Emily’s hands and pointing an accusatory finger at Ken. “So what, are you here to finish the job, or did you just feel guilty?”

“Wait, did this come from Jess? Was it before or after her head injury, exhaustion, blood loss, and emotionally exhausting night?” Emily flinched the moment Newter turned his glare on her, then held up both hands and babbled. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that she went through a lot last night, and you said you barely talked to the real Jess. Are you sure you didn’t mishear?”

“No, Accord definitely had a hand in what happened to her friends.” Ken cut in, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He had his phone out, and was flipping through it looking for something. “I thought she looked familiar. He didn’t kill them, but they are…gone. Here, look.”

Both had to lean forward to see the picture on the small screen, but there was a shot of Jess and some costumed teenagers. A few pictures even caught what looked like a Case 53 girl nearby, one who seemed to be good friends with Jess. The last picture was taken through the window of what looked like a small apartment, and all were laughing at something off-camera. 

But nobody was laughing a few minutes later, when Ken finished explaining the fate of the team once known as the Travelers. “—they made a mess, but Accord was so glad it let him take Spree and Blasto out that he decided to let them be ‘useful.’ I think two of them are in Russia, since the teleporter who picked them up was Red Gauntlet. Dunno about the others…”

“And because Jess was kidnapped, she missed out on all of it.” Emmy’s voice was barely audible, mouth behind her hand and eyes glistening. “No wonder she was so distraught.”

“Yeah, and I even heard from Citrine that calling you guys was Accord’s plan. Makes no sense, because the guy’s heart is the size of a raisin and he keeps it in his wallet, but whatever.” Ken shrugged, and turned to Newter, who was as pale as he’d ever looked. “I’m sorry, kid.”

“It’s fine. I mean, it’s not fine , but you can’t change the past. Pretty sure nobody’s got a power like that,” Newter muttered, before changing the subject so fast it put Velocity to shame. “So, how’s this gonna work, anyway? Do you have to touch us, like Panacea?”

“Nah, I’m an area-of-effect guy. You probably won’t even feel it, and it works so slowly you’d have to stare at a wound to notice anything.” Ken was always pretty down on his power, but just because it wasn’t quick didn’t mean it sucked or anything. “It’s actually a self-regen power, but leaks out when I’m at 100%. My fault for being a pacifist, but good for everyone around me.”

Not wanting to suck up any healing magic, even though she was pretty sure his power didn’t work like that, she excused herself. This would take a few hours, and talking to Ken had given her an idea that would take a while to research. But it would be worth it, she decided.

Ken had said he was doing this for room and board, but she still wanted to pay him back.

It ended up taking her until dinner in fact, but she found what she was looking for. Of course, it took a while to get the chance to bring it up, because Newter had joined them and was in much better spirits. He and Ken seemed to have hit it off, and were poking fun at each other all night.

But after dinner, as Newter headed off to bed and Gregor went to read Elle a bedtime story, Emily finally got her chance. She was playing a handheld game while Mel and Ken talked about some boring business stuff, when she heard an opportunity knock.

“—need to diversify your investments.” Melanie was saying, in the same way most people suggested drinking eight glasses of water a day. “If Boston is a dead end, look elsewhere. I have properties in Houston, Seattle, London, New Orleans, and six other cities, that’s the key.”

“I mean, it sounds easy on its face, but it’s a huge market and I’m only one guy.” Ken had been taking notes for nearly an hour, his pad covered in so much ink it was a wonder there was any left in his pen. “Don’t suppose you could recommend a few good towns to start in?”

“How about Brockton Bay?” Emily spoke up, and immediately lost her train of thought as she realized that Mel had been looking at her. It was as if she’d known…no, that was impossible. Trying not to lose her cool under the scrutiny of two adults, Emily paused her game and joined them, unfolding some paper from her pocket. “Here, take a look at these.”

The records Melanie had on Brockton Bay were detailed to an extreme, owing to her contacts and Accord-like habit of making plans. Maybe that was why the two got along so well?

“Wait, the place is literally called Shantytown . Are you messing with me, Emmy?”

“No, she actually has an excellent point.” Mel came to her rescue, sparing a small smile for the girl that put a huge lump in Emily’s throat. “Shantytown may have an ignoble name, but the gangs have mostly left it alone throughout Brockton’s history. Given the ABB’s recent woes and the E88’s focus on sweeping north to take advantage, it’s ripe for the picking.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right. Plus…” Emily tried not to let her voice shake too much as she added the last few bits of information she’d managed to dig up. “Um, most of the buildings are in decent shape, since the lack of cape fights means less property damage overall.”

“Hmm, and with the PRT focusing on the remnants of the ABB, as well as the E88’s upcoming war plans, they probably wouldn’t notice if a small-timer from Boston took a nibble from their pie.” Ken’s smile grew as he spoke, writing on her map in an incomprehensible shorthand. He hopped to his feet, already dialing. “Hey Jeanne, I got something big here. Huge, even!”

Emily wanted to hear his conversation, but instead had to settle for watching his victory dance as whoever he was talking to appeared to be interested. Ken took pictures of the papers she’d given him, talking a mile a minute and promising to be back in Boston as soon as possible.

It was too bad Ken couldn’t stay longer, but she had a feeling he’d be back soon enough. From what he’d said about “Citrine,” she was always on the lookout for business opportunities to prove to Accord that she was capable of excellence.

That night, as Emily was going to bed, Melanie stopped by to talk to her. The freckled teen was worried that she’d overstepped a little, but instead was shocked by how warm her boss was. 

“I’m proud of you, Emily. You saw an issue, looked for a solution, and found one that made both parties happy as well as putting a powerful ally in our debt.”

Emily was tempted to say she had just done it because Ken was her friend, but Melanie’s hug choked the words right out of her.

That night she found herself putting down her video game and picking up one of the big books Gregor had left.

Maybe becoming a supersmart badass like Melanie wasn’t impossible, after all?

Emily fell asleep halfway through page seven.

Chapter Text

“Napoleon Bonaparte once said, ‘Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.’ Now, while he may have been referring to China and its potential for one day turning into an economic powerhouse, I think it’s important to consider—” 

“Gregor, I love ya buddy, and I’m sure wherever you were going was very fascinating, but…” Newter paused as if considering his words carefully. “What does that have to do with Jess?”

Elle whispered something to Emily and the brunette giggled, drawing a confused smile from her. Even after recovering all day yesterday and most of today, Elle still seemed a little bit off-kilter, which was why Gregor was hoping his answer would be enough to convince them to go to bed.

But apparently he’d reached a little too deep into his supply of inspiring quotes, and pulled out a dud. That, or these three really needed to spend more time reading and less on their devices.

Luckily Emily came through for him, likely courtesy of the book on interrogations he’d given her.

“I think what Newter is trying to say is, why can’t we see Jess? We heard Doctor Q say she was awake when he left an hour ago, and I’d think some friendly faces would be nice after…y’know.”

“She suffered greatly at the hands of brigands, and even now is likely tormented by self-doubt and loneliness.” Elle interjected, accepting a one-armed hug from Emily at the somber tone of her voice. “We merely wish to remind her that this is a place of safety. As well as a veritable fortress of protection, camaraderie, and the home of someone who can vomit napalm at will.”

Emily went as red as her costume, and even Gregor broke into chuckles as Elle accepted a quick noogie from her sister. Perhaps she was doing better than any of them thought?

“Melanie simply wants a chance to speak with our new guest, that’s all. Though she has been sleeping for some time, Jess will likely need time to acclimate to her new environment and consider the options ahead of her.”

“Options? I mean, isn’t she going to join the Crew? That’s the play here, right?” Emily seemed surprised when Newter didn’t leap to agree, and Gregor wondered if it had anything to do with his experiences that night. The two had shared a connection, from the sound of his nightmares about Umaro , and the boy likely still carried some amount of grief over his part in her “death.”

“That will be her choice to make. Until then I suggest that you consider how best to welcome Jess, and to assist her in reaching her decision. It’s bedtime now, but I trust the coming days will give you many opportunities to speak to her. Perhaps I can offer some words of wisdom?”

The three of them shared a look, and Gregor chose to translate it as hopeful and curious rather than exasperated and resigned. They didn’t get up and leave, so he considered that a win.

“Elle, I’ve always considered your creativity one of your greatest gifts. You see the world in a way few artists or writers could ever match, let alone recreate with colors and words. I think that if you could share even an ounce of that with Jess, she would be inspired in an instant.”

The blonde closed her eyes, and for a moment he wondered if she was about to use her power, but then they snapped open a great smile bloomed on her face. She rose and hugged him without warning, then scampered off to her room. As she moved, he heard her giggle.

“Well, I’m sure that will work out well for everyone.” Newter rolled his eyes, then turned to see Gregor looking at him intently. “Oh no, what’s my advice? ‘Look before you leap?’ Because I—”

“Newter, while your impulse control may still be a work in progress, your heart and passion are the envy of everyone who knows you. You wear them upon your sleeve, and I believe that if you simply speak openly with Jess, she will understand you. Simply be yourself, is my advice.”

Newter took the advice with far less enthusiasm than Elle had, but still nodded thoughtfully and stood to leave. On the way out, he seemed to be muttering something to himself, but Gregor was unable to hear any of it. He trusted the boy would figure it out…he always did in the end.

“Okay Mr. Miyagi, lay it on me.” Emily was far more confident than the other two, chin in her hands and elbows on her knees. “But I’m warning you, it better not be bad advice. Or else!”

“All advice is bad advice, unless it isn’t.” Gregor kept a straight face for a few seconds, then burst out laughing as Emily’s face screwed up in confusion. “No, I’m joking. Couldn’t resist.”

She got up and mockingly punched him in the arm, then threw an arm over his shoulder and leaned on the older man. Emily had always drawn strength from hugs and touches, and the way her body relaxed as she hugged him made Gregor change his mind on the advice he’d planned.

Before leaving, Ken had told Gregor and Melanie about Accord’s part in Jess’ trials. Not just how the plan-savvy villain had advised her to call the Crew, but how Emily and Newter had reacted when they learned of the girl’s losses. 

He imagined that Emily and Newter had told Elle, as evidenced by her words earlier. This very conversation had likely been inspired by Emily, and now it gave him an idea.

“Emily, your ability to care for people, even total strangers…is legendary. I’ve never met anyone so understanding of the pain of others, so filled with empathy and willing to help. Jess has lost much in the past few days, and I believe you will find a way to help her regain her spirit.”

“Dang it, I was hoping for actionable intelligence, and you gave me a motivational poster.” Her smile took the sting out of her words, and Gregor helped Emily to her feet before giving her a hug goodnight. “I’ll figure it out somehow. Maybe it’s in one of those big books you gave me?”

Gregor remained quiet, only smiling cryptically until she retired to her room. 

He was tempted to sleep as well, but knew that there was one last task before he could rest tonight. So rather than prepare for bed or continue his latest novel, Gregor stopped by the kitchen and began to make soup. A simple broth, made lovingly and poured into a bowl.

The bowl was joined on a tray by crackers, water, a spoon, and some coffee. The tray in one hand, he quietly crept down the hall, to the room at the end which had been unused until today.

He’d furnished it himself, and unlike this morning it now contained not one, but two people.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Gregor carefully closed the door behind him, handing the coffee to Melanie before putting the tray in front of Jess. “Careful, it’s still quite hot. How are you two doing?”

“Fine.” Jess answered a bit too quickly, her eyes flicking from the soup to Gregor and then down to the spread of papers that covered her bed. “We were just…thank you for the food.”

As she began to gingerly eat, he couldn’t help but notice her body language as he glanced over the folders and pictures. Melanie had been quite thorough in her research, but this reluctance and trepidation that poured off of Jess in waves was quite puzzling.

It wasn’t until he picked up a document stamped PRT that Gregor realized the culprit, and his theory only further cemented itself in his mind as Jess’ body language changed drastically. Her shoulders hunched, weariness spreading across her face in an all-too-familiar way…

It reminded him of the bounties the Crew sometimes brought in. Hardened criminals who fell to pieces when faced with the consequences of their actions. But while most of them turned to threats, bargaining, and eventually begging, Jess was different.

From her he only saw fear, regret, and a powerful exhaustion that seemed to transcend her relatively young age. There was a certain acceptance there, a realization that haunted her.

By the time she had finished her meal, he had communicated his theory to Melanie. It made her eyebrows leap into her hairline, a reaction he rarely saw and always treasured.

It reminded him that for all her skill and aplomb, she was still just as human as anyone else.

“Before we continue, I have a different question for you, Jess.” Melanie leaned back, projecting an air of calm indifference, a small smile appearing on her face. “Do you know why I worked so hard to dig up all this information on you and your abilities? Please, be honest with me.”

“W-well, you’re a mercenary crew, so you were just doing your due diligence, and I g-guess—”

“Jess, please don’t bullshit me.” Melanie’s smile fell away, eyes seeming to glint in the light as she changed gears in an instant. “If you’ve got a concern, speak it. I don’t have time for games.”

In an instant, the quivering child fell away, and a battle-hardened warrior took her place. There were cracks in her façade, but this was the real Jess, and she seemed to appreciate Melanie’s interest in cutting to the chase. Lifting a few pages, she waved them at Melanie and sighed.

“I mean, isn’t it obvious? You’ve got enough here to put me away for a long time, and it looks like the PRT would pay pretty well for me. I’m guessing you’re planning to blackmail me, trying to intimidate me into working for free or doing some seriously bad shit, and—”

“ Jess .” It may have been Melanie speaking, but it was Faultline’s voice that stopped the tirade with a single word. Gregor sometimes wondered if she practiced that, sitting in front of a mirror as she was now, body hard and eyes piercing into one’s very soul. Jess trembled slightly, but then caught herself and seemed to glare back. “No. This isn’t blackmail. Nor is it intimidation.”

“ Now who’s bullshitting who? Seriously, why else would you have all this research on me?”

“Because this is a job interview .” Melanie smiled slightly, and it grew as Jess’ jaw dropped. “Your power and skills are impressive, and I think you’d synergize well with my team, given training.”

Jess stared at her, mouth working silently as she glanced down at the papers again in shock.

A full minute later, she still hadn’t said anything, and Gregor began to get worried.

“Jess?” He ventured a little closer, but she waved him off. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, s-sorry. My train of thought just derailed so hard that it glitched like a Warthog and blasted off into the skybox.” She placed her face in her hands, giggling nervously. “Wow.”

Gregor looked at Melanie, and she returned his confused expression with one equally baffled. 

Despite all his study of philosophy, literature, and the written works of history…

Gregor hadn’t the foggiest idea what that was supposed to mean.

Was this how the kids had felt earlier, when he spoke to them?

Luckily, Jess was happy to explain her odd vernacular.

“As Trickster explained it, the best way to beat a tinker was to take away their tech.” Jess shrugged, gesturing at the picture. “Obviously, that isn’t always the case, as we discovered.”

“Wait, what gave him the idea that Jouster was actually a tinker? ” Jess had to stifle a laugh, seeing the unflappable cape mercenary looking as poleaxed as Gregor had earlier.  “Even taking his lance out of the equation, he’s huge and capable of bursts of speed that defy mechanical capabilities. What evidence did Trickster base this theory on, anyway?”

Faultline, or Melanie as she’d introduced herself after unmasking, looked a lot like Jess’s mental image of the woman after meeting her earlier. Black hair pulled back into a bun, tan skin and sharp features, piercing brown eyes, and totally ripped. 

Basically a badass lady mercenary from some movie or video game, and strangely similar to Mona Sax from the first Max Payne game…Jess realized she was getting sidetracked.

“He got a tip from Epeios, a computer tinker he found online.” Jess explained, closing her eyes for a moment and trying to recall the planning session. “Something about a Ward with a knight theme faking their classification, pretending to be a tinker…or the other way around? Either way, Trickster’s plan was to trade his lance for a pole, and…well, you can see how that went.”

Melanie had done quite a bit of research, gathering files and photos from every town the Travelers had visited. Some were stamped PRT , while others looked more like government or police documents, and a few even seemed to have come from people like Accord. 

The result was a timeline of the Travelers’ activities, one far more detailed than Jess expected.

Apparently Melanie wasn’t the leader of a group of cape mercenaries just for her powers.

In fact, the way she was so focused on tactics instead of powers was…interesting.

“Well, I suppose he’s lucky you were there to take the hit for him.” Melanie shook her head ruefully, frowning at the picture of Jess (in her Goliath form) getting blasted in the chest by a man in platemail holding a streetlight. The bulb on the end had exploded, both the glass shards and electrical blast from Jouster appearing on the security footage. “Did it hurt much?”

“Nah, Goliath has pebble-like scales, and he’s even taken bullets without a problem. After he blasted Jouster with his smoke breath, he grabbed Trickster and the guy they were rescuing and got the hell out of there.” She tapped the last picture, showing a line of cracked holes in the brick wall leading upwards. “His wings are more for gliding than flying, but he was strong enough to just climb right up the wall. By the time the PRT got up there, they were long gone.”

Probably the best part of the interview though, was explaining her powers to someone who wasn’t just another teen gamer, but an experienced adult cape. Melanie had taken copious notes, as well as sending Gregor to bring back reference documents on everything from animals to a few D&D and gaming books Newter’s girlfriend owned.

Whenever Jess explained her power to others, she usually used gaming as a point of reference. Not videogames, but rather roleplaying systems like D&D or Mutants and Masterminds. When you got right down to it, her power was just an incredibly detailed character creator.

More specifically, it was a point-buy system, one only limited by her understanding of creatures for base forms and biology, as well as imagination. The former was why Oliver had always been helping her study books on animals and the amazing capabilities of nature. But the latter was where the real answers were, and where their background as gamers truly came in handy.

In terms of pure numbers, making a non-random body required her to be ready for her power to counterbalance strengths with weaknesses. If she gave her “character” a bunch of cool abilities, her power (the Dungeon Master) added weaknesses to make it playable. If she forced it through without those weaknesses, it would be a form that burned a lot more power to maintain.

For instance, Umaro had essentially just been an albino ape, but Jess had wanted tougher skin and boosted senses for the night mission. Her inability to hit Oni Lee had come from severely reduced reaction times and a bulky body, balancing it out for normal power usage. When Jess remade it with super-joints and no internal organs, the power burn had more than doubled.

Melanie had been especially interested to hear about her Random Button, as Jess called it. But that was something that would have to wait until she had considerably more of a charge.

Jess knew that they had a lot more to talk about, and was really considering accepting her offer to join the team...

Even if she was still a little unsure how Newter and the others felt about it.

“—think that covers New York, and we can come back to it later.”

She looked up to see Melanie putting the pictures back into the New York folder. Much like her planning session with Newter, it was more of an exchange of ideas than the usual Krouse says what to do and everyone else falls in line that she was used to. Jess was eager to continue…

But rather than reaching for the next folder in the pile, Melanie paused to let out a jaw-cracking yawn. After all the time she’d spent researching Jess and taking care of her team, it was a wonder the mercenary leader had lasted this long on sheer willpower. “Mmm, much as I’d like to keep going, even Gregor’s coffee has its limits. How about we take a break?”

“You sure? That next folder probably has the time Perdition and Trickster juggled Raymancer. It was one of his better strategies, stun-locking their ranged attacker while the rest of us stole some parts off his tinker buddy's power armor.” Jess was always surprised at how well the two of them worked together, when they weren’t at each other’s throats. “But yeah, I guess I’ve got a lot to think about already...”

“Sounds like I have excellent timing, then.” Gregor’s voice made her look up, and she was pleased to see he had a wheelchair in front of him. In the seat was neatly-folded laundry, and she was puzzled until he explained, “Emily and Elle wanted you to have these. A little worn, but full of love and memories. Their only regret was that they couldn’t hand them over in person .”

Melanie stood with a small groan, seemingly more at his passive-aggressive remarks than any real soreness. She mock-glared at him, then rolled her eyes and handed over the only folder she hadn’t stashed away. Inside, Jess found several notes, as well as an employment contract.

Even at a glance, the contract looked far better than Jess had expected. Not only did it mention her various needs and abilities, but the salary was impressive considering how little the woman really knew about her. Even after all her research, Jess was still a relative unknown to the Crew.

On the other hand, they’d healed her and were offering free room and board for a week while she considered their offer. The confidence Melanie had, as well as the kindness from the others, seemed to indicate this was for real. But something still gnawed at the edge of Jess’ brain…

The mercenary leader had promised to look into the condition of the rest of the Travelers, much to Jess’ relief. Talking about her team these past few hours had been a mix of cathartic and painful, and she hoped the woman’s contacts could help them.

Or at least…to tell Jess that they hadn’t suffered much, after…

Before leaving, the pair explained their usual meal times, schedule for the next few days, and what to do if she needed anything. They also suggested that while she wasn’t a prisoner by any means, it might be a good idea to keep her forms plain and randomized while in Brockton Bay.

Or at the very least, to make sure they could fly and were reasonably stealthy at night. Melanie seemed to understand the feeling that being cooped up could have on someone in her position.

“The ABB is going through a difficult time, and having strange capes and Case 53s suddenly appearing all over town might put people on edge.” Gregor explained, then patted his chest with a smirk. “It took them months to get used to Newter and I, and even that’s a work in progress.”

“Got it, I’ll try to blend in as best I can, get used to the place.” She nodded, then asked a question that had been gnawing at her for hours. “Um, speaking of Newter…is he okay?”

“He’s recovering.” Gregor answered simply, then traded a glance with Melanie. “Newter, Emily, and Elle were all very worried about you. I’m sure you three have a lot to talk about.”

After a few more pleasantries, the pair left her to her thoughts, but Jess found that she couldn’t concentrate. Dozens of thoughts swirled around her head, mixed in with broken dreams and a metric ton of worries. Knowing she wouldn’t solve any of this here, she closed her eyes…

On a very familiar building a few miles away, a scraggly gray and white bird opened blood-red eyes and looked out over Brockton Bay. Despite the late hour, he saw the city with perfect clarity, and stretched his bony wings before hopping into a sudden dive.

Hitting an updraft, Bloodwing soared into the sky, taking a few minutes to get used to flying again. He wasn’t going anywhere in particular, just letting the wind and random chance take him wherever they wanted.

Out here, the world was so quiet and simple, despite sirens and car horns echoing in the distance. There was no need to think of lost friends, job opportunities, or teenage drama.

Curious, the bird decided to explore this new city, having two excellent reasons to do so.

First, he knew that Jess would want more concrete locations for forming bodies than “atop a tall building she once saw.” His first hour gave him a chance to see many buildings, starting out in the south part of town and working his way west, then north, and finally to the wrecked boats. 

He even checked out what appeared to be a trainyard, quite a bit of junk nearby for hiding in. It reminded him of Fyrestone, fleeting memories that he quickly shook off as he flew on.

As fun as it would have been to explore this town further, he had a much greater goal in mind. Specifically, to understand the aftermath of an entire gang’s near-demise.

According to Melanie, the ABB had been dealt a heavy blow, and he knew Jess wondered whether things had gotten better for their sacrifices.

The crafty bird called upon Jess’ memories of that horrible night, and recalled a location her kidnappers had mentioned. Through trial and error, as well as looking for clusters of people even at this hour, Bloodwing soon found himself overlooking a very busy rooftop bar.

He spent what seemed like hours there, listening to the people below speak about the events of the last few days. Though many used languages Jess barely recognized, more and more began to speak English as the average age of the patrons decreased over time. 

Their words were…enlightening, and not always in a good way.

Some spoke of optimism, of the fall of a mighty gang that had threatened them for years…

Others spoke of fear, remembering that before that gang had been many smaller gangs.

A few bragged about freedom, praising the PRT for finally bringing down their oppressive king…

More complained that the void would soon be filled with unknown threats, a never-ending cycle.

One wept with joy, daughters freed from a brothel thanks to the heroes and PRT last night…

But at least one worried that some of the ones who’d imprisoned them had escaped.

Many celebrated vast quantities of drugs and dealers being swept up by the BBPD and PRT…

Though just as many fretted that the E88, Coil, and other dangers still remained at large.

A scant few were former ABB, like Park Jihoo and his friend Jin, happy to have survived…

But Jay had to be chased out when he spoke drunkenly of his honor as an ABB member.

Bloodwing sighed, shaking his head.

Humans were very confusing creatures, the bird decided.

Eventually, the mix of joy and sadness filled Bloodwing with emotions he was incapable of expressing. He had not been made to cry, except in a piercing shriek. He could not ask questions, but for a confused chirp. He was barely able to fight, body made for scouting. 

He could only watch, and rather than answers he only found himself with more questions.

Like when Sugita failed to chase after Jay, leaking tears from his unbandaged eye.

The former ABB appeared broken, in body and soul, and Bloodwing...

Bloodwing decided it was time to leave.

Despite the freedom of the nighttime sky, he found himself filled with a sense of ennui. While flight used to fill him with joy, now it only felt like he was wasting time. Avoiding that moment when he’d be forced to return to making decisions and worrying whether they were correct.

Despite that, Bloodwing continued to surf the skies, until he felt his power begin to wane. The sun was peeking up over the horizon, so he landed on a building and closed his eyes.

Jess opened her eyes, ready to face her responsibilities and…consider her…options…?

The bedroom was gone, and instead she was lying on a blanket made of moss.

In the middle of a massive forest, with no sign of civilization for miles.

Beside her, a blonde mumbled and cried into her hands.

Jess pinched herself, but didn’t wake up.

“Not a dream then,” she muttered. 

To Elle, having Jess join the Crew would truly have been a dream come true.

Though most of her memories of childhood had faded over time, she distinctly remembered how the doctors at the hospital welcomed her. They told her that this would be her new home, rather than the forest she’d been living in since the storm, and that they would be her new family..

In the weeks, months, and years that followed, Elle learned that the doctors had a fundamental misunderstanding of what a family was. A voracious reader and teller of tales, she began to lose herself in stories, thanks in part to the many medicines they forced upon her. It was lucky for her that Melanie and her true family had saved her, or Elle may have lost herself entirely…

Freed from the dark dungeon in which she’d languished for so many years as a mere plaything of a monster who worshiped fire, Elle found a new home. One that grew every time a new teammate joined them, rather than having to wait for the stork to visit. Even now, as her dear little sister Emily slept one bed over, the joy her presence brought Elle was indescribable. 

It hadn’t been easy at first, the poor girl having been tormented by nightmares of wild dogs and blazing flames for weeks after joining them last year. But in time, Emily came to realize the power of family could overcome anything, and was now one of Elle’s favorite people.

So when she heard the tale of Jess’ trials and tribulations, Elle felt a familiarity in her story. It was one she’d lived, one they’d all experienced and defeated together. Gregor himself wisely advised Elle to help soothe the girl’s heart, to mend her soul with tales of family and love.

That night, rather than take her medicine and fall prey to the temptations of Morpheus, Elle was huddled under her covers with a flashlight and a mission. Hours passed as she dug through her many artistic renderings, seeking very specific ones that would lift a spirit. Art that would allow her to transcend mere expression, to craft a tale worthy of the gods themselves, for Jess alone.

Eventually the time had come, and as she heard Melanie and Gregor wish Jess a good evening, Elle began her nighttime quest. She slipped stealthily from her bed, drawings in one hand and story already writing itself in her mind, and made her way to Jess’ new room.

Inside, even in the dim light, she could see the bespectacled girl prone in bed. Elle crept closer, and with the utmost care whispered the name of her sister-to-be. 

When that failed to wake her, Elle poked Jess in the arm, then cheek, and then the nose.

But she remained insensate, and Elle began to consider other ways to rouse her. Her pose and deep slumber reminded the tale of Briar Rose, but that idea was swiftly discarded. Newter’s passionate love for Jess was plain to all, and besides…Elle’s lips were meant only for Harte.

So rather than attempting to awaken the slumbering princess, Elle instead chose to join her. She lay upon the bed, crayons in hand, and began to plan out her story.

Time passed, and though sleep beckoned, Elle refused to give in. She had a job to do, a quest to save someone in need, and would not fail. 

Her future sister was depending on her, after all!

But as the first fingers of light began to creep in through the window, the room was illuminated such that Elle realized a great flaw in her plan. This room’s aesthetic was entirely wrong for her story! It was too modern, too cramped, and most of all, too out of place for a forest tale!

Any moment now Jess would awaken, and as panic set in Elle felt her brave façade crumble. 

She began to weep into her hands, still the lonely and useless child who couldn’t do anything right. That was why the storm had taken her family, why the forest had rejected her, why—

“Not a dream then,” came a voice at her side, and Elle felt her self-worth drop even lower. Far greater was her embarrassment at being seen as a failure, than only having her own mind working against her. “Um…hello. Did you teleport us here? It’s a very nice forest, if you did.”

Elle opened her eyes to explain to the confused girl that she was not any kind of teleporter, but paused upon seeing that their environment had indeed changed. The pair were upon a mossy blanket, tall trees and impossible plants all around them. 

They were in The Forest, and Elle was responsible.

“This is a bad day.” Elle said, voice trembling slightly, realizing that she had brought calamity upon them both. By neglecting her sleep and medicine, wandering off without her family, she had placed them both in grave peril. Who knew what dangers may lurk in this forest?

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Jess smiled, obviously not understanding the nature of the problem. “Well then, explain it to me. What kind of grave peril are we talking about here?”

Elle blinked, then realized that her inner monologue must have been leaking into her dialogue. 

This only further confirmed that today was indeed a bad day . Her power had brought them here, and now she couldn’t even count on her private thoughts remaining so!

“It’s cool, I talk to myself all the time as well. And also, don’t worry about the whole forest thing.”

Jess’ ability to stay cool under pressure truly was inspiring , although thinking of that word only reminded Elle that this entire misadventure was her fault. She had sought to inspire the girl with a story, to show her that joining her team…her family, would help to heal her heart. But now any tale she told of the forest would be forever tainted by this experience, and Jess would surely—

“Um, can I interrupt?” Elle felt a finger on her lips, and realized she’d been monologuing again. “Listen, Melanie told me your powers can sometimes get a bit out of control, and I’m not mad at you for that. Powers can really suck sometimes. That’s not on you. As for joining the team, I’m…still trying to decide what to do, but I promised to think about it. So let’s just breathe, okay?”

“Okay.” Elle nodded, carefully meeting Jess’ eyes as she withdrew her finger, and seeing that they shone with intelligence and understanding, not annoyance. “I still wish to apologize for bringing you here without your express permission. I will endeavor to bring us home, posthaste.”

“Water under the bridge. Besides, it’s actually pretty beautiful, like the Forest of Fangorn or the Kokiri Forest.” Jess looked up, eyes widening a little as she seemed to finally notice that one of the trees had a toothy maw simply dripping with sap. “Um, but I guess going back wouldn’t be a bad idea. That tree looks…hungry.”

“What, the hamadryad? Not once has he ever been more than a silent watcher, in all the times I’ve visited him.” Elle closed her eyes, attempting to push the pocket world that was this Forest back into its pocket , so to speak. “Of course, I rarely stay long enough to test his self control...”

Jess didn’t respond, other than to take one of Elle’s hands in her own, and squeeze gently. 

That connection, a bond between them greater than something mere strangers could share, gave Elle strength. When she opened her eyes once more, the Forest was gone.

The two of them had survived, but Elle very much doubted that stories were something Jess cared about as the sun continued to creep through the window’s shade. She began to ease herself off the bed, but stopped as Jess pulled her back, still holding onto the blonde’s hand.

Only exhaustion kept her from fully comprehending what was going on until it was done. The mighty yawn that escaped Elle’s mouth as the very comfortable bed enveloped her certainly did not help matters, and soon the pair lay side-by-side, hands linked, atop the bed’s covers.

“Elle, thanks for staying up all night thinking of ways to cheer me up, and showing me that magnificent forest. So to pay you back, I want to tell you a story, if that’s okay?” Elle blinked, then nodded slowly as her tired mind attempted to make sense of this sudden turn. “Is it really that much of a surprise? You gave me clothes, a tour of an alien world…it’s the least I can do.”

The blonde fell silent at that, and listened with rapt attention as Jess began to weave her tale.

“Once upon a time, there was a magnificent forest, near some beautiful green hills…”

Elle’s eyes almost immediately began to drift shut, but she struggled to hold on.

“...a blue hedgehog, fast and a force for good, swore to rescue them…”

Elle snuggled closer to Jess, enjoying the sound of her soft voice.

“...his best friend, a fox whose tails let him fly, suggested they…”

Jess was so warm, so caring, and so very comfortable.

“...defeated the evil doctor, saving the world at last.”

She’d be an excellent addition to their family.

“The end. Um…Elle? Can you let me go?”

But Elle was already fast asleep. 

Chapter Text

“Damn, sleeping with Elle like that…you move fast, girl!” Emily was mostly joking, but had to admit she was a little jealous. It had taken her weeks to really start to open up to the Crew after she first joined, but here Jess was having sleepovers right off the bat. “Got a thing for blondes?”

Jess, or Jest as she’d asked to be called in this form, nearly choked on her drink and hurriedly set it down on the coffee table. As she recovered, Emily took a moment to regard the vision of loveliness beside her. It looked like her real body, but there was definitely a bit of wish-fulfillment going on there. More muscle definition, beautiful eyes, perfect skin, and a damn fine set of—

“Emily! It’s not like that!” Jest interrupted, and Emily returned her gaze to eye level in a flash. “She was exhausted, and I needed to recharge anyway, so I let her hold onto me. Melanie told me that when she had bad days, being nice to her was a good idea, so I was just…being nice.”

“Uh-huh. Being nice.” Emily leaned closer, making her voice a bit huskier as she whispered. “So why are you sleeping with her again tonight , hmm? Liked being her teddy bear that much?”

“N-no. She wanted to tell me a story of her own this time, and I waited until she dozed off to leave, but…” Jest covered her face with one hand, leaning back into the couch with a groan. “When I tried to get up, she just sort of latched onto me. She’s strong for someone so skinny.”

“No kidding. When I first joined up I was always having nightmares, and I’d usually wake up with her practically smothering me.” Emily’s smile shrank as she recalled those first few weeks, and how embarrassing it had been to have a total stranger soothing her like some kind of baby. Jest didn’t even notice, so Emily hurriedly added, “But I’m just teasing. Anyone with eyes can see that you’ve got it bad for Newter. I heard all about the way you two were flirting the other night.”

Given the number of times yesterday Jess had not-so-subtly asked about Newter, it seemed like a hell of a crush. When Jest had popped up an hour ago and caught Emily getting a midnight snack, it seemed like the perfect time for some girl talk. 

Especially after Gregor’s great advice helped her realize that Jess really needed a friend.

But while she’d endured good-natured teasing about Elle, for some reason Emily’s final comment made Jest’s body language change drastically. She hunched in on herself a little, staring down at her hands as if psyching herself up for some big announcement.

Emily knew something was wrong, and decided to give the girl time to work it out.

“I’m sorry.” The words confused Emily, and the powerful shame that colored Jest’s expression only added to it. Her hands twisted in her lap, eyes flicking from Emily to the TV and back. “I didn’t know you and Newter were… together . He was just so nice and when I was pretending to be Umaro I took things too far. His scent was…I mean, I know it’s not an excuse, but…”

Emily was speechless as Jest stammered through an apology. How in the hell had she gotten it into her head that Emily and Newter were dating , of all things? 

As the girl rambled on, Emily carefully took out her phone, and then picked the moment Jest paused to interject.

“Hey, check this out.” She slid closer to Jest, shoving her phone in the girl’s hands and helping her flip through the gallery. “That’s Jenn, my…well, not really my girlfriend , because she doesn’t like labels. This is us at a Disaster Area concert last month, before we got totally smashed and started making out in the parking lot. Cute, huh? Anyway, what were you saying about Newter?” 

It was a gamble, but remembering how Trevor had said Newter was head over heels for this girl made Emily want to nip this whole thing in the bud. Plus, having another gamer girl on the team would be pretty awesome, especially one who appreciated the classics. 

Luckily, much like using a Phoenix Down on the Phantom Train, her pictures were very effective at solving the problem. The other girl’s face went bright red, and she let out a little squeak.

“God, you must think I’m a complete idiot .” Jest flopped back against the couch cushions again, burying her face in her hands. Emily couldn’t help but giggle, and was relieved when her conversation partner peeked out at her. “All because I saw you two hugging and thought—”

“Hey, when I first joined up I was so sure that Mel and Gregor were an item. They were always hanging out together, and sometimes I’d see them come out of the training room sweaty and…” Jest burst out laughing, and Emily had the good sense to blush. “C’mon, how was I supposed to know they were really training ? Mel’s hot as shit, I was so sure they were fucking in secret!”

Ice broken, Jest began to regale Emily with a tale of how she’d often caught two of her old teammates in the act. Once they’d tried to play it off as Sundancer helping Ballistic practice CPR. Another time he’d claimed that he was simply helping Sundancer stretch her hamstrings .

Despite laughing, there was a certain sadness in Jest’s tone as she finished the story, and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. 

Earlier that day, Emily had seen Jess as she came out of her latest meeting with Melanie, and she’d looked heartbroken. Compared to the two other meetings they’d had that day, where she was smiling and hopeful, it was a huge difference.

“Wanna talk about it?” She asked, bumping the other girl with her shoulder. “I mean, I know a lot about…losing people. You don’t have to, but sometimes it helps to just…talk about stuff.”

“I know it’s just…I’m still in shock. Melanie heard back from her contacts about my team. It’s not good news.” Jest didn’t snatch her hand away as Emily took it in hers. After a shuddering breath, she continued, “The Red Gauntlet refused to confirm or deny that they had Sundancer and Ballistic, the CUI prison Trickster and Noelle are in is inescapable, and Oliver…the Elite…”

Emily remained quiet, letting the girl work her way through it. She remembered the day the police made a statement about her home, how heartbroken she’d been when her hopes that someone survived were shattered beyond repair. 

Losing people you loved was never easy, but far worse than that was when you lost your hope.

“They let me talk to him, but he said…said he had no idea who I was. Told me to stop calling him. I know they did something to him, but they w-won’t tell me where he is…” She sniffled, then took a long breath and let it out. “The whole time the ABB had me, memories of my friends motivated me. They made me strong, gave me reasons to keep going. I just feel…numb.”

Emily carefully put her arms around the stronger cape, resting Jest’s head on her shoulder, and said nothing. This wasn’t a problem that words would help with, no matter how much she wanted them to. Instead she just rubbed Jest’s back, and let her feel something .

Letting her know that someone cared seemed to help. It made Emily wonder if maybe that was the real reason Jess had accepted Elle’s sleepover offer. 

Once again, Gregor’s advice swam through her head, as well as an idea. Jess needed to be around people, and was new in town, so why not kill two birds with one stone?

Speaking slowly, a smile spreading across her face that the other girl soon mirrored, Emily suggested that they go out on the town tomorrow. She framed it as a tour, or a guided vacation at the very least. Seeing the sights, shopping, and just being normal Bay teenagers for a while.

“Even if you’re not joining, Elle and I still wanna hang out with you. Newter too, even if he’s been kinda squirrely lately.” Leaning closer, Emily lowered her voice. “He’s been hiding in his room a lot, and being kinda grumpy.”

“Yeah, that’s probably my fault.” Jest’s arm blurred a little, and she sighed before disengaging from Emily. “Guess my time’s up. Thanks for tonight, Emily. This team’s lucky to have you.”

“Aw stop, you’re making me blush!” She lightly punched the other girl’s arm, and was happy to see her smile return. “Um, out of curiosity, why do you think Newter’s mood is your fault?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jest blurred again, and her voice seemed to fade as she tried to explain. “I mean, I don’t blame him. He’s probably mad at me because I—”

Jest vanished, and Emily considered heading to Jess’ room to finish the conversation. She closed her eyes, considering what the girl meant…

The next morning, she woke up on the couch with a stiff neck, only dimly remembering how she’d gotten there.

Mostly, she just remembered Jess being really sad last night, something Elle had noticed as well.

The Newter problem was a big one, but right now what Jess really needed were friends.

So Emily and Elle took her out on the town, and worked on a plan for Newter.

Maybe if they drew him in with a movie, and then…hmmm…

“So, what movie are we watching?” Jess rolled into the living room, and was surprised to see Emily and Elle whispering about something. True, the pair had been oddly secretive the last few days about their plans for tonight beyond movies, but seeing them jump at her question was worrisome. “Um, I can come back if you two were in the middle of something. No rush.”

Jess had been more than a little shaken that first night, and worried that she’d made a bad impression on her potential teammate by breaking down in her arms. But if anything, it had only made Emily more interested in helping her get settled. 

She seemed certain that Jess was going to join, even if she didn’t say it outright, and they’d spent every day since in a flurry of activity. Apparently Brockton Bay was a pretty interesting place, even if it did have some bad eggs stinking up the place here and there.

Thanks to her two tour guides, Jess had spent the last few days having the time of her life.

Emily and Elle declared that she needed to learn about their fine city, a jewel with a thousand facets, even if some of them had gang-related blemishes. Food, tourist attractions, and more than a few coastal locations had filled their days. 

There was even a ferry…although unfortunately it wasn’t functioning. Supposedly fixing it was something several Mayors had promised over the years, but nobody actually seemed to care. 

Aside from a smudged contact form on a bulletin board near the abandoned ferry office with a name that looked like… Donny Herbert , Brockton’s ferry project was dead in the water. Of course, thinking about the ferry reminded her of her friends, and soon she was telling that story.

But with Emily and Elle there, it felt…less painful than it had before. The hole in her heart was still raw and filled with so many dark emotions, but this bright new possibility had her looking at the future rather than dwelling on the past. 

To cheer her up, they also told her more than a few stories, with many of Emily’s involving her chat group. She only had time to introduce Jest to one of them, a kind girl named Sabah who seemed very friendly, but it felt so…normal. Like the whole cape thing had just been a wild dream, instead of interactions like this being rare events that folks like them treasured.

Though she knew it couldn’t last, Jess tried to make the experience last as long as possible.

It had been so long since she’d been able to just relax, and talk with people. Not plotting about cape stuff or mercenary contracts, or reminiscing about a world that was an entire dimension away. Just hanging out and shooting the shit about clothes, games, and movies.

With every passing day, the idea of joining the Crew grew more and more attractive. She had other conferences with Melanie about her tactics and contract negotiations, as well as several pleasant conversations with Gregor. 

The man was as thoughtful as he was wordy, and reminded her of Krouse…but without being a smug prick about it. He even had some sage advice for her, helping her work through some of her worries and fears.

But with every day that passed, she couldn’t help but notice that there was one thing missing.

Despite her best efforts, she’d seen neither hide nor hair of Newter, and that worried her.

Knocking on his door led nowhere, and Emily kept exchanging looks with Elle.

Tonight, the last day of her decision window, they’d promised he’d be here.

It was supposed to be a movie night, with his favorite film…

But Newter was nowhere to be seen.

“Fuck, I guess the jig’s up.” Emily sighed, and trudged over to Jess to plop down dejectedly on the couch nearby. “Look, so the plan was kind of a movie night lock-in. We were gonna get you and Newter in the same room, then sneak out and block the doors, forcing you two to talk.”

“Unfortunately, our brother’s eavesdropping skills are without peer, and he appears to have overheard our plans.” Elle joined Emily, sitting beside the shorter girl and leaned against her companionably. “He isn’t answering his phone, and thus we are without recourse. Movie night may continue, but our plotting has resulted in a lack of Newter for you to speak with.”

Sighing, Jess closed her eyes as she tried to think of a way to explain her feelings. The entire reason she had wanted to speak with Newter was to apologize, and make sure that her being on his team wasn’t going to make him uncomfortable. 

But this avoidance told her all she needed to know. Apparently she’d burned that bridge—

“Wait! I’ve got it!” Emily startled Jess out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see the girl madly tapping at her phone. “Mel’s communications app lets us track each other in case of emergencies, and thanks to Gregor’s lessons I know the code to deactivate the do not disturb function he’s had on this whole week. Which means he’s…there!”

Jess squinted at the map Emily pointed her way, then looked up as the brunette did something to move it to the nearby TV. It looked like any other part of Brockton Bay to Jess…

“Shit, okay how about you form a bird or something and fly over there. It’s a few miles…that way.” Emily spun in a circle, then pointed in a seemingly random direction. “It’s about a block from Whitemore and Sunset…um…look for the building that’s kinda burnt. Lung set it on fire a week or so ago, fighting Armsmaster the night he got arrested.”

Jess nodded, having a rough idea where that was from both Bloodwing’s flights and her time with the pair all week. Of course, she told them it was the second one, and saw them exchange a high-five as the plan came together. 

“Okay, I’ll call him one last time, just in case he’s suddenly decided not to be such a stick in the mud.” Emily started to tap the phone, but paused as Elle caught her hand. “Huh? What’s up?”

“I think that if Jess is going to bare her heart to Newter, perhaps there’s a very particular form that he would appreciate seeing more than any other.” The blonde gently explained her idea, and Emily seemed uncomfortable with the idea. “What’s wrong with it, sister?”

“Well, I didn’t wanna call her out on it, but…I mean, self-image is tough for anyone.” Emily began to get oddly flustered, stammering and refusing to make eye contact with Jess. “You can make all these amazing forms, and I was reading a book on escapism, so…ow! Elle!”

The blonde had elbowed her teammate rather hard, and in response Emily slid away as Jess looked on in confusion. She wondered if this was some sort of joke between them…

“It’s just that you kind of do this thing where you talk about your other forms like they’re other people. It’s not bad or anything!” Emily started to babble, something she’d warned was a bad habit of hers, and flinched as Elle poked her again. “Ow! The same fucking place! Look, I’m just saying that if you’d prefer to go as Jest, that’s cool too. We’ll support you either way.”

“I…didn’t realize I was doing that.” Jess felt her jaw drop, and wondered when she’d even started. Come to think of it, even before she got powers she preferred her friends to call her by her online handle or character name when gaming. “Crap, should I talk to someone about it?”

“Not unless you want to. I mean, sometimes therapy can do more harm than good, if you try to force it. But I guess that sounds kinda…ugh..” Emily pressed her hands into her face, the latter turning as red as her costume. “I’m sorry Jess. Should have kept my big mouth shut.”

“No, it’s fine, really.” Jess lied, trying to push the worries away for a few hours, promising herself that she’d think about them later on. “It’s not like capes are all perfectly stable anyway. I’ve met a few that really could have used therapy, and I guess…it would be nice to talk to someone.”

“Yes, and you’re certainly not unique for having a power that affects your state of mind in some way.” Elle crossed her arms, hunching her shoulders slightly as her eyes took on a faraway gaze. A frown, out of place on her beautiful visage, crept into existence. “I once knew someone with an unhealthy obsession with my person, as well as a certain force of destruction. I hated her for the former, but understood that the latter was a result of her power and difficult life.” 

“Yeah, and I kinda hate starting fires, even if it’s both in my name and pretty much the only thing I can do. Powers mess with everyone’s lives, and we all find ways to cope with it that aren’t always healthy. What I mean is we’re not judging you, and I’m kinda sorry for bringing it up.”

As the brunette put an arm around her sister, who seemed to relax as she did so, Elle grew even more peaceful when Jess reached out and put a hand on each of theirs. “Thanks guys. I know I haven’t exactly been easy to deal with, and still haven’t made my choice on joining…”

“Regardless of what you choose, we would be honored if you would continue to be our friend.” Elle smiled, so genuine and peaceful that it made Jess’ heart calm in her chest. The blonde winked, “But if you do stay, perhaps you can switch rooms with Emily? She snores, and I—”

The blonde was cut off as her sister, red in the face at the snide comment, dug her fingers into the girl’s ribs. They began to tussle, giggling and poking at each other, as Jess just laughed at their sisterly antics.

The last bit of heaviness in her chest had faded away by the time they were done, and she told them she was ready. It was time to go have a very important conversation with her rescuer. 

“Okay, here we go.” She rolled her chair back until it rested beside the couch, then slid out with help from Emily and made herself comfortable with its recliner function. “Showtime.”

As she considered her options, Elle’s suggestion kept running through her mind. It seemed like the best option, even if the very idea bothered her slightly.

Not just because of what Emily had said about escapism, but because it felt like…a betrayal of what her power had always meant to her.

But despite that, rather than focusing on Jest, Umaro, or any of her other forms, Jess thought of herself.

Her body, which she’d hated for so very long, because of how weak and powerless she was.

As her power rose, Jess thought of a dream she’d had for a long time…of being normal.

The last sound she heard before drifting off was Emily’s phone.

Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz .

“Coo.” 

“Nope, I’m not picking up. I already know what they’re going to say.” Newter tossed another handful of popcorn to Bobby, and he went after it in a mad scramble with the other two pigeons. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Mel, it’s that if you don’t have a plan, you’re screwed.”

“Coo.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried? Every night I run all over town, training my ass off so I can try to get a good night’s sleep. But then nightmares make me miss half the day, and I’m back here again with you idiots.” Newter winced as Pesto glared at him balefully, until he tossed out another handful of popcorn. “Sorry, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t think of a good plan.”

“Coo.”

“Yeah, I mean of course I remember what Gregor said. The problem, Squit, is that he told me to just be myself, and that’s what got me into this mess. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, and expecting different results each time. Therefore—”

“Funny, I thought the definition of insanity was talking to pigeons on a rooftop.” Newter nearly jumped out of his skin, and whirled to see Jess a dozen feet behind him. All three pigeons reacted far worse, falling over each other before flapping off into the night. “Um, I can go if you want me to, but I really wanted to talk to you. But if you don’t want to see me, I understand…”

“Nah, nothing like that. Um…you look nice.” Even though he knew it was a projection, she looked exactly like the real deal. Rather than Jest, this was just plain ol’ Jess, and she was dressed in what looked like a Disaster Area t-shirt with jeans and sandals. “Nice clothes, too.”

“Thanks, Emily helped me design them. Said wearing athletic stuff all the time was kinda…some fashion word I don’t recall.” She sat beside him on the parapet, hands behind her as she leaned back to look up at the night sky for a moment. “So, tonight’s my last night before Melanie’s deadline. I was hoping that before I talk to her, you’d finally let me apologize for—”

“Wait, apologize? Jess, you don’t have anything to apologize for! I’m the one who fucked up. Hell, I’ve been hiding all week because I couldn’t man up and just say that…I mean, to say—”

“Newter, you’ve got nothing to…okay, wait. I’ve played way too many dating sims to let this trope go on any longer.” She held up a hand between them, then put down three fingers and made a little snipping motion. “Rock paper scissors to see who goes first? On three, not after. Ready?”

Newter’s scissors beat Jess’ paper, and she shifted a little to give him her full attention. He lay back, trying to draw strength from the cold stone, and stared up at the stars in the sky.

“From the moment we first met, I was pretending to be some suave, cool, expert secret-agent sort of guy. I had a stealth suit and pouches full of useful stuff, and acted all professional, but it was all fake.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at her face, so Newter pretended he was just practicing on the pigeons again. “It was my first time on a solo mission, all because I wanted to prove myself. But I kept fucking up and making things worse, and the real problem is…”

It sounded like she started to say something, but then caught herself and went silent again. He was disappointed, because this next part was what had been giving him nightmares all week. 

“While we were making a convoluted plan and joking around to give Em time to get help, they were beating you half to death. If I’d just rushed in and broken the window, we could have been back at Palanquin in twenty minutes. Instead we had to fight Oni Lee, a bunch of ABB died, I k-killed someone, and you nearly d-died. It’s all my fault, and I’m so goddamn sorry, Jess.”

“Newter, they beat the shit out of me before we even met by the water tower! Also, Umaro… I’m the one who nixed the window plan. I knew Jess… I was hurt, but wasted just as much time as you did. Don’t put that on yourself.” He started to retort, but she added, “And you know what? I’m glad you lied about being an elite mercenary. I was scared out of my fucking mind, Newter! You helped me calm down, and fought like hell to save me against impossible odds. Own it!”

“But Oni Lee—”

“Oni Lee is a crazy, unpredictable psychopath! And sure, fighting him was tough, but thanks to us he’s basically in a time bubble until the heat death of the universe! The ABB’s falling apart, their capes are locked up, their drugs are gone, and sex slaves freed.” She crossed her arms, mock-glaring at him. “If you really want to apologize for helping me save a lot of lives, take out a whole gang, take down Oni Lee, and save my own ass from a cell, then I accept. All is forgiven!”

“I wouldn’t really say I helped you take down Oni Lee,” he muttered, unable to keep the corners of his lips from curling up at her tone. “All I did was get knocked around, pull two grenade pins, and land a few good hits. You soloed him on the roof and threw him through a wall!”

“Nope, we’re splitting it fifty-fifty. Take it or leave it.” She grinned, but after a few moments her expression started to fade. “Although…that’s kind of where my apology comes in. I’m sorry about Umaro. I kept wanting to tell you the truth, but instead I just kept digging deeper.”

This time Newter was the one who had to bite his tongue, no matter how much he wanted to interrupt her. 

He’d figured out she was a cape early on, and a projector after the spider-monkey led him to Jess. 

But this was her time to speak, so he just nodded and stayed quiet.

“You were so impressed with Umaro, and it seemed like we were really connecting. It’s been a while since I dated anyone, and I kind of got into the whole banter and flirting thing.” She sighed, laying back beside him with her hands over her face, voice only slightly muffled. “When Umaro got glassed, you flew into a rage and fought to avenge her, but it was all a lie. Because the real me is just this…useless lump. You nearly died for Umaro, but she was this…stupid fantasy—”

“I didn’t leave Palanquin to save Umaro, Jess. Hey, look at me.” She slowly moved her hands, as if expecting to see him angry. Sure, he had been angry, but the last few days he’d done a lot of thinking, and realized he was even more angry at himself . “Listen, just…let me explain.”

At first he’d felt betrayed, and more than a little stupid for falling head-over-heels for what turned out to be a fake. But then he saw how badly hurt she was, remembering how scared he’d been, and most of all realized the truth of how Jess’ power worked. 

So as he stared into her breathtakingly beautiful eyes, Newter felt something far removed from anger or regret. Instead, a feeling of success, fondness, and most of all joy ran through him.

“I left because I got a call from Jess. I worked with Umaro because I wanted to help Jess. I convinced Emily to help me because Jess sounded so desperate, and I knew how that felt. I fought Oni Lee to save Jess. And guess what? I saved Jess! So I call that a success!”

“But Umaro’s the one you—”

“Umaro was just a suit, a fancy costume that you can put on and take off. The person I was talking to, the person speaking through her mouth and making me laugh, that was you . The person who saved me from Oni Lee and helped me make a plan, that was also you. Don’t sell yourself short, Jess. You’re smart, funny, and even if you aren’t a Case 53…you’re gorgeous.”

Newter realized that in his rant he’d rolled onto his side, and that Jess had done the same. They were perhaps a foot or less apart, and he was breathing so heavily her hair was waving slightly. 

In the moonlight, she almost seemed to glow, eyes sparkling as she smiled back at him.

“Jess, I accept your apology, even if I don’t think you owe me one.” He hesitated, afraid to overload her after all they’d said, but knew that there wasn’t much time left before she decided to stay or go. “Also, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say all week. Ever since I met you, in fact. Even if you don’t join up, I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at least let you know…”

She licked her lips, eyes darting down to his as she leaned a little closer. Her breath tickled his face, warm and smelling faintly of mint. 

He marveled at how lifelike she’d made her projection, and gently reached out to take her hand. 

She threaded her fingers through his, smiling invitingly back at him.

“Jess, I’ve never really done this sort of thing before, so I’m sorry if I mess it up. But you’re the most amazing, clever, and wonderful person I’ve ever met, and I…” He trailed off, swallowing heavily as he slid a little closer, eyes darting across her face again.

Her breathing was slow, her hand warm in his, her lips slightly parted as he leaned closer…

Her eyes were…incredibly dilated…and after a moment they slid closed.

“Jess?” He poked her and she let out a little moan, slumping.

Then her body vanished entirely, and he was alone.

Realization hit him like a truck.

“I just fucking cockblocked myself.” He groaned, rolling over and briefly contemplating just going over the edge. When Emily found out about this he’d never live it down. “I’m a fucking idiot!”

Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

Newter hurriedly answered his phone, “Hello? Jess? Listen, I’m sorry about—”

“Hey Newt, Emily here. Heard you and Jess had a little accident up there. Maybe next time you should bring protection , like rubber gloves?” Elle laughed in the background, and he thought he heard Jess saying something. “Anyway, Jess is fine. She says to stay put, and she’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Apparently she has to take care of something, and build up more of a charge.”

The first ten minutes of waiting were torture, feeling like an hour.

The next ten were even worse, feeling like at least a day.

Ten more minutes on top of that felt like ten days…

“Newter?” He whirled, trying not to look too desperate, and saw that Jess had reappeared. For some reason her lips seemed slightly out of sync with her voice. “Sorry, Melanie insisted I had to sign everything in triplicate, and also fill out some stuff for my new identity paperwork and such.”

“Identity paperwork? Wait, signing things? Does that mean…”

“Yep, as of ten minutes ago, I’m officially the newest member of Faultline’s Crew!” She held up a hand, and before he could stop himself Newter had already high-fived her. He froze, staring in shock at his sweaty palm before moving to catch her…but she didn’t swoon. “What’s wrong?”

He moved a bit closer, licked his finger experimentally, and poked her in the forehead.

“Okay, ew.” She wiped her forehead, then grinned at his confused expression. “Still, glad that worked. I made a body without any internal organs or biological stuff. Burns through power like crazy, but I wanted to make sure I could do this without getting knocked out again.”

Before he could respond, she’d already thrown her arms around him, hugging the boy close. She was almost the same height as him, and squeezed him tightly as she started to whisper.

“Thank you for coming to save me.” Her voice was strange, like it was vibrating from her body, since she probably didn’t have lungs. Her skin was oddly smooth, and he felt her rubbing her cheek against his shoulder as she continued, “Thank you for trying to cheer me up. Thank you for keeping me calm. Thank you for fighting a killer for me. Thank you so, so much, Newter.”

He was so shocked, so wonderfully confused at both her open expression of kindness and the passion in her voice, that it took him a moment to realize she wasn’t pulling away. Slowly, as if he was in a dream, Newter put his arms around Jess as well, pulling her closer as she finished.

“No, thank you , Jess. You believed in me, even after I screwed up. You helped make a way better plan than I’d ever have come up with alone. You made me laugh, and made me feel like I mattered.” He felt her face shift a little as she smiled against him. “You also nearly put yourself into a coma to fight by my side, and saved me from both Oni Lee and his stupid henchlady.”

Even though what had happened in that warehouse had tormented him with nightmares for days, talking about it now didn’t hurt as much as it had with Melanie. He was still scared, but it felt more like he was talking to an old friend than his boss or mother…Jess understood him.

He leaned back a little, but didn’t let go of her, and found himself staring into Jess’ eyes. It reminded him of a week ago, except she wasn’t a yeti anymore…just normal Jess.

His sweat and scent weren’t affecting her, and unlike the girls at the club she didn’t look at him like some sort of dangerous challenge or exotic creature to fuck.

She’d fought by his side, accepted his apology, and owned up to her own mistakes. They’d shared something special tonight, something magical.

Before he could reflect further on all the ways Jess impressed him and made him feel amazing, she added one more to the list.

Nearly ten seconds later he pulled back, gasping as she apologized. “Whoops, I forgot you still need to breathe!”

“S’fine. That was…” He blushed, lips still tingling as he caught his breath. “Sorry, that was my first kiss.”

“Well, I’ve got about ten minutes of power left, wanna practice some more?”

She didn’t have to ask him twice.

Chapter Text

“Before you continue with your argument, Gregor, could you perhaps hand me the Style section?” Elle smiled innocently, having chosen just the right moment to interrupt what seemed to be turning into a rather heated discussion. “I’m very interested in defeating the crossword.”

“Certainly.” The man in question dug through his copy of the Brockton Bay Bulletin , handed over the requested section. Elle greedily took it, idly noting that it had been just over a week since Jess had signed on with the Crew. “Also, it’s not an argument. Merely a debate on the value of information-gathering via print media as compared to more modern methods available—”

“Nah, it’s an argument , and I’m winning.” Emily winked at Elle, then ate the last spoonful from her bowl of Frooty Toots. After looking down at the milky debris that remained in her colorful bowl, she shrugged for a moment before starting to noisily slurp it down. 

To his credit, Gregor waited patiently (though he did make a rather squeamish face) as his student guzzled down her brightly-colored sugar ooze. In the kitchen, Melanie looked up from the pancake batter she was stirring long enough to frown at the girl, but then went back to it.

“Ahh, much better.” Emily put the bowl down, a rainbow mustache dripping from her upper lip. Gregor burst out laughing, and Elle joined in after a moment. Turning as red as her costume, Emily wiped it off in a hurry, then waved her phone at him. “Now as I was saying, with online media you can access information on stories as they happen , rather than waiting for all that fact-checking and stuff. Sure, it leads to a lot of false leads, but…um…wait a sec…”

“I’ll take your trailing off there to mean you just realized the fatal flaw in your thesis.” Gregor unfolded his paper, gesturing at a few paragraphs he’d circled. “Compare your answer from last night’s assignment to these well-researched and sourced findings. Can you see the problem?”

Emily pulled out the notebook she’d been using for her work all week, already down to the last few pages, her eyes flicking between it and the newspaper. With Gregor’s help, she used a pen to cross out anything that had been disproven, and was soon left with very little on the page.

“Now, take that and compare it to your original source. Assuming they have any journalistic integrity, I think you’ll find something rather interesting on the site you used...”

“Let’s see…nope, can’t do that. They took the whole article down!” She tapped at her phone, attempting to refresh the page before going back and searching again. “Oh, here we go, they put up a new one…with an apology for last night’s article! And it’s practically a copy of yours!”

As Gregor launched into an explanation of the different types of information gathering and Emily took notes, Elle smiled behind her paper. It had taken Gregor a week to realize, but activities and gamification of education seemed far more effective at teaching Emily than dry texts. It was still a learning experience for both of them, but one that they seemed to enjoy quite a bit.

After finishing her puzzle, she noticed that Emily was now using an app on her phone to translate a forum written in Mandarin. Gregor, forced to admit that his newspaper’s World News section was woefully inadequate, was taking notes of his own while she read haltingly.

“Let’s see…even though there’s nothing actually confirmed, this would be the first time the CUI has actually allowed capes to have any kind of voting rights.” She tapped the page, frowning as she worked to make sense of the app’s translation. “The revolution is supposedly being led by a cape called ‘Mother.’ Hmm, one poster claims she’s a Case 53, but others say she’s no—”

“—Elle!” Melanie’s voice and the smell of pancakes drew the blonde’s gaze to her, the slightly interesting conversation fading from her mind. It fully vanished as she saw a platter piled high with fluffy delights. “Could you get Newter and Jess? Breakfast is ready, and I made too much.”

“Certainly, Melanie.” She smiled, handing the paper back to Gregor, who was telling Emily about a conversation he once had with someone named Stan Vickery. “I’ll be back momentarily.”

As she walked down the hall and the scents of breakfast faded, the sounds of movement soon took their place. Newter and Jess had only been dating for a week, taking it rather slow because it was his first relationship, but she still knocked politely on Jess’ door. “Jess? May I enter?”

“Hey Jess, try squeezing it harder.” Newter sounded out of breath, and Elle felt her face heat up a little at the thought of what they might be up to. He’d told them about their first kiss (es), but the two had decided to take it slow since that first night. Surely they couldn’t be— “It’s in!”

By the time she heard his words, Elle was already stepping through the door, and averted her eyes. After a few moments she looked, face red as rather saucy thoughts ran through her mind, but was relieved to see that Newter was merely assisting Jess in the construction of a fancy new chair. He held something in place as she worked on it with a screwdriver, grunting slightly.

“Whew, that’s the last one! Thanks for the help.” She sat back with a gasp, then held out her hands as Newter lifted her back into her wheelchair. Both wore gloves, nice ones Jess had picked up for them, although Elle was puzzled that Newter’s were green. He hated that color. “Now we just need to build the desk, and I can teach you how to build a badass gaming PC!”

“S-sure, I’ve always wanted to learn to play video games better.” Newter’s smile seemed forced. Elle was tempted to tell the girl that Emily had already discovered he hated video games. “That sounds like a lot of fun! I can’t wait to…oh, hey Elle, sorry. Didn’t mean to ignore you.”

“Worry not, I’m all too familiar with how passion can cloud one’s vision.” She smiled and winked as he started to reply, then stopped as Jess spoke at the same time. Wishing to spare them the agony of shared awkwardness, she beckoned. “Come, pancakes and family breakfast await!”

By the time they made it back to the table, Emily was just finishing up her report on the crime statistics in Boston. Apparently with Blasto gone and Accord’s people taking his former territory, even the PRT were forced to admit that the area was considerably safer. Actually having capes and their enforcers protecting people was making their jobs easier, though they remained wary.

“So, what’s everyone got planned for the day?” Melanie asked, finishing off her pancakes, and smiling slightly as she chewed the golden-brown delights. She preferred hers without syrup, but didn’t lecture the others as they took her share. “Emily, didn’t you have a date?”

“Nah, it got called off. Jenn…dumped me. Again.” There was only a little bit of acid in Emily’s words, but Elle’s arm around her shoulders turned the wattage up on her smile soon enough. “It’s fine, whatever. This way I can chaperone Elle on her date today, and who knows? Maybe I’ll find a girl twice as awesome as Jenn while we’re at the Boardwalk? Newter, what about you?”

“We were gonna meet up with Trevor at the Skate Pit, he’s been dying to meet Jess.” 

“Actually, he’ll be meeting Jest , I think.” Jess chewed, as Newter’s face fell. Elle had heard them talking about her issues with body positivity, and he’d promised to help her as best he could. “I mean, it’s not like I can really do much in this body anyway, so why not just go as her?”

“I mean, she’s still you . Why don’t you go as Jess, and then just project Jest once we arrive?” Newter’s voice was so quiet, and as Jess’ hand shook a little on the table, he reached out and touched it. “On second thought, you’re right. Sorry about that, guess I spoke before I thought.”

As Emily and Elle traded a meaningful glance, Gregor began to clear the table and explained his own plans. “I will be working with Melanie to determine our next job. There are several out west that are especially interesting, and I look forward to briefing you all later tonight.”

“And on that note, we’d better get to it.” Melanie rose and joined him, never one for long meals or drawn out goodbyes. She tossed small canisters to Elle and Emily in turn, a pepper spray rated for low-level brutes, and headed off with Gregor. “So, let’s start with the Vegas file—”

As Emily dragged her off, Elle couldn’t help but notice Newter running his hands through his hair, another very fake smile on his face as he nodded rapidly. Jess looked confused, and the blonde wished she had time to give them both advice…but she had her own relationship woes.

Several minutes later, shortly before the pair reached the Boardwalk, Elle finally blurted out, “Are Newter and Jess okay? They seem to be having…issues.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled. Already texted Trevor. He’ll take care of it with his usual charm.”

“Why send Trevor to be their Cyrano? His luck with relationships is worse than yours!”

“Hey! I’ll have you know that Jenn and I were together for nearly a month this time!” She sighed, shaking her head and changing the subject. “What Trev may lack in focus, he makes up for in kindness and honesty. If we did this, it’ll come off as a lecture. But Trev? He’s Newt’s buddy.”

“Truly, you are wise beyond your years, sister.” Elle nodded, and was silent for a long minute as the pair continued down the sun-warmed Boardwalk. It was relatively quiet for a weekend, Brockton Bay’s citizens still getting used to the idea of the ABB being barely a threat. “On the topic of honesty in relationships…could you perhaps give me a little advice as well?”

“Anytime!” Emily threw an arm around her sister’s shoulders, but her happiness was tempered by more than a little confusion. “But what do you need my help for? Haven’t you been texting back and forth with Harte ever since September? Back when he…ran into you.”

It had been more of an accident than anything, Elle practicing with her abilities on the roof of the Palanquin one night. Newter was dozing nearby, and the blonde was working on a particularly woody pocket world. She’d been rather proud of herself, having brought a mighty tree to bear…

Suddenly, leaves rained down upon her, and she heard a plaintive groan. Climbing the tree, she was faced with a handsome armored warrior, and sought to rouse him. He was captivated by her beauty and kindness, while she was impressed by both his hoverboard and creativity. 

The two spoke for many minutes, and thanks to modern technology were able to turn goodbye into “see you later.” Though all their meetings had to be chaperoned, both looked forward to them with great hope, kindred spirits meeting as often as possible.

In the many months since, the pair had become more than just friends…but…

“I sometimes worry that the worlds we live in are far too different, and that little meetings like this are the best we can ever hope for. That there will come a day when he desires a conversation that isn’t laden with code-words and doublespeak. Perhaps that day has already come, and he is merely sparing my feelings because his heart is too large to simply break things off with me.”

“Nah, I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem. Slow down a sec.” Emily caught Elle’s shoulder, and had her wait as she carefully crept to the end of the block. After a moment, she waved for Elle to approach and then peer around the corner. “There. Look, see how he’s acting?”

Before them was a small pavilion at the end of the Boardwalk. It held several benches, a trashcan, pigeons scrounging for food, and a certain young man who made Elle’s heart flutter. 

He seemed worried, which was nothing new, but the reason for his fretting soon became quite obvious. Glances at his watch, looking hither and yon, and a brief moment of standing before seeing that the beautiful blonde he’d caught sight of wasn’t Elle. 

He sat down with a sigh, and she saw genuine feelings reflected on his visage.

“See? He lost interest in that hottie in a hot second, pretty sure he’s hooked on you.” Emily whispered in her ear, and Elle felt her face warm slightly. “Oh gross, that guy she’s with has to be at least twice her age! Oh, double gross, is that her twin sister? God, what a creeper…”

“Well, you have fun ogling them. I have a more pressing matter to attend to…”

Several minutes later, Elle looked up from a rather…intimate exchange of ideas to see that Emily had finally joined them. She gave her sister a big thumbs-up, then reached out to shake Harte’s hand and congratulate him on his skills in French.

Both of their faces lit up with red as Emily cackled, but it was all in good humor. Their hands entwined like the roots of the mighty tree that had brought about their meeting, the pair had a truly amazing date.

The rest of their day was similarly enjoyable, and soon the sun began its nightly descent. Harte received her farewell with similar fervor to her greeting, and bid them both adieu. 

On the way home, Emily discovered that Trevor was cooking up a veritable feast, and Melanie had given permission for them to attend as well.

Elle silently prayed that Newter and Jess’ day had gone well. She worried they had rushed into things, and now faced a difficult trial.

After all they’d been through, she hoped they would find a way to make it work…whether as friends or something more.

Emily assured her happiness was possible, that the pair could rise high above their troubles.

“Wait a minute, Trevor…are you high right now?”

“As a kite, dude. Been super stressed this week between being grounded from tinkering, Ma’s big vacation plans, and…um…other stuff.” His face fell a little at that last bit, but soon shifted back to a grin. “Made a batch of special brownies last week so I wouldn’t skunk up the house.” 

The tinker winked at his friend, then returned to packing up a few of his tools. He’d ostensibly needed Newter’s help moving some heavy equipment, and had waved off Jest’s offer to join them, but it had actually been an excuse to have a chat. 

Above, they heard a creature roar, sounding incredibly realistic.

That was the main reason Newter hadn’t questioned Trevor’s motives, honestly. He hated monster movies, and when Jest excitedly picked one to watch after dinner a chill had gone through him. She seemed entirely unaware how such movies made him feel, and instead of telling her and letting her down…he’d just smiled another fake smile and nodded happily.

Luckily, Trevor had come to the rescue, and so far nobody had come after them. 

Although there had been footsteps a few minutes earlier, it was just Emily raiding the kitchen. 

Trevor’s snack game was on-point as always, given that he so frequently got the munchies.

“Why are you grounded?” Newter had gotten sporadic messages from the boy, mostly related to the homeschooling they did. He wondered if it was why he’d bragged about sending in his finals at dinner earlier…a month ahead of time. “Wait, is this related to the big trip, or the other stuff? ”

“Both, yeah.” Trevor shrugged, opening his freezer and taking another piece of his gear from the hidden spot inside. As he started packing it in one of the boxes scattered around, he avoided eye contact. “Two weeks back, a guy Ma was treatin’ at the hospital talked about someone in armor a lot like mine. She knows all about my gear, even saw me build it, and got kinda pissed.”

Newter winced, knowing that it was his fault Trevor had gotten caught. Given that his mother was an ER doctor, it was no surprise someone who’d been hurt during the Rogue Party had noticed the tinker. His mother’s involvement in his tinkering made it even worse, probably.

Trevor had once explained that she’d gotten him to agree to run all his Whitelist deals past her, a sort of family contract. Supposedly he’d even been offered some contract work from a guy named Mr. Pitter, and she’d hired a lawyer to go over it with a fine-toothed comb. “I mean, with all the capes who got arrested, I’m really glad the worst you got was two weeks grounded.”

Stain was still in a coma, and had been shipped out to some prison in New Mexico a few days ago. Trainwreck had been broken out by the Undersiders of all people, and had been laying low ever since. Squealer was sent to rehab, much to Emily and Elle’s delight. As for Leet…

The idiot had broken out of jail, then tried to stop Uber’s prison transport in what looked like a demonic clown’s ice cream truck. Apparently video games were no replacement for real life driving skills, because he soon went off the road and smashed into a ditch.

Then his vehicle exploded, burning with every color of the rainbow and growing even hotter when fire crews tried to put it out.

The video of Leet’s colorful death got more views in one day than any video he’d ever made. 

Although there were rumors he’d faked his death, and even more that he’d died faking it.

Having met the idiot more than once, Newter was leaning towards the latter.

“Yeah, but that’s where the big trip comes in. A couple more days and we’re going to Nawlins, and that’s the real reason my pot supply is runnin’ on empty. Down to my last two brownies.” Trevor approached Newter, getting a bit closer than usual, and violently changed the subject. “So, is everythin’ goin’ okay with Jess? I heard from a little bird that you two were havin’ issues.”

“A little bird, huh? Does she spit napalm, or maybe twist the fabric of reality with her mind?”

“Ain’t tellin’ you nothin’, but I don’t need Emily’s texts ta tell me—” Trevor slapped his forehead, then sighed and shook it off. “Fuck, whatever. Point is, I got eyes and ears, bro. All day you’ve been off. Heard her usin’ a lizard-like pet name for you, and you laughed instead’a sayin’ stop . She was hyped for a monster movie, and you were all over it instead’a sick. What’s up, dude?”

“It’s not that bad! I just want to be…I mean…” Newter stepped away, gaze falling under the boy’s flat stare, until he bumped into the wall. He looked up as someone got murdered by a monster on the movie, then slid to the ground and sighed. “This is my first relationship , and Jess has been through so much shit already. I just don’t wanna screw things up, like I always do…”

“Dude, c’mon.” Trevor was next to him suddenly, bumping elbows with the Case 53 without a care thanks to the old jumpsuit he usually wore down here. The patches had been torn off, its colors faded and running. “Level with me, do you really wanna make her happy?”

Newter wanted that more than anything, but had quickly discovered that Jess didn’t have much in common with him. Afraid that she’d get bored or treat their time as just some fling, he was bending over backwards to keep her happy and interested. It sucked, but Emily had always told him that relationships were full of compromises, so this was just his side of that, right?

He tried to explain all this to Trevor, glancing up as if Jess might appear at any moment and dump him, and was startled when the boy suddenly hugged him. The tinker always did get a little huggy when he was stoned, but as he pulled back Newter saw the boy’s eyes were wet.

“Juice, listen to me. This is important.” Trevor moved close enough that Newter could smell the pot brownies on the boy’s breath. He looked angry, and bit out, “Don’t fucking lie to the people you love. It fucks everything up, and when the truth comes out, you’ll fucking hate yourself.”

Newter was speechless, unsure what brought this sharp change in the normally happy-go-lucky tinker, and just nodded dumbly. Trevor leaned back, then began to talk in a low voice.

“The other stuff is…see, this is the week I lost my Pops. About two years ago, shortly after we moved to Brockton.” It was probably the first time Trevor had willingly brought up his old man, and Newter was afraid to speak. His reluctance must have shown, because the boy chuckled. “Yeah, I know. But this week’s been rough. Also, kinda high as shit right now. So anyway…”

“You don’t have to tell me this stuff, man. I already know how he ran out on you guys—”

“Yeah, that’s what I told you alright.” Trevor closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall for a moment. “Two years back, after spendin’ months stayin’ out late and comin’ home drunk, Ma and I both thought he was cheating on her. Heard them arguing all the time, dude.”

Newter wanted to interrupt, but Trevor had a flow going now. Besides, ostensibly it was going to help with his own problems, so maybe he could wait a little bit longer…

“I was always trying to stay busy, focusin’ on my skating and stuff. But then I wake up one day and he’s just…gone. Ma’s pissed about it, goes out looking for him, and that night she’s tellin’ me he’s a deadbeat. Ran out on us, and it just broke me.”

This part of the story Newter was a little more familiar with. Trevor had triggered about that time, and started doing little jobs around the neighborhood. That was how he met Circus, Emily, and later Newter and the rest of the Crew. He stayed on the sidelines, making stuff on Whitelist and mailing it off to skaters and tech geeks for a nice chunk of change, as well as homeschooling.

“But it turns out that was all bullshit.” Trevor pulled a face, glaring at the workshop where he’d built some of his best gear, as if it had insulted him. “These last two weeks, Ma and I had a lot of heart-to-hearts. Dad came up a lot, and she told me the truth. He didn’t leave. He was taken .”

“Taken? Like, kidnapped? The way the ABB and Coil’s people did it?”

“Nah, was bein’ all…allegorical or whatever. Pops was with the Chorus, runnin’ drugs and shit. The E88 beat his crew, took their shit, and then killed him and all the other black guys.” He smiled, but there was no humor in it for once. “Ma was afraid I’d go after the E88, ‘specially after I triggered. That’s also why she helped me with Whitelist, instead of sending me to the Wards.”

“She was trying to protect you.” Newter whispered, and saw Trevor nod, eyes wet as he let out a shuddering sigh. “She’s your mom, and she loves you, and…I’m sorry, Trevor.”

“But she still lied to me.” He grumbled, wiping his eyes with a stained sleeve. “If I’d known he was a criminal…I mighta made other life choices. Might’a gone a different direction, ya know?”

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, and above they could hear the movie’s credits playing. Emily was complaining about something, and Elle was asking her to share her snacks.

“Sorry I brought the mood down, but it felt good ta get that off my chest.” Trevor stood, then braced himself on the wall to offer Newter a hand up. “Look, I’m runnin’ low on sage advice and getting a serious case of the munchies, so you wanna guess what the lesson here was?”

“I’m guessing ‘honesty is the best policy?’ Pretty odd advice from a guy who skated around town in a mask, setting off smoke bombs and fireworks not that long ago. Seems kinda secretive….”

“Hey, in my defense, when Ma caught me out I was 100% honest about why I did it. Hell, when she found out it was for you, she was damned proud.” Trevor crossed his arms, turning away from Newter in a mock huff. After a moment he peeked over his shoulder, adding, “But yeah, that’s the size of it. Look, I know it feels like you’re letting Jess down, but that’s bullshit.”

“Yeah, yeah…she needs me to be honest, and then we build a relationship based on trust and shared interests instead of fake answers I only make to earn reputation with her.” Newter started to leave, then turned back when he noticed Trevor wasn’t following. The boy looked shocked, head shaking as he raised both hands. “What? Jess made me play a dating sim yesterday.”

“Dude, next time just play more damned games! Fuck, if you’d just used that advice from the start, coulda saved me a whole backstory and all this stupid character development shit!” Trevor threw an arm around Newter’s neck, trying to give him a noogie and lauhging. “Dumbass over here askin’ big life questions when he already got the answer from some stupid game. Jesus!”

Newter’s cutting reply was unfortunately interrupted as his phone started to ring, and he worked to disentangle himself from Trevor. He made it on the third ring, and held up a finger for silence.

“Hello? Yeah, hey Gregor, what’s up?” Newter could barely hear the man, the TV or whatever in the background far too loud. The sound of a door squeaking drew his eye to the basement door at the top of the stairs, and he saw Elle looking slightly out of breath as she gestured at him. “Yeah, she’s here, so’s Jest and Emily. I can barely hear you, what’s up?”

A few moments later, he hung up and turned to Trevor with a sigh. “Sorry man, looks like we gotta go. Not sure what’s going on, but I guess we’ll have to pick back up with this later. Gregor sounded kinda worried, so I guess it’s some kind of minor emergency. Or maybe just a drill.”

“Emergency?” As they joined Elle at the top of the stairs, Newter could see that Emily had dozed off amid a veritable crater of snacks she’d apparently found in Trevor’s kitchen. Chips, soda, brownies, and more, all of which had made her very sleepy. “Need a hand with Em?” 

“Nah, I can carry her.” Jest picked the girl up in a fireman’s carry, easily lifting her and winking at Newter. “Hey, we were starting to worry about you guys. You missed most of the movie, but we can watch it together some other time. Trevor, think we could borrow this copy?”

“I’m…actually not a fan of it. Sorry, I was just…before I mean, I was…I don’t really like monster movies. Jess, I’ve kind of been telling a lot of white lies lately, and I’m sorry. You deserve better.” Newter’s voice started out quiet, but slowly gained volume…thanks in part to Trevor lightly prodding him in the back. “Anyway, can we talk about that later? We gotta get going, now.”

After a few more words and a hug or two, the quartet of Crew members made haste heading back to the Palanquin. Mel had texted Elle to stick to the back ways for some reason, so Newter carried the blonde piggyback as they made their way to the rooftops.

The blonde seemed to be enjoying the ride, laughing a little as she rode her orange steed. Jest appeared to be thinking about something, and Newter had a lot on his mind as well.

As for Emily, she mostly slept, oddly relaxed despite the circumstances…

He wondered if it was the calm before the storm.

“This is a disaster!” Melanie growled into the phone, pacing and looking oddly mad. “How is your infosec this terrible? Hey! You sure as hell better not be thinking of putting me on hold, Renick!”

Emily didn’t really get why everyone was so bent out of shape. 

For that matter, she wasn’t really sure why she wasn’t all bent out of shape. 

For that matter, she wasn’t sure why “bent out of shape” was a phrase for things being bad.

After all, people came in all shapes and sizes, and changed as they went through life. Change was supposed to be good, according to that wise old monkey that made the little lion cub king. Everyone really seemed to respect him, like they respected Gregor, and he had a great shape.

Gregor seemed kind of mad, bent in a strange shape or whatever. While he was arguing with Mel over to the side, the others were whispering and Emily was feeling left out.

She tried watching TV, but the same thing was on every channel, some kind of stupid news story. Gregor had told her to watch more news, so she really tried to buckle down and watch.

But she got bored and started flipping channels after a few seconds.

“—took over Channel 12 News station and spilled PRT secrets on a live feed—”

“—never seen such a blatant disregard for proprietary information, but the genie’s out of the—”

“—I mean, her name is literally Tattletale, why are you all surprised? Maybe you should—”

“—itinerant mercenary cape team known as Faultline’s Crew was responsible for Oni Lee—”

“—I only took credit so that Skitter would be spared retribution from the then-dangerous ABB—”

“—no way E88 and Coil don’t attack Faultline. After New Wave, they can’t risk a gang-buster—”

“—credit for Bakuda, but Faultline was the one who found her lab! My son had a bomb in his—”

“—Lung was so full of bee venom he almost died! Skitter’s as bad as Shadow Stalker, I think—”

“—rumored to be in the Palanquin nightclub! BBPD and PRT should break in there and arrest—”

“—the Undersiders escaped, thanks to their newest members, Trainwreck, Moist, and Whir—”

“—siders are using their rep from beating Lung to take over the ABB, now they own the Dock—”

“—PRT claims to be investigating the source of this leak, but the damage is already done—”

Annoyed by the lack of car chases or cartoons, she flipped the screen off, then used the remote to turn the TV off. Tossing it on the couch, Emily turned to see Elle sliding closer and waved.

“Hey sis.” She smiled, and then squirmed a little as the blonde wrapped her in a powerful hug. “Pfft, hair in mouf. Elle…stoppit. What’s gotten into you, anyway?”

“You don’t have to pretend to be brave, sister. I know this must be a very trying time for you.” Elle was obviously having a bad day or something, because she was making no sense. Emily sighed and hugged her back, which was apparently all it took for Jess and Newter to try and join in, but Elle waved them off. “Let’s not overwhelm her, this is probably already bad enough—”

“It’s really not!” Emily might have been a little loud, because her shout drew the attention of Mel and Gregor. As they closed in and Elle went for another smothering attempt, Emily rocketed to her feet and backed away. “Guys, seriously, calm down a little. You’re freaking out over nothing.”

“Emily, it’s not exactly nothing.” Gregor stepped in front of Mel, blocking the girl’s view of the older woman’s eyes attempting to pop out of their sockets at her words. “With the information  the Undersiders leaked putting us in the crosshairs, things are rather…dicey. We have perhaps a few days before the gangs start to lean on us to ensure our ‘heroism’ ends with the ABB.”

“On top of that, the PRT has been oh-so-kind enough to promise to send more patrols to this area to help ‘protect’ us from repercussions.” Mel sounded kind of mad about that, and then continued, “It’s a ruse. If they catch us defending ourselves violently or putting civilians in danger, they’ll arrest us. It happened to Hive in Seattle after he opened that ‘neutral’ hotel.”

“So?” Emily shrugged, and then sighed as everyone looked at her like she’d grown a second head. She took a moment to check her reflection in her phone, making sure she hadn’t grown a second head, then turned it on. “Hey look at this, plane tickets to anywhere for practically nothing. Who cares if things are shitty in Brockton? Not like we really live here, after all.”

“Em, we can’t just lock up like we’re going on vacation, then skip town for a few weeks and assume it’ll all blow over.” Newter’s tail waved around like an agitated cat’s, and Emily was hypnotized by its motion. She was tempted to grab it, but Mel’s sudden laugh surprised her enough that she stared at the woman with everyone else. “Melanie? What’s so funny?”

“She’s right.” Mel chuckled, and for a moment Emily was tempted to tackle her, because this was obviously an evil clone from a mirror universe who had shaved her goatee off. “We have a job out west, and were already headed out in a few days. So why not just leave tonight?”

Emily decided not to tackle Clone Melanie, because she liked her a bit more than the real one.

“Gregor, get started on Lockdown Plan Delta, using the storage unit in the basement. Have the bouncers reduce intake by 20% every hour, and email the staff about the new hours. I’ll call up that enforcer group we used back in May, during that war between the E88 and the Chorus. Pretty sure they’ll give us a discount again; the owner owes me for that Philly job…” 

Mel and Gregor flew into a flurry of activity, and within minutes they were shooing everyone to go start packing. Elle guided Emily to their room and tried to assist her, but after fifteen minutes she only had a handheld game console and some socks in her suitcase. 

Elle was not pleased, and started doing it for her.

Freed of responsibility, Emily stepped out into the hall and wandered into Jess’ room. There, she found the lovebirds having a quiet conversation about expectations and relationship stuff that sounded way too complicated. Sighing, Emily butted in to try and explain things to both.

After all, her advice had helped Elle quite a bit this morning, and she was a bit of a love expert.

But after only a few minutes of trying to help them, they gently pushed her back out.

And shut the door after her.

And locked it.

Rude.

“Emily? Ah, there you are.” Mel jogged over, looking oddly excited about something, and Emily braced herself for being given more boring homework or thick books or whatever. 

Instead she froze in place as the older woman wrapped her in a hug, and Emily idly wondered if she had some kind of sign on her back telling people to do that.

It felt kind of strange, and Mel was a little smelly like she’d been running around, but Emily accepted it. After all, she was pretty awesome.

Mel talked about how proud she was of Emily for keeping her cool and said some other stuff the girl didn’t really get. She just nodded a lot.

Then Mel ran off, or her evil mirror universe clone, anyway. Emily hoped she left a note for the real one, when they left.

She wanted to go to bed, but Elle dragged her and their suitcases to the garage, where they loaded into a van.

As they waited for the others to gather, Elle leaned closer and sniffed Emily. Emily sniffed her right back.

“Sister…are you high?” Elle asked gently, then sighed as Emily shrugged. “When did you smoke pot?”

“Smoke pot?” Emily searched her mind, then grinned. “Oh, that’s what those brownies were!”

“Brownies? You mean the two you found in Trevor’s kitchen and refused to share?”

“Yeah, I was wondering why they had the word ‘special’ in quotes on the box.”

Elle started to lecture her sister on the dangers of drugs and alcohol…

Which did a great job of lulling the brunette off into dreamland.

When she woke, there was a colorful city far below them.

Their latest job apparently involved...Las Vegas?

Chapter Text

“Were you up all night reading?” Siobhán’s eyes widened as she saw the pile of books beside Jess, pausing at the door that connected their hotel bedroom to the smaller living room and dining area. “I wasn’t aware that your power required so much research to utilize.”

“It’s less about research than…inspiration.” Jess turned her current book on tropical toads around and showed it to the redhead. “Remember how I said that creating my forms is like making a fantasy monster? Well, if I want to create one that can survive low temperatures, it helps to know how real animals do it. A basic idea can lead to a possible solution, sort of like—”

The redhead nodded, and began to prepare a quick breakfast for them as Jess went into more detail. Though some people seemed to hate explaining their powers to people, Jess actually enjoyed it. Not being able to just rattle off gamer terms meant she had to really focus on the concepts, which often led her down avenues she might not have reached in her bubble.

“—so the challenge isn’t so much making a form that can accomplish a goal, but making one that doesn’t burn off a whole lot of power to do it.” Jess finished, then gratefully accepted the plate Siobhán handed her. “Thanks, I hope I didn’t put you to sleep talking, just now.”

“Never, it was very interesting.” Siobhán smiled, eyes only slightly glazed over from Jess’ words. As the redhead dug into her food, Jess took a moment to study the older woman over her book.

At least, she thought Siobhán was older than her. Capes who were really fit always seemed to look a few years younger than they were supposed to, and the redhead looked…21, tops.

When Jess had asked her age, the other woman had gone blank, as if nobody had ever asked her that before.

“I suppose I…lost track.” She’d answered, voice thick, staring into the distance for a moment. “Sorry.”

There was a certain politeness to the redhead Jess was still getting used to, especially since only a week ago they’d been fighting her. The Crew had made the mistake of trying to stop the lucky cape by force, and been thoroughly stymied by her power. Emily’s fire failed to rout her, Elle took an errant mosquito to the eye and lost concentration, and Newter tripped on his tail.

Umaro had it worst of all, attempting to tackle the redhead and getting glued to a wall by Gregor. As the three younger members worked to free the yeti, Shamrock had run off, Faultline and Gregor giving chase.

Figuring a different form might be more useful, Umaro had quickly faded away…and when she reappeared a few minutes later, the fight was already over.

Somehow words had been enough to turn the tide, going to show how amazing Gregor and Faultline were.

Jess still had no idea what Gregor and Melanie had said, nor did the others, but it had been enough to convince the cape to stand down. A few hours later, they were in a hotel in a town adjacent to Vegas (Paradise, Nevada) where the three spent all day talking things out.

The next morning, Melanie and Gregor introduced everyone to Siobhán Callahan, the newest member of the Crew. She was very sorry for injuring them, and had sounded so polite that it was kind of hard to be mad at her.

Especially when they heard how awesome her powers were…going well beyond mere luck.

Then they heard what she’d been through to get so good (kidnapped, drugged, abused) and Elle had hugged the redhead so much they discovered she was mildly claustrophobic. The woman they’d come to know in the week since then was nothing like the warrior they’d fought.

She didn’t get the references Emily made, for one thing. In fact, she’d seemingly lived such a sheltered life before her kidnapping it was almost as if she was from another Earth, like Jess.

The way she talked about going to a “Temple School” and “the monarchy” certainly said it wasn’t Aleph, but Jess hadn’t wanted to press. After all, nobody knew about her offworld origins either.

Jess wondered if there would ever be a good time to talk about it, but was distracted by Siobhán suddenly speaking up. Unlike Jess, she’d finished her meal in record time.

“So, is all this research to help your relationship with Newter? Perhaps a way to become immune to his power, like these colorful frogs?” She’d been surprised to learn that Jess and Newter were dating, explaining that her home was very religious. Dating was a foreign concept to her, coming from a place where you were either in school or married, and neither necessarily by choice. “Surely one of these books must have the answers you seek?”

“No, so far the best I’ve managed has been to make forms that can counter his sweat’s effects, but only by making me go berserk or numbing my senses. Kind of a non-starter, since I actually want to enjoy holding his hand or…doing other things with him.” Jess winked at the redhead, and then left before she overwhelmed the blushing cape. “Anyway, I’m going to get cleaned up, training starts in…just over an hour, looks like. Oof, my neck’s stiff…too many books…”

It was possible that Jess rushed through her shower, and was still a bit damp as she was getting dressed, but only because she was looking forward to seeing Newter so much. The last week or so, training included, had been really amazing. 

To think, it had all started with a simple conversation…after they kicked Emily out of her room.

They’d actually had a huge breakthrough the night the Undersiders leaked all that info. Over the course of the drive to the airfield, and a rather long flight in a cargo plane with headsets on (set to a private channel), the pair had enjoyed a very detailed heart-to-heart. 

One that was long overdue, and ended with her making Umaro so she could hold him properly.

Newter had bared his soul to her, and Jess had been so proud of his honesty she’d shared a few of her own fears. They’d actually bonded over their lack of relationship experiences, and she’d told him about Luke and Oliver while he’d talked about several unrequited crushes of his.

But the biggest part had been him admitting that he really wasn’t into a lot of her hobbies, and her apologizing for forcing him to try them. They decided to put aside their own interests for a bit, and work on finding new stuff to try out together.

After all, a relationship was about more than just similar interests or activities, and they really wanted to make this work. The pair asked Emily and Elle for help, and both promised to try.

“Done in the bathroom?” Siobhán poked her head into their room, then closed the door at Jess’ nod as she finished braiding her hair and settled into her bed. Exactly two minutes later, the redhead turned off the water, and slipped out of the bathroom to get dressed.

Whatever training she’d gone through had apparently removed her worries about nudity, which was part of the reason Gregor had graciously switched rooms with Jess. It was the first time she’d seen the translucent man blush, and actually showed what a great guy he was.

But despite her best efforts to give the beautiful woman a hint of modesty, Jess found her eyes once again drawn to the tattoo on Siobhán’s shoulder blade. 

She’d seen it yesterday, and realized why it was familiar…Newter and Gregor both had them as well. A little letter C (for Crew, Jess figured), like a military tattoo to show their dedication to Faultline’s cause and the team. Jess had commented on it when she saw Newter’s, and he’d just shrugged and changed the subject to something else, like he was embarrassed. 

Jess figured that like most teen boys, he’d gotten it without Melanie’s okay, and found him all the more adorable for it. Still, it was testament to the Crew’s welcoming atmosphere that they were only a week into Siobhán’s recruitment, and already the redhead was getting the team tattoo.

Maybe Jess should get one of her own eventually? She filed that away for later.

“Hey guys, Mel just called and said they’re ready for you.” Emily entered, knocking on the door connecting their two suites, Elle right behind her. The blonde had a few board games with her, and at a nod from Jess began to clear some space on the table for them to play. “Anyway, just call us if you need anything, Jess. As for you, Siobhán, try not to kick too much butt today!”

The pair engaged in a quiet conversation, one eventually interrupted by Emily’s phone buzzing. She’d been doing a lot of texting the last few days, looking tired but happy with whatever it was.

But since Jess’ travel time to the training warehouse was mere minutes, she decided to get an early start on today’s experiments. She closed her eyes, and rolled the dice…

An unknown creature opened its eyes in a large warehouse, and saw crates arranged into a sort of loose battlefield. Some were a few feet high for low cover, others were tall and wide enough that even a pickup truck could hide behind them. All were damaged, thanks to the last few days.

“Wow, that’s an odd one.” Newter approached, and the creature turned to see him kitted out in loose black pants and a red muscle shirt. Behind him, Gregor and Faultline were behind a pane of bulletproof glass with monitoring equipment wired to cameras around the warehouse.

“Geez, no kidding. Talking with a sideways mouth feels strange.” The creature looked in a mirror that had been set up against a wall and squinted six eyes at itself. It had two powerful arms and legs, no head, and its face was on his stomach. “Still, everything feels stable. Want to keep it?”

“Yeah, why not?” Newter shrugged, walking around the form and checking it out. “Abilities?”

The creature hopped in place, tried to do a cartwheel, and then flopped on its face. “Strong, pretty clumsy, but I barely felt that. So pretty tough. Also, I think I see heat? Hold up, there’s something in mah mouf…oh, fangs! I think I have poison. Nope, acid! Watch your step.”

The two chatted about her new form, making sure they were close to the microphone on their side of the battlefield, and Gregor took careful notes. At exactly five minutes, they named the form (Sidewinder) and switched to lighter topics, like the movie they’d seen last night.

Neither had particularly liked it, but historical romance was a genre neither had ever seen before. Plus, Elle seemed to really enjoy it, so on the whole it was a good experience.

“Siobhán’s here. Ready to get started?” Faultline’s approach with Shamrock had both of them turning to face her, Newter twitching a bit. He still hadn’t gotten over Shamrock’s power turning  him from agile to clumsy in an instant, despite her many apologies. “Review the rules, please.”

“First, I form a randomized body.” Sidewinder started to tap its meaty chest, then realized it had nearly poked an eye out and merely patted a shoulder. “Then I have five minutes to tell Newter everything I can about its abilities. I follow his orders, and stop if you or Shamrock say stop.”

One of the things Jess had grown to hate about her power back with Krouse in charge was how he insisted on her switching between only a handful of forms. It was annoying, because she was always finding new inspirations, but he was steadfast that she should go with what worked.

Faultline had the opposite opinion, especially after Jess explained her Random Button.

Essentially, she just let her power fill in all the blanks, and it would give her a form that was entirely randomized, but balanced. Sometimes that meant an average body, and other times it would be one with huge weaknesses…to counter massive strengths. 

Plus, since she was letting the power balance it, the form didn’t drain extra energy! It was like playing with a randomized, pre-generated character rolled up by a Dungeon Master.

The last week had been such a welcome relief, giving her a chance to really let herself go wild, and the extra reading she’d been doing seemed to make it even better. Besides all the science books, Jess had also been consuming a pile of sci-fi books and movies, leading to some strange (yet slightly plausible) creations that really pushed the realms of possibility.

But the best part about the training was what Newter and Emily were getting out of it.

“Meanwhile, I’m the field commander.” Newter took a deep breath, far less nervous than he’d been a few days ago. Both Newter and Emily had been trading off from one day to the next, learning from their experiences and slowly getting better at making up tactics on the fly. “I direct Jess, and complete objectives beside her. We get six tries per objective. Every five forms, I get five minutes to talk to her real body and plan out a specialized form for the sixth attempt.”

Faultline nodded at the two of them, then turned to face Shamrock, who had been quickly checking over her gear as the pair spoke. They’d switched out her blades and lethal rounds for blunted weapons and beanbags, but the woman was still deadly accurate. 

“I oppose the two of them in their endeavors, whether defending an objective, attempting to kidnap a dummy, or whatever task you set us to. I’m not allowed to kill either of them…” She trailed off, then looked at Gregor for a moment before she continued. “Not that I would , because this is just training and they’re my team . Sorry. I…um…stop when you say stop.”

Faultline gently patted the redhead’s shoulder, and Sidewinder saw Gregor give the nervous cape a thumbs up behind the glass. They took their places, and Faultline called out that the first scenario was to force Shamrock to leave the inner circle of tape on the floor.

Five tries later, they’d failed to even make her take a few steps, but both Newter and Jess were grinning madly as they talked over the phone. It had been a lot of fun, and he whispered excitedly despite Shamrock being well away with hands over her ears.

“—and since Steamer exudes that cool gas, all I have to do is draw her fire. You’ve got extra armor, and even with the speed you lose from the weight, I think we can force her to retreat.”

“Okay, but what if she—” Jess brought up an issue that had occurred to her, and he made a thoughtful noise as they worked to put together the best plan they could manage.

Their plan failed, which wasn’t a surprise given Shamrock’s powers and skills. But they did move her further than the other five tries.

Their celebration seemed to confuse the redhead, and several hours later she asked a question.

“How can you remain so upbeat, despite failing so much? I mean no offense, but…”

The pair exchanged a glance, then Newter gestured for Jess to take it.

“Well, for starters, it's better to fail in practice than in battle…”

“Dear Mrs. Hernandez, I regret to inform you that your husband, Admiral John Hernandez, decorated battleship commander, lost his life today in a valiant battle, defending the great nation of...um...Emilandia-” 

“Sister, I believe you are being a little overdramatic.” Elle sighed, but Emily continued her monologue for another few moments before mock-glaring at her hated foe. “It's just Battleship.”

“Yeah, and you sank mine. Again. For the fifth time in a row,” Emily twisted in her seat, looking behind herself at the rest of the hotel room. She could see Jess dozing happily in the other room, but no mirrors... “You're not using your powers, right? There’s gotta be some trick!”

“No, my victories have been a matter of three simple factors. First, a winning defensive strategy. Second, you have been immensely distracted by your phone all week. Finally, body language.” 

“Sorry, what was that?” Emily looked up from her phone, squinted a little at Elle as she giggled, then asked, “What do you mean body language? Like…micro expressions on my face?” 

“Nothing quite that extravagant. Go limp and I’ll demonstrate.” Elle stood and moved behind Emily, gently taking one of her hands and placing a peg in her fingers. “When you place your pegs, you’ve been moving your arm like this , and allowing me to easily figure out where your other ships are. In the future, find the ship first, then place the peg directly into it, like so.” 

“Got it, now I'm totally gonna destroy you!” Emily grinned confidently, then sighed as her phone buzzed for the hundredth time that day. “Ugh, assuming these messages don’t destroy me .” 

“There certainly are quite a few of them…” Elle leaned over Emily's shoulder, apparently content to wait for her to type out a reply before continuing. On Emily's screen were a series of private messages from the friends in her chat group, all of whom were having issues that they wanted her special help with. “I’m glad your friends trust you so much, and aren’t afraid to ask for help.”

“Just because we're on a Vegas training vacation is no reason I'm gonna abandon them. Now, speaking of helping people…” Emily grabbed Elle as she tried to walk past, pulling the blonde into her lap. Before the blonde could react, her arms were pinned at her sides by a hug. “I’m not the only one who’s been distracted all week. After that comment, I get the feeling you want advice as well, but are too nervous to ask. So, are you gonna talk, or do I have to tickle you?” 

Rather than struggle, Elle sagged against her brunette chair, who immediately began to regret this particular course of action. But rather than complain about her sister's bony butt digging into her thigh, Emily just relaxed her grip a little and placed her chin on Elle's shoulder.

After a minute of careful deliberation, the blonde finally began to speak, haltingly.

“l will be eighteen in a matter of months, and Melanie has given me a rather difficult choice.”

“l vote bouncy house, personally.”

Emily immediately regretted her flippant remark, especially since their current seating arrangement meant Elle could easily nail her in the gut with an elbow. 

But rather than respond with a well-deserved strike, the girl sighed. After whispering an apology, Emily proceeded to shut the hell up and let Elle talk.

“She noticed the amount of effort I put into my doublespeak, coded conversations with Harte and others, as well as how much it wears upon me to live such a quiet and lonely life.” Emily loosened her grip, shifting to take one of Elle’s hands and squeeze it. “Melanie offered various solutions, drawing upon her resources as well as her newfound pull with the PRT after their information snafu last week.”

As Elle began to list off the options, Emily found herself puzzled as to why this was wearing on Elle so much. Every one of them seemed like a great idea, long overdue in fact! 

First was to get her an interview with someone named Yamada, an expert in teen parahuman psychology. Elle’s current therapist believed that after a few tests and some interviews, they could get the blonde declared to be of sound mind and memory. 

Of course, she’d have to agree to monthly meetings with a PRT liaison, as well as continue her current medications and treatments. But on the flip side it would mean that she’d no longer have “escaped mental patient” in her PRT file.

The second tactic was more direct, using the documents Mel stole from the Parahuman Asylum during Elle’s “recruitment.” They went into detail on the way she’d been made into little more than a pet for a dangerous cape arsonist, one who constantly manhandled and threatened Elle when she fought back. There were even a few pictures of hand-shaped burns on her arms…

Mel’s lawyer thought they had a very strong case that the hospital had mistreated and abused Elle, and even had one of her doctors willing to testify for them. Elle had been happy to meet with the man, as he’d apparently been fired for trying to save her from Burnscar one time.

Finally, most simple of all the options, Melanie had offered to adopt Elle as her daughter. They'd already been acting as such for some time, so this would merely be formalizing that relationship. EIIe's birth mother had passed in the same storm that triggered the girl, and no blood relatives had been found to date. Adoption would give Melanie more power to improve Elle’s situation.

But why was the blonde so worried about all this?

As Elle went quiet, as if the effort of explaining all this had exhausted her, Emily waited for her to explain the problem. Sure, the second one would involve reliving her Asylum days and the third meant remembering her biological mother’s death, but…wasn’t it worth it? 

Obviously Elle was just scared, and needed comfort. 

Luckily, she was in the right place for it.

“So what's the problem? Choosing which one to start with?” Emily smiled, hugging the morose girl and proudly suggesting, “Because if so, I suggest all three! Best chance of success.” 

“No, the problem is that I’m not sure I should choose any of them.” Elle let out a little grunt as Emily's arms accidentally went from warm hug to startled squeeze . “Not to say that I don’t appreciate Melanie's kindness, but it feels selfish of me to ask her to invest a significant amount of money and time for my comfort. Could that not be better spent on Gregor's past, or maybe—”

“Nope.”

“But don't you think it's wrong of me to squander—” 

“Nope. Shush. My turn.” Emily squeezed her sister again, but this time it was gentle and purposeful. “We're a team, dummy. You've more than earned the right to be happy, and we'll all be a lot happier if you are. So instead of worrying about saving up time and money and shit for our happiness, think of yourself for once.”

Elle pulled away, starting to stand, and Emily came with her. She placed her hands on the blonde’s shoulders, turning her around so she could look into her watery eyes and smile.

“Look, I’m not saying it will be perfect, but it’s got to be better than it is now! Seriously, if I could donate my salary to some kinda ‘Elle gets to call Chris by his real name’ fund, I’d do it in a heartbeat. All of us would. Because you’re our family, and we love you.”

“I don’t deserve—” Elle choked on her words before throwing her arms around Emily with a strangled sob. Emily smacked her head on the ground as they fell, but remained silent as Elle finally let out what she’d been holding in for so very long.

Emily felt dampness on her chest as the blonde whimpered and wept, but it paled in comparison to the warmth she felt inside. Soon both were crying, smiles on their faces so wide it was almost painful, but feeling so good…

As Emily’s phone buzzed angrily at her, she held the girl who’d become her friend, confidante, co-conspirator, security blanket, and more. 

Melanie had adopted Emily six months ago, and Elle was at least 90% of the reason she felt at home with the Crew.

So Emily lay there, cuddling her sister-to-be, happy that for once she could be the one offering comfort.

But soon enough, more than a little disheveled, they were both helping each other stand. 

As Elle went to freshen up, while Emily grabbed her phone and saw—

“Oh come on, guys!” The Private Messages had piled up so much that she might have been annoyed, if it wasn’t for how pumped she felt now. Emily was feeling like a problem solver , and it seemed like there were a whole lot of problems to solve. “Okay, let’s take it from the top…”

PM:ChainSmoker: I think Accord’s yellow-clad strumpet wishes to collaborate. Thoughts?

PM:Sk8rBoi: Ma’s tryin’ to get me to join the Wards. But I just built a jetpack, so…escape time?

PM:RosieRibbiter: Fuckn done w rehab. Fuckn Protctrte! Cn u look up how make toilet booze? 

PM:PussycatDoll: Undersiders trying to recruit me, Mum’s talking about moving…any ideas?

PM:EmeraldNecklace: Your friend Chuck’s helping me move. Um…I think he’s flirting with me.

PM:Flameboyaunt: Looked over Ken’s shoulder. Yes, I am. Don’t tell him. I like the challenge.

Emily was almost tempted to just turn the phone off, but talking with Elle made her wonder if they could help each other .

So she linked Chain to Ken for advice on Citrine, then Sherrell and Trevor to Chuck for perspective, and finally Ken to Sabah for real estate advice…or maybe a job? 

After all, they were more than just friends to her. They were kind of like a family!

Chain Man was like a stodgy uncle who grew up in a different time, but would gladly throw down if anyone insulted his friends and family.

Trevor was the cool cousin who was always making fun gadgets and smiling, and put others’ happiness first because he had such a huge heart.

Sherrel was the aunt that always got left off guest lists and brought her own box of wine to parties, but never ran out of cool stories to tell.

Sabah was sort of like an older cousin who’d gone off to college and become an expert on stuff like fashion and dating, but still had a lot to learn about the world.

Even if Ken had retired from being Lizardtail for a bit, he reminded her of an uncle who was a doctor, with lots of big dreams about helping people and a bright attitude on life.

Finally, for all Chuck/Charlene/Circus’ goofiness, they’d taken Emily in when she was at her lowest. Given her food, a home, and helped her find the Crew…her family.

They were Emily’s favorite aunt, favorite uncle, and one of the most giving people she knew.

Sure, their jokes could get annoying and they were a notorious flirt, but so what?

The thing that mattered most was that they had a huge…

“...pocket dimension.” Ken looked around the mostly empty moving truck in awe. “Damn.”

Damn was exactly what Chuck was thinking as well, as he looked over the very fit young man before him. Ken was in amazing shape, though whether it was thanks to his healing power or just an exercise program was anyone’s guess. But it took more than a hot bod to grab Chuck’s attention, and that was the main reason he’d offered to help when the guy asked last week.

Well, actually it had been Charlene who’d offered to help, chatting while waiting for a security guard to succumb to the drugs Circus had effortlessly tossed into his coffee. Still, the point was that today’s little outing was less about physical fitness and more about getting to know Ken.

Plus, if it turned out that he was secretly bad news, then all the better to sabotage him, right? Emily liked him well enough, but she was still young, and Chuck had to protect her.

“Well, I figured I’d save us some time, and it’s not like I don’t have room.” Chuck shrugged, then walked to the couch that he’d left out so they’d have something to lift together. As long as they were facing each other, he could see Ken’s reactions to his questions more easily. “Ready?”

Ken easily lifted his end, and soon they were back out in the Shantytown streets.

As with most of the neighborhood, nobody was out but plenty of folks were in the windows. It wasn’t often that someone moved into Shantytown, especially not someone who’d rented a whole truck just for one couch. But this was Brockton Bay, so people were used to weirdness.

“Gotta admit, I’m surprised that the Little Guy let you do this. Isn’t he worried about the gangs stomping you into dust or forcing you to join up?” Chuck was old hat at the mask game, and was glad that Ken seemed to instantly get that he was referring to Accord. “More than that, why the heck are you working real estate instead of…a clinic? You got secret money powers, too?”

“Ha! See, the problem there is that you’ve made a tactical error, Chuck. I’m just here as Ken Watanabe, if you catch my drift.” He winked, then turned and held the heavy couch with one hand as the other got the door. The run-down office was more sawdust than not, but Ken had claimed to have a lot of experience in home improvement. “No powers necessary for that. Also, I’m not sure where you got the idea that the Boss even knows what I’m really doing here.”

“What? Did you quit? Damn it, I owe Chain ten bucks!””

“No, I didn't quit. This is me using up all two months of the vacation I’ve earned. I’m setting up a realty business in a crappy part of town, settling my Ma into her new rest home, and the whole time my other life stays in a little suitcase.” Ken paused to maneuver the couch up the last few stairs, and after a bit of grunting and shoving they placed it in his large-yet-crappy apartment.

“Whew, okay, break time.” Chuck collapsed onto the couch, considerably more tired that Ken looked, and was relieved that the other man did the same. Wouldn’t want to look too weak in front of a prospective romance partner. “So why Shantytown ? Emily never explained it to me.”

Actually, she had explained it several times, but Ken seemed like someone who liked to talk. 

The plan was for Citrine to funnel Ken money, which he’d use to buy/fix as much of Shantytown as possible. The E88, Undersiders, Coil, and PRT were too busy dancing up north, and some rich yuppie from Boston wasn’t on any of their radars. 

After a few months, Citrine would present the project’s success to Accord, and then (hopefully) bask in his praise and adulation. According to Ken, the woman was trying to prove herself to the short villain, and was attracted to him.

Of course, Chuck had done considerably crazier and more complex things for romance, so who was he to talk about grand gestures?

“Citrine’s busy lording over Blasto’s territory, so I get to be the sacrificial lamb. But she also gave me a lot of leeway, so long as I can keep my head down. I have the freedom to make my own buys, hire whoever I want, and if things work out then I’ll be the boss when Phase 2 starts.”

As if suddenly reminded of something, he suddenly whipped out his phone. Leaning a little closer, Chuck watched as Ken opened a message from Emily, and used a link to connect to…Sabah, it looked like. From their chat log, it seemed like he was offering her a job.

“Wait, you’ve only been here a day, how do you already have a job for her?”

“Emily texted me earlier to say that Sabah was thinking of moving, and graduates from college in a few weeks.” Ken shrugged, which did interesting things with his muscles. “I know it’s not high fashion, but I can give her a good deal on the apartment upstairs, and a job as my administrative assistant. It’s better than nothing, and way safer down here than in the Docks.”

“Oh yeah, the Undersiders doubled their cape membership in a week, and now they’ve got a bunch of ex-ABB as well. Last time I was in the Docks there was a bunch of bug graffiti, and the E88 is pissed .” Of course, Chuck knew this was all a part of Coil’s plan, taking advantage of the ABB’s fall and trying to give the E88 someone else to skirmish with. 

He was smart like that…but at the same time, could be really cold and dangerous as well.

For the last week, Circus hadn’t been taking Coil’s calls, and it wasn’t just because of the way he chewed them out for the Rogue Party . No, it was because of what his pet Undersiders did.

They put Emily and the Crew in the crosshairs of the gangs and PRT, as well as the whole town. Coil could have just paid Faultline’s Crew to leave town, he’d certainly done it before!

But instead he’d babbled about maximizing resources, and that it wasn’t personal. Even claimed he had his little precog (and how fucked up was that? ) confirm Spitfire was safe.

When Coil had hired them a year or so back, it had been great. Big money, great heists, free healing, and a much more carefree lifestyle.

But lately Circus had been considering whether that was worth it. Whether it might be the people in your life that made it—

“Hey, you okay?” Circus looked up suddenly to see Ken’s worried face, and plastered a fake smile on their own. “You seemed kinda down. Wanna talk about it? Listening is one of my greatest skills, besides talking, healing, woodworking, pottery, and lovemaking.”

“No, it’s fine. I was…wait.” Circus stumbled over their words, asking, “What was that last one?”

“Pottery.” Ken replied, keeping a perfectly straight face. “It wasn’t easy, but most people would probably kiln for my level of skill. Skill I had to urn , one clay pot at a time.”

Circus couldn’t help but laugh, and shoved the stupid morality thoughts aside for a little while. 

After a minute, Charlene apologized and sighed, stretching a little, “Sorry, I’m just worried about the gangs. Kind of hard for me to do my burglary thing with all the chaos out there, you know?”

“Well, if you want some work as a…let’s say security expert, I’m hiring.” Ken leaned a little closer, eyes twinkling with a mix of hopefulness and desire. “Shorty wouldn’t let me bring any capes, but never said I couldn’t hire some of my own. You’d have to stay undercover, though.”

“Darling, I do some of my best work under the covers.” She smiled languidly, watching as he blushed a little at their repartee. “No surprise that Shortstuff couldn’t spare any capes.”

“No kidding. He even made it a point to show off some new ones the day I left. One of them wears green and heals way faster than me, so maybe he knows more about this than I thought? Either way, I’m kind of hoping that if this takes off I never have to wear a costume again. Anyway, I know as a freelancer you probably don’t wanna be tied down, but the offer’s there.”

“How about we get you moved in, and then talk about tying each other down, hmm?” She stood, stretching and enjoying his eyes on her, then reaching into her pocket dimension. “First we have a box labeled… Pants ? Very original, Ken. Do you also have a box labeled Socks ?”

His silence spoke volumes. Soon the pair were laughing once again, other problems forgotten.

Hours later, Charlene was walking home when she realized she forgot to ask Ken out.

On the other hand, she was definitely going to be seeing the guy again…

Especially since she’d decided to keep all this a secret from Coil.

Plus, next weekend they’d both be helping Sabah move in.

Charlene grinned, whistling as she skipped home.

“If at first you don’t succeed…”

“...try, try again.” Newter finished, and Siobhán was glad she had a mouthful of food, nodding rather than asking more questions of the patient boy. Taking her silence as understanding, he stood with a smile. “Anyway, I hope that helped. I’mma hit the head, back in a bit.”

His gloved fingers trailed up Jess’ arm as he left, and the redhead attempted to consider all they’d told her in the drive back to the hotel. Jess’ last form, a fairly human one hidden in a cloak, had even come along to maximize her comprehension, but seemingly to no avail.

No matter how many ways they put it, the idea of finding pleasure in failure still confused her.

Certainly, she understood the benefits of practice more than most, as well as incremental improvement. But what continued to stymie Siobhán was the morale both had maintained, even after repeated (and often humiliating) failures. By her own hands and powers, no less!

Then again, this team had been an exercise in enlightenment for the formerly lone cape, one that she was determined to stick with. It seemed like every aspect of her life, from emotional to philosophical, had improved in the week since she joined them. 

The children taught her to bend rules, as they seemed filled with a limitless amount of joy. Warmth that poured from the eloquent Elle, humor that overflowed from the emotional Emily, optimism Newter seemed born to spread, and creativity Jess made with her powers and ideas. 

Meanwhile, Melanie taught her structure that didn’t require punishment or harsh treatment when mistakes were made. She had rules and guidance, both backed up by experience borne on the backs of a thousand encounters. Truly, there was no more capable leader Siobhán had met.

Perhaps the most powerful of all was Gregor, whose very being was suffused with the kindness and deep understanding she’d thought impossible in mortal men. He never judged her, not even when she made embarrassing mistakes, rather meeting her eyes and speaking from the heart.

Her own heart went out to him, though she found herself wondering if it was loneliness or—

Her reflection was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“I’ve got it!” Emily rose, phone in hand as she merrily typed something to a faraway friend. A sense of danger had Siobhán rising to stop her, but it was already too late as the door swung open. The brunette recoiled slightly, one hand going to her nose as the other held up the phone.

“Delivery.” Came a rough voice, one that did not belong to Gregor, who was out with Melanie gathering intel for the job they planned to accomplish here in Paradise. Her pistol was in her hand in moments, and Siobhán slid beside the door in case this was a foe. “Is Jess here?”

“Um…what?” Emily responded with confusion, thumb tapping a red button on her phone as it reflected the man’s visage in her hand. As if the device had become a window into the outside, the redhead could now see their uninvited guest as a little number began to grow at the bottom of the screen. “Who are you? How do…um, why do you think someone named Jess is here?”

“Don’t matter. Guy told me to deliver a letter to ‘er. Said she was here. You gonna get ‘er, or am I gonna have ta come in and find ‘er m’self?” There was a threat in his voice, one that sounded both confident and annoyed. As though this slip of a girl was no match for whatever force he could bring to bear. Given his bandit-like mask…it may have been so. “Gonna count to ten.”

As he was saying four, Siobhán’s gun was through the door, swinging towards his shocked face.

Before he could speak five, an explosion of smoke and heat suddenly filled the room.

Not wanting to risk hitting Emily, despite trusting her power, Siobhán paused.

She caught the coughing brunette, and dragged her back into their room.

Slamming the door, she heard the scruffy bandit retreat down the hall.

But all Siobhán’s attention was on her…her team .

Their lives mattered most, after all.

Despite worrying she’d failed, Gregor and Melanie assured Siobhán later that she’d performed admirably. Already the latter was poring over footage Emily had collected, a deadly glint in her eyes. Meanwhile, Gregor had examined everyone, finding little more than smoke inhalation.

Which left them with the mysterious letter, an ordinary white envelope that Jess created a new form to even pick up. She opened the letter well away from them all, and began to read.

After nearly a minute, she collapsed to her knees, and suddenly the form was gone. In her chair, Jess buried her face in her hands, as the others attempted to comfort her.

Siobhán, throwing caution to the wind, crept towards the letter. Trusting her power to protect her, she carefully read its contents, and then frowned.

It was written in code, certainly as anything she didn’t understand most of it. But Jess’ breakdown had come at the end.

That was the least confusing part of the letter. It was signed with a simple name, not even a code name.

As the others crowded around Jess, and she began to recover, Siobhán felt confused.

Who was this person that vexed Jess so much?

Who was…Oliver?

Chapter Text

“A robbery?” Jess exclaimed, then lowered her voice a little as the scruffier cape approached. Oliver winced, waving for Jess to keep it down, but she wasn’t done with him yet. “First you go radio silent for over a month, after pretending you don’t know who I am. Then you get a fucking makeover and start hanging around with a bunch of bargain-bin cape mercs. Now, out of the blue you just pop up while I’m on vacation to invite me to help you rob a place? Seriously?”

As the now-brunette Oliver attempted to placate his lead goon, Jess leaned back to catch her breath and get a look around the place. Paradise had more than a few gathering spots and hotels like this, for both those who couldn’t afford Vegas and those cleaned out by it. 

This was a pretty impressive ballroom, she had to admit, with an open area that looked ready for an event of some kind. Balconies, a skylight, and tape all over the floor, the latter being indicative of some kind of plan being hatched. Which brought her back around to their presence.

Oliver had apparently rented the place out, with money from the Elite. Given that they controlled thousands of rogues across the US, it wasn’t a surprise that they were flush with cash. What was surprising was that Oliver had access to it, despite only being with them for a month or so.

After arriving and being patted down for weapons or electronics, she’d been wheeled to the middle table with Oliver. He’d greeted Jess awkwardly then gestured at the rich meal and wine waiting for them. It had been delivered by one of the capes, a man who was dressed in a suit.

They’d spent a while chatting and catching up, eating some amazing food, all while his cape mercs patrolled and glared at them both. Now, she took another sip of wine, and sighed as her old friend babbled out a few more excuses to finally calm his lead hireling down..

“—didn’t mean it in a bad way, Smokey.” Oliver muttered, finally getting the cape dressed like a dollar-store cowboy to walk back to his position. Three of the five capes Oliver was working with were in the ballroom with them, standing in a triangular formation to watch the windows. The others were patrolling just outside, from what she’d seen. “Jess, I’m sorry. I fucked up. Big time.”

That got her attention, because Oliver never swore. He was always far too much of a wimp for that, even with a year or so on the road to toughen him up. Jess took a closer look at him as he launched into what appeared to be a nervous, yet oddly heartfelt speech.

“After the Elite got me, I was a wreck. They told me you and Cody were dead, the others…off in some Russian prison or something.” Oliver ran a hand through his dark hair, pulled back into a ponytail and probably a result of the people he’d been hanging out with lately. Despite his finely-tailored suit and strong chin, for a moment he was the old Oliver again, a scared kid. “One of them was really interested in my power, and offered a…trade. A way to get better, fast.”

“You know, usually when someone offers you a monkey’s paw, the smart thing to do is avoid it.”

“Heh, yeah. But then again, horror movies were Cody’s thing. I was always more a fan of spy films and secret agent stuff.” He smiled, adjusting his collar slightly. She had to admit he looked pretty good, and wondered if there was someone in his life…or if he was still mourning Chris. “But this was actually a good deal, despite the cost. How much do you know about Nonpareil ?”

“He’s a bigwig in the Elite, right? Some kind of thinker?” Jess shrugged, and Oliver leaned in as if sharing state secrets. Given that the whole place was deserted but for the two of them and his three cape guards, it seemed a bit much. On the other hand, she was kind of curious.

As Oliver explained it, Nonpareil could touch someone and temporarily pull out a cluster of their skills, enhancing his ability to retain them the longer he practiced them. The man had lifetimes of knowledge and skills, all thanks to his underlings letting him borrow them. In return, they’d get money, job opportunities, and the knowledge that his upwards mobility would drag them along.

But the real secret was that the people he borrowed skills from found memories related to those skills numbed. Someone who’d become an alcoholic thanks to the stress of their poker habit would lose those skills for a bit, but also find their thirst for booze and painful memories dulled. It was a chance for them to come to terms with their mistakes, and to clean up their life a little.

Meanwhile, Oliver’s gaming skills were linked to his friends, who he missed so much that he wasn’t eating, sleeping, or functioning. Therefore, when Nonpareil borrowed them…

“Oh. So when you said you didn’t remember me, you really meant it.” Jess finished, and Oliver nodded silently. She could see the regret and pain in his eyes, and wished that she could pull him into a hug. It reminded her so much of that night, a year or so back, when they’d drunk to numb their pain. “So did it help? Didn’t getting those memories back just mess all that up?”

“Not as much as you’d think, especially after daily therapy sessions and a whole lot of self-help books.” Oliver grinned, effect only slightly ruined by the unshed tears. He pulled out a fancy looking handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes, then added, “Makes me wonder why Krouse never thought to have me try it. Teaching you guys self-defense and learning medical stuff was handy and all, but a few dozen books on self-actualization and mindfulness worked wonders.”

“Well, it’s not like that’s the only mistake Krouse ever made. Remember the thing with Jouster? Or the time he had us trying to rob Hubbub, the guy with all the magic holes?” Both began to crack up, as she forcefully changed the subject to something lighter. For all Trickster’s decent plans, there had been more than a few horrible ones at the start of their merc careers. “—and then he told Hubbub to calm down or the PRT would come, and the guy said…what was it?”

Oliver hunched his shoulders, twitching slightly as he thrust out his hands and affected a strange accent, “Whatever, man ! That’s like, just your opinion. I don’t even believe in the PRT! They’re like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the…like…Sleeper, man !”

A little knot of worry loosened in Jess’ chest, even as another tightened. 

The former was because she was now certain that this was her Oliver, and she had really missed this. Talking about the old days, with someone who got all her jokes and references. It was nice, and for a few minutes she’d almost been able to believe that things could be okay…

But as their laughter died down, a serious look appeared on his face, and she remembered his letter. He hadn’t just wanted to catch up, but had been hoping to work with her on something. 

He seemed to know she already had a team, and had found her with his connections.

More than that, he was in trouble, and was counting on her to save him.

Just like old times, except now she had a team of her own…

“But really, I am sorry about our last conversation. Until you told me just now I didn’t even remember, and I know that’s no excuse…” He sighed, then perked up a little as her hand found his. No matter how much his face or body changed, that smile was still Oliver’s. “I missed you.”

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by his mercs grumbling to themselves. 

It was hard to forget their presence, and that meant that she had to move things along.

The rest of the Crew was waiting on her, and Oliver was depending on her.

Unless she’d wildly misinterpreted his letter, of course.

“So, tell me about this robbery of yours.” Jess flicked her eyes at one of his capes, knowing that technically they weren’t really his . He seemed to get the hint, and sighed. “I thought the Elite already owned Vegas, or is this one of those ‘bank manager robs his own bank’ scenarios?”

“Not quite. You see, Paradise is an unincorporated community, and thus it technically doesn’t fall under Las Vegas, despite sharing land with it. They’ve actually used the Elite’s presence as a reason to avoid incorporation, and this little robbery is our plan to fix that.”

“Wait, so you’re going to attract some flies with honey, by swatting them with a honeycomb?”

“Well, I’m not really here as a representative of the Elite, Jess.” Oliver gestured at the door, and Jess turned to see that the two capes who’d been outside had come inside to switch out. “I thought by using mercenaries, I could have them hit a series of targets, making the Elite’s ‘protection’ more enticing. A few casinos, a bank, and a party in a ballroom like this one.” 

Of course, that had probably been the original plan, but the smirks she saw appear on the capes’ faces told her it wasn’t anymore. From his letter, as well as the way they’d treated Oliver since she arrived, Jess had a feeling they’d decided to take his plans in a different direction.

His message hinted at him having lost control of this group at least a week ago, and she’d be damned if she lost her friend again so soon after finding him.

Despite her worry, Jess plastered a big smile on her face, and Oliver quickly grew one of his own to match it. 

Luckily for him, the Crew had a plan of their own, and it was time to get started on it.

She just hoped Oliver would play along, and stay out of the crossfire…

“Well, let’s meet this team of yours…wait, is that…” Jess turned her wheelchair and pretended to be impressed by the five capes muttering by the front door. “Wow! Sweet Valentine, Ribbit, Smokey Bandit, Top Tier, and…Rocket Propelled Garnet!? Could I get some autographs?”

“Certainly.” The first of them sauntered over, red and pink catsuit hugging her beautiful body in all the right places, heart-shaped mask covering her upper face as she smiled. She ran a gloved hand through her purple hair before crossing her arms, pushing her impressive cleavage out at Jess as she smiled. “Anything for a fan. Let me get some paper…”

“First time anyone’s ever asked for my autograph. Gimme that, Val.” Ribbit grunted, leaping over a dozen feet in a single bound. He wore nothing more than a green motorcycle helmet and swim trunks, body rippling with muscles and shimmering with a greasy substance. He left a little bit of it on the paper as he smudged something after her heart-shaped letters. “Here ya go, Smokey.”

“Eh, reckon ahm used ta folks knowin’ who I am, but ahm plum tickled ta have it be in a good sense than a lawman chasin’ me down.” The cowboy signed next, then stamped the corner of the paper with his cigar before dropping it. After lighting up another, he handed it to Top Tier. “Gotta say, yer pal was kinda rude, nearly blew mah head off, but you seem alright lil’ lady.”

“Y’know, I tried to tell you it shoulda been me that went, since I got the skills ta pay the bills.” Looking an awful lot like Oliver because of his suit, dark ponytail, and fit physique, Top Tier might have been impressive if it wasn’t for his annoying voice. He sounded a lot like Cody, and a glance exchanged with Oliver told Jess that he was aware of it. “I know Smokey’s the leader, and he gets to make the calls, but I ran the numbers last month when I was a mathematician—”

“God, shut up , Top!” The last of their group looked like nothing more than a large woman in a red ninja outfit, voice hoarse and guttural. Rocket-Propelled Garnet snatched the paper and signed it, then stomped over and handed it to Jess. “First, don’t argue in front of new people. Second, I don’t care what yer numbers say. Long as SB’s been leading, we’ve been makin’ more money and that means a bigger cut for all of us. So just quit yer whinin’ already!”

“I just don’t think that ‘numbers go up’ is a good reason for SB to…” The suited man trailed off as he noticed the others staring at him flatly. “Seriously? Ribbit, you were just telling me that you wouldn’t dive into anything Smokey thought of without a second opinion. And SV! Is Smokey really sufficient as a leader? You’re always saying he’s barely capable as a lover, much less—”

The five began to shout and argue with each other, Jess tapped a hidden button under the arm of her wheelchair. Her other hand pulled at Oliver’s, trying to get him under the table. He looked confused, but that only lasted until the button’s signal told the Crew it was time for Phase 2.

The windows shattered as Faultline and Shamrock smashed through them, charging the villain capes and ensuring none of them looked up to see Newter slip in through the skylight.

The front doors slammed shut, and Gregor immediately began to spray them down with something that audibly crackled as it hardened.

“Just keep your head down, we’ll be done soon.” She winked at Oliver, who laughed. “Time to slip into something more comfortable.”

Jess grinned at him, then closed her eyes and finally dropped the projection she’d created of herself to fool them.

She opened her eyes and found herself in the van, beside Elle as the blonde’s power blocked the road.

A hundred feet away, Spitfire was roasting getaway cars gleefully.

Everything was going according to their meticulous plan.

Jess closed her eyes again, smiling to herself.

It was time to get back in there!

“You can’t just go in there alone! It’s obviously a trap!” Newter glared at the letter in his hands, still trying to make sense of it. “What does all this mean anyway? Even I know a bunch of these references are wrong. Looks to me like the Elite scrambled his brains a little, no offense.”

Jess sighed, scooting closer to Newter and gently taking the letter back. Things were a little cramped in the van with all their equipment, but there was no telling if that scruffy weirdo might come back for round two. Up front, Mel and Gregor were talking to Emily about something, and behind them Elle was explaining Oliver to Siobhán. 

“Okay, so let’s start at the top.” Jess started pointing at parts of the letter. “It’s kind of an Earth Aleph movie code. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the Terminator over there like OJ Simpson is here, but Oliver used to mix them up to drive Cody up the wall when he was being a dick. So for this part, he’s saying that he’s trapped, like in the movie Eraser . Then over here…”

She went through each of the clues, growing more and more obscure with each reference, and Newter began to understand what his girlfriend was saying. Under her enjoyment at solving the code and finding her friend was an undercurrent of fear…for a friend who was in deep shit.

A friend who was counting on her to save him from some dangerous cape mercenaries.

Luckily, she had some new friends, who were even more dangerous.

“Okay, I believe you.” Newter smiled, squeezing Jess’ hand and kissing the back of her glove. “So, now what? Your friend is with the Elite, and he’s trying to call for help. What do we do?”

“We spring it, obviously.” Jess smirked, and raised her voice as the three up front went silent at her proclamation. “Melanie? I just know you’ve got something cooking up there. Ever since you saw that video Emily made of our attacker, you’ve had an odd look in your eyes. Got a plan?”

Melanie traded a quick glance with Gregor, then nodded at Emily and gestured for her to speak.

It turned out that while they’d been eating pizza and duking it out with a smoke bomber, Mel and Gregor had been meeting with a contact of hers. The guy was some kind of PRT analyst who had intel on five B-list villains hanging around the outskirts of Vegas, and was hoping to get a cut of their bounty if he helped the Crew catch them. 

As a strange coincidence, the villains’ leader was none other than…

“ Smokey Bandit ? That’s seriously his name?” Newter scoffed as he looked over one of the unredacted PRT documents they’d been handed. The guy could apparently shoot bullets of force that exploded into smoke and hot air. “How does he have such a huge bounty?”

“Simply put, he hurt and annoyed many people, as did all his teammates.” Gregor pointed to a list that ranged from Accord all the way to someone called Dark Lord Prowess . “If anyone but the PRT catches them it’ll be death. The high bounty is because all five would have no choice other than one-sided probation deals. Eagleton or Ellisburg, both beat death by a wide margin.” 

“Right, and that’s where we come in.” Melanie spread a large blueprint on the seat between Newter and Jess, where both her and Emily’s handwriting could be seen. “They’re holed up in this ballroom Oliver rented out for the week. Likely planning to rob a ballroom made by the same company across town where a big party is being held tomorrow night. Here’s my plan…”

An hour of planning later, Jess projected a copy of herself into her wheelchair, then headed to meet a taxi that would take her to the ballroom. The others followed with care, noting that of the five villains Oliver had hired, two remained outside to guard the premises.

Of course, Jess’ part of the plan was to gather intel, then do her best to get the villains distracted and all inside the ballroom at once. Once she tapped the signal button on her chair, an inactive transmitter that didn’t show up on scanners, they were off.

Newter slipped through a skylight while Shamrock and Faultline took the windows. Gregor stuck up the front doors with his gooey cement. Finally, Spitfire started blowing up escape vehicles.

He met Jess’ eyes across the room, saw her handsome friend looking oddly relaxed despite the destruction around him, and then she closed her eyes.

Jess vanished, and it was time to move on to Phase 2… Ballroom Blitz .

From the ceiling, Newter was easily able to watch as the villains scattered, and he smirked because that’s exactly what his gut had told him they’d do. A video Mel’s contact had sent showed that they were prone to squabbles, splitting up, and panicking under fire.

But more than that, thanks to all the training he’d been through recently, it was like he had a sort of sixth sense when it came to fights like this. Hell, half of this plan had been Newter’s and he was eager to move on to the next part…but first they had to at least try to keep things quiet.

“We don’t need to fight, you know!” Gregor shouted, deflecting Ribbit as the frog-like man bounced off him. Both staggered back, but Newter’s teammate had walked off getting hit by a car, so he was acting more than anything. “Really, Case 53 capes like you and I need not—”

“Case 53? Fuck you, man!” Ribbit ripped off his green helmet, revealing an ugly mug that only a mother could love. He gestured at his greasy muscled body and shouted, “I’m not a monster cape! I’m just really fuckin’ ugly! Gonna kick your fuckin’ face in for that, fucker!”

Gregor blasted the man with his ooze, but it ran off Ribbit like water off a duck’s back. The angry villain launched himself forward, narrowly missing Gregor, and kicked through a stone column thicker than Newter’s entire body. The pair soon turned to brawling, both tough as hell…

Similarly, the fight between Shamrock and Top Tier was evenly matched. She’d managed to nail Smokey and Garnet with bean bags that had both on the ground, but then Top Tier had knocked it out of her hands. Since then, they’d been engaging in a strange, dance-like battle.

The suited man had a very powerful, yet incredibly limited thinker power. He could focus on a cluster of skills, such as driving, fighting, cooking, or computers, and over time become more and more skilled. With a week or two, he could become world-class at anything.

The problem was that the moment he dropped a skill to switch to something else, he lost everything he’d gained in a split second. With the right team, he could fill any gap, but since the man was so selfish and overconfident he was constantly hoisted by his own petard.

According to Mel’s contact, Top Tier had been racking up a lot of cash the last week winning underground fighting competitions. Newter could believe it, watching the man easily match Shamrock and her powers. It was like he had every martial arts movie ever made in his head.

Finally, Mel was taking on Sweet Valentine, and for the first time in her life the merc leader was actually retreating. The villain was a master capable of reading and affecting emotions, wearing a revealing costume used to bring out feelings of lust and jealousy in her foes. With little more than a touch, she could boost or numb such feelings, overwhelming opponents in seconds.

“Stop running away, sweetie. I can see the way you look at me…how long has it been for you?” Valentine was practically skipping after Faultline, who had taken cover behind a column to avoid the heart-shaped bolts the villain’s hand crossbow fired. They were blunted, by her file said they carried a bit of her power, and like her touch could mess someone up bad. “Months? Years?”

“Doesn’t matter. Your power is easier to deal with than you think.” Faultline dashed out from behind the column, dodging around the villain and grabbing her wrist. She kicked the back of the voluptuous woman’s knee and twisted her into a painful arm lock as Valentine fell to her knees. “You have to touch me with your hands, so this fight is already…already…”

Faultline choked, body seizing up for a moment before she growled at the villain.

“Oh no, dearie. That’s not how my power works at all.” Valentine laughed, despite wincing a little as Faultline tightened her grip. It almost looked like she was enjoying the pain as she let out a little moan before continuing. “Power’s in me , not my hands. By grabbing me, you’ve already lost. It’s just a question of how long you can hold out before you fall for me…then fall forever.”

“Shit!” Newter was interrupted as something exploded nearby, and realized Smokey had noticed the orange cape on the ceiling. Another ball of roiling smoke and heat was already coming his way, and to make matters worse Rocket-Propelled Garnet was already getting to her feet.

In a matter of seconds, the red-suited woman changed from being a husky ninja to a creature made of red rocks, one that had supposedly shrugged off a tank shell a year back. She looked around the room, as if deciding on the best target, and finally settled on…Newter.

Both of her feet exploded, launching the garnet creature at the cape on the ceiling, forcing him to slip back out the skylight to avoid her. A split second later she smashed through the cement, glass shards exploding everywhere. While he was glad most of them missed him, Newter soon found himself dodging frantically as RPG tried her damnedest to smash him to jelly.

Lucky for him, she was really bad at it, and getting worse with every second.

“Whoops, missed! Missed again!” The villain could have been A-list with powers like hers, tough as hell and able to launch herself around the area by blowing up chunks of her body. But she had several glaring weaknesses, which Newter took pleasure in exploiting. “You suck at this!”

Rocket-Propelled Garnet screamed, voice echoing and warbling since she couldn’t actually speak in this form. Of course, that was a far smaller issue than her temper, which was on full display as he continued to taunt and annoy her for nearly a minute.

Then she fell to the ground, and let out a little moaning noise. With less than 20% of her body left, the villain no longer had enough body to blast, and was little more than a doorstop.

The fight was over, courtesy of her complete lack of anger management skills.

“I heard that your body regenerates slower the less of it there is, bit of a liability there huh?” Newter crouched over her chunky form, then began rolling her across the roof. She made a strange little gurgling noise. “Yeah, well that’s what you get for splitting the party. Let me help.”

With one last heave, he dropped her remains back down the ruined skylight, then winced as she shattered on the floor below. That would easily add another hour to her regeneration, and she couldn’t turn back to her human form until then.

On the plus side, her loud entrance had startled Valentine and Smokey, the former stumbling in her attempt to catch Faultline and the latter firing a blast at his own shattered teammate.

But what really made him smile was when Jess’ latest form reappeared below, and that meant it was time to bring this little show to a close.

Time for Phase 3…the Curtain Call, and his favorite part of the plan.

Even before he got powers or joined a gaming team, Oliver had always loved plans.

Just the idea of an all-encompassing document or system, a collection of objectives that one or more people could work towards. It was the stuff of fantasy made real, goals attainable with effort from everyone, no matter how big a task or impossible the design. Anything was possible!

That was one of the reasons he loved spy movies, secret agent stuff, and most of all heist films. 

The latter was like a beautiful symphony, with every instrument perfectly in tune and timed out to the nanosecond. Music that had the universe singing in tune, a mighty chorus of adventure and excitement, all to achieve a goal that had everyone working together…

As a kid he used to read through sourcebooks for Dungeons and Dragons games, not for the characters or powers, but for the interesting schemes and mechanics. The fantastic idea that people had put such effort into mapping things out and putting it all together excited him.

He dreamed of one day becoming a secret agent or something, and had been overjoyed when Jess and the others shared them with him. Movies, books, board games, and other adventures lifted his mood, even when his problems with romance and confidence brought him down.

It had been a real disappointment when his lack of skills at gaming, as well as his seemingly weak and useless powers later on, put a pin in those dreams. How amazing would it have been to get invisibility or pocket dimensions as a power? He’d felt so useless, at first…

But it turned out that he actually had a far better power than he’d known, and would never have realized it if not for the Elite. Nonpareil had pulled out a bunch of his skills, and Oliver had come to a lot of painful realizations in the days that followed. 

Unburdened by his memories of his friends, no longer feeling shattered by their loss and filled with unending hopelessness, he grew up.

Finally, Oliver was faced with a powerful truth, one he’d hidden from for years…

He realized that it was the memory of his friends, his assumptions about their expectations, that had been holding him back. Oliver had surrounded himself with such larger-than-life people, and couldn’t help but feel tiny. Luke the huge barbarian, Mars the graceful dancer, Cody the angry fighter, Krouse the clever wizard, Noelle the wise rogue, Jess the creative bard, and Chris…

Forgetting Chris had been the hardest of all, but looking back Oliver knew it was the right thing to do. He’d had to learn that the boy he’d given his heart to was gone. That he had to move on, to give himself permission to be happy, and to find new ways to rise up and be his own man.

Using his power to learn useful skills, then his skills to find focus, and finally his focus to lead him to a goal he could accomplish. 

He made plans, then plans within plans, and soon Oliver was ten times the man he’d ever have been before. 

Finally, his life was tuned like an instrument, making beautiful music at last.

A song, one that directed him towards a goal he’d dreamed of all year.

When the opportunity to prove himself had come, he’d gladly accepted Nonpareil’s offer and headed out to Paradise. Not just because of what he owed the Elite, but also…

Well, he always had loved plans, and the chance to see Jess again was too good to pass up.

Plus, her team was quite impressive, and served his own plans quite well.

Everything was going according to plan.

Even as Rocket-Propelled Garnet smashed to the floor a dozen feet away, drawing a startled gasp from Sweet Valentine and a bullet of exploding smoke from Smokey Bandit, Oliver knew the fight was over. Beside him, a new figure had appeared, a form he’d never seen before.

A giant frog.

“Hmm, if you’re Fred, does that make me Jason Frudnick?” He asked wryly, chuckling as the huge frog-like creature rolled its eyes at him. It turned towards the fight between Gregor and Ribbit, the much smaller froggy cape unaware of her appearance. “Oh, I see. Good plan.”

Fred’s huge mouth opened and a very sticky tongue lashed out, wrapping around Ribbit’s body before latching onto itself. The cape was so focused on Gregor pretending to beg for mercy, that he barely had time for a yelp before he was pulled into the frog’s mouth.

Muffled shouts emitted from Fred’s mouth as the villain realized he was now little more than a snack, and Oliver turned to watch the rest of the Crew work. Already he could see their fights turning around, even if their villainous opponents didn’t seem to realize it. None had even noticed the appearance of a giant frog, having been maneuvered to face the other direction.

In one corner of the room, Newter was dancing around Smokey Bandit, easily dodging his blasts in an ever-shrinking spiral. With little more than a single touch, he dropped the goon like a sack of potatoes, then turned to assist his teammates. Not that his help was needed, apparently.

Shamrock had taken a different tactic, backing away from Top Tier and whimpering for him to please let her go. Neither had landed a decisive blow on the other, but throughout their fight Oliver had seen her faking more than a few injuries, rather like an extra in a sentai tv show.

As he began to charge in for the finisher, the villain tripped over his own feet. In a flash, Shamrock’s exhaustion vanished and she rushed in to take advantage of his slip-up. 

Oliver winced as Tier’s falling forehead met Shamrock’s rising knee, and he stayed down.

Across the room, Sweet Valentine had finally realized her power hadn’t turned Faultine into a drooling idiot like it did most of her victims, and seemed wholly confused. She started to babble in fear, as if she’d found a Gil Turtle in her Gil Cave, struggling pointlessly. “What the hell? I can feel your want, your need…every time you look at me your desire just explodes out of you!”

“You depend too much on a power that’s easy to beat.” Faultline chuckled. “It’s over, Valentine.”

“No, that’s impossible! Are you a master too? How are you resisting me so easily?”

“When the mind is under attack, act from the heart. When the heart is under assault, lock down the mind.  Singular tasks, steps become a mantra, a rigid series of instructions to myself I can cling to.” As the woman continued to squirm, Faultline sighed. “Also, I’m not really into women. Or men. You should have focused on numbing my desire, instead of enhancing it.”

“Yeah, pretty sure the only reason you were feeling desire and stuff from Faultline was because she wanted to collect the bounty on you.” Newter crouched beside the woman, licking his finger and then holding it near her face. “Anyway, it’s sleepy time now. Nighty-night, Valentine.”

And just like that, the boss fight was over, and it was time for this adventure’s ending cutscene.

An hour later, Oliver stood with the others as they finished loading the five villains into a second van they’d stashed a good distance from the venue. Four of the villains were bound and dosed with Newter’s sweat, and RPG was being watched like a hawk as she slowly regenerated.

“Wait, a minor danger sense, heightened senses, healing factor, climbing, strength, agility, and psychedelic sweat?” Oliver squinted at Jess, the real one this time, and saw her blush slightly at his gaze. “You’re basically Mary-Jane Watson, dating Spider-Man. But he has knockout fluids instead of sticky ones. Damn, you really hit the jackpot, tiger.” 

Jess giggled, punching him in the side, and then pulling him into a hug as Newter looked on in confusion. Oliver winced, realizing that Jess still remembered what he’d taught her about punching people, and squeezed her tighter…eventually letting go with a sigh.

She rolled back, and whispered something to Newter, explaining the reference and getting a laugh. Oliver had guessed that there was something between them from the looks they shared over the last hour, and it filled Oliver with a kind of joy he couldn’t describe. 

There was a bit of sadness as well, because he really wanted to tell her about the plan they’d all made just before Accord had split the Travelers up.

It had been more desperation than anything, and a hell of a long shot…but somehow it was actually working!

If all went according to plan, and it damn well was for once, they might actually get home.

Except that Jess was already home. She’d found happiness, a family, and…love.

As he watched her, Oliver realized he couldn’t take that from his friend.

Not after all she’d been through to get here. She deserved this.

So instead, they traded numbers, and after one last hug…

Jess was gone, and Oliver was alone again.

Which meant it was back to the Plan.

First, he paid for the damages to the ballroom, as well as collecting the hard drives and recording equipment. After a quick visit to a 24-hour shipping place, he sent it all off to an Elite data center for analysis, while picking up a package they had waiting for him.

After assembling the phone as he’d been taught, Oliver sat on a lone park bench and carefully entered the encrypted code to activate it. Almost a minute later, it rang with a number he’d seen quite a bit of these last few weeks.

“Hello Oliver. That was faster than I expected.” Nonpareil’s voice was clipped and quiet, never a word more than he needed and always just the right amount of gravitas. “Mission status?”

“Complete, sir. I handed the PRT data off to Faultline in my cover as Austin Millbarge, and when we met later I’d shifted enough that she didn’t make the connection. I’ve already sent over the data from the ballroom, and should be getting a 10% cut on the five bounties soon enough.”

It had been touch and go for a while there, but Oliver’s acting lessons were really paying off. Not just from the money he’d get from getting Smokey and their other four patsies off the streets, but from letting Jess and the Crew “save” Oliver from the villains’ dastardly machinations.

“Excellent work. When we finish our takeover of New York, in-depth knowledge of mercenary capes in the area will be especially helpful. Your deep connection to Jess, which encounters like today’s will nurture, will lead to some very profitable ventures. Magnificently done, my boy!”

The man rarely praised his underlings unduly, so Oliver made sure to let his pleasure show in his voice as he humbly accepted it. A little fake surprise even crept in as Nonpareil gave him the rest of the weekend off, adding that he’d look at Oliver’s Anchorage proposal on Monday.

Oliver stood, a smile falling from his face as he keyed in the self-destruct code on his phone, then tossed it into Sunset Park Pond. It would have been nice to go to sleep, but there was still one last task to take care of before he could call it a night.

A few minutes later, he entered a teahouse whose sign said Closed , but whose owner showed Oliver to a private table. Soon enough a tray was set before him, and the owner left the building alongside the rest of the teahouse’s staff.

After taking a sip of his Darjeeling, Oliver lifted the satellite phone from the tray and dialed a very long string of numbers. Holding it to his ear, he waited as he was routed to his destination by voices speaking Mandarin.

“Oliver?” The voice that finally spoke his name was familiar, and a feeling of relief spread through him even as it continued, in a harsh tone. “You’re late. It’s been a week!”

“Settle down, Francis . Tricking a huge organization like the Elite isn’t easy, it takes finesse. But it’s working! I’ve got an Anchorage meeting Monday. How are the others?”

“Luke and Mars say that Red Gauntlet’s on schedule to start the Alaska Project in five months, and our tinkers will have the Anchorage tech shipment ready in six.”

“Great, and I should be ready to launch in six as well, as soon as I score a few more wins with the Elite. Now, how about Noelle? Did she eat any more capes?”

“Yeah, but this time on purpose. The clones she made from One have balanced her mood, and also made it easier to consolidate our political power.”

For a few minutes it almost felt like they were back in high school, talking about some game or their characters. Just having fun, and not…

Well, not talking about a plan to build a dimensional portal. But then, they’d all changed so much since coming to Earth Bet.

For instance, Oliver had rebuilt himself from the ground up, while his friend Jess had discovered love and a family.

But while she might have been happy enough to call Earth Bet her new home, the rest weren’t satisfied.

So in another year or two, assuming all went according to plan, the Travelers would be leaving.

After all, why bother to take over this crapsack world when there were so many others?

All they had to do was stick to the plan, and Oliver trusted it completely.

It was perfect, complex and yet so very simple. The plan was like…

Well, it was like a beautiful, magnificent, intricate song.

One that had been in his head for over a year.

And someday, it would lead them all home.

Humming to himself, he got back to it.

There was work to be done.

Chapter Text

“Mel, not that I don’t love this alone time with the boss, but why’d we have to do it in this stinky van?” Emily’s voice sounded odd, mostly because she was holding her nose as she talked. “Seriously, couldn’t we have just burned this thing by the side of the road?”

Melanie sighed as the girl stuck her head even further out the window, and silently passed her another air freshener. Smokey and Ribbit had done their level best to make the drive just as bad for the Crew as it had been for them. Even with Newter regularly dosing the five villains, the horrific scents they’d produced just to be difficult had ruined the vehicle.

“Car fires tend to lead to investigations, and given all the evidence we left in it during the 1,200 mile drive from Vegas to Houston, there’s probably quite a bit.” She tried not to laugh as Emily turned back towards Melanie, the fake pine tree sticking out of a surgical mask she’d found somewhere. “Clever girl. I don’t suppose you can rig one up for me, as well?”

It didn’t help that much, but was certainly better than nothing, and it made Emily happy.

After the day she’d had, it was well worth the effort. 

“This trip of ours serves three purposes, Emily. The first is because my contact’s chop shop will take care of our evidence without fire, and give us a brand new vehicle in return. Which will also give you a good opportunity to practice haggling and business matters, in a safe environment.”

“Cool! I mean, I’ve played a few games with that sort of thing, but never really done it much in person.” She lowered her voice a little, hunching her shoulders as she admitted, “My poker face isn’t exactly top-notch. Hopefully I don’t end up with a skateboard or something…”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. Cruz is an old friend, and he’s actually training a protege of his own.”

She paused, giving Emily time to throw out any other concerns, then continued to point two.

“The second reason is that I wanted to apologize to you, for this morning.” That got Melanie an odd look, and even with the mask it wasn’t hard to see that Emily was confused. An apology from her boss wasn’t a regular occurrence, but after a few moments she added, “For getting your hopes up? You’d been looking forward to seeing Sherrel again, hadn’t you?”

Earlier in the week, when they’d been picking locations to turn in the bounties, Emily had suggested Houston. She knew that Sherrel was doing her rehab there, and figured they could check in with the tinker after the exchange. Melanie had cleared it with Dispatch, then focused on the hundreds of miles they had to drive and let the matter pass out of her head.

But Emily had brought it up at least a dozen times a day, explaining her friend’s circumstances to Siobhán and Jess, as well as the blonde’s part in the latter’s rescue. Sherrel’s PRT probation required the 18-year-old to spend a year with the Wards, despite aging out of their program in mere months. Then she’d be traded to whatever PRT branch wanted her, or stay in Houston.

Of course, Melanie’s lawyer had had a hand in her ending up in Houston. Not only did it specialize in training capes, but there was a Rare Materials Tinker by the name of Quark who was in Houston. Both her and a recently transferred Ward called Hoyden had substance abuse issues in their records, something that made Melanie think they’d help the blonde recover. 

Unfortunately, by attempting to avoid having Emily spook the tinker by warning her about their approach, Melanie had forgotten to take the PRT’s bureaucracy into account. The Crew arrived to drop off their bounties and visit their friend, only to discover that she’d already been moved.

“—but Hoyden and the others told me that they wanted to give her some special training in San Diego, and I guess that makes sense.” Emily finished, sighing despite the smile in her voice. “I mean, I was sad that I missed her, but judging by the pictures Hoyden showed me she’s doing a lot better. From the stories they told, she’s like a whole new person now that she’s finally clean!”

That had been the biggest surprise of all, honestly. Melanie and Gregor had returned from their paperwork to find the Houston Wards gathered at a table in the PRT cafeteria with Spitfire, Newter, and Umaro. All were trading tales of Sherrel and looked like nothing more than…kids.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that for all their powers, so many capes were just teenagers. 

It hadn’t mattered one whit to Emily that the Wards may have arrested her if ordered, nor did the Wards care that the Crew had once been considered little better than villains.

As she remembered the genuine disappointment in Emily’s voice when Melanie told them it was time to go, an odd realization had struck the mercenary leader. One that only grew stronger as a few of the Wards traded online handles and phone numbers with her younger Crew.

“In that case, I suppose there’s no reason not to talk about the final reason we’re out here in private. But before I get to that, what was your read on the Wards you met this morning? Start with Hoyden perhaps, since you seemed to be talking to her the most. Strengths, weaknesses?”

That seemed to surprise the girl, and Emily closed her eyes for a few moments before replying. She’d gotten a lot better at thinking before speaking, especially after more than a few slip-ups during her training with Gregor. 

She was still Emily, just a slightly more thoughtful one, growing with every day that passed.

It made Melanie so proud.

“She’s really loud and bossy. I think she’s about Elle’s age, because at one point she bragged about voting this year, but also clammed up when one of her teammates asked about something political. I think she’s sort of nervous about being their new leader, and acting tougher than—” 

Emily went on to delve into a much more detailed analysis than Melanie expected. Personality traits, likes and dislikes, as well as what she thought the older girl’s costume said about her. 

There was even a moment that Emily referenced a book Gregor had given her, talking about the Ward’s propensity for running her hands through her hair, and what that meant.

“—think she has a crush on Sherrel, because at one point Quark talked about how she’d caught the two in Sherrel’s workshop and Hoyden immediately blushed and changed the subject.” Emily grinned, pulling out her phone and starting to type something. “I asked Sherrel about it an hour ago, subtly of course, and she got pretty flustered then said she had a class to get to.”

“Emily, do you know that I asked Newter this same question?” She looked up from her phone, an ounce of worry crossing her features as she stared at the dashboard. “Would you like to guess what he told me? Or how it differed from your report just now?”

“Um, well since it’s Newt I’m gonna guess it was all about battle tactics? He’s been really getting into that stuff ever since that form training with Jess.”

“Correct. His report was entirely focused on power interaction theories, how he’d take the Wards on individually if necessary, as well as possible combinations for our Crew versus their capes.” She smiled a little, surprised at how wildly different the two had been in their focus. Emily’s face fell, and Melanie realized that she’d given the wrong impression. “There was no wrong answer.”

Her confusion only seemed to grow, and so Melanie finally broke down and started to explain why today had been so enlightening. It showed her that they’d been going about the girl’s training all wrong, and even Gregor agreed that it was time for a change of pace.

Gregor, for all his knowledge and skill at teaching, had never quite broken his habit of broad lessons. He preferred to build pyramids with a strong foundation of knowledge leading towards a focused advancement, as opposed to a tower that had a focus from the start. In their profession, being too focused on something a person lacked talent in could waste time…

“—but spending weeks giving me a really wide range of knowledge means that the stuff I’m best at gets lost in the weeds.” Emily finished for Melanie, drawing an honestly shocked expression from her. The young mercenary winked, and proudly explained. “I’ve played a few RPGs where if you spread out all your skill points, you end up okay at everything. But if you just focused on swords or magic from the start, you may be a one-note character but it’s a hell of a great note.”

Melanie chuckled, shaking her head as the girl went on to give an example from one game in particular that Jess’ Umaro form had been based on. It never ceased to amaze her just how much rewarding Emily with video games had paid off. 

Almost made her want to play them...and perhaps they’d have a chance for that in the future?

“Emily, today I saw you connect with complete strangers, and in under an hour you learned more about them than most could have in days. You understood Hoyden, befriended her with relative ease, and utilized that connection to gain access to her friends. Hell, you even left with contact information from all of them! I should have realized it when you set up that Rogue Party , but you have a real talent for networking, reading people, and a powerful sense of empathy.”

“I mean, I’m just being friendly and stuff. I’m not really sure I’m made for ‘networking,’ or anything.” Emily verbally backpedaled a bit, blushing at the sudden praise. Still, she didn’t outright refuse, instead asking, “How would you even teach me about that stuff, anyway?”

“I’d suggest you continue your lessons with Gregor for now, and once we get back to Brockton I’ll start spending more time with you. At the very least it will involve similar studies, as well as training in both work and civilian guises.” Melanie didn’t think it sounded all that convincing to her own ears, but Emily seemed rather pleased. “But again, only if you want to try it.”

“Oh no, I’m definitely more into this than the other stuff. No offense to Gregor, but some of the stuff in his lesson plan was a bit overwhelming. Like, I didn’t really enjoy the warehouse fighting nearly as much as Newter did, and all that reading on the crime statistics was kinda killing me.”

“Excellent. Now, speaking of killing us, I think it’s high time we got rid of this horrible van…”

The trade went fairly well, and Emily’s newfound confidence actually allowed her to net a far better deal than Melanie had expected. She made certain to praise the girl, despite pointing out a few areas that needed work, like her propensity for breaking character when finding success.

On the other hand, it did make her far more genuine, and Melanie wondered if it would be better to leave that alone. Perhaps just a few acting classes, or learning the same way Melanie did…with a whole lot of card games. 

After they got back, Emily proudly told the others about her new training, and Melanie decided to give them some time to themselves. It had been a busy week and everyone was tired, so she wasn’t surprised when they all ended up on the couch, dozing in front of a movie.

She’d acquired a hotel suite big enough for all of them, four bedrooms meeting at a central living room hub. Thanks to their bounties, as well as driving the whole way from Vegas, the Crew was flush with cash for quite a while. 

There was more than enough for some of their extracurricular projects, leaving Gregor pleased.

On that note, Melanie spent an hour working with her lawyer on Elle’s adoption and upcoming birthday. All three projects were going well, with success almost certain in at least two of them. She’d been rather surprised that the blonde had been so willing to go through with them, but imagined that her sister-to-be had had a hand in the decision.

With Newter and Jess closer than ever, Siobhán growing more familiar with them daily, and Gregor taking over minding duties, Melanie was actually able to relax for a while. It had actually been quite a while since she didn’t have some plan to work on or a job to review.

The hotel had a spa, and after dancing around the issue for several minutes Melanie finally decided to pay it a visit. Having someone else take care of her for a few hours might be nice.

Of course, she brought along a hidden blade and ran a quick background check on the staff before entering. Not out of paranoia, but rather a simple precaution.

A few hours later, refreshed and ready to tackle the evening, she gathered the Crew in their suite’s living room to talk about their next step into the future.

There were several options in front of them, from visiting Trevor in New Orleans to heading back to Brockton. The gangs were simmering down, and—

Suddenly, and entirely without warning, several of their phones buzzed at once. 

As one, they froze upon seeing the message displayed across the screen.

An Endbringer Alert. Leviathan was coming…

Hitting Miami, Florida in an hour.

The Crew’s plans changed.

“Okay, I’m changed. Are we ready to go?” Jess rolled out of her room, wearing the armor that Melanie had gotten for her. She’d never been in an Endbringer fight, but figured that even without a costume the makeshift armor was better than nothing. “Why are you all just sitting?”

In one corner, Gregor and Elle were talking to Siobhán, who seemed to be taking notes on something as the pair took turns explaining Endbringers. Jess added another mark to her ‘Siobhán definitely isn’t from Earth Bet’ board, but now wasn’t the time for that. 

With Melanie and Emily securing their transport, now was supposed to be the time for action!

But the others weren’t even in their costumes, much less in a rush to leave… 

Hell, Siobhán was still in a bathrobe and slippers!

Jess’ confusion didn’t fade as Newter gently helped her wheel to the couch, then sat beside her and took her hand. He seemed oddly calm, and slowly began to explain.

“None of us really have powers meant for fighting an Endbringer. I mean, Elle might if she had time to set up and was having a really bad day, but it’s not worth the risk. Emily’s power might be decent, but normal napalm barely scratches Leviathan, and my sweat has no effect on him.”

“What, so we’re just supposed to sit here and watch, while all those people die?” Newter’s face fell, and she realized that she was being way too harsh. The Crew had been around long enough that for all she knew they’d lost members to the Endbringers. “Sorry, I’m just…I hate just sitting around doing nothing. What’s the point of these powers if we can’t even fight bad guys?”

“I know, believe me.” He squeezed her hand, and not for the first time she wished she could hug him safely. She really needed one right now, and had no doubt he did as well. “But we kick ass at Search and Rescue, and that’s what Mel and Emily are setting up now.”

As he told it, the Crew had been providing post-Endbringer services since he’d been a member. It was one of the many things that set them apart from other cape mercenary groups, because they didn’t charge a single cent for it. As long as they could get transport, they’d stick around for at least a week or so to help with cleanup, security, and other matters.

Newter’s sweat helped injured people, and Spitfire’s power provided warmth and could clear debris. Gregor’s ooze worked as everything from mortar to insulation, and he even had a formula for burn salve. Labyrinth was very skilled at entertaining children, surprisingly enough. Finally, Faultline was an expert at controlled destruction and freeing trapped survivors.

With Shamrock for security and Genesis having such a wide range of forms, Jess could certainly understand why waiting was the best option. 

But that didn’t make this any easier, especially when Gregor turned the TV on.

She sat there, squeezing Newter’s hand as they watched the muted television, showing a city already being damaged by waves and storms. It kept cutting between people evacuating, rushing into shelters, and generally panicking as a horrific monster closed in on them.

There was a picture-in-picture showing the ocean, its placid waters disturbed by something that looked like a torpedo. A ticker at the bottom of the screen provided information, and a small clock in one corner had an ETA of less than a few minutes.

Then the picture switched to a huge gathering of capes, more than Jess had ever seen in one place. So many colorful costumes, it was hard to tell who was a hero and who was a villain. All of them stood together, shoulder to shoulder. 

Waiting.

Many of them were familiar to Jess, thanks to her year or so of fighting against them alongside her old team, but most were total unknowns. Despite never meeting (or fighting) them in person, she recognized the Brockton Bay capes, surprised they’d come from so far away.

Armsmaster, as well as the rest of his Protectorate…except Velocity for some reason. Also New Wave, and three of the Wards. Aegis, Vista, and Kid Win. Elle began to shudder when she saw the last one, and Emily explained that he was the blonde’s secret boyfriend.

Jess understood Elle’s worry, knowing that a lot of people, capes and civilians alike, died at fights like this. The thought of someone as young as Vista dying at this fight horrified her, even more than the other people there. Jess should have gone to her room…

But as the fight began, she didn’t move. None of them did. They didn’t close their eyes, even as buildings fell and water swelled. Didn’t look away as the greatest capes of her age put their lives on the line, no matter the deadly cost.

They watched as heroes and villains, rogues and vigilantes, civilians and capes, statues and buildings…all faced the wrath of an unstoppable creature of senseless destruction and terror.

They cheered as Armsmaster single-handedly held it off so the heroes had a chance to regroup, then wept as his arm was torn off like he was no more than a child’s action figure…

They roared as New Wave fought like a well-oiled machine to protect their fallen friend, then moaned as one by one the team’s white suits were stained red…

Elle shouted victoriously as Kid Win blasted the creature with a huge gun, driving it away and then swooping in to snatch up Arrmsmaster…

Newter grinned as Assault and Battery covered their escape, tag-teaming the monster and knocking it through a building…

Then Newter and Elle whimpered as it burst out of the ruins, killing both heroes with a swing of its tail...

On and on the fight went, and Jess felt her exhaustion grow, despite only sitting there.

So many were dying, and the monster looked like it was barely winded. 

But she couldn’t look away…none of them could.

Jess hated herself, wishing her power would let her reach hundreds of miles to assist. 

Newter dug his fingers into the couch, obviously feeling powerless despite all his ability. 

Siobhán was speechless, tears running down her face as she silently wept. 

Gregor held Elle, who was overwhelmed by the death and destruction…

Scion arrived, as he usually did when things were at their darkest, and chased the monster away. It would have been so easy to curse him, but his light revealed other reasons to be happy.

Armsmaster, walking with Aegis and Kid Win on either side of him, the latter’s hoverboard carrying the man’s severed arm as Vista guided it along. 

The children of New Wave, still alive thanks to the valiant sacrifices of their parents, holding each other up despite overwhelming emotional pain.

Even as Scion’s light healed them, the losses were still fresh and painful. But they’d made it, and now it was time to rebuild.

The Crew kept watching, witnesses to the heroism of those willing to sacrifice everything.

That didn’t make their deaths any easier to watch, but it did inspire Jess to try harder.

Someday, that might be her out there, fighting an impossible battle.

She’d die before she let anything happen to her teammates.

Jess knew they’d all do the same for her, no matter what.

They were more than a team…they were family.

Staring out at the moon from the living room area of their hotel suite, Gregor found himself more introspective than usual. That was certainly saying something, considering his usual thoughts…

Hours ago, Melanie and Emily had returned with their tickets and itinerary, the latter just as emotional and distraught as her sister. Even their boss appeared to be rather withdrawn, and filled them in on tomorrow’s afternoon flight in a monotone before retiring to her room to rest.

Melanie’s relationship with emotions and grief had always been private, but little snippets of her past told him she’d lost a lot of people and connections early in life. While she may have gained money and experience as a result, her current profession proved that it mattered little to her.

In fact, he often wondered if the conditions and friendly atmosphere of their Crew could be directly traced back to that original loss. That she had spent a decade or more recreating her family, and in many ways that made him proud. But it also brought sadness, and regret that he was far too polite and afraid of hurting her to really speak about it openly. 

Realizing he was just hiding from Morpheus’ sand, worried about what fresh torments his psyche would inflict upon him after the horrors they’d all witnessed, he went back inside. 

No matter how much he may have feared his unconscious mind, a far greater threat was to be unprepared and exhausted come sunrise. 

They had quite a week ahead of them all, and everyone was counting on him to be solid.

But instead he felt like liquid, shifting and uncertain, especially after today…

Before turning in, despite knowing it was yet another delaying tactic on his part, Gregor decided to take one last look at his team. The lights were off, but he had excellent night vision and easily found his way to the first door. Whether it was because of his fluids or body, he had no idea...

But in that moment, as he peered into the room Newter and Jess were sharing, Gregor found himself thankful for his altered body. Because thanks to his eyes, he was able to behold what could only be described as love like no poet could ever put to words.

The pair had made many attempts to spend time together, despite Newter’s power making it difficult for them to interact physically. Gloves, waterproof clothing, and Jess’ never-ending attempts to find a form that could resist Newter’s fluids.

This latest experiment was their most interesting yet, and it took Gregor a few moments to fully comprehend it. Once he did, the many levels it worked on filled him with an incredible warmth.

Warmth, as it so happened, was a key component of their arrangement.

Newter had swaddled himself in a blanket, one of several they had since Houston’s summer heat required quite a bit of air conditioning. Jess was resting atop her boyfriend, her head on a pillow on his chest, eyes glancing at him for a moment as a smile briefly graced her visage. 

Even from the door, Gregor could smell Newter’s musk, and realized that Jess was likely being affected by the relaxing scent of his power. She was content to just lay there, the two of them drawing off of each others’ presence, arms wrapped around each other.

Despite being unable to engage in certain acts, or perhaps unwilling to try in light of the day’s events, they had chosen another route. To simply luxuriate in their bond, the connection they shared as teammates and lovers. 

It was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes, and Gregor quietly retreated.

The next door was Emily and Elle’s room, and caused a similar reaction for an entirely different reason. As he opened their door, he could see that both were sleeping, and like their teammates had chosen to comfort one another. The sisters slept in one bed, holding each other loosely.

It reminded Gregor of an earlier time, several months ago when Emily had first joined their Crew. No, even before she had joined the team proper, when she was merely a girl Chuck had realized he was incapable of truly helping. 

Emily had been so quiet, so afraid, so skittish. She’d cringed from Gregor’s appearance, flinched at the sight of Newter’s tail, and mumbled when Melanie was too strict. She hid from them all, staying in her new room and barely saying a few words to them. Even when she was beset by nightmares, the teenager had refused to open up, no matter what they did.

But Elle had reached past all that, and on a night much like this one he’d awoken to the familiar sounds of Emily shouting in terror. Halfway to her room, the cries were dampened, Gregor carefully opened her door to see a surprising sight.

Elle was sitting on Emily’s bed, holding the younger girl and making soothing noises. Even as her roommate wept and babbled about what she’d dreamt, the blonde continued to hug her.

As days turned into weeks, the nightmares began to recede, and Emily slowly emerged from her shell. She became the amazing young woman she was today, and Elle grew in turn.

Tonight, Gregor was pleased to see that even as one began to shift and moan, the other would awaken and soothe her sister. 

Their love for one another could not have been more powerful, and filled him with such hope.

He gently closed their door, and leaned against the wall rather than open his own.

Within, he knew that he’d find Siobhán, likely fast asleep in her bed.

His own was empty, and therein lay his conundrum.

Earlier that day, before Leviathan and all the emotional turmoil that followed, she’d hinted at having feelings for him. She hadn’t said it outright, but adding in the way she’d begun to make more and more physical contact with him suggested there was something there. Which was why he was so confused, and had hoped to speak to Melanie about it before…everything happened.

On the one hand, they’d spent quite a bit of time together over the last two weeks, so it might have been little more than infatuation. He’d been her teacher, confidant, and conversation partner more than any of the others. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time someone had sought to pay him back in an unorthodox way…but this was different.

Siobhán came from a very insular community, had a strict upbringing, and was very open with her thoughts once they’d taught her to ask questions. She lacked an understanding of so many of Earth Bet’s social norms and references that it almost seemed she was from another planet. 

But at the same time, her kidnapping and training may have played a role in that, as well.

He felt as if he’d be taking advantage of her to act upon her kindness, which was the heart of the issue. Certainly, Gregor was attracted to her in many ways, despite being what Emily referred to as Ace/Aro, and felt like there was a connection between them. 

The redhead was a mystery just like him, and Gregor loved mysteries. More than that, he felt something for Siobhán that may well have been love. So rather than joining her, either to sleep, talk, or seek something deeper, he decided to go to Melanie.

Like him, she had never sought romance in all the years he’d known her. But more than that, she was still awake despite having lectured all of them about getting a good night’s rest.

Gregor could hear her talking to someone on the phone, sounding rather annoyed, and so he listened at the door for a moment.

“—I don’t care about the money.” His brow spiking upwards, Gregor was through the door before he could stop himself, and paused as Melanie caught his eyes. She waved for him to come in, tapping at her laptop with one hand as the other held a satellite phone to her ear. “Besides, if you paid Epeios to mess with Coil’s numbers, I can’t exactly take yours seriously. So think of this as an opportunity to entice the Crew with something other than just money.”

She paused, the person on the other end seemingly just as shocked as Gregor. It wasn’t that his boss was some money-grubbing grifter, but usually there was at least some degree of focus on the bottom line in her deals. 

Money mattered to her, but here she was taking a different tactic for some unknown reason. 

Most puzzling of all was that he recognized the voice on the other end of the call.

Gregor wondered what dire circumstances had led to this conversation.

Why would the Undersiders call the Crew for anything?

Before he could ruminate too far, Tattletale began to speak again, and Melanie’s face shifted into what looked like a smile. Normally she couldn’t stand the blonde, but now she almost looked…proud? She even began to nod, making a few notes as the girl finished talking.

“Not bad, but make it three blocks, and the talk with the Mayor can’t be threats or intimidation. I’m trying to affect real positive change, and…yes, exactly. With the money you claim to have on hand, it should be easy to accomplish. Right. Well, that’s for you to figure out.”

Her computer dinged, and Melanie opened an encrypted email to reveal a fairly simple contract. He read through it over her shoulder, and felt his jaw drop as he saw how much the Crew were getting paid for simply…no, there had to be some sort of trick…or maybe—

“I need some time to think. Coil isn’t expecting me to call him back for another fifteen minutes…” She paused, then sighed as her conversation partner said something that sounded annoyed. “Be glad I’m considering your offer at all, after what your teammate did to Spitfire last year. Now, if there’s nothing else? Good. Then you’ll have your answer soon enough. Goodbye.”

She hung up, and in mere moments seemed to age a dozen years as the face Melanie wore for negotiations faded away. This was a different person, one whose eyes flicked between two contracts on her laptop’s screen, before focusing on Gregor with no small amount of worry.

But regardless of what he thought, Gregor still waited patiently for his boss to speak. He sat beside her, and gave her his full attention as she began to share her thoughts at last.

“Despite her power, I’ve rarely known Tattletale to outright lie. Tonight she…” Mel frowned, leaning back and lowering her voice. “She made several claims about Coil. Most of them I was already aware of, including her team’s connection to him. But a month ago he apparently kidnapped a child. Stolen from her parents, addicted her to drugs, some sort of precog…”

“Not to state the obvious, but the man has never made a secret of his villainous intentions. To find out a few more sins, no matter how horrifying, doesn’t seem like it should affect you so.” Gregor paused, playing back her last two sentences, and then realized the truth. “A child?”

“Twelve years old, kidnapped the same day as that bank robbery, while the Protectorate was out of town and a few hours before Newter went to rescue Jess.” Melanie’s eyes sharpened, as she stared at something he couldn’t see. “It made me think of Siobhán. She was stolen, used for her powers, like a tool. I thought of Emily, Elle, Newter, and so many others. But I worry that—”

“You’re worried accepting Tattletale’s contract will be based on personal feelings and emotions, rather than reason?” Melanie was so shocked by his frank assessment that she didn’t resist as he gently took one of her hands, in his own. “I mean, it was obvious. Also, kind of dumb.”

That knocked her out of her stupor, but she didn’t pull away from his grasp. Instead, Melanie just glared at him for a moment, waiting for what had better be one hell of an explanation.

“I know this is the pot calling the kettle black, but stop overthinking this. You’re the most complex, difficult, and multi-faceted person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not once have you ever made a decision for only one reason , or without considering everyone’s needs. Besides, is Coil’s offer really that much better than Tattletale’s? What did he want, anyway?”

“Bodyguard job. Starting in a few hours, going for a week.” She tapped one of the contracts on the screen, and he saw the familiar legalese that Coil’s lawyers loved to employ. He even saw mention of a teleporter to bring the Crew to Brockton ASAP, if she accepted. “I suspect that with so many thinkers at play, it’s making it hard for him to know exactly what the threat is. That, or Trainwreck built something for Tattletale that’s confounding his people somehow.”

It spoke well of Melanie’s level of professionalism that she didn’t even consider simply telling Coil who his aggressor was, nor hold such knowledge over the blonde’s head. She could easily have doubled the offer from one and reduced their workload significantly…but no.

A contract negotiation was sacred to Melanie, and words spoken during one were private. She’d no sooner blackmail Tattletale with her deductions than turn on any of the Crew, no matter what. 

Gregor attempted to lighten the mood, something he was still learning even now.

“So you’re saying that I was right and you were wrong, last month when I suggested we recruit Trainwreck? Because that’s what I’m hearing here.” He grinned, and caught a ghost of a smile on her face before it smoothed away. “But fine, so he’s an evil monster offering ten times as much money as she is. What about Tattletale? Do you really think that she can…I mean…”

“She’s asking for my help contacting the Red Hands and a few other mercs, and wants us to stay out of Brockton for a week. In exchange…” She gestured at the list of details and plans. It started with a rather small amount of money, barely enough to pay Palanquin’s electric bill. 

True, there wasn’t nearly as much money involved, but Gregor saw some rather interesting ideas for helping Case 53s in Brockton, as well as a variety of other concepts. For instance, taking over the Enforcers on the Boardwalk, and completely revamping them.

But even as his heart lifted, Gregor’s mind kept hammering him with cynicism. This was a shot in the dark, and if Tattletale failed then she’d take everyone down with her. The Crew might even face backlash for taking part in this effort. Coil was rather petty.

There were so many huge promises, and such a big part of him wanted to believe that this was possible. That the villains and rogues in Brockton could come together to excise a common foe, like the Somer’s Rock Meetings of days past.

Just as he’d moved upwards in life from being a bouncer, and as so many others had found a way to overcome the fate they’d been handed, this was such a chance. An opportunity to grow as people, and…Gregor sighed.

Of course, none of it mattered if the Undersiders failed, or if Faultline took Coil’s deal instead, orif  any number of other scenarios came to pass. This wasn’t a time for dreams, after all.

The two of them could have talked about it all night, but both mercenaries knew that time was of the essence. So Gregor merely shared his wisdom and philosophy, as well as his opinion.

Then he wished her a good night, and left as she reached for the phone, having made up her mind halfway through his ramblings. He had no idea what she’d chosen.

But it didn’t matter, because he knew that tomorrow she’d have a plan and they’d all support her. Because at their cores, everyone in the Crew trusted Melanie.

With his final task complete, Gregor finally did something he’d been worried about all night. He went to his room at last, and saw Siobhán fast asleep in her bed.

He’d come to realize during their conversation that this wasn’t a problem to be solved. It was a conversation between two people, a matter of family and love.

With one part of that conversation asleep, he decided to follow suit, and lay down in his bed. Despite everything on his mind, he soon drifted off.

The future was uncertain, and unlike Coil he lacked any capes on his side who could peer into it with any real capability.

But despite all that, Gregor no longer felt afraid of the nightmares or worries that had plagued him for so long.

Seeing the love that had blossomed between Newter and Jess filled him with hope for the future.

Watching Emily and Elle comfort each other made him proud of how much they’d grown.

Seeing Melanie deal with someone she disliked for a larger cause inspired him.

Knowing Siobhán cared about him made Gregor feel loved and respected.

Soon enough he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a brighter future.

Then he woke up, and set out to make it a reality. 

Chapter Text

“That one kind of looks like a monkey.”

A warm August breeze blew a bit of Umaro’s fur into Newter’s face. Lifting his head off her stomach for a moment, he brushed it back and lay down again, feeling her vibrate a little as she relaxed under him. He looked up at the cloud, trying not to think about the last time he did this.

“Yeah, I guess I can see it.” The pair had decided to take a break on a rooftop. Both had been running around all day, and some cloud-watching was pretty relaxing. Especially when his girlfriend graciously offered to be his pillow. “But that one next to it looks like a skull, right?”

“A skull?” She snorted, warm fur dancing across his face and shoulder. “That’s a duck!”

“What are you talking about?” He slid a bit closer, rotating so they lay side-by-side. One arm thrust into the sky, finger pointing up at the cloud in question. “Don’t you see the skull? It’s stuck to that bigger cloud that kind of looks like an island. I’m thinking of calling it Skull Island!”

“That island doesn’t look like a skull at all!” She slid her arm under his head, a down pillow of soft white fur. Her elbow bent, huge forearm towering over him and shading their faces as she pointed. “If anything, it looks like a great big, enormous duck! You should call it Duck Island.”

“Well, you see…you gotta squint and turn your head and…” 

“If I squint and turn my head it looks like a bunny.” She deadpanned, and then went silent. He turned, seeing her face so incredibly close to his own, and tried to smile. Jess had improved this form’s resistance to his power, he recalled her saying. “You’ve got really pretty eyes, as usual.”

But as much as he would have loved to lean in and kiss her, Newter still felt oddly somber. 

All he could think of was someone else and the past, not Jess and the present…

In the months since Leviathan, he’d been thinking a lot about the past.

Everyone else seemed focused on the future, talking of change…

But Newter felt like the same person he’d always been.

“Thanks.” His voice sounded sad, even to his own ears, and Newter felt like a jerk when her face fell. The warm breeze suddenly felt cool, and he flinched a little as her arm lowered to settle on his chest rather than pull him closer. “Sorry. I’m just…I really shouldn’t be so down.”

“This about Trevor?” His eyebrows shot up, and the corner of Umaro’s lips turned up for a moment. Of course, she probably knew it from how much he’d talked about the boy over the last few weeks. “You’ve been kind of down all week, but I didn’t want to pry. Wanna talk about it?”

“It’s nothing. I mean, it’s something, but I’m just being selfish.” Her warm hand gently brushed against his chest, and he closed his eyes with a sigh. “I get why he moved to New Orleans, but I still miss him. I keep wanting to tell him that, to convince him that things are better, but…”

But Trevor sounded so happy every time Newter talked to him.

Against all odds he’d actually been pretty upbeat about joining the Wards, even if it was only for a year. They’d promised him a college scholarship, all sorts of special equipment, and more. Trevor’s dreams were finally coming true, and all he’d had to do…was leave Newter behind.

“Every time we talk, he’s always going on about how it’s so much better out there. I’ll tell him how the Undersiders are more rogue than villain now, Coil’s dead, the E88’s falling apart, we have so many heroes, Ken’s turning Shantytown into South Beach …and he just smiles. Says he’s happy for me . He’s gone and I wish he’d come back and I…I feel so…selfish.”

“There’s nothing selfish about missing a friend, Newter.” He opened his eyes to see her smiling sadly, and felt even worse as he recalled her own experience on the subject. “I talk to Oliver weekly, but miss him like crazy. Sometimes I want to run out to California and kidnap him…”

“So why haven’t you?” It sounded accusatory, and he immediately regretted it. Voice sounding small in his ears, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way. But maybe we could visit him together? You shouldn’t force yourself to stay here, and if it would make you happier—”

Umaro slid her arm under him, towards his lower back, and in one swift movement she’d lifted him into the air. Her other hand came in and caught him, and soon he was above her like a child being held aloft by a parent. He’d done it to Jess before, and it was strangely relaxing now.

A wide smile had spread over her face, eyes practically glowing in the noonday sun. A few drops of his sweat dripped onto her face, sliding off as her tough skin easily rejected it. She brought him closer, her voice a breathy whisper that warmed him.

“Everything I need is right here.” She settled him atop her, hugging the orange boy to her like the world’s biggest weighted blanket. Despite the heat of the sun on her fur, he felt perfectly comfortable. “I love you. I love the Crew. You’re my life now…but it’s okay to miss people.”

“Thanks, Jess.” He breathed, feeling her rumble under him like a purring cat, and wrapped his arms around her as well. “You’re better at cloud-watching anyway. Trevor always had to be pretty high to see anything good, so I guess I’m glad my sweat can help you—”

“Newter, even though I know you’ve got that sweat scent going, that’s not what makes me feel good.” She rested her forehead on his, running a hand through his hair. “It’s you. Just you.”

“Well, if you want me to make you feel even better, I’ve certainly got a few ideas…” He trailed off, a smile darting across his lips as they drew closer to her own—

“Newter? Umaro?” Elle’s voice in his ear made the boy slip, barely turning his face plant onto the rooftop into a clumsy roll to his feet. “Are you there? I saw you’d stopped on a rooftop…”

“Yeah we’re here. Just hanging out and looking at big fluffy clouds.” Umaro’s laughter cut off, as she tapped the comm in her ear to activate the mic. She crossed her arms and he couldn’t help but look at her— “Newt’s looking at two clouds in particular right now, if you catch my drift.”

As Newter spluttered and tried to come up with a clever retort, both laughed at his expense. He chose instead to pull out his phone, the screen showing a map of Brockton and centered on their location. Both watched as it changed, Elle’s data slowly filling things in.

Part of Faultline’s deal with the Undersiders had been that they’d leave a three block radius around the Palanquin alone, which served several purposes, according to Mel. First, it ensured that PRT, BBPD, and others could visit since the nightclub was at the north edge of the Docks. 

Second, it gave them some autonomy, and served as a test of the growing gang’s word. Even if they claimed to have mostly good intentions for the town, the Undersiders had a lot of power and were still just teenagers. If they started following in Coil’s footsteps, Mel wanted to be ready.

But most important of all, with Emily’s training switching more towards networking and gathering intel, it was an opportunity for Newter. Mel said she’d noticed his skill in tactical appraisals and adapting to combat situations. Therefore, this three-block radius had become his practice area.

Jess called it his “Tutorial Zone,” and the name was pretty apt once he got into the swing of it. 

He put together patrol schedules for a few of them and used one of Mel’s PRT contacts to gain access to their Console system. With tentative help from both the PRT and a few independent capes, they had turned this little area into one of the safest parts of Brockton Bay.

It was small, and fairly low on crime to begin with, but everyone had to start somewhere!

After a brief glance at the three dots that had appeared on the map, Newter quickly assigned one to himself and the other to Umaro. They agreed to meet up at the third, something about that location seeming awfully familiar to him. After a quick kiss, they were off.

A few minutes of roof-hopping later, he discovered a would-be mugger and artfully dripped some sweat onto the man’s head from above. His would-be victim waved, kicked the man in the ribs, and then stole his wallet before running off. Newter decided to let it slide, and informed the PRT of his progress before emailing a video he’d taken of the incident from his POV to them.

Heading towards the third location, he got a call from Umaro that hers had been a false alarm. Some guy thought he’d seen a monster in an alley, but it turned out to just be some dogs. Ever since Coil’s little surprise, Brockton had experienced a spike in its stray dog population.

More than that, people learned not to mess with dogs near the Docks, or face the wrath of—

“Bitch! Race traitor! Let me inside!” A man was shouting and banging on the front door of a popular deli across the street. He was huge, covered in a trenchcoat, hat, and scarf, rattling at the locked door as an elderly woman on the other side of the glass flipped him off. “You owe us! Open up, now! You took out a loan, and it’s time to pay the piper!”

Perching on the roof’s edge as the man continued to yell increasingly racist remarks at the deli’s owners, Newter searched his memories for why this place was so familiar. The sign had been replaced recently, and it looked like all the old E88 graffiti had been removed.

A police siren in the distance suggested that this might not even need their interference, something he shared as Umaro arrived behind him. Then he saw three men with E88 tattoos come up to stand beside the big man, and finally the door opened with a sad little jingle.

“Hey, isn’t that the deli we visited back in April?” She seemed to recognize the bell, and now Newter did as well. It helped that even as the three goons stepped inside and their apparent leader was stopped at the door, the one doing the stopping was a large man in an apron…with a shotgun. “The owner was afraid you were robbing the place, I think? Even after Jest…I mean, I told him we were there to eat, he brought the food in a To-Go bag?”

“Yeah, and he had that same shotgun, except with us he just kept looking at it.” Now the man was not just holding the weapon, but actually pointing it at the trenchcoated man. He seemed content just to point, but Newter reached for a sweat-sponge just in case. “Go on my sig—”

Further planning was derailed as an explosion of sound and force sent the trenchcoated man flying backwards, a gun Newter hadn’t even noticed clutched in one hand. It was dropped as he hit the ground, and Umaro started to jump down, but Newter caught her. “Wait. Look! It’s—”

Despite having a bloody hole in his chest, moments after the trenchcoated man slid to a stop, Newter’s hackles only rose further. Even the owner, charging out after him to stand in the doorway, wasn’t relaxing. Because he knew exactly who he’d just shot, and now Newter knew as well…

The man’s milky-white skin was unmistakable, as well as his intentions and powers.

Alabaster, a cape incapable of dying, soon rose up again with a smile…

Only to get a brand new hole in his chest as the owner cursed.

Meanwhile, Newter was cursing Coil for causing all this.

Even dead, the cape’s vendettas haunted them.

Melanie had warned them all that Coil was dangerous, but not because of powerful blaster abilities like Purity or stubborn toughness like Lung. No, what made him such a threat was that he had complex plans, no oversight, several contacts, deep pockets, and a lot of resources.

But most of all, it was because he was petty as hell. She’d heard it in his voice, the biting sarcasm and petulant annoyance when things didn’t go his way. No matter how much someone hurt him, they could be assured he’d hit back twice as hard…someday.

After the Undersiders killed him, everyone learned all of that the hard way.

Apparently when he used a dead man’s switch, he went all-in.

Identities of capes, blasted across the internet.

His final revenge on Brockton Bay.

One that…backfired.

It had been a shock to a lot of people that Assault, Ethan Jones, used to be Madcap. But the fact that he’d done so much good, despite all his crimes before going hero, actually worked out in the PRT’s favor. Legend spoke at the man’s funeral, talking about how much the man had changed since he switched sides, even turning his greatest foe into his biggest supporter.

Trevor and his mother took her husband’s surname, and the New Orleans PRT handled the rest. As far as unmaskings went, that had been fairly tame, and only further motivated the pair to stay in their new home. If anything, it was a fresh start for them in their new lives.

Similarly, Chuck decided that this was a fine opportunity to start over, especially now that things were getting serious with Ken. Thanks to Sabah, the trio made him a brand new costume, and he burned down his apartment to wipe Chuck/Charlene/Circus off the map.

Renaissance debuted a week later, in a doublet, breeches, domino mask, and a broad-brimmed hat with a feather; he claimed to be a time traveling hero. Of course, his glowing sword and circuitry-covered satchel that acted like a bag of holding had everyone sure he was a tinker. 

Along with Parian he became Shantytown’s protector, a heroic man of mystery, singing and flipping about like a melodious dervish. All thanks to Coil’s attempt to “ruin” his life.

Finally, the Undersiders barely seemed to care. Mel theorized that they’d found a way to corrupt the info thanks to Epeios, their hacker friend. Supposedly Skitter’s real name was Spencer Costa-Brown , and Tattletale was named Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way … 

Jess had found that name hilarious, promising him he was better off not knowing why.

Coming back to the present, Newter focused on the E88, and how much Coil’s revenge had damaged the gang. Most of their capes had been unmasked, and the Empire had…crumbled.

Several managed to flee, like Purity, who’d been spotted in Boston recently fighting the Teeth and claiming to be a hero. Others made deals, like Victor and Othala, ending up being assigned to Quarantine Sites under very close guard. Still more went down fighting, either dying like Cricket or getting torn apart and Birdcaged like Hookwolf, and unfortunately that wasn’t them all.

Max Anders was supposedly still in Brockton, with Alabaster and Krieg occasionally popping up like this with a few goons. They were essentially rallying the troops to keep their racist dream alive, and everybody knew that as long as they were free the Empire was still a threat.

So as much as he wanted to be annoyed at the deli owner and his wife for treating him like a monster, but begging for help now that they were in danger…Newter sighed. These people needed him, and he wanted to be someone who could make a difference.

Just like that night, all those weeks ago, when he ran out to save Jess and got in over his head. Except now he had knowledge, experience, and the confidence to do things right.

Seeing the owner running out of shells, Newter forced himself to get his head in the game.

He had better things to do than reminisce, after all.

It was time to stomp a nazi.

“Elle, call the PRT, Alabaster’s trying to rob a Jewish deli.” His mouth was already moving as he patted Umaro on the shoulder, pulling her back as she moved to jump down. “Umaro, I need you to deal with crowd control. Block traffic, and keep everyone back, I’ll deal with Alabaster.”

She didn’t even waste a moment arguing, and instead gave him a peck on the cheek before rushing to the other edge. Hearing Elle talk to the PRT, he muted his earpiece and looked below. 

The deli owner was looking back into the restaurant, shouting for more ammo, unaware the pale nazi was rising up behind him. With no time to waste, Newter leapt off the rooftop, easily clearing the street below and landing both feet into the villain’s head. 

It threw the man into the brick wall, splattering blood on a copy of the deli’s menu. Months ago he might have been squeamish, but now Newter simply ignored the gore and backflipped.

Doing a spin as he flipped, Newter tried to take in everything he could. The passersby on one side of him were already whipping out their phones, as if drawn to a cape fight in their midst.

Landing, he spun to see the deli owner had reloaded, and was pointing his shotgun squarely at Newter. 

A second passed, and the cape wondered if he was going to have to fight a battle on two fronts. 

The gun quivered, its owner’s eyes narrowing at Newter…then going wide.

“Oh shit, sahry ‘bout dat, Newtah.” He stepped past the cape as if they were old pals, casually flipping the shotgun around. As Alabaster groaned, the butt of the weapon smashed into his ugly face, a new concussion replacing the old one. “Gaht adrenaline goin’ yah know. My bad.”

“Um…no problem? Any of his guys inside?” Still reeling a little, Newter looked into the deli and saw several broken display cases, as well as a smashed table. An elderly woman with a handgun was barely holding off a trio of Alabaster’s goons, and he got to work.

“Oh, you must be dat nice Newtah boy. Pleased ta meetcha!” She smiled at him as though he was just another customer, barely even blinking as he beat up the nazis. “Yeah, get ‘em!”

Back outside seconds later, he saw the old man tiring out, and caught his shoulder as he staggered a little. “Hey, can you help me out? I’ve got some zip ties…could you…? Thanks!”

Shouts broke out around him, and Newter saw that the crowd had drawn much closer now that the danger had passed. They surrounded him, barely flinching as Umaro hopped down from above, phones and curious gazes on both. 

Normally he’d have expected jeers, taunts, and thrown trash. But in the last few weeks, they’d started getting a different kind of unruly mob…

“— first Oni Lee and Bakuda, now this nazi scum? You rock, Newter! Who’s next, Kaiser? If—”

“—kind of shampoo do you use, Umaro? Your fur is so soft and beautiful! Could I get a selfie—”

“—heard you two were a couple, any plans on getting married? If so, my synagogue would—”

“—had the pastrami here? What do you mean he doesn’t work at the deli? I thought he was—”

“—heard of the Wendigo out in Alaska? I heard a rumor he was your dad, and my website—”

It was stunning, honestly.

Newter was still confused how this had happened so quickly.

Jess had seen some Undersiders on PHO talking up how Newter had taken down Oni Lee, and helped find Bakuda’s hideout. Add in the Mayor being oddly supportive of the Crew, as well as a fundraiser event for Case 53s last month, and public opinion had changed. 

Hell, the PRT ENE had even traded two of their Wards for a Case 53 from Philly, a week ago!

Sure, some still treated people like him as monsters, but they were slowly becoming the minority opinion in Brockton Bay. The town was changing, little by little, and with so much focus on his own life Newter had never really stopped to consider just how great it was. 

Seeing Umaro smile at him, posing as people snapped pictures and cheered for them…

It was great, but also kind of overwhelming.

Newter was actually a little bit glad when the PRT arrived, because they cordoned off the area. After taking a copy of the footage from Newter’s belt camera (Jess’ idea, and a damn good one), as well as collecting their statements, the officers suggested they get moving…

But only after one of them asked for his autograph, something he’d never had happen before.

One stylized N later, and they were back on the rooftops, jogging in relative silence.

As he stopped, Umaro crashed into him, spinning him around and laughing.

She babbled happily about how amazing that had been, and he grinned.

Things were getting better, and they were changing every day…

He couldn’t wait to brag about this to Trevor.

“Earlier, you were bragging about having the perfect outfit for today.” Melanie looked Emily up and down, an odd smile on her face before she smoothed it out. They were at the edge of the Boardwalk, the older woman in slacks and light blouse. “This wasn’t what I expected.”

“What do you mean?” Emily glanced down at herself. A shirt from Disaster Area’s Plutonium Rock Tour , jeans, and some strappy sandals Elle had helped her pick out. A glance in her phone’s reflection showed that her makeup looked great, and she smiled at Mel. “You said I’d be getting tested on networking today, and it’s pretty hot out, so…what’s wrong?”

“It’s not that anything’s wrong per se, but do you remember what happened last week? You were supposed to be gathering information at a job fair, and were dressed like you’d been attacked by a wheat thresher.” Emily had no idea what that was, but assumed that it was like some kind of weed whacker. “The people you spoke to spent more time looking at your outfit than your face. But it’s fine, really. In fact, it might work fairly well for your final task today…”

“Bring it on.” Emily’s grin returned in force, and she popped her knuckles. Wincing at the feeling, noticing a smile flash across Mel’s face to match her own, she asked, “So, who am I going after today? Want me to ferret out a finder on some flim-flammer’s flophouse?”

“Maybe we save that for next time, gumshoe .” Mel smirked, gesturing with her chin at someone handing out flyers in front of a new store that had opened up. “First, I want you to find out—”

And so it went, just as their lessons for the last several weeks had gone. When Mel had time between jobs, which was more and more often as Newter came into his own, Emily was her student. She was learning all kinds of stuff, and was finally starting to feel pretty awesome.

Not all lessons were easy, and some were more than a bit embarrassing at first, but she slowly grew with every experience.

Yet despite all her confidence, occasionally the older cape still found ways to surprise her.

Like their last set of tasks for the day, which involved a very peculiar request…

“I mean, I already know the answer?” Emily looked at Mel quizzically, having thought they were done for the day. She looked out the car’s window, recognizing one of Ken’s newer purchases alongside a nice little park he'd helped plant. “So, why drive all the way out here to ask?”

“Because the point is that you’re asking someone who might not know the context around the question, a nervous young man who’s at the heart of the question itself.” Melanie’s inscrutable look made Emily pretty sure there was more to it than that. “Besides, after a day of talking to adults, I thought you might like to chat with some capes your own age. Think of it as a treat.” 

Ah, there it was. She’d been a bit confused when Mel had quizzed her on Brockton Bay’s Wards, and made an offhand comment about her recent chat with Hoyden. Obviously it was finally time for Emily to try and make the same sort of connections with the local Wards.

“Okay, so anything besides that question?” Melanie handed her a small list, and gave her a few moments to consider them. “So just how do you know the Wards’ll be coming through this way? Secret PRT connections? Hackers? Ask that little precog kid that joined the Wards?”

“Nothing so sophisticated. Ken told me that the Wards had been walking around here more often, asking if anyone had seen Circus. I thought this would be a good opportunity, since you’ve been practicing misinformation lately. Perhaps you can convince them to give up?”

Emily nodded absently, mind racing as the worked out scenarios for accomplishing her tasks. It was tempting to visit Ken and the others, ask for some insight, but there was limited time for this mission. As Mel drove off, Emily began to walk towards the main road.

She had a pretty good idea where the Wards would be thanks to the note, and focused instead on her character. Given the relatively unknown cape she was looking for to, a hardcore fan might spook him. Instead, she decided to be a helpful girl in her late teens, which was natural.

It wasn’t long before she saw her target, kind of hard to miss with his height, and frowned as she noticed that he was with another fairly new Ward, this one having transferred over from New York. But what really drew her attention was the loud man shouting at the boy, sounding angry.

“—just sayin’ if ya had some kinda healing power it wouldn’t suck so much, but yer just a fuckin’ stick-man!” He was easily 40, maybe more judging by the white in his beard. A glass bottle in one hand sloshed with something, his voice oddly slurred for mid-afternoon. The old man thrust his bottle-hand towards the Ward, “With that nazi bitch gone, we got no healing! What if—”

“Hey, maybe give the kid a break, huh?” Emily cut in, one hand reaching for his elbow and pinching it just like Mel had taught her. A kind expression was on her face, and she made sure to place her foot in just the right place. “He’s new, and you’re being really—”

The old man swatted at her, not even noticing that he’d dropped his bottle until it shattered on the cement. It felt like a cat had scratched her foot, glass shards and booze easily dodging her sandal’s protection. The next step had been to fake the pain, but that was unnecessary now.

“Aw shit! ‘M sorry, I didn’t mean ta…lemme help ya!” The man reached for her, stumbling a little as Emily shied away from his breath. She held up both hands, letting out a little whimpering apology as she dodged him, then tripping on purpose and falling towards the Wards. 

This was where it all came together, assuming these Wards were on the top of their game.

If not, she was gonna have a hell of a lecture from Mel, waiting for her tonight.

Also some bags of frozen peas, taped over her body for all the bruises.

Her panic was real, as she looked towards her potential saviors.

Whippersnap was maybe in his mid-teens at the most, despite being easily seven feet tall. He was broomstick thin, arms down to his knees and fingers as long as her forearm. Those same fingers reached for her, then paused as his too-big eyes twitched a little.

But the other Ward didn’t hesitate for a moment, instantly leaping into action. Flechette swept forward as gracefully as a dancer, easily catching Emily and lifting her. Emily was shocked when she found herself in the arms of someone who definitely worked out a lot.

They were roughly the same height, but the Ward’s purple costume apparently hid quite a few muscles. Several of them could be felt even now, as she gently cradled Emily in her arms, carrying her as easily as Emily might have lifted a toddler.

Then she smiled, face barely a foot away as she whispered, “I’ve got you.”

Emily lost her train of thought, literally swept off her feet.

“Whippersnap, are you okay?” The old man had already fled, and Emily felt a little bad for how she’d used the old guy. But more than that she felt terrible for the Case 53. He looked torn between apologizing to her, Flechette, or chasing the old man down. “Come on, this way.”

He nodded, fidgeting, and started to follow as Flechette carried Emily away. Her foot throbbed a little, but she had better things to focus on, like the beautiful… like the mission .

“Hey, thanks for scaring him off.” Emily held out a hand to the worried boy, keeping it there even as he glanced between her hand and face, confusion evident. “I could’ve handled that better, but I hate bullies. I don’t think he wanted to hurt me, but I’m glad you were there just in case. I’m Emily by the way. You’re really great. Sorry if I’m babbling a bit, but I don’t meet heroes often.”

“I’m n-not that g-great.” He gingerly took her hand, and Emily grinned despite it dwarfing her own. He seemed to draw strength from her, finally meeting her eyes as she looked into them. “But you’re welcome. Sorry about your foot, um, Emily. If you want to contact the PRT…um…”

“Oh, I think I’m in good hands.” She winked, flicking her head towards Flechette, a snort from the other girl tickling the brunette’s neck. “But if you really want to pay me back, an autograph and a smile would be nice. I saw Newter on PHO saying you were here in town, and if he thinks you’re cool then it must be true. I’m glad to have you in Brockton, I’ll bet you’re really strong!”

“N-Newter?” He goggled at her, the effect almost cartoonish with how huge his eyes were. Long fingers plucked a pen and paper from a belt pouch, and he muttered as he signed it. “He’s my hero. I was in Philadelphia, and when I heard there was an opening here in Brockton I jumped at it. But some people are kinda mad because Panacea and Glory Girl took my place…”

“Meh, they didn’t throw a fit when we traded Shadow Stalker for Flechette here, so ignore ‘em. There are always going to be people who hate change.” She accepted the signature, gasping a little and clasping it to her chest. “Thanks. You’ll always have a fan in me, Whippersnap.”

That finally brought a smile to his face, a big one that seemed too large for his skinny head. Yet somehow it still looked beautiful, and persisted even as Flechette instructed him to call the incident in. He walked away, pulling a radio out of his belt while she set Emily on a bench.

“Don’t worry, I’m trained in first aid, and this doesn’t look too bad.” The cape knelt at Emily’s feet, gently removing her sandals and setting them aside. A small case on her belt was set nearby, and opened to reveal tweezers, bandages, and a little tube of something. “Does it hurt?”

“Nah, I barely feel it.” Emily blustered, then winced as the cape pulled out a little chunk of glass, hissing through her teeth. She’d been so distracted with Whippersnap, Mel’s questions, and the beautiful Ward carrying her that…Emily blinked, seeing Flechette’s lips move. “Sorry?”

“I said, that was a very nice thing you did for Whippersnap. He’s been having trouble getting settled in, especially since they wouldn’t let his friend Chantilly come with him, yet.” The Ward smiled, and Emily thought she heard a chorus of angels for a moment. Then she realized it was her phone, and glanced down to see Mel sending her a 20 minute warning. “Something wrong?”

“Nah, just my mom. She thinks I’m on a date.” Having only accomplished a few of Mel’s tasks, Emily let her face fall as the Ward disinfected her foot and wrapped it. “I haven’t had the heart to tell her that Jenn dumped me last week. Said she was going off to college, and I should have seen this coming. Mom liked her so much, I just…don’t wanna disappoint her, you know?”

“Yeah, I know how that is.” Flechette stood smoothly and hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside Emily. She turned, regarding the other girl for a long moment before speaking slowly. “I had to leave my girlfriend behind as well, when I came here. She didn’t take it well, but I couldn’t…I’m sorry you had to go through that. It’s not easy to lose someone you care about.”

“Do you two still stay in touch?” Flechette shook her head, eyes focused on Whippersnap a few dozen feet away as he talked to the PRT. Less for Mel’s tasks and more for the empathy she felt, Emily carefully reached out and squeezed her hand. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring it up.”

“No, it’s fine. I guess it feels good to get it off my chest.” She laughed, a higher pitched sound than Emily had expected. The cape continued, her voice softer than before, eyes on her lap. “I probably should have told my mother, but she’s so happy here. I guess it’s the same with you?”

“Yeah, but I guess in my case it’s like…everyone else is doing so well. Mom’s  got her business, my brother and sister are both stepping up, all my friends are running off to be adults…” She used her free hand to gesture at herself, chuckling. “Meanwhile, I’m still a kid to them. I listen to Disaster Area, play video games, hang out at the Boardwalk and here in South Beach …”

“Sorry, South Beach?” Flechette sounded confused, and Emily glanced over to see her frowning slightly. The brunette had dropped that one in there as a hook, and was glad it paid off before she had to get too real. “I was told this part of Brockton was called Shantytown .”

“Well, it was, up until a few months ago.” Emily pulled her phone back out, scooting closer to the girl and holding it between them. She’d recently changed her background to show Laserdream in her new Protectorate costume, and quickly brought up Ken’s website. “This guy from Boston came out here and bought up a lot of land, started fixing things up. Hired a few rogues to guard the place, some security people, and made it practically gang-free. No villains at all, in fact.”

“Really? I was under the impression some villains were hanging out here. Circus, for instance.”

“Circus? No way, a friend of mine out in Boston said they saw that clown fighting with Chain Man a month or so ago.” The pictures were taken just after Citrine’s offer to Chain Man to join her offshoot of the Ambassadors as a full member. Worried, he’d offered Chuck a hefty sum to help whip him into shape. “Here, see? I still have some pictures she took from her window.”

The Ward leaned in, cheek almost brushing Emily’s as she let out a little huff of surprise. She smelled like lavender, and Emily had to fight not to ask if it was because she liked the color purple. Flechette leaned back, nodding to herself and smiling at her appreciatively. 

Unfortunately, it was right about then that Whippersnap returned to them, and Emily heard her phone go off again. 

She’d been having so much fun, it was a shame she had to leave.

But this mission had a time limit, and so it was time to go.

“Mind giving me a hand up? My foot feels…decent.” Emily reached out a hand for each of them, pretending she didn’t know either would be enough. They easily levered her to her feet. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”

“Are you sure? I could carry you, if you want.” Whippersnap held a hand out towards her, fingers flat like a seat. She caught his cheeks darkening, and gently placed both hands on his forearm. 

“Nah, but I appreciate the thought. Personally, I prefer to have beautiful girls sweep me off my feet, not cute guys.” She winked at him, the blush getting deeper as he looked away. Flechette laughed again, covering her mouth, and Emily added, “Could you help me to the curb? My mom’s gonna be here soon, and I should be fine. I’ve taken too much of your time already.”

“It’s f-fine. Heroes like us are supposed to help p-people.” He seemed to stand a bit taller, voice clear as Whippersnap added, “I’m just glad we could help you.”

She carefully limped back towards the main street with his help, the pain barely noticeable, and was relieved to see Mel’s car there waiting for her. Emily was a bit disappointed that she hadn’t managed to finish the last of Mel’s tasks, but time had really flown by for some reason.

“Guess I’m good from here.” She squeezed his arm, then turned to look at Flechette. The Ward seemed to be searching her pouches for something, so Emily addressed both of them. “Thanks again, both of you. Maybe next time, we can do it without the broken glass? Just for fun.”

“Hey, before you go.” Flechette seemed to be signing a glossy photo, then after a moment flipped it over to write something else on the back. “Um, here. For the pictures, I mean.”

Emily stared at the signed photograph, made out to her personally. With hands that were only shaking a little, she flipped it over to see an email address, [email protected] .

“I mean, it doesn’t just have to be the pictures, either.” The Ward glanced at Whippersnap, who was pretending to study Melanie’s car. She lowered her voice a little, smiling, “I had a lot of fun chatting. If you wanna talk more, just let me know, okay? I’m still kinda new in town, y’know?”

“Sure, I had a lot of fun too.” Emily grinned, shooting a finger gun at her and oh god why did she just do that? “Anyway, I’m gonna…head out now. Keep up the good work. You both rock!”

Face burning a little, she got back in the car and was relieved that Mel had the AC on full blast. 

Not only did it cool her down, but it probably meant she hadn’t heard any of that. Still, after a few miles, Mel cleared her throat and the after-action report started.

“First task was to get the targets away from others, for a private meeting.”

“Yeah, I kinda flubbed that one a little.” Emily lifted her foot and pointed at the bandage. “Got a guy to drop a bottle on my foot, but it shattered and scratched me a bit. On the plus side, it got the guy to run off, painted me in a good light, and they took me somewhere private to dress it.”

“Hmm. Next task was to find out who Whippersnap was traded for.”

“Beat that one with flying colors,” she put her hands behind her head, sharing the gist of the conversation, as well as the mention of Whippersnap’s friend Chantilly . From there, Emily began running down the list on her own, having accomplished all of Melanie’s tasks. “—and finally, right at the buzzer, I got her autograph and an email address to send pics of Circus in Boston.”

“Fantastic work, Emily.” They’d arrived back at the loft by then, she leaned over to hug her daughter. She had pointers, because there was always room for improvement, but overall was very positive. “You showed empathy, initiative, and confidence. Now, about that foot of yours…”

Later, after her foot had been taken care of, Emily was in her room staring at the picture. She flipped it back and forth for several minutes, thinking hard and finally turning on her computer.

The email was short, sweet, and friendly, pictures attached as well as a few questions. A reply came in almost immediately, one that had her laughing and typing soon after.

An hour later, she was still emailing back and forth with Flechette, having sent the girl a link to a Disaster Area site after she got a question about her shirt.

Another hour later and Emily was on PHO, talking up how awesome Whippersnap was. When Newter joined the thread, it got even better.

That night, after dinner, she hid under her blanket and texted with Flechette, who’d given the girl her Wards phone number.

One giggle too many had Elle toss a pillow, and Emily finally signed off to go to sleep…after a few more messages.

As she drifted off at last, Emily found herself staring at the ceiling, thinking about the day.

While trying to complete a mission, she made a new friend today.

Emily could hardly wait to see what tomorrow brought.

Chapter Text

“Aren’t you a little young to be talking about retirement, Siobhán?” 

“What? No, not for me!” The redhead seemed startled, and Melanie instantly regretted teasing her. She’d been with the Crew for…it was September now, so it had been about four months. In that time, while Siobhán had certainly come out of her shell, she still had difficulty standing up to authority figures, much less joking with them. “I meant…um…for you, I guess? Sorry.”

That almost made Melanie stop walking, and were it not for the bustling crowd of tourists behind them she certainly would have. Alston was far busier than usual, so she motioned towards one of the new bus stops Boston’s city managers had installed over the last few months. 

Melanie found it hard to believe that only a few months ago, she’d been running through this neighborhood with the Boston Protectorate, Gregor, and a few of Accord’s capes. They’d been hunting down Blasto, as well as dealing with his monstrous creations and tinker nonsense. This very bus stop had been the site of a huge mushroom-like corpse, last time Mel was here.

For a moment, she could almost smell the acrid scent of its acidic greenish blood, but pushed that back down with all the other bad memories. She’d come so close to dying, saved by Citrine.

Frankly, the woman’s skill in business, battle, and deadly calm had always impressed Melanie.

So it was no surprise Accord had sent the gem-themed cape to take over Alston. Since then, she’d turned the place around with both money and shrewd business acumen, as well as an incredibly versatile power. Having Blasto’s arch-rival Chain Man join her helped, and according to the news his costume and chains were now a golden color to match his new boss.

Not all villains welcomed the change though, with Purity and the Teeth fighting almost nightly. The unmasked villain, joined by Fog and Night since she moved to Boston, was the reason—

“Melanie?” Siobhán’s voice made her realize she’d zoned out completely, too focused on the mission and environment. A hasty glance at her teammate revealed the redhead to still be sitting patiently, waiting for an answer. “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”

“It’s not, really. I suppose I was surprised, because I’ve never really thought that much about vacations, retirements, or even celebrations.” Melanie was being honest, letting her reluctance creep into her voice. “I appreciate you asking, and I’m sorry for teasing you. Why do you ask?”

“I suppose it’s because of Emily.” Siobhán’s gaze settled on some teenagers on the opposite sidewalk, laughing and joking as they walked along. “She was talking about how she’d never thought to ask you for training before, thinking you were always too busy. It made me realize that people in this profession never really retire. Can you ever see yourself stepping down?”

“Not really, but that’s no reason not to plan for the future.” Melanie took out her phone, and cycled through a few pictures of her kids from the last few weeks. Emily hanging out with Lily, Newter and the Crew protecting their little slice of Brockton, Elle celebrating her birthday… “I’ve been teaching everyone as best I can, because you never know what the future holds in store.”

Even Siobhán wasn’t immune to her plans, this very mission being an opportunity to teach her about undercover work. Over the last few months she’d proven rather adept at memorizing backstories, acting out a variety of roles, and was an excellent close-range fighter.

Considering who they were going after today, having a little luck wouldn’t hurt either. 

“Still, you make a good point, Siobhán.” Melanie rose, holding out a hand to help the redhead join her. She smiled, winking at her teammate. “I’ll consider a vacation…after this mission.”

Soon the pair arrived at one of the most expensive restaurants in Alston, Beaucoup Crédit . It had a series of private rooms connected via hallway to a fancy kitchen. Some rooms had hot tubs, others tanning booths, and a few even had beds. 

The perfect place to take a day for yourself with maximum privacy, for civilians and capes alike.

The pair entered through a side door, using a key Cozen had acquired for them. They headed to Room 6, and were pleased to see the table pushed aside and the bed looking well-used. Derek slipped out of it, wearing very little clothing and a shaggy fake beard to make him look older.

“Mel, Siobhán.” He nodded at each of them in turn, then gestured at the makeup kit he’d brought. While Siobhán applied heavy makeup to Mel’s face, her leader put on a pair of special earrings. “Remember, one or two people is quick, but for more I’ll need a minute or two.”

They were familiar with how Getaway’s power worked, but still appreciated him reminding them. True to his word, he stepped into the glowing wall and returned moments later with Gregor. The Case 53 blinked a few times, shaking off the effect, then hugged Siobhán as the glow vanished.

He ducked into the private bathroom and Mel ran Derek through his lines. With Siobhán stripping down behind her, Derek’s gaze might have wandered, but his memory was perfect.

She took one last look around the room, even as the others got into place. Derek climbed into bed with Siobhán, both reduced to their underwear, and posed in an indecent position.

In the bathroom, Gregor waited patiently, his trust in the woman he loved absolute. Their bond was unbreakable, and Getaway was in a dedicated relationship with Cozen.

But as Mel stepped into the hallway, her mind began to focus on a more…familial relationship. Not concerning her Crew, but rather the people she’d called family before them. Before her life had fallen apart, and the cruel world had ripped her from a life of peace and happiness.

As a child she’d wanted for nothing, her only hardships being her father’s militaristic mindset and her mother’s cold demeanor. She knew that they’d both lived difficult lives, their scars both mental and physical proof enough, but despite all that…

They loved her.

Why else would her father have taught her to fight at such a young age, taken her camping so often, or given her guns and books rather than dolls and toys? Why else would her mother have brought her to so many business meetings, giving her such an appreciation for networking? 

Their life was perfect, right up until the night her father’s past caught up with him. As if he’d known his old enemies were closing in, the man had sent Melanie to stay with his brother. It had been an interesting week, culminating in a triumphant return home, ready to bask in their love.

Those thoughts, as well as the memories of the night she lost them, swarmed through Melanie’s head like wasps. She’d returned from a martial arts tournament with her uncle, trophy falling from numb fingers as she saw the blood painting the walls of her home.

The sting of regret, memories of being a powerless child, wracked Mel’s body as tears began to stream down her face. Her uncle had tried to care for Mel, even though her quest for vengeance soon drove him away.  She wiped her face, smearing makeup…

But there was a glimmer of hope, a shining diamond of joy deep within her horrible past. For it was by creating a mercenary crew to get revenge on those who had taken her happiness, that Melanie found something else. She met Gregor… 

And with his help, forged a brand new family, stronger than her old one. 

One that would die for her, but not before she died for them.

Gregor, Newter, Elle, Emily, Jess, and now Siobhán…

Memories of them brought her peace, at last.

The mission came back to her, and she stumbled down the hall to Room 9, taking a deep breath before reaching for the knob. Control was swiftly returning, but the memories still hurt.

Good. This had to look realistic, and Melanie was nothing if not a professional with a wide array of skills.

Considering who was on the other side, she’d need every one of them to survive this day.

She opened the door, striding inside before slamming the door behind herself, shouting.

“Derek! I know you’re in here! You cheating bastard! What the hell are you…doing…?”

Inside, two women looked up from their meals, one palming a sharp steak knife.

“This…isn’t this Room 6?” Mel’s voice quavered, and she trembled. “Oh no…”

“Room 9.” The blonde with the knife stared at her. “You need to leave.”

“Derek…m-my husband…” Mel whimpered. “He’s…I thought…”

She fell to her knees, breaking into tears, face in her hands.

A mousy brunette touched her shoulder, and Mel looked up.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” She gestured at the table. “Join us?”

Her friend Daria tried to stop Karen , but was ignored.

As Kayden Anders helped Mel to their table…

Melanie moved on to Phase 2 of her plan.

It started with a fake, nervous smile.

“I assure you, I really am enjoying myself.” Elle stood from the table, a fake smile on her face as she gestured at the table. “My favorite foods and yours, in the location of our first real date. With everything else we’ve done tonight, it has truly been an enchanting evening. But even the most intense feelings of happiness cannot counteract the biological needs of the human body.”

“If you need to pee you can just say that next time, Alice.” Harte winked, and she hid her mouth as if politely laughing. In fact, it had been to hide her flinch at the last word in the sentence. He grabbed a spoon. “But okay, just don’t take too long. This ice cream is melting pretty quick.”

She gave him a peck on the cheek as she passed, one hand trailing up his arm as she exited the dining area, and made her way towards the back. Luckily the restrooms were individual, and once inside Elle locked the door and leaned on the sink. 

“Why haven’t you told him yet?” She was only slightly annoyed when her reflection didn’t respond, a storybook contrivance like that would have been quite handy. Sighing, she answered her own question, trying not to glare at herself as she admitted. “No, it would ruin the night.”

It was their 1-year anniversary, or at least the very same calendar day Elle had first manifested a mighty tree that Harte had run into with his hoverboard. The night when she had climbed up, revived the armored tinker, and the pair had fallen in love with each other at first sight.

Back then she’d worn little more than a sweatshirt and jeans, hair a tangled mess from climbing the tree. Smiling at her reflection, she was pleased by how much more extravagant she looked when there was time (and reason) to put in the effort. 

Elle’s dress was green, one of her favorite colors, but the designs were what really mattered. Leaves stood out at her shoulders, slowly transforming into winding vines as they descended her torso, and ending as roots twisted about her thighs. Add in comfortable flats, some light makeup, and platinum blonde hair bound by a silver clasp, and she felt radiant.

Harte had certainly agreed, speechless at several points throughout the night, as he took her on the date he’d planned. The boy had referred to it as a night of their “greatest hits.” For instance, this was the restaurant where they had their first real date, and beforehand the pair had gone to see a movie that was a reboot of the first one they watched together.

But Elle had battled with a feeling of worry the whole night, a problem on the edge of her mind that she feared would break them apart. A secret she’d been keeping for far, far too long.

Despite that fear, she left the bathroom head held high and shoulders back.

Hiding from her fears would only let them grow, after all.

“Sorry, unfortunately I left my freeze ray at home.” The boy sighed, looking at the melted ruin of what had been their ice cream cake. She laughed, the sound of it brightening him up instantly, and after a hefty payment they were off. “Remember Bay Park? No bees this time, promise.”

Ah yes, the date they’d gone on shortly before Jess had joined the Crew. Elle had suggested they sit beneath a tree and read together, Melanie not far away. Neither had noticed the sound of bees droning, too focused on each other. They’d had to abandon his book, back then.

“Ta-da!” He pulled out a small, battered paperback book, handing it over. Elle’s eyes bulged, as she recognized the dog-eared page it had been left on. “I came back the next day in my…other clothes, and reclaimed it. Got a few stings on my cheek, but no biggie otherwise.”

She placed her lips on each of his cheeks, and then tugged him after her as they sought out their old tree. It was just as they’d left it, and as promised there were no bees to disturb them. Someone had even placed a bench underneath it, one blissfully unoccupied.

But as the pair sat it was not a fantastic adventure Elle found herself thinking about. Nor was it the high points of their last year together, activities that both would treasure for years to come.

She placed a hand on the book, gently closing it, and sighed. “There’s something I want to talk to you about, first. Something…different about tonight. About us. About me.”

“I had a feeling.” His words surprised Elle only a little bit, and he quickly explained. “Well, first of all, this is the first date we’ve been on without a chaperone. Unless Emily’s hiding in a tree?”

He pretended to look up and around, but Elle knew he’d find nothing. 

Mel and Gregor were off collecting a bounty with Siobhán. Newter was helping Jess look for some mysterious figure who had been haunting her conscience as of late. Finally, Emily was on a rock-climbing date (though she refused to call it one, despite hickeys on her neck) with Lily.

“—finally, all night you’ve been a little bit off.” He paused, then seemed to realize how that sounded and squeezed her hand. “Sorry, what I mean is there were these little pauses, where it seemed like you wanted to say something. Plus, whenever I said your name, you would flinch a bit, and I…I figured it was because I’ve been so busy lately. Being…class president and all.”

Harte’s performance against Leviathan and assistance with the aftermath had put a spotlight on the boy. His part in Stain’s arrest, as well as activities shutting down the man’s drug networks, were nothing to sneeze at either. Before Armsmaster left to lead the Chicago Protectorate last month, he’d ensured Harte’s life was a whirlwind of activity and training. 

Especially once Harte’s teammates rallied behind him, requesting he become their new leader.

Unable to say no, especially when Aegis himself had promised to teach the young tinker, Harte had grown in leaps and bounds since then. He was physically stronger, mentally confident, and even seemed to have found his place in the workshop. But it also meant he was far busier…

“That’s part of why I’ve wanted to talk about this.” She admitted, lowering her voice as another couple walked past. The park was by no means private, and only when they were alone again did Elle continue. “I should have told you all of this months ago, but I was afraid. With your work, I thought it possible to protect us from each other with code words and vague statements, but…”

She sighed, and was silent for a long minute as he waited patiently. There was no beating around the bush anymore, and Elle could tell from his body language that he was worried—

“You mean about the Parahuman Asylum? I already know about all that…” 

She froze, breath catching in her throat as his words lanced through her heart. She expected to see disgust upon his features, only now realizing that as leader of the Wards of course he would have access to background checks. For all she knew, he’d been playing her from the start.

Trembling with long-held fear, she turned to look at him, and found something else entirely.

“...and I don’t care.” He reached towards her with a steady hand, cupping her cheek and smiling despite the confounded expression she knew she wore. “I figured it out a few months into our relationship, and looked it all up on the PRT computers. What they did to you was horrible, and the fact that you found a family among mercenaries was…actually pretty inspiring.”

“B-but why didn’t you ever say anything? Was it because the PRT told you not to?” She couldn’t help it as her voice quavered, and he frowned a little at her second question. “I’m sorry, but—”

“I think they suspected.” He sighed, a wry smile finding its way to his face. “But I always played dumb, and eventually they just stopped asking. My team knows, but they were oddly okay with it. One even gave me a lot of good dating advice, if you can believe it. He’s moving out to Philadelphia in a few months to join his girlfriend, so lately he’s been really pouring it on.”

“You mean they don’t care? None of them cared that you were dating an…” She lowered her voice, wincing as it cracked a little. “Escaped mental patient? Shaker 12? A dangerous cape?”

“I think at a certain point, every cape realizes that without some kind of anchor, someone or something to keep us grounded, we start having a lot of bad days.” He squeezed her hand, voice serious as he used her own terminology. “My family and team recognized that you were good for me. So they supported us, and kept our secret. Hell, I even got advice from Soph—”

He paused again, glaring at another couple as they passed by, both grinning at the young couple as if they were some sort of sideshow attraction. After they were gone, as well as the next group of people who had also chosen this small park to patronize, he continued.

“Never mind. Anyway, the point is that they all understood why we’d want to keep things on the down low. So they were always supportive of our relationship, as were my parents.” He took her hands, leaning closer and kissing her cheek. “So if you have something you want to tell me, I’m not going to force you to say it. But trust me, I’m not going anywhere, Alice.”

“Alice is gone.”

Elle squeezed his hands, watching as realization overcame his confusion.

“Gone forever.” She smiled, and finally let the news she’d been holding deep inside all month burst out. “Doctor Jessica Yamada cleared me, as long as I continue therapy and medication. Last week, the PRT apologized for my mistreatment and sealed my record. Now I can do this .”

She leaned in, kissing him long and deep, savoring every moment of it.

“My name is Eleanor Fitts.” She whispered, pulling back as he grinned mightily. “I love you with all of my heart, Christopher Henderson. I always have, and I always will.”

His response was cut off by a nearby couple letting out little noises as they passed by, and Elle briefly considered opening a pocket world to scare them off. But today was a good day, and besides it appeared as though Har… Chris had an idea of his own.

“You know what, I just realized the one thing that’s missing from this anniversary of our greatest hits.” He pointed up at the tree behind them, pausing for only a moment before breaking their embrace. In moments, he’d hopped atop the bench, one hand reaching up for a branch and the other back to Elle. “Al… Elle , my dear. Would you care to climb this mighty beanstalk with me?”

“Naturally!” She rose, taking his hand and pulling herself up as well. The passersby murmured and stared, their tiny minds unable to comprehend the actions of such free spirits. Soon enough they were left behind, as both rose higher and higher, climbing towards the sky.

Before long, they found themselves reliving their first night together, nestled in the branches. Chris found a seat of wood and leaves, and she pressed her back into his chest. His arms around her middle, her hands clasping his own, the pair finally relaxed.

She told him about her home in the forest, and how losing her mother to a terrible storm gave her access to fantastic worlds. He told her how mathematics tormented him, and how the pressure gave him amazing new insights into the universe.

It was a night like any other, but still so very unique in its own way. An evening they’d never forget, as long as they both lived, and one they’d treasure their entire lives.

Elle and Chris, Labyrinth and Kid Win, Alice and Harte…no matter what names they used, both swore to remain bonded until the end of time.

Their connection, stronger than any force in the universe, was one of love and passion and adventure…

As long as they had each other, nothing would be impossible.

“—and it’s supposed to be ‘til death do we part, right?” Melanie sniffled, wiping at her eyes with one of the napkins Karen had given her. “But I’m still alive! I served a tour in Botswana, fighting to keep Moord Nag’s savages at bay, and then I came home to find he’s been cheating on me!”

It was a story she’d rehearsed several times, but still made her mouth taste like vomit and ash despite the margarita Karen had insisted on sharing with her. The nazi was eating it up though, although her friend still seemed relatively suspicious. 

Or maybe she was just bored? Nobody had ever gotten much of a read on Night’s personality. Even searching her home had revealed very little about her life. Hell, the most exciting part of her life seemed to be the fact that she owned a cat.

But a hunt through Kayden Anders’ past had paid dividends, as well as a private discussion with the step-son she’d abandoned. 

Brought into the E88 at a young age by the rich and charismatic Max Anders, the woman who would call herself Purity (despite many opportunities to change it) was a fairly simple creature. 

She was selfish, narrow-minded, and blind in many ways.

Melanie had based most of her fake backstory on the woman’s own life, as well as filling it with certain details specially designed to rope her interest. For instance…

“While my dumbass husband was rutting with some Irish whore, I was saving hundreds of red-blooded American girls from those monsters. Got a medal for it and everything, but Derek just shrugged like it was no better than one of his old baseball trophies! Can you believe that?”

Of course, it was all made up, so she really shouldn’t have. Max Anders had played baseball in high school, Kayden’s computer was full of conspiracy theories, and yet…the lie worked like a charm.

“Really?” Karen blinked, hand going to her mouth as Melanie took another drink. “My god, that must have been horrible. I’ve heard how immigrants kidnap our children, selling them to African slavery rings. Thank you so much for your service. You’re a true hero, Melanie.”

“N-no, I’m just someone doing what’s right.” Melanie forced herself to blush, remembering the incident with Gregor on the motorcycle to draw upon the proper amount of embarrassment.

“You need to be more confident. That’s why you came here, wasn’t it? To stand up to Derek?”

“Y-yeah, I guess. But that’s different. Going to Africa…” Mel trailed off. She shrugged, as though her membership in the military, fighting evil slavers, being a solider, and gleeful participation in the defeat of African soldiers were the result of an inevitable fate and not personal, freely made choices. “I had to secure the existence of my country, and a future for my children.”

Even Daria seemed a little impressed by that, and it wasn’t long before Karen was showing off a picture of her little girl. Of course, she was calling the baby Astrid , but Mel had seen the pictures of Aster and hoped she was safe. Naturally, Mel brought out her own pictures, smiling.

“Newton’s eight, Emery’s four, and little Belle just turned five last week.” She showed off pictures of other peoples’ children, borrowed from Palanquin’s wait staff. Karen made little noises and smiled, leading Mel to the next stage of her plan. She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with the napkin, sighing. “I just can’t believe Derek wants to throw all that away. That asshole!”

As she’d explained earlier, Derek had reserved a room here for a business meeting, one that Mel had noticed his secretary bragging about on social media. The pretty redhead had always been chummy with her husband, babysitting their kids and helping out before Mel shipped out.

“—but then Newton found a bra that wasn’t mine under the bed, and when I asked Derek about it he acted so surprised. Said Sinead just stayed over a few times, like it was nothing. But…”

“But you knew better.” Karen hugged Mel again, making a soothing noise as she rubbed the taller woman’s back. This was the same lady who’d gone on a rampage, murdering dozens before flying off to Boston a few months back, after her identity was leaked. “I understand.”

“How do you know? I mean, I don’t want to pry, but…” Mel stammered, staring down at her hands before whispering. “Also, do you know how to…how to fix it? Was it my fault?”

“No!” Karen snapped, squeezing Mel’s shoulder so tight she flinched. It didn’t hurt, the mousy brunette was incredibly weak, but Melanie had to sell the act. “Sorry, but no. No, it’s not your fault, and it might not be fixable. I’m sorry. I know because…”

She told a tale Melanie was already familiar with, that of her handsome husband and blah blah blah blah. Of course, Karen changed the man’s name (Mack), his business (insurance), and his dangerous secret (selling drugs), but the main story beats stayed the same. Karen broke it off, he used his money and connections to try and take Astrid, and they barely escaped.

“The most important thing...” Karen started, taking a sip of the margarita Mel had freshened up for her. Owning a nightclub had taught Melanie quite a bit about drinks, and how to make sure someone got less alcohol than they expected…or more. “You gotta stand up for yourself. When you kicked in the door, I was scared shitless. Hell, Dorothy…er, Doria was ready to stab you!”

The blond shrugged non-committedly, as if she knew better than to challenge her boss when she was so motivated. She still had the knife, but was mostly ignoring the two of them now.

“I know, I know. But, I mean he’s just so imposing, and if I’m right then Sinead is going to be right there with him. Maybe I can stand up to him, but that ginger bitch is something else. You’ve heard how much Irish people like to fight, right? I can’t take them both on!”

“But you gotta! If you let him walk all over you, if you let her take him away, you’ve already lost!”

“I guess you’re right.” Mel nodded, then hesitated as she started to stand. Turning to Karen, tears brimming in her eyes as she remembered Emily sobbing after a nightmare, she asked, “I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you come with me? I’m…afraid to face him alone.”

“Hell yeah! C’mon Dahlia, let’s cheer Mel on.” Karen stood, not even bothering to grab her bag or the blonde wig sticking out of it. Her exposed identity and warrants were entirely forgotten in the haze of alcohol and girl power clouding her mind. “Lead the way, girlfriend. Let’s do this!”

Pretending that she was just as drunk as her shorter friend, Melanie linked arms with the other woman and pulled her outside. They stumbled down the hall, giggling and shushing each other until they reached the door to Room Six. Without even bothering to knock, Mel threw it open.

“Derek!” She shouted, pulling Karen in alongside her and blocking the doorway. “I knew it!”

The bed was rumpled, a bearded man and his young redhead lover caught in flagrante delicto , both in nothing more than their underwear. Derek fell out of bed, then grabbed a pillow and covered his crotch before staggering towards them, stammering out apologies.

“Sweetie! I know what this looks like, but…we were just…” Derek paused, eyes flicking around wildly as he tried to think of an excuse. In the bed, covers pulled up to her chest, Siobhán was blushing madly and making little squeaking noises. “We were practicing…for you!”

“For me?” Melanie relaxed a little, glancing at Karen long enough for the brunette to shake her head and point back at the bearded man. “What…what does that mean? How?”

“Well, you’ve been gone so long, and I haven’t been with anyone…so Sinead was just teaching me how to show you I care. Because you…deserve the best, baby! I love you. We love you!”

“W-well, I mean I guess if it was for me…” Mel trailed off, feeling Karen prod at her. But she waited a bit longer, knowing that this next part was the real clincher. “I mean, if you love me…”

“Sure, and Sinead loves you, too!” The redhead nodded rapidly, then froze as Derek smiled, voice becoming deeper as he asked, “In fact, we were just talking about how much she loves you. Sweetie, have you ever heard the term ménage à trois? Sinead and I were thinking—”

“Hell no!” Karen shouted, stomping forward and poking the man in his chest so hard he fell over. “You sick freak! Trying to force two women to do… that with each other? That’s disgusting!”

Though her stepson had been very nervous, he mentioned during an interview that Max had on more than one occasion tried this very same tactic on Kayden. Melanie knew it would set the woman off, and as her gamble paid off she quickly stepped forward to ‘support’ Karen.

Derek was cowering against the wall, pleading for forgiveness with his eyes closed in concentration. The redhead had slid out of bed and was creeping towards the door. The bathroom door cracked open, a translucent hand sliding through it.

But Melanie just reached up to one of her huge earrings, pulled it off, and popped the top.

Then stabbed it into Karen’s neck, and pushed the plunger for the drug.

A special drug that was supposed to work almost instantly…

…except that it didn’t . Karen screamed and…

…the room erupted into chaos.

Karen exploded with bright white light, so much that Mel felt blinded even though her eyes had been shut. She had already leapt backwards, trusting her spatial awareness and bouncing off the bed to land on the other side of it. 

Something hot streamed past her arm, and she opened her eyes to see a hole in the drywall revealing a dented steel plate behind it.

It was why they’d chosen this particular room. Sound-proofed, fire-proofed, no windows, and by the time the nazi thought to escape, the drug would already have taken her down. It had been created by a couple Whitelist tinkers, made to work even when she was in her Breaker state.

Unfortunately, it looked like it needed a bit of time to work. 

Time they didn’t have, as the nazi cape attacked.

The door slammed, Siobhán shouting for Gregor and the Case 53’s stream of ooze already covering it in a cement-like coating. It was one of his fastest-drying formulas, but only a temporary solution given what was on the other side of that door.

An ear-splitting screech could be heard from the hallway, and the door began to rattle and shake as something pounded on it from the other side. Melanie had hoped the security camera would prevent Night’s transformation, but either electronics didn’t count or she’d smashed the camera. 

Either way, the door began to splinter, even as Gregor began to spray the wall as well.

Karen…Kayden…no, she was certainly Purity now, stumbled a little. The drug wasn’t as fast-acting as Mel had hoped, but then again there had been a tanning bed in their room and she was probably at full charge. It was how Melanie had managed to find the cape, after all.

That and Citrine offering the location in exchange for keeping the PRT away.

In return, she'd get a ten percent cut of the sizable bounty for bringing Purity in alive.

Regardless of whether it was Purity’s powers fighting the drug or panicked adrenaline giving her strength, all they really needed was time. But with Getaway focusing on opening his portal and Gregor keeping Night at bay, that left Siobhán and Melanie facing off against Purity…

Faultline, a mercenary who had trained since childhood to fight impossible battles. Shamrock, a cape with luck powers and years of killing arts drilled into her against her will.

Facing off against Purity, a murderous, irrational, nazi-loving, minority-hating villain who could fly faster than Velocity and shoot beams as strong as Legend’s.

Purity didn’t stand a chance.

Even as the villain started to charge a beam, pointing her arms at Gregor, Shamrock was halfway to her. Eyes closed against the bright light of Purity’s aura, the redhead trusted her luck as one hand chopped the villain in the throat. A gasp and choking sound signaled a hit.

But the blast still went off, energy discharging to just barely miss both of them. Melanie was already moving before the villain could catch her breath, far less effective with her aim but close enough that it didn’t matter. One of her hands grabbed what felt like a forearm, and she twisted.

“Let go of me!” Purity shrieked, firing a blast with her other hand and sending searing pain through Mel’s left leg. She wasn’t falling, so it must have just been a graze, and instead the mercenary leader body-checked the villain with her hip and spun around her. “Aaagh!”

It was one of Mel's favorite moves as a kid, because it didn’t matter that Father was bigger and stronger than her. When she nailed it, suddenly he was on his knees with one arm locked off, tapping the mat. When he got up he’d been so proud, and Mother had even smiled.

Best ninth birthday ever!

Another lance of pain, this one grazing the side of her head, pulled Mel out of the ancient memory. That side of her head felt cold and hot at the same time, and she smelled burning hair, which was almost as worrisome as the way one of her eyes had stopped working.

But it wasn’t enough to make her let go, not with the knowledge that failing here would get Gregor or Shamrock killed. Or worse, that Purity would get away and hurt more people.

Purity screamed in impotent rage as she was driven to her knees, one arm likely numb with pain as the other flailed around helplessly.

“Getaway! How’s that portal coming?” Mel shouted, trying to keep the villain off balance as Siobhán rushed in to grab her other arm and point it at the ceiling. “Kind of need it soon!”

A long, insect-like leg burst through the wall, blurring for a moment before transforming back into a woman’s arm. Gregor tried to blast it, but Night pulled it out just in time. Before he could seal up the gap completely, a second hole appeared ten feet away.

“Scratch that, need it now!” Mel amended her order, getting only a grunt in reply. “C’mon!”

“Please! You’re a mother! You can’t take me away from my baby!” Purity begged, her glow receding a little as she began to slump. The drug was taking effect, and she sobbed in pain as Melanie refused to budge an inch. “Aster needs me! The children of Boston need me.”

“You’re right, I am a mother.” Melanie glared through her blurry vision, ignoring the pain in her face and leg, not caring about the blood running down the side of her neck. She forced herself to look deep into Purity’s eyes, and said, “My daughter is a strong, smart, teenage lesbian .”

Purity flinched, looking away for an instant, a hint of disgust flitting across her face.

So she wasn’t able to dodge when Melanie’s fist smashed into her jaw.

The unconscious cape hit the carpet like a sack of doorknobs.

“That was for her.” Melanie spat on Kayden. “Bitch.”

A bright glow flared up, and for a moment Melanie was afraid she hadn’t hit the villain hard enough. But Getaway’s triumphant shout made her realize he’d finally made the connection, and he held out a hand to them. Without his help, they’d be lost forever in the void between portals.

Siobhán picked up the unconscious nazi, slinging the villain over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Gregor rushed over, his organic cement already cracking as Night knocked more and more holes in it. Mel wordlessly took their hands, and they all rushed for the portal.

The wall exploded, an amorphous ink blot creature full of sharp edges and dozens of legs standing in the opening. The creature was made of nightmares, screeching as it saw they had Kayden. The monster rushed towards them as they stepped through the wall…

The void was just as quiet as Mel remembered, a soundless space between dimensions. Not cold or hot, just…existing, going on forever. They ran, feeling some sort of presence behind them, guided only by Getaway’s tug on their human chain.

Then they were in a warehouse, surrounded by the Red Hands and some others.

Sound and pain and heat rushed back with such force that Melanie collapsed. Only now did she realize that a chunk of her leg was missing, a really big chunk, and her eye was…was… 

The pain was intense, but she fought to keep her wits because the fight wasn’t over…

She dimly heard voices, felt someone trying to pick her up, like when her parents…

Memories of the day she lost everything were still tumbling in her mind, and she…

“Mel! It’s okay! We got her!” Gregor’s voice, his scent, his presence…

Melanie finally relaxed, and let the relief carry her away.

She could rest, knowing he had things handled.

So she took a break, just for a minute…

When Mel woke up, she heard Gregor and Siobhán talking softly, arguing about something she couldn’t make out. Squinting, she could see she was back at home base, in her rarely used bedroom. Flowers, get well cards, candy, and a teddy bear were on her nightstand.

The calendar and clock suggested she’d only been unconscious for a day or two. The lack of pain in her body told her Ken had paid a visit. Finally, a draft on the side of her head informed Melanie that one of Purity’s blasts had given her an unwanted haircut.

One of her eyes was gone, but for some reason that didn’t bother her as much as she’d expected, or maybe that was just the IV in her arm.

Sighing, Melanie stopped faking unconsciousness and sat up to ask for a sitrep…

But then suddenly, Siobhán was hugging her.

“Siobhán, I’m fine, really.” Mel muttered, trading a glance with Gregor, who shrugged. She carefully wrapped her arms around the other woman, ignoring the way her face was pressed into Melanie’s chest. After a second, she joked, “Still interested in that ménage à trois, huh?”

In an instant, Siobhán had pulled away, face as red as her hair. She stammered for a moment, then turned to glare at Gregor as he let out a soft chuckle at her expense.

“It’s not funny! You almost died out there! You almost…” Siobhán’s voice was soft, eyes filling with tears, and she didn’t resist as Gregor put an arm around her. “You’re like a sister to me. I used to have a sister…before. I’m not sure what I’d do if I lost you.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I need to live long enough to retire, remember?” Mel grinned, and was relieved when the redhead returned fragments of one. “Of course, after a mission like that, I’m not sure why I’d ever want to retire. That was incredible!”

“We did take Purity off the streets, and even with the Red Hands taking their cut, the Boston PRT’s bounty payout was quite sizable.” Gregor intoned, then flinched a little as Siobhán elbowed him. He cleared his throat, “But yes, you really should take it easy, Melanie.”

“Maybe. I suppose a break would be nice...” Unsure if it was some kind of painkiller or just the usual rush from a successful mission, Melanie couldn’t help but make a suggestion. “How about this? We take care of Night before she skips town, then I’ll agree to take a vacation. Deal?”

Gregor started to say something, but Siobhán interrupted and grabbed Mel’s hand. “Deal!”

“In that case, let’s get to planning, time’s wasting and—” Mel cut herself off, Siobhán springing to her feet and pressing the injured cape back down into the bed. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping you to your side of the bargain.” The redhead grinned wickedly, sharing a glance with a smiling Gregor. “Getaway said that Night went through the restaurant portal, but never made it to the other one before he closed it. Without a guide, he’s pretty sure she’s lost in the void.”

“Huh.” Mel had no reply for that, and smiled at the other woman appraisingly. “Well played. Now, as for that vacation. Luckily I already have a few spots already picked out, near bounties—”

“No.” Siobhán interrupted, a little steel in her voice as she glared at her boss. It was like a strange hybrid of the old and new versions of herself, polite yet still deadly. “Mel, you just went toe-to-toe with Purity, got half your face burned off, and barely escaped a nightmare bug. Respectfully, I don’t trust you to plan anything involving relaxation and fun. We’ll handle it.”

With that, she turned and left the room, tugging Gregor along after her. He looked proud, and it was an emotion Mel felt as well. But she forced herself to look stunned, until they’d both left.

Only when her door was closed did Melanie let out a long, happy sigh. She was relieved that pretending not to care about nearly dying had motivated the real Siobhán to emerge.

Maybe a vacation would be okay after all these years, with her Crew keeping an eye on things. 

Leaning back, Melanie snagged one of the lollipops off her nightstand, and unwrapped it.

She had an amazing team, an incredible family, and the future was brighter than ever.

She popped the candy in her mouth, recalling Father’s favorite TV show.

It was about the best team ever, and her personal heroes as a kid.

If you could find them, they’d always come through for you.

Just like her Crew, her team, most of all…her family.

Melanie grinned, holding the stick like a cigar.

“I love it when a plan comes together.” 

Chapter Text

“—take you down the road as the moon explodes!” Disaster Area’s vocalist screamed, half the crowd singing along around Emily. Of course, it was hard to tell that they were even making an effort, thanks to the band’s own prodigious noise-making capabilities. 

There was a good reason their live shows were banned in several states and countries. Sometimes it was for artistic reasons, but more often than not it was the powerful beats and lyrics literally rocking peoples’ worlds. Argentina even claimed that Disaster Area’s tinker-enhanced speakers technically contravened a local strategic arms limitations treaty.

Of course, that was part of the reason the concert was being held far away from Brockton Bay proper. To avoid complaints and insurance costs, they’d set it up somewhere foundations had already been rocked and disaster had already struck.

The Boat Graveyard.

Around them were several hulking ships, long since abandoned after being run aground or sunk. It might have been a horror show to economists and businessmen, but to a bunch of badass music fans it was perfect. Great sound, made even better by huge hunks of metal…

But the most important thing wasn’t the music, the noise, or the location. That all came in second compared to the real reason Emily was having so much fun tonight.

The beautiful young lady rocking out directly beside Emily, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Her lovely, kind, super-badass girlfriend, Lily Shudo.

She’d jumped at the chance to join Emily for this concert, completely ignoring her mother’s concerns that the band was a little bit outside her usual musical tastes. Despite Ms. Shudo’s warnings, Lily insisted on going, and even got permission to sleep over at Emily’s afterwards.

All because Disaster Area had become their go-to music choice for workouts and exercise-filled activities. It certainly beat the hell out of Eye of the Tiger , and had such a killer bassline that it sort of worked for everything. Of course, Emily was motivated by more than music…

“Oh what a love!” Lily screamed beside her, far more excited than normal. “You wore me out!”

Sure, they came from wildly different backgrounds, and one was a Ward while the other was part of a mercenary crew. But it was their differences that made everything so amazing and fresh! Games and music made the other girl’s eyes sparkle with delight, and in turn Lily had been teaching Emily all kinds of cool skills and really whipping her into shape.

Emily may have been crappy at most of the things Lily loved, but the girl’s patience was endless and she really seemed to enjoy teaching Emily. Falling meant Lily would help her up, failing meant inspiring speeches and helpful tips, sore muscles meant massages and nice meals.

Seriously, Lily was an amazing cook, always on the hunt for random recipes and foodie forays. She even got Emily into it, and together they’d baked a huge (slightly lumpy) birthday cake for Elle a while back. The way the blonde’s eyes lit up when she saw it was the sweetest part of all.

Hot licks and gnarly beats were transformed into pure musical ambrosia by the most powerful speakers known to man. Emily gave in to the power of song, throwing an arm around Lily as they belted out the lyrics together. “You made me want to scream and shout!”  

Jumping and leaping about, the crowd of a few thousand people had all come together despite warnings about hearing loss and bone damage. Parents, teachers, surgeon generals, and more all claimed that this was little more than noise. 

But all Emily cared about was how this band had helped bring her and Lily together beneath a silvery moon, and now they were exploding for no adequately explored reason.

“Our love is titanic, baby don’t panic!” As the song entered its finale, frontman H.B. Desioto began dancing on stage. The tinker’s glittery silver and blue armor sparkled with the light of a thousand stars, music cutting out as the crowd sang the final verses with the band. “It’s only the end of the world again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again!”

The entire 42-person stood and bowed, waving at everyone despite looking exhausted. 

A mighty cheer rose up, and H.B shouted that the show was over, but there would be an after-party on the nearby beach starting up in a few minutes. There were plenty of concessions, including tents, blankets, all kinds of food from vendors around town, and of course campfires. 

The band’s head of security reminded people to drink responsibly, a message only slightly weakened by the pint of beer in his hand. Before leaving, he suggested everyone have the time of their lives, just in case the planet got blown up to make way for an interstellar bypass.

Disaster Area was always making little jokes like that, and the crowd ate it up.

Everyone began to break into little groups, gushing about the show and heading off to stretch their legs. Emily considered going in search of food, grabbing some merchandise, or going—

“—to the bathroom?” Emily turned in time to get a peck on the cheek from a sweaty Lily, a bright smile on her face as she pointed.  A little lost in her own thoughts, Emily nodded and let the other girl lead her away. “I’m having so much fun, and you were right! It’s even better live!” 

The crowd was pretty thick, and unfortunately by the time they arrived the woefully small number of port-a-potties had a huge line. Luckily, Emily knew the Boat Graveyard better than most people. She grabbed Lily’s hand, and assured her that she knew of a secret toilet…

Laughing, Lily followed along with her girlfriend, giggling at her over-the-top phrasing.

After a few minutes, they’d left the concert venue behind, their path lit more by their phones and the moonlight than anything else. But Lily trusted Emily, and never once tried to turn back.

Despite the Boat Graveyard’s name, business wasn’t entirely dead there. Almost yearly, some  construction company would move into some of the warehouses in the area with big dreams of getting city money to clean the place up. It was nothing more than a token effort, though.

The Mayor had no intention of spending the tens of millions of dollars it would cost to actually make a dent in the problem, but appearances were everything in politics. 

Of course, none of that really mattered to Emily. All she cared about were the construction offices, their bathrooms, and their rarely-locked doors.

One in particular at the south end of the Boat Graveyard was especially insecure, and that was exactly where Emily took Lily.

Technically this was trespassing, but Emily assured Lily it was fine, as they crept inside…

Right up until she realized where she was, and felt the breath catch in her throat.

Suddenly she could smell the burning, could hear the barking and howling…

Running, screaming as sharp teeth bit down on her leg—

Emily stumbled, and would have fallen if Lily hadn’t caught her. But instead of thanking her girlfriend or making some silly quip, Emily was staring at the wall. 

Past the dust-covered desks and computers so old that nobody would even bother to steal them…was a very familiar wall.

It sat beside a metal door that had warped from heat. Even a year later, the building manager hadn’t fixed it.

Similarly, Emily hadn’t managed to forget, no matter how hard she tried.

Lily was saying something, practically holding her up, but Emily could only hear her heart pounding and feel her legs throbbing. She wanted to run away, but instead forced herself to stand firm. Legs and voice shaking, she growled at herself, “No. I’m strong now. I’m brave!”

“—mily? Are you okay?” Emily came back to herself, and quickly turned to hug Lily. It barely moved the taller, stronger girl, but the arms that squeezed her back were gentle. Pressing her face into the crook of Lily’s neck, they stayed like that as time seemed to stop around them.

“Sorry. I don’t mean to be so needy all the time, this place just…lots of bad memories here.” Emily whispered, finally stumbling over to lean against a desk covered in mugs and stacks of paper. “This is the place I got attacked by those dogs, last year. Here, see?”

Lifting her legs up and setting her feet on a metal chair, Emily began to roll up her pants. There was a time when her scars only filled her with shame, made her avoid the eyes of others. Not wanting to see their disgust, pity, and other emotions, she’d hidden them from everyone.

But Lily wasn’t disgusted, because she was a warrior. Emily had seen more than a few scars on her girlfriend, each with a story and a lesson she’d learned from them. As damaged skin and puckered scars were finally exposed to air, Emily only saw two emotions on Lily’s face.

 Understanding…followed immediately by shame.

“I’m sorry. I hadn’t…” Lily’s hand reached towards them, then paused and began to withdraw. Emily caught one with both her hands, and the girl sighed before continuing. “I kept inviting you to go swimming with me, teasing you for wearing leggings in the heat. I never stopped to think that the dogs might have done something like this to you. Those horrible monsters…”

Months ago, Emily might have agreed with her, having hated the dogs and Bitch. But all those sessions with her therapist, training with Melanie, and a whole lot of thinking these past few weeks had made her realize something. A fundamental truth that had eluded her for months.

She was tired of being angry, scared, and most of all she was sick of hiding from her problems.

A few weeks ago, she’d finally gathered the courage to do something about them.

It had been scary, but Emily had come away from it stronger than ever.

So instead of badmouthing Brutus, Bitch, or the Undersiders…

Emily laughed. More of a snort, but it felt…refreshing.

Lily looked up at her, worried and confused.

“No, the reason I wasn’t joining you to swim was because I don’t know how to swim .” She admitted, blushing a little but refusing to break eye contact. “As for the leggings…yeah, I was embarrassed, and don’t own any shorts. I used to think if I just hid my scars from everyone, they’d go away. But I’m done being that person, and so I want you to see the real me.”

She slowly brought Lily’s hand to rest on her leg, shivering as the other girl ran her fingers over the bumps and indentations. 

Emily closed her eyes, letting the girl explore with gentle touches, forcing herself to stay calm.

Eventually Lily’s hand left her leg, and Emily wondered if she’d gone too far.

Admittedly, she’d been inspired by Lethal Weapon 3, but—

“Thank you for trusting me, Emily.” Lily’s voice was suddenly much closer, and Emily opened her eyes back up to see the other girl almost nose-to-nose with her. She smelled like lavender, both her favorite scent and her favorite color, as it turned out. “When you’re ready, I hope you buy some shorts. You have beautiful legs, a beautiful heart, and are a truly wonderful person.”

Emily had no words that could properly express her thankfulness, the utter joy that filled her as Lily accepted her so wholeheartedly. So instead she turned her head a little, closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around the girl.

Lily happily reciprocated, leaning into Emily as they had a conversation that required no words. Silence surrounded them, broken only by the sound of music and people far off in the distance. 

But for Emily all that mattered was Lily, and she blinked in confusion as the girl suddenly pulled back with a serious look on her flushed face.

“...I really want to keep making out with you in an old warehouse, but I also need to pee.” Lily gave her a quick peck, then stepped back. As she sauntered off, the off-duty Ward winked over her shoulder as she caught Emily enjoying the view. “Think of that as an appetizer, okay?”

Emily nodded, still catching her breath, and rolled her pants back down as she waited patiently.

That patience only lasted for a few minutes, until she heard Lily scream in the distance.

Without a thought to her fears, a glance at that wall, or a care for her safety…

Emily took off at a sprint, heading for her girlfriend at full speed.

No matter what it was, she’d find a way to help.

“—just trying to help! You shouldn’t be doing this alone.” Newter complained, and Jess quickly turned the volume on her phone down as a pair of passers-by glanced at her. She didn't blame them, a girl in a wheelchair sitting alone beside a freight elevator in a back alley was odd. “Why not make a projection, like you did with Oliver? Or better yet, let me join you down there?”

“Because if he sees he might just run, or freak out if a customer mentions the orange guy waiting in an alley for him.” She smirked, glancing up at the rooftop and seeing her boyfriend cross his arms in a huff, “Sorry babe, but you're kind of imposing. Especially after all the bad guys we've beaten up these last few weeks. Anyway, I’m no slouch either, so just hang tight.” 

“Why are you even bothering with this, anyway? I mean, do you honestly think he’s going to be happy to see you? Wouldn't you rather be hanging out at home, or maybe going to that concert Em was hyped up about?”

“Actually, Emily's why I want to do this. She inspired me, with that meeting she had last month.” 

As long as Jess had known Emily, the brunette had varied between two moods when it came to the Undersiders: fear and loathing. They’d left heavy scars on her legs and psyche, and it only got worse from there. For one thing, the team barely seemed to acknowledge what they’d done!

Hell, when Umaro had run into them during the hunt for the E88 a few months back, their bug cape had claimed to have no idea what Bitch had done to Spitfire. 

So she’d been shocked to come back from a patrol last month and see three Undersiders…

Sitting in a booth in the Palanquin with drinks and snacks…

Having a civil conversation with Emily.

Both Umaro and Newter had started to approach, only to be cut off by Gregor. It was then that the pair realized the whole Crew was scattered around the nightclub, but keeping their distance. Mel and Siobhán were behind the bar, polishing glasses and a shotgun, respectively. Elle was reading a book up on the balcony, staring at the booth more than the pages.

Meanwhile, four teenage girls sat together, and spoke in low voices about something.

Gregor explained that Emily was the one who'd initiated this meeting. He took them to the bar, and Umaro’s enhanced senses soon caught her up on what they were discussing.

It was the most roundabout, long-winded apology she’d ever heard.

The blonde did most of the talking, answering questions and occasionally going off on tangents. The square-jawed girl on her left would punch her in the shoulder when that happened. The long-haired one on her right would pick up at that point, where she left off. 

They used words Jess was vaguely familiar with, like Sechen Ranges and Trigger Events, as well as forcing the brutish girl to speak on several occasions. It seemed like the other two were translating for her, and Emily slowly began to relax.

She still seemed nervous as hell, but by the end she was speaking almost as much as them. If she’d been a candle when they entered, by the time the Undersiders left Emily was a campfire.

She shook hands with them, even managing to keep eye contact with the bigger one despite her menacing stance. Then the three were gone, Emily raising a fist in triumph…

…and immediately ran for a wastebasket to throw up. She looked up at all of them, pale and trembling, chin splattered with vomit. But she was smiling, despite that.

She later explained to Jess and Newter that this had been her decision, as scary as it had been. 

To finally face her fears, and stop wasting so much time dwelling on her past. 

She’d finally gotten an apology, and understood Bitch a bit better.

Still hated the girl, but frankly she was ready to move past it. 

That made Jess think of something from her own past.

Someone she’d been wanting to talk to for months.

Ever since Bloodwing saw him crying.

“Jess?” The girl in question was startled out of her thoughts by a voice from behind her, and spun around to see that her target had arrived. “Were you waiting for me?”

He’d changed a lot in the last few months, and not all for the better. Ragged, stained clothing covered a body that was much thinner than she remembered. One hand scratched nervously near his eyepatch, but a wide smile slowly crept onto his face under his shaggy beard.

Because underneath all of it, he was still Sugita.

“Yeah.” She paused, gathering herself and remembering to keep her hands in view. Not just to avoid freaking him out, but also to be ready to signal Newter if need be. “Sorry, I heard that you worked at the bar on the roof, and wanted to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure, I have time. My shift doesn’t start for another ten minutes.” He noticed her confusion, and smiled a little before pointing at his mouth. “Working as a bartender means I get to practice a lot more English. Especially after the owner stopped chasing off non-Asian customers. Anyway, I’m glad you found me, there’s something I’ve been wanting to give you for a while.”

He turned and waved for her to follow, heading back the way he’d come. After a glance up at Newter, she signaled him to stay put and began to roll after the man. As they traveled, he filled her in on what he’d been up to over the last few months.

Apparently Coil’s info dump had included ABB and their backers, and Sugita’s father lost a lot of business that day. So much that the man fled Brockton, leaving his only son nothing at all.

“—then we got evicted, since without Father’s money we couldn’t afford rent. Jay ran off to join a gang, and I got a job at the bar where we used to hang out. The owner said that as long as I don’t join any gangs, I can have as many shifts as I can handle.” He smiled back at her, oddly cheerful despite his circumstances. “Which is good, because Father left many debts behind.”

They arrived at a very familiar vehicle, one that made Jess’ stomach sink.

“Wait, is this the same van?” She paused, hand scrabbling for her pocket. It contained the mace Melanie had given Jess, rated for low-level Brutes. Sugita smiled wider, and she slammed a hand down on her armrest, raising her voice as he reached for the door, “Stop!”

“Relax, I do not want to kidnap you. Just to give you…” He stopped, one hand on the door handle as he turned back to face her. Sugita’s eyes suddenly flicked up from hers to the rooftop, and he paled. “I’m sorry. I really do not wish you any harm. Please, I am sorry!”

Newter dropped down from above, landing directly between them like some sort of superhero from an Earth Aleph movie. His tail curled protectively around Jess, one hand pointed at Sugita and the other reaching down to flick on the camera on his belt. “That’s enough. Stand down.”

But Sugita was no longer standing. He’d fallen to his hands and knees, groveling before them both, silent and waiting. Several long moments passed, and he looked up, smile on his face.

“I am sorry. I smile when I’m nervous, and ever since I saw you I’ve been very scared.” He lowered his forehead to the ground, continuing to speak even as he lay there. “I knew that this day would eventually come. The day I would be punished for what I did. Do as you will.”

Newter glanced back at her, eyebrows raised and chin motioning towards the alley. It would be so easy to just roll away, leave him in the gutter and move on with her life. That was the whole point of this after all, to finally put her past behind her and stop thinking about him.

But walking away from a problem wasn’t the same as solving it. She’d spent months thinking about this day, considering what she’d say if she ever met Sugita again. Both an apology for poking out his eye, and a tongue-lashing for kidnapping her.

Oni Lee had claimed that he’d only visited early because she’d wounded Sugita, and hearing that he was the boy’s uncle made her wonder just how hellish his life had been. At the same time, it didn’t excuse what he’d done to her.

She wanted payback, but hadn’t been able to decide how to get it. Seeing the man grovel like this, ready to pay with his life…it felt wrong. So instead of leaving, she stayed put, and tried to be as brave as Emily had been.

She tugged on Newter’s arm, and pointed for him to give her some space. Reluctantly, he followed her request.

“Get up.” Her voice was quiet, and after swallowing she tried again. “Sugita. Get up. We’re not here to punish you. I just wanted to…I wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”

Slowly, as though expecting them to attack him at any moment, he obeyed. His shirt was filthy, soaked through with muck, and with their permission he opened the side door of his van.

Inside, she could see a thin mattress, clothes and boxes piled all around it, and containers of bulk food alongside scattered bottles of water. He retrieved a shirt, changed quickly, then sat down on the kickstep of the van. He looked tired, smile diminished but still present.

“You said you wanted to give me something.” She started, cocking her head. “What was it?”

“Just a moment.” He reached into the van again, under one of the front seats and rummaged around for a moment. Finally, Sugita crowed, “Ah, here it is! I am sorry that I took this.”

He handed her a totally rad wallet, and she was so surprised she almost dropped it. Blue with red stitching, a clever cartoon hedgehog on the side, velcro still just as strong as when her father had given it to her over a decade ago. But more important than that, inside was…

“How…?” She stared at Sugita, throat suddenly dry, “Why do you still have my wallet?”

“Because it was yours, and I wanted to give it back.” He looked confused, glancing at Newter and then back to Jess. His nervous smile grew, and he shrugged. “Jay tried the cards, and realized the money was fake, so he threw it away. I recovered it, and now it is yours again.”

Jess gripped her wallet tightly, wondering if Sugita at least had an inkling of what its contents meant. She shoved it in her pocket, glancing around to make sure they were alone, then decided to risk it. “Do you know what this means to me? Why it’s so important to me?”

“Yes.” He nodded, spreading his hands and patting the van with one. “This van is all I have left of my old friends, and it is filled with the memories we made, good and bad. That wallet is your van. Even if your money is worthless, it is still valuable. Because you made it with friends.” 

She smiled, glad he thought it was all fake, and hadn’t realized that she was from Earth Aleph. 

Still, getting it back had planted a seed in her, one of both doubt and hope.

Suddenly Sugita sighed, climbing to his feet and closing the door. Despite not wearing a watch, he tapped at his bare arm and smiled again. “I must get to work, I am afraid. My boss gets very angry when I am late, and takes all my tips as punishment. Unless there is anything else?”

Something made her stop him, and Jess quickly pulled out one of the business cards Mel made all of them carry around. She handed one over, after writing something on the back.

“No, I cannot accept this.” He saw the Palanquin’s logo on the front, and his smile vanished. “I do not deserve a job, much less forgiveness for what I did. I hurt you, stole you from your friends, and was too much of a coward to stop Jay and Yan. I do not deserve your pity.”

“This isn’t pity, and I don’t forgive you.” Her words stung him, but aside from flinching he didn’t turn away. She poked Sugita in the chest, and he seemed to hunch in on himself. “I hate you. Because of you, my friends are gone and one of them is dead. If I’d been there, I might have made a difference, but instead my life got ruined and I can never get it back.”

He began to trudge away, but she caught his arm…glancing at Newter and smiling slightly.

“...but, if you hadn’t kidnapped me, I never would have found my new family. I’d still be stuck in a neverending grind with an asshole leading us and being hunted by half the planet.” Sugita looked confused, but seemed to perk up a little as her tone lightened. “This is better than pity or forgiveness. It’s a chance to move forward, to start over. You can accept it or not, up to you.”

With that, she turned and rolled away, looking back only a single time as she reached the corner. Sugita was still standing there, staring at the business card.

He flipped it back and forth, then finally slipped it into his pocket and walked away.

“So, feel better now?” Newter asked, kissing her glove. “I guess that’s closure.”

“I don’t know.” She sighed, touching her wallet. “I need time to think.”

Unfortunately a call came not long after, requesting their presence.

Newter and Umaro were soon racing to the Boat Graveyard.

Apparently Emily and Lily had been attacked…

By a secret toilet.

“An exploding toilet?” Emily turned her head, face so red she was practically incandescent. The color came not only from her embarrassment, but also the flickering campfire in front of her. “Seriously, how did you even find a toilet in the Boat Graveyard? I know Disaster Area has some pretty amazing concerts, but was this like a special effects accident or something?”

Accident was certainly the right word for it, given that the toilet had blasted Lily with water mere moments after she’d flushed. Then it got worse as Emily barged in, and soon both of them were soaked with all kinds of terrible fluids. For some reason though, Lily had found it hilarious.

Meanwhile, even as she was calling for spare clothes and some support, Emily was worrying that the laughter was just an act. That her girlfriend was secretly angry, but covering it up with another emotion like Jenn always used to do when Emily did something to disappoint her.

“The important thing is that they’re both okay.” Umaro placed a huge hand over her boyfriend’s shoulder, fluffy white arm letting her easily turn him away from Emily. The bag of clothes, toiletries, blankets, and other stuff they’d brought after she called them had been a godsend.

The third degree and snarky jokes, not so much.

“Sorry, but what kind of brother would I be if I didn’t tease my sister when she…” He trailed off as Umaro whispered something in his ear, then turned to look between the two bedraggled girls. “Ah, sorry. Got carried away. You two have a nice date, we’ll be over here…hanging out.”

“Thank you both.” Lily spoke up, arms wrapped around her shivering body as Emily glared at the fire. They’d been lucky to find a hose and wash off the toilet water after making a few calls, arriving at the after-party in time to meet Umaro and Newter. “My mom just texted approval of our new ‘camp out under the stars with cape chaperones’ plan, so it looks like we’re set.”

Emily let out a little sigh of relief at that, certain that Ms. Shudo had probably thought the capes were Protectorate or something. She glanced over at the main after-party, a few hundred feet away and full of concert-goers who’d been staring at all of them for the last few minutes.

Tents, food trucks, and other campfires were all there, like a chain of islands populated by people drifting between them willy-nilly. When Emily and Lily had first approached, they’d been relieved that at least a dozen campfires were still unused, and had taken the one furthest away. 

Newter and Umaro were going to take the next link in the chain, providing them some security. Of course, there were already security guards, and even a few independent capes that traveled with the band as roadies/security, but it never hurt to have extra hands.

“Sure, and before we go, let me just…” Umaro trailed off as she grabbed a big hunk of metal that had once been the side of a boat and dug it into the sand. With a few minutes of work, she’d built a little wall of junk between their campfire and Emily’s, providing some privacy.

“Now, at this point I’d normally make some kind of joke about not doing anything I wouldn’t do.” Newter leaned a little closer to Emily, glancing between her and Lily with a smirk. It soon faded into a more genuine smile, and he squeezed her wet shoulder. “But I’m just glad you’re safe, sis. Lily, take good care of her, okay?”

“I’ll protect her with my life, Newter. None will harm a hair on her head as long as I’m here.” Lily winked, bumping Emily with her shoulder. “Not even marauding toilet monsters stand a chance.”

“Oh g-g-god, not you t-too.” Emily winced as her teeth chattered, and scooted a bit closer to the bag of clothes. She heard Newter jog away, and after a moment Lily crept closer. Emily handed a blanket to the girl, then sighed. “Great, they only brought one blanket. Sorry, Lil.”

“I don’t mind.” Emily turned to see her girlfriend smiling confidently, and felt her face heat up again. She shivered, and not just from the cold. “But we should probably take care of our clothes first. No sense getting the blanket wet. Here, hold it like this while I…”

Emily stared as Lily pulled off her shirt, twisting out the water with deft hands before dropping it on the ground by the fire. Her leggings followed, and by then the brunette finally figured out what was going on. Blushing, she let Lily take the blanket, while she disrobed as well.

More than a few times, Emily glanced over her shoulder, but the wall Umaro had built neatly blocked them off from everyone’s line of sight. With the campfire beside them and the bay only a few hundred feet away, it was like their own little island getaway.

They quickly got dressed in sleepwear, more than a little heat in their cheeks, then settled down. It only took a few moments before Emily found herself swallowing hard and wrapping an arm around Lily, trying to shake off her nerves.

Soon the two of them were sitting on part of the blanket, wrapped in the blanket. Waves of heat washed over them, both from the fire and each other, as Emily hugged her girlfriend closer.

Hours ago she’d have been a lot happier to cuddle with Lily by a fire. Their relationship felt like it had reached that stage, and it was part of why she’d been looking forward to this sleepover.

But instead she felt ashamed, and even though Lily had told her a dozen times that what had happened wasn’t her fault…it didn’t help. Emily still felt terrible, like she’d ruined the night for both of them, and started to apologize for the hundredth time.

“Em, it wasn’t—”

Unable to stop herself, Emily barreled past Lily’s attempt to absolve her of blame. Rambling was something she was great at, especially when pressure built up inside her like this. 

Horror dawned on her as Emily realized she wasn’t just apologizing for tonight. She babbled about all kinds of things, months of regrets pouring out of her in moments.

What felt even worse was the way she knew she was spiraling, depression and shame growing with every word that passed through her lips.

Which was why she was so glad when Lily decided to use them for something else, kissing the scared girl with surprising passion.

After several long seconds, Lily pulled back. She smiled, then hugged Emily before she could start rambling again.

“Tonight is the most fun I’ve had in years, Emily. We went to a cool concert, explored the Boat Graveyard, you bared your heart to me, and now we’re beach-camping under the stars.” She squeezed the other girl so tight tears came to Emily’s eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about all these worries you had?”

“Because you’re into all this sporty stuff and a hero and in your senior year and I’m just…” Emily trailed off, taking a breath. It sounded so dumb to say it all out loud, but if she stopped now then it would keep rattling around in her head forever. “I’m just a mercenary who talks good, not some kind of action hero like you. It feels like you could do so much better than me...”

“Seriously?” Lily laughed, eyes sparkling. “Emily, the reason I’m so good is because I cheat!”

“Cheating?” Emily was so shocked she blinked a few times, and Lily grinned. “How?”

“With my powers.” Lily whispered, and now she was the one who looked a little bit ashamed. “I can’t really turn it off. My power gives me an enhanced sense of timing and angles. I have excellent balance, incredible aim, and…well, I work out four days a week.”

“But doesn’t it bother you that I’m so terrible at all of the things you like most?”

“Nah, I don’t do them because I want to beat other people. They’re fun because of the people I do them with , and when you get better or have a great time that’s like ambrosia for me.” Emily blushed at the pride in Lily’s voice. “Plus, thanks to you I’ve gotten to find all kinds of new stuff to try that I’d never have found alone. Video games, singing, that time we went go-karting…”

She started listing things off, and Emily realized that the stuff she’d always thought was boring Lily was actually exciting to her. She wasn’t turned away by failure or lack of skill in an activity, but rather saw it as a new challenge. How had Emily misread Lily so much on this stuff?

“—and that carnival we went to! Did you know I’d never been to a carnival before?” She hugged Emily again, giggling as if they were there again riding on the ferris wheel. That had been their first kiss, and Emily treasured it as well. “In New York, it was all work and no play. But ever since I came to Brockton Bay, and especially since I met you , life has been so incredibly fun!”

Reminded of that ferris wheel, as well as what they’d done on it, Emily thanked Lily for cheering her up and forgiving her. 

In turn, Lily thanked Emily for being the best girlfriend ever, and taking her on such wild adventures. 

They didn’t speak with their words, but rather used a more…intimate kind of thanks.

But not too intimate, because they weren’t quite ready for that. Yet.

Plus Umaro was right there , and had enhanced senses.

They went on thanking each other long into the night, laughing and talking as they conversed in the language of love. Eventually, in a haze of happiness and exhaustion, the pair curled up against each other, swaddled in the blanket like it was a sleeping bag.

The party was starting to die down, and both felt too energized to sleep, so they started talking about random stuff. At one point, Emily said she wished they could camp like this every night, and Lily seemed to get a flash of inspiration.

“Come to think of it, Chris was talking about going on a road trip this summer. He’s been fixing up an old van Armsmaster gave him, and was talking about going on adventures and camping out and stuff…”

“Oh yeah, I remember him talking to Melanie about that. Elle was trying to get permission to go along, but Mel said she needed a lot of training first so she’d be ready to defend herself.”

“Well, what if I went along? Like, as their bodyguard.” She flexed, then giggled as Emily kissed her bicep. “Hey, you should come with me! Mom’ll be more likely to say yes if you go.”

“Seriously? I’m pretty sure if you tell her I’m coming, she’ll shut you down even harder. Disaster Area concerts, exploding toilets, mercenaries…I’m kind of a bad influence.”

“Em, are you kidding? My mom loves you!” Lily laughed, hugging her confused girlfriend before giving her a peck on the nose. “She’s always saying that I’m too placid and boring, like a river or a pond, but you’re this wild and passionate fire that makes me bubble and boil.”

Emily snorted, but started to chuckle as well. Melanie had said something similar about Lily a few weeks ago. How the Ward was so calm and considerate, and such a good influence on Emily as far as rounding her out. 

But rather than tell Lily that, she decided to play to her strength and say something else…

“Oh, so I make you bubble and boil, huh?” Emily poked Lily, then started to tickle her mercilessly. “Am I getting you steamed? Getting you all hot and both—”

Emily probably would have won the tickle fight, if Lily hadn’t cheated with her powers. Still, she gave as good as she got, and did some cheating of her own…

Later, after they’d settled down and were even more exhausted, Emily found herself admiring her sleeping girlfriend in the firelight.

She had a lot to think about, and loads of planning if the four of them were gonna go on a road trip together.

Alone, it might have been scary. But with Chris, Lily, and Elle it felt more like…freedom.

Free to go wherever they wanted, do anything they felt like trying, and just…live.

As the fire crackled nearby and the ocean crashed against the shore…

Emily smiled, loving how much her life had changed in a year.

Dozing off, nestled in the arms of the girl she loved…

Emily found herself happily thinking of the future.

Where would they all be in another year?

Chapter Text

“—and the quad has got a skate park in it, but not like you’d expect.” Trevor gushed, and in the background Newter could hear him working on something mechanical. “Sort of a customizable deal that has all kinda extraneous features, because there are so many tinkers on campus. Like, you know how Chris made that zero-G safety belt, so he could fall off his board and not splatter on the ground? Like that, but way more fun! Does that make sense?”

“Trevor, you’ve been talking for nearly an hour, and nothing you’ve said has made any sense to me.” Newter sighed, but couldn’t keep the fondness out of his voice. He was happy to catch up with his oldest friend. “I’m just glad your mom let you head to MIT a week early. Sorry I’ve been so busy these last few weeks, but on our way back up the coast we’ll definitely drop by, okay?”

Actually, Newter had been busy ever since summer kicked off a few months ago. 

Christ, they were already in September! 2012 was more than half over!

Between traveling and training and bounties and…other stuff…

Well, time really flew when you were having fun.

Especially when your partner was Jess.

“Nah, it’s fine, man. I heard from Emily that you and Jess got inspired by her road trip with Elle, Lily, and Chris, and decided to go on some adventures of your own. Hell, I even saw some pictures of you fighting a bunch of Wards, then eating pizza with them! How’d that shake out?”

“It was Deputy Director Renick’s idea, if you can believe it.” Newter grinned as Trevor gasped. He stretched as he looked out the window of their hotel. Miami looked amazing, way better than it had over a year ago, and you could barely tell Leviathan had been here. “Jess and I had been helping to train Whippersnap and some of the Wards, and he got other Departments interested. Said with her power and my tactical skills, we could rake it in by teaching hero capes to fight.” 

With Melanie and Gregor’s help, he’d put together a contract back in February, one that Renick somehow got Piggot to sign off on. It probably helped that he’d spent months non-lethally taking down all sorts of criminals in his Tutorial Zone . 

“Back in Vegas we did some pretty hardcore training, and having Jess create randomized forms taught me a lot about tactics.” He didn’t mind bragging, since that particular experience had formed the basis for the program he’d spent the last nine months perfecting. “So I play coach, and Jess sets up scenarios for teaching capes of all ages how to handle various situations.”

“Damn, guess that must pay pretty well, social media has you popping up all over the place.” Trevor was tapping away at something, probably going through the posts Jess had made. She’d sort of taken over as the pair’s manager/agent, always setting up appointments and sessions. “Why’re you spending so much time in Philly? Their team’s mostly a support deal, I thought?”

“Oh, that’s actually a funny story. See, we stopped by to drop off a bounty back in May, and Umaro bumped into Panacea. Literally.” The huge yeti had knocked the teenager over, barely catching her before she smacked into Newter and went sleepy-bye. “Apparently Jess’ form was pretty amazing, and she asked for permission to examine her further. Jess said okay, and we—”

“Dear Penthouse, I never thought I would be writing one of these letters, but—” Trevor broke off as he started laughing. “Let me tell you about my threesome with a yeti and Panacea…”

“ Actually , the examination was a power-related thing. Not a sex thing.” Newter cut the man off, face heating up a little as he continued to chortle. “But afterwards, she asked for more…stop laughing! Anyway, we’d visit every few weeks to let her experiment on Jess’ forms, and let me tell you she had some crazy ass requests for biological stuff to play with, and in return…”

“She fixed Jess’ legs, yeah I saw.” All the humor had fled from Trevor’s voice now, and he sounded genuinely happy for them. “Thought Panacea was some kinda super-healer though. Why is it that all these pics I’m seeing on Jess’ Facebook have her walking on crutches?”

That was something Newter didn’t fully understand either, he admitted with a sigh. Jess had been adamant that she wanted nothing more than having her nerves fixed. Panacea had been puzzled, and it didn’t make a lot of sense to Newter either. 

But Trevor seemed to get it in an instant, and wisely explained it to his confused friend.

“Back when I first joined the Wards last July, they wanted to just give me some power armor. Said it came from that Tecton guy out in Chicago, and I said hell no!” Trevor snarled, then chuckled a little at himself. “This was gonna be my armor, my whole cape deal, and I wanted to build it from scratch. I figger Jess is the same way, she wanted to build herself back up.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Newter nodded, looking into the hotel bedroom and seeing his girlfriend still sleeping. She’d invited him to come gliding with her Goliath form, but he had other things on his mind. A smile crossed his face as she shifted a little, and he turned away.

“—ask her to try some of that healing power on you?” Trevor was asking, sounding a little bit high as he took a puff of something. “Not that you need it, but maybe she could turn your orange down a bit. Maybe go from Cheeto puff to faded carrot or something?”

“Nah, every time she tried to fix my wacky biology, it would just snap back a few minutes later.” He shrugged, having long since accepted who he was. Newter’s self-image was stronger than ever, thanks to the people who loved him. “Besides, Jess had a better idea. Since she was gonna need help with physical therapy, she asked if Panacea could…inoculate her. To me.”

“Wait, are you telling me that Jess is immune to your fluids ?” The way he said that last word made Newter blush, and he deliberately moved further from the bedroom. “Shit, no wonder you’ve been busy all summer. You’ve been too busy gettin’ busy! Summer of love, fer real!”

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.” He muttered, realizing too late that he’d basically confirmed it. Trevor congratulated him and said a bunch of stuff that made Newter start to feel pretty flustered. Almost as much as he’d felt when Mel and Gregor sat him down for a sex talk the moment he’d told them the news. “Okay, I’m hanging up now. I gotta go do…stuff.”

“Wait wait wait! Sorry man, guess I took it kinda far. I just…” Trevor lowered his voice, a bit of exhaustion mixed in with the regret. “Spent so much time tinkering and getting settled into the Wards, then by the time I finally had time to date I was moving to Boston for MIT. I mean, I’m happy as hell for you, but also jealous. Starting all over here, and it’s kinda lonely.”

“Lonely? My Trevor? I find that very hard to believe.” Newter chuckled, glad when his friend picked it up as well. “I’ve seen some of the pictures you sent me of the MIT freshman class. Lots of cute guys there. Mark my words, a few weeks and they’ll be falling all over you.”

“Eh, you’re probably right. I am pretty awesome.” As always, Trevor was quick to bounce back, and joked, “Speakin’ of falling over, I’m about ta’ conk out. Wanna pick this back up tomorrow?”

“Sure, sure. But before you go…” Newter trailed off, stepping out on the hotel balcony and closing the door. He took a deep breath, enjoying the view of Miami’s coast at night. “Remember last year, when you gave me advice on talking to Jess, and that time you explained honesty?”

“Yes, my advice is rather invaluable. Speak, grasshopper, and I shall share more wisdom.”

Newter paused, looking along the coast and seeing the moon, glinting off the water.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to Jess about for a while…”

He explained, quietly and quickly, words clumsy and confusing.

But Trevor listened patiently, the time for jokes long over.

Then he asked a simple question, and Newter smiled.

“Yes, with all of my heart.” He replied. “Forever.”

“Then that’s all that matters. You got this.”

“Thanks, Trevor. I feel a lot better.”

“Hey man, what’re friends for?”

“Chris, you’re my friend and I love you, but why the fuck do you keep telling me to drive into the river?” Emily pulled a hard right, narrowly avoiding the pickup truck that had been trying to run them off the road for the last few minutes. “I mean, I might not be as good a driver as Elle, but I’m pretty sure even she can’t drive on water! As far as shortcuts go, it’s kinda a shit idea.”

His reply was cut off as something slammed into their van from the side, a cloud of smoke exploding around them. She cursed and sped up, glad that they’d chosen to take the back roads instead of the main thoroughfare this time. 

Ever since this psycho came after them back in Vegas a few months back, they’d done their best to avoid major cities. But Houston was where they had to be, and she’d be damned if innocents got hurt because a bunch of B-List villains didn’t care about collateral damage.

“Isn’t that Smokey Bandit?” Lily asked, cranking down the window with one hand as she gripped her crossbow in the other. She’d had to take the bigger one apart so Chris could mount it on the roof, but the villains had broken it with their opening shot. “I thought he got sent to Eagleton?”

She fired at the muscle car’s tire, but at the very moment she pulled the trigger, the vehicle pulled a foot to the left and the bolt stuck in the pavement. Lily grumbled, hating it when other people with timing powers countered her. 

As the muscle car tried to sideswipe them, Emily deftly sped up and drifted around a corner.

“Well done, sister!” Elle called out, grinning madly as one of their pursuers smashed into a produce stand and sent cabbages flying. The owner wept for his bruised brassicas, then dove out of the way as their primary antagonist nearly ran him over. “Chris, what were you saying?”

“I was saying that I finished the new upgrades on the van last week, and to please just trust me.” Their tinker’s hands danced as he quickly disassembled three futuristic weapons without even looking at them, snapping the parts together into a growing energy rifle. “Drive into the river, and hit that red button on the dash before you do it. I’m…70% sure it’ll work out fine.”

Emily wanted to argue, especially since the last time they’d spoken the number had been 80%, but they were swiftly running out of road. Buffalo Bayou, a river that cut through most of Houston, was shining dead ahead. 

Smokey hit them with another blast of smoke and hot air…and Emily realized it was now or never.

“Fuck it, let’s do this!” She shouted, gunning the engine and pulling ahead of the other cars.

They smashed through the guard rail, blue energy glinting as it soaked up the impact.

Emily hit the newest button on their ever-growing console of buttons and switches.

The van splooshed into the river, sinking like a rock, and then…

“Ha! I knew it would work!” Chris crowed, hugging Elle and laughing as they bobbed back up. Emily turned the wheel left and right, amazed as their van-turned-boat handled like a dream. “Sherrel helped me with the design, and I didn’t know for sure until now, but this is awesome.”

“Well of course it worked.” Elle kissed her boyfriend, smiling at him as he blushed. “You know what they say, ‘if it floats, it boats.’ Besides, tinkers are basically magic anyway.”

“Well, maybe you former Wards can whip up some magic wards, huh?” Emily pushed some annoyance into her voice, practically growling as she slapped the dash. “Whatever Thinker power she’s got, she keeps finding us no matter what! I’ll be damned if we’re late getting back to Brockton next week, and Lily and Chris miss the start of their freshman year of college.”

“Hey, I’m doing the best I can, Em!” Chris practically shouted, face not matching his tone as he acted angry at her faked lack of trust in his skills. The last few months they’d all grown a lot closer, but this particular plan required them to be loud and oblivious. “Besides, unless she can swim, we’re in the clear. So calm the hell down, and just enjoy the ride, okay?”

“Um, let’s not celebrate yet you guys.” Lily pointed out the window, and they all groaned as both cars followed them at a leisurely pace from the road. “Unless we wanna follow this all the way to Burnet Bay, we’re going to have to get out at some point. Think it’s time to throw in the towel?”

Emily sighed, letting out a tortured sob as Lily tried to console her girlfriend. 

As if their pursuers could hear them, they honked in celebration, flashing their lights.

Sighing, Emily soon drove up onto an embankment, not even bothering to try and speed away. 

Minutes later, their damp van was sitting in the middle of Galena Park, surrounded. They shared a glance, whispering words of encouragement to each other. It was hard, but they all hid their real feelings, a mix of happiness and relief that this was working.

All four exited slowly, Chris still holding his pulse rifle and Lily her crossbow. All wore domino masks, cowboy hats, and heavy jackets, what had essentially become their go-to costumes ever since they left on this road trip.

But despite being dressed for a showdown at high noon, their body language was that of a defeated gunslingers surrounded by a posse. As they waited in silence, their enemies finally climbed out to gloat.

One car was smoky and scratched up, a perfect match for its driver, Smokey Bandit. The last year had not been kind to him, his escape from Eagleton having resulted in many battle scars.

The muscle car had been driven by Top Tier, obviously on a racecar kick from his moves earlier. The suited nerd had a gun trained on them, held sideways like an idiot, and he grinned.

But all their attention was on the main vehicle, and the absolute monster who’d been driving it. 

March, a psycho who’d been hunting them for months, dressed in a military uniform.

The silly rabbit mask and ears had made Emily laugh when they first met.

Then Lily explained how dangerous she was, and now they just ran.

For three months, she kept finding them, and they kept running.

Every time she had some new thugs, brought new dangers.

But Emily was through running from this monster.

She glared at March, and waited patiently.

Luckily, the girl loved to monologue.

“Oh come on, you all had to know there was only one way this was ever gonna end. Besides, this little game of ours is kinda fun for me.” March loved the sound of her own voice, her power making attacks almost useless against her. Some kind of thinker nonsense, planning stuff out and studying people. “Even if I was sort of cheating. Here’s a hint: I planted a bug in your van.”

“What the fuck, seriously?” Emily shouted, clenching her teeth as the girl began to laugh again. She felt Lily’s hand on hers, heard her whisper to calm down, and struggled to stay focused.

Focused on pretending that they hadn’t known about the bug, that is. Judging by the way March hadn’t even drawn her weapon yet, she was eating this shit up.

“Wow, I didn’t expect that kind of reaction. But I just wanted to spice things up a bit. Our little game was getting boring, you see. That’s why this time I brought the two biggest losers I could find!” She gestured at Smokey and Top Tier, both of whom grumbled but didn’t argue. “Yet I still won, just like I always do. Really, you need to step it up, otherwise I might get bored…”

“If you’re getting bored, then perhaps you should play a different game.” Elle sounded annoyed, and attempted to smooth her expression out as March turned in her direction. “Really, the whole point of games is to have fun, and frankly this isn’t fun for us. It’s worth considering that if hurting people and making them suffer is fun, professional help might be a better use of your time.”

“Yeah, you’d know all about shrinks, psycho . I heard all about how you used to pal around with Burnscar and broke out of a crazy house.” March snarled, then regained her composure as Elle refused to break eye contact. She paused, cocking her head as one ear flopped down. “But seriously, are you all saying this isn’t fun for you? The challenge? The excitement? Nothing ?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chris shouted, gun charging as he pointed at her, but unlike most people she didn’t seem to care. It was only Elle’s hand on the barrel that made him lower it. “No! We don’t find this fun! We’re on a road trip, exploring and going on adventures and shit. Take a hint already and get over yourself. Find someone else to torment, you monster!”

“Please, just leave us alone already.” Lily sounded tired, and Emily clasped her hand so hard their knuckles turned white. “You’ve proven you can catch us, no matter how hard we try. We don’t want to play this game anymore, what’s the point of beating an opponent who can’t win?”

“The whole point of hunting my prey is to catch it.” March took a lazy step forward, drawing her rapier and slashing through the air. She waved it at her accomplices, then pointed it at the four of them as her voice got louder and more unhinged. “Now that I’ve got it, I wanna play with it.”

“We do not wish to fight you. Any of you!” Elle turned, directing her words at the other two. Unlike their leader, they didn’t really seem to be into all this theatrical crap. Even Smokey seemed a little uncomfortable, now that his new pal was talking about carving up some teens. “Please, just let us go, or I promise it will end badly. Nobody needs to get hurt today.”

“You know, I actually agree with blondie. So give me what I want, and we’ll just…leave.” The rabbit curled her fingers, eyes on Lily as if inviting her to dance. “Otherwise, it’s a rumble.”

Emily felt Lily tremble against her, and it took a moment to realize it was her phone. 

That meant everything was in place, and they could finally move to Phase 3.

All this overacting and begging was beginning to get old.

Time to bring the real game to an end.

“Nah, I have a better idea. How about you just go, or face the consequences ?” She smirked, and saw the other three visibly relax at the code word, even as March laughed. “Yeah, funny, right? Almost as funny as you thinking this was just a game of cat and mouse, and that you had the upper hand. You think you trapped us, but it’s actually the other way around. Last chance!”

March laughed harder, making little noises as if coddling a scared baby. Ignoring her, Emily continued to speak, knowing that everything depended on her being the center of attention.

Mel had lectured her on the danger of talking too much, but at the same time had extolled the virtues of facing an enemy who underestimated you.

One of the best ways to do that was to let them think you were desperate, and only faking confidence.

When in fact, right now Emily’s confidence was 100% pure, and as big as Texas.

“See, when I realized that we were near Houston and playing the part of mice in a game of cat and mouse, I got an idea.” Emily tapped her forehead, grinning. “I figured, why not call the baddest bitches I know to play the part of the dogs, and fuck all you kitty cats up?”

For a brief moment, March glanced over her shoulders, perhaps at the sound of wind blowing or a far-off PRT siren. But she swiftly turned back around, certain that she had more than enough time to win because she’d fought them many times, and knew all the variables.

But what she didn’t know was that a hundred feet behind her, in a very stealthy tricked-out APC, were Emily’s two best friends in Houston. The invisible vehicle was even hidden from most thinkers, thanks to the work of a very dedicated tinker.

Hoyden leapt out of the APC the moment March turned her back. She ran towards Smokey, laughing as he tried to shoot at her and his smoke bullet exploded in his hands thanks to her power’s strange effects. 

March turned in surprise, and Chris immediately blasted Top Tier, freezing him solid as blue energy danced over his form. He then turned to shoot at March while Hoyden made short work of Smokey. 

March started to shout orders at Smokey, knocking Lily’s bolt out of the air and effortlessly dodging Chris’ blasts. She rushed straight at Lily, who stood her ground bravely…

But March should have been watching her own back, because she might have noticed the foam cannonball Sherrel’s APC had launched at her.  

She screeched, slicing at the confoam as it spread over her body, but by then it was far too late.

Within five minutes, the villains were captured and on their way to very secure cells.

Within an hour, Emily, Lily, Chris, and Elle were collecting the bounty on them.

Within their lifetimes there’d be many more exciting adventures.

But that night, they partied like there was no tomorrow.

Because as long as they were together…

Today was all that mattered.

“—but while he suggested that today was all that mattered, the Stoics had a far different interpretation.” Gregor paused, looking out over their students and seeing he had their full attention. “According to the Stoics, it was merely another form of distress. One that was focused on losses outside of our total control, and therefore an emotion to manage. It makes us beholden to not only fortune, but suggests a profound need to consider…ah, yes Chantilly?”

“Mr. Gregor, as much as we deeply appreciate your wisdom, and know wherever you were going with this was probably very fascinating…” Chantilly paused, leaning on Whippersnap for a moment as if considering her words, then sighed. “What does it have to do with anything? Seriously, what are you talking about? Aside from the fact that we keep losing, I mean.”

Mockshow whispered something to Crucible, and her fellow Ward chuckled, then got ahold of himself as he noticed Siobhán’s eyes on him. He swallowed heavily, and returned his attention to Gregor so quickly his neck popped a little.

Even though they had a healthy amount of respect for her, given that she had beaten them in every training match thus far, some still underestimated her. Which was why Gregor was hoping his answer would help them revise their tactics a bit.

But apparently he’d reached a little too deep into his supply of inspiring quotes, and pulled out a dud. That, or these Wards really needed to spend more time reading and less on their devices.

“Yeah, I gotta agree with Lace.” Toggle was nervous, the young cape still fairly new to her powers and Brockton Bay as a whole. She seemed to firm up a little as the cloth-like C53 gave her a one-armed hug. “No offense, but how can you still be so confident in us? We keep losing.”

“Well, for starters, it's better to fail in practice than in battle…” Gregor started, then trailed off as Siobhán patted him on the shoulder. He turned to consult with her, and saw a grin.

“I seem to recall that when Newter said he was extending his vacation with Jess another week, we promised to teach his Wards training class. Combat training, not college philosophy.” She gently turned him towards the door, pointing at the newspaper he’d left there earlier. “Why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll give it one last shot? Melanie will be here soon to relieve us, anyway.”

He nodded, smiling as she gave him a peck, and returned to the rest area near the entrance. The training facility in the Palanquin basement had been expanded significantly once Newter started teaching his class there, half paid for by the PRT. The other half came from a Corporate team that had appeared last summer, rich folks with rather impressive powers.

Melanie suggested that they might be worth looking into since they’d all seemingly triggered at the same time despite leading fairly sedate lives. Newter had happily agreed to train them, and in return they’d given quite a sum of cash to get his business off the ground.

Pushing that out of his mind, he opened up the newspaper and attempted to read…

But found his gaze drawn back to Siobhán, patiently teaching the teen capes.

His hand went to his neck, tracing the silver necklace he wore.

On it was a simple ring, much like the one she had.

Proof that everyone made their own fortunes.

Regardless of what the Stoics thought.

There had been a time when Gregor cursed fate for twisting his form, taking his mind, and leaving him adrift in a sea of loneliness. But Siobhán too had been stolen from her life, forced to become a creature of death and pain, and only escaped by abandoning all she knew. It was this realization that led to their bond, represented by their rings, and expressed in their love.

Watching her teach these children, it never ceased to amaze him that someone so beautiful, kind, and patient could have such love for him. Such boundless respect that she’d choose him over anyone else, especially with powers like hers. Rather than leave their Crew and seek solace anywhere else in the world, she had chosen this place, here with him and his family.

For it was Siobhán herself that was capable of twisting the skeins of fate, upsetting destiny’s plan, and throwing off certainty with but a thought. Yet despite all that power, she’d bared her heart to him, bound their souls for eternity in a bond of loving marriage.

While Gregor was never one to believe in a higher power, he considered himself blessed.

As she noticed him watching her, a blush drifted across her face for a moment.

He smiled, then turned to his paper, not wanting to pressure her.

Gregor trusted her, and Siobhán in turn trusted him.

He skimmed the paper, barely able to focus.

—PRT claims Lizardtail’s clinic has nothing to do with reduced patrols in South Beach—

—Renaissance easily defeated both capes, putting the kibosh on an attempted revival of E88—

—claims to be Lung’s son and has similar powers, but at only seven years old the PRT will—

—such a marriage between Accord and Citrine would lead to a literal power couple—

—Director Seneca in Anchorage saying that investigation into Elite continues, Russia’s—

Gregor’s eyes narrowed, and he went back to the start of that particular article. Ever since Jess’ friend Oliver dropped off the radar all of the sudden, he’d been keeping an eye out for related information. Given her rather handsome friend had moved to Anchorage only a month prior to this massive tech theft by the Elite, Gregor was certain there was a connection.

Unfortunately, most of the article was focused on a joint energy project between Russia and the CUI. It barely mentioned how Haywire’s technology from PRT storage facilities in Anchorage (previously kept in Madison) had been stolen by mercenaries speaking Russian…

Gregor had sources that most news media lacked, and he knew something else was at work here. Russian troops, Red Gauntlet, and cape mercs identified as Elite operatives, as well as the CUI’s most powerful capes and tinkers. All working with Haywire tech…

It was obvious they were trying to make portals or contact other Earths, but why? This was unfamiliar technology, and the only person who knew how it all worked was dead. What were they up to, and why burn so many bridges to accomplish it?

Furthermore, did this have anything to do with the recently discovered Earth Shin, or the fact that contact with Earth Aleph had failed to connect last week? Perhaps Earth Bet was another bridge they were burning?

It nibbled at the edge of Gregor’s brain, and just as his prodigious mind was about to crack the whole thing wide open—

Something more important than interdimensional shenanigans interrupted him.

Success, and joyful celebrations.

“Hell yeah! We did it!” Mockshow shrieked, leaping off of her latest creation and landing in Crucible’s arms. He laughed, spinning her around and planting a kiss on her cheek. The rest of the Wards were similarly celebrating, Siobhán looking tired but very pleased despite having lost.

All thoughts he’d had were well and truly scattered, as Gregor stood and applauded. He found a wide smile coming easily to him as all involved waved and accepted his adulations with glee.

There would be time for the Elite, Russia, CUI, and others in the days to come. After all, if this was truly a matter of dimensions and cosmic danger, what could a mercenary crew really do to make a difference? Especially with far more powerful forces already ostensibly working on it?

Right now, he preferred to live in the moment, rather than fret about the future.

Speaking of the moment…

“Hmm, seems like you two have been taking it easy on them, if they have the energy to do all that.” Faultline spoke up, startling Gregor so much he swung at her, though she easily caught his hand in a handshake. “I’ll take over from here, you two have an appointment to keep.”

Despite all the changes over the last year, Melanie was basically the same as she ever was. Certainly, the eyepatch and cane made her look more grizzled and dangerous than ever, especially when people realized the amount of dangerous tech hidden in the walking stick.

But despite her cane, it was what was behind the eyepatch that mattered most. Not a cybernetic eye (despite Newter’s frequent suggestions), but rather a keen mind and the will to keep fighting no matter the cost. Tempered with patience and understanding, she was incredible.

Melanie was happier than she’d been in years, leaving more and more of the Crew’s activities to her family. She was finally able to enjoy the fruits of her labors, and pass on her teachings. Even though time had taken much from her, it had brought her far more in return.

Time hadn’t made her any softer though, so he made sure to warn her before leaving—

“Of course, of course. Try not to go too hard on them.” Her handshake turned into a deathgrip for a moment, and he quickly pulled her closer so his grimace wouldn’t be visible. Gregor hugged his oldest friend, lowering his voice to whisper. “They’ve actually been quite good today. Surely they’re not deserving of the full wrath of Melanie Fitts’ felony mitts?”

“We’ll see.” She pushed him out the door with Siobhán. “Also, don’t call me Shirley.”

Siobhán seemed slightly confused when Gregor burst out laughing.

By the time they made it up to the main floor, he’d finished explaining the joke, and promised that they’d watch Airplane together soon. Siobhán rather liked the idea of humor that was in the background, her keen eye for details being something she was quite proud of.

“Hey guys, off to the big appointment?” Their head bartender waved, spinning a bottle in one hand as he grabbed a few glasses with the other. “I know it’s a sure thing, but good luck!”

“It’s still appreciated. If there’s one thing I’ve learned with abilities like mine…” Siobhán winked at Sugita, laughing as he grinned back. “It never hurts to have a little bit of extra luck.”

Together, they walked to one of the most important missions of their lives. Despite a few stares on the way over, nobody outside a few tourists really seemed to care about a Case 53 walking down the street. Much less one who walked with a beautiful young lady on his arm.

This was Brockton Bay, after all. With the third highest Case 53 population in the United States, Gregor didn’t even get someone asking for a selfie anymore. It was enough to keep a smile on his face the whole way over, but soon enough a hint of worry crept in.

That good mood had been replaced with a hint of nervousness by the time they arrived at the PRT ENE HQ. Grasping his hand tightly with her own, both entered and were relieved when Deputy Director Renick was there to meet them. 

Waving off the PRT agents, he led them to the elevator, talking a mile a minute about how much he appreciated this. Frankly, it was the happiest they’d seen him in a while, with good reason.

He was ecstatic, having benefited greatly from his deal with Newter, and there were even rumors that he’d be stepping into the Director chair within a year. Not because of any mistakes on Piggot’s part, but more she’d done well enough this last decade to finally earn a promotion.

Despite frowning every time it came up, she’d seemed oddly happy about going to Washington, DC to take a more active role in cape oversight. Of course, she’d be leaving Brockton Bay far better than how she got it, so it was a feather in her cap either way.

“—already took care of all the paperwork, and aside from weekly visits from a PRT liaison you’ll be…” Renick trailed off, realizing that his guests had stopped in the doorway. He turned back to face them, and a slow smile spread across his face.

Siobhán had come to a halt, courtesy of a little boy who’d nearly tackled her, face now buried in her stomach. After a moment, he pulled away, looking up at her and Gregor with an unreadable expression.

Bright red hair and skin, flesh the texture of clotted blood, and it was easy to see why the PRT had decided to call him Sanguine . But to Gregor and Siobhán he had a different name entirely…

“Hello, Angus.” Gregor knelt, calling the child by the name he’d chosen for himself. “We’re here to take you home, if you’re ready. We’ve got a room prepared for you, just like you requested.”

“I’m goin’ home?” His size was that of a child perhaps ten years old, and red eyes went wide as he looked at Renick. “Really? With a mommy and daddy and everything?”

“Uh-huh, everything .” Renick nodded, a bit of melancholy in his voice despite his smile. This had been their idea, but he’d made it all happen. “You deserve it, kiddo.”

Angus let out a shriek of joy grabbing both Gregor and Siobhán’s legs in hugs, reddish tears seeping from his eyes only to be absorbed back into his skin.

To most parents, really to most people, it might have been horrifying or scary. Enough to make them reconsider adopting a Case 53 child.

But to Gregor and Siobhán, who had dreamed of this moment for a very long time, it was a dream come true.

They each took a hand, and walked out of the PRT, their son swinging and laughing between them. 

Gregor had often considered the Ship of Theseus, and how it applied to Case 53s...

More broadly, how everyone could change so much, gradually or all at once.

Regardless of who they used to be, they all had the chance to grow.

Gregor, Siobhán, and Angus, as well as countless others…

Ships of all shapes and sizes, sailing together.

Exploring the vast ocean of life.

When she first woke up, Jess thought she was on a boat.

Her body felt as if she was rocking back and forth, mind still caught in a fuzzy sleep state that was hanging on with a deathgrip. A voice sounded far away yet close by, like someone trying not to wake her up. She tried to scratch an itch, but seemed to have fallen asleep on her arm…

“No, I don’t care about the carrots, I’m not made of money.” Someone said, voice familiar as her sleepy brain slowly caught up with the world. Jess managed to pry her eyes open a little, expecting bright lights and finding only darkness. Something brushed against her cheek…

Jess’ eyes adjusted, and she felt a slow smile spread across her face as she remembered last night. Nestled in her arms was Newter, still fast asleep and apparently talking in a dream. His tail moved around lazily, brushing against her body as she held him, one arm under him.

When Newter had suggested extending their vacation a week she’d been a bit reluctant. After all there was only so much hotel living she could take, even with her powers to explore…

But then he’d explained that Mel had found a place renting out small boats, and suddenly she’d been (no pun intended) 100% on board. Not just because swimming was a big part of her physical therapy, although it was. Definitely not to avoid the prying eyes of people who looked at Newter like he was some kind of weirdo, as well as grinning at her like she was a deviant.

No, the biggest reason was that it had been well over a year since she last tried to go on a boat ride, and this time she’d have the guy who’d saved her life after that went horribly wrong.

The guy who’d become everything she ever could have hoped for in a friend, a partner, a lover, and most of all someone she trusted completely.

Although thinking about that, she was suddenly reminded that she hadn’t trusted him entirely . 

For over a year, there was something she’d been wanting to tell him, but…

It just never seemed to be the right time, and she was afraid.

Especially after hearing about the vials and his tattoo.

Earth Aleph, Gimel, and the rest, making headlines.

She was scared, even after all their time together.

What if Newter couldn’t forgive her? 

Or worse, what if he—

“But what if she doesn’t want it?” Newter mumbled, and she found her eyes drawn back to him. The full moon slid out from behind a cloud, the pair having fallen asleep in a pile of blankets and pillows on the top deck. She smiled, cuddling closer to him and trying to fall back asleep.

But sleep appeared to be retreating from Newter as well, and he let out a jaw-cracking yawn as his whole body stretched. She sighed, pulling her arm out from under him as he rolled a little, turning in their makeshift bed and squinting at her. “Mmm? Oh, hey babe…did I wake you?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine. You were talking in your sleep again.” She giggled as his eyes went wide, dark orange coloring his cheeks. Newter had quite a vivid imagination when sleeping, and with her help he’d even started writing some of his dreams down after the fact. “Don’t worry, nothing too embarrassing. Just buying vegetables for me at a supermarket, I think. Very thoughtful.”

“Only the best for you.” He leaned in, giving her a quick peck and then smiling into her lips as she deepened it. His hand brushed her hair back, and if it weren’t for her stomach rumbling they might have just stayed that way for a while. “Hungry? Do you feel like veggies for breakfast?”

“Breakfast? I think all this vacation has got your time sense a bit mixed up, Newt.” She pointed up at the moon, and both burst out laughing at the oversight. “But yes, some food would be good. I’m supposed to start upping my protein intake, remember?”

“No sweat. I can whip something up in a few.” He gently pulled the covers back, one hand gently taking her left leg and gently rubbing it. Her doctor had made certain he was well-versed in her physical therapy procedures, and she smiled as he checked her muscle tone. “How’s the pain?”

“Better, but it still feels cramped all the time.” She sighed, trying not to wince at the sight of her emaciated legs. They looked far better than they had three months ago, but were still much thinner than they should have been. “The new meds helped, even if they knocked me out.”

“Well, you’ve done a lot of swimming this week, so I think you’ve earned it.” He finished her other leg, and waited as she swallowed her supplements. “Plus, you walked around without your crutches for a minute, so that’s way better than when we first got on this boat. Great job!”

“Thanks, sweetie.” She snagged his hand and kissed it, then looked down at her legs, frowning. “Newter, do you think I should have gotten my legs just…fixed all the way? Instead of this?”

“I did for a while, but now I think I understand why you didn’t.” He slid closer, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head. “I know you better than you think, Jess.”

For a moment she wanted to believe that, and wished she’d just told him the truth back in Philadelphia. 

Told him the reason she wanted to work for this was because she didn’t think she deserved a quick fix.

Because she felt her life on Earth Bet had been too easy, especially compared to the rest of the Crew.

Given powers in a vial, rather than having to suffer for them like most other people in the world.

Carted around by a team of powerhouses, protected by friends who’d have died for her.

Rescued from danger by a handsome, kind, intelligent superhero who loved her.

Adopted by a family-like team of traveling mercenaries, badasses all of them.

It just felt at the time like this was her chance to actually earn something.

But now she wondered whether she’d just been fooling herself.

“—you wanted to build yourself back up.” Newter finished, and she closed her eyes as he held her close. She wished she could just stay like this forever. That she wasn’t plagued by this feeling that by not volunteering the truth she was effectively lying to him. “But don’t forget, it’s not just you anymore. You have me, and we’re going to do this together, as a team.”

She nodded, pledging silently that before they headed home she’d tell him the truth. They ate a small snack, high in protein, and then chatted about nothing in particular. All the while, Jess was searching her memory for the right words, trying to build a plan, but nothing was working out.

It reminded her of the first plan she made with him, back when she was Umaro. A similar feeling of panic began to build, and now that she was immune to his fluids she couldn’t even count on his scent to calm her down. If he noticed, he wasn’t saying anything, and she paused.

Actually, Newter was acting kind of strange, and had been for the last few days. Like he was waiting for something, or trying to find words of his own. Looking at him carefully, she could see that his body was shifted away from her, one hand in his pocket and the other clasping her own.

What was he…

“Hey Jess? There’s…something I’ve been wanting to say for a while, but there was never a good time.” He paused, scooting away a few feet, turning away slightly as one hand fidgeted in his pocket. “I mean, there were plenty of good times, but I didn’t have the right words.”

Oh no, he couldn’t possibly be about to…

“It’s funny, I’m thinking back to that first night we kissed. When we both just told each other our honest feelings, apologized for stuff we’d done. Turned out we were both wrong, but it changed everything. Ever since then, you’ve always been straight with me, and I love you for that.”

Except she hadn’t been honest, she’d been lying by omission…

“Thing is…the last year or so has been the happiest time of my life. I wish everyday could be like this, both good times and bad. I want to hold you every night, and wake up with you every morning.” He turned to face her, eyes watering as he lowered himself to one knee, a small box in his fingers as he began to open it towards her. “Jess, would you do me the honor of—”

“Stop!” She choked out, one hand trapping the box before he could open it. Jess’ entire body was shaking, and she knew this was probably hurting him exactly as much as it hurt her, but… “I haven’t been honest with you. I’ve been lying about something. Something I wish I’d told you so long ago, but I forgot and then Sugita gave me my wallet back and I just kept waiting and…”

He dropped the box, sweeping forward as she burst into tears, catching her in a hug that was both gentle and tight. She melted into him, whimpering as mumbled words were lost in his chest. Happiness at being asked to marry him warred with shame at ruining the moment.

“Marriage is supposed to be a bond.” She croaked, sniffling and wiping her face on a blanket. “It’s eternal, and I can’t let you ask me until I’m completely honest. Because you need to know what kind of person I am, completely and totally, before you dedicate your life to me.”

“Jess, back on that rooftop, the whole time you were telling me about the mistakes you thought you’d made, I wanted to interrupt you.” He smiled, eyes still so captivating to her even after all this time. She stared into them as he winked, “I wanted to tell you that no matter how bad you thought you’d screwed up, I was going to forgive you. Do you know why I didn’t interrupt?”

She shook her head, blowing her nose and taking a deep breath, afraid to meet his eyes again.

“Because I realized that no matter how much I wanted to tell you everything was going to be okay, if you didn’t get your fears and secrets off your chest, they’d fester and torment you. So I stayed quiet, and I learned a lot about you. You came through in the end, and that was fine.”

“Well, you were the same way.” She gave him a watery smile, wiping her eyes again with one arm as she leaned back. “You were bullshitting me the whole time with that suave secret agent stuff, but after our rooftop talk I knew the truth. You might have been a bit nervous at first, but you told me the truth in the end. I just…wasn’t ready for it back then, I guess.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, finishing off his water, and snagging the ring box off the floor. He held it up, then placed it between them. “Rock Paper Scissors? We tell each other everything , your wallet thing and my…well, let’s just say I’ve been keeping a few secrets of my own. Sound good?”

“What about that?” Jess pointed down at the ring, such a heavy matter it seemed to suck her eyes right into it. A black hole of importance, a dwarf star of potential. “How do we handle it?”

“The same way we’ve handled everything else life has thrown at us.” He held up his fist, and grinned as she held up hers as well. “ Together . Now, let’s do this on three. One, two—”

They played a game. Jess won, because Newter was terrible at Rock Paper Scissors.

He didn’t seem to mind that she’d won, and was silent as she began to speak.

As scared as she was, even out here on the ocean…

She told him everything.

He did the same.

Jess told Newter a story, about a girl who was torn from her Earth, had been given the power to take on any form, and was stolen from her friends. One who had come to find that her favorite body was her original one, because it was the one rescued by the man she’d come to love.

Newter told Jess a story, about a boy who had lost his memories, had his form twisted, forcibly given powers that made him strong at the cost of human contact. One who had found a family in a group of mercenaries, and learned the meaning of love from a girl he rescued.

They talked long into the night, about vials and alternate Earths, about Cauldron and mysterious experiments. What they’d lost, the trials they’d faced, and the hope they held for the future.

By the time the sun rose the next day, Newter and Jess were more than a little exhausted, both from the love and tears they’d shared as the night passed them by.

But the sun’s light didn’t just land upon the two of them, sleeping together in a loving embrace.

It also glinted off two rings, a matching pair forged together, much like the two of them.

One was on Jess’ finger, symbolizing an eternal bond between them.

One was on Newter’s finger, representing unbreakable trust.

No matter what the future had in store for them…

Jess and Newter would face it bravely…

Together forever.

The End